Lucky Stars : Use Astrology to Get the Scoop on Life, Love, and Friendship

by Owen, Amanda

• ISBN13: 9780609806876
• ISBN10: 0609806874
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Trade Paper
• Copyright: 2001-09-01
• Publisher: Three Rivers Press

Summary

What's Your Sign? Are you a freethinking Aquarius or a loyal Taurus? Does Pisces light up your creative side? Does Capricorn get your butt in gear to achieve your goals? Do you share a sign with Britney Spears, Tiger Woods, LeeAnn Rimes, Prince William, Tara Lipinski, Kobe Bryant, or Martin Luther King, Jr.? Answer these questions and more withLucky Stars. If you spend your days fantasizing about that dreamy Pisces, planning the future with your best Leo bud, struggling with your Sagittarius dad, or stewing over that Aries algebra teacher, veteran astrologer Amanda Owen has written this book especially for you.Lucky Starslays out the lowdown on each Sun sign and provides strategies to consider in every situation, from dating to school to dealing with your parents.Lucky Starsalso gives you a chance to find your celebrity birthday twin and offers info about your Sun sign color, birthstone, and other fun stuff, including: * Ways to increase your self-confidence * Separate sections within each sign on friendships, home life, careers, and relationships * Compatibility guides so you can find your perfect mate With tools and resources to find out even more about yourself or your friends through astrology and tons of practical tips for day-to-day life, Amanda Owen delivers an astrological guide with everything you need to be the best you can be.

Author Biography

AMANDA OWEN is a cofounder and the current president of the Philadelphia Astrological Society. She lectures frequently on astrological subjects and maintains a busy teaching and consultation schedule. She lives in Philadelphia.

Table of Contents

Introduction	xiii
What's Your Sign?	xvii
Interacting with the World: Elements and Modes	xxi
Aries
The Pioneer	1	(15)
Taurus
The Jewel of the Earth	16	(16)
Gemini
The Messenger	32	(18)
Cancer
The Guardian	50	(16)
Leo
The Leader	66	(15)
Virgo
The Practical Idealist	81	(17)
Libra
The Peacemaker	98	(16)
Scorpio
The Influencer	114	(19)
Sagittarius
The Explorer	133	(16)
Capricorn
The Achiever	149	(17)
Aquarius
The Free Spirit	166	(17)
Pisces
The Dream Seeker	183	(20)
Resources	203	(6)
Famous Sun Signs	209

Excerpts

Aries
The Pioneer
March 20 to April 20

Symbol: The Ram

Ruling planet: Mars

Element: Fire--outgoing, enthusiastic, strong

Mode: Cardinal--energetic, initiating, active

Birthstone: Diamond

Color: Red

The Pioneer

Like Aries Jane Goodall, whose groundbreaking work with chimpanzees captured the world's attention; Gloria Steinem, who played an important role in the movement for women's equality; and, Quentin Tarantino, who introduced a new and innovative style of filmmaking--you, too, are a pioneer. You venture into areas where less-brave souls would dare not go. No challenge is too great for you. You are ready to try almost anything. Life is an adventure, and you want to live it to the fullest.

The fact that something has never been done before does not deter you in the least. This first sign of the zodiac is the sign of new beginnings: the first day of spring, the birth of new animals, or the fresh growth of flowers and leaves. Your love of starting something new and your enterprising personality lead you to paths and life journeys that are fun and exciting.

As an Aries, you are confident and optimistic about what you can accomplish. Although you can overestimate your abilities at times, if you run into an obstacle, you have the great knack for dusting yourself off and leaping headfirst into your next project. You do not dwell on the past, but are very future-oriented and interested in what is just ahead.

Aries people lead, motivate, and inspire like nobody else. Others become excited by your vision and readily sign up for the adventure. You help others to feel confident about themselves and their ideas. "You can do it!" are words you often say to yourself and to others. You lead the way.

You have a "can-do" attitude. The word failure is not in your vocabulary. If something does not go as you had planned (what little planning there was), you are genuinely surprised. You are so resilient, though, that you pick yourself up and try again. You are willing to attempt things more than once to become successful. In fact, you love the challenge.

Because the focus of an Aries is on beginning something new, you often do not consider fully what you are getting into nor perceive the full scope of what you are taking on, which can be a good thing. Sometimes people who think too much and obsess about the details never leave the starting gate and never get their ideas off the ground because they become overwhelmed. You act first and then take care of whatever comes up.

