Happy Opposite Day, everyone! Feel free to wear your underwear on the outside today…

Check out Matthew’s ebook, Love and Seduction by Starlight.

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We don’t always express our love via Venus. Venus can be a diva with a come-hither look; she draws what she wants (and sometimes doesn’t want) via the principle of attraction. Venus/Mars contacts can be surprisingly shallow. Unless they’re tied up to Pluto or under the spell of Neptune or Uranus, they can also be surprisingly tame. They’re about compatibility, pure and simple. There are more passionate pair-ups.

Moon/Mars, for one. For some reason, this aspect has had a low profile in synastry. But when I hear of a synastry that is all about heat, this is one of the first aspects I look for. It has a bad reputation from the old “cookbook” schools of astrology. They used to say, “Mars equals violence/aggression, and the Moon equals emotions/comfort, therefore Mars will be mean to the Moon.” Well, yes and no, and more likely no. Not where sex is concerned.

Moon/Mars is where sex meets the psyche. A lot of the Moon/Mars interpretations from the old texts come from a lack of understanding of what the Moon actually represents. The Moon is everything we are and everything we have been, going back to the beginning, or over lifetimes, if your beliefs go that way. The lunar package also includes our emotions, our instinctive reactions, and the way our mind interacts with our body. The Moon also represents the physical body itself. The Greeks defined it as Soul. Between partners, Mars is turned on by the deepest fathoms of the Self.

Again, we have a pairing of a feminine planet (the Moon) with a masculine one. But the Moon is much more primal and instinctive than Venus. The Moon reveals our basic needs for fulfillment. It tells us what makes us satisfied and happy. When the Moon is happy, we feel complete.

In synastry, these needs of the Moon – whatever they may be (physical, psychological, spiritual) – are sensed by a hungry Mars, and ignite and inflame his passions. Mars senses the Moon intensely, and instinctively strives to fulfill her needs. Mars needs a purpose to really get it going, and here the Moon becomes that purpose. At the same time, the Moon – grateful for the acknowledgement of its needs – longs to nurture and satisfy Mars, and take him into a safe place deep within. She senses and is turned on by his raw desire to connect with her.

Moon/Mars contacts can be highly erotic, but it isn’t an eroticism based on surface attraction. With Moon/Mars, Mars is attracted by the very essence of the Moon, the whole complicated package – conscious and unconscious. Many times, the attraction between Moon and Mars is mysterious; they connect on such a primal level that it’s hard to bring the reasons for the attraction to the surface. A Moon/Mars interaction tends to be silent and deep.

Trouble can come in many ways, but most often it’s when Mars is either too eager, or too cutting to the Moon’s delicate psyche. Mars may burst in and blunder into tender areas the Moon is not ready to expose, or the Moon may be too guarded, or too shy. Mars may go overboard in trying to penetrate to the Moon’s darkest secrets, stumbling into old hurts and reopening wounds. This causes the Moon to back away or shut down, and a rejected Mars may either pursue or give up the chase. Mars has an opportunity to heal the blockages that are preventing the Moon from shining its light to the fullest, but whether it knows this or not will depend on the qualities of Mars in the chart. In turn, the Moon can validate Mars in its ambitions and pursuits, providing support and emotional sustenance.

The Moon is also about our feelings of security, and Mars may be a lot of things, but he’s not a guy to instill feelings of safety. Mars can disturb and threaten the Moon’s habits and rituals, the things that it needs to get through the day. The Moon may decide that she likes the stimulation of being challenged, or she may decide that she’s had enough. It’s up to the Moon to teach Mars how to tread carefully.

Moon/Mars is never an easy aspect. It causes partners to be constantly aware of the energy exchange between them, and the effect that it has on both. Even at its most soothing and well-aspected, the sexual stimulation is always accompanied by the rolling waves of a deeper awareness. It takes some maturity to handle this aspect well, because we need to learn how to read one another’s signals and retreat when comfort zones are in danger of being violated. For those who like an easy ride in relationships, and prefer not to explore the inner layers of our being, this aspect may be too hot to handle.

