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YOUR PERSONALIZED MONTH BY MONTH NEW ASTROLOGY © HOROSCOPE FOR 2009
prepared especially for Barack by Suzanne White
Date of Birth: August 04, 1961
Your Signs
LEO OX
THE NEW ASTROLOGY © is a blend of Chinese and Western Astrology. There are 144 New Astrology © signs. In Chapter One you will find a description of your character and your habits (both good and bad). In Chapter Two you will encounter an overview of the year to come for each of your signs. Chapter Three will give you a month-by-month forecast for both your Western Sun Sign and your Chinese animal sign.

To find out what will happen to you in 2009, simply read all the information for each of your two signs' futures for 2009. Then switch on your mental blender, set it to "high" and whip yourself up a smoothie out of the Western horoscopes and the Chinese sign forecast. Give your brain ten full minutes to swirl all the various prophecies together.... and Bob's your uncle - at least for 2009.
On January 26, 2009, we enter the year of the busybody dictator Ox. Curious to a fault, nosy and meddlesome, Earth Oxen think they know best, and they often do. In general, these folks consider themselves superior to other people. They not only think they are better; they believe they were born to lead others, to teach the poor things how to live, and sometimes even to push them around like pawns on the chessboard of life. What we have here is a very nature-oriented, earth-bound, power-mad megalomaniac whose nose for locating flies in life's various ointments is practically infallible.

This is not to say we didn't need such a stringent ruler to come along in 2009. We did. All of us are suffering. Some of us have too much and are stumbling over excess and wading through our own glut. Many more of us have nothing. The world financial market, such as we knew it, is over. Change and upheaval are in the very air we breathe. Religious fanaticism seems to have more power among certain young people than either rock music or computer games could ever have inspired. People are slaughtering other people in the name of a god figure. Other people are dropping bombs on peoples' houses and churches and hospitals and weddings in the name of an increasing energy need to fuel more pollution. Our food sources are being poisoned in the name of efficacy.

Let's face it. Things were getting out of hand.

Now, along comes the Earth Ox to get us back in line, to make order out of all the chaos we have ourselves wreaked on the world. But what kind of Ox is an Earth Ox?

Well, a more self-possessed type of Ox doesn't exist. The Earth Ox is autonomous and ruthless. The Earth Ox may occasionally appear to cower in the face of something overwhelming. And, deep down, he may really be afraid. But he won't display fear. He will display audacity instead. Many sense his fear. As a result, they do not always feel obliged to take the Ox's haughty posturing very seriously. It is tempting (but unwise) to thumb one's nose at a bossy Earth Ox. These people mean business! Most times, it's "their way or the highway". The Earth Ox's shrewd punitive measures for shirkers are legendary - even shocking!

Earth born Oxen believe that their true goal is to achieve perfection. They never quail at the idea of intense hard work, are terminally organized and cannot so much as a glimmer of spontaneity. The life and soul of the party, this creature is not. The Earth Ox leads. He or she is in charge. Hence they are never really part of any group.

So these Earth Oxen are brave. And bold. Temerity is their middle name. Think about it - Earth and Ox together? A bulldozer. They caterpillar-tractor their way over any number of corpses to get into any board room, cabinet meeting or bedroom where they feel they should be allowed to enter - without knocking. As long as the Earth Ox needs something and wants it, it's his (or hers).

This snatch-and-grab approach may seem horrendously cut throat to others; but these folks carry on as they do because (believe it or not) they are insecure! Yes. Insecurity is the key to all the bullying on Earth, and the Earth Ox is no exception. They secretly suffer from a fear of being unloved, rejected and abandoned. This Ox is never sure of a best friend or even a best bed partner. They are also well aware that they are clumsy and unskilled at appreciating subtlety. So... to spare their own tender feelings, these Oxen use aggressive tactics to fend off aggression from others.

Even the most successful Earth Ox is a bit of a klutz, an awkward peasant in bourgeois clothing. They may wish they had never become so visible as to be obliged to hobnob with all the splendid people who only make them feel more like a hick. What Earth Oxen wanted to do when they set out to take over the world was to lead the people. But they never dreamed that they might also have to learn to drink champagne, make small talk, wear evening clothes or take ballroom dance lessons.

If you or I woke up one day and faced the responsibility of piloting the globe, it might be difficult to maintain our cool. Since Earth Oxen were born with this leadership certainty and are basically sincere, when they accede to the massive job of shepherding the world, they do want everything to run smoothly. After all, while they are in power, the outcome of all human endeavor rests with them. If things go well, and the Earth Ox feels he or she is doing the job correctly, then they can afford to be in a good mood. If the works gum up (which sometimes happens), these Earth Oxen truly believe it is all their fault.

