Orange pumpkins in the fields and bags of candy stacked near the entrance of every store can mean only one thing – trick-or-treat time! Halloween 2010 falls on a weekend, which may increase the number of parties and costume contests penciled on your social calendar this year. The planets Venus and Mars will be transiting the mysterious sign of Scorpio for most of October, making this a season of fascination with the paranormal, occult, and macabre. People will delight in the drama of Halloween and the thrill of projecting a hidden persona by donning a costume.

On Halloween 2010, the planets are serving a party platter and punch bowl full of good-natured fun. The Halloween moon will be in the creative and regal fire sign of Leo. This warm and gregarious moon encourages creativity, originality, exhibition, and games. Mars, the planet of action, will be in the early degrees of the expansive, jovial fire sign of Sagittarius – an extremely social sign that delights in adventure and humor. Unless you are so grown up that your inner child has abandoned you completely (in which case, I recommend you dress as Ebenezer Scrooge), you had better get your costume ready!

Here is a trick to help you look like a treat this Halloween – you can use astrology to help you choose a costume! I’ve made a list of basic sun sign personality attributes and costume suggestions, which represent the energy of each of the twelve zodiac signs. You can choose a costume to express the nature of your sun sign, rising sign, or moon sign and let your star power shine brightly for you this Halloween.

Aries (March 21st – April 19th)
High-energy and derring-do, a hero or the ego-driven nemesis, the first to accomplish something. Superman, Luke Skywalker, Wonder Woman, Kim Possible, a firefighter or police officer, GI Joe, Amelia Earhart or the Wright brothers, a devil.

Taurus (April 20th – May 20th)
Practical, caring, nature-loving, music-loving, fond of simpler times. Medieval and renaissance garb appeal to the men and women. Hunter or farmer, Mother Nature, Pan. Any costume with a musical instrument as an accessory. A flower, tree, or cow.

Gemini (May 21st – June 20th)
Childlike, imaginative, flighty, associated with pairs, famous communicators or inventors. Peter Pan and his sidekick, Tinkerbell, Bonnie and Clyde, Dr. Frankenstein and his monster, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, any past President, Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy, butterflies, Big Bird, ladybugs.

Cancer (June 21st – July 22nd)
Watery, nurturing, protective, intuitive and empathetic. At one time in history, a midwife and healer using herblore might have been called a witch, so witch is a good Cancerian persona, as is a gypsy woman with her crystal ball. Scuba diver, doctor or nurse, mermaid or merman, crab, turtle or snail.

Leo (July 23rd – August 22nd)
Creative, proud, regal, fun. Leo loves a costume even when it’s not Halloween – the more bling, the better. Any king or queen persona works, but Caesar, Arthur, Henry VIII, or Elvis appeals to the guys, and the ladies love attention-getting Cleopatra, Lady Godiva, or a more modern Madonna or Lucille Ball impersonation. Cats, of course, from kittens to lions, from Cat Woman to Garfield.

Virgo (August 23rd – September 22nd)
Earth maiden, caretaker, organizer and analyzer of details. Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, Sherlock Holmes, doctor or nurse, Hermione Granger. The Mummy (uptight Virgo) or Oscar the Grouch (Virgo gone bad) or Inspector Gadget (Virgo gone obsessive) are possibilities.

Libra (September 23rd – October 22nd)
Fairness, balance, law and order, fashion and romance, couples, vigilantes. Romeo and Juliet, Marie Antoinette, Wyatt Earp, Robin Hood. Batman. Cruella de Vil, judge, lawyer, any princess, Miss America, Don Juan, Cyrano de Bergerac, Statue of Liberty, angel, Snow White, Cinderella.

Scorpio (October 23rd – November 21st)
Intimate, secretive, intense. Anything goth. Vampire, punk or heavy metal rock star, ghost, invisible man, pirate, prisoner, Mata Hari, Svengali, Green Hornet, Riddler, Darth Vader, an FBI or IRS agent. Any poisonous or venomous creature, such as a snake, dragon, or bee.

Sagittarius (November 22nd – December 21st)
Optimistic, expansive, social, adventurous. Clown, fire eater, juggler, comedian, jockey, racecar driver, SpongeBob, Dora the Explorer, Indiana Jones. Any over-the-top gruesome mask and fake blood for fun.

