Followup for Josephine

Thank you for remembering my forecast request. However I do have a question and hopefully a simple answer.

My property has been on the market now for 2 years and no sale! ... very frustrating!

Any thoughts as to when I will have a potential sale and the freedom to travel?

Also, you mentioned in your forecast 'A major relationship is about to hit a serious milestone, and while the indications are largely positive, it may mean you have to restructure your life in some way.' Good call Brandi, as I have recently ended a 10 year relationship.

Many thanks

Josephine

Thanks for the feedback!

I can see why you are frustrated. Uranus is transiting in the fourth house of your chart. That indicates upsets, sudden and dramatic changes in the home, family, and in real estate investments. Uranus is also square Venus. My advice is to find someone to help you put in a few bucks spiffing up the place to appeal to a "modern woman" (Uranus/Venus) mentality ... but don't do this yourself. Find a decorator or advisor (get a male, or someone older or younger, not a female of your own generation). The property already carries some of these features, and you may have an awesome sense of style, but something is at odds with the prevailing trends at the moment, something you cannot see, and my wager is that is having a big impact on the appeal of the property. I figure if you do something like this, you may not only sell it sooner, but you may get more money in the end. At the very least, research on the Internet to find tips for brightening up your house before a sale. It does not have to cost a fortune, little things like fresh flowers on a counter can make a huge difference. Remember me if you get a big windfall! ... I have always wanted to visit your country, heh heh.

Uranus is in your 4th house for at least another year, possibly longer. You are not going to feel settled or secure for quite some time, but part of me suspects you like it that way. Together with transiting Saturn in the 9th house, this makes for powerful, earthshaking changes in your life. The urge to travel makes total sense of the overall picture. Saturn is a challenging planet, but it makes some positive contacts in your natal chart right now. You are obsessed with learning, with knowledge, and expanding your boundaries. This may bring challenges for you financially. Your natal chart says money and personal value are early childhood wounds to your psyche. This is nothing less than your quest for self worth. I don't think I have to advise you what to do - you are already letting go of the old to make way for the new.

December Forecast, and reading for Josephine

Josephine (Dec 12) ...

This year is going to be about healing, personal growth and emotional challenges. A major relationship is about to hit a serious milestone, and while the indications are largely positive, it may mean you have to restructure your life in some way. If you are single and looking to be married, this could indicate a "settling down" period. If you are already married, expect a lot of interesting feedback from friends and companions who will bring news of weddings, engagements and serious new relationships.

The big challenge for you this year is financial. You may find yourself spending more, spending erratically, or spending on the basis of emotional reactions. You will have a lot of ideas for making money, but your energies will be pretty scattered. Don't gamble, try to make sure that the chances you take are not overly risky. You may be drawn to high technology this year, but you will encounter mixed results, and may spend more on computers and telecommunications equipment this year than you have in the past. Your career will be changing, but you may find that things don’t settle down until sometime next year.

There are lots of interesting parties and social events coming up this year, you will find out that you are meeting people who share your interests through bookstores, travel, or higher education. You may be considering going back to school this year.

If you would like to have a reading for the year ahead for your birthday, please email me within a month of your birthday, with your birtdata (Eg: January 13, 1956, 5:45 PM, Albany NY). You can ask one question, or just send the data, and you may see your forecast in an upcoming blog!

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December Forecast

We’re heading up to the winter holidays, and no matter what beliefs you hold, there is likely to be cause for celebration this early month. Powerfully transformative energies are swirling about early in the month. The questions to ask are "How do I show my courage and leadership by making the biggest change, taking the biggest risk, jumping the highest? How do I show my friends and loved ones how life is lived? How do I be an example of love-based leadership to the people I love?" If you ask yourself questions like that this month, you will not only change your own life, you will pull others along with you for the ride. The focus will be on the family. How will you show love in challenging moments as well as during the celebrations? If you are looking for a special gift for that hard to please loved one, try something unusual like art lessons, a season's pass to a local theatre, or a gift basket made up of some of their favorite art supplies.

The special challenge early this month will be to slow things down. There is a lot of highly optimistic energy floating around, but the grand ideas people will have might turn out to have little staying power. You might want to take a second look at any risky venture that involves business, investment, currency or capital. There is some kind of monkey business in the money business this month, so watch your finances carefully.

The holidays themselves could be a challenging time though, a bit of a let-down from the high expectations early in the month. There are strongly negative aspects to "the public and people in general". It looks like there is indeed a "clash of cultures", and religious motivation could be behind unrest or attacks, intensifying near the end of the month. Intensely erratic emotions and a high anger level will make people act strangely around this time, especially where spiritual or religious beliefs are concerned. Everyone seems to thing that they have the unique dogma that will solve the world's problems, and yet it will be this very attitude that is tearing the world apart. The main upside could be the kind of healing that is often triggered after certain tragedies. If you find yourself falling into the "holiday blues", the best thing to do is to look for someone who is suffering more than you are, and find some way to be of help or service to them. If you don't know anyone, call the Red Cross or a local retirement home, and ask how you can volunteer. It could entirely transform the way you look at the season.