Does he or she get depressed and sulk? Will she explode? Will he knock over tables and chairs? Or might he take to drink or she drugs? No. Earth Oxen are convinced that because they define the limits, they need not hesitate to overstep them - all the time. It's nigh unto impossible for the Earth born Ox to accept advice. They never ask for assistance. He or she expects the best from everyone and when they don't get it, they tend to sanction their subjects... severely.

The one sure path to an Earth Ox's heart is through its stomach. Good restaurants thrive in Earth Ox years. These leaders love to eat thick, country-style soups, platefuls of fried fishy tidbits or a couple of crusty quiches Lorraine. These Oxen can often be master chefs as well.

What about love? For this kind of Ox, sex represents a healthy physical act. Romance may be cute, but it is not the Earth Ox's favorite means of communication. They are not up for employing seduction tactics or whispering sweet nothings. A good hearty meal, a glass of wine and a little sexercise is the best aphrodisiac for this character. Hold the sweet nothings.

Finally, beside the fact that this Ox makes an exacting leader and a disciplined self-starter, he or she is often literary or artistic in some specialized area. He always finishes what he starts. She can be counted on for promptness and trusted for basic honesty. However, blindness to their own fallibility may lead Earth Oxen to commit some dreadful errors and profound guilt and denial can follow.

During Earth Ox years, the accent is on obedience and hard work. That gigantic stone which hurtled crazily back down the mountain last year must be replaced up there atop the mountain by the end of 2009. And who gets to roll up his or her sleeves and push and shove and sweat and slave till that rock is back on top? We do of course.
  
Barack,
AS A LEO YOU EMBODY AS A OX YOU PERSONIFY
"NOBILITY, POWER, LOYALTY, PHILANTHROPY, WARMTH, PROTECTION, ARROGANCE, SELF-SATISFACTION, VANITY, TYRANNY, PROMISCUITY, IMMODESTY "STUBBORNNESS, INTEGRITY, STRENGTH OF PURPOSE, BIGOTRY, ELOQUENCE, PLODDING, STANDOFFISHNESS, DILIGENCE, INNOVATION, BIAS, VINDICTIVENESS, STABILITY

Leadership and dominion combine here to create a forceful, if stolid, personality. Rapport with you never feels completely intimate or cozy. One wonders if there is really a heart beating inside your ribcage or whether you might be propelled by some remote control device. This assessment may sound harsh or unfair. But you Leo/Oxen are so austere and deliberate in manner that it’s difficult not to imagine you as insensitive. Sexually, you plumb serious depths and are not always faithful. Despite an offhand air of indifference, you are insatiable in bed and require much physical attention - but not all that much imagination - in the act of love. In all aspects of life, you are convinced that you know best. You are the first and final judge of what is suitable and true. If others have a different opinion, you prefer they keep it to themselves. You simply are not curious about others’ views. You are driven to do things perfectly; so you are tireless at keeping order. Your life will always be missing spontaneity because you prefer plans and schedules and routines to impromptu gatherings or hurry-up picnics in the park. You are rigidly concerned about image and maintain the same rigour vis-à-vis your family and friends. You may appear to be active, busy and energetic in the extreme. But however you seem, you are nonetheless ponderous and somehow, leadenly slow. For you, it's the result that counts. Not how quickly you achieve it.

Famous Leo/Oxen: Monica Lewinsky, Napoleon Bonaparte, Oscar Peterson, Russell Baker, Dustin Hoffman, Louis Armstrong, Menachem Begin, Robert Redford, Barack Obama.

LEO 2009 - What the EARTH OX Year has in store for you:
What on Earth does the EARTH OX Year have in store for you?

For 2009, you bit off a lot more than most Lions can chew in a lifetime. Mid last year you decided to undertake a project, a course of study, job shift or even what you thought was a simple separation from your sweetie. Now that you are wrestling with the thickest part of said project, you almost wonder if it was worth bothering to try to be your own hero/ine. My advice? Don't give up. Hang in there and show your mettle in order to advance your life in the manner you have been longing to for far too long.

Nothing is as simple as it looks in the beginning when you're full of hope and have stars in your eyes about what you dream will be the outcome. Nobody warns you, that during the project in question, you will be confronted with hurdles more challenging than you ever might have imagined. Or maybe people did try to warn you. But guess what? You didn't listen. How could you? You didn't just have stars in your eyes... you had some in your ears too.

One of the inevitable aspects of having undertaken this venture into the unknown is it keeps you far from home. Best case scenario you will take advantage of holidays and vacation time to speed back home and spend time with loved ones. On the other hand, if you really were seeking a definitive separation or even a divorce, bless the distance you have put between you and the person you are disuniting from. Absence does not always make the heart grow fonder. Absence sometimes has a salutary effect on one's reasoning center as well.

So what of the Earth Ox year? How will all of this pan out for Leos?

