The Astrology of Purpose

Articles on the Signs, Part 1:

Aries, Taurus, Gemini, and Cancer

THE SIGN OF ARIES

Aries is a cardinal fire sign. Planetary ruler: Mars. Season: Spring. Associated with the 1st house of the early years of one's life, self-projection,, and one's attitude toward life. Its symbol is the Ram.

You can kind of get a feel for the sign of Aries just by lookng at the things it's associated with. Its planetary ruler, Mars, is a bit on the ferocious side, being that it is the planet of war. So there's some of the influence of primitive impulses, I guess you could call them, at work in Aries. At least most people would consider the human urge toward war to be one of our more primitive qualities.

But then Aries is also associated with the beginning of spring and that certainly doesn't seem too warlike. Yet what spring represents falls along the same continuum, because it's an expression of life's most basic, primitive impulses--to live, to grow, to stretch toward the sun for light. So there's a bit of the vital life-force at work in Aries.

Aries is also associated with the first house. The first house in a natal chart says a lot about the early years of your life. Aries, in its way, represents the early years in anyone's life. It is associated with infancy--that adorable, growth-filled, needy, grasping, unconscious time of pure instinct for living, not to mention some fierce yelling and crying when anything goes wrong. Actual Aries people don't act like babies (at least none of the ones I've met do), but there is some of that same instinctive grasping for life at work in their sun sign.

In fact, if you can wrap your mind around some of the purity and instinctive joy, rage, sorrow, fear, helplessness, and sheer driving desire to develop that babies exhibit, you can begin to get a feel for the varied things that Aries represents--from sunny smiles to raging tantrums.

When it comes to the daily or yearly horoscope though--the rhythms of life--I like to think a little less about the grand and primitive meaning of Aries as a whole though, and think of it in practical terms as the time of beginnings. When a planet is in Aries, it naturally wants to begin something. When Aries is prominent it is time to get in touch with your desires for how things should be tomorrow. To think about the future as a time of unlimited possibilities. Aries is a bit of a wild sign, really, so sometimes the life-force energy it carries can feel like a bit much (the restlessness of 'spring fever'). But it doesn't have to be captured in a bottle, that energy, just enough to imagine that anything is possible.

As an astrologer, I actually plan my year during the time of Aries, as it is the natural start of a yearly cycle of the seasons. I decide how I want things to be for the next twelve months. (Aries is a very decisive sign.) Aries isn't great on follow-through, like a baby it's easily distracted. But things planned while the sun is in Aries can be carried out by other, more steadfast signs like Taurus and Scorpio. Spring is often such an optimistic time for many of us, and it only takes a minute to fill the lungs with fresh air and announce to the universe with confident Arien energy "This year is going to be so...." (happy, great, exciting, adventurous, productive--you choose). For whatever reason, your subconscious mind has a tendency to remember the desires you express around this time of year, and to work below the surface towards fulfilling them. So tell yourself how things are going to be this year. And see if your prediction doesn't turn out to be more true than you'd expect.

Links: Ready to know your life purpose? Current month horoscopes

THE SIGN OF TAURUS

Taurus is a fixed earth sign. Planetary ruler: Venus. Season: Spring. Associated with the 2nd house of income and possessions. Its symbol is the Bull.

So what can we use the energy of the sign of Taurus for when planets transit it through it? One of the best uses for Taurean energy in the horoscope is to protect and guard the ideas that are born in the previous Arien stage. When planets transit Aries, a natural thing to do is give birth to great ideas for the future. These helpless little ideas can't do much on their own, so it's up to Taurus to get you moving in the direction of making something tangible from them.

Let's say you hatch a grand plan to get yourself in a relationship, to lose weight, get out of debt, stop smoking, or improve your health. You are initially filled with Arien enthusiasm, but that fades, as Arien enthusiasm always does. The next step in getting your desire to come true is to use practical Taurus to start getting specific about how exactly you'll do that. Taurus is realistic and grounded and it will tell you whether or not you have the ability to do what you want. If you don't, it will help you think of a realistic way to develop that ability.

Taurus energy will kill off some of the excess optimism of the Aries stage, but in the process it will make your ideas more workable and more real. Use Taurus energy to discard the portions of your ideas that are not plausible or workable. For example, if you're planning to lose weight, a Draconian diet may seem like a great idea during the first days of spring when anything seems possible. Taurus may remind you, though, that a less drastic, slower, and steadier approach is more likely to pay off in the long run. The sign of Taurus can give you some good advice, with its slow and steady focus, well worth heeding. If it's love you desire, for example, Taurus can remind you to think carefully about what you really want in a mate, rather than hurling yourself at the first likely person you meet. Sensible sign, Taurus.

If you have no grand plans to further, Taurus, being ruled by Venus, also provides good energy for attending to your close relationships. Taurus time can be a time to reconnect with spouses, children, parents, and extended family. This includes spicing up your sex life too, as Taurus is a sign very attuned to the sensual pleasures of physical connection.

If neither nurturing your plans nor reconnecting with your loved ones appeals, planets in Taurus, the sign of possessions, can also signal a time when you can take care of your physical stuff, the stuff you own. For the shopping-minded it can also be a good time to buy more of that stuff, as your taste is likely to be good when a Venus-ruled sign is highlighted.

So there's a mix of activities favored by Taurus, at least one of which should appeal to every one of us. Something for everyone, hard to get better than that.

Links: Ready to know your life purpose? Current month horoscopes

THE SIGN OF GEMINI

Gemini is a mutable air sign. Planetary ruler: Mercury. Season: Spring. Associated with the 3rd house of communication. Its symbol is the Twins.

