SEXUAL DRIVE AND PHYSICAL ENERGY OFF THE CHARTS !!!

Mars began its dramatic transit through the romantic, playful, creative and pleasure seeking sign of Leo yesterday, 8/27, at 10:05 PM EDT ... Leo, being a Fire sign, is very happy to have Mars, the planet of action, initiative and drive visiting its "house" ... kind of a two for the price of one transit .... Mars in Leo is naturally dramatic and its actions alone often make a statement without a word being uttered ... having attention and admiration, and being in the limelight are doubly essential here .... energy can be asserted warmly, majestically, radiantly, or sometimes unfortunately extremely arrogantly ... the normal drive is towards having fun, enthusiasm, generosity, creativity, and most definitely having a zest for life ... this energy can be quite exciting yielding a strong sense of pride and a drive for recognition ... there is creativity abounding with a pronounced flair, and there is a heightened sense of vitality and just being alive ... ones identity here is tied in to being someone special and increasing self-esteem ... sometimes the urge to express oneself so boldly can lead to being pompous and very pushy, but it can also make one quite the magnetic personality ... sexual drive and physical energy is usually off the charts under this energy and they thrive in an atmosphere of attention ... receiving compliments especially makes one come alive ... many of us may find ourselves becoming more in touch with our inner child - go with it ... since Leo rules creative tendencies, those in the entertainment and artistic realms usually become quite productive and have the potential to reach a new heightened expression of their work ... regardless of where we use this energy, you can bet while Mars is transiting through Leo there is absolutely going to be a driving passion about something or someone - or both !!!

The lesson of Mars in Leo is learning to get through creating ... here we have a hot and fiery streak that definitely needs to find some form of creative, dramatic, or romantic outlet ... there is determination and confidence here and the first impression one gives here is most valuable to oneself ... there could develop an overly neurotic need for admiration, but there is also a demand for honor, dignity and ability worthy of respect ... personal power is greatly enhanced with this energy but one must be careful not to become overbearing and end up being feared rather than loved ... the desire nature is in overdrive here ... find what you truly have a passion for and go for it ... when ones sense of glory and achievement goes beyond ones petty, self-centered ego drives, the way in which one goes about becoming genuinely creative becomes a gift instead of a curse ... feeling insignificant, humiliation, losing control and small-mindedness are strongly disliked while taking pride in ones partner, excitement, respect, honesty and being center stage are what one strives for with this energy ... the energy of Mars in Leo can be expressed in the following ways:

POSITIVE: high-spirited, passionate, ardent lover, energetic, dignified, proud, heroic, enthusiastic, vital, speculative, exciting, self-assured, determined, strong-willed, leader, consistent desire, ambitious magnetic, fearless

NEGATIVE: melodramatic, possessive, jealous lover, coercive, pompous, self-righteous, vain, tyrant, offensive, brutal, wild gambler, overly-excited, feels infallible, quarrelsome, domineering, ego driven, overbearing, ruthless, conceited, arrogant

Leo born, enjoy the extra burst of personal energy you are being given wile Mars moves through your birth sign  - as if you really need more fire energy driving you !!! ... for all of us, this could be an extremely creative and productive period but not without its challenges ... and if you are given to gambling and speculation, I would certainly advise great caution ... after all, Leo ruling the 5th house includes gambling and speculation so be careful about being influenced by an excessive drive to take too many "risks" !!! ... Aries born will also certainly feel the effects of this energy as Mars is your ruling planet ... if you've had a natal chart done and know where the 30 degrees of Leo fall, then you'll get a good idea as to what area(s) of your life this energetic drive will most likely affect you ...

Mars remains in Leo until October 15th which is roughly 7 weeks and a little longer than its usual 6 week per sign transit speed ... BUT ... there is a reason for this which most of you highly observant ones have probably figured out by now ... Mars is beginning to slow down for its next RETROGRADE period which begins the first week of March next year ... after Leo, Virgo will be  the last full sign transit Mars makes before it begins a 7 month - YIKES - transit through Libra which begins on December 7th and will not be complete until the later part July 2014 - personal partnerships and relationships both public and private are getting ready to go through extreme testing and scrutiny underneath the Universal microscope especially as the parade of personal planets - Mercury, Venus and Mars - retrograde flip flop begins October 21st not to conclude until July 20th, 2014 !!! ... but for now, as Mars in Leo naturally yields a highly dramatic flair where "making a statement" is usually produced by ones actions, the immortal words of the Bard himself never rang truer - "ALL THE WORLD'S A STAGE, AND ALL THE MEN AND WOMEN MERELY PLAYERS" !!!

