Project Perth: Episode 1

I am living with a permanent sense of I must be doing something else at the moment. Every time I wake up I just think packing boxes; flat here - there. People keep telling me this is exciting - and yes it is - but I can't really sit back and basque in the excitement until the formalities are all sorted...

That said I am looking forward to having a place somewhere in the sun with more than one bedroom and room for a pool! Perth is a mighty long way a way - but sometimes people in the same room as you can seem far away.

I keep having emotional break downs at random moments. I mean on the rail replacement bus en route to football in Gillingham, just welled up and had to make myself not cry. The autumnal leaves and the fear I'd be late. And meeting my dad. The routine - the closeness with my folks.

I keep having really vivid dreams about people - some of whom I have not spoken to for months - it all mounts up to trying to tie up loose ends. And then there are all the people I want to see at least once before I go.  

On the other hand my brother and I chatting much more than we have done for a long time and his enthusiasm for my imminent arrival is great.

This is a fantastic opportunity  and it is exciting and I can't wait - but I have to ride this emotional roller coaster whilst staying focused enough to get the mechanical things sorted...and all the while try not to think too much about all the things I will miss....

Decisive December?

Lucky Days: 6, 7, 15, 16, 25

Yucky Days: 3, 4, 11, 12, 18

Fashion Icon: Kate Moss

Colour: Black

December is your month to officially wipe the slate of 2011 clean, Capricorn. The Full Moon Lunar Eclipse in your work zone brings another set of sweeping changes. You’re the master of remaining cool, calm and collected, despite the constant shifting of planetary directions this month. First the shock-and-awe planet, Uranus, goes direct on 9 December in your domestic zone, stirring up a deep sense of restlessness. Next up, Mercury goes direct in your subconscious sector on 13 December. It’s recently been difficult to focus, let alone form clear sentence structures, but it gets better as the next few weeks unfold. The Winter Solstice on 22 December marks not just the first day of the Sun entering your stars, but also the return of lighter, longer days. On 24 December, just a few days later, the New Moon in Capricorn invites you to start drafting your New Year’s resolutions for 2012. The best news of all arrives on Christmas, when Jupiter, the planet of luck, goes direct in a sister earth sign. For you, this is all about positive developments in the romantic realm. Alls well that ends well, and this year is going out on a fabulously high note.

Nocturnal November

Capricorn

Work! You love it (you’re a Cap!) and the prestige and riches it brings, yet even you wonder sometimes why you let it impinge quite so heavily on your life.

Given that your ruling planet, Saturn, continues to break fresh ground until February, it looks likely that you’ll have to hang in there with the status quo for now. Even if you are changing/have recently changed jobs (pretty likely if you were born in 1980. ’81 or ’82) you will have to keep saluting the grey forces of the establishment. The chance to slacken your professional chains arrives early in the new year. This month mid-January birthdays are those feeling Saturn’s inexorable pressure, not just with work, but with any life-changing decisions you took 14 or 29 years back. It could be time for a reckoning.

The month of Scorpio, what’s left of it, is broadly obliging nonetheless, especially when dealing with colleagues, professional groupings and jolly sporting organisations. Jupiter in your fifth solar house continues to smile on your expansive, social side. The full Moon of the 10th is good for making whoopee, and for emotions to turn super-intense.

The month of Sagittarius offers a rather different picture. With the total eclipse of the 25th (a new Moon) in the most private, indeed secretive, zone of your ‘scope, what accompanies it is probably no-one’s business but your own, and may need a reclusive moment for a decision. Put the words ‘down time’ in your ever-packed schedule.

Venus popping over your horizon on the 27th brings a sweeter, more mellow mood in the run-up to Christmas and, as importantly, your birthday.

---

Lucky Days: 9, 10, 18, 19, 27

Yucky Days: 6, 7, 14, 15, 21

Fashion Icon: Sienna Miller

Colour: Metal Gray

November promises to be one of the dreamiest and most creative months of the year. With Jupiter and the Full Moon bringing endless fruits to your house of romance, gear up for a fabulous pleasure cruise. The Full Moon in Taurus in your love zone on 10 November is the culmination of a fabulous start to the month. There’s nothing mundane or humdrum about this time of year. You’ll have more romantic options than you’ll probably know what to do with. Plus with so many planets (including Mercury and Venus) activating your subconscious sector, you’re in a state of constant inspiration. Dreams easily become realities now. The only caveat is that it may be difficult to distinguish the difference between what’s real and what’s imagined. Neptune (the planet of illusions and delusions) is changing direction around the Full Moon, making it nearly impossible to know what to believe. But then again, you’ve had enough reality checks to last you for a lifetime. Enjoy the dreamy, cinematic splendour of it all, Capricorn.

2011 - Reading List

Novel(s) completed so far this year:

The Book of Revelation by Rupert Thomson. Odd story of kidnap and sexual domination. 

Bleak House by Charles Dickens. Finally I succeed in completing a Dickens novel. Really enjoyed it. 

The Diary of a Nobody - by Grossmith (George and Weedon). Short. Sweet. Funny. 

Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis. I liked it as it alluded to my university and did have some very entertaining moments. But he wins through!

Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh (abandoned - too tedious)

A Slipping Down Life by Anne Tyler - so well written; it resonates with my teenage imagination.

The Pregnant Widow by Martin Amis. I started this before I went away and never really got into it. Think I was expecting more fruity scenes. I didn't dip back into it whilst away and thus I fear it has been abandoned.... oh dear. 

The Tin-Kin by Eleanor Thorn. Once my head had got round the Scottish dialectic I was completely absorbed. Well worth picking up on the off chance.