About the Author

Dawn Bodrogi has studied astrology since the age of twelve, and has been a practicing astrologer for over twenty years with a special emphasis on synastry. Her studies in Jungian psychology, alchemy, and Buddhist philosophy inform her work. Her upcoming book, The Inner Wheel, takes a new look at interpreting secondary progressions. You can see more of Dawn’s work at her blog, The Inner Wheel: Living with Astrology.

Related: A man’s Mars conjunct a woman’s Moon

After blinging out the Broken Embraces premiere with a rather large sapphire-and-diamond sparkler, Penelope Cruz (born: April 28, 1974) is once again facing rumors that she and boyfriend Javier Bardem (born: March 1, 1969) are engaged. If Bardem’s trying (a la Beyonce’s sage advice) to put a ring on it, Cruz certainly isn’t fessing up to it any time soon.

When questioned by David Letterman, Penelope stayed secretive, insisting, “I don’t feel comfortable talking about my private life in public.” Her tight-lipped response is no big surprise, especially since these two smoking-hot Spanish actors have been intensely guarded about their relationship. Since neither camp is giving up much more than a dismissive, “They’re together–get over it,” Moonit decided to go behind the scenes to check out their relationship potential. More >

*Note: Moonit’s relationship assessment is based on a proprietary algorithm powered by Astrolabe that identified North Node trine Venus as their strongest weighted aspect, based on their birth dates using a noon election.

Through the end of the week, the Sun is making its way across the last degrees of Scorpio and will enter Sagittarius at 11:22:34 pm EST on Saturday, Nov. 21. When the Sun is at the end of a sign and not making any new aspects to major planets before entering the new sign, that is called Sun void of course. We are familiar with the Moon being void of course, which has the same basic definition. They have different feelings; among them is habit: the Moon void happens twice a week while the Sun void takes place 12 times a year. Usually it lasts a day or two; at several days, this is a long one.

The Sun void comes with the feeling of unusual things happening. It’s like an opening into the unlikely, which can be friendly if you get to take advantage of what seems like an odd chance; or it can be less than friendly if you’re not paying attention and something untoward happens to you. This is the time to make luck work for you rather than to push your luck; to see the moments that invite you to ease in. With Scorpio, this can be an opportunity to balance out the emotional or erotic economy.

As the Sun is making its transition into Sagittarius, there is a conjunction of Venus and Ceres (in a pattern where it’s annual for a few years, then skips a few years). I have been suggesting that Venus + Ceres + Scorpio is about understanding our mother’s sexual baggage. True, we don’t like to think of our mother as sexual, but to the extent you want to be sexually free, this is something I strongly suggest. Mother has secrets. We don’t know them. She had to maintain her image; she may not have wanted to share her pain; she may be too self-conscious or modest to let on what is really bothering her. The problem with this is that this becomes miasmic: multigenerational material that causes the next generation pain it does not understand.

Seek and you shall find; find and you shall facilitate your emotional healing process.

Yours & truly,

About the Author

Eric Francis is the creator of Planet Waves and author of Book of Blue. He has worked as a professional astrologer and internationally published horoscope columnist since the mid-1990s, specializing in minor planets. He has presented sexuality workshops and written for such publications as the Journal of Bisexuality, Sexuality.org and Loving More magazine. He writes his astrology columns in his fine art photography studio in Kingston, New York.

(pause)

How about now?

Check out Matthew’s ebook, Love and Seduction by Starlight.