Capricorn (December 22nd – January 19th)
Responsible, restrictive, goal-oriented, concerned with history and reputation, Capricorn rules the bones and mortality. Skeleton, Grim Reaper, executioner, any past presidents or leaders, Vikings, circus strongman, caveman, lumberjack, hobo (the shadow side of Capricorn), dressing like an old man or woman, Bob the Builder, train engineer.

Aquarius (January 20th – February 18th)
Future-oriented, humanitarian, eclectic and electric, the oddball or genius. Professor, Einstein, Harry Potter, Gandhi, a robot, a computer or TV, nerd or geek, ET, R2D2, C3PO, 60’s hippie. Any costume requiring glow-in-the-dark makeup or radical hair.

Pisces (February 19th – March 20th)
Watery, dreamy, mythical or mystical. Poseidon holding his trident, a wizard with a wand, a fairy, elf, or gnome. Glinda the Good Witch. Alice in Wonderland, Yoda, a dolphin or an octopus.

Written by: Dee Rae
Specializes in: Clairaudient, Numerology, Runes, Astrology Reading

They’re creepy, spooky, and mysterious. I’m sure you know them. They’ve visited you at home on your TV and you may have seen them in the movie theater, too. They are The Addams Family. So, what do they have to do with astrology? The characteristics of planets and signs of the zodiac may be learned easily by examining archetypes who embody them. Archetypes can be found in mythological tales and in our pop culture figures. Often, a transit of a planet will make me think of a modern day character from a book or TV show that personifies the qualities of that planet and sign. The current transit of Venus and Mars in Scorpio makes me think immediately of The Addams Family, particularly Morticia as Venus and Gomez as Mars.

Scorpio rules the eighth house of the astrological chart. In traditional astrology, the eighth house has to do with the occult, metaphysics, the paranormal, sex, death, taxes, and inheritance. Scorpio is ruled by Pluto. Characteristics attributed to Pluto are intensity, power, destruction, resurrection, and transformation. A spooky ancestral home decorated with the macabre and mysterious, housing a family possessing intense passions and morbid proclivities who live off unlimited wealth hidden in the basement is the most perfect example of Scorpio eighth house symbolism I can imagine.

The Addams Family movie was released to the public on November 22, 1991, under the appropriately Scorpionic influence of the Sun, Mars, and Pluto transiting in – you guessed it – Scorpio! I’m sure the transits of those planets in the sign of Scorpio increased the popularity of the film and the audience’s enjoyment of the actors’ portrayal of the spooky family so many of us love. Not all movies based on popular television shows live up to expectations, but I know The Addams Family lived up to mine. Raul Julia and Anjelica Huston were wonderfully cast as Gomez and Morticia. I have watched the film several times over the years when I wanted to set the Scorpio mood for the Halloween season.

Mars is a planet of action and physical vitality. It is a masculine planet and represents sexual energy in matters of love. When Mars is in the fixed water sign of Scorpio, passions can run deep and both lust and anger can flare dramatically. Mars in Scorpio may have its own moral code of conduct and rules to live by. When someone breaks those rules, it is an invitation to take action. When Mars in Scorpio believes in something or someone, it believes all the way and can be completely devastated should it be deceived or betrayed. In The Addams Family movie, Gomez is entirely convinced Fester is his long-lost brother – he cannot allow himself to believe otherwise. When Gomez is playing with swords, visiting his basement full of money, wrecking model trains, or succumbing to Morticia’s chilly charms he is acting out the essence of Mars in Scorpio. Obsession is a Mars in Scorpio quality and Gomez is obsessive about his family. Above all, he is obsessive about Morticia. As he observes her sleeping, he says, “Look at her. I would die for her. I would kill for her. Either way, what bliss!”

