Readers, please enjoy this guest blog post by Amy Herring, author of Astrology of the Moon. Many people see the birth chart as the "map to the soul," a guide that tells you everything, or at least most things, about a person. Decipher it correctly, and you can determine someone’s strengths, faults, quirks, desires, love life, and shoe size. Those more familiar with astrology and its ins and outs know that it’s not always that cut and dried, that each planet in a sign or house impacts how another planet in a sign in a house manifests. The nuances of reading a chart skillfully involve understanding how each factor may modify the other, and therefore change the stereotype, or the

This New Moon in Taurus occurred at 2:51 am Eastern (6:51 GMT) May 3, 2011, at 13 degrees of Taurus. New moons signify a new cycle, new beginnings, and rebirth. This new moon, along with the Sun (also in Taurus) will highlight the Taurus qualities of stability and groundedness, as well as second house themes (finances and material security). This is a time when we will feel close to the Earth and nature (Taurus being ruled by the ever-feminine Venus, as well as being an earth sign). Perhaps you begin a new garden as spring begins, and enjoy not only the feeling of the earth and the contentment that gardening brings, but also the savings in your pocketbook. This New Moon is a time to

Taurus, The Bull April 20 to May 21 Modality: Fixed Element: Earth Ruler: Venus Keywords: Stubbornness, perseverance, stability, dependability, sensuality As a bull, you are known for your determination and willpower, but, taken too far, these traits can turn into stubbornness. You are stable and find security in routine, which can often make change difficult. Be careful to not let your unease with change rule your life. Possessions are important to you, with Venus as your ruler. While it is nice to enjoy the finer things in life, be sure to donate or sell old items that serve no purpose—it is always possible that your love of possessions is tied to an emotional

This post is for Felicity, who kindly reminded me that I've been a bit remiss in my blogging :) This Full Moon in Libra occurred on Sunday, April 17 at 10:44 pm Eastern (2:44 am Monday, April 18 GMT) at 27 degrees. Full Moons represent the culmination of those things that were begun with the New Moon (in this case the New Moon in Aries of April 3). The Libran scales add a sense of balance to this Full Moon, perhaps balancing out all the intense Aries energy that pushed us outside of our comfort zone at the beginning of the month. Now is the time to reconcile the changes that we've begun and integrate them into our daily lives. This is a cardinal Full Moon, with Saturn joining the Moon