As I geared up to write this essay, my thoughts turned, oddly enough, to dating. Back when my now ex-husband was my boyfriend, his idea of the perfect date was the two of us spending the afternoon hand washing his brand new red sports car. There was pure joy in his face as he focused intently opposite me, soaping up his side, as I rinsed off my end. I thought the low cut T-shirt I had worn was doing its job. Silly me! His apparent state of ecstasy had nothing to do with my cleavage. No, he was admiring the sight of his shiny, clean car. Yes folks, I married a Virgo.

Well, ok so maybe the shirt worked a little. But, like with any Virgo, he did put me through a series of tests before ever proposing marriage. Virgo, a grounded, analytical earth sign, is the most discerning in the zodiac. They can love you forever, but only after they’ve decided you’re worth it. More than anything else, Virgo seeks perfection.

So, after 6 years of dating, we got married. The first year of marriage is a trip for any couple, but throw a Virgo spouse into the mix and things get really interesting! As a young, new wife, I was in my stage of “playing house”. I’d come home from work and spend hours cooking gourmet meals, tending to my beautiful garden and turning our new house into a home. On Saturdays, I cleaned the house.

Al worked on Saturday and I remember looking forward to my husband coming home after a hard day at the office to see his house sparkle. By now I knew he was most at peace when surrounded by order – a trait typical of all Virgos. Of course I wanted to make my husband happy.

I swear to you, the house would shine. And yet every week, without fail, Al would come home, initially remark how clean the house felt and then pass a finger across some remote line of dust that the human eye couldn’t possibly see. Early on I took it as criticism. Virgos do have that shadow side of having such impossible standards of perfection that they criticize anything less, but I soon learned that he didn’t intentionally search for dust to undermine my efforts. With Virgo, it is all about the details. Their mind is so keen and analytical that absolutely NOTHING gets passed them. Not even a speck of dust!

Thanks to their Mercury ruler, combined with their earthy nature, Virgo is gifted with grounded and practical thought process. Communication with a purpose is a good phrase to describe them, and indeed, many Virgos make wonderful writers, editors, or journalists.

Virgos have one common problem; they can’t relax! Work is play to a Virgo and nothing relieves stress for a Virgo than taking care of the daily mundane tasks that the rest of the world is trying to forget about. Health, service, and work are areas of life that define much of what a Virgo is about. In fact, Virgo is known as the humble caretaker of the zodiac. They have an incredible sense of duty and will fulfill obligations simply because there is a job to be done and someone has to do it. The phrase “if you want something done right, then do it yourself” must have been coined by a Virgo.

Mercury in Virgo is different from Mercury in Gemini. Mercury makes Gemini quick witted and somewhat flighty because it’s acting in an air sign. In Virgo, because he‚Äôs an earth sign, the expression becomes grounded, precise and detailed. Thoughts become rational and objective. Virgos are logical in their approach to everything. Mercury here also gives Virgo the most amazing fine motor skills.

One of Virgos life lessons is to search for practical ways to use information that has been discovered. Another Virgo lesson has to do with learning discriminating service. Virgo often helps anyone who needs it. He must learn to utilize his skills of fine discernment and decide when to help and when not to help.

Virgo is a mutable sign, bringing into the qualities of Virgo wonderful adaptability. They know when it’s time to change direction and go about tackling a problem in a different way.

Health is a big deal to Virgo as well. Their vitamin regimen would make your eyes pop out of their sockets. Oh, and you know the people you see walking out of the gym early in the morning when you’re just arriving? They’re the Virgos. It must be off their list because, hey, they need to get to work already.

For all their adorable quirks, Virgo is as steady as they come. They need to be needed and your Virgo friends can teach you to reach inside yourself and become a better person. So go ahead, lean on the Virgo rock in your life. Just make sure you dust first!

I’m a total chocolate snob. I admit it freely, and embrace this discriminating part of my personality with pride.

My former husband and I used to enjoy having “date nights” in Manhattan and testing out new restaurants. If we passed by one of my favorite chocolate stores, I’d give him a coy little smirk and watch him roll his eyes, pull over and say “I can’t believe you spend this kind of money for a freaking piece of chocolate.”

He doesn’t understand. To him a Hershey bar would suffice. He thinks Godiva should be good enough since the rest of the world feels its amazing chocolate. But as a woman with a Taurus Sun, I beg to differ. My senses are acute. My taste is refined.