Venus is a planet of physical comfort, beauty, and pleasure. It is a feminine planet and represents affection in matters of love. Scorpio is an intensely emotional water sign that wrestles with issues of control and exposure. In love and all relationships, Scorpio prefers to have the upper hand and know more about the other than they are willing to share about themselves until they feel it is safe to do so. Venus in Scorpio can be jealous, protective, intensely loyal, and secretive. Clandestine romance, love triangles, and unrequited love are the negative patterns of relating that arise from the Scorpio fear of exposure and intimacy. Those three kinds of relationship have distance and lack of total involvement at their core. Sometimes Venus in Scorpio takes the all-or-nothing approach – if Venus in Scorpio can’t have exactly who it wants, it will have none at all. Yes, for all the reputation Scorpio has as the sexiest sign of the zodiac, it can actually appear quite cold on the surface. Despite her minimal outward display of emotion, Morticia radiates a deep passion, neatly tucked into her form-fitting dress and graceful control. Morticia is the ultimate cool, self-possessed woman. She is also a perfect example of the social etiquette, which Venus in Scorpio values. Her manners are impeccable and she considers the needs of others, even if her values are a bit skewed, as when she admonishes her mother, “Hush, mama! It’s for charity! Widows and orphans. We need more of them.”

Out of all the twelve signs of the zodiac, Scorpio is the one sign that has distinctly different characteristics between the sexes. Scorpio women are more comfortable in the realm of emotions than Scorpio men. They are better able to contain sensitive emotions when they choose not to express them. Not all Scorpio men can reconcile the softness and sensitivity of Scorpio’s feminine water energy with the stereotypical strong and dangerous bad boy Scorpio image they believe they should project. When a Scorpio male feels too much emotion, he may release it as anger rather than risk appearing vulnerable. Many Scorpio women are the coolest, calmest ladies you will meet. They prefer to wait and watch and lure others in patiently through intent, much like a spider in a web. Like Morticia, the less they speak, the more they seem to say – especially with those expressive eyes. A Scorpio woman has powerful family instincts. Morticia walks and talks Fester through the family graveyard to impress the importance of his family history upon him. A female scorpion is such a good mother that she may take on the care of baby scorpions which do not belong to her. A Scorpio mother may be protective, but she rarely stifles her children. Although she may have her own strict Scorpio rules, she encourages her children to become strong and think for themselves. There is a scene I love in The Addams Family movie where Wednesday, stalking Pugsley with a knife, goes past Morticia, who is at the kitchen table. Morticia stops Wednesday and asks, “Is that for your brother? I don’t think so.” She relieves Wednesday of the knife, but gives her a much larger and deadlier looking weapon. Now that’s empowering! Morticia may appear to be unaware of her children, but she doesn’t miss much. Venus in Scorpio is receptive, intuitive, and able to know what others are thinking or feeling.

For an in-depth astrology lesson on Venus and Mars in Scorpio, watch The Addams Family movie and pay special attention to the patriarch, Gomez Addams, and the matriarch, Morticia Addams. Together, they show us the masculine qualities of Mars in Scorpio and the feminine qualities of Venus in Scorpio – two halves of a passionate whole. Gomez asks, “Are you unhappy, my darling?” Morticia answers, “I’m very unhappy, my darling.”

Written By:  Dee Rae

Expert in:  Clairaudient, Numerology, Runes, Astrology Reading

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The twelve astrological signs are evenly divided into four different elements: fire, earth, air, and water. They are also divided evenly into three qualities: cardinal (also called ordinal), fixed, and mutable. The signs also have gender, being either feminine (also called fruitful) or masculine (also called barren) in nature. Earth and water signs are feminine, and air and fire signs are masculine.

The most basic understanding of these things can be used to plan mundane daily activities such as fishing or planting a garden best done on days the Moon transits a fruitful sign. An example of a good use of a barren Moon transit would be eliminating a habit, or destroying weeds. Did I hear a snicker? Well, I laughed a bit, too, but after years of experimentation and observance, I know that as the Moon passes through the twelve signs over the course of the lunar month, the day-to-day activity and emotional clime of society as a whole is affected in many ways. Most days now, I do not need to consult an ephemeris to know what sign the Moon is in – I just watch people!

The twelve signs are sorted into elements as follows: Fire signs are Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius. Earth signs are Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn. Air signs are Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius. Water signs are Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces.

Everyone has an inner feel for the elements. We all can easily understand these monikers: hot head, dynamo, air head, cry baby, wet blanket, salt of the earth, rock solid. In the most general sense, the fire signs are initiative, igniting, and volatile. The earth signs are enduring, steady, and grounded. The air signs are more flighty and cerebral. The water signs are emotional and intuitive.

