PREVIOUS THOUGHTS FOR THE DAY January 26 2009 to February 1 2009 Monday January 26 Poetry in Commotion Robert Burns was born on January 25, 1759 under a conjunction of Venus and Mars. Hence the poet's legendary creativity... and procreativity. The day after his 29th birthday, the British dropped anchor in Sydney. This is now celebrated as Australia Day - though those sympathetic to the treatment of the Aboriginals call it 'Invasion Day'. A rare Solar Eclipse will be visible across Australasia today, but not from China... where an eclipse at the start of the year of the castrated bull is seen as inauspicious. Most of us, though, can consider it an encouraging promise of change to come. Tuesday January 27 Bulls and Buffalos Dear Jonathan, If the eclipse was not visible from China, would it still have been considered inauspicious there? Also, yesterday, you referred to the year of the 'castrated bull'. I'm an Ox. Just what do you mean by that? John Dear John, I was just observing that technically, that's what an ox IS. No offence was intended. Apparently the Chinese did see that eclipse as inauspicious, even if they couldn't see it (if you see what I mean). By the way, it's also New Year in Tibet, Korea and Vietnam (where it is now the Year of the Buffalo). Wednesday January 28 Super 8 A horoscope is a map of the sky as it looked at the moment when a process began. Or a life. Though no two charts are ever the same, there will be only subtle differences between babies born moments apart. As they grow, these evolve into major distinctions. My younger brothers are twins, as are two of my children. I have studied this carefully. But I'd love to see how it works with octuplets. I imagine, though, that the lady who has just given birth to eight babies in Los Angeles, has other things on her mind right now. Thursday January 29 Comet Co-op Ahoy! Many feel the explosion of Comet Holmes signalled the onset of the economic downturn. Perhaps comet Lulin will be a sign of improvement. Lulin appears to be on its first visit to our solar system. Currently hurtling, at breakneck pace, the 'wrong way' round the zodiac, you need a telescope to find it today. It gets closer to Earth, though, in February - and there's talk of it becoming visible to the naked eye. Discovered by 19-year-old student, Quanzhi Ye, in China, then confirmed by an observatory in Taiwan, Lulin is already being called 'the Comet of Co-operation.' Friday January 30 John Martyn Some artists are 'of their time'. Some are ahead of it. Only a few are timeless. No more a 'folk singer' than I'm a cookbook writer, John Martyn defied definition; melding musical notes, marrying melodies and merging his words in a relaxed vocal style that made him sound slurred until you listened carefully. Born September 11, 1948, he turned the Virgo eye for detail into an ear for excellence. Effortlessly warm and wonderful, he caught the next train home yesterday morning, but I'll be playing his albums while I sit writing your horoscopes... for the rest of my life! Saturday January 31 Your Month Ahead A nice set of astrological alignments awaits us in February. Venus, the love planet will be passing through Aries - which bodes well for all who hope to encounter a little Valentine's excitement. Mars, from early in the month, joins Jupiter in Aquarius, making great energy available to all born under the sign of the water-bearer and offering encouragement to Sagittarians, Pisceans, Scorpios and Aries-born people too. Though Saturn's opposition to Uranus (which was the trigger of last year's credit crunch) repeats this month, it only brings us closer to the great, positive transformation that this situation is eventually going to bring to the whole world. Sunday February 1 Prince Harry and Chelsy "Breaking up," as the old song goes, "is hard to do." Harry and Chelsy discovered that in 2005. They won't find it any easier this time around. Prince Henry, to give him his proper name, is a Virgo. Virgos are very particular about what... and who... they like. Don't believe all that stuff about him being a lush and a letch. He's a deep thinker and a cautious operator. It's just that he developed a big emotional block at an impressionable age. The loss of his mum left him reluctant to get close to anyone and destroyed his faith in long-term relationships. Read the rest of this article... Back to Index   Click here for Jonathan Cainer's Daily Zodiac Forecasts