Everyday Astrology for a Better Life

By Sasha Fenton

A ‘sun sign’ or ‘star sign’ is the sign of the zodiac that you are born under; Everyday Astrology For A Better Life shows how sun-sign astrology, the most straightforward form of ancient science, can unlock your hidden potential and reveal your true personality.

This unique book offers an engaging, in-depth analysis of every zodiac sign. It also explains how astrology can influence and improve every area of your life, from health and well-being to working life, money and home.

Packed with detailed compatibility charts that will help you achieve your potential in love, passion and friendship, this practical, illustrated guide channels the secrets of the stars to help you to live life to the fullest.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins UK
• Release date: Dec 18, 2014
• ISBN: 9781910231265

Sasha Fenton

Sasha Fenton is a best-selling astrologer whose books have sold over half a million copies world-wide. She is well known for her chatty, accessible style, and is the astrology columnist for ‘Woman’s Own’. Her other books include ‘Tarot in Action’, ‘Fortune-Telling by Leaves’, and ‘Understanding Astrology’. Fenton has presented her own radio show on LBC and appeared on national television programmes in the UK such as ‘This Morning’ She has been professionally consulting since 1973.

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Introduction

ARE you an emotional Scorpio who needs to pour out your latest drama to your friends and relatives? Perhaps you are an uptight Capricorn who keeps all your feelings to yourself. Are you a flirtatious Libran, a brave but thoughtless Arian or a careful Cancerian? Do your home and garden display Taurean flair or are your plants neatly laid out in Virgoan rows? Are you a Leo who earns a frequent-user discount at your dress shop and beauty salon? Or a Sagittarian who is quietly and desperately yearning for the wide open spaces while surrounded by a nagging family and a household full of pets? Do your poor, painful Piscean feet make a martyr of you? Are you an Aquarian who is permanently searching for more and more knowledge? Whatever your individual motivations and peculiarities might be, you should be able to find them in this book.

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SUN-SIGN ASTROLOGY

The terms ‘sun signs’, ‘star signs’ and even ‘zodiac signs’ all mean exactly the same thing. Your sun sign or star sign is simply the sign of the zodiac that you were born under. With a good understanding of sun-sign astrology, the most straightforward form of this ancient science, the reasons behind your behaviour patterns and even some aspects of your past and future can become clearer and can help you understand the choices you find yourself drawn to in life. If you want to know why you prefer your home to be minimalist and spartan or why you like it crammed full of dust-gathering knick-knacks, your sun sign could well hold the answer. If, however, you are not typical of your sun sign, it would be worth reading about the other sun signs in order to discover which one could be exerting a strong influence over the decisions you make every day. The beauty of sun sign astrology is in its simplicity – all you need to know to start is your date of birth. Such a process may be all that it takes for you to begin looking into astrology more deeply and then to extend your research to discovering your moon sign, your rising sign and all the other modifying features on your own personal birth chart. Nevertheless, learning about the different ways in which a sun sign can influence every aspect of your life, from the partners you choose to the working role that brings out the best in you, makes an ideal starting-point for exploring astrology.

It is not difficult to work out which sun sign you belong to; even people who are on the cusp of two signs usually feel more like one of those signs than the other. Now, work though the book to find out in detail how your sun sign, and those of your loved ones, affects your motivations and your character, and even to discover what lies in store for you in the years ahead.

Before the advent of telescopes, astronomers thought that the sun travelled around the earth, passing in front of each of the twelve constellations that lay along its path.

We now know that the planets of the solar system, including the earth, orbit the sun and only appear to be moving through these signs from our perspective on the earth. The belt of the heavens encircling the earth along the ecliptic (the apparent pathway of the sun) is known as the zodiac, and it is divided into 12 equal segments – the constellations that are the signs of the zodiac.

For example, on January 1 the sun appears to be travelling through the sign of Capricorn, while on July 1 it appears to be travelling through the sign of Cancer.

