ASTRAL REFLECTIONS BY TIM STEPHENS JUNE 8 - 14, 2003 All times/dates are PDT. For a short 12 months, beginning August 27, we'll come closest to (but not to) the planetary stresses of the 1930's. But until then, as I hinted in the "year ahead" forecast, we're happy gamblers. To some degree, technology and the NASDAQ will be threatened late 2003 through early 2008, but that threat won't peak until mid-2005. I personally think the stock market's incredibly overvalued. But astrology doesn't. Every time I see a bearish (i.e., "falling market") pundit on teevee or read one in the newspaper, the astrological phenomena indicate "false news." And every time I see a bullish (rising market) pundit, the astrological flags say: "sure." Well, throw my bear skin in the ocean - I give up! I'm trading it in for a skeptic's rags. Three things make me wary of the present rally. First, Jupiter, the planet of luck, is in Leo, the gambler's sign, until August 27 - this is equivalent to a rally built on hope and "something for nothing" urges. Secondly, there's the old thing about the bubble - yes, the Nasdaq bubble burst, but the Dow and S&P bubbles have not burst, they've merely deflated a little. Perhaps they'll never burst? Maybe, but I'm skeptical. Third, what bothers me most is the continuing likelihood of dishonesty. From 1996 through early 2008, the signs of analysis (Virgo) and of perception (Pisces) are negatively impacted by Pluto, the planet of crime. (Which just happens, for the entire twelve years, to be in the sign of business ethics, Sagittarius.) Now the Moon's south node (temptation, bad karma) has entered the sign of investment (Scorpio) through late 2004. That doesn't make me feel comfortable. I think '01/02 was the low point, but the 19 months ahead aren't much higher, karmically. Supposedly the scandals have stopped, corporate America has cleaned itself up, profits have been reborn, and balance sheets shine with new virtues. Okay. Good. But why then have CEOs begun to grant themselves huge increases in pay despite public outcries, why have insiders begun to sell their shares in truckloads? (For instance, Michael Dell just sold 10 million shares of Dell Computer, Steve Balmer recently unloaded a billion dollars worth of Microsoft.) Are they grabbing the cash before the roof caves in? One thing the lunar north node (good karma) is telling us, now to December 2004, is that it is better to earn than invest, better to buy luxury and pleasure than to put your money into "abstract states" (fiat currencies, certificates, etc.). If you want to hold gold as a hedge, my advice would be to actually possess, in your hand, real physical gold rather than gold stocks or gold certificates. But me, I'm not a bear, just a skeptic. Start Nothing: 9:27 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Sun., 10:00 a.m. to 2:39 p.m. Tues., 2:51 p.m. to 3:12 p.m. Thurs., 2:05 p.m. to 3:38 p.m. Sat., and after 8:12 p.m. Sat. Aries March 21-April 19 Paperwork, details, errands, communications remain your primary focus. Accomplish these small tasks now, so you'll be free for big security projects in July and love/pleasure triumphs in August. Sunday afternoon, to Tuesday noon, brings relationships. The best occur after Monday 2 p.m. - love, agreements, contracts, opportunities will arrive! You enter the deeper side of these Tuesday eve to Thursday noon, when luck and friendliness will mix with argument and suspicion - disruption and surprise rule. Mellow love, understanding, intellectual, legal and travel success exist late Thursday into Friday. Avoid "embarrassment" Saturday. Taurus April 20-May 20 Chase money now to June 20. You can plunge profitably into chores Monday, early Tuesday. Others attract yet frustrate you Tuesday afternoon to Thursday p.m. - be patient, diplomatic. Sex, intimacy, research, lifestyle changes, health diagnosis, promises, business contracts, funding, investments, debt - these proceed luckily Friday, but there's a glitch. Indeed, there's a glitch all week. The problem is that your social desires fight your monetary or possessive urges. E.g., you don't have enough money for a romantic date, or someone's personal quirk impedes a contract signing, etc. Patience! Gemini May 21-June 20 Your energy, charisma, effectiveness and timing soar! Be seen, get out, chase important goals, ask for favors. You ride a winning streak! This week is filled with tensions, disruptions and conflicts of will, but these create opportunities to advance your cause, your ambitions, your status and career. Leap, grow! Love, creativity and children's charms fill Sunday to Tuesday afternoon. (Monday night's best.) You'll separate from a demanding person. Work/health need care Tuesday-Thursday. Avoid arguments, bad driving, electricity. Demonstrate your career skills Tuesday to Saturday. Relationships bring opportunity - perhaps love - Friday/Saturday. Cancer June 21-July 22 An important trip or social call could occur Sunday morning. Deal with property, home, family, gardening, cooking, and soul matters Sunday p.m. through Tuesday morning. Skirt arguments, since you won't win them. All week, be restful, contemplative, avoid