Recovery by Stephen Benatar. I got this book by virtue of the author being in Waterstones Bromley South when I was seeking books to take on my holiday. As it was I didn't really need a book on my tour in China, the company provided more than plenty of story material. This is a set of 2 novellas. And they stretch your idea of normality. Similar in theme to the Tin Kin - the stories are about finding yourself. The journey of who am I? Both stories deliver hefty twists. And I suspect I need to read them again to fully appreciate their skill.

The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas. Okay I could not put this book down. Nope not for a minute. Not sure if it was because I could identify with the place (Melbourne) or even the characters held within. There were a lot of observations that I could relate too. Maybe it was the plot. Delicately woven into 8 short stories told from the perspective of a key character  Belter of a read. And now I am lost as to what to read next!!

Michael Faber - The Crimson Petal and the White. Total contrast to The Slap. It's a modern day take on a Dickenesque novel. Focusing on the central character Sugar and how she elevates her position from a prostitute. It was a long read at 800+ pages - but actually didn't feel like a slog. The characters and places were vivid enough and unlike Dickens there weren't overt numbers of them. Set in London it adequately takes you back to the Victorian era and you can feel the mists and filth. Sugar inspires Mr Rackham who in turn becomes a fuller man, though I'm not sure I ever really liked him. Glad I read it as I was unable to see the BBC's adaptation owing to being out of the country!

F Scott Fitzgerald - Tender is the Night. I found this took a bit longer to read than a 300 pagers should have done in comparison with the 800+ ones that I have recently read. It's essentially F Scott's fictional telling of his life with his wife. It had a very solitary feel about it and made me contemplate loneliness: in spite of being with someone; of having lots of friends; being successful. Glad I struggled through to the end though. The sense of being in Europe helped bring some sunshine whilst London was rather damp in July.  

J.D. Salinger - Catcher in the Rye. This had long been on my list of must reads. Then JD died early last year and he was much celebrated. As a novel - its set across a 3 day period and covers the thoughts and actions of the central character - Holden Caulfield. I whipped through it in a week. Some of the language grated to begin with - but once I re-set my expectation and went with the flow of a teenager talking to me - it worked much better!

Sebastian Faulks - Birdsong. Mmm. An fairly innocuous tale. Fairly easy to read. A love story, and plenty of First World War mud. I guess the telling of trench life was the most revealing part... having to screw my face up on the tube when another leg was blown off or when the described smells and scenes all got a bit much. As for the central character Stephen.. not sure I ever understood what motivated him to be so cold.

Richard Yates - Young Hearts Crying. Loved this. Better than Revolutionary Road (though maybe I need to re-read it) more lively. Divided into 3 parts. The couple and then each half of the couple and how they survive/proceed once no longer a couple. The striving for being an artist and the pain it causes. The difference between having and not having money. The US dream. Or not as the case may be.

[Please note it was around here I joined the LIBRARY!!]

John Steinbeck - East of Eden.  Will let you know when I finish it. I did enjoy the Grapes of Wrath though many years ago... SO as a reprise. I couldn't put this down. It tells the tale of several families in the Californian Salinas. The theme of brothers, twins, good & evil underpin every chapter. I did not like Cathy at all and at times wondered if she was even a credible character. Vivid, opulent and arid at its heart it is all quite dark and ultimately quite sad. 


Don DeLillo - Falling Man. I read this over a weekend whilst having East of Eden still on the go. It was also the weekend of the 10th Anniversary of 9/11. A remarkable observation of the impact of that day on a few individuals. Not sensationalist - just follows the daily lives in the days and months after the extraordinary day the towers fell. Highly recommended. 


Chris Guillebeau - The Art of Non-Conformity. I need a change in my life. So I read this for inspiration. Whilst I may not want to travel ceaselessly I do want to understand how I can find a happier place in this weird and stressful world. Some good tips and observations. 


John Harding - While the Sun Shines. Literally picked this up in the library because he shared the name of my Creative Writing course tutor. A novel whose use of words required me to pick up a dictionary. But in a good way. Still don't know what sinecure means .... All slightly outrageous but as fiction is meant to take you away from normal I really enjoyed it and it got read in under 4 days! Yes it really did make me laugh out loud on the tube - rare indeed!


Don DeLillo - Cosmopolis. This is a dark dark novel. Eric is rich and leads life playing the markets and in his stretch limo. It's set in NY but not one you or I would recognise. It's a day in his life. Haircuts, doctors, hotel rooms a wife whom he barely knows. Will losing everything and being stripped bare allow them to be honest with each other? 

Sister - Rosamund Lupton.  Sought this out in the library following a waterstones recommeneds feature. Advertised as a thriller I found it to be better described as a journey with a few non too pleasant scenes along the way.  Aptly titled, one sister is intent on discovering the cause of her sister's death. Was it murder? Was it suicide? A devilish twist towards the end made it a must read.  And in the world of coincidence - as this covered cystic fibrosis - so did an episode of 'The Body Farm'. So I felt ahead of the game and spooked by the fact the central character in each was called Tess....
Have now got 'Aftermath' out from the library to see how the author expands into the second tricky novel!

Aftermath - Rosamund Lupton. Read this before and after holiday to Kuala Lumpur. Not quite as intense as sister but a jolly good story line never the less.. I didn't work it out until too late!

Room - Emma Donoghue. I was intrigued by this book - and despite trying really hard not to get into it - I did. Read it before/during/after trip to Washington DC. Recommend it if you want to make your mind boggle and feel a little uncomfortable as you read certain bits of it..

The Road to Mount Buggery - a book given to me by my bro in 2001 - he was then in Australia and I'm now working through my plan of execution to be there by end of Feb. A couple are travelling the lenght of bredth of the country to visit all the places with odd/unpleasant or highly descriptive names. Certainly getting me in the spirit!!

It's true...

it has been the hottest recorded few days in October ever!!! Madness...
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/oct/02/indian-summer-brings-out-crowds

It's true... they came from Austria..!