If you are unsure of your sun sign, refer to the sun-sign table opposite. (To complicate matters, unfortunately each sun sign changes at a slightly different time of day every year. Therefore, if you are born on the cusp of a sign, you may find that one set of magazines or newspapers gives one date for the start or the end of your sign, while another goes for a slightly different one.)

The signs of the zodiac are always arrayed in the same order. They start with Aries, setting the astrological year rolling at the spring equinox on March 21, which the ancients saw as the beginning of the new year. Aries is always followed in turn by the sun signs Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces.

YOUR SUN SIGN DATES

Aries: March 21 – April 20

Taurus: April 21 – May 21

Gemini: May 22 – June 21

Cancer: June 22 – July 22

Leo: July 23 – August 23

Virgo: August 24 – September 23

Libra: September 24 – October 23

Scorpio: October 24 – November 22

Sagittarius: November 23 – December 21

Capricorn: December 22 – January 20

Aquarius: January 21 – February 19

Pisces: February 20 – March 20

The Elements

FIRE , earth, air and water are the four elements from which, traditionally, the earth and all who live on it are made up. Each sign of the zodiac has an ancient link with one of these elements, or ‘triplicities’.

The elements rotate neatly around the signs as shown on the right. Each element has a special character of its own, which all the signs in that element have in common. Thus, for example, the fire signs share characteristics of sociability, humour and optimism while the water signs need to process ideas through layers of intuition or emotion. Now read on to see how your sign operates on an elemental level.

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FIRE

(Aries, Leo, Sagittarius)

These signs are associated with ancient images of initiative, courage and leadership. Fire-sign people are courageous and they won’t hesitate to plunge headlong into everything that life has to offer. Unfortunately, these folk can’t always understand why the other zodiac types lack their ability to grasp an opportunity when it arises; they do not realize that taking chances and succeeding against the odds is not always everybody’s karmic pathway to the future.

Fire people are quick, intelligent and generous and they love their friends, family members and lovers with great passion. More sensitive than they appear on the outside, these subjects can be cut to the quick when the affection and generosity they so unstintingly give others are not appreciated or returned in the same measure. When crossed, they are angry, depressed and even bitter. Fire-sign subjects cannot tolerate poverty or having to go without the best things in life and are usually prepared to work for the standard of living they require. These subjects can be arrogant with those whom they consider inferior and if they are not careful they can make others feel inadequate.

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EARTH

(Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn)

Practical, diligent and hard-working, earth people are often happiest when they are doing something useful. Earth signs can be relied upon – even though it might take a Taurean or a Capricornian a while to get around to things, they usually do what they say they will. Shrewd and cautious, these people need material and emotional security and will put up with a lot in order to get it. Many earth types appear stingy to outsiders, but this is often driven by a fear, whether well founded or not, of future poverty.

The ‘earthiness’ of earth folk shows itself in their sensuality. They also have a creative streak, although this manifests itself in different ways with each of the three signs. Shy and sensitive, all the earth signs cling to their families and keep outsiders at a distance, but once they make a friend they are loyal, unless the friend takes advantage of them financially. When they fall deeply in love, earth types are dependable but it can take them half a lifetime to find a partner who is just right for them.

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AIR

(Gemini, Libra, Aquarius)

This is said to be the intellectual group, with mental functions and abstract ideas taking precedence over physical activity. If an idea is needed, the air-sign person can come up with the answer. But although all three air signs operate on a mental level, each does so in a different way.

Gemini and Libra are sociable signs who are often found on the phone dealing with others as part of their day’s work or chatting with their friends. Aquarians are great ones for deep discussions but they need to spend time alone to delve into their inner world of ideas, and they can occasionally lose touch with reality. Some air-sign folk are happier dealing with machinery, computers and electrical gadgets than with people, but most love company. As they are such excellent communicators, air people frequently work in fields where they can liaise with others or create connections between groups of people. However, many of them find it hard to empathize with the feelings of others.

