Your Personal Horoscope 2016

Transits

This term refers to the movements or motions of the planets at any given time. Astrologers use the word ‘transit’ to make the distinction between a birth, or Natal, planet (see ‘Natal’, above) and the planet’s current movement in the heavens. For example, if at your birth Saturn was in the sign of Cancer in your 8th house, but is now moving through your 3rd house, it is said to be ‘transiting’ your 3rd house. Transits are one of the main tools with which astrologers forecast trends.

Personality Profile
ARIES AT A GLANCE

Element – Fire

Ruling Planet – Mars

Career Planet – Saturn

Love Planet – Venus

Money Planet – Venus

Planet of Fun, Entertainment, Creativity and Speculations – Sun

Planet of Health and Work – Mercury

Planet of Home and Family Life – Moon

Planet of Spirituality – Neptune

Planet of Travel, Education, Religion and Philosophy – Jupiter

Colours – carmine, red, scarlet

Colours that promote love, romance and social harmony – green, jade green

Colour that promotes earning power – green

Gem – amethyst

Metals – iron, steel

Scent – honeysuckle

Quality – cardinal (= activity)

Quality most needed for balance – caution

Strongest virtues – abundant physical energy, courage, honesty, independence, self-reliance

Deepest need – action

Characteristics to avoid – haste, impetuousness, over-aggression, rashness

Signs of greatest overall compatibility – Leo, Sagittarius

Signs of greatest overall incompatibility – Cancer, Libra, Capricorn

Sign most helpful to career – Capricorn

Sign most helpful for emotional support – Cancer

Sign most helpful financially – Taurus

Sign best for marriage and/or partnerships – Libra

Sign most helpful for creative projects – Leo

Best Sign to have fun with – Leo

Signs most helpful in spiritual matters – Sagittarius, Pisces

Best day of the week – Tuesday

Understanding an Aries

Aries is the activist par excellence of the zodiac. The Aries need for action is almost an addiction, and those who do not really understand the Aries personality would probably use this hard word to describe it. In reality ‘action’ is the essence of the Aries psychology – the more direct, blunt and to-the-point the action, the better. When you think about it, this is the ideal psychological make-up for the warrior, the pioneer, the athlete or the manager.

Aries likes to get things done, and in their passion and zeal often lose sight of the consequences for themselves and others. Yes, they often try to be diplomatic and tactful, but it is hard for them. When they do so they feel that they are being dishonest and phoney. It is hard for them even to understand the mindset of the diplomat, the consensus builder, the front office executive. These people are involved in endless meetings, discussions, talks and negotiations – all of which seem a great waste of time when there is so much work to be done, so many real achievements to be gained. An Aries can understand, once it is explained, that talk and negotiations – the social graces – lead ultimately to better, more effective actions. The interesting thing is that an Aries is rarely malicious or spiteful – even when waging war. Aries people fight without hate for their opponents. To them it is all good-natured fun, a grand adventure, a game.

When confronted with a problem many people will say, ‘Well, let’s think about it, let’s analyse the situation.’ But not an Aries. An Aries will think, ‘Something must be done. Let’s get on with it.’ Of course neither response is the total answer. Sometimes action is called for, sometimes cool thought. But an Aries tends to err on the side of action.

Action and thought are radically different principles. Physical activity is the use of brute force. Thinking and deliberating require one not to use force – to be still. It is not good for the athlete to be deliberating the next move; this will only slow down his or her reaction time. The athlete must act instinctively and instantly. This is how Aries people tend to behave in life. They are quick, instinctive decision-makers and their decisions tend to be translated into action almost immediately. When their intuition is sharp and well tuned, their actions are powerful and successful. When their intuition is off, their actions can be disastrous.

Do not think this will scare an Aries. Just as a good warrior knows that in the course of combat he or she might acquire a few wounds, so too does an Aries realize – somewhere deep down – that in the course of being true to yourself you might get embroiled in a disaster or two. It is all part of the game. An Aries feels strong enough to weather any storm.

There are many Aries people who are intellectual. They make powerful and creative thinkers. But even in this realm they tend to be pioneers – outspoken and blunt. These types of Aries tend to elevate (or sublimate) their desire for physical combat in favour of intellectual, mental combat. And they are indeed powerful.