Why would you want to be so cruel to your taste buds and eat a piece of chalky, cardboard excuse for chocolate when you could instead indulge your senses in confections like these?

La maison du chocolat – English Version

Gourmet French Chocolate from RICHART

Ok, so this brings me to the bad rap that we Taureans get for our “extravagance”. Yes I know it seems ridiculous to some of you to spend so much money on chocolate but please, try to understand. Taurus is the sign of the zodiac most capable of enjoying any type of sensual pleasure.

We TRULY appreciate the feel of silk or flannel sheets. We revel in the sight and scent of our gardens. The sounds of life intoxicate us whether it’s the snap of a string bean, or waves crashing into the shore. A hug from someone we care about makes us melt. And we always eat with our eyes first. By the time we get around to eating we look around in pity at those shoving forkfuls in their mouth. How could anyone gulp down a culinary feast without taking the time to discover the delight of taste?

We appreciate quality and want this quality in all that we do as well as everything we accumulate. We can thank our ruling planet, Venus, for that. Venus rules beauty, values, harmony, pleasure and money. Ownership is important to Taurus and every single Taurus out there feels most secure when they have a place of their own to call home and enough money in the bank. It makes us feel safe. We need this deeply so try not to judge us.

Since Taurus is the money sign of the zodiac, it’s not uncommon to find a Taurus dealing with money lessons all through life. Money management, vast fluctuations in one’s level of wealth and a slew of other issues having to do with the green stuff are often front and center.

Maybe it’s not so much that Taurus knows how to make money that gives us the reputation for being the wealthiest sign, but thanks to our being a fixed sign, Taurus knows how to hold onto it. We hate spending money unless it’s on something we truly value and this is how Taurus will accumulate wealth. We may drop a pretty penny in our favorite chocolate store, but don’t think we’re not home clipping coupons for grocery shopping!

Being a fixed earth sign, ruled by the planet of love makes us the most loyal sign in the zodiac. This sign usually marries for life. Taurus values stability and loyalty and doesn’t give up on anything. It follows that Taurus will take on these qualities in relationships. If you have a Taurus friend or spouse, you’re pretty much stuck with us folks! And if a relationship ends, it is so brutal on us. When my ex husband demanded a separation, it was, without a doubt, one of the most devastating times in my life.

Taurus is an earth sign and this makes us practical. We must be productive and are driven to put form into matter. Whether it’s raising our children or our stock portfolios, nothing delights us more than maintaining whatever we’ve produced. We must have something physical to show for our efforts in order to feel fulfilled. Grounding our talents and abilities is also how we establish our worth.

That’s a big Taurus lesson by the way – self worth. Values are too, and many a Taurus will spend a lifetime establishing self worth and contemplating their values. What am I worth? It’s a question I know I’ve asked myself over and over again. What makes me worthwhile?

This takes us back to the “materialism” of Taurus. When this sign doesn’t do the work to establish self value it becomes easy to define self worth through possessions instead. Taurus can reason, “Well, I’m worth 10 million bucks and I’ve got all this property, jewels, the finest home with the most exquisite interior design, etc… so that must make ME worth something.” Do you see the danger here? Of course not every Taurus will do this on such a large scale. Still, it’s a lesson to learn.

My Zia has always been part of the glue that holds my family together. Her discipline and guidance remains with me today. She’s the most devoted and loyal person I know. In fact she has, without any complaint, willingly cared for countless others – sometimes until death. She is an exemplary model of a Taurean learning about values. Zia is probably a little over 5 feet in height, but I have to say – she’s the tallest woman I know! If only someday I could grow up to be as lofty as she is…

Oh, and we are a determined bunch. Please don’t underestimate our sometimes docile nature. We may seem quiet, and naive but we’re simply planning our strategy and waiting for the right time to act. There is great power in the Taurus ability to persevere. There is great power in listening instead of always rushing to speak.

Patience is a virtue and we’ll wait forever for something if we want it bad enough. We can dig in our heels and refuse to budge; just try and move a stubborn bull! This is a tribute to our success because we can weather any storm, but it can drive the people around us insane at times, especially when they believe we should move on.

I recently visited my Zia and she gave me a cutting from a rare plant she has nurtured for many years. She’s patiently trained this into a sight to behold. I can’t describe the lush crinkly leaves that fall onto each other in a dazzling display of greenery in a way that will do justice to this plants beauty. I do hope to someday have the same reward in my home. Zia warned me that this plant takes forever to mature and I’ll need a lot of patience to see it through. Don’t worry Zia, I understand. After all, we Taureans know that anything worthwhile in life takes time. And once we build it, it’ll last forever.