Restless and often tense, the air signs need a change of scene and an outlet for their tensions. Geminis worry about totally inconsequential matters while Librans can be so confused at times that they can’t even work out what is going on in their own heads. Aquarians may become extremely hostile when things don’t turn out the way they want.

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WATER

(Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces)

Water people respond slowly to questions and need time to grasp new situations or ideas because these need to be filtered through their feelings before they can make a logical assessment. Water subjects’ feelings run deep and they can be very emotional, though they don’t usually appear that way to outsiders. They keep most of their feelings hidden, sometimes even from themselves, which allows resentment to build up, and this resentment can be expressed in anger at an inappropriate moment. Their loved ones will know what it is like to live alongside their spells of boundless excitement and joy or their terrible depressions. Water people attach themselves strongly to those they love, especially their children. Even if separated by a long distance, they usually try to keep in close touch with them.

Water folk are extremely intuitive, feeling everything that is going on in the atmosphere around them. They can use this knowledge to smooth their pathway through life. All the water signs can make use of intuition in business situations, although Pisceans are less ambitious or business-minded than the other two water signs and they will sometimes miss out on good opportunities as a result.

Water subjects don’t approach matters in a direct manner but will test out a situation and see if there is some way they can manoeuvre themselves into, out of or around things.

The Qualities

EVERY sun sign belongs to one of three qualities, or ‘quadruplicities’: cardinal, fixed or mutable. Although each sign also dwells in one of the four elements , it expresses itself differently, according to its quality. Each sign has its own combination of a particular element and quality; none of the other signs has the same combination. This is why the signs in any one group have characteristics in common but are also each truly individual. It could be said that while the elements tell us something about each sign’s emotional needs and behaviour – especially when under pressure – the qualities show how each sign acts and goes about its business. The qualities are less obvious to a newcomer to astrology than the elements are. Like a compass, which has four cardinal points – north, south, east and west – an astrological chart has four sun signs at cardinal points. Although they have more to do with the astronomical layout of a horoscope chart than observation of real people in real-life situations, knowing what they are can give you a deeper insight into your sign.

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CARDINAL

(Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn)

Cardinal signs all see themselves as decision makers and won’t allow their lives to be run by anyone else. This may not appear immediately obvious in the case of Cancer and Libra, as these two types can appear to be cooperative or even happy to allow others to take the lead. However, this passive behaviour is often simply a means of getting what they want in a roundabout way. For example, a Cancerian can pretend to be weak, encouraging an apparently stronger partner to take on their problems for them, but this is their way of getting the job done. This behaviour may look different from Arian aggression or Capricornian obstinacy, but it comes to the same thing in the end. Cardinality suggests self-motivation and self-interest. Librans may be heavily involved in business and as such can be good team leaders or business partners, as long as they have other aspects on their birth charts that keep their feet on the ground. Business or group endeavours are important to the Capricornian but underneath the controlled exterior of the executive beats a loving heart and a great sense of family loyalty.

Whether the approach is passive (as with Cancer or Libra) or forthright and argumentative (as in the case of Aries or Capricorn), behind it is the cardinal person’s desire to do just what they want in exactly the way they want. Their intentions may be admirable and their actions designed to help others or to encourage those around them to make the most of themselves – but woe betide anyone who seeks to control or restrict them. Their own needs must come first and they cannot be made into martyrs – well, not for long, at any rate.

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FIXED

(Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius)

The key characteristic linking these four very different signs is that of stubbornness and resistance to change. Fixed-sign types try to stay in the same job as long as possible, moving slowly up the chain of superiority until they reach the upper limits. The same steadfastness applies to marriage or partnerships because these people will do their best to keep a good relationship going.

The most fixed of the four signs is Taurus, which can be an extremely obstinate sign. Aquarians stick to their opinions – unless they can see a very good reason to change them – while very little will shift Leos from their objectives. With regard to their choice of career path or person to love, Scorpios appear superficially more adaptable, but their loyalty and their stubborn refusal to give way in the face of opposition is formidable. These signs are all reliable, even though some Aquarians can only be relied upon to do the unexpected!