There will be a lot of interesting news about technology, computers and the Internet this month, though it will be a bit of a mixed bag. Look for new laws, court cases and strange movements in the stock market for businesses in these sectors.

November Forecast

Astrology Overview November 2006

There will be a lot of talk about limitations this month. People's ego needs are going to be stronger than their material support options. That Hummer you wanted to buy is definitely over the top, or too much for your current needs, and you may want to avoid any buffet-style restaurants right now. We're all about comfort and luxury, champagne tastes on a beer budget, and the economy is showing the strain of our decision making over the past 7 or 8 years.

Where were you 7 to 8 years from today? What has changed? What has not changed? You may find by looking at the pattern of your life in this time period that there are some interesting and valuable lessons to be learned, especially where it comes to the things you think and worry about the most. The answers to any questions that may come up could arise in some strange and unexpected places. There is a lot of innovative and unique mental energy floating around. Keep a notepad with you so you can jot down some of the wild and perhaps fleeting ideas that occur throughout the month. They won't stick in your mind, no matter how powerful they may seem at the moment, and you may find not all of them are in sync with your daily life cycle. You may in fact find that many of them will be worked on in your next 7 to 8 year cycle.

There is an awful lot of energy to the planets, signs and houses that rule communication, especially the online or electronic sort. There will likely be some really good pre-Christmas sales on computers, cell phones and other communications gadgets. Some new upcoming innovation may be sparking the sell-off though. That means more new toys for the "early adopters" and bargains for the rest of us. Keep those receipts handy if you are buying new toys, though. There may be hidden challenges to setting up that shiny new wireless network, and that cell phone may have a few extra features you are not ready for just yet.

Forgive friends and family if they seem to want to talk your ears off this month. They may seem disoriented or "spaced out", especially near the end of the month. Siblings and friends may be wondering what happened to their minds, it will seem difficult to think at times. Yet there is an "Oh well!" feeling to it all. Whatever miscommunication there will be should be easy to sort out with patience and a little compassion.

It’s going to be quite a romantic month too. The challenge, especially near mid-month, will be for sexy singles (and even some couples) to keep their dance cards in order. There is a wild and crazy energy. Anything can happen, and often will! Going out in public will be the social version of Russian Roulette. You will never know what kind of new person you will meet, and everyone will seem to be on the prowl. It's a good time to add new names to a black book, but not necessarily the most auspicious time to settle down into something lasting and permanent.

---

This forecast appears in the in this month's edition of the webzine, Successful Spirit! The link is included in the announcement below, which also has special offers from some of the writers.

You can support me in this by forwarding this announcement to friends, clients, co-workers, and family who might enjoy my article or the others in Successful Spirit! webzine.

Take a look, and I'd enjoy hearing your comments.

Sincerely,

Brandi Jasmine

The new issue of Successful Spirit! is online and this announcement can save you money!

Successful Spirit is an upbeat monthly web-zine filled with great articles and ideas to help readers create the life they were born to live. Successful Spirit covers topics that people want to read about - prosperity, spirituality, alternative healing, holistic approaches to life, angels, art, intuition, and more. Each issue includes regular columns by the Angel Ladies, Deb Vaughan and Jean Porche, and also features articles by practitioners and interesting guest writers who entertain, enlighten and offer food for thought that will enrich readers' lives.

Check it out at:
http://www.theangelladies.com/successful_spirit.htm

Special Offers for Successful Spirit subscribers and friends. You must mention the offer, when you book your appointment - please let them know you saw this offer on the Astrology.ca Blog.

Deborah Vaughan is pleased to offer personalized affirmations and prayers with every Divine Insights medallion purchased in November. Just mention this special offer when you make your order. Email her at theangelladies@theangelladies.com or call 905-468-8448.

Jean Porche is pleased to extend the following offer to readers of Successful Spirit webzine: Now through November 30, when you book a 30-minute reading, mention this Successful Spirit webzine offer and receive a free download of The Angelically Yours Guide to Affirmations. Book your reading by November 17 and pay only $50 for a 30-minute reading (regularly $65). Email her at theangelladies@theangelladies.com
or call 905-468-8448.

For Jessica ... (October 6th)

This year is going to be about relationships for you – especially relationships that you keep hidden or secret for some reason. Most of the people involved will be positive influences on you, they may be authority figures, teachers, or even political leaders. An important romance could grow and blossom, but for some reason you will want to hold it back from coworkers and family. The challenges for you this year come from you not honoring your need to speak your mind. Don’t put yourself down, celebrate your victories and talents, especially that artistic or creative talent that your family isn’t all that supportive or enthusiastic about. I have the sneaking suspicion they may not be too supportive of your love life either, but you have either met or are about to meet someone who will have both challenging and profoundly healing impact in your life.