A deeper understanding can be found by studying each sign individually, as well as each sign’s planetary ruler and the house over which the sign has rulership in the solar chart wheel; however, meditation upon the elements and how we feel about them builds a strong foundation for understanding practical astrology.

Most computerized natal charts will display the circular chart wheel, a grid or list of planetary aspects within the wheel, and a small box or grid indicating which element and quality a natal planet has. The first thing I examine in detail after my eye takes in the overall chart pattern, or placement of the planets within the natal chart, is that elemental grid. An incredible amount of information can be gained from this most basic tool. Are the four elements balanced an equal distribution of the planets among the elements? Then the individual is most likely balanced with no particular elemental trait outstanding. Are one or two of the elements more heavily weighted? Then the individual may exhibit those elemental traits more strongly than the others. If two are strong, are they harmonious? Air feeds fire, and water feeds earth. Within the chart wheel, this elemental basic of air/fire, water/earth creates the geometric patterns representing energy flow, which are known as aspects. I personally do not find trines and sextiles to be wholly positive, nor squares and oppositions to be wholly negative as some astrology books interpret them. I tend to see the elemental harmony of trines and sextiles as a flow or open conduit of assistive energy, and an elemental discord of squares or oppositions as energy prone to breaks in flow or resistance, or blockage of energy. If two elements are heavily weighted and do “feed” each other, the individual may be more passive, optimistic, or calm in nature. If the two elements do not naturally “feed” each other, such as air/water, or fire/earth, the individual may be more restless, or complex in nature.

If an element is entirely lacking, it is not unusual for the person to somehow exhibit the lack. For example, a lack of fire may have limited drive or initiative, a lack of earth may be ungrounded, a lack of water not overly emotional, a lack of air preferring the practical or proven, rather than spending time on abstract or imaginative thought. I’ve observed another interesting phenomenon with people lacking an element. The absent element can be the most significant link between them and one or more of their closest relationships. Most often conjunctions of natal planets between two people’s charts are the first thing I see in a relationship reading, but in the case of a person lacking an element, the first thing to jump out at me is the excess of one element in one person’s chart balancing the lack of that same element in the partner’s. If there are no significant planetary links between the two, they may be unable to explain or understand the attraction and some awkwardness or discomfort may be present, despite the elemental lack which draws them together.

The unconscious taking-in of a missing element through another person can be changed, if desired, through adding more of the element to the surroundings. For example, a fountain, fish tank, or pictures of water in the home may be used to bring the element of water into one’s consciousness. The study of Feng Shui can assist you to create an environment that is in harmony with your planets.

After assessing the elemental make-up of a person, I look to see what proportion of the three qualities cardinal, fixed, mutable they have. Just as with the elements, a fair balance of the three adds balance to the individual. Cardinal is initiative and directive good at giving orders, being in a leadership position. Fixed is hands-on, method oriented, and tends to stay on task from start to finish. Mutable is the most adaptable, flexible and open to change, content to leave orders to cardinal and thoroughness to fixed, mutable is good at finding the ways and means or acting as a negotiator.

Just as an element may be in excess or lacking, a quality may be also, and the same dynamic may come into play between people. Awareness of the lack can allow a person to consciously embody the missing quality, rather than relying on another to provide it, if they so choose. For example, a person lacking cardinal signs can decide to be more assertive or accept leadership roles when offered.

I’m certain that an excess of an element or quality is an asset to an individual, most likely chosen to amp up one area that they will fast-track through in their lifetime. One famous rock musician is chock-full of fixed fire Leo planets in Leo’s den of rulership, the fifth house. What a powerhouse of passion, presence, performance, and perseverance all in one person! Even some of the titles of his bands’ songs and albums (Locomotive Breath, Passion Play, Warchild) reflect this energy.

The feminine and masculine energy of the signs has no direct bearing on someone’s sexual orientation, but I have observed that a woman with more masculine signs highlighted in her chart may be especially strong or self-reliant, or have many friendships with men. A man with more feminine planetary energy may have good friendships with women or understand what it means to be in touch with his feminine side. If you want to know more about your sex and love life, I recommend you have your chart analyzed, by me, of course

A natal chart is the most accurate means of discovering where the planets were at the time of your birth, but quick and fairly accurate information can be had easily in a planetary ephemeris. The birth day, month, and year are all you need to know to see which signs the planets occupied and from there, you can take stock of your elemental self.