Change unnerves these folk. If their usual way of life alters, they become downhearted and can lose the ability to function at all. When this occurs, they need to find some new cause, person, or career path to attach their star to.

Leos and Taureans can be extremely materialistic, and they are not beneath marrying for money or staying in an unhappy relationship or a miserable job because of the financial security it offers them. Scorpios may not acquire valuable homes or goods, but they are great collectors of eclectic junk that they simply cannot be parted from. Aquarians are the least materialistic of the group.

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MUTABLE

(Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces)

The word mutable means something that can be changed, suggesting a certain amount of flexibility or adaptability. When compared with the personal objectives of the cardinal signs and the inflexibility of the fixed signs, people in the mutable signs appear to be adaptable to changing circumstances. It is said that the cardinal signs set situations into motion, the fixed signs see things through and the mutable signs guide them through changes and bring things to a close.

Although all four of these signs behave in a mutable manner, each does so in a different way. Mutable-sign people can adapt to change better than most, although they don’t go looking for it. Geminis and Sagittarians need careers and lifestyles that offer them plenty of variety. Pisceans and Virgoans can tolerate a routine job as long as they have plenty of social or outside interests for stimulation.

All the mutable signs need creative outlets for their talents. Geminis may work in the field of communications or accountancy but they aspire to businesses of their own, or they may work hard to make their homes perfect. Virgoans love to write and paint, while Sagittarians and Pisceans may use their creativity in an artistic or spiritual manner or by setting up organizations that work for the benefit of others.

The people of the mutable signs may have as much difficulty in accepting change as either of the other two qualities, but somehow they know that changes are inevitable and that when a transformative time comes along, they must allow themselves to go with the flow.

Gender and Polarity

GENDER

The sun signs are always listed in the same order, starting with Aries and ending with Pisces. Each of the signs is allocated a gender, with the first sign (Aries) being called masculine, the second sign (Taurus) being called feminine and so on through the rest of the signs. It so happens that the elements also fall neatly into genders because the fire and air signs belong to the masculine gender and the water and earth signs belong to the feminine gender.

Some astrologers refer to these genders as ‘positive’ and ‘negative’ rather than masculine and feminine. The term ‘gender’ has no relation to the actual gender of a person or to their sexual behaviour – it is simply an ancient term that has attached itself to this particular form of zodiac division. The ancient terms ‘positive’ and ‘negative’ are equally misleading as negativity doesn’t imply bad behaviour in any particular sun sign. These days it would make more sense to use the modern terms of ‘extrovert’ and ‘introvert’.

Generally, those who belong to the fire signs of Aries, Leo and Sagittarius are usually extrovert in character, and those who are not very outgoing probably have some other factor on their birth horoscopes to dampen down the enthusiastic fire element. Extroversion is harder to see in some air-sign people because they are less ebullient than their fire-sign cousins, but it exists within them nonetheless.

The earth signs of Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn all fall into the feminine or negative group, as do the water signs of Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces. These sun signs are said to be ‘introverted’ and while they appear socially relaxed, they prefer to stay in the background, happily encouraging others to take centre stage. If a person with a feminine sun sign shines in the public arena, you can be sure that there are important planets and an ascendant in the more outgoing masculine group.

POLARITY

You may occasionally hear an astrologer refer to your ‘opposite’ sign. In terms of the calendar, your opposite sign is the one that is six months away from yours. This means that if you were born at the New Year, giving you the sun sign of Capricorn, your opposite sign would be Cancer. Astrologers refer to these signs as ‘opposing’ because Western-style astrological charts are laid out in a circle, with one sign always opposite another.

There is always a slight connection between opposing signs as they share the same gender and also the same quality. Thus Cancer and Capricorn are both feminine, cardinal signs. Planetary movements that occur in your opposing sign will also set off trends and events that can affect every aspect of your life.

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A French fifteenth-century zodiac illustrating the male and female anatomy.

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Aries

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