First of all, you will be too busy in the first 3 months of 2009 to stop and re-consider. You will be obliged to get up, shine and put the pedal to the metal every day (including Sundays) until about mid March. Then, you will be able to take a well-deserved break and scoot on home if that is your wont. If, for obvious reasons, you prefer not to show up at home, why not steal yourself a jaunt to somewhere special you have always wanted to go? It doesn't have to be an exotic Thai spa or a sojourn at a South American Estancia. If you're in Vermont and feel like seeing Niagara Falls or long to take in some Broadway plays... why not?

In June again you will emerge into the light of day. At this time, your sentimental life will light up like a Christmas tree and beckon you spend some high quality sensual hours in silken sheets or downy bed linens. The lover of the moment promises to be an exceptional talent at lovemaking just the way you like it. Take every advantage of this luscious period of the year. Trust me, you will have earned it.

By September, you and your new sweetheart should be settled into some kind of domestic routine that allows for both of you to go on with your respective careers. If either of you has children, you will most likely have to locate suitable day care. This may take some time, but if you interview and screen candidates, you will be lucky, and by October the child care question will be settled.

By holiday time your finances will be looking perkier than you expected. Don't spend ALL your newfound shekels on presents and holiday cheer. Stash some cash and plan yourself a few wintry weeks in 2010 in a Thai Spa.
OX 2009 - What the EARTH OX Year has in store for you:
Finally! By January 26, when the Chinese new year begins, you will know for sure that steady plodding really does win the race. At last you find yourself here in your own very own year. This year offers a major chance to make a big difference in your life now and for the next dozen years. The year itself usually runs relatively sedately along without too many political or social hitches. But in your case, if in an Ox year you don’t jump at the chance to implement adjustments in your point of view and lifestyle, you may end up barging into a mudslide of majestic proportion. You’re not one to unduly upset apple carts. Normally, your job is to pull them. This year, it’s time to give that cart a good shove and let all the apples roll into the road. Then take a good look at which are the choicest picks, gather them. Then make a plan to use the best apples to improve your life. Build a house. Take a trip around the world. Buy an island or an abandoned hamlet in Croatia. The message? In Ox years, take charge of your existence and make it different from what has gone before. You are sometimes reluctant to grab change by the throat and run with it. This year, either you do so or you will be condemned to slog and drudge for 12 more years without making any real progress.

You will be called upon over and over again this year to lead the pack, to make sweeping decisions for the communal good and to find ways to solve problems nobody (really no one) has been obliged to solve before. Although at first, these responsibilities may seem overwhelming. By the month of March, you should have everything more or less under control.

One of the good things about being an Ox person is that you know how to dream up schemes and plans as well as to follow through on them. You are a hands-on sort of guy or woman and you are not afraid of challenge. Only hitch is you sometimes lack imagination and fail to grasp subtleties in crucial situations. Like a gifted general, you lead with aplomb and inspire obedience. But you must surround yourself with men and women shrewder than yourself who can advise you in matters of strategy and tactical approach. It is said that Oxen are sometimes clumsy. Well, they are. All the more reason to master the art of delegating to fancier dancers who never miss-step but who wouldn't know how to lead a donkey by a rope. You are the leader. Take hold of that role this year. Your willingness to be looked up to and respected for your qualities of stability and wisdom can bring about major changes in your life and the lives of those who revere you.

There is but one word to describe your love life in 2009. STABLE. It won't be an exciting time full of passionate kisses and first meetings complete with rushes of adrenalin and pounding heartbeats. This is your year to plan the next 12. Dalliances are simply not on the docket. For one, you won't have time. For another, you daren't get off the projected track. And for a third, if you decided now to begin cheating on your significant other, you would be committing a crime against all you have built together. Infidelity now might also set a pattern for the next 12 years. You would be mad to veer off into the sunset with some part time floozie or muscly nitwit ( just for the fun of it ) at this critical moment in the development of your existence.

