ASTRAL REFLECTIONS BY TIM STEPHENS DECEMBER 12 - 18, 2004 All times/dates are PST. Evidently a lot of people didn't get my "implications are clear" message about housing last week. I simply meant that housing prices will be restricted from July 2005 to late 2007. The same period can bring financial restriction - but also reward - to CANCERS. Generally, Cancers who have worked hard for some time will reap steady financial rewards for the July/05 through September/07 period. But the young and the lazy of this sign (one through lack of experience, the other through neglect of experience) could have to tighten their belts a little. These two years will be a good "proving ground," teaching all Cancers what works and what doesn't work in money and earnings areas. You'll be able to build yourself up through diligence and through dealings with others - contracts, partnerships, contacts with the public. Don't pass up any opportunity lightly - it could hold "deep value." These two years will be a good time to buy a new watch or any large, used item: machinery, car, furniture, even an old office building! _Don't know if I mentioned it specifically, but the mercury retro period (November 30-December 19) is not a good time to buy major holiday presents - if you want to purchase a computer, car, television, hand-held, camcorder or similar gift, wait until December 20 onward. The days before the 20th are filled with lemons. Gifts that don't have moving parts - e.g., furniture, dolls, pillows, etc., are better bets, but with these items the possibility looms large that the color won't quite fit, or the recipient doesn't need it, etc. If you absolutely must shop in the eight days ahead, go for a) unimportant, "sending signals" gifts such as candy, cards, etc., or b) items that you wanted to purchase in the past, but didn't. For example, your spouse always wanted to go on that Mediterranean cruise, and for years you've regretted being so stingy about it. Well, now's a good time to buy those tickets. Or to spend on an old flame, to send a card to long-lost friends and lovers, etc._ Inflation soared in October, sending the economists back to their drawing boards. But I don't think we'll see many months of such extreme price rises as October brought_ Mars will "catch fire" during the second half of 2005. SCORPIOS, TAUREANS, VIRGOS AND CAPRICORNS could chase after a rather wild, even tempestuous love affair. ARIES will make a great pile of money, but it will all blow away in the wind of your impulses unless you SAVE and SAVE - so do! LIBRANS face a major change in partners during the same period - a huge sexy, lust-driven situation could arrive! Start Nothing: Before 8:42 a.m. Sun., 3:43 a.m. to 8:10 a.m. Tues., 0:33 a.m. to 9:24 a.m. Thurs., and 8:40 a.m. to 1:52 p.m. Sat. Aries March 21-April 19 Gentle love mixes with lust where old flames or ongoing relationships are concerned - new attractions won't be able to hurdle all the obstacles. The accent lies on far travel, legal matters, religion and philosophy, other cultures, scholars, higher learning, media - again, brand new starts are not recommended. A major financial trend is ending; in 2005, money won't matter so much. (Yet you'll make much more in about 9 months.) The restrictions and glitches of the last eighteen months will begin to lift from sexual, health, research and lifestyle arenas. Taurus April 20-May 20 Mysteries continue to absorb you (and perhaps by now, they're frustrating you). Pay attention to former and ongoing funding, financial commitments, debts and investments; to sexual consequences; to lifestyle choices, health diagnoses and implications, and other major, future-affecting concerns. Deep changes brew now - your relationships are key. Dig deep, research, play detective. The answer to two puzzles lies in the past. Your mood mellows, easy understanding comes to you Sunday/Monday. Impress higher-ups Tuesday/Wednesday; your career is well starred! Take care with the friends you choose Thursday/Friday. Retreat, rest Saturday eve. Gemini May 21-June 20 Relationships, dealing with the public, gaining permission, litigation, co-operation and competition, fame - these remain important this week. The best of these have some link to the past; the brand new here are flawed, will hit obstacles and delays. Your relationships in general are undergoing deep, significant changes - this has been true since 1996, and will stay true until 2008. Every December "tolls a bell" in this regard. That bell tolls Sunday/Monday - imminent change this time relates to sex, health or finances. Be brave but just. Love, understanding enter Tuesday/Wednesday. Cancer June 21-July 22 Work demands persist for nine more days. Just trudge along at a steady pace - don't start new projects before December 20. Look for tasks you've missed. (Your work role is changing, but let life control this for a while.) A romantic thread winds its way through your days, relieving the hard work. Your luck's high on the home, property front, but watch for the practical/financial implications of your actions. Exciting and challenging relationships arise Sunday/Monday - be diplomatic, co-operative. Financial depth, lust and secrets