"JUST THE FACTS MA'AM " !!!

Mercury begins its transit through the highly analytical sign of Virgo today, August 23rd, at 6:37 PM EDT ... thinking and communicating processes now shift from a fiery, highly creative energy ... and
even though Virgo is an Earth sign which is somewhat prone to slower movement,  Mercury is very happy and very much at home here and functions well as this is one of the two signs it naturally rules - the other being Gemini ... this energy usually gives the mind a rather precise, thorough and analytical ability ... communications and thinking can be logical, helpful, critical, negative, skeptical, practical or humble ... one is apt to put their mind to work doing their job ... this intellect can be solidified through writing or technical crafts, and converting ideas in a tangible form ... there is a talent for organization, but sometimes the discriminating and highly focused mind could get mired in too many details and become excessively critical ... one of the challenges of this energy is to learn to step back and look at the bigger picture in addition to getting immersed in all the fine details ... learning is best achieved in an organized sequence and a logical presentation ... the concern for details can often lead to the syndrome of "not being able to see the forest for the trees" ... there is also likely to be an interest in health, nutrition, competence and ones day to day work ... this Mercury says exactly what it wants to say - no more no less - to quote a familiar television phrase this energy wants "Just the facts Ma'am" !!! ... it has a quick, dry wit, bestows a fine eye for detail, and usually produces very neat and readable handwriting ... this energy can also make one very skilled with their hands and often craftspeople are born with this energy in their natal chart ...

Mercury in Virgo is very impartial and gets to sorting through all the details to where the logic and precision can discover the heart of the matter ... with this fine intelligence, systematically clarifying and refining information received and understanding the patterns comes naturally ... here we have a logical, analytical and practical mind that produces a quick learner ... on the challenging side, Mercury in Virgo can make ones mind so very active with all the extraneous processing that it is sometimes difficult to quiet and still the mind yielding restlessness and/or the inability to sleep ... just ask someone born with Mercury in Virgo !!!

The lesson of Mercury in Virgo energy is to learn to think through analyzing .. its the pure mind ... the ability to reason functions very well here ... a big challenge here is to not live in your mind and understand there is a big difference between knowledge and actual experience ... this energy also can help one assist others in seeing things more clearly - in forms such as writing, editing, counselling, teaching, drawing and translating ... there is the ability to assimilate vast amounts of complex information ... ironically, when it comes to expressing something close to ones heart, this energy can make one obscure it in a lot of irrelevant references ... this energy makes it necessary to thoroughly grasp a specific subject as without training or education one is more likely to suffer greater than others from being unemployed, underemployed or unemployable ... the ultimate goal with this energy is to appreciate that what gets in the way of understanding life is thinking way too much about it - a totally clear mind is really no mind at all !!!! .... the energy of Mercury in Virgo can be expressed in the following ways:

POSITIVE: analytical, objective, systematic, logical, discerning, precise, meticulous, clever, eloquent, well-read, well-informed, accurate, retentive memory, fast learner, highly efficient, good worker, modest, helpful, practical

NEGATIVE: unfeeling, remote, clinical, cold and dry, hypercritical, trivial, worrisome, wordy, bookish, intellectual snob, misses the point, greedy mind, impatient, high strung, workaholic, self-critical, sceptical, slave to reasoning, pointless

Virgo born individuals, no doubt you will be infused with plenty of practical ideas as Mercury passes through your birth sign ... for all of us, with Mercury in Virgo we should remember that the point we are trying to communicate should be remembered, researched, rehearsed and then expressed ... make the best of what you actually know ... what's the use of knowing everything and feeling nothing ???