In general, Aries people have a faith in themselves that others could learn from. This basic, rock-solid faith carries them through the most tumultuous situations of life. Their courage and self-confidence make them natural leaders. Their leadership is more by way of example than by actually controlling others.

Finance

Aries people often excel as builders or estate agents. Money in and of itself is not as important as are other things – action, adventure, sport, etc. They are motivated by the need to support and be well thought of by their partners. Money as a way of attaining pleasure is another important motivation. Aries function best in their own businesses or as managers of their own departments within a large business or corporation. The fewer orders they have to take from higher up, the better. They also function better out in the field rather than behind a desk.

Aries people are hard workers with a lot of endurance; they can earn large sums of money due to the strength of their sheer physical energy.

Venus is their money planet, which means that Aries need to develop more of the social graces in order to realize their full earning potential. Just getting the job done – which is what an Aries excels at – is not enough to create financial success. The co-operation of others needs to be attained. Customers, clients and co-workers need to be made to feel comfortable; many people need to be treated properly in order for success to happen. When Aries people develop these abilities – or hire someone to do this for them – their financial potential is unlimited.

Career and Public Image

One would think that a pioneering type would want to break with the social and political conventions of society. But this is not so with the Aries-born. They are pioneers within conventional limits, in the sense that they like to start their own businesses within an established industry.

Capricorn is on the 10th house of career cusp of Aries’ solar Horoscope. Saturn is the planet that rules their life’s work and professional aspirations. This tells us some interesting things about the Aries character. First, it shows that, in order for Aries people to reach their full career potential, they need to develop some qualities that are a bit alien to their basic nature: they need to become better administrators and organizers; they need to be able to handle details better and to take a long-range view of their projects and their careers in general. No one can beat an Aries when it comes to achieving short-range objectives, but a career is long term, built over time. You cannot take a ‘quickie’ approach to it.

Some Aries people find it difficult to stick with a project until the end. Since they get bored quickly and are in constant pursuit of new adventures, they prefer to pass an old project or task on to somebody else in order to start something new. Those Aries who learn how to put off the search for something new until the old is completed will achieve great success in their careers and professional lives.

In general, Aries people like society to judge them on their own merits, on their real and actual achievements. A reputation acquired by ‘hype’ feels false to them.

Love and Relationships

In marriage and partnerships Aries like those who are more passive, gentle, tactful and diplomatic – people who have the social grace and skills they sometimes lack. Our partners always represent a hidden part of ourselves – a self that we cannot express personally.

An Aries tends to go after what he or she likes aggressively. The tendency is to jump into relationships and marriages. This is especially true if Venus is in Aries as well as the Sun. If an Aries likes you, he or she will have a hard time taking no for an answer; many attempts will be made to sweep you off your feet.

Though Aries can be exasperating in relationships – especially if they are not understood by their partners – they are never consciously or wilfully cruel or malicious. It is just that they are so independent and sure of themselves that they find it almost impossible to see somebody else’s viewpoint or position. This is why an Aries needs as a partner someone with lots of social graces.

On the plus side, an Aries is honest, someone you can lean on, someone with whom you will always know where you stand. What he or she lacks in diplomacy is made up for in integrity.

Home and Domestic Life

An Aries is of course the ruler at home – the Boss. The male will tend to delegate domestic matters to the female. The female Aries will want to rule the roost. Both tend to be handy round the house. Both like large families and both believe in the sanctity and importance of the family. An Aries is a good family person, although he or she does not especially like being at home a lot, preferring instead to be roaming about.

Considering that they are by nature so combative and wilful, Aries people can be surprisingly soft, gentle and even vulnerable with their children and partners. The sign of Cancer, ruled by the Moon, is on the cusp of their solar 4th house of home and family. When the Moon is well aspected – under favourable influences – in the birth chart, an Aries will be tender towards the family and will want a family life that is nurturing and supportive. Aries likes to come home after a hard day on the battlefield of life to the understanding arms of their partner and the unconditional love and support of their family. An Aries feels that there is enough ‘war’ out in the world – and he or she enjoys participating in that. But when Aries comes home, comfort and nurturing are what’s needed.