fascinate you mid-week. Love's complex Thursday/Friday. Leo July 23-Aug. 22 Romance is especially piquant with old flames, has a "sweet dalliance" quality with ongoing squeezes - but should not be started with strangers (before December 20). Your creative, pleasure-prone, self-expressive, gambling, risk-taking side is flowing nicely, but again, avoid brand new ventures. A child's future might come up for review. In choosing schools, etc., send him/her along the path you chose before December. Be easy, light in the home. Tackle chores Sunday/Monday. Relationships excite, oppose and challenge Tuesday/Wednesday - a lucky co-operation happens Wednesday morning! Don't invest nor "demand intimacy" Thursday/Friday. Virgo Aug. 23-Sept. 22 Take care of business on family and home fronts. Pay bills, repair leaky downspouts, get children's rooms organized, etc. Communications are still flirty, but this isn't leading to anything big or solid - yet. (Late December begins a month of romance, so the game's not up yet!) DON'T start any real estate, home, security, food business or similar projects before December 20. Changes remain imminent here, but let them come naturally. Sunday/Monday bring creative urges, romantic moments, beauty, pleasure and charming kids. Tackle chores mid-week. Relationships excite yet puzzle you Thursday/Friday. Libra Sept. 23-Oct. 22 Settle into home, family, security and property matters Sunday/Monday. You could find a secure niche in business or a good long-term investment. The rest of this week will be busy with trips, visits, errands, paperwork, communications and socializing. Romance, pleasure, beauty, creative surges and charming children arrive Tuesday/Wednesday - but a money (or sex) argument could arise with your mate Wednesday night. Tackle chores - carefully and safely - Thursday to Saturday morning. Relationships excite, the flame of love could be lit, Saturday eve! (Though, long-term, this might be a volatile association.) Scorpio Oct. 23-Nov. 21 Chase money all week, but don't buy anything important (especially not vehicles, computers). Trips, calls, paperwork and details fill Sunday/Monday. You can re-establish a warm feeling with someone who seems destined to be in your life, whether permanently or in an "in-and-out" way. If you watch/listen carefully, you'll sense that your income sources and methods are undergoing a "sea change." Settle into home, family, property issues Tuesday/Wednesday - all's cozy here, unless you let a romantic temptation disturb domestic peace Wednesday night. Romance and gambling lure but might disappoint Thursday/Friday. Sagittarius Nov. 22-Dec. 21 Your energy, pizzazz and cheerfulness remain high - in addition, you'll radiate a suave, graceful magnetism from Thursday into early January. You'll be "good looking!" And by December 26 a sensual, assertive heat will join that radiant charm. Romance, or at least a "friendly flirtation" - looks more and more probable! But for now, settle into lucrative chores and bill-paying Sunday/Monday. Your inner being is changing: you'll hear a "silent note" confirming this. Talk, travel, siblings and paperwork fill mid-week. Settle into home and security Thursday onward. Romance whispers Saturday eve. Capricorn Dec. 22-Jan. 19 Continue to lie low, rest, and work in the background. Dress for the weather and eat nutritiously. Seek spiritual truths, meditate, contribute to charities, deal with institutions or government agencies and contemplate your place in life (but don't form "action plans" before December 20). Your energy rises mildly Sunday/Monday - the best days this week to ask favors, get your way, or accomplish things. Chase money Tuesday/Wednesday (especially money already owed you). Social situations are a bit awkward Wednesday night through Friday, so step lightly. Home calls sweetly Saturday p.m. Aquarius Jan. 20-Feb. 18 Rest, lay low Sunday/Monday. Be charitable; give to unfortunates. Two deep, virtually imperceptible things happen during this "quiet time." One, your social outlook, your future social circle, changes. Two, your job solidifies in a workable, pleasant way. Your energy, pizzazz, popularity and optimism soar Tuesday/Wednesday! Work to make a dream come true (probably a dream from the past). An old flame might appear and begin flirting. Avoid higher-ups, arguments Wednesday night. Money and shopping irritate you Thursday/Friday - stick to small things, be careful driving. Friends, flames arrive Saturday eve! Pisces Feb. 19-March 20 VIPs and higher-ups are still judging your performance. Display ambition, eagerness, reliability. That will be easy Sunday/Monday, when you move smoothly and impressively among both bosses and peers - you're the picture of stability! (But don't start any new ambitious projects before December 20.) Your career destiny, your ambitions, are slowly changing, like a big, slow wheel turning. These same two days will cement a practical yet affectionate love pairing for some Pisces. Retreat and rest Tuesday/Wednesday. Your energy surges Thursday/Friday - handle a series of snafus with grace and confidence. www.astralreflections.com. Email: timstephens@shaw.ca. For a reading: 604-261-1337. /30/