Brandi

October Forecast

People will be motivated to work very hard this month. There will be many opportunities for growth in work and business, especially for those who work with the public in rather traditional corporate settings. Don’t be surprised if thought processes are rather slow or backward in the beginning of the month, but that will turn around. And it won’t be all work and no play! Romance is in the air. It may not be the traditional time of year for hearts, flowers and chocolates, but right now the urge to merge is strong, and many new romances will blossom this month. If you are single, the best place to be is among friends and those who share your personal, social and political interests. Energy will be extremely high at the beginning of the month, and it will only intensify as days pass. In mid-month, some of the hidden aspects of romantic affairs will be revealed, and after some adjustments and surprises, things will settle back down into something resembling sanity. By Hallowe’en, things will be intensely sexy and passionate. All sorts of wild energy will be flying around on that night! If you want to be a hit, get your hands on a dark, gothic costume with seductive accents this year!

There could be a breakthrough in the medicine of relationships announced this month. I interpret that to mean good news for suffers of sexually transmitted diseases. If this is not manifested immediately, other indications are that a large-scale musical event could bring healing – possibly another gathering of musicians, this time for a cause such as AIDs or to send money to people in areas affected by war.

Speaking of war, this could be the best opportunity in ages for the advancement of peace. While tensions remain, and there is a lot of anger to be healed, this month is the most favorable in a long time for ceasefires and peace negotiations to succeed. In the end, it will be those leaders who can move past their hurts into healing who will be able to make the deepest changes. Unexpected results could come from secret negotiations.

There will be some mixed energies and messages this month from and for psychics, spiritual leaders and prognosticators. Psychic energy is increasing, as is social acceptance, but the changes are incredibly dynamic and powerful right now. The key is to find practical and realistic ways to integrate intuition into everyday life. Psychic development will likely be a bit of a “fad” coming over the next few years, which bodes well for yours truly and the Angel Ladies! The principle challenge to the growth will come from traditional sources, organized religion and the corporate-industrial-educational complex. The growth of intuitive thinking threatens the status quo, but the wave is building, and the momentum will be impossible to deny. Another challenge is that so many people are growing in their own intuition, but do not yet trust themselves. This is a particularly good time to start a personal journal if you are interested in developing your intuition.

No More Weekly Horoscopes

Regular visitors may notice there is something missing at Astrology.ca. There are no more weekly horoscopes. I regret any inconvenience that this may cause, but as I no longer have any corporate customers for weekly horoscopes, and traffic was minimal on Astrology.ca, I have cancelled the weekly horoscopes. I am hoping this will free up more time for comments and expanded monthly horoscopes that I will post here on the blog.

Astrology.ca Cellular Sun Sign Horoscopes

Astrology.ca will soon offer our daily horoscopes through cellular phones! There will be a small fee, payable through your carrier or credit card. The cost will be very affordable, about the price of one large latte per month. It should work with any US provider, and most Canadian ones. More news will follow as it becomes available.

If you are interested in other kinds of pay-per-use content (horoscopes, astrology or otherwise) via cellular phones, please let me know. I would be most interested in your feedback.

September Forecast

The new issue of Successful Spirit! is online.

Successful Spirit! is an upbeat monthly web-zine filled with great articles and ideas to help readers create the life they were born to live. Successful Spirit! covers topics that people want to read about prosperity, spirituality, alternative
healing, holistic approaches to life, angels, writing, art, intuition, and more. Each issue includes regular columns by the Angel Ladies, Deb Vaughan and Jean Porche, and also features articles by practitioners and interesting guest writers
who entertain, enlighten and offer food for thought that will enrich readers lives.

Check out Successful Spirit! webzine here:
http://www.theangelladies.com/successful_spirit.htm

Astrology Overview September 2006

Expect loud and bitterly divisive public arguments about education, foreign aid, travel safety this month. There will be discussions and debates about illegal immigration, international relations and the challenges of our post 9-11 world. Powerful leadership will make a difference in the end. People will be reminded that their fears of the unknown, of outsiders, are largely based on the ubiquitous presence of the news media in our culture, rather than reflections of legitimate fears.

This doesn’t mean that terrorist attacks won’t happen, in fact they are likely this month … but there needs to be recognition that compared to more immediate threats (tens of thousands of people die on our roads and from the flu every year, and there is no panic about this), the threat from the “outsiders” isn’t as great as it seems. Unfortunately though, there will be those who will seek to stoke the fires of religious passions, and this motivation is likely to become obvious in some way this month. There will continue to be strong public pressure for stricter laws, and there could be a breakthrough or further challenges on the disagreement between the US and Canada regarding border security and identification. Still more violations of civil rights and a tightening of control mechanisms are coming for citizens in both these countries as governments struggle to deal with both real and imaginary fears. An international border agreement that has been worked on in secret could hit the mainstream news and provoke protests, which could manifest closer to the middle of the month. A strong political leader could emerge now to move things, but it remains to be seen whether they will move to the better or the worse in the end.