Horoscope for 2016
Major Trends

Many of the trends that we’ve written about in previous years are still very much in effect in 2016. Uranus has been in your sign for over five years now and those of you born before April 9 have been feeling its influence the strongest. Uranus brings sudden and dramatic change, and there is no question that most of you Aries people are in dramatically different conditions and circumstances than you were five years ago. And the change is not finished. Those of you born after April 9 are feeling this especially strongly this year. You are redefining yourself – your image and personality. You are exploring your personal freedom. Many old ties and obligations have gone by the board over the past five years. Many seemingly ‘bed rock’ structures in your life are no longer there. You have been learning to deal with major change – to find stability as the changes happen around you.

Pluto has been in your 10th house of career since 2008 and will be there for many years to come. This shows career changes, both personal and in your industry. It also shows that you’ve been dealing with issues around death and perhaps surgeries. Many Aries have had near-death type experiences.

Neptune has been in your spiritual 12th house since February 2012 (he flirted with this house in 2011, but entered permanently in 2012). Thus the spiritual life is very active these days and many are seeing the spiritual agenda behind all the changes and dramas that are going on. Neptune will remain in your 12th house for many years to come.

Saturn has been in your 9th house since late 2014 and will be there for the year ahead. This is basically a happy transit that boosts your career. You’re travelling this year, but it’s more related to business, not so much for pleasure. Students at college level have to work harder on their studies.

The main headline this year is Jupiter’s move from your 6th to your 7th house on September 10. This will make the year ahead a banner love and social year – one of the best in your life. For some of you, it will be the best you’ve ever known. Much depends on your age. Love is in the air and marriages or serious committed relationships are likely. More on this later.

Your areas of greatest interest this year are: the body and image; health and work (until September 10); love, romance and social activities (from September 10 onwards); foreign travel, higher education, religion and philosophy; career; and spirituality.

Your paths of greatest fulfilment this year are health and work; and love and romance (after September 10).

Health

(Please note that this is an astrological perspective on health and not a medical one. In days of yore there was no difference, these perspectives were identical. But now there could be quite a difference. For a medical perspective, please consult your doctor or health practitioner.)

Health needs watching this year, especially from September 10th onwards. Three long-term planets are stressing you out. The good news is that you are paying attention here and you are not ignoring things. And this is a positive health indicator.

It should be mentioned that if you got through the first half of 2014 with your health and sanity intact, this year will be a breeze.

Our regular readers know that there is much that can be done to enhance the health and prevent problems from developing. The first step is to maximize your energy level. This is always the first line of defence against disease. With a high energy level the body naturally resists disease. But when energy drops, it becomes more vulnerable. In many cases people are frittering away their energy on inessential things and frivolities. In other cases, their low energy is astrological in nature. When many planets are in stressful alignment, more energy is burned just doing the normal things. It is like driving a car uphill: it takes more gas to drive uphill than to drive a similar distance on level ground. Thus there is greater vulnerability to disease.

The second line of defence is to give more attention to the vulnerable areas in the Horoscope. These are the areas where problems are most likely to begin. If we can keep them strong – healthy and fit – we can prevent (or assuage) future problems.

In your Horoscope these are the areas that need more attention (the reflexology points are shown in the chart below):

 The heart. You should pay attention to this area all year, but especially from September 10 onwards. Learn to relax more. Practise relaxation exercises. Avoid worry and anxiety, the two root causes of heart problems.

 The head, face and scalp. This area is always important for Aries. Regular scalp and face massage will do wonders for your health, and craniosacral therapy should be powerful this year too.

 The adrenals. Avoid anger and fear, the two emotions that stress the adrenals.

 The musculature. Good muscle tone is always important. A weak muscle can knock the spine or skeleton out of alignment and cause many other problems. Vigorous physical exercise – according to your age and stage in life – is good for you.

 The lungs, small intestine, arms, shoulders and respiratory system. These are also always important for Aries. Arms and shoulders should be regularly massaged.

 The liver and thighs (until September 10). Liver action seems more sluggish this year; a herbal liver cleanse or detox might be a good idea.