By November of 2009, you will be feeling more chipper than you have in a long time .Not only will your health be tip top, but your immediate family life will have settled down and order once again prevail in the household. There may be a wedding or a celebration in late Fall where you will be asked to give a speech or make a toast to someone you are not exactly mad about. Be gracious enough to accept the offer. But limit your comments to whatever positive aspects of the person you are able to scrape off the bottoms of your hooves. In 2009, in general, you will be admired for your ability to wield an iron hand with diplomacy.
LEO Month Of January
‘Tis the season for amorous adventures. Leos are feeling mischievous as the holiday season wraps up and their sex appeal is moving and shaking off the Richter scale. January will be a time to release this tension. Throw your seductive abilities into overdrive. Just don’t get caught with your hand in the cookie jar. If there is someone that you are committed to, do try to honor that. You Leo gentlemen are notorious for sowing your seeds where they don’t belong. Take the long view and measure the consequences of your actions. One night of pleasure is hardly worth the repercussions if you get caught red-handed by the one you love. It's on thing to be busy indulging in amorous ventures. But, quite another to refrain from indulging monetarily. Wining and dining is momentous fun but now is just not the time. Your finances are in a shambles, Leo. Notice how hard a time you are having adjusting your lifestyle to accommodate this fact? You need to curtail certain frivolous habits. Riding first class? Cut it out. Drinking expensive bottles of wine in your living room after work? Time for a downgrade. Eyeing that new technological device that just came on the market? Don’t even think about it.
OX Month Of January
This new year is going to top any you have lived through in a very long time. Oxen will be featured as of January 26 and there is no backing out now. Your task this month will be to plan the next dozen years. According to the Chinese calendar, when the year wears your name, it is the first of a series of twelve years in which to plan the next cycle of your existence. So start now. Plan where you want to be in 2020. January is the month in which to consider your fate over the next 12 years. Ask yourself key questions. Will you be married? How many children will you have? Where will you be living in 2 or 3 or 5 or 10 years? Will you have enough money to carry you into old age? How old will your parents be and will they need your assistance? What kinds of jobs will you have done and which hobbies do you want to pursue? Are there creative endeavors that need to be embarked upon? If so, how will you make time to fit them into an otherwise busy schedule? As this is also the final month of the cycle of 12 years past, you may endure some moments of self doubt and insecurity. These uncertain feelings are normal and should not worry you over much. Money is tight. Time is short. Make the best of it. Busy yourself. Look up old friends on the web and drop them all an e-line to find out how they're doing. You will be amazed at how some people stayed exactly as they were back in high school and others jetted ahead and lived fascinating (if risky) lives.
LEO Month Of February
You’ve been plugging along diligently at work. The year of the Earth Ox is upon us all. Get used to it. There will be no rest for the weary as your project gains momentum and you see an increase in demand. Beware of competition midmonth. There may be someone who has their eye on your prize and will steal your ideas if you aren’t careful to conceal details. Be picky about with whom your share your secret recipe. Sometimes the trickiest characters are those who feign ignorance. Leos will meet a quick-witted Aquarius around Valentine’s Day. Their beautiful eyes will catch your attention, and their personality will keep it interested. But be forewarned: this character may be tons more elusive than you have the patience for. Keep watching them from arm’s length. Don’t be seduced by their enigmatic detachment. That distance caper they keep pulling might only be a cover up for a rather dysfunctional personality… which, in the long run, is just not that sexy. By all means, don't snub this person. But you shouldn’t put them on a pedestal. Remember what a catch you are. Check yourself out in the mirror. Then decide if they deserve you.
OX Month Of February
If anyone knows how to conserve energy, it's you Oxen people. You move at your own speed and heed no calls for haste. In some situations you might even be thought of as a "slowpoke". Never you mind. Your deliberate pace has nothing to do with dawdling. You simply take your good old time. I bring this up because this month of February is the first in a series of 12 where you will be in charge. Set the pace now. Along the way, especially in July and August, others will encourage you to hurry and decide this or that policy or change this or that method. Just shake your wooly head "no" and continue on your ponderous way, considering one solution and the other before acting. During February, your goal should be to establish the tone of your reign and decide how you intend to rule this roost for the next year. Your health could be better. Some intestinal complaints may crop up. If you are over forty, try taking digestive enzymes. Under forty? Don't drink carbonated beverages. The bubbles wreak havoc on the gut. Romance? Remember Valentine's Day, but forget about stealing any time away from business for spooning in the moonlight.
LEO Month Of March
The tempest of drudgery that you have been plowing through for the past few months is at long last subsiding. You will rediscover some normalcy in your daily lifestyle as you find more time for simple things. Grocery shop, exercise and time for eating long, leisurely meals. You may even find time for the occasional bubble bath. Your tired body deserves some time off. You probably feel as though you are stumbling out of a battle zone. Not only has your work been incredibly demanding; but your love life hasn’t exactly been a piece of cake either. Dating has proven to be a series of letdowns. Or if you're in a live-in situation, your domestic life has been rife with skirmishes. Well, cool your jets, Leo. March will be a time to recollect and preen. Seasons are on the verge of changing. With that evolution will come fresh opportunity and uplifted spirits. This month you should focus on physical well being. Hit the gym, breathe some fresh air, improve your appearance. Drink plenty of water to keep your skin bright and your energy high. Spend extra time with an elderly loved one around the 10th. Illness or general depression may be getting the better of them. Your presence will cheer them.
