Aries (March 21-April 19)
Element: Fire
Modality: Cardinal
Ruling Planet: Mars, Pluto
Part of Body: Head, skull sinuses, jaws
Herbs: Pepper, garlic, hemp, poppy, holly, thistle, onion, fern, mustard
Stones: Bloodstone, ocher, diamond, ruby
Keywords: Self, ego, imitative, action, courageous, pioneering,
adventurous, freedom-loving, independent.
Business Types: Exploration, design, engineering, athletics.
Aries starts off the Zodiac, and it is self-motivation that is the hallmark
of this sign. Aries people often take a bit of a bad rap as being selfish
and vain, but the truth is they are more often self-seeking than self-
absorbed. Other signs have bought into the „self-sacrifice“ mantra of the
Puritans (and to some degree New-Age movement), but Aries can see that in
order to achieve enlightenment the first step is to know thyself. The
second step is to love thyself. Aries knows you can’t help others if you
are miserable yourself, so they have less trouble staying on their personal
path than many of the other signs.
The Ram is definitely a leader in the „lead, follow or get out of the way“
template. They don’t mind if someone else is apparently in charge, provided
they are the power behind the throne. They tend to be a bit blunt in speech
and manner and it is the rare Aries that is truly shy.
In a sign noted for independence it is often difficult to tie an Aries
down. If you have trouble getting your Aries partner to settle down, keep a
copy of „If you love someone, set them free“ handy, because chances are you
are always going to have to give them some space of their own. This sign
does not like to be stifled.Taurus (April 20-May 20)
Element: Earth
Modality: Fixed
Ruling Planet: Venus
Part of Body: Neck, throat, tonsils, thyroid gland
Herbs: Licorice, Fenugreek, Slippery Elm
Stones: Emerald
Keywords: Possessions, practicality, values, stability, persistent,
sensual.
Business Types: Banking, accounting, real estate, architecture, fine art.
You won’t get much argument out of a Taurus if you call them stubborn,
inflexible and unchanging. Most of them see their inherent stability and
practicality as a virtue. Taurus loves good food, a good laugh, and the
finer things in life, anything that feels good in a „touchy-feely“ way. You
can leave a Taurean for years, but count on them to be the „same old Joe“
years later. They do kind of get stuck in their ways – but they are usually
very comfortable with themselves. They don’t feel the need to brag, to blow
their own horns, in fact, if you want to confide a secret and be sure it
will be kept, make friends with a Taurus. You can count on this sign to
back you up once they have decided to make you part of their „collection of
oddities“. And they do like to collect – both people and tchotchkes.
Astrologers don’t talk much about „imagination“ and Taurus, but in my
experience, Taurus people are greatly imaginative, perhaps because of the
strong influence from Venus. George Lucas is a Taurus, and there is no
arguing he’s one of the great creative visionaries of our time. Taurus Sun
Saddam Hussien could also be called visionary in his own cruel and twisted
way. Their path to success is not usually the rocket-fast path, they pick a
slow, steady pace, and once they have decided they want something, they
almost always get their way. Taurus can be incredibly stubborn.
Perhaps under-rated as lovers because of their dowdy reputation (and lack
of interest in bragging), the true Taurus type is in fact one of the more
romantic and passionate, if at times unimaginative lovers. They are
faithful and reliable to a fault, because they hate change. Once they get
stuck in a comfortable rut it can take the heaven and earth shaking before
they’ll move on.
Gemini (May 21-June 20)
Element: Air
Modality: Mutable
Ruling Planet: Mercury
Part of Body: lungs, bronchial system, nervous system, arms, hands
Herbs: Yarrow, tansy, vervain
Stones: Beryl, garnet, topaz, aquamarine, marble
Keywords: Communication, thought, ideas, logical, spontaneous, sharp,
modern.Business Types: Broadcasting, journalism, travel, tourism, communications,
education.Gemini is the sign of „communication“ – you’ll often find a
disproportionate number of Gemini Suns in the telecommunication,
publishing, public relations, radio and news fields. They make wonderful
writers and commentators.
These folks love to talk. Clever, self-effacing humor is a hallmark of
Gemini funnyman Tim Allen. The jokes and laughter fly at a mile a minute,
the influence of Mercury being strong in this sign.
Gemini does take a bad rap for being shallow and vain, but the truth is
that they are sensitive and easily hurt, so they protect themselves by
keeping intimacy at arms length. If you take the time to get past the text
to the data stream, you’ll find they are really quite deep – they are
thinking all the time, after all.
Gemini has been accused of being a fickle lover too, but you’ll find no
more interesting or engaging partner. Why would you want to tie them down?
It would only stifle them, and make you both unhappy in the long run. If
you are determined to marry a Gemini, make sure they have enough personal
space so they can still feel they have some freedom. Angelina Jolie and
Elizabeth Hurley are examples of the kind of spontaneous passion this sign
is known for. Once they truly fall in love, though, they are capable of
remarkably long-lived fidelity. Look at Paul McCartney. There are
always
exceptions to the rule, especially when there is also a lot of Water in the
chart. The problem with Gemini is the impulsiveness the sign brings to
nearly every area of life.
Another area I have personally observed a Gemini weakness is their love for