Relationships will be challenging and complicated this month. There are contradictory aspects, and people will seem at times to be acting in a chaotic, almost “bi-polar” manner. At times bold, then shy, outgoing, then introverted … if you think that you are getting mixed signals from a lover or partner, it isn’t your imagination. They really are a bit wacko right now. That may be a good thing if you like unexpected surprises and sudden mood swings.

Huge strides are being made in technology right now. If you have not recently invested in a new computer, it might be prudent to hold off for a little while longer. At the very least, prices could stand to come down a little. At best, some wild new digital product is about to set the geek world on fire. If you are okay to accept the second-best product on the shelf, you could save a bundle of money.

Speaking of investing, if real estate is your thing, it may be a good idea to watch the housing markets near mid month. There will likely be some positive news that could affect your bottom line in positive but surprising ways. If you are trying to sell a home without success, my bet is right now the cheapest and most effective upgrade might be to install a permanent home network in the den or home office space.

Oh No! Pluto is not a planet anymore?!!

... Ah well, life goes on. This evening I am listening to Phil Plait again on Coast to Coast after the infamous re-classification of Pluto as a non-planet. It's a non-event here at Astrology.ca and for just about all astrologers I am sure.

This time, Plait did back off his rather sarcastic attack on astrology from his last appearance on C2C, admitting it won't matter much to us after all. In fact he was quite generous this time around. I suspect the original comment was probably just a moment of poor judgment on his part, an off-the-cuff comment that didn't come out quite as clever or funny as he imagined.

He hasn't backed off on being a skeptic, and nor would I expect or hope for that. Honestly, I'm not interested in convincing skeptics that what I believe is true. If you are either a skeptic or a believer, there is only one way to decide for yourself if astrology has merit. Test it out for yourself. Read the evidence on both sides for yourself. Remember that both sides have sponsored biased research with a pre-determined position in mind. Find out what astrologers actually believe and claim (especially if you plan to denounce those beliefs in public). Remember that we are not a unanimous, homogenous group. Some of us are pretty conservative, others kind of wild.

As for me, I think I am in the conservative group. I have seen many irresponsable claims by fellow astrologers. I understand the passion of the skeptics towards the "wild side" of astrology, and share it to some degree (though out of different motivations). For example, I do not claim to be able to predict the future. I believe astrology is useful for forecasting trends, highlighting possibilities. But the future is always fluid to some degree, and this needs to be better understood by students of astrology. In a future blog entry, I will explain the difference between prediction and forecasting. But for now, I am just glad that the astronomical tempest in a teapot is finally over ... though I will predict this is not the last we've heard of it in the end ...

Brandi

Answers to comments on Transpluto

By Transpluto, do you mean any body that has influence that is outside the orbit of Pluto? How does a transplutonian object affect an analysis. Would you say an object, say Neptune, has more influence that a transplutonian object?

Just curious...Brian

Honestly, I am not an expert on Transpluto - the astrologers who use it on a regular basis are the best ones to ask for more detail. There are two ways I use the word. Capitalized, "Transpluto" commonly refers to a hypothetical object beyond Pluto. In lower case, I am referring to a class of possible objects beyond Pluto.

I personally feel that generally speaking, the closer in to earth, the more relevant an object should be - not just because of proximity, but because closer objects move more quickly and are more likely to interact with the natal chart through transits. But are they more influential overall? I don't know that is necessarily the case - astrologers also study the galactic center and fixed stars, and they can be incredibly powerful indicators of personality in some charts. Like any astrological analysis, all these factors have to be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Brandi

So what is the ephemeris for this Transpluto? If it was published in 1972, why do you still call it Transpluto? Surely telescopes are powerful enough to spot it now, especially since it should be large enough. I mean, if it wasn't large it wouldn't have any bearing on astrology, right?

Brad

Not necessarily. Chiron is a large asteroid, small planetoid, and it has a strong bearing on astrology. The Nodes are essentially mathematical points in space, not planets, and there are some astrologers who use them almost exclusively, giving highly detailed readings. There are plenty of objects too small for telescopes to spot - there is a solid history of astronomical objects being located after small wabbles are noticed in nearby objects.

As for the ephemeris, I believe it is no longer in print, but you can find them in some astrological computer programs, and may be able to find them in books on Transpluto on Amazon.com.

Brandi

So, some people use charts with hypothetical positions? ... and by saying "likely has a primarily generational effect.", you mean it can also not have only a "generational effect", but other effects? That "transpluto" component may well have a combined mass far superior to all "inner Pluto" bodies. Do they not matter because they are far away? Even if there are billions of them? By your title "Bad Astronomer makes bad assumption ...", you assume Mr. Phil Plait assumed you would struggle to explain something about Pluto, that he would have a chuckle at your expense or both?

Best regards
Bruno Domingues

Many people use hypothetical positions, yes. Pluto itself is considered a primarily "generational" planet by most astrologers. It takes so long to complete its circuit of the zodiac that entire generations of people have it in the same sign. This does not mean it does not also have individual effects, but the strength of that effect will vary from chart to chart, depending on house placement and aspects to other planets. You could be right, a transpluto component could have a huge impact on some charts ... but I choose to wait until I know more before I consider it in my own analysis.