Others feel protective of you and may wish you were a bit more cautious. Although caution is not an Aries trait, that doesn't mean you shouldn't use your head--and not as a battering ram to push something through! It is important to use your mind, to think things out, to cultivate the strategy and planning that exists in every Aries. Your mind is the perfect complement to your can-do attitude.

Let's Do It NOW!

As a rule, Aries do not like to follow rules. You are enthusiastic, eager, and ready to act quickly. Usually you do not follow directions because you have not read or listened to them, which often means that you have to go back to the beginning and start all over again.

This characteristic impatience can make it hard for you to wait your turn. Standing in a line at the movies or in the cafeteria can be a frustrating experience. When Aries people are raring to go, they tend to hurry others--which can make people move slower, not faster.

Impatience can also make it hard for you to stay focused on long-term goals. Your natural enthusiasm and self-starter qualities can help. Use these abilities to break down a long-term goal into sections or mini-goals to help to keep your passion alive.

For example, if you plan to compete in a race four months from now, you may lose interest during training. But if you run each day with the mini-goal of improving your speed or distance, it will be easy for you to retain your enthusiasm, which will help you to succeed when the day of the race arrives. Use your creative mind to invent new and better ways to keep focused on a long-term goal.

Leadership

Aries is one of the signs of leadership. The ability to step forward and to take advantage of opportunities helps you move toward your future. Getting ahead is important to you. You have a competitive instinct, which is one of your greatest strengths when you are going for your personal best--to do even better today than you did yesterday. "How can I improve and be more successful?" you ask yourself. Your competitive spirit will take you on some amazing journeys during your life. Aries Sandra Day O'Connor took advantage of opportunities to become the first woman Supreme Court justice. General Colin Powell's competitive spirit carried him all the way to the highest U.S. military office when he became the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Later, President George W. Bush asked him to serve as secretary of state under his administration.

What opportunities can you take advantage of now to improve your circumstances? Use your competitive instinct to go for your personal best, and you will create a fun and interesting life.

Looking Out for Number One

Traditionally in astrology, Aries are told that they have a hard time considering anybody's needs but their own. But this is not necessarily true anymore. In this age of teamwork and global consciousness, Aries can use their creative, pioneering, brave energy to become champions not only for themselves, but also for others. Fulfilling your own desires does not have to be at odds with the people around you. Would Jane Goodall have studied and helped chimpanzees if she thought only of herself? Gloria Steinem wanted a better life, and by helping all women she helped herself. Rosie O'Donnell uses her celebrity to support a variety of charities.

Some of you Aries will pioneer into the frontier of outer space; some will lead the world in developing new forms of technology; some will initiate new approaches to education; some will create new genres of music; some will open up new ways for people to understand each other and get along. Like Aries William Shatner's character in Star Trek, your mission is to bravely go where no one has gone before.

Your Soul Mission: Taking Advantage of Your Warrior Spirit

In Roman mythology, Mars, the ruling planet of Aries, is the name for the god of war. The Greek goddess Athena, who supervised and directed battle strategy, is also linked to Aries. Like this god and goddess, you are gifted with bravery, daring, and boldness. You have a warrior spirit and are always ready to fight for a cause, for the underdog, and for yourself.

But any feisty god or goddess gets upset sometimes. The immortals of mythology often used their anger to wreak havoc on some poor mortal. Though their rampages may have been momentarily satisfying, there were often disastrous consequences. There are better ways to express anger than through temper tantrums. Anger, when used as a motivator, taps into the most creative and inspired parts of who you are. When you channel this powerful energy to defend yourself and others, you can move mountains. Many an Aries has shaken a fist skyward and cried, "I am not going to let [fill in the blank] hold me back!"

Fighting for a cause is giving a gift of yourself to the world, to humankind. Allow the things in this world that you do not think are right to inspire you to employ your exceptional drive and energy. Aries journalist Bob Woodward was motivated to expose the Watergate scandal. His work helped force President Nixon to resign.

If you are feeling angry, even if you do not know why, run around the block, beat up your pillow, become a member of a hockey team, play a pickup game of basketball, join a band, or play video games. Don't take your anger out on someone else like the gods of mythology did.

If you do know what you are angry about, don't bury it. Talk to someone--a trusted friend, relative, parent, or counselor. Do what you can to change or affect the circumstances that are bothering you. Part of being an Aries is learning how to work with anger, so it is important to address it, not stuff it!