Mercury joins the Sun and remains in the sign of Virgo until September 9th ... this is the next to last full sign transit of Mercury before it takes its final retrograde journey for 2013 in the sign of Scorpio beginning the 21st of October ... and when it does it will start the roller coaster ride of personal planet retrogrades followed by Venus, then Mercury again, then Mars, then Mercury again not to end until July 1st, 2014 ... are you ready ???

For the next two and a half weeks, the thrust of Mercury's mission in Virgo boils down to urging us to analyze and scrutinize every piece of information and to ultimately make sure we have crossed every T and dotted every I !!!

JUST WHISTLE WHILE YOU WORK ... WORK ... WORK !!!

The Sun begins its transit through the methodical, highly discriminating  sign of Virgo today, August 22nd, at 7:02 PM EDT ... the cosmic solar energy now lowers the curtain on the flamboyant and dramatic energy of Leo and shifts into a slower, highly work oriented mode ... with the Sun in Virgo, one likes to shine through their competency, through their work and/or health, through being pragmatic, and through their tendency towards discretion ... Virgo is a feminine/earth/mutable(flexible) sign ... it is reserved, modest, practical, very discriminating and industrious, highly analytical and painstaking, and always seeking to know and understand ... its key phrase is "I ANALYZE" and it's keyword is "Practicality" ... its glyph is the Greek spelling for the word "virgin" ... anatomically it rules the nervous system and the intestines - this energy can make one prone to illness caused by stress and nervous tension ... it can also make one highly prone to ulcers ... it is the sign directly opposite of Pisces in the natural zodiac where one can be dreamy, given to imagination, self-delusion and escapism ... Virgo is the sign of work and self-improvement yielding a perfectionist nature which will dissect and analyze - often over-analyzing - all of the facts in order to obtain the ultimate truth and gather all available information ...

Virgo is ruled by the planet Mercury - the second sign Mercury rules - the other being Gemini ... Mercury is the ancient God of communication and commerce ... you may remember that Mercury rules intelligence and reason, and tends to give one a rather high strung temperament ... Mercury represents the intellectual urge, reasoning ability and all avenues of expression ... so naturally it would rule mental capacity, dexterity, rationalization, sensory perceptions, travel - in particular short trips, brothers and sisters, children, speaking, writing, bookkeeping, secretaries, neighborhood activities, letters, mailings, means of transportation, trade and techniques ... where you find Mercury in your natal chart is the place which shows where and how you best communicate ...

Virgo naturally rules the 6th house of the horoscope ... it is a house of duty and substance ... it relates to ones work, health and habits ... it shows employment, employees, tenants, servants, pets, and dependents ... it also shows service to others, routine day to day matters, ones clothing and how it is worn, hygiene, interest in food and health, sickness and all conditions that would affect ones health ... this house also shows aunts and uncles, self-adjustment, and the unconscious mind ... in this house, work and health are tied together ...

The lesson of the Sun in Virgo is all about learning to live productively through rational analysis ... here we have the perfectionist ... through constant analysis we seek to reach a state of purity ... this energy must have some kind of work or be of some kind of service for life to make sense ... it is energy that is continuously preparing for something ... there is a need here to perfect some kind of technique through vigorous study and training and through this one can reduce the everyday wear and tear on the nervous system and the intestinal area ... proper rest, retreat and good diet are a must here ... serve your body well and it will serve you and others well in return !!! ... the energy of the Sun in Virgo can be expressed in the following ways:

POSITIVE: thoughtful, analytical, lively mind, observant, scholarly, precise, pure intentions, discriminating, helpful, problem-solving, wholesome, health-conscious, industrious, methodical, efficient, reliable, modest, considerate, pure

NEGATIVE: over thinks, sceptical, worrier, critical, dry, fault-finding, interfering, problem-making, fussy, hypochondriac, workaholic, inflexible, overly mechanical, spoil sport, unsure, stand-offish, sterile, petty, melancholy, picky

HAPPY SOLAR RETURN VIRGO BORN !!! ...The Sun remains in the sign of Virgo, to be joined by Mercury tomorrow, until September 22nd ... during the next 32 days we will be immersed in facts, figures, daily work and service issues, health and nutritional issues, and possibly family issues on some level ... BUT ... we must learn to step back and look at the larger picture to which is a very difficult task under this energy ... if something is working, DON'T try to fix it ... help where it's not needed becomes a hindrance ... understand that true perfection consists of being able to accept life's imperfections and not worry so much about picky, petty issues ... think of the mind as a "lens" with the ability to focus on what is not only close up but far away as well ... with that in mind, there is simply one thing left to say - JUST WHISTLE WHILE YOU WORK ... WORK ... WORK !!!