Scorpios used to unnerve me. And I was convinced that every Scorpio in the universe felt the same way around me. I know, I know, what strong words from the gentle astrologer – but hey, I’m an honest gal. So do you want to know what it was about this intense, magnetic, water sign that used to send me reeling? Are you sure? I’m warning you…this is deep.

Scorpio, more than any other sign in the zodiac, can see right through a person. Immediately, and without blinking, they seem to know your every motivation, secret and purpose. You can tell from their eyes – always penetrating and full of intense power. There’s a knowing of what we so desperately try to keep hidden. They don’t even have to try. So, quite honestly, it used to give me the creeps.

Over the years, I’ve learned that because of the natural polarity between Scorpio and my own Sun sign, Taurus, the reason I used to feel uncomfortable around Scorpio was because being around my opposite sign challenged me to deal with my own hidden nature. Through Scorpio, I’m forced to probe deep into my own soul and my own agenda.

Through Scorpio, I’m cornered into confronting my personal power. I am exposed. To some extent, this is true of anyone who encounters Scorpio. Does it scare you as well? As you can imagine, being young and confronted with such intensity could easily make someone fearful. And so, not yet understanding astrology, I “labeled” Scorpio as my least favorite sign. If I only knew then how much alike we really are…

The Scorpios that were in my life early on seemed to avoid me – they couldn’t even look me in the eyes. Now I realize the reason for this. While it’s true that Scorpio can see through every sign in the zodiac, Scorpio’s opposite sign, Taurus, can see right through Scorpio. And most of the time, Scorpio doesn’t like it one bit!

Ruled by Pluto, planet of the underworld, sex, death and transformative rebirth, and co-ruled by Mars, planet of energy and assertion, there is an interesting phenomenon that occurs. Tremendous energy, will and determination, no doubt, but it’s often under the surface. Still, this sign is capable of absolutely anything. He can use his tremendous power in one of two ways, and this is what separates the more evolved Scorpio from the less evolved.

The less evolved Scorpio will be jealous, sneaky, paranoid and underhanded. He can be the most deceitful, resentful, and unforgiving sign of the zodiac. Scorpio is the one who will cut you off from his life if you hurt him, and never look back. He is the one who will seek revenge. At his worst, a less evolved Scorpio can be a criminal, or he can simply live a life in self-destructive mode.

I’m happy to report however, that, while glimpses of these qualities might creep into Scorpios life, the vast majority seem to be much more evolved, living out their Scorpio lessons at a higher vibration. And it is these Scorpio types I think we are all most fascinated with. They have learned to use their astounding power and strategic intelligence for the good of humanity. These are the Scorpios that can take one look at us, and, instead of making us cringe, actually heal our soul.

Scorpio is a sign ruled by desire. This can be physical, sexual, personal or business. Scorpio has a jealous and obsessive streak as well so if you fall in love with a Scorpio, be prepared for nothing short of complete intensity!

My brother in law, Jason, born November 12th, is a great example of a Scorpio who loves with such passion. You can say that he has a bit of a jealous streak. For two years in a row, at a company Christmas party, he seemed to interpret another gentleman talking to my sister not as innocent conversation, but as this man trying to “pick up” his wife. Let’s just say things got a little ugly – okay a lot ugly. When a Scorpio feels threatened, that stinger can really hurt! My sister, thank goodness, is also a water sign, so she innately understands the intensity of Jason’s emotions. I’m not so sure the man on the receiving end of Jay’s fist had the same perspective.

I actually consider Jason to be a much evolved Scorpio despite his jealous streak. Scorpio often chooses very challenging life circumstances and my brother-in-law has risen from the ashes of a life filled with deeply personal and transforming lessons that I would never discuss. Scorpios are quite protective of their privacy.

Often, Scorpios talents encompass spiritual and mysterious realms. Take my dear friend Pam, born November 15th. This woman has single-handedly created a phenomenally popular spiritual website that has attracted thousand to view and become part of a community where likeminded spiritual people seek to learn about, and uncover their own hidden spiritual talents.