Pluto, the planet that rules surgery, is near your Mid-heaven (and has been that way for many years now), and so you have a tendency towards surgery. Keep in mind though that detoxing will often achieve the same result, although it takes longer.

Mercury, your health planet, is a fast-moving planet. Month to month he will be in different places and receive different kinds of aspects. Thus there are many short-term trends in health that are best dealt with in the monthly reports.

Home and Family

Your 4th house of home and family is not particularly prominent this year. Generally this shows a year tending towards the status quo. You’re relatively content with things as they are and have no need to make dramatic changes. There’s nothing against change by the way – you have the freedom to make changes or move if you like – but there’s just no driving need for it.

Pluto has been in your 10th house of career for many years now – since 2008. This aspect impacts on parents and parent figures in your life. If you are male, this impacts on the father figures; if you are female it has an impact on the mother figures. It indicates many dramas in their lives such as surgeries or near-death kinds of experiences – encounters with death. In most cases these are merely encounters, but in some cases there has been actual death. These parent figures are in dialogue with the dark angel (figuratively speaking). He is around them and teaching them what they need to learn. Life is eternal, but here on earth it is short and fragile and can end at any time. They need to focus on the essentials, on the reason they came here in the first place. They seem in a more spiritual kind of period – since late 2014 – and this is probably the reason for it.

Saturn, the planet that rules parent figures, is in harmonious aspect with you and so you seem on good terms with them. The challenges they face don’t seem to involve you personally.

Uranus in your 1st house shows restlessness. This is not necessarily manifested as physical moves, but shows someone who lives in different places for long periods of time. There is a need for constant change.

If you are redecorating or beautifying the home, June 21 to July 23 is an excellent time for this. It is also a good time for buying art objects for the home.

Finance and Career

Your 2nd house of finance is not strong this year. Generally this indicates a stable kind of financial year and I read this as a good thing. You’re basically satisfied with your earnings as they are and have no need to make dramatic changes.

However, if you are experiencing financial difficulties, the Horoscope is explaining why. Most probably you’re not paying enough attention to them. You’re distracted by other things and not focusing here as you should. With an empty money house it will be challenging to focus on this area – you might not be in the mood for it – but you need to force yourself.

Venus is your financial planet. Thus, your social skills, your ability to get on with others, are very important in financial matters. Aries people are not known for their social skills – they are independent types – but if you want to earn more and attain your financial goals, these skills need to be beefed up.

Venus as your financial planet shows other things too. Who you know is just as important as how much you actually have. Your friends tend to be rich and this is like money in the bank – though it will never appear on any financial statement. Wealth of friendship is a form of wealth.

With Venus as your financial planet you have a natural affinity for the beauty industry – for fashion, cosmetics, fragrances, art and jewellery. These are viable as investments, businesses or jobs.

Jupiter enters your 7th house in September, bringing opportunity for a lucrative kind of business partnership or joint venture. If you own a company a merger could happen too.

Jupiter has been in your 6th house of health and work since August 12, 2015 and remains there until September 9. This is an excellent aspect for job seekers and many of you have landed dream jobs in the past year. And, if you have not, it can still happen in the year ahead. You seem in demand. These opportunities can be in foreign lands or with foreign companies.

Those of you who employ others have been increasing the workforce of late and this trend continues in the year ahead. Generally this is a sign of success.

With Pluto in your 10th house since 2008, career has been a strong focus. As we mentioned, there are many changes going on here – changes in your industry, changes in the hierarchy of your company, changes in governmental regulations that affect you. The rules of the game have been changing for many years. Many of you have actually changed the career path in the past few years – and it could still happen this year or in future years (Pluto is a slow-moving planet). The symbolism depicts ‘death and rebirth’. An old career, career path or career approach dies and is reborn in another form. Pluto in the 10th house tends to career success. It produces storms and crisis, but also a strong focus on the career. It is this intense, laser-like focus that brings success.

Your career planet, Saturn, is also making nice aspects to you. So, you’re comfortable with your career and seem to be enjoying it. Bosses seems kindly disposed to you – another big plus. Later in the year, Jupiter will start making nice aspects to your career planet and this will bring promotion and elevation. This happens from September 10 onwards.

Your willingness to travel plays a role in your career success.