In the natal astrological chart, Venus and Mars are the “go to” planets of love and relationship. More than almost any other signature in the chart, these planets (and their aspects and house placements), give clues as to how you like to “do love” (Venus) and “do sex” (Mars). They represent the internal feminine and masculine, giving valuable information about how you like to love and be loved (Venus) and what makes you passionate, lusty and turned on (Mars). In a woman’s chart, Venus can give indications as to how she relates to her own femininity and sense of herself as a woman. Mars in a woman’s chart tells how she expresses her masculine energy, and also indicates what she may project onto the men in her life. Mars in a woman’s chart also can describe what she is attracted to in a man. In a man’s chart, Mars describes what makes him feel “manly,” and gives clues as to how he personally expresses his own inner masculine energy. Venus in a man’s chart indicates the feminine qualities a man may project onto a woman, what he’s looking for in the women he relates to, and also describes his relationship with his own inner feminine side.

When Goat meets Fish, a unique synergy is created. Though creatures of land and sea don’t usually find much in common, the differences between Venus in Capricorn and Mars in Pisces often prove sexy, as these two discover unique ways to connect and share. Together, they creatively seek to understand what makes the other tick, and out of this search, new and exciting possibilities arise in their relationship. Ultimately, there is the potential for a long-term bond that is both juicy and alive.

Venus in Capricorn may appear to be reserved and serious in love, but under her composed and practical manner lies an ability to care deeply and with great fortitude. This Venus is no fickle dilettante, but rather a connoisseur of what it takes to make a relationship last. A love survivalist, Venus in Capricorn seeks to do whatever it takes to keep on keeping on. Though this can sometimes lead to an overly pragmatic approach to matters of the heart, Venus in the sign of the Goat usually meets her love goals.

Mars in Pisces is sensitive to the subtle vibrations that occur when two people come together in love. Like a blind masseuse, this Mars can intuitively feel what action or move to take to soothe or comfort his partner. Romantic and gentle, Mars in Pisces is a compassionate lover, but one who also desires escape and salvation in bed. Mars placed in the sign of the Fish seeks to share not just an emotional connection in love, but also a spiritual bond. Lacking a sense of the divine in his sexual interactions, he may turn to drugs or alcohol to reach a similar state of bliss.

Venus in Capricorn offers Mars in Pisces a grounded and safe place to come home to, and Mars in Pisces offers Venus in Capricorn an escape from the daily grind. Though their mutual admiration society may be hard for some to understand, in the end, what matters most is that it works for them.

About the Author

Fern Feto Spring is a counseling astrologer, tarot reader and writer whose sessions blend intuitive and practical insight with compassion and humor. With over 20 years of experience, she incorporates a variety of tools into her consultations. Besides her private practice, Fern teaches classes and workshops nationwide. She also works as an intuitive consultant for businesses and organizations, providing counsel and facilitating organizational development workshops. More info at: www.wisestars.net

Learn how your planets line up with an astrology report >>

(To the tune of “Theme From Rawhide”)

Keep movin’, movin’, movin’
Though folks are disapprovin’
This alley’s not for bowlin’
I’m fine!

Just don’t be surprised if they don’t give you the deposit for your shoes back.

Check out Matthew’s ebook, Love and Seduction by Starlight.

Is it just us, or does blond adonis Kellan Lutz – aka Twilight series’ Emmett Cullen – look more like AnnaLynne McCord’s twin than her ex-luhhhhvah? After dating her dudely doppleganger for nearly a year, McCord (born: July 16, 1987) reportedly dumped Lutz (born: March 15, 1985) for, “not being a good boyfriend.” That sounds mature, right? So, what was his relationship-ending offense, one might ask? Did he hurt her feelings? Ignore her needs? Cheat on her with Robert Pattinson? Nope.

The seemingly trumped-up charges include not buying her a real birthday present. Since New Moon is set to hit theaters this Friday, we’re all about getting up in Kellan’s business; of course, we’re starting with a post-mortem on his relationship with the rising 90210 star. So, does he-of-the-ridiculous-six-pack deserve a second chance, or should the bloodsucker be impaled for his questionably bad behavior? More >

*Note: Moonit’s relationship assessment is based on a proprietary algorithm powered by Astrolabe that identified Mars conjunct Jupiter as their strongest weighted aspect, based on their birth dates using a noon election.

Check out Matthew’s ebook, Love and Seduction by Starlight.