As for Mr. Plait, I do not have a direct quote (would be appreciative of any Coast subscriber who can provide one), but it was not an assumption, those were his comments more or less. He stated that he believed astrologers would struggle with this because it is possible Pluto might be declassified as a planet ... and that he was looking forward to having a good chuckle as a result. If its classification does not matter to him, why should it matter to me?

Brandi

Bad Astronomer makes bad assumption ...

On the August 15, 2006 “Coast to Coast” radio show, “Bad Astronomer” Phil Plait smugly suggested (paraphrasing) that the current dispute over Pluto’s status as a planet should make astrologer sweat, and he was looking forward to a chuckle as we try to explain away our use of it.

Some folks don’t let their ignorance of a topic get in the way of voicing their opinions, even when the answer is obvious in their own writing. This has ever been true of skeptics who pontificate about astrology without seeking out what we really think first. He says on his blog “My opinion: who cares? It is what it is, and calling it a planet won’t change that. The real question is, what’s a planet?”

Most astrologers have a similar reaction, and have felt that way for years. Pluto’s planetary status has in fact been in dispute between astronomers virtually since its discovery. This is often acknowledged in astrological literature on Pluto. Who cares? It is what it is, and what it is called is as irrelevant to astrology as it is to astronomy. Most astrologers already track a handful of asteroids and comets, mathematical points in space (like the North Node), and some of us even track hypothetical planets which astrologers (not astronomers) predicted years ago would eventually be located “trans-Pluto” or beyond Pluto. In 1972 an ephemeris was published for "Transpluto". The asteroids have a well-established use in astrological analysis, Pluto’s effect has been well-documented in astrological literature, and it is on this basis we will continue to use it without concern over its astromonical status.

Furthermore, it's really irrelevant to us what astronomers decide they will call "planets", or if they decide to call them something else. Astrologers call the Sun and Moon “planets” all the time, knowing full well astronomers do not define them this way, knowing they are not in fact "planets" in the astronomical sense of the term. Mirriam Webster in fact allows for the astrological definition of "planets" as "a celestial body held to influence the fate of human beings." That works for me.

Sorry to deprive you of a chuckle, Mr. Plait.

I do not use Transpluto mainly because I have enough of a challenge analyzing a chart without adding a hypothetical position, but also because it is so far out that it likely has a primarily generational effect. It has not yet been proven that there is in fact a literal heavently body at that position, but if some astrologers are noticing a trackable effect, it may be there is some other cause for the effect, similar to the effects of the North and South Nodes.

Software Review Janus 3.0

http://www.astrology-house.com
Free Trial Version Available at http://www.astrology-house.com/janus/download_trial.cfm

A while ago I was approached by Janus Software with an offer to review their Janus 3.0 program. I have been going through a particularly challenging set of transits, and kept putting it off. I had a minor problem installing it because I work on a computer with no floppy drive, but the good folks at Janus got me fixed up. Now that I have had some time to play with it, I like what I see. What I first noticed about the program is its non-traditional, un-Windows-like interface. The different features are laid out in easy to find button-icons. Those who are used to the Windows interfaces will still be able to navigate around … the file/edit navigation is also there for you. It’s just nice to see something a little different for a change.

The help file contains a valuable and comprehensive glossary. Chartwheels are easy to read, easily customized in full color and many functions can be customized within the viewing window. It is very easy to switch between different modules for the same chart. So if you are studying a natal chart and want to switch between graphs, reports, Horary and AstroLocality charts, you just click a button.

Janus 3.0 is also packed with features that will appeal to more advanced students of astrology. The ASC Electronic Atlas is included. It is very comprehensive, with linked time zones. I have reviewed other programs that did not have my birth town … so that is one of my little “tests”. I was happy to find it there, along with several hundred Canadian towns I have never heard of. I particularly enjoy the ability to link notes with charts. Now I don’t have to fiddle around looking for the note I wrote for this chart or that, it’s right in the program, linked to my chart. There are built-in Horary, Electional, Astro-Locality Maps, MidPoints, Eclipse Tracker, Arabic Parts, and an interesting oddity for an astrological program (ironically enough) an actual astronomical star map. There is a built-in rectification that is extremely easy to use.

The Synastry chart is pretty good, though my favorite methods for doing couple compatibility is the combined chart. I did find this feature in Janus 3.0 as well with a little digging. About the only thing I can think of that is missing would be an ability to more easily switch between charts in the current session, but that is a bit of a nitpick really.

The reports are comprehensive and well-written, despite the fact that there are some missing elements like Chiron and the Asteroids, but this is still common in most commercial astrological software at this point. I found the report better than many I have read, few punches pulled on the challenges, yet these are explained in a positive way. I particularly enjoy the transit reports. Most enlightening, and accurate for my current circumstances. I especially like that you can set up and write your own interpretations for different kinds of charts. Say you want to do children’s charts, or gay couple charts or business charts … you just set up a new file with your own interpretations, and you are off and running.