October Opus

Capricorn

Even Capricorns who are hardened sceptics about matters astrological know that they are meant to be the tough sons and daughters of Saturn. Some might even have read that with Pluto in Capricorn for a small age (in fact, only until 2023!) they are being challenged to wield their powers with ever more consideration for the masses over whom they hold sway (Caps always rule). Today’s new Moon finds those two planets in powerful alignment, signalling a lunar month when your powers as boss (or wannabe boss) are put to the test for good or for…less good.

With Venus (on 30 September), Mercury (6 October) and Sun (13 October) all conjoining Saturn in the life path zone of your ‘scope, your long term career plans are either coming to glorious fruition or their inadequacies being painfully pointed out. Saturn has been pushing you to do more professionally – or at least survive, by fair means or foul – for the last 18 months. The next fortnight offers a reality check on your progress. For birthdays circa 24-26 December (take a bow Ed Miliband) and Jan 10-14, that goes double. As every Goat knows, there is always someone further up the professional totem pole, and right now, they may have to be appeased. Ultra formality serves you well, attempts to blackmail or bluff your way less so. Compromise – not your default position – is a good bet.

By way of compensation for the pressure from up above, the more playful side of your life – to which Capricorns are prone to pay less than full attention – remains buoyant. Jupiter in Taurus, a fellow earth sign, provides an ongoing reminder that parties, love affairs and (this month’s special) hot sex also have a place in your world. Perhaps against the odds, there also seems to be a chance of fast money – perhaps not even what you have slaved to earn – around the 3rd/4th – good days for you in any case

The full Moon of the 12th alters the mood somewhat, ushering in a month or so when your most sociable nature is called into play. Therefacter, and especially afer the Sun arrives in Scorpio on the 24th, it’s not ‘who you know’ but ‘who you like’ that counts most.

---

Lucky Days: 3, 4, 12, 13, 23

Yucky Days: 10, 11, 17, 18, 24

Fashion Icon: Kate Moss

Colour: Off-White

October is a splendid mix of business and pleasure—your two favourite arenas, Capricorn. The Sun will light up your career sector until the 23rd, so make the most of this stellar period to let your projects shine. Venus enters your social sector on 8 October, inviting you to celebrate decadently with your best mates. Intimacy and passion are strong themes under the barrage of Scorpio planets this month, so expect to go deep. The New Moon in your house of long-term goals and wishes is the most opportune moment of the season to plant the seeds to your future success going into 2012. Have you revised your bucket list? This is the month to get clear about what you want to manifest in this big bad world before another six months pass you by. The only bump in otherwise stellar course for October is the arrival of the Full Moon in your domestic sector on the 11th. This fiery lunation could bring some family issues to a state of emergency. But trust that any little crisis will quickly pass, so there’s no need for panic.

---

It is not always very easy to take it easy. Indeed, taking it easy can be very difficult. The more we feel that we ought to be taking it easy, the more stressed out we become when we realise that we aren't. Actually, you don't want to go taking it too easy in October. If you're willing to put in the right kind of effort now, you can accomplish an awful lot. Sometimes, people confuse being busy with being under pressure. If you're enjoying your chance to rise to this month's challenge, you're going to be fine. If you're not, relax a little and trust. It's all going to be fine.

Seek n ye shall find September?

Lucky Days: 6, 7, 15, 16, 25

Yucky Days: 13, 14, 20, 21, 27

Fashion Icon: Sienna Miller

Colour: Grey

September has indeed arrived and with it, the pressures of the back-to-business hustle. Luckily this is what you do best—when the going gets tough, the Capricorn gets going. The Full Moon on 12 September (in your communication sector) could bring on a bit of email and text overkill. If you feel overwhelmed, you may need to pace yourself and take several tech fasts throughout that week in order to preserve your sanity. If relationships continue to be a source of strain and contention with the presence of fight-or-flight Mars in your partnership zone until the 18th, don’t fret. You’ll be happy to know that Venus, the planet of love and harmony, is on your side this month. On the 27th, the New Moon in your career sector is the perfect time to make your next round of six-month plans. Aim high but remain balanced in your expectations. The last thing you need is to set yourself up for any disappointments. You’re supposed to be the sign of patience, remember? The good things always take time to manifest. You may need to wait until spring to see all of the fruits of your current labour, but it’ll be beyond worth it.

Capricorn

The fear of being thought dull is not exclusive to Capricorn – your fellow earth sign of Virgo shares the same odd worry. Nor is your fear without reason, because a negotiated settlement with the world – and Capricorns are all bound up with the world – requires formality, decorum and a nod to the age-old powers-that-be.

Today’s new Moon finds you at a super-favourable stretch. A triangle of planets in earth signs – of which the Goat is one – puts you in the pink where matters of heart, soul and sincere (as opposed to self-seeking) ambition are concerned. Your best hopes and plans find easy purchase in the world. Old pals can be leant on, new pals are exciting. Meaningful travels hover in the wings.

With Jupiter powerful in your fifth house, romantic liaisons have a bloom to them, with good reason to stay optimistic about recent improvements or a new partner. A few squalls can’t be ruled out, not with Mars in opposition until the 19th, but the big clashes look over.

That negotiated settlement with the world (ie a career) remains as pressing as ever – with ruler Saturn in dignity in the 10th for another year it could hardly be otherwise. Here, the month of Libra, following the Equinox, raises stakes. There’s power in your words and actions in the last week of September, with the next new Moon, on the 27th, central to your future plans. You can’t sit on your hands until then, however – a charm offensive to wrongfoot rivals and jealous colleagues is one course of action opened by Venus. Another is to sit tight, follow the rules and nod to the powers that be. The 6th and 7th find you powerfully placed.