APPRECIATING THE TRUE "BEAUTY" OF PARTNERSHIPS & RELATIONSHIPS !!!

Venus began its loving transit through the charming, sociable sign of Libra today, August 16th, at 11:37 AM EDT ... Venus is very much at home here as this is one of the two signs it naturally rules - the other being Taurus ... this Venus tends to first have a highly mental approach to love and romance with the emotional factor often coming into play later ... this Venus enjoys art, harmony, and certainly people ... it can be charming, diplomatic, and graceful in relating to others ... affection is expressed with elegance, charm, and consideration ... fairness, balance and gentleness are qualities used when interacting with others ... sometimes there can be such an excessive desire for peace and tranquility that one avoids having to face issues which ultimately can inhibit intimacy ... there is pleasure found in balance and in beauty ... this energy appreciates symmetry ... the handling of money and possessions is most likely cooperative even though at times there could be a competitive edge ... Venus in Libra wants affection, beauty and ease in love relationships with a need for equal sharing between one and ones partner ... this Venus is also equally concerned about justice and fairness ...

The lesson of Venus in Libra is learning how to love through relating with others ... it's the aesthetic ... one can appreciate and understand art and society on their own separate levels ... there is an inner sense of harmony here which yields the ability to see life in terms of beauty and justice ... this ability comes from more of a mental approach rather than an emotional one ... here one recognizes that beauty is important with the question arising whether or not it is more than or simply skin deep ... the ultimate answer is that it is both ... Venus in Libra can easily be attracted to ones inner beauty in addition to or rather than their outward appearance ... there is also probably a fear of conflict and disharmony ... ugly scenes, feeling unattractive, uncouth behavior and fake love are strongly disliked ... this energy is likely to attract either popularity or wealth, or both ... social harmony, tastefulness, being in love, beautiful surroundings and true marriage are highly appreciated here ... the energy of Venus in Libra can be expressed in the following ways :

POSITIVE: eye for beauty, strong color sense, good ear, artistic, affectionate, likable, magnetic, fair-looking, refined, graceful, pleasant, socially correct, romantically steadfast, relates well, harmonious, just, empathetic, broad-minded

NEGATIVE: hung up on appearances, oversensitive, music snob, art snob, takes personal liberties, frivolous, seducing, vain, affected, phony, overly concerned with etiquette, superficial, insincere, avoids conflict, indifferent, cold, cynical, social outcast

Libra born individuals, this is your time when the love light of Venus shines on you and, as always, ask for what you want as you might just get it ... remember your personal ideal is something to strive towards and not stubbornly insist upon ... relationships will ultimately prosper on love and understanding of the best AND the worst ... and certainly the undeniable purest expression of Venus in Libra is developing the ability to lend grace where awkwardness exists and understanding in the midst of strife !!!

Venus remains in the sign of Libra until September 10th/11th depending on which time zone where you live ... this is an excellent time to strengthen the foundation of partnerships and relationships as they will certainly be impacted in some way by the upcoming Mercury retrograde October 21st - November 10th in Scorpio, the next Venus retrograde December 12th - January 31st, 2014 in Capricorn, and the next Mars retrograde March 1st - May 19th 2014 in Libra ... partnerships, relationships, personal values and finances are certainly getting ready to be highly scrutinized under the Universal microscope !!! ... for now, it's time to seek beauty and learn to truly appreciate it for what it is, determine where your passion for the pursuit of justice truly lies, play nice with the other children, and ultimately to discover the true "beauty" of partnerships and relationships !!!

COMMUNICATING WITH A DRAMATIC FLAIR !!!