Pam is classic Scorpio in the way she helps others develop their own talents and abilities – specifically spiritual and metaphysical. I know for sure that Pam is one of the more evolved Scorpios. She too, has chosen a life of great challenge and power struggles, but she is also full of honest compassion and integrity. And, when she visited New York and spent a day with me at my home, we had no problem looking into each other’s eyes. She seemed comfortable and eager to explore everything hidden with me.

So, now that I’ve gotten a bit older, and confronted my Scorpio fears, this is a sign I embrace. Thank goodness, because Scorpio, once they confront their own lessons of power and transformation, have unparalleled ability to help transform all of us into better people. Just remember never to reveal their secrets!

I never met a Sagittarius I didn’t like. No other sign has the power to disarm your defenses like this fun loving, ever optimistic sign. I hope all of you can see this as well and it’s not just me projecting my natural affinity for those with the Sun in Sagittarius. You see, I may be a little biased – my Moon falls in this sign and you will have that natural and immediate connection to someone who’s Sun falls on your Moon. Test it for yourself.

The astrological reason is because the Moon is your basic instinctual habit patterns and deepest needs. You actually resonate more with the Moon sign than the Sun because it’s already so deeply a part of who you are. Remember, the Sun is what you are learning to become in this lifetime. So when you meet someone who has their Sun in the same sign as your Moon, you recognize a part of yourself.

But, let me get back to Sagittarius.

Growing up, I wasn’t a big “friends” person. I lived on a block filled with family – five houses provided relatives and cousins to play outside with so my friends were my cousins. One of my cousins, Joann, I have always felt a special connection to. Yes, she’s a Sagittarius. What’s more, being born December 1st, her Sun falls right on my Neptune-Moon conjunction in Sagittarius. So I really see the best in her!

From the time I was ten years old and moved onto my family filled block until I got married she was a constant presence in my life. We shared all the trials and tribulations of growing up together. What I loved most about her is the fact that, no matter what was going on in her life; she made the best of it and seemed to know that tomorrow would be a better day. And her sense of playful adventure always brought out the fun side of my own personality.

When I was 17, Joann insisted she knew the “perfect” guy to set me up with. I really wasn’t interested in being the victim of a matchmaking catastrophe but how could I say no to a cousin of mine who always brightened my day? So, I went on this blind date and met the guy. I hated him! I remember saying to her, “Joann, what are you thinking, this guy is so different from me – he’s not my type!”

It was then that I received the best advice in the world as far as dating goes. Advice from the Sagittarius cousin who intuitively knew this date could be a lasting adventure. She looked at me in the ladies room (where I was trying to escape!), and said to me, “Maria, think of dating like baseball – three strikes and he’s out. You’ve got to him three chances. I know he’s the perfect guy for you.”

So I relented. We tried a second date. It was a little better. And then on the third date, just like Joann magically predicted, I realized that this man was something special and knew we could have a future together.

Six years later, thanks to my optimistic matchmaker, I married the man I met on a blind date. Of course Joann received an “honorary speech” and was grinning from ear to ear on our wedding night;  going around to as many of the 275 guests she could in between her partying to announce that she was responsible for my marriage!

Sagittarius is ruled by the planet Jupiter, giving this sign the capacity to think and to believe big. In fact, nothing this sign does is on a small scale. Luck is an ever-present condition in this signs life. But ask yourself why? Is it the optimism and eternal belief that the glass is half full that brings the luck to them or is it the fortune of being ruled by expansive Jupiter that leads this sign to effortlessly (or so it seems) fall into the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow each and every time?

A mutable sign, Sagittarius knows when it’s time to move on to broader horizons. Change is not something this sign is afraid of and combined with the Jupiter ruler ship; this sign will delight in travel as much as he possibly can. Sagittarius needs to explore the world in order to help him on his eternal spiritual quest for truth and knowledge.

If this sign has one fault, it’s that they often become married to their version of the truth. Opinions are strong, and when you have a fire sign with an agenda or strong belief system, you’d better watch out!

Still, don’t be fooled by their deep thinking. This sign is FUN! A fire sign ruled by Jupiter can be nothing less. You will always have a good time when a Sagittarius is in the room.

I find it no accident that a strong, but passing friendship in my life was to a Sagittarius I called my “fun friend”. Born December 2nd, Victoria reminded me that being a married mother of two didn’t mean having fun in life had to die. But more importantly, she introduced me to a whole new spiritual truth in my life. Although she thought of it as entertainment, I have to credit this old friend with igniting my passion in astrology. And she just thought she was having some fun…

Early last year, my Uncle was suffering from kidney failure and needed a transplant as soon as possible. He had been on the organ donation list for 3 years and time was running out. It was a difficult time and my Zia (Italian for “aunt”) was beside herself with worry.