OX Month Of March
Now that you have been seated on the throne for over a month you should be feeling a bit less fraught. Now you can take some leisure time to enjoy your family life. Take short trips for pleasure toward the end of the month. Or, occupy your free time by pursuing your favorite hobby. Oxen are often tinkerers who enjoy working with their hands. If that's the case, make all new drapes for your home or refinish a piece of furniture. If you enjoy the theater, join an amateur theater group. If it's painting or drawing, take a class with that artist you so admire. Your money stash may have been severely diminished in the recent financial crisis. March would be the perfect time to rebuild your fortunes. Unless you are a true pro, I am not suggesting you invest in the stock market. But you may be interested to discover there are more stable places to keep your money than in banks. Research the alternatives now. Someone in your immediate entourage may be demanding more attention than usual. You will not be certain what is motivating them. Do be cautious, as it appears this character has an agenda, and it's not 100% honorable. Remain courteous. But find reasons to be too busy to get involved.
LEO Month Of April
It looks like around the 6th you could experience a rift with friends. Have you been poking your nose in other people’s affairs lately? They may end up loving you all the same, but you should be careful not to overstep their boundaries. Your intentions may be honorable, but they end up generating unnecessary drama. Try to hold your tongue. Friends value your opinion, but they also need to trust that their personal information isn’t being indiscriminately bandied about. Your meddling might be interfering with the outcome they are hoping for. Back off, Leo. You are adored. That doesn’t mean you are exempt from the rules of friendship. Be sure to go easy on the greasy foods this month. April is hardly the moment to be carrying any extra bulge. Be active. Eat light. Enjoy your independence. Maybe you should take a stab at traveling solo around the 24th. You may be unaccustomed to going stag but it’s actually a great way to meet new people. Keep an eye out for a dark-haired Aries along the way.
OX Month Of April
When your mind is made up about something or someone, it tends to stay that way. You are a person of strong opinions and are (naturally) as stubborn as an ox when it comes to having to alter those notions. In fact, rather than change your mind about your deepest convictions, you usually clam up. In April, a contentious atmosphere could arise in your workplace over either a political view or a subject having to do with religion or morality. Just about everybody has guessed by now what your feelings are on the subject, but someone (could be a Dragon) in a rather important position at work will have decided to test your mettle - just to see if you are sincere about your beliefs. This fracas will peek through the shutters of your life in the beginning of the month. But, you must, in your usual cool-headed fashion, ignore it. Turning a blind eye, however, will not satisfy this troublemaker's curiosity. By April 15 you will find yourself being quizzed and tested on a subject you deem private. Hold your position. Don't let down your guard. Remain silent but smiling. You have more mettle than your blustery adversary bargained for. As the month winds down, so will the contentious challenger's determination, and your stress level will decrease accordingly. This is not a time to spend money. Keep to your budget. Hold off on major purchases. Save for a journey later in the year. Try to remember to be more romantic. Your partner has been very tolerant this year. Flowers, candies, candlelight dinners and, above all, sweet nothings to enliven April bedtime activities.
LEO Month Of May
Some people need plans. They need to know what time, what place, what agenda, what décor. Then they get their knickers in a wad when plans go belly-up. Well not you, Leo. This month you are flying by the seat of your pants and laughing in the face of regimentation. This free-spirited joie de vivre will be your secret weapon this month. Absolutely nothing will evolve as expected and you will revel in the frenetic spontaneity of it all. Planning an outdoor banquet? You can count on rain. Traveling? I can almost guarantee they’ve lost your hotel reservation. Planning a romantic date with your sweetheart? Dead car battery 15 minutes before you’re due to meet. This is the way it will go, and nobody will handle it with more grace and positivity than you will, dear Leo. You’ll be quick on your feet and may improvise; but try though you might to right them, things will remain half-cocked. Demands at work will require undivided attention and professionalism. Planning a presentation? Have a back-up plan in case for some reason the technology fails. Also, be sure to back up files on your computer. In the event your laptop crashes, I would hate to say I told you so. Take it all in stride this May. Don't pin your hopes on pipe dreams. Your plate will be filling itself generously in the months to come. For now, keep it simple.
OX Month Of May
