July 2011 horoscopes

Aries

Your mind is buzzing with ideas on ways to improve your living environment - to the dismay of your family or housemates. Watch how you spend your hard-earned cash; listen to the wise advice of those around you. This is a time where you can do with some ‘me’ time and retreat into your own sacred space - occupy yourself with activities which can be carried out in the comfort of your own home.

Taurus

The New Moon ushers in a sense of determination to make a fresh start, which can be achieved by releasing old habits and changing your old ways of thinking. Your creative energy is high and you may want to tap into your feminine side. Your social life is likely to pick up speed this month. Watch out for unnecessary spending. Having that new outfit or the latest gadget that your friend has may boost your self-esteem, but true happiness emanates from the heart.

Gemini

What do you value in life? With this month’s new moon, you are likely to invest quite a bit of time pondering over what is important to you. This is also an ideal time to research into possible ways to manage your finances – is there another bank account offering a more competitive rate? Is it time to re-mortgage your home? Use your contacts and ask lots of questions.

Cancer

Enjoying the company of friends and having a good time with them appear to feature significantly this month. You would like to allow your logical side to rest and be in touch with your feelings and emotions. This could also be a time to explore a new image to present to the world. You may have fun getting a new hair cut with your friends or go shopping with them.

Leo

This is not a time to be a hermit. Get out there and mingle with people. Through relating to others, you may re-acquaint with a wish or dream that you have forgotten about. Is there something you have always wanted to do or are passionate about but have never taken it further for whatever reason? It may be a project which benefits a large audience.

Virgo

This month is likely to be a time when you would like to be alone to think things through. You may be feeling rebellious and not want to follow the crowd. There appears to be a focus on your career so perhaps you are exerting your mental energy on a work project. Conflicts with co-workers and/or authority figures are likely. You understand the importance to be nice and courteous to others, however, during this time, unless they share the common goal(s) with you, you seem to have little patience to entertain them.

Libra

This is a time where you are likely to get on well with people in your professional life. Your work environment is relaxing and harmonious. You could even fall in love with someone at work! There are opportunities to meet like-minded people and working with them towards a common goal. A balance needs to be reached between optimism and realism. Be open-minded and not limit yourself with what you can or cannot do, but at the same time, to exercise caution and not let arrogance rule the game.

Scorpio

Travelling abroad appears to be on the cards. Whether it’s a personal or professional trip, it is likely to be a pleasurable experience. This trip will broaden your horizon and expand your social circle. Even if you are staying put where you are, it is probable that the universe will bring foreign experiences into your life e.g. meeting individuals from a different culture, attending lectures from an international speaker.

Sagittarius

Watch your temper this month as there is an increase likelihood of conflicts with others. This may occur at work with a co-worker or a significant other. They may not see eye-to-eye with your optimistic way of thinking. You are feeling rather open-minded and receptive to foreign experiences, which may be the start of something intense and unforgettable.

Capricorn

You may love your job or whatever you do for a living, but there comes a time when you feel the need to receive recognition for your effort. You are putting in a lot of time and energy into your work and all you ask for is some encouragement, preferably from an authority figure. You are feeling friendly and sociable and are likely to get on amicably with the people you meet.

Aquarius

You crave some change at work, whether it be more challenges or simply making a mark in what you do. Injecting the ‘wow’ factor in your ideas but making it realistic will be hard to achieve, but with your determination to succeed, anything is possible. In your intimate relationships, you are feeling comfortable enough to speak your mind. Your easy-going nature helps you to communicate your feelings to your object of affection and win over their heart.

Pisces

A new way of working may find itself to your workplace. Your creative muse may pay you a visit and inspire you to take your work to a different level. Though caring and selfless by nature, you are toying with the idea of allowing a bit of an ego to come through your work. You enjoy what you do and like to make things beautiful, but all of a sudden, you feel it is time to let your true self stand under the limelight. You are the star of the show and it doesn’t hurt the world to know that.

Congrats Will & Kate!

Huge congratulations to Will and Kate!

What a breath of fresh air! It's so uplifting for the world to share their happiness after witnessing a series of disastrous events occuring across the globe, from the Libyan protests to the Japanese Earthquake, to name but a few.

I was tempted to analyse their charts and synastry but as Kate's birth time is still unknown, I thought it best to leave the delination until that piece of information becomes available.