Auspicious August?

Capricorn

The question, as always, is how much of a burden you are prepared to shoulder and to what end. The march of the Goat’s planet, Saturn, across the roof of your horoscope, makes the nature of your professional quest an all-consuming question this autumn. You are certainly in a position to make your mark, and if you are still on the foothills of Mount Capricorn, then the next six months is a time to throw all your energies into The Job and emerge triumphant at a new peak.

On the flip side – and even Saturn has a flip side – comes the question of whether all the outward status and success for which you strive amount to what your fellow Cap Humphrey Bogart once termed ‘a hill of beans’. When, in short, does your hunger for public approbation become oppressive?

It’s a question you alone can answer. At least you have Jupiter, ‘the greater fortune’ to help you decide. The large and ‘lucky’ planet remains in spiffing position for you, favouring you not as grim career politician but expansive lover and bon-viveur. That particular role becomes almost irresistible in the last week of August, when Venus and next month’s new Moon complete a triangle of earth signs. You look like a world-beater then.

Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. First there is the annoying matter of Mercury retrograde to contemplate – helpful to you principally as a time to re-examine finances, and go into your wall safe to ensure your portfolio of bonds and real estate investments is paying off. Since today’s new Moon makes strong contact with the root of your ‘scope, domestic issues and home security are up for a review.

Relations with principal players – spouses, lovers, business partners, ex’s, enemies – have been tested (perhaps not so sorely) over the last month. Six weeks of Mars in opposition, beginning on the 4th, is no recipe for smooth relationship sailing, but you can get issues out in the open and strike the correct balance with whichever other half is in question. It might be an idea to tread warily around the 10th/11th however, when it would be easy to overestimate your power or to use it inappropriately. Your ability to keep everyone happy is undervalued by others (it’s one reason you carry that professional burden – to be godfather or mother) but at mid-month it’s likely to be tested.

The month of Virgo, opening on the23rd, oils your wheels and enhances contacts with far-flung places and people. Away you go!

Lucky Days: 1, 2, 9, 10, 29

Yucky Days: 3, 4, 17, 18, 25

Fashion Icon: Kate Moss

Colour: Navy

August is a month of extremes. For starters, there is another Mercury Retrograde arriving on the second day of the month, stirring up trouble in all matters of communication through the end of summer. You’ll feel the chaos at first in your travel zone, until Mercury backs into your sector of resources and transformation on the 8th. Your inherent organization will pay off in spades this month, while everyone else loses their mind from the chaos. The Full Moon on 13 August takes place in your money sector, and it can bring unexpected expenditures, so don’t panic if your bank balance suddenly seems to dwindle. You’ll replenish it in no time because that’s just how you roll, Capricorn. The Sun and Venus move into your travel sector during the final days of August. You’re better off waiting until Mercury goes direct on 26 August before booking any extended or complex itineraries that the Mercury Retrograde could botch. The New Moon on 28 August is the best time of year to plan your travel plans for the next six months.

My Fav Moto GP!!

Laguna Seca - USA - Come On Nicky!

24th July

Summer Party 2011

Duly July....

Capricorn

Making progress? Since the month of Cancer, your opposite sign, marks the halfway point between birthdays, today’s new Moon is an apposite moment to assess whether your Grand Plan (all Capricororns have one) is on schedule. With the Sun in opposition until the 23rd, you are likely not at your most empowered – run down and in need of a holiday is more likely. Plus even a minor eclipse like today’s throws an element of uncertainty into any equation, especially one involving your beloved other half or tennis partner.

July’s is, though, a chequered planetary picture. Saturn, only now starting to inch forward (from our point of view on planet Earth) asks you to be clear about the next six months of your professional schemes, since almost all of you, and certainly January birthdays, will be feel the pressure to move up a gear and/or cope with the machinations of power-crazed bureaucrats. Those of you born around new year’s eve are those being leant on most heavily in July, and with the same birthdays also in firing line of the eclipse, it could mean quite a shake-up.

For all of you, the full Moon in your skies on the 14th and 15th should make the deal involving both job and partner/ex that much clearer. This isn’t the moment for rash decisions (not that Goats make too many of those) as emotions invariably run high with full Moons, but it does mark a high tide in your affairs, a point where you know exactly what or who you are up against.

Though there is an element of adversarial politics in these stars, there is also support and enticement. The presence of Jupiter and Venus in the relationship zones of your ‘scope is positive news for singletons, who may wish to break the ‘no rash decisions’ rule and jump into a romance. At the least you have relationship options. Those of you already in tandem are granted the opportunity to enrich your association, perhaps by pursuing a new mutual interest, via pregnancy/children, or by a romantic gesture.

The chance to make money, a subject dear to Capricorn hearts (if only because you tend to be surrogate banker round these parts), is also on the cards. The alignment between Jupiter and Pluto (both money planets) on the 7th is one signal. Mercury spending two and a half months in your resources zone is another – that the messenger planet goes backwards in August makes July the time to set affairs in place, August the time to tweak them.

Lucky Days: 4, 5, 13, 14, 24

Yucky Days: 6, 7, 20, 21, 29

Fashion Icon: Sienna Miller

Colour: Tiffany Blue

July is one of the most dramatic months of the year by far. On 1 July, the New Moon Solar eclipse in your opposite sign of Cancer amplifies relationship issues. Whatever comes to light now remains in effect for the next six months. All of the questioning and deliberation about whether to stay or go will reach a fever pitch this month, and you'll be forced to make some heavy life decisions once and for all. When Uranus goes retrograde on 9 July, expect a slowdown in your domestic world. And to add more fuel to the emotional fire, the Full Moon on 15 July is in Capricorn. This is sure to bring dramatic closure to all unfinished business that you may have conveniently tucked away or compartmentalised. Mars activates your work sector all month long, making it difficult to remember it's summer and the living should be easy. You'll finally get a little playful reprieve at the end of the month on the New Moon in Leo on 30 July. Let this sexy New Moon set the tone for an amazing August and fabulous fall.