I remember talking to my cousin Maria on the phone about it. She was obviously hurting for my aunt and uncle. I could feel her compassion over the phone. In the most serious tone, she informed me that she planned on being tested to see if her kidneys were compatible to my Uncle’s so that she could donate one to him and save his life.

My mouth hit the floor. “But Maria, what are you talking about…you couldn’t possibly do that!” I was astounded at her even voicing this because, you see, my cousin suffers from a rare autoimmune disease called Fibromyalgia. She lives in constant pain and the last thing her body could endure would be donating a kidney! It wasn’t realistic!

My cousin, in typical Piscean fashion, responded as if she had offered to donate a used car to a church instead of a kidney to my ailing Uncle. She said, “Maria, how could I stand by and watch them suffer? I have to do something.”

Extraordinary! She didn’t think twice about what it might do to HER. In fact, SHE didn’t matter – what mattered was that she couldn’t bear to see someone she loved suffer if there was anything she could do about it. I learned right then and there, on the phone with my cousin, the power of love that Pisces is capable of.

As it turns out, my Uncle got a surprise call from the hospital shortly after and he received a kidney that now works beautifully inside his stubborn Sicilian body! All’s well that ends well with that story.

There’s a lot more to be said however about my cousin Maria, born February 23rd, and the beautiful sign of Pisces.

A water sign, Pisces is among one of the most emotional in the zodiac. Thanks to its mutable nature its feelings become transcendental. They are the one sign in the zodiac that is truly able to feel someone else’s emotional pain and suffering. In fact they are called psychic sponges because perceptions are soaked up into their bodies all the time! A Pisces will know something based on instinct but the problem with Pisces is that they often do not learn how to trust and harness their powerful intuition because it is so overpowering! This is why it’s easy for a Pisces to get lost in others.

Pisces is known for compassion towards those who suffer and for their healing energy. It will always be Pisces to the rescue when something goes wrong and sometimes this unconditional capacity for love can work against them. Sometimes a Pisces gets used and abused.

Like Cousin Maria. She has a history of being the doormat because everyone she loves knows they can count on her no matter what. She will literally drop everything for another person’s needs. She has to be aware of the potential for people to use and abuse her – even though very often she’ll never see this because a Pisces really wants to believe the best about the world and the people in it.

But very often, Pisces falls into the martyr complex where they feel righteous in knowing that everyone else needs them. Their self worth depends upon being needed by others; a very dangerous trap to fall into and a hard lesson for Pisces to learn – when to help and when to let someone help himself.

Being ruled by the planet Neptune, Pisces is the most imaginative sign of the zodiac. My cousin Maria is talented in many areas of the arts. She used to dance, is an accomplished professional chef, has had her own catering business and also has her own wedding planning business where she takes care of every detail to make another person’s dreams come true. Dreams. Pisces is big on that – for sure! On top of this, she’s a successful mortgage consultant and I can truly say that with the combination of her Pisces Sun and Scorpio Moon, helping other people do the right thing with their money. Doing the right thing FOR them is one of her passions and talents! Here is a rare find – someone who is good with other people’s money that won’t rip you off!

A big deal for Pisces is that they need to take awhile to understand who they are. They are so flooded with everyone else’s impressions that it becomes difficult to filter out ME from YOU. Life as a Pisces can be like living with a cloud in front of you all your life, trying to sift through the fog.

But once clarity is found, the power of Pisces is not to be missed! After all, as the 12th sign of the zodiac, it symbolizes mastery of each sign before it and the culmination of understanding with love and the ability to see beyond any veils – on the physical plane or beyond.

As for my cousin Maria, I bet she wouldn’t think of herself as overly compassionate or too nice. I’d ask her for you, but right now she’s too busy flying from Philadelphia to Florida for 1 day to baby-sit my sister’s kids so she and my brother in law could attend a business party. And after that she’s got to figure out how to feed all the hungry children in the world. And of course, there’s the problem of world peace…

But when all is said and done, if I had to list one of the people in my family who I know I could count on for anything, cousin Maria would be at the top. She knows, better than anyone else, all about the power of love.