Though thousands of miles away from London, I am now following the royal wedding live on TV. I cannot describe this warm feeling I'm experiencing in my heart - maybe it's the fact that a third of the population in the world (as it is allegedly claimed by the BBC!) is expected to watch this joyous event, and so I feel it is the opening of our heart chakras as we sincerely bless this couple a wonderful future together.

Case Study: Sir Richard Branson

The birthchart is often referred to as a map of potential pathways for one to live out. In a given lifetime, one tend to explore a few possible routes depicted in the chart. That is why it is important to have an interactive consultation with a client, as a way of discovering which potential has been chosen. I feel in the case of Sir Richard Branson, his ceaseless appetite for adventure has motivated him to live out many of his astrological potentials. From the depths of the ocean to the far-reaches of outer space, he wants a piece of every action (Uranus in Cancer in 11th house trine Jupiter in Pisces in 8th house; Uranus ruled by and sextile the Moon, of which oppose Jupiter).

Known to be shy in private (Sun in Cancer locked up in 12th house), this man has accrued an immense amount of cash and power with his global enterprises (Pluto rising in Leo; Saturn-Jupiter opposition across 2nd-8th house axis). Though not always successful, Branson displays his keenness to live life to the full by dabbling into a myriad of investment opportunities (Venus in 11th trine Mars in 3rd but square Saturn in 2nd), from travelling (Virgin Atlantic Airways) to music (Virgin Megastores), telecommunications (Virgin Media) to beverages (Virgin Cola).

With his Mercury in Leo, he communicates with flair and has a knack for grabbing attention. His 3rd house is ruled by Virgo, which naturally co-rules communication, a conjunction pair between Neptune and Mars in Libra further adds another layer to his style of thinking - creative and bold. He has the determination to transform his ideas into reality. A highly self-motivated individal (eastern hemisphere and cardinal fire emphases), Branson has the confidence and assertion to find his own niche in the public arena (Aries MC). If he can dream it, he can make it.

Case Study: Bruce Lee

A local documentary series on Bruce Lee has spurred me onto the path of unrivalling this kung-fu legend's astrological constituents.

A Sagittarian with his Sun conjunct the Ascendent, Lee had a philosophical approach to life. Lee's wife recalled her husband's passion in martial arts and how he injected his life philosophy into his work (Sun trine and rules Pluto in Leo in the 8th house). As a guest on The Pierre Berton Show, Lee compared the movement of martial arts to the mutability of water. 'Be formless, be shapeless like water. [...] Be water, my friend.' With his Neptune in Virgo in the 10th house and Pisces on the 4th house cusp, Lee had creatively and comfortably immersed the idea of fluidity into his kung-fu work.

'Don't think, feel.'

Looking at Lee's chart, it is interesting to note the conjunction between his Moon (feelings) and Mercury (thinking) in Scorpio, with the former in detriment. Thinking and feeling are merged and undistinguishable. His emotions ran deep, as did his thinking. He was likely to be incisive and precise with his mental power. With both these planets ruled by Pluto and further receiving a square from it increases the intensity. Luckily, this intensity is ameliorated by the trine to the Sun. Therefore, Lee knew it was his destiny to carry out his mission in life without the extra heaviness. His perfectionistic tendency was likely to have stemmed from his MC in Virgo and Mercury oppose Saturn in Taurus. Being perfect and asthetically pleasing were likely to be what he sought in his work.

Lee's iconic image changed the way westerners perceive Chinese people back in the 60s (Moon, Mercury, Venus & Mars in Scorpio packed in the 11th house, all received a square from their ruling planet Pluto in Leo in the 8th house). His success was earned through his sheer determination and diligence (Jupiter-Saturn Taurus conjunction in the 5th house oppose the 11th house bundle; fixed T-Square in 11th-8th-5th houses). Lee was the first Chinese to play a significant role in a Hollywood movie. In the TV series 'The Green Hornet', his chaffeur-like outfit caused a westerner to mistake him for an insignificant worker on the set. Lee shrugged off the insult in a typical Saggitarian manner, and explained he wasn't upset by the incident because he was Bruce Lee.