Your July Monthly Forecast: Most of us are good at talking. Few of us, though, are quite so skilled in the art of listening. There are times when we simply cannot hear what we are being told. We are too wrapped-up in our emotions and opinions - our passions and our prejudices. When, though, we can find some way to go beyond these, and to pay close attention to the people near us, we can make the most amazing and potentially profitable discoveries. In July, someone wants to let you know something. Ask the universe for what you want and you could actually get it.

Summer Party

Can't find anything to wear... oh well. Suggestions on a very swift postcard!! 

My new hero!!

Usually hidden in red leathers mind you!

Jolly June!?

Lucky Days: 7, 8, 16, 17, 25

Yucky Days: 3, 4, 9, 10, 24

Fashion Icon: Kate Moss

Colour: Army Green

June promises to both industrious and spiritual all at the same time. Change is a constant as the season for eclipse madness officially commences. For the first part of June, you're under the influence of the New Moon lunar eclipse in your work sector. Between now and your birthday, expect your everyday regime to change (and your profession itself may change too). If you've been meaning to make changes to your health or diet patterns, use the powerful energy of the New Moon on 1 June. Mars enters this same work/health sector of your horoscope on 20 June, revving up your productivity levels; you’ll have plenty of ambition to work and to work out. The Full Moon lunar eclipse in your sector of sleep, dreams and spirituality arrives on the 15th, urging you to take time away from the office and get in touch with nature. This would be the perfect week for a vacation or a retreat. At the very least get some time away in quiet solitude around this time. (A beach or spa would both do nicely).

Do they not know I have to deliver an Intranet this month - vacations?! I suspect not this month!

Your June Monthly Forecast: Is June going to be a month of deja-vu? Will you go through what you have gone through before and wind up in situations that seem uncannily similar to past experiences? Will you relive old dramas and revisit familiar scenarios? Yes. But there still can be substantial change, either from some dramatic leftfield development or through some determined decision on your part to start living life differently from now on. In that, your greatest source of power lies. Smile sweetly and say, nicely but clearly, what you want. And you'll yet break amazing new ground.

Oh dear if it's anything like June 2001 I am going to be very busy!

Capricorn

On cruise control, or at the start of something big?

For those of you born in December, your stars are fairly screaming the latter case. The rest of you …well, there’s never much of a coffee break for any Capricorn, but let’s say your stars are less urgent, unless you were born in the years of nineteen hundred and ’52, ‘68 or ’81, in which case you can count yourself a member of the Saturn Reconstruction Club, more of which later.

There are jolly plots afoot for all in June however. The arrival of Jupiter, planet of largesse, in your fifth house this week is a signal that matters of the heart will demand a far more prominent place over the next twelve months, not just love affairs but kids, grandchildren, personal passions/obsessions, and downright showing off. With Venus and Mars briefly in the same zone – in Taurus, fellow earth sign – June looks just the ticket for a spot of self-advertisement and partying.

You might also factor in some me-time of the mind/body/spirit kind. The total lunar eclipse of the 15th falls in the most private, reclusive sector of your ‘scope, where the reckoning is between you and your conscience/karma/creator and, frankly, no-one else’s business. A perfect time, in short, to confront skeletons in the closet and put in a spot of selfless service to deserving souls in your orbit.

Confrontation of a different sort arrives with the summer solstice, when the Sun shifts into your opposing yet associated sign of Cancer. The implications of next month’s eclipse in said sign will follow, enough to say that the Sun’s opposition to Pluto on the 28th is not the time to try and bully anyone, especially anyone close to you.

Pluto! Don’t be fooled by the loveable cartoon hound named after it, or astronomy’s downgrade of it – Pluto is the planet of players and plutocrats. Birthdays up to December 29 have already had a taste of its transformative powers, which can elevate and enrich or meltdown. In the former case, use your power wisely. In the latter, confront the darkness and reclaim the light (psychology can help).

Saturn, Capricorn’s no-nonsense governor, turns to forward motion after several months in retreat. For most of you this is either business as usual with added responsibilities, but those in the reconstruction Club (see above) are at a pivotal point when the consequences of decisions count for years rather than months. How much change do you want, and in what area of your life? Fearless honesty provides the right answers.

Auspicious day of the month: the 16th and 17th. Good for business at least.

May mirth?

Capricorn

Are you a bright of eye and bushy of tale mountain goat? Or somewhat bedraggled yet oddly invincible variety?

Your horoscope contains both roles. The first comes with today’s new moon in Taurus, signalling a personal renewal, a re-grounding of your most personal loves, desires and fond hopes.

The second role concerns profession. No way does any self-respecting Capricorn let professional issues slide, but when your ruling planet is stuck to the roof of your ‘scope, as it is 2011-12, it’s a given that people even higher up the totem pole are going play it awkward and by the rule book. You and your boss resemble two Capricorn Goats circling each other suspiciously.

Still, you have been here before, many times, slugging it out for your rightful share of respect (and loot), and this looks suspiciously like a month off from the worst of the battles. (Of course, you may decide to cash in your hand completely and begin again – December birthdays might be thinking along those lines.)

The need to turn your attention to domestic matters and family Arran gents, discussed in last month’s forecast, remains in place, along with planets in your house of home and hearth.

The bright and bushy role is the one to focus on in the short and medium term. A trio of planets move into Taurus, a fellow earth sign, in mid-May, opening an especially joyous spell when even you may be prepared to make it up as you go along. Fine time to seek out those you love, kids, family, and pursue your hobby of choice; scale model of the Nebraska railroad, ukulele yodelling, raising prize lupins.