There will probably be movement in your professional life this month. Traditionally, this is the Snake month, and there is something about Oxen that Snakes (in their infinite wisdom) sense is worth the detour. Snake/Ox couples often survive for eons, even under severe duress. You get along with Snakes and, somewhere in your career life this month, the good fortune which the Snake brings to your existence is going to show up. The shift is likely to occur around the tenth of May. You will be promoted or asked to head up a new department or initiate some revolutionary project that only such a sturdy, thoughtful person as yourself could manage to establish and follow through on. You may be tempted to resist this offer for fear it will interfere with your love life. Why not consult with your significant other as to whether or not he or she feels confident that frequent absences on your part will not threaten the relationship. It's probable that you will end up accepting this proposition though not so much for the increase in wages. Rather, you will take this upon yourself as a personal challenge because it tests your abilities and you like that feeling. You may have to learn a new language in order to fulfill all the demands of this new position. Find the best teacher and ask the company to pay for a crash course. Once again, romance slides to the back burner. But not to worry. With this newfound prestige job, you will be able to take off months at a time and spend them with your darling.
LEO Month Of June
Feeling a little disoriented these days? June could be a rather self-centered time for Leos. That is as it should be. Use this time to focus on awareness and improvement of self. Your Ego and Id will be moving your mental furniture around this month. You may be left feeling at loose ends. Surrender yourself to some in-depth self-examination. The results will be most beneficial. By midmonth you will be feeling both fortified and renewed. Keep a journal. Diaries help you sort out your thoughts. June will be a time of sexual experimentation for Leos. This may mean trying new tricks with your current partner, accepting a date offer from someone who is completely not your type or experimenting with an opposite opposite sex partner. This experimentation should be fun and healthy. Do be sure to be set your own limits before embarking on anything too zany, particularly around the 11th. No amount of soap can wash away the grubby feelings that remain when and if we engage in practices which we deem immoral. Stay within the boundaries of what your body and mind agree is acceptable.
OX Month Of June
Adjusting to your new assignment may produce some anxiety. You characteristically go quiet when you're nervous; so certain family members may feel neglected and create problems by acting out or being more demanding than usual. Best case scenario would be to sit down with him or her and ask the right questions as to why they are upset, apologize for being less approachable and see how they react Of course you are unlikely to take such an initiative because you are stressed and have shut down. There is nothing more useful than communication to lighten the atmosphere between two people. If you force yourself to open up, family rapport will improve markedly. This month may be trying in other ways too. An unexpected event (breakdowns, storms and other acts of gods) can confront you with an unforeseen expense. If you have been keeping your money safe, you have some for this rainy day expense. If not, the picture will be less pleasant as the repair (or clean up or replacement of pipes or major appliances) is both extensive and essential to your comfort and that of your loved ones. This is not a time to borrow money. If you and/or your significant other are handy, perhaps you can do it yourselves. If not, get in a brother-in-law or cousin or even an unemployed neighbor to help out in return for beer or a few home cooked meals.
LEO Month Of July
What began as sexual experimentation in June will become an exciting part of your newfound identity in July. What you saw as a step outside of your comfort zone last month has unleashed a side of you that you never knew existed, and you are surprising yourself in good ways. Your head is floating in the thrilling chaos of this new self-discovery. Your energy levels are high and self-assuredness fairly leaps off your shining face. You have all but forgotten pesky old habits that you typically use to fill voids. Those voids have been filled by something indescribably better. Eating too much, drinking too much, smoking or lolling about as a couch potato are all vices that can be left behind by Leos in July. With this reinvention of self will come a newfound clarity about your purpose or direction in life. You will gain a greater understanding of the best ways to utilize your strengths in the years to come. You will get a glimpse of how to incorporate your creative potential into your professional life. The seed of a future career change will be planted in your head this month. This newfound knowledge will be reassuring to your stubborn, idealistic side (which all Leos enjoy). You may feel you have trying all along to wear the wrong shoes and suddenly you can see the potential to gain more freedom of self expression. You’re on to something.
OX Month Of July
Because tensions at work are as taut as piano wire this month, you will need some sort of alternative activity to loosen your own wires and let you breathe outside of the fetid climate in that office. You are trying to lead a bunch of very competent people who, each in his or her own way, needs to believe he or she is right. That's your challenge. You must admit working with smarties is better than having to try to direct operations with a band of fools - or is it? At least the fools tend to do as they're told and don't snap out their high-flown ideas as though they were in charge. As a rule now, you should take long lunch hours away from the office. Invent people you must lunch with, eat a sandwich instead and go to the gym, do yoga, get a massage or have your hair done. When you get back to work, go straight to your office and shut the door. You will feel renewed and the hotshot employees will hesitate to disturb you. The message? Be less chummy and more mysterious. Keep your distance and your nose in the air. It works every time. You need an appointment with an internist. Find a good one and have all the tests done. Don't accept less. You must maintain your health. If you're over forty, have a heart run up and colonoscopy, a mammogram or prostate scan. Don't scrimp on medical care. Yes, it takes time. Yes, it might save your life. Eat lighter. Sandwiches can be fattening. Depends what kind of breads and what's inside. Skip desserts.
LEO Month Of August