Gemini as the sign of the Twins is also the sign of siblings in general. This month I'm going to talk about an aspect of Gemini that doesn't get discussed too much. The concept is embedded right in our typical experience of siblings and the concept is rivalry. I don't run across many astrological texts that celebrate Gemini's association with the aspect of human relationships that consitutes rivalry, but for most of us, rivalry is an integral part of life.

Of course, rivalry that goes too far can become destructive and poisonous, but that's not what the sign of Gemini intends it for. Indeed, in real life, we are often most rivalrous with those that we are most similar to, and to whom we are the closest. We compare ourselves to those we are like, and something inside wants to be a little bit better than them, or at least as good.

Our best rivals are often our best friends, the people we can't help competing with and commiserating with both. In men (and women, too), a bit of friendly rivalry encourages bonding, builds ties, provides glue and spice to a relationship. Rivals motivate us, frustrate us, spur us, and force us to remember that we want to win sometimes. Rivals make us try harder; they make us try to figure out how to be resourceful to get what we want; they encourage us to try for our fair share of attention and glory.

Friendly rivalries make the routine and mundane less boring and more exciting, more worth doing. When I was a boss in an organization, I used to sponsor a meaningless competition each day, with the prize being Hershey's kisses. I did this because my staff had to perform some pretty menial, uninspiring tasks that just had to be done. Turning them into a competition made the tasks bearable, even fun. People laughed and joked and prodded each other and kept track of who won the most, accused each other of cheating, and developed strategies for being the fastest or the best at an otherwise dull activity.

You see, the reason Gemini is the sign of rivalry is that rivalry is at heart about stimulation--which is what the sign of Gemini is all about. Human beings need stimulation to perform--that's why so many of us down a caffeinated drink or two each day. Stimulation keeps us from being bored, and Gemini is dead-set opposed to boredom. Stimulation, competition, games, rivalries--they keep us perked up and engaged, they give us an opportunity for rewards when life is otherwise not coughing any up. Sure, there's a lot to be said for sensible hard work and serious attention to business, but there's a lot to be said too for turning tasks into games, competitions, and a chance to test ourselves against our rivals. Check your own chart to see where the sign of Gemini falls to see where you are naturally drawn to a sense of games, competition, and rivalry. This is an area where finding a competition buddy (your metaphorical twin) may pay off for you.

The sun's in Gemini this month; spring is springing, and the days are getting longer. It's time for all of us to perk ourselves and each other up. See if you can dust off some friendly rivalries this season. Pull out the softball equipment and make a team affair of competition. Bet a friend that you can lose five pounds by the end of the month. Choose a walking buddy and race each other (within moderation) around the block. Pick someone at the gym who's a little better than you at the treadmill and resolve to beat them before the end of the month. Plan a vacation that will make your co-workers feel rivalrous. Tell your best girlfriend that you've always felt a rivalry with her, and thank her for it. Grab your best male buddy and challenge him to something. Get in an intellectual argument with someone and strive to win it on points. Pull out your old Trivial Pursuit game and host a party. This is a light-hearted time of year in the Northern Hemisphere, indulge your inner games-loving kid, and enjoy it with some old-fashioned "I bet I can beat you at that" fun.

Links: Ready to know your life purpose? Current month horoscopes

THE SIGN OF CANCER

Cancer is a cardinal water sign. Planetary ruler: the Moon. Season: Summer. Associated with the 4th house of roots. Its symbol is the Crab.

One of the things the sign of Cancer represents is the human need for roots. For whatever reason in human psychology, we judge we're going in life by where we've come from. By extension, it also relates to our family of origin and the role we played there. It symbolizes both the past and the future, and what is of the most importance to us in both.

Given that it's ruled by the Moon, Cancer is also an erratic, moody sign, and it is associated with wander-lust, as of sailors at sea. Yet, in spite of its affinity with water, the sign of Cancer also values the land, and ownership of a plot of ground. In fact, Cancer is a strange compound of elements, and it isn't always what it seems. It likes to be close to other people, and yet it likes to keep its distance. It's associated with the comfort and pleasure of food, but also with stomach illnesses and ailments, often caused by stress. It's a soft and sensitive sign, yet it has a hard exterior for protection, and Cancers can be as hard to get to really know as Aquarians are.

On a mundane level, Cancer energy can be used for simple things, such as sorting out one's old photographs and finally putting them together in an album or scrapbook. This is the sort of thing that the sign of Cancer likes because it allows it to reconnect with the past, reflect, and knit together the story of life. All such activities are favored by Cancerian energy, including such things exploring one's geneology, or family roots. Summer family reunions are another example of Cancer energy.

On a more general level, the placement of Cancer in your natal chart can indicate where you need special care and nurturing, where you are extra-sensitive, and sometimes perhaps defensive. The way to use Cancer energy, in the natal chart or when working with the transitory movements of the planets in a horoscope, is usually to guide oneself by feeling. Caution is called for when working with Cancer energy, as Cancer is an inherently cautious sign. The goal is to bring into conscious awareness the subconscious factors and emotions at work in the area affected.

If Cancer is the sign of your 6th house for example, you may have a lot of feelings and sensitivities about your work, some of which could affect your health. The goal when planets are in the sign then is to gently bring those feelings to the surface so that you can correctly guide yourself around any pitfalls. Cancer in the 9th house, to use another example, may create a lot of sensitivities around the area of education. Cancer in the 11th house may create strong feelings around friendships. Looking at the planet involved can tell you something about the nature of the feelings involved or what they're for. Venus in Cancer, for example, can stimulate the affections. Regardless of the planets and houses involved, though, the rule of thumb is to go within for intuition and the guidance of your true feelings about a situation.