Happy Valentine’s Day! Forgo the fondue and give the gift of astrology! Through the end of this week, receive $40 towards any Inner Makeup session. Call 504-313-8706 or email dan@innermakeup.net to order.

The origins of this holiday find their roots in the courtly love espoused by the milieu of Geoffrey Chaucer. Courtly love is defined as love that privileges the virtues of nobility, chivalry, and social acts. Nowadays, the consumption of gifts in the form of restaurant meals and commodities are exchanged as opposed to immaterial gift-giving. Last year I decided to forgo the obligatory heart shaped box and instead offered a lecture to an audience at the East Jefferson Parish Regional Library called What Astrology Has to Say About Love. The audience was comprised of largely older women who knew better than to accept the usual Valentine’s Day trappings.

So what does astrology have to say about love? Even if you know nothing about astrology you know that Venus is love. In antiquity Venus was said to find her joy in the astrological sector of love, creativity, children, and good fortune. In modernity that area has much more to do with the sun which embodies romance via will and ego assertion. There is a conflict between these two concepts—gestational creativity vs. self-driven dramatics. To further complicate matters, the sector of astrology that governs daily routines and health is said to be in aversion to romance. This makes sense—fun recreational love and sex rarely have to do with the mundane aspects of long term relationships. It is a challenge to integrate these to concepts. What to do then? The song My Funny Valentine is instructive. The lyrics tell of loving one whose looks are laughable or whose figure is less than Greek. As the comedian Greg Stone once said, “real love isn’t when everything is going well, it’s when it is not going well.” So yes, you need love and you need to feed your ego, but you also need to look for love in the most unlikely of places—the mundane world of your daily existence.

Aries: March 21 - April 19

Out of all the signs, you are the lover this Valentine’s Day. However, because you are the most aggressive of all the signs, there is a dissonance of harmony and discord within. What this is really about is your wanting to create stability for yourself in matters of the heart. Act on your vision of love that is seeking structure, and you will triumph.

Taurus: April 20 - May 20

Watch out that a love affair doesn’t get you in trouble this Valentine’s Day. You need to think about how love can disrupt what you’ve been constructing for yourself. You’ve had some sweet peace as of late, especially amongst friends, and going off on a fling might be your undoing. Let this one go.

Gemini: May 21- June 20

Things are a little foggy with regard to career matters. You do best in the coming months to review what’s been going on at work. Retreating a bit come March will do you some good and by May, your head will be clear about what you need to do. This will all lead to personal gains.

Cancer: June 21 - July 22

Focus on yourself for the next four months or so! You are able to make the kind of gains that only come astrologically once every eighteen years. There will be a lot of action relationship wise in the next couple of months, but don’t put any extra effort into this. The energy is already celestially there. But to truly progress, your personal karmic future is where it’s at.

Leo: July 23 - August 22

Your will is truly focused on a relationship right now. However some business dealings are holding you up. You might have to postpone things until a later day. Plan for a trip down the road. This will ease the current tension with that partnership.

Virgo: August 23 - September 22

Circumstances around a relationship are unclear. You do best to sort this out over the next few months and not make any moves. You might have to juggle a bit to have the romance you want this Valentine’s Day. Hey, Jeff Bezos said to his mistress, “I want to talk to you and plan with you.”

Libra: September 23 - October 22

Things could really heat up for you this Valentine’s Day—for better or worse. Finding harmony through the fire is not always easy. Those types of energies are best funneled into concrete actions. Working through pain points will allow you to use the passions to take your relationship to new heights.

Scorpio: October 23 - November 21

You’re going to be a real talker for the next couple of months. Your communication style takes on an aggressive, driving tone. On one hand this is good for you. Scorpionic energy struggles to get things out. But don’t let the cat get your tongue. You might be the one who ends up getting your ass bitten in the end.

Sagittarius: November 22 - December 21

You have a chance over the next couple of months to make some money moves, but it will be volatile. It will be a combination of acting, juggling, staying steady, and making some deep sometimes cataclysmic changes that need to occur. While this is regarding your money, you make gains more easily with investments and even tax refunds.