Summer delights in part, then, but the soon-come arrival of Jupiter into this same zone of passions suggests this summer may have some extra delight up its sleeve.

Full Moon in Scorpio 16/17 May: Comfort in being one of the gang. A plush romantic prize.

---

Lucky Days: 2, 3, 11, 12, 18

Yucky Days: 6, 7, 13, 14, 27

Fashion Icon: Sienna Miller

Colour: Black

Spring awakening has officially arrived as a sexy convergence of planets take over your love sector this month. The sweetness begins on the 3rd with the New Moon in Taurus, so make your wishes known early in the month to get the party started. On the 11th, Mars brings the mojo. You’ll feel more confident about going after all you desire without being apologetic or covert. It’s not easy to convince overachieving Capricorns to just have fun for an entire month. You’ll have to think of it as “Project May” and challenge yourself to excel at pleasure with five stars. The Sun will enter your work sector on the 21st so you can get back to work responsibilities sometime after that date. But the first half of the month has to be devoted to sheer, unadulterated bliss. When Venus and Mercury join the love scene on the 15th, there’s nothing stopping you from an onslaught of fun and romance. The Full Moon in Scorpio on the 17th (in your social sector) will give you plenty of opportunities to get yourself all glamorous for the right reasons. No longer will you suffer from the all dressed up and nowhere to go syndrome.

----

Your May Monthly Forecast: Some people make music. Others paint. Some read, some write, some dance, some design, some just dream. We all, though, have to express creativity. You may live in a world full of concrete and conformity, but you are a creature of nature; an impulsive, spontaneous being that has come to this earth to celebrate, not to feel stressed out. It has been a while since you last felt inspired to smile and relax. Events in May, though, will gently remind you of how good life can be at its best. Dare to do something different and a little magic will find its way into your every encounter.

Does my nose look big in this?

Post Darwin Deez 3rd March 2011 - smiling after a tops night!

April Showers?

Lucky Days: 4, 5, 6, 14, 22

Yucky Days: 2, 3, 9, 10, 30

Fashion Icon: Kate Moss

Colour: Sand

Get ready for a major reboot as Pluto prepares to retrograde in your stars on 9 April. On the bright side, you’ll have a chance to slow down and reassess priorities rather than just relying blindly on the good old go-go-go Goat mode. With a major conglomeration of planets in your domestic and family sector all month long, you’ll need a reprieve from the demands of career to get back to your roots. The planets are practically screaming at you to take better care of yourself this month, no excuses. No longer can you neglect your emotional needs in favor of taking care of everyone else. It’s time to cut out the consequences to your wellbeing that often result from overextending yourself. The Full Moon in your career sector on 17 April will bring the recognition you’ve worked so hard for over the past six months. This is another indication that you can take a little breather and get back to the simple task of actually enjoying some time off. You’ll sigh major relief when Mercury goes direct on 23 April, lightening the miscommunication load you’ve carried since late March. When the Sun enters your house of pleasure on the 20th, the emphasis on enjoyment is no longer a pipe dream; it’s a cosmic mandate.

Your April Monthly Forecast: When people are feeling tense, they often advise each other to, 'draw a deep breath'. How many deep breaths might you need to draw this month? Actually, you should make every breath a deep one. Not because you need to defuse anger but because you ought to stop, relax and appreciate just how magical and wonderful your life truly is. For all that's wrong, for all that's troublesome, for all that's missing, you've got so much to be glad of. Soon, not only will you begin to recognise even more reasons to feel a deep sense of gratitude, you'll actually start creating them.

Capricorn

Within every tough, over-achieving Mountain Goat is a retiring homebody. Your opposite and complementary sign is cancer, and just as the Crab likes its shell, so the Capricorn demands a capacious home in which to retreat after a hard day running the world, or at least, your professional patch of it.

Today’s new  (3rd) Moon in the sector of your ‘scope concerned with home, family and the clan brings fresh thinking to bear on your domestic set-up and the chance to expand your home quarters, or to even relocate. These things don’t usually happen in a rush, and with Mercury Retrograde, you might usefully avoid binding agreements until the 23rd (if you are signing, then double check the fine print). Still, withJupiter, Mars and Prometheus active in your home life, it’s a time of surprise packages and unexpected offers. For some of you, your homestead turns into Hotel Capricorn, with a whirligig of guests. For others, a new east Wing becomes feasible. Whatever the issue, this spring isn’t a time to be scared of change.

Your personal planet, Saturn, remains where it likes to be – at the top of your ‘scope, exalted in Libra, in a commanding position, albeit one that demands a more gruelling work routine than even you care for. Your legendary staying power will see you through, along with a dispassionate attitude to workplace politics. You didn’t make the rules after all (another Capricorn doubtless did).

Venus in Pisces until the 20th, and the Sun in Taurus thereafter both have a similar reminder that the Capricornus is a fish-tailed Goat that swims in the sea of emotion. Wherever and with whom you find your joy and pleasure – allotment, museum, cabaret hall – is where you need to spend more of your time this spring. The weekend of the 22-24, with the Moon in your skies, looks dishy. Enjoy!

The Shard - March 2011

Its grown a bit since last year - a focal point of a first date . . .

Holiday prep!

Away shirt

Bonus for season ticket renewal! Will wear soon!

Day Three

Almost there... get the first 3 days out of the way and everything after this becomes a bonus... sleep patterns have been a bit odd and I have been eating like a horse when I get home...but I have not had the strong urge to buy another packet... perhaps parting with 6.52 for twenty was starting to take a toll on my purse, certainly wearing out the leather.

Tonight I will be distracted by ballet - and tomorrow football.. and now I have something else to aim for... smoke free for my holiday...

A picture of intense office life!!