The curtain rose today, August 8th, at 8:13 AM  EDT for Mercury to begin its "dramatic" transit through the ambitious, optimistic sign of Leo ... FINALLY leaving Cancer after nearly 9 weeks due to its second retrograde journey for 2013, Mercury is ready to blaze through Leo as the mindset and communicating functions will most likely become "center stage" somewhere in your life for the next few weeks ... as Leo is a fire sign it will bestow Mercury with a lot of creativity ... this Mercury is quite the performer who wants to get your attention along with your admiration any way it can ... Mercury in Leo thinks dramatically and always with the heart ... here one can become a visionary and highly idealistic ... romantic attachments tend to take a major portion of ones concentration ... there is a display of dignity, a sense of innate refinement, and a desire to make good impressions on others ... there is also a desire to be the authority in ones chosen field ... there is ability to solve problems, but sometimes the details are ignored ... ambition abounds under this energy ... and since this is a very dramatic energy for communication it should not be a surprise that every now and then comes the tendency to exaggerate, be self-centered, or tell a little white lie or two !!! ... entertainment could easily be ones forte with dramatic talent being given here - ok all you wannabe actors, now it's time to show us what you got ... this is often the natal placement of those in the entertainment industry ... there could be skills at sales, advertising, promotion or any means of persuading people with ones mind and tongue ... there is also a desire to have ones thinking or style of communication given a lot of attention ... speech is made with abundant energy, great pride, liveliness and a lot of charisma ... drama and humor is frequently used in communications ... learning is best achieved when one is aroused and excited by a particular topic ... sometimes the ego has a way of getting involved here which could lead to fixed thinking or limited objectivity ... presentations are usually dramatic and magnetic ... one could become interested in power, children, fame and creativity ... this Mercury is very strong in its purpose but is still considered to be in its "fall" - as it is in opposition to the sign, Aquarius, where it is considered to be exalted - making the expression of its true nature somewhat difficult ... remember a planet in its "fall" is said to be like staying in someone else house where you do not feel very comfortable ... but there is still plenty of potential to be found with this placement of Mercury !!!

The lesson of Mercury in Leo is learning to instill our thinking process with ambition and creativity ... its the idea person ... one is usually proud of their intellectual talents and capabilities ... with the mind being so closely connected to the heart, there is great passion, strength and originality in the mode in which one thinks and communicates ... sometimes there is insecurity here which can lead to one coming on too strong or causing one to underestimate the power of their mind ...Mercury usually functions best when it is cool and detached from the ego, but this can become difficult in the self-conscious sign of Leo where personal aims and intentions appear to be to all-important and other important factors become far less important ... it is wise to realize that people give up trying to help others who always think they know better ... but ultimately, being able to combine ones own creative and enterprising mind with an awareness of others ideas and attitudes that are involved in your personal drama will benefit everyone ... problems are usually approached with great imagination and energy ... learning to use the input of others will allow one to avoid being a one-person endeavor, and then the mind will become a vital spark that will ultimately ignite a larger group endeavor ... the power of Mercury in Leo can be expressed in the following ways:

POSITIVE: mentally creative, distinctive verbal style, warmly articulate, identifies with popular ideas, grasps the entire issue, intellectually confident, focused concentration, fixed intentions, enthusiastic worker, convincing speaker, outspoken and optimistic, knows ones own mind, teaching and planning ability, foresight, executive mind

NEGATIVE: mentally conceited, liking the sound of ones own voice, only interested in ones own ideas, overlooks details, mentally arrogant, inflexible mind, stubborn and one-track mind, self-centered, feels superior at work, craves appreciation, verbally over-bearing, talks "AT" others, wrapped up in pet projects and theories

Mercury now joins the Sun which is already halfway through its transit of Leo ... Mercury, true to its fleet footed nature, will do a hop, skip and a jump through Leo as being back up to speed again after its recent retrograde period, it completes its transit through the sign of Leo in just 16 days on August 23rd ... now is the time to make good use of that New Moon energy in Leo that was "birthed" two days ago on the 6th - new ideas and projects just might have quite a theatrical air about them !!! ... and while Mercury is in Leo, we should remember that we should teach what we really want to learn ... we stand or we fall by what we say and how we say it ... do not ignore that "small still voice" that is an important part of the greater good ... one final word of advice - be aware that whatever springs from your lips is only as good and true as that which dwells in your heart ... so get out there, take center stage, and think big and then communicate with a dramatic flair !!!