Astrology For Dummies. Rae Orion
50th brightest star in the sky.
| Aries: The Basic Facts | |
| Polarity: Positive | Favorable Colors: Red and white |
| Quality: Cardinal | Lucky Gem: Diamond |
| Element: Fire | Part of the Body: The head |
| Symbol: The Ram | Metal: Iron |
| Ruling Planet: Mars | Key Phrase: I am |
| Opposite Sign: Libra | Major Traits: Energetic, impetuous |
There is nothing mild in Stefani Germanotta’s chart. With her Sun and Venus in fiery Aries, she is intrepid, as her fearless self-presentation — think of the meat dress — clearly demonstrates. Competitive and enterprising, she does not stand still. Her foray into acting in A Star is Born could have bombed, but with a Moon/Pluto conjunction in the fifth house, she really does have theatrical talent; her recording of American Songbook standards with Tony Bennett, 60 years her senior, could have dimmed her pop luster, but two planets in Capricorn enabled her to establish a link to traditional material and older people; a shattered hip and chronic pain might have derailed her career – and with Saturn in the sixth house opposite Chiron (and Uranus transiting over her Sun at that time), her health issues were not minor. She managed to avoid all those dangers. Her moon in Scorpio, conjunct Pluto, gives her willpower to burn and an intense emotional nature. Half a dozen mutable placements (including the Ascendant and Midheaven) give her the ability to adapt to circumstances. But is she, as an early album title suggests, a fame monster? Could be. Jupiter and Mercury at the top of her chart stimulate her need for public acclaim and boost her ability to attract it. But it is her dynamic Aries Sun that gives her the audacity and authenticity that define her. She really was born that way.
MORE CLASSIC ARIES
Marlon Brando, Booker T. Washington, Danica Patrick, Iris Chang (Moon in Aries)
Norah Jones, Quentin Tarantino, Diana Ross, Robert Downey, Jr. (Moon in Taurus)
Reba McIntyre, Harry Houdini, Jackie Chan, Mario Vargas Llosa (Moon in Gemini)
Charles Baudelaire, Aretha Franklin, Robert Frost, astronaut Judith Resnick (Moon in Cancer)
Joseph Campbell, Gloria Steinem, Patricia Arquette, Andrew Lloyd Webber (Moon in Leo)
Emmylou Harris, William Wordsworth, Marvin Gaye, Michael Fassbender (Moon in Virgo)
Rosie O’Donnell, Steven Tyler, Maya Angelou, Susan Boyle (Moon in Libra)
Eric Clapton, Francis Ford Coppola, Edie Sedgwick, Nancy Pelosi (Moon in Scorpio)
Thomas Jefferson, Vincent Van Gogh, Emma Watson, Cynthia Nixon (Moon in Sagittarius)
Al Gore, David Letterman, Sarah Jessica Parker, Keri Russell (Moon in Capricorn)
Steve McQueen, Conan O’Brien, Seamus Heaney, Tennessee Williams (Moon in Aquarius)
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, César Chávez, Herb Alpert, Rachel Maddow (Moon in Pisces)
Taurus the Bull: April 19–May 20
When Harry Truman was president, a sign in the oval office read “The buck stops here.” That’s just what you might expect from a Taurus. In good times and bad, you’re steadfast, dependable, and willing to accept responsibility. But Taurus also has a pleasure-loving side, for it is ruled by Venus, the guardian of love and art. Truman knew something about that side of life too. A devoted husband and fiercely protective father, he was a gifted pianist who thought about becoming a professional musician. He decided that he didn’t have what it takes. “A good music-hall piano player is about the best I’d have ever been,” he said. “So I went into politics and became President of the United States.” Taurus has the stamina and the persistence to make something like that possible.
The glyph of Taurus, shown in Figure 4-3, represents the head and horns of the Bull — or the womb and the fallopian tubes — or, according to the most esoteric interpretation, the circle of potential topped by the crescent of receptivity.
© John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
FIGURE 4-3: The symbol of Taurus.
The sunny side
In the cycle of the zodiac, Aries, the pioneer, arrives first, spewing energy in every direction. Taurus, the second sign, brings that energy down to earth and uses it to build something solid. As a fixed earth sign, you’re cautious, grounded in reality, steady on your feet, and utterly reliable. Because you have an intense need for security, both emotional and financial, you make conservative choices and try to avoid change. You hold on tightly, only giving up when there’s no other option. Once you’ve made a decision, nothing can convince you to change your mind. Your tenacity is legendary. Concrete goals make the most sense to you. You pursue them quietly and with single-minded determination. It’s true that you may not reach your destination quickly, but like the legendary tortoise to which you’re often compared, you do get there.
As an earth sign, you’re at home in your body and attuned to your environment. Romantic and sensuous, kind and gentle, you’re responsive to comforts of every kind, and your senses are wide open. You love slow, languid sex; the textures of silk, velvet, and expensive lotions; the taste and smell of freshly baked bread, full-bodied red wine; nature in all its seasons; and handcrafted objects, which you acquire with ease and never cease to enjoy. You love — and require — beauty, and you’re not averse to luxury. Taurus is also creatively gifted. Chances are you have talent in one or more of the arts, including music, dance, sculpture, painting, design, architecture, cooking, gardening, and the fine art of relaxing.
The sorry side
Although your dedication is impressive, your leisurely pace can drive other people to distraction. You start slowly and refuse to be rushed. You can be stodgy at an early age, and you can easily fall into a rut. Plus, you’re incredibly stubborn. Your well-known tenacity is a positive trait when it means sticking up for moral principles (think of Coretta Scott King or Bono, the Taurus rock singer who was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize). Too often, though, it means refusing to change, no matter what the circumstances. I’ve seen Taureans cling to outmoded, self-destructive patterns for years just because they didn’t want to risk trying something new. That’s what being bull-headed can mean.
As long as we’re discussing negative traits, let me add that you can be greedy, status conscious, acquisitive, gluttonous, self-indulgent, and self-pitying. Normally, you’re hard-working and persevering, but when you’re down, you become apathetic. You can also be possessive, dependent, jealous, insensitive and, at your worst, a user. You don’t intend to exploit other people.