Humans have a remarkable capacity to forget the ugly and remember the beautiful. That gift alone can be our salvation. Somehow, we all manage to retain the fond memories of a given circumstance and leave the painful ones to gather in the cracks of yesterday. no matter how onerous or impactful the memories. By this means we set ourselves up to repeat our mistakes.
Leos will need to be cautious of this tendency in August. Perhaps an old flame who left you out to dry will be turning up on your doorstep and begging for a second chance. Or maybe your own poor choice in action that previously caused turmoil in your life will be threatening to reappear in your current behavior (adultery? Substance abuse? Law-breaking? Lying?). Whatever the temptation is, you must fight it. Dig up those bad memories of past repercussions and sit with them. You will realize that it’s the wrong path to go down.
This temptation is probably stemming from boredom. Stop and look around. You have more than a man or woman could ask for. Plug through this lull and I promise you that you will be counting your blessings come September.
OX Month Of August
A storm has been brewing at home. Someone (probably a child) feels he or she is not getting a proper share of money for essentials. The problem of course is "What do you mean by essentials?" Kids are in constant competition with siblings, so if they think Robert has a better computer, they will want one too. Even if Robert is 16 and the complainer is six, she's going to want what the older brother has. Perhaps the thunder bolts have been escaping your notice. But, they have been pounding the home front - big time! I suggest you tackle the problem in a family meeting. This type of gathering makes a smaller child feel included and respected as a full-fledged member of a community. Taken individually, he or she may feel victimized by lectures and even chats about the problem. But in a real meeting, he or she has a say. You will see. This method will soothe the child's ire so that he can be more easily reasoned with. In all of this, you have made a new friend. You might have met this guy or woman in the subway or on a park bench or at a major diplomatic convention in Geneva. Main thing is he or she will become influential in your thinking life. Every Ox needs an eminence grise - a smart chum who does some of the Ox's thinking. This year has put a huge burden on your decision-making center and made it work overtime. You will be amazed. Just venting to this new friend will clarify some of the issues with which you have been grappling. And, the pal's replies will serve you well because he or she simply doesn't think the same way you do... but his or her results are equally effective.
LEO Month Of September
You are settling into a comfortable routine on the home front as September rolls in. You feel stable and secure about emotional matters. Your cup is decidedly half full. Your relationship is going well and certain doubts have vanished as you begin to trust one another and understand each other’s needs. If you have young children, it appears your hands will be quite full this month in the kiddie department. Your career may have been compromised in the name of diapers and afternoon play groups. You could feel frustrated with the constant juggling. Find a good day care or hire a full-fledged nanny. The selection process is never easy, but the time that you invest will be well worth it. Once you have interviewed and screened and found the perfect gentle soul to care for your dear little ones, you will go to work feeling lighter and safer than when you were in fear of strangling on a nappie or forgetting the baby in the car. By October, a trustworthy and nurturing individual- likely a Cancer- will swoop in and make your life much easier. Around the 16th you will have a stroke of luck at the office. Landing an unexpected client, making a huge sale or getting signed on for a promising contract is likely. Whatever the deal, take it. Times are tight and this offer is heaven sent. You need it, Leo. And no, you can’t go out and blow a bunch of money to celebrate the news. Save save save.
OX Month Of September
A most auspicious month ahead! September promises to raise your self confidence to a new summit. You seem to have come through the worst and have acclimatized to your esteemed position. Traces of your original trepidation may linger, but they won't be noticeable. You have set up your work life as you want it to proceed now and are heading out for work each day with hope in your heart and a feeling of achievement in your head. You might want to ask your new crony what he or she thinks about this next suggestion, but in my opinion, you should endeavor make time (a big chunk) now to hie yourself off to some exotic location for a few hundred hours of down time. Beach or mountains? Jungle or desert? Make the decision with your honey, spouse or live-in partner. A quiet dinner somewhere in an elegant restaurant booth should provide the correct ambiance for you two to study all the travel brochures you had your secretary collect over the past few days. Offer the trip as a reward for all the patience your mate has proffered over the past months. But be careful not to accept to go on a tour of temples in India or Cambodia or to trot about Europe or South America visiting monuments and churches or unearthing archaeological finds or locating lost tribes in the Amazon. All of the above are exhausting. This has to be a resting holiday. Books and music and massages and spas and baths and naps and dining out. Caribbean islands or Bali or even St Tropez can offer all of the above.
LEO Month Of October
October promises to be a time for novel undertakings for Leos. Around the 23rd you will answer a new calling. Could be community-oriented. Perhaps you will join a support group for working moms or dads. Or you might start volunteering for a local non-profit. This outside activity will be a terrific way to broaden your social circle and put your dynamic skills to use in a laid back setting. Leos are particularly talented for working with adolescents. Your non-intimidating and gregarious nature makes teenagers feel automatically close to you. Perhaps you could utilize these coping skills in a community program such as a shelter for foster children or... why not coach a sports team? Now would also be a good time to lose those extra pounds that you’ve been toting around. Quit making excuses and just hit the gym. And for heaven’s sake stop drinking carbohydrates in the form of alcohol. That sugar goes straight to your gut. There are more ways to be the life of the party than to tie on one at every event.