National No Smoking Day...

is the same day as Lent starts - so double incentive.. and so far I have not had a ciggy nor been tempted to buy a fresh packet....

Lots of good/useful websites... and I signed up to Not Smoking Forum - for moral support - it defo worked last time...

I'll use here as a way of recording progress - I know for sure this evening's sleep will be painful... nicotine withdrawal here we come...

Cheats guide to pancake day!

Now to quit smoking for lent!

Pencil lines

My beautiful bulbs

Spring is brilliant!

Monday 7th March 2011

I am supposed to be writing/editing my short story submission. I should also be reading MSP. But for some reason over the last few days I have just wanted to sleep, go for a leisurely walk or immerse myself in fiction related TV programmes... Sebastian Faulks on Fiction was a four hour marathon. Not sure what extra I learnt and Mr Faulks himself was not an endearing fellow. But just to get a sense of classic novels worth reading I did get some enjoyment.. especially as I realised how many I had read and how many more I have now got in a pile waiting to be read...

I then watched South Riding. (the iPlayer is a curse - you can be distracted for hours by programmes you missed through having a full and interesting life)  An adaptation of a novel by Winifred Holtby. It was okay. But somehow dramatisations lack the depth and comfort of being lost in a reading a book. Pity then that I have failed also to do this very much over the last few days...

I cannot help thinking unless I have a deadline or someone badgering me that I just prefer to loaf around. Kidding myself that I am deep in contemplation.. or perhaps I am just mentally letting go of the last two months worth of never ending slog at work.

Spring is upon us and I can't help thinking I want to branch out and meet a companion.. but that too takes energy and drive. Far better to sit and think about doing it than actually do it huh?

Anyway now all my chores are complete. Lunch is eaten and everything washed up I have no excuses.. in fact just writing this is giving me the impetus I need to get back to 'Beggars Can't be Choosers'... my short story which on the advice of tutor and trusted critic I suspect I annihilated last night in an attempt to 'improve' it... editing your own work is far tougher than writing it in the first place... especially when it's on screen and you can't scribble all over it!

Thursday .. 3rd March 2011

The stars aligned and I finally had the afternoon off! First up beer n food - followed by the cinema - a place I've not ventured to for ages. In time honoured fashion the film choice was based on actor participation! Christian Bale in The Fighter. A good film. The trailers all suggest the story is about Mark Wahlberg's character - but the sub plot of mother and son connections blinding them to the truth of the number one son was equally as compelling. An all round treat - pacy and thought provoking. Naturally all's well that ends well...

And so to Camden for a few more beers and to see an artist introduced to me last year... Darwin Deez at the Koko club. Tops venue. Real feel of old music hall! As for Darwin, first song 'Up in the Clouds' - how poignant. The rest of the set was amusing with dance segues and general band banter. Tops music and tops afternoon/evening! I was especially good as when I got in I fought the urge to send any texts or emails as my mind wandered back through the events of this time last year... instead I wrote all my feelings/thoughts in my notebook thus preventing daft stalker like behaviour.... hooray! It's a constellation!

More mad March

Capricorn

No-one needs to reveal to a Capricorn The Awful Truth – the knowledge that each of us is ‘all alone in a terrible world’ seems to come imbued from an early age. Typically, Capricorns learn as they grow older another, less chilling truth; that human warmth and love are as much a part of the human condition as isolation.

This month you likely get a taste of both flavours. Today’s new Moon in Pisces finds a slew of planets in your horoscope’s communications zone, perfect for good company, the shaking of hands on mutually beneficial business deals, or a whirl round the dancefloor with an intriguing other party. For the next couple of weeks at least, making common cause comes easy, and with an exalted in the same zone after the 27th, you have at least one true heart to whom to turn.

On the other side of the equation come heavyweight planets determined to make their point. The ongoing square of Saturn represents the prickly side of business and professional affairs – routine stuff for a Capricorn, though the ringed planet’s clash with Jupiter late in the month sounds a decisive note, especially for birthdays around 5 January. Since Jupiter and Saturn meet and oppose rarely – every 20 years – decisions you make now resonate forcefully. If you have the years, the issues in play now are those from 1981 and 2000.

With home and career now in opposition, the respect due to each has to likewise be brought into balance. Your glorious Capricorn career may have to go on hold while you sort out the homestead. Here, given the uproar at the exact root of your ‘scope at the Equinox, nothing is going to be the same again anyway. Embrace domestic change.

The annual showdown between the Sun and Pluto in late March likewise nudges property and professional issues to tipping point. Mercury’s three week retrograde in April will doubtless strew minor obstacles in the way but for making Big Decisions, the time is now.

The weekend of the 26th/27th is a personal power spot when you can force anyone’s bluff, find out who’s as serious as you. Friendship circles are on the move anyway; the new pattern in your personal life won’t become apparent until summer. Right now, it’s about business.

Mad March...

Lucky Days: 8, 9, 17, 18, 27

Yucky Days: 6, 7, 13, 14, 20

Fashion Icon: Sienna Miller

Colour: Copper

This is not a month to expect firm footing, Goat. It’s certainly not your fault and there’s not much you can do about the pervasive rumblings all around, except to ground yourself as much as possible. The New Moon in Pisces on the 4th may be the mellowest day of the entire month, but things will quickly get wild and wacky close to the colossal Uranus shift commencing on 11 March. This planet rules rebellion and unexpected change. Since the coming shift is rocking the very roots of your horoscope, you’ll get a glimpse into the radical changes that are taking place with material reality as you’ve known it. Your whole idea of home, family, real estate and all domestic issues won’t be the same when Uranus completes its trip through this part of your chart (seven years from now). The Full Moon in your travel sector on the 19th could bring a chance for a getaway. A trip to a restful locale might offer the proper perspective you’ll need to see you through all of the transformations that are only beginning to unfurl. Just avoid last-minute travel plans around the Mercury Retrograde on or right before the 30th of the month. If you must get on the road, give yourself extra travel time and expect delays or re-routing.

