AQUARIUS
Has the week started off with a hangover for our birthday water bearers? If so it has left you feeling sluggish, out of sorts and easily annoyed. End of the week sees you wanting more social contact.
PISCES
Dreams are vivid and strong and seem to linger for days. If you don’t already do so a dream journal may help to put you in touch with parts of the unconscious that is trying to gain awareness. Everyone has his or her own dream symbolism.
ARIES
Mars your ruling planet finally went direct at the end of January so with no more delays to hold you back the impetus and drive is with you to move forward. The lines of communication are now open so use Valentine’s Day productively.
TAURUS
You have as much to offer as the next person so let go of those feelings of unworthiness or unlovablility and place a realistic value on your efforts. Exercise will help release that pent up frustration
GEMINI
Mercury your ruling planet continues his retrograde motion till the start of next week. So continue to think things through, exploring every possible outcome, seek advice and listen to any constructive criticism before placing your ideas on the table.
CANCER
Family considerations have taken up a lot of time over the last few days so now it is time to get out and about. Weather permitting try and get in touch with nature, walks in the park at lunchtime or an outdoor dinner on Valentine’s Day.
LEO
Don’t be mislead into doing something that goes against your nature. Things are not necessarily what they seem but through contact with others at the end of the week things become more public.
VIRGO
Mercury your ruling planet goes direct next week so use this last opportunity to go over the fine print and get all the information you can on that course of study or travel you have put on hold. It will be all systems go.
LIBRA
The romantic in you has high expectations for Valentine’s Day but you may need to remember to stop trying to win others over by an excessive need to be liked if you are going to enjoy the day.
SCORPIO
With both your ruling planets in opposition to each other over the next few weeks you may be in for a bit of a rough ride. Do not involve yourself in power struggles but secure your position by enlisting the aid of others.
SAGITTARIUS
Great time to look at your overall goals and how to achieve them. From a monetary perspective self-imposed savings started now enhance the potentiality of a future with greater prospects.
CAPRICORN
Your impact on others is great at this time and you are able to move forward not only in your work but also in other areas of life to fulfil your ambitions. Hard work comes easily and you see the results. MERCURY RETROGRADE IN 2008
Retrograde Mercury periods can be extremely useful and it is worth noting when those periods occur. Retrograde motion occurs from our perspective here on earth whenever a planet moves between the earth and the sun in close proximity to the earth. It is a similar phenomenon to when you are slowing moving out of the train station and the stationary train next to you appears to be moving backwards.
When applied to astrology the word retrograde has two distinct meanings -
an apparent backwards motion
reverting to an earlier condition
Because a retrograde planet is in close proximity to the earth it seems to loom larger in our lives and gives us a chance to retrace our steps, to revert back and solve problems. This gives us a chance to slow down and really look at where we are going and where we are coming from. This is an introspective and internal process that has nothing to do with logic. Hence the reason why contracts and purchases are best left for when Mercury is direct as our reality is on the back foot and we are more focused on our inner reality.
Retrograde Mercury occurs around three times a year for about three weeks at a time. In 2008 Mercury retrogrades in Aquarius the water bearer, Gemini the twins and Libra the scales, all forming the air trinity.
Air is concerned with communication, the fostering of ideas and the development of language, links to others and the process of relating. The air element can helps us to reorganise and clarify our thoughts, to rework and become more flexible with our ideas and plans, to perhaps understand that sometimes we need to detach and distance ourselves before we can gain perspective. Thus in 2008 we have a year to break patterns of the past and think outside the square.
Mercury Retrograde periods for 2008 – 28 1 till 19 2 Aquarius; 26 5 till 19 6 Gemini: 24 9 till 14 10 Libra.
INFORMATION REGARDING THE YEAR OF THE RAT www.astrologycom.com
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