OX Month Of October
Once you are back in the saddle at work and refreshed from your journey to exotica, you will of course be confronted by a pile of "catch up" work that has to be ploughed through. Among the snail mail communiqués will be a request to meet with a very old acquaintance whom you didn't even know lived back in your area. I don't want to say that this person's intentions are not honorable. But somehow, he or she thinks they need something from you. It might be something as simple as information about their parents whom you knew from when you were younger. But, it could be something far more embarrassing than that. The person may want you to reveal an event in your past that you would prefer be left there. A baby you gave up for adoption at age 15. A payoff you engineered to get a building permit - something not terrifically publishable. During this month then, you will be dealing with your conscience and deciding how to either fend off this person from your past or barrel full speed ahead and get on with "outing" your dirty linen. Your family life should smooth out now. This welcome hiatus from domestic tension ought to last well into December.
LEO Month Of November
Have you found yourself doubting the existence of a higher being or the afterlife lately? You will likely be asking yourself questions about religion or spirituality this November. You should explore these questions proactively. Whether that means reading books about Buddhism, visiting a new Church or temple on Sunday, or hosting a Wiccan ritual in your back yard, just try it out. Your questions will most likely be answered by opening your mind to unfamiliar traditions. Absolute belief isn’t necessary. Your seeking spirit will be well-received. On the 10th or 11th you will attend a long-awaited social event. Buy yourself some new threads - a frilly frock or a chic new sports coat. Look stunning because you will encounter someone of importance in this setting. It could be a new love interest, or perhaps an old one. It could even be a future boss. Either way, you want to see their mouth hanging open - their chin in their lap. Play it cool. Make it appear effortless. Sashay through the room without noticing them until they make the first move to approach you. If you have got yourself together the best way you know how, by the time the reach your side, they will be eating out of your hand.
OX Month Of November
Some breakthrough ideas you have for new methods or initiatives will be resisted by the powers-that-be in the month of November. Don't fret. The time may not be right for these notions to be implemented. Put your ego in your pocket for now. You can always present those proposals next season when those in control may have moved elsewhere. The times they are a changin'. Nowhere will you notice this so vividly as in your financial sector. Money simply is not plentiful. Cutbacks and layoffs continue to be in the news every day. More companies or government agencies like yours will be merging to save costs and increase production. On the home front, events are moving along smoothly. You won't be asked to intervene with teachers or upbraid children for their mischief this month. Your health however could use a quick makeover. You have too long let discipline take care of itself. Little by little you may have slipped back into former dietary indiscretions. Reduce your intake of wine and spirits. Stop eating so much meat and return to the recommended regimen of 5 helpings of vegetables and/or fruit per day. Eating food that is still alive and hasn't been cooked to death will help regulate your digestion. Add music to your life again. You have been too long without it.
LEO Month Of December
As the Earth Ox year nears an end, Leos can finally relax and look back on a frenetic year marked by success and positive growth. Keep your holiday festivities relaxed. Remember, this year, less is more. Don’t get carried away with lavish Christmas presents, expensive decorations or energy-wasting lights strewn all over creation. Exhibit your love and cheer in other ways, such as offering extra time and affection to your family and loved ones. Help them to break the routine with fun activities. Take the family to a movie, ice-skating or to a museum. Focus on expanding your horizons and theirs. Share in that process together. Build memories. The first months of 2010 are right around the corner. You should plan a vacation with your loved one, just the two of you. A Thai spa, a snowy mountain lodge or a trek in the Andes would be just the ticket. Start planning now to ensure a seamless trip. Remember to pack something sexy… this trip will serve as a renaissance for you and your partner’s sex life.
OX Month Of December
What with holidays arriving and fewer funds available for the festivities, you will need to concoct some clever schemes to satisfy the desires of all the people on your list. Your immediate family may be happy to accept a collective gift - a flat screen surround sound home cinema, for example, or a newly-decorated family room or a modest swimming pool installation - in place of individual trinkets or computer games. If you are obliged to furnish gifts for friends or relatives, try making them yourself. In the old days people didn't buy so many things. They made jams and jellies and cookies or fruitcakes, wrapped them gaily in pretty papers and ribbons and distributed them at Christmastime. Same goes for cards to wish people a happy holiday season or ring in the new year. Make the cards yourself or, better still, save money and time and send electronic cards. Do you want to give a party for the holiday season? Then get together with friends or neighbors, each bringing one dish. Make the punch yourselves and instead of buying the expensive commercial variety, get a few dozen eggs from a local farmer and prepare the eggnog yourself. Economy is best dealt with imaginatively. At the risk of repeating myself, I caution you not to despoil the positive results of a year's hard work. If you want to enter the new year victorious, do not either overeat or drink this December. When you're ahead, keep your head.