When Coco met Douglas

My astrology tutor said studying charts of famous people is an effective way of honing one's astrological skills. Work commitment mixed in with a sprinkle of procrastination has delayed me in carrying out this task. However, if something is meant to happen, it will, no matter what excuse is being presented. Almost a year ago, I was invited to a Chanel event which sparked my interest in analysing the chart of Coco Chanel. Attending the event allowed me to learn a lot about the fashion icon without needing to do much of my own research. http://cosmicpotential.blogspot.com/2010/04/coco-before-chanel.html

Last week, I had the great fortune of attending yet another Chanel event. It began with a photo exhibition of Coco Chanel, taken by Douglas Kirkland. In the summer of 1962, Kirkland, an American photographer, was assigned by Look magazine to shadow Chanel for three weeks. I was given an extensive tour of the exhibit by Amy Lai (Customer Relation Management manager, fragrance & beauty division). Amy was able to provide an impressive amount of information on each photo because she was lucky enough to have met the photographer a few days before.

Chanel was in her 70s when she met the 27-year-old Kirkland. From an astrological veiwpoint, the transit picture included a grand cross in fixed signs. The period in question is likely to have been significant to Chanel, which may or may not be unrelated to the encounter with Kirkland (further research needed here as there may have been something else going on in her life at the time in question).

Idealistic when it comes to creating beauty in her life (Moon in Pisces in 2nd ruled by Neptune in Taurus in 4th, which in turn is ruled by Venus. This natal Venus conjunct her Sun in Leo with an orb of 9 degrees. Her natal Moon oppose the methodical Mercury in Virgo, which in turn trine Neptune, repeating the theme of beauty and idealism, not to mention the Libra MC), Chanel was apparently a perfectionist. She would wear a pair of scissors round her neck so impromptu alterations could be made to her models' garments. Furthermore, to ensure he was good enough to take pictures of her, Chanel asked Kirkland to do a trial-run on her models before allowing herself to pose for his camera.

During the three-week period, one could see that Chanel's solemness gave way to a more relaxed demeanor as she gradually felt more comfortable in Kirkland's presence. Photography was not allowed at the exhibition, but I chanced upon the photo in a magazine, I call it 'Cheeky Chanel' (photo taken by me from East Week Magazine):

I was surprised to learn that Chanel was very much into the occults. Her displays of crystals and lion ornaments in her private office inside the House of Chanel, Paris reflected this interest. A leo, Chanel naturally had many ornaments of lions and the colour gold in her private office. This practice is still evident in some of the shops:

Thinking of you all

As an astrologer, my automatic response to any world disaster is to analyse the cosmic factors behind the catastrophe. However, with the recent Japanese earthquake, I found myself unable to do so straightaway. I have spent three years of my life living in Japan and it absolutely pains me to see the news coverage of the disaster. I began to get in touch with all my friends still living there, and luckily, they are all safe and sound.

We take life for granted. Those hundreds and thousands of Tohoku inhabitants were going about their lives, oblivious to the imminent danger. In the blink of an eye, their lives were turned upside down. I can still recall when my Japanese friends were reporting the news on Facebook, I had a few 'problems' playing on my mind. However, those 'problems' disappeared completely when I discovered the magnitude of the quake and what now lies ahead of Japan as a nation.

My thoughts go out to you all in Japan.

Hoppy Chinese New Year - it's the Rabbit's turn

Happy Chinese New Year to you all. It's the Year of the docile Rabbit, ushering in a different kind of energy from the Tiger, but just like a bunny, it's still full of vigour.

Astrologically, we are at another new moon, which symbolises a new cycle, a new start. This time, the Sun and Moon are conjunct at 13 degrees Aquarius, the sign of unconventionality and suddenness. To add to this mix, we also have Mars, the god of war, bringing aggression and vitality. In mundane astrology (astrology of world events), Mars signifies war and violence. Globally, we have the Egyptian riots. More locally, and personally, I have encountered the police on several occasions this past week. Once at the local wet market, a couple of uniform officers were taking notes of an incident of property damage, where a butcher had to cease business for the day due to having red paint splashed all over his stall. Butchers and the colour red are governed by Mars. Then, the next day on the train, some police and train officers were trying to settle a dispute between a Hong Kong Chinese lady and a family of tourists from Mainland China, where the latter had allegedly pushed the former onto the floor in order to get seats on the train. Verbal insults ensued with lots of anger hanging in the air - all ruled by Mars again.

Thanks for all the excitements Mars!