Jekyll & Hyde

March 1st 2011 - sees me start my week of culture! It's my first trip to Wimbledon Theatre this year to see Marti Pellow in Jekyll and Hyde. Been ages since I saw a musical. Sets were good and the two leading females had powerful ballard voices. There were some amusing moments - Jekyll's transformation into Hyde was merely a case of scruffing up his hair! All in all a good start to my few months of theatre tripping...

Next up... Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo... which by all accounts is going to be a scream!

Short story...

I have an idea for my next one... but have got a bit stumped by PLOT!! Doh!

Instinct

Am currently addicted to the album 'Instinct' by Mandalay.

Influenced by a c-d single sent to me whilst I was in the US for 3 months in 2000; Matt the Millwall fan sent me 'Flowers Bloom'. A haunting and excellent tribute to love - unrequited.

Pity it has probably taken me until now to realise why he sent to me.. and how my non-reaction to it probably caused the relationship to terminate on my arrival back in the UK.

Strange how music and places resonant.

Spiller Groovejet - takes me back to 10 years ago when I met Hugo Lovegod.. ah funny days, funny indeed. Gills were in the Championship. Not anymore. Oh well...

National Humiliation Month.. and some retrospection.

Lucky Days: 9, 10, 18, 27, 28
Yucky Days: 6, 7, 14, 15, 21
Fashion Icon: Kate Moss
Colour: Denim
Mercury, the messenger planet, leaves your constellation on 3 February while Venus, the love and pleasure magnet, enters on the same day. The switch over offers you a sweet break from the buzzing synapses and gadgets. February’s focus is mainly on your financial sector with the Sun, New Moon (2 February), Mercury, Venus and Mars occupying the money sector of your horoscope. This is a most opportune time to work on your taxes, straighten out any lingering bank balance issues and strategise about new ways to increase your current income. With Jupiter gracing the base of your chart, you’re in the throes of a fabulous lucky period. When the Sun enters Pisces on 18 February and Mars follows on the 22nd, you’ll be less focused on money matters and more interested in more imaginative ventures like creative scheming. Use the first half of the month to get your business brain on so you can relax and dream from the 18th onward.

Capricorn

Well who’d a thunk it? The Goat gets the Valentine prize! Venus, the romance goddess herself, is in your skies for the rest of February – perfect for attracting some up close action, whether from your main squeeze or from more remote admirers. Venus is about enjoying company as well as love affairs, meaning the least you can do is dress up and truck round a few social functions, or put out the best china for friends.

Capricorn doesn’t have much of a reputation for romance, perhaps because practical considerations usually weigh heavy on them (though there is always the traditional ‘old goat’ to take into account). Despite the call to achieve at all costs, the Sea-Goat is, as its watery, fishy half suggests, an emotional creature. Like their Cancerian counterparts, however, Capricorns are wary of revealing their vulnerable side; the appearance of being in control takes precedence.

A visible, hands-on public role is certainly the order of your planet, Saturn, in the short term. Planets this spring emphasise the demands of job and of family – squaring the demands of each looks particularly tricky – rather than tussling with a partnership. Those two ‘relationship planets’, Mars and Venus, slip swiftly through the zodiac zones associated with friendships, play, and fleeting encounters.

May and June are a different matter. Venus, Mars and Jupiter lined up in Taurus, a fellow earth sign, promise a summer to remember, when your emotional attachments take precedence, including, for those searching, a pressing affair of the heart. With Jupiter involved, long distance love may prove part of the deal.

Here in February, aspects to intense Pluto (in your skies for the long haul) come from Venus on the 10th and Jupiter on the 25th; days to consider who truly presses your buttons.

Valentine signs: Taurus and Libra
--

Oh the irony of Libra... a year ago I started emailing Paul.. three months of bliss were ahead of me followed by six months of disbelief...and so now a new film is release with the same name and the wheel of my life turns another circle... I am going to try an avoid all encounters until MAY!! Maybe changing the date of meeting someone will help me hold onto them.. I have as it goes also cancelled ALL subscriptions to online dating sites.

Frankly not sure anyone could live up to last years experience and also my spare time is practically zilch. Nada. In fact I am just a Slave to the Wage and not overly enjoying it.

The call of creative writing yells louder at me whilst my brain sits wrung dry from too much effort at the day to day work... I crave some sun shine. A gentle breeze. A loving look. And the space to explore language and life again.

Not emails. Video conferences. Phone conferences. Meetings. Agendas. Notes. Work Packages.

I do also wonder what Mr Yarns is up to now...

Technology

SUCKS!!!

this week...

Your Week Ahead starting Saturday 8 January 2011: Every law has a loophole and every cloud has a silver lining. We often attain greatest success as a direct result of our ability to think inventive thoughts and to read between the lines. Your own talent in this area is about to reward you. To fully engage your creativity, though, you must first disengage the 'emotional gear' you are driving forward in. Your current psychological journey requires you to cover a lot of ground. You care deeply about what is happening all around. That's admirable. But if you care too much, you'll get too caught up in the detail. Keep the broader view in mind. Your Week Ahead - Love Focus: 'Let your yeah be yeah and your no be no.' This was Jimmy Cliff's motto. Usually it is your motto too. It is always comforting to be clear. Indecision is like an icy wind, blowing into a warm house through some crack in the window. It's impossible to properly relax around such a nuisance. Lately, there has been far too much uncertainty for comfort - and even where things have been definite, those definites have not been easy to accept. That's partly why you have been so keen to keep your options open. But current cosmic conditions suggest you can be clear and sure about something that inspires you.