mr-damon/astrology psychics

People born in the Year of the Rat ―1948, 1960, 1972, 1984 or 1996 (or even earlier) ― tend to be full hearted. They love nature and cute places and they are affectionate. They are generous and calm as well as passive.

When they are young, they are loved by those around them. When they grow older, they realize that it's their parents who have made them who they are today. They study hard and have good relationships with others.

Women born in the Year of the Rat tend to be adorable and help out men in their lives in many different ways. They never regret the choices they make and they're smart and act mature. They tend to love listening to music alone and they hardly ever discuss worries that are bothering them. They tend to solve problems on their own.

However, people born in the Year of the Rat tend to keep their problems to themselves, mainly out of pride. Sharing is not part of their nature. "Rats like to hide things and be secretive," Bae said.

Those who match well with Rats are Monkeys, Dragons, Oxen, Chickens and, amazingly, Snakes. Sheep and Horses don't get along with Rats.

"As the Rats in the year of 2008 have walked into the storeroom, everything is fruitful and every thing they do works out well," said Bae. It will be fine from January though June but special caution should be taken in the months of July and August, especially anything that has to do with water.

"Mercury is retrograde, appearing to move backward, 2-3 times a year. Mercury retrograde times call for you to recheck everything, anticipate and plan ahead, and to relearn lessons unlearned since the last Mercury retrograde cycle. It is a good time for review and completing ongoing projects. It is NOT a time to start something new. Mercury energies involve the mind, mental processes, communication, travel, speaking, and writing. The Retrograde symbol is "Rx", the same symbol on all medical prescriptions! Physicians until the 15th century had to also be astrologers before they could practice medicine."

"Despite the dread that often surrounds Mercury retrograde periods, it's possible for us to work with the energy by taking the time to tie up loose ends.

"To get the most out of Mercury retrogrades, concentrate on activities beginning with the prefix 're-': redo, rewrite, repair, recall, reexamine, renew, redecorate, reschedule and so on.

"This is a time to review the past and assimilate those things that have happened to you since the last retrograde period back in Oct/Nov of 2006. Journaling will be especially productive during this time."

Here are the retrograde periods for 2007:

February 14 to March 8
June 15 to July 10
October 12th to November 2

The follow is from a compelling piece in Vanity Fair, but the astronomical placements are all off. Pluto, for example, has just entered Sagittarius -- it won't be leaving that constellation and transiting through Capricorn for several years, which is one of the central aspects of Lutin's article.

My My New Moon/New Year wish is that Western astrologers will become more familiar with astronomy and precession of the equinoxes. Then, forecasts like Lutin's might have more accurate insight.


"Pluto in Capricorn is going to change America from the inside out, threaten our very existence, challenge our economy, and divide the country politically. The government is going to be so paranoid during those years that it doesn't really matter who gets in in 2008.

"Pluto in Capricorn means the ascendance into overt power of corporations in relation to the government. But that situation will change when Pluto enters Aquarius, at the end of the 2020s.

"Uranus in Aries is going to be the 1960s all over again. The greatest time of upheaval will be between 2015 and 2019, when the square of Uranus in Aries to Pluto in Capricorn will create the seeds of revolution everywhere. Forces of repression are going to clamp down even harder on those who want to speak their minds.

"Then, in the years 2023-25, the final stages of the Pluto return and the Capricorn effect will reach a climax. Some astrologers believe that an empire lasts no longer than one Pluto cycle, and by 2025 this cycle will be played out. And no matter how you look at it, the U.S.A. is an empire.

"Just as the British Empire began enduring sunsets after the fledgling colonies won their independence, our turn may be coming. The Pluto return of 2025 will demand a redefinition of the United States and create the ultimate identity crisis. We will have to put ourselves on the line, as we did in the 1770s."

"When any planet goes retrograde, it actually goes through the same span of the zodiac three times--forward, then backwards, then forwards again. When the planet changes direction, this is called a 'station' or 'being stationary' (motionless). The planet's progress through the zodiac slows down until it [seems to] pause (the station). Then it gradually starts moving again in the opposite direction."


The following was meant to be a comment on a friend's blog, but her Movable Type module locked me out.

"At the time of your writing, Mercury was still in its retrograde shadow. This means that while Mercury began direct motion on Nov. 17 [and Uranus did the same on Nov. 20], the planet has not yet moved past the area in space where its retrograde trip began.

That will happen on Dec. 6... by which time Saturn will have gone retrograde. In regard to that situation, which will last until April 19, 2007:

"When Saturn is Retrograde, there is a refocusing, reconsideration and re-evaluation of [status, reputation, physical and financial security, and responsibility] in your life. Saturn Retrograde is a time of examining, judging, shoring up, making stronger, reinforcing, solidifying, strengthening the foundations of those structures in your life. With Saturn Retrograde, you are fortifying those things that you rely on for your security, things you have built step-by-step over time, and which you want to keep intact and safe because of their obvious value to you in the future."