We are told that Mercury Retrograde is generally not the time to start something new. We certainly should avoid beginning projects or dealing with any form of technology. So why did Llewellyn decide to launch its new website? I was thinking of this, and decided it wasn't such an inauspicious beginning. Mercury Retrograde is not as frightening as everyone thinks. While most people worry about delays and setbacks, lost mail and broken electronics, I tend to find the retrograde cycle quite refreshing. Mercury is one of my favorite gods, and that's not just because I'm a Gemini. He's the winged messenger, a trickster and teacher. So what can this cycle do for us? Right now, Mercury is

Many people plan their weddings by astrology (as evidenced not only by previous conversations I've had with readers on Twitter but also by the number of copies of April Elliott Kent's Star Guide to Weddings we continue to sell). The astrology of your wedding date can have a significant impact on what kind of marriage you will have: will you be the hosts with the most or will you be homebodies? Regularly church-going or simply spiritual? Kid-friendly or child-free? Currently engaged, I am tentatively planning for a wedding date in July of 2010 (we've picked July not only because my parents travel 1500 miles each Fourth of July to visit me and my siblings, so we would cut down on any

The mere words “Mercury Retrograde” are often enough to send shivers down even the strongest of spines. Misplaced items, miscommunications, mishaps, and mayhem are all potential outcomes of the havoc that Mercury Retrograde can wreak. But fret not! May promises to highlight many other astrological sectors, with a Full Moon in Scorpio on the 9th and  New Moon in Gemini on the 24th, so don’t forget to enjoy what these lunar phenomena bring while you tread lightly around the happenings of Mercury Retrograde. July 2009 Monthly Forecast For more insight into your monthly forecast, including rewarding/challenging days for each month; action tables that reveal the best dates to begin a

I've talked in past about using electional astrology to plan surgeries and other medical events via Twitter, and now it seems hospitals in India are taking this to an even further degree: The Banaras Hindu University in Uttar Pradesh is turning to ancient astrological texts to find a cure for heart ailments. Allotted and approved by the University Grants Commission, the project has given rise to a number of "astrological hospitals" around the holy city; these hospitals are places where astrologers prescribe semi-precious stones, beads, and herbal medicines. These practices are nothing new to this culture, whose ancient books all mention using astrology to diagnose and cure heart