For your reference:

Aries fire, cardinal, masculine
Taurus earth, fixed, feminine
Gemini air, mutable, masculine
Cancer water, cardinal, feminine
Leo fire, fixed, masculine
Virgo earth, mutable, feminine
Libra air, cardinal, masculine
Scorpio water, fixed, feminine
Sagittarius fire, mutable, masculine
Capricorn earth, cardinal, feminine
Aquarius air, fixed, masculine
Pisces water, mutable, feminine

Written By: Dee Rae

Expert in :

Clairaudient, Numerology, Runes, Astrology Reading

An astrological natal, or birth chart, is a graphic and mathematical representation of the planets in the heavens at theprecise moment of your birth. Month, day, year, time, and location are factored in the determining of the rising sign, or ascendant, on the eastern horizon. The rest of the chart follows counterclockwise in a 360-degree circle, divided into twelve slices of the “pie”. These slices are called houses and represent areas of your life. The twelve signs are also placed around the wheel, starting off with the rising sign. The planets are then placed in the houses where they belong based on the sign and degree of sign they occupied at your birth moment.

The planets in their places nod to each other and create patterns of energy flow that are referred to as aspects. The natal chart is a valuable life-navigating map. I truly believe every adult can benefit from the self-knowledge gained from studying the basics of astrology and applying them to analysis of their own natal chart, or by having a consultation with an experienced astrologer. Likewise, every child can benefit from having a parent or caregiver analyze his or her chart.

Thanks to computers, which can easily store and calculate the necessary atlas and ephemeris data and mathematical equations required to erect a birth chart, any curious do-it-yourselfer can Google “free natal chart” and find a reliable source for a chart. I highly recommend an in-depth, yet enjoyable book by Debra Kempton-Smith “Secrets from a Stargazer’s Notebook Making  Astrology Work for You” as an ideal accompaniment to your journey of self-discovery. If seeking a personal astrologer, be  sure to ask if they are using a computer-generated interpretation program or actually interpreting your natal chart themselves. If you are paying for professional experience and personal service, that is what you should expect to receive.

Be sure to retain your natal reading. It is not unusual for something that was mentioned at the time of the reading to not seem relevant to your life, only for it to become important at a later date. In fact, this is the norm.

The planets in our natal chart form a picture of us. Just as the passage of time changes us from infant, toddler, youth,teen, and adult but we can still see the essence of who we are in the earliest photos taken, so too do planets continue to move through our natal chart in what are called transits. The planetary transits can affect us on the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual levels triggering events, decisions, and transformations. The natal chart retains the essence while the transiting planets activate energy within the chart. We change while remaining the same essence.

Solar return charts erected from natal information can be analyzed yearly around the birthday to be considered along with the natal chart, and transits for a deeper look at the potential year. A progressed chart can be used in a similar way. Both the solar return and progressed charts are usually viewed alongside and in relation to the natal chart.

Many people who have not resonated with sun sign astrology or daily horoscopes find out why during a natal chart reading. Often other planets in the first house of self may have more strength, or the sun itself is either weak or unaspected or there is a cluster, or stellium, of planets in another sign which becomes dominant in the expression of personality traits.

The Moon rules the emotions and is feminine in nature. The Sun has more to do with ego and self identification and ismasculine in nature. It is not uncommon for a woman to seem more like her Moon sign than her Sun sign. The most wonderful moments for me as an astrologer are those of confirmation. Many people have an inner yearning to pursue a certain thing, yet suppress the desire for any number of reasons. When I hit on that certain thing in their natal chart without them having mentioned it before the reading, I see their entire face light up with excitement. The usual exclamation of wonder is, “I always wanted to (fill in the blank), but I never (fill in the blank).” The astrological confirmation of their inner self is often the means to instilling the confidence to remove the “but”.

The first and most important birthday gift we receive is the moment of our birth. Sadly, for many people, that gift remains unopened because they are unaware that there is a way to open it. Luckily, the usefulness of the gift does not fade over time and it will have meaning for you, whenever you choose to open it.
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Written By: Dee Rae

Expert in :

Clairaudient, Numerology, Runes, Astrology Reading