Friendships

An Aries is a fun and exciting friend, always ready at a moment's notice to try something new. You gravitate toward the "leader of the pack" position. You inspire your friends and help them stand up for themselves and to be confident. If friends are upset about something, you encourage them to get up, go out, and not let anyone or anything hold them back or get them down. You introduce your friends to new and exciting experiences. You encourage them to be active. You love to be on the move, whether you are skateboarding, hiking, or biking, and are naturally attracted to friends who are also active.

Because an Aries gravitates toward excitement rather than stability, you may bail out on plans with a friend if something else comes up that you would prefer to do. This can stress your friendship bonds. Think of your friends' needs as well as your own, and you will always have more friends than you can count.

Check out the compatibility guide later in this chapter to see how your friends' Sun signs match up with yours.

Home Life

You may be a handful for your parents. You have a strong personality along with inner strength, which can bring about some arguments and clashes with family members. Ideally, you need the chance to express your independence within your family home life. To gain the opportunity to spread your wings, prove to your parents or guardian that you can use good judgment and are responsible. Actions speak louder than words--and because you are naturally active, this should not be difficult for you.

Energetic and on the go, you may be hard to find at home. Or, you may have a family that thrives on being busy with a number of activities. Wherever your lively nature originates, sitting around is definitely not your style!

The objects of your many activities and half-finished projects are likely to fill your bedroom. Keeping everything in order is not your forte. Bright strong colors attract you, so your posters or pictures are likely to be attention-grabbing rather than images of soothing and restful scenes. Basically, your bedroom is probably a place where you change your clothes rather than spend time.

Career

Sitting behind a desk eight hours a day is not for you. A job or career that allows freedom of movement and independence is preferable, whether working on cars, running a martial-arts studio, or hosting your own television show like Aries Conan O' Brien and David Letterman.

You are a creative idea person, so any career in public relations, marketing, or selling is a good choice. Tommy Hilfiger, famous for the clothing that shares his name, is a great example of an Aries who knows how to successfully market a product.

Because you know how to inspire people, any cause or idea about which you feel strongly benefits by your natural talents. Aries Cesar Chavez inspired countless people when he created and led a successful farm workers' union that made life better for thousands of people. Aries Thomas Jefferson continues to inspire people everywhere with his words in the Declaration of Independence.

It is important for you to pursue a career that sparks your enthusiasm. You need to feel passionate about whatever you are doing. The following Aries natives embody the passion, creativity, and inventiveness of your sign: Leonardo da Vinci, the original Renaissance man, explored numerous interests from painting and sculpture to engineering and science. Booker T. Washington founded the Tuskegee Institute, a pioneering industrial and agricultural school for African American students in 1881. Clara Hale founded Hale House, a place to nurture and care for babies born to drug-addicted women infected with the AIDS virus, during a time when people were afraid to have contact with those who had AIDS. All of these Aries pioneers followed their passion and spent their lives doing what they most loved.

Think of careers that spark your passion. Your intuition will show you which ones to explore.

Relationships

Aries: The Adventure of Love

Daring, courageous, and spontaneous, you are not the type to wait around for subtle clues that someone is interested in you. You will court, campaign, and try to win over the person you are attracted to. You are certainly noticeable. Like a fairy-tale maiden or a knight in shining armor galloping in on a horse, your whole being says, "I will go to the ends of the earth and back for my love." People are attracted to your spirited energy.

Maintaining your independence is important to you. You need to feel that you are your own person and that your boyfriend or girlfriend appreciates and supports this quality in you.

Sometimes impulsive in matters of the heart, you may positively swoon over somebody today and then get bored and turn your attention to someone else tomorrow. You find excitement in the beginning of a relationship, since you love everything new. If your sweetie wants to talk about a relationship problem, you may interpret this as interfering with your independence. Because relationships are, in part, about cooperation and tuning into your partner's needs, desires, and dreams, apply your adventurous spirit to your relationship. Get excited about discovering all there is to know about the person you care for.

For you, Aries, it is particularly important to develop strength, confidence, and self-esteem in your relationships. If you do not express these strengths, you may become attracted to people who insist on making all of the decisions and always having things their own way. This kind of relationship will squash your pioneering spirit and natural sense of independence. For you, having a successful relationship is a matter of balancing your need for independence while being sensitive to your partner's needs.

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Excerpted from Lucky Stars: Use Astrology to Get the Scoop on Life, Love, and Friendship by Amanda Owen
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.