Overall, Janus 3.0 is an excellent option, either as a first program for the beginning student of astrology, or for the more advanced student or professional. If you are considering purchasing a report-writing program for your professional business, and want to write your own unique reports, this is the program I’d recommend.

Brandi

Astrology.ca Monthly Forecasts in Successful Spirit! webzine

Hi there! Starting this month I am going to start posting a monthly Astrological Forecast that will also be published in this month's edition of the webzine, Successful Spirit! Before you read this month's overview, have a look at the special offers from some of the other contributors to Successful Spirit!

You can support this new Forecast by forwarding this announcement to friends, clients, co-workers, and family who might enjoy my article or the others in Successful Spirit! webzine. Tell them that they can sign up here, just scroll down to the Yahoo Groups subscription button. If you sign up for Successful Spirit! you will receive the forecasts a few days before they are posted on my blog.

Take a look, and I'd enjoy hearing your comments.

Sincerely,

Brandi Jasmine

The new issue of Successful Spirit! is online – and this announcement can save you money!

Successful Spirit! is an upbeat monthly web-zine filled with great articles and ideas to help readers create the life they were born to live. Successful Spirit! covers topics that people want to read about – prosperity, spirituality, alternative healing, holistic approaches to life, angels, writing, art, intuition, and more. Each issue includes regular columns by the Angel Ladies, Deb Vaughan and Jean Porche,
and also features articles by practitioners and interesting guest writers who entertain, enlighten and offer food for thought that will enrich readers' lives.

Check out Successful Spirit! webzine here.

Get to know some of the writers of Successful Spirit! by taking advantage of the offers below. They expire at the end of the month, so act today!

Get $40 off a 1-hour Angel Guidance session with the Angel Ladies! Regularly a $189.00 value, book your onsite or phone session before June 25th and pay only $149. What a great deal!!!! For more information on what an Angel Ladies' Guidance session involves, please visit:
http://www.theangelladies.com/angel_ladies_guidance_sess.htm

Dr. Kaleb's special of the month

Available now on Dr. Montgomery's web site is a full nutrition chart outlining which nutrients are important for conceiving and having a healthy baby for both mama and papa and which foods are good sources of these nutrients. Follow the link on http://www.bringingconsciousness.com/fertility/ for "pregnancy food chart".

A very special Offer!

Judee Regan has written a very thoughtful book called "We Don't Die Well in the Western World: A Message of Hope . Go to Judee's web site www.worldofwork.com and click on the section about the pay-it-forward offer. Judee is offering you 3 free copies of her book. There is one condition.... that you keep one copy for yourself and give away (free of any charge) the other two copies to people you think might be interested in them. Send Judee your mailing information and she will send you the 3 free copies without any charges. We know people who have read it and have found it
to be truly inspirational.

Astrology Overview June 2006

Gemini is ruled by Mercury, the god of communication, and those born in the sign of Gemini are known for their natural intelligence and communications skills. The month of June 2006 will have a particular focus on communications, intelligence and shared ideas, because both the Sun and Mercury start out in this sign.

There are both challenging and positive aspects to the Sun and Mercury early in the month. Expect challenging news early in the month, then a sudden change of fortunes or unexpected events. The greatest challenges will tend to focus on international news, publishing and education.

It looks like the deep and lasting world conflict is truly based on religious differences, and there will be little good news to report on that front. More violence is likely, and possibly an attempt to disrupt the Internet in some way. Expect to see global conflict used to excuse attempts to make even more restrictive laws on the Internet, technology, alternative medicines, or entertainment.

A huge protest is starting to build which may take advantage of the very technology that governments will want to restrict. There seems to be a movement to interfere with the great freedoms afforded us by technology. The saving grace may well be that at this point it is simply impossible to stick the genie back in the bottle. The Internet has grown too big for any government to control.

Challenges to relationships can be triggered that could indicate make-or-break turning points. There may be some kind of epiphany or breakthrough, but then unrealistic expectations start to creep back in. If you have had a lot of ups and downs this last little while, ask yourself if your expectations of your significant other are really as fair as you think.

In mid-month you will have an opportunity to reconnect or re-establish communication on a profound level, but don't expect your partner to make miracles or read your mind. What is the biggest problem in relationships? Communication. What is the solution to that problem? Communication! This month, many people will come to appreciate this ironic truth.

This is a time of year that home renovations and new home purchases tend to take a stronger role. If you are considering buying a home or upgrading your current living space, look for more supportive conditions toward the middle of the month. Information that had been withheld could come through at the last minute. Just remember the theme this month of unrealistic expectations hits the both the financial and home and family sectors too. If a deal looks too good to be true, it likely is!

It's looking like a bit of a stressful month for most signs, so if you are looking for escape, try to avoid anything too expensive or serious. One sector that looks good is "fantasy entertainment." There could be a hot new release coming out for those of you who play computer games, and the summer movie season is looking pretty intense!