gossip, and stay within social, criminal, ethical, commercial boundaries/laws. A "new rule" has come into the land, a new zeitgeist - for the rest of this decade, you will see more, know more, and grow! Romantic notions fill mid-week: enjoy, but don't chase. You'll succeed with chores and health Friday, maybe Saturday. Leo July 23-Aug. 22 Optimism, social delights, a bright, wide future fill your days! However, this week - by surprising you with little disruptions, notes, calls, wee arguments and minor shocks - introduces a theme that's going to play for the rest of this decade: a theme of depths, hidden factors and the need to investigate. A theme of the occult, of sexual and subconscious urges, of commitment and consequence. Your life is changing, and the stakes are high - seize on these changes while your luck is high, also! Romance/pleasure Friday, frustration Saturday - think, understand! Virgo Aug. 23-Sept. 22 Ambitions, status, parental role, relations with VIPs assume even more importance now. You'll clash with someone - spouse, business partner, friend/enemy - over these matters. Two clues: 1) the other person's position is stronger, 2) the deep, heavy, long haul for your career (parenting, etc.) is over: the future is a fairly easy glide. So why fight about or get upset over an ambition that's already achieved (or irrelevant)? Yield to the nudges or desires of others, accept a new work role, jump on the partnering wagon - all will be well. Libra Sept. 23-Oct. 22 Law, far travel, internationalism, media, ethics, education, religion, philosophy, abstract thought - and the kind of love that moves your mind to new places - these are featured all week. And, to some degree, they're also frustrated or challenged all week. Be alert, but don't be argumentative. The victory isn't worth the conflict. Be mellow, show you can love without worrying about "winning." You might find that work duties (or health) interfere with love, pleasure or travel. This time, favor the work or health needs; they're more important. You shine Sunday-Tuesday! Scorpio Oct. 23-Nov. 21 Almost everything about someone intrigues you - make sure, if you're single, that you aren't setting up a friction-based home or relationship. Look back at the last seven years and the tension there - you don't want another version of that! You'll get clues - little "shockers" or eye-openers - all week. They're telling you that romance and lust aren't the same thing; that creativity and manipulation aren't the same, that risk and investment are different also. Pick romance, creativity, and risk, not the others. Rest Sunday-Tuesday eve. Your energy, charisma rise mid-week! Sagittarius Nov. 22-Dec. 21 Relationships are accented all week, but it's difficult to reach someone, or hard to say the right thing. When you do communicate, disagreements arise. These frustrations might signal that a relationship is over. But they might merely show that, for the rest of this decade, your "other" (lover, spouse, business partner, etc.) has a whole new set of ambitions, and that you, too, have a new set of "security" goals. (It's possible your goal is to less secure, more free to roam.) To solve matters, talk about these issues. Capricorn Dec. 22-Jan. 19 The accent remains on work and health matters. Chase your ambitions Sunday eve through Tuesday morning. You might have to adjust your duty roster or list of priorities, but otherwise progress seems certain. Social joys (though muted) arise Tuesday eve to Thursday afternoon. Retreat Friday/Saturday for a good, deep rest - fulfill old obligations, but don't take on any new ones. (Government or administrative chores proceed superbly Friday.) All week, remain alert for accident potential, unintentional rudeness, erratic driving, computer glitches, etc. Remain calm - your only enemies are frustration, anger. Aquarius Jan. 20-Feb. 18 Love, understanding, intellectual interests, foreign people and far travel, law, media, religion, philosophical musings, some or all of these fill your days now. However, all these, especially late week, run into a bit of sudden opposition, disagreement or conflict. The conflict arises from your possessive or monetary urges. This is a "new note," a signal that the rest of this decade will feature a bit of disagreement between your lusts and your compassions, your material side and your ethics, etc. For now, favor your material needs. Romance, social delights Friday! Pisces Feb. 19-March 20 Research, tackle secretive, intimate, financial or health matters Sunday afternoon into Tuesday morning. Your intuition - and success quotient - are high! I'm not promising a good mood, just a good move. You grow mellow, compassionate Tuesday eve to Thursday afternoon, but take care with legal, educational, international, ethical and love matters - surprises occur in these. All week, you display a feisty, unpredictable, stubborn streak, which causes some disruptions in family, home, property and security areas. This new "character streak" will last seven years. Jump on a lucky career opportunity Friday! www.astralreflections.com. E-mail: timstephens@shaw.ca. For a reading: 604-261-1337. /30/