PREVIOUS THOUGHTS FOR THE DAY August 11 2014 to August 17 2014 Monday August 11 Lunation Rumination The weekend's Full Moon was much more of a 'Super Moon' than a good, old-fashioned, ordinary one. Not that there is ever anything ordinary about a Full Moon. These powerful events often awaken deep emotions and trigger unexpected reactions. I'm still working through the letters that so many readers generously sent me, after I last asked for feedback on this topic. I still feel there is more to be learned. Meanwhile, drawing on what I already know, I can promise that this week, we will all digest and eventually profit from what this most recent lunation has taught us. Tuesday August 12 Nuture or Nature Boy Dear Jonathan, Where do astrologers stand on the 'nature versus nurture' debate? Is everything written in the stars at the moment of our birth? Or does our upbringing play its part? Martin Dear Martin, I'm not sure that we stand anywhere. Largely, we sit... in comfy chairs, sipping cups of tea as we discuss this topic endlessly, fully aware that there can be no definitive conclusion. Even the deepest believers in destiny would agree it's not all one way or the other. The question is more, what's the ratio of nature to nurture? And the answer? 'More tea please!' Wednesday August 13 Choose Your Destiny Yesterday, a reader asked where astrologers stand on the 'nature versus nurture' debate. I gave a flippant reply about there being no easy answer. I now feel I should say more. We believe that some of our key characteristics are bestowed by the planetary picture at our moment of birth. But we acknowledge that genetic inheritance, parenting, education and culture make a significant contribution as well. I also think we each have an independent spirit that decides which of these influences we accept or reject. That's why, for me, astrology is not so much about destiny, more about choice. Thursday August 14 RMW RIP My moment with Robin Williams came in 1980. Late at night in an LA cafe, we exchanged brief, witty banter. When later, a friend said 'That was Mork from Ork', I realised how I must have stretched myself to match his spontaneous humour and how far he had kindly reached down to meet me! Now, like so many people, I'm comparing the lows that defeated him to the highs that defined him. Don't we all ride a similar roller coaster? Conventional wisdom suggests we should flatten it out. Perhaps we should seek better ways to cope with both extremes. Friday August 15 Heavens Below Dear Jonathan, My partner has his Sun, Mars and Venus in opposite signs to my own. Is this a good example of opposites attracting? Does it mean our love was made in heaven? Michele Dear Michele, Oppositions can, indeed, indicate attraction but to raise an astrologer's eyebrows, they should be 'tight' (as measured by the exact degree of each heavenly object) rather than so wide that they cover a whole zodiac sign. And though mutual cosmic alignments definitely give clues to compatibility, I believe we can all choose, through our actions and reactions, what kind of heaven we create. Saturday August 16 Your Week Ahead Many shop assistants conclude their transactions by saying, 'Have a nice day.' Normally, that is more of a pleasantry than a prediction but the annual conjunction of Venus and Jupiter takes place this week and that's an auspicious event. This year, both planets are bright and they align unusually close to each other. The celestial spectacle happens just before dawn, but it is worth getting out of bed for. Even those who don't rise early to view it may discover that this week brings us all a better chance of having a genuinely nice day. Have a nice week! Sunday August 17 Your Week Ahead - Love Focus Remember, your Love Forecast today doesn't just cover romance. A love forecast may also have something to say about your family life, your closest friendships and even some of your most important working relationships. Back to Index   Click here for Jonathan Cainer's Daily Zodiac Forecasts