Brandi Jasmine

Student doing a study on sun signs

I was hoping you could help me with a school project. I'm looking at how often people born under a certain sun sign manifest the traits associated with that sign.

I need help with a few different things. First, I know that a sun sign by itself is a very inaccurate method of trying to analyze or predict a personality, since so any other factors influence a horoscope. But are they completely inaccurate? How strong of a correlation would you predict between the characteristics associated with a sun sign and those represented by people under that sign?

Specifically, my project consists of a survey where students identified themselves as possessing one of several traits – for example, "are you usually more practical or dreamy?" I compared those results to what sun sign characteristics would predict the person would answer, looking at about thirty traits per sign. Of those thirty traits, how many would you anticipate matching between an individual's answers and their sun sign's predictions?

Secondly, I found several contradictions when gathering characteristics associated with sun signs, so I don't have complete confidence in the traits I ended up picking. I've included below the traits I found -- could you tell me if any are more or less closely identified with the sign, and so more or less likely to be represented by the people I polled?

Thank you so much for any help you're able to give me.

Sincerely and gratefully,

CD

11th grade

Hi there! Happy to help. I have answered you in more detail via private email but decided to blog your letter (with your permission) because I think others may have similar questions. The following reply has been edited to better fit the blog format.

The Rising Sign is often a better predictor of outside personality than the Sun Sign, but I don't take any sign on its own when making an astrological assessment. Astrological charts are complex, like the people they represent.

I really do not know how many people would acknowledge a strong correlation between their Sun Sign characteristics and their actual personality. I would be speaking from personal, anecdotal experience, I don't know of any specific studies referring to the scope of your question. The problem is that personality characteristics are such a subjective thing to analyses. The Oracle at Delphi said "Know Thyself" ... and that is wise advice. But most of us really don't have all that good a grasp on who we are. Ask ten friends to give you ten keywords on your own personality, and you may find that you have ten different "personalities" . The "personality" of a given person is part who he or she thinks they are, part the facade they put on to the world, and that is filtered through the cultural and "personality" biases of the beholder.

If I were forced to a specific number, I would say somewhere between 60-75%. And that might also be affected by sun-sign ... I recall one mailing list where we were discussing the nitpickiness, fussiness and fastidiousness of Virgos who all told us in minute detail that they were not as analytical as Virgo is made out to be. It was really funny ... for everyone else . I mean, they were their own best rebuttal, heh heh ... but they couldn't see it. They labeled that part of their psychology as "bad", and they wanted to distance themselves from it. They are not the only sign with that problem. Any self-assessment is going to be biased. I don't think you can only go by what the individual answers. You have to poll their friends, loved ones, associates, to get a more objective picture.

There are often contradictions in the published lists of traits. Sometimes what seems to be a contradiction resolves itself when you see it as part of a polar extreme. For example, Libra is associated with relationships yet many of the Libras I know (including yours truly) are single. Why is this? Well, I can't speak for another Libra, but for me, relationships are so important that I choose to be alone rather than have a bad one. Someone who does not know me might be perplexed by my lack of a partner. Or, for example, I was looking at some formation that to me indicated strong ties to the family business, but my client indicated this was not the case. Further probing revealed that he had chosen his career specifically to rebel against it. They had indeed formed his life-path, just not in the way I assumed. These kind of "polar contradictions" occur a lot in astrology. In fact each of the signs can be better understood if you look at its polar opposite. For example, selfish Aries versus people-pleasing Libra.

I don't have a lot of time to do a detailed reply for each sign, but I sent some notes in private. I would not put "low self-esteem" in any of them ... you have a well or poorly adjusted person, you have good or bad self-esteem. Each sign has "qualities" that can be expressed in a positive or negative way. Sometimes our culture decides a given trait is "positive", sometimes not. Throw in cultural sexism ... for example the sensitivity of the female Cancer is considered a benefit. Many male Cancers put on a tough "crabby" shell because they want to disown it. The flipside (of course) is Capricorn ... an ambitious male is seen as positive. An ambitious female ... ? Not always the same words used to describe her personality. I do see some of the terms repeated in some of the signs as well. I would also say "tends to" on some of the more negative associations, or you will get more resistance to them.

Brandi

SMS and Licensed Horoscope Content

Someone wrote today asking about SMS and Licensed Horoscope Content ...

I'm looking for a site or a service that can provide astrology and numerology forcast on a daily basis via SMS. Does anyone know such a site or service provider.

Astrology.ca does provide licensed horoscope content to SMS companies and to cellular phone companies. I do not know anything about the SMS company you mentioned, how their products can be accessed, or what they cost. Our horoscopes are sent out to cell phone companies and resellers who provide them directly to their own customer's cell phones as their own content. We were at one point approached by a provider who offered to let us sell access to horoscopes through a cellular service, but not our own horoscopes. These were someone else's. I decided not to go along with them until they could offer us the ability to direct people to our own horoscopes.