Capricorn: December 22 - January 19

You’re coming down the pike of what feels like a loss of self. This is not bad, and it gives you spiritual insights. Losing oneself is painful, but the dissolution of identity is freeing at the end of the day. You make progress when you focus on partnerships and how you relate to others in general.

Aquarius: January 20 - February 18

Something is unclear about your finances right now. Don’t make any moves in the next couple of months. Let the facts surface as they will. Come this spring you will be in a good position to take some healthy risks.

Pisces: February 19 - March 20

Things are a little unclear for you physically. You do best to wait this spell out. Don’t make any big changes with regard to your health. Come this spring you’ll get to the bottom of what’s going on and the matter will end.

These horoscopes were originally published in Ambush Magazine.

Moon Messages Week of May 7, 2018

Most astrology focuses on the Sun—Your Will and Purpose

But what about the Moon?

The Moon is the Embodiment of Communication, Emotion, and Spirit

The Goddess

Opposite God

What is the Moon’s Message to You?

That is the Will and Purpose of This Column

Published Every Monday, which means Moon Day

As the beautiful days of Taurus have begun their denouement, so is the moon waning. This is not necessarily an easy wane, as the moon looks toward the future while letting go of the past, starting off the week inhabiting the sign of visionary Aquarius. What are you to do? Inquire, especially with others whom you find wondrous and beautiful, about what the coming months hold for you. Your questions and curiosity take on a child-like tone as sociable Venus wears the energy of extroverted, playful Gemini, and this is a better approach than joining with war-mongering Mars. Be a child who drops the toy that no longer holds his attention, and you will move forward triumphantly.

Aries, Born 3/21-4/19: Relating to others is not necessarily your forte, but reach out and let others do your pioneering work for you.

Taurus, Born 4/20-5/20: Past failures don’t have to indicate future gains, especially with regard to your status and career. Become a child as you playfully envision what the future may hold.

Gemini, Born 5/21-6/20: The wonderful benefic planet Venus is in your sign, and the moon beautifully aspects her, so there’s no limit to your love and social life.

Cancer, Born 6/21-7/22: Confronting your thoughts and feelings about love and relationships may not be easy, but when you bring them to light, you become a master of the social arena.

Leo, Born 7/23-8/22: You’re desperate to move forward but, your past seems to be holding you back with regard to your future plans. Don’t worry about the past as it’s already behind you.

Virgo, Born 8/23-9/22: You’re feeling your past especially as it relates to health and working conditions. Your future is not wedded to the past but rather your dramatic motion forwards, even if it’s a dream unbeknownst to you.

Libra, Born 9/23-10/22: You’re feeling the past especially as it relates to your creative offspring. Even though this is where your emotions are, try to get outside of them and be curious about how the higher realms of thought and spirit can take you to your next destination.

Scorpio, Born 10/23-11/21: Your thoughts are dedicated to how you can place the structures to support your ambition and success, but take a moment to remember the past as you move forward, lest you sting someone else and cause your own demise.

Sagittarius, Born 11/22-12/21: Your thoughts and feelings are dominated by the past, but you’re moving towards a higher, more knowledge-driven future. This will take some dramatic expression on your part, as opposed to your usual blunt, seeking movements.

Capricorn, Born 12/22-1/19: There may be some money troubles, but money comes in the form of values. When you decide what really matters for you, your past money troubles will lead to future gains.

Aquarius, Born 1/20-2/18:Though you desperately want to move to the future, as Aquarius is the sign of the future, you’re feeling the weight of the past. A warm, golden lover will help, if you’re open to the drama of a relationship.

Pisces, Born 2/19-3/20: You may have some unresolved issues regarding past ideals for your future. You must honor these feelings, or they could be your undoing.

I’m Dan Beck, a spiritual consultant and astrologer based in New Orleans, LA, and I provide a variety of offerings for your spiritual longings. To book an appointment or select one of my offerings, click here.