If your cellular provider does not offer horoscopes, you can always contact your cellular provider and point them to our licensing page at http://www.astrology.ca/license.html. We also license horoscopes to web sites and publications.

As for daily numerology readings ... that would be a little more challenging, because there are a small set of numbers to work with, and numerological conditions tend to repeat in a specific manner. I do some numerology, including my chart, which is pretty unique in the business, I think, but have stayed away from daily numerology readings because I am not sure how to make that fresh on a daily basis. If anyone has any ideas, I'd love to hear them, though!

Brandi

"Lucky" Astrology Scam

Recently my friend Hazel wrote me to ask about one of the Google Adsense advertisers that showed up on Astrology.ca. She wanted to know if I knew anything about her. I didn’t. Hazel told me about some of this particular astrologer’s … “marketing techniques”. As soon as I heard about it, I immediately blocked her URL on Astrology.ca. Unfortunately, I don’t always get this kind of feedback, and others who are pursuing fraudulent marketing tactics might slip through. So I would like to warn you about these kind of scams so you can judge them for yourselves.

This particular scam starts out as a “free reading”. When the victim responds, they do not get a "reading". Instead they are sent a standard form letter, which sort of pretends to be a reading, which claims that certain planets will both be in the same position which they were in at the moment of your birth. On a sample submitted, the placements were not accurate for the data provided.

The letter goes on to say that the victim’s financial situation will go through a favorable period during the next year, a short period linked to games of chance. It is implied that you could miss your good fortune if you don’t find out about that time period from this particular astrologer. I don’t buy it. The same energy will work itself some other way – perhaps as good or better than if you try to manipulate it through gambling. I never encourage my clients to gamble at certain times. Gambling should be done for fun, for entertainment, not out of desperation for financial gain. You may be able to leverage a lucky period in the way this astrologer suggests … but I am doubtful of the skills of any astrologer who can’t get the client’s Moon Sign right.

If you are really interested in lucky time periods, Matrix Software offers a program called “Winning Times” that I have been checking out to see if there is any correlation between good fortune and astrological indicators. I am planning on reviewing it here soon. I don’t know what this astrologer charges, because you don’t get the fees until you enter your credit card number (big red flag that this is a scam) … but Winning Times would likely pay off better. At least you’d know the program has your birth data correct.

If you do click on any of the advertisers on any of my sites, please be aware that I do not preview them. If you buy from them, it is Caveat Emptor (buyer beware). There are some very good astrologers and astrological products being advertised through Google, I do not want to discourage you from checking them out. But if you get any sales letter that makes a promise that looks too good to be true, it probably is. And if you feel you have been ripped off, I want to know about it so I can block them from my list. You should also contact Google to complain about these advertisers. They make legitimate astrologers look bad, and you can prevent this from happening to others.

Brandi

The Australian Institute for the Development of Consciousness

Alan Oken and Maggie Kerr invite you to join them for a series
of seminars on an ongoing basis during 2006 and 2007.

www.AidConsciousness.com

Alan will be visiting Australia every 3 months to lead 2 courses :

- Master Certificate Seminar Series in the Techniques Of Astrological Delineation & Counseling

A series of SEVEN 3 day seminars every 3 months during 2006 & 2007

Commencing April 7th on the Gold Coast & April 14th in Sydney - Maggie Kerr will join Alan Oken to teach this course.

The White Magic Teachings

A Six Part Course in the Development of Consciousness through the Techniques of White Magic and its Practical Applications in our Daily Lives.

A series of SIX 3 day seminars every 3 months during 2006 & 2007Commencing April 21st on the Gold Coast

This is a rare opportunity to study with one of the world's foremost Astrologers, Alan Oken, on an ongoing basis, As well as being one of the leading lights in contemporary Physchological Astrology, he is a remarkable teacher of Metaphysics and the mysteries of the Soul. He joins well known Australian Astrologer Maggie Kerr for the Master Classes in Astrology series, and for the first time in Australia is offering the Teachings in White Magic - truly a special opportunity once again...because who knows where he will be by 2008!

For details go to:

www.AidConsciousness.com

And then there's The Gods & Goddesses Tour to Bali - September 16th 30th 2006!! A fantastic chance to visit one of the world's most beautiful places, and spend time hanging out with Alan and Maggie ...

The night is balmy. The temple is still...lit only by the Moon and the glow of fire pots and torches. The evocative gongs of the Gamelan ring out, announcing the entrance of the elegant dancers dressed as Dewis, handmaidens of the gods.

Welcome to Bali, a truly magical island of great beauty, artistic abundance, sensual delights and spiritual presence. You are invited to join Astrologers and metaphysical teachers Alan Oken and Maggie Kerr for an amazing two-week tour of this exceptional island of smiles. As frequent and long time visitors to Bali, Alan and Maggie have arranged a fantastic journey to temples, traditional villages, art galleries, health spas, and splendid oceanside resorts. There will be informal afternoon group gatherings to join Alan and Maggie for discussions in Astrology and other Metaphysical topics during the 2 week program.