PREVIOUS THOUGHTS FOR THE DAY July 27 2015 to August 2 2015 Monday July 27 Drumbones Hey Jonathan, I was born when Venus was retrograde. Isn't Venus retrograde now? Is this a good time for me? Pam Hey Pam, It has become fashionable to greet news of any planet turning retrograde with groans, raised eyebrows and gestures of despair. But this optical illusion really isn't inauspicious. It may indeed be good for you! Note: It is customary after attending WOMAD to share your discoveries. So may I say Molotov Jukebox, Magnifico, Osaka Monaurail, Wrongtom meets Ragga Twins, plus Cat Empire! Oh... and in some traditional Tibetan music, drums and trumpets are human skulls and thighbones! Tuesday July 28 Slow Pluto Hi Jonathan, Did the astrological interpretation of Saturn change when its rings were identified? Did the role of Mars change when photographs established it has no canals? Or do centuries of accumulated wisdom on the role of Pluto diminish now we have photographs of a feature that has been there but unseen for eons? JFW Hi JFW, A cycle of Pluto takes 248 years. It was discovered in 1930 so we haven't yet watched it go once round the zodiac. After seeing those photos, astrologers who previously extrapolated meaning from the name alone are surely right to think again. Wednesday July 29 Heart of the Matter Dear Jonathan, Hasn't NASA classified Pluto's giant heart as a 'Broken Heart'? Alexis Dear Alexis, I'm not sure that 'Broken Heart' is an official description. But even if it is (or is just so apt that it ought to be) it raises a question: is there really such a thing as a heart that has never been broken? Dear Jonathan, My first thoughts on Pluto's appearance were that Pluto always cuts through to the heart of a matter. And an encounter with a Plutonian influence invariably leaves people with 'more heart' despite any emotional pain they may go through. Morgana Thursday July 30 The Great Unknown Dear Jonathan, If one believes in an all-knowing Creator then, as everything is known already, no one has any control over their destiny. Even God has no power to change anything because everything must happen the way that God already knows. For free will to exist, there can be no all-knowing being. Thankfully, there's no proof that such a God exists and there's lots to suggest we make our own choices. Thomas Dear Thomas, Ah but what if there is a God and all God knows is that the future is flexible, depending on what people choose? Friday July 31 Full Moon Those who say today's Full Moon is 'blue' cite the fact that it is the second Full Moon in July. But that's just a quirk of the calendar which is an artificial construct. You can't interpret it as a cosmic sign or signal. Astrologers would be more inclined to define a Blue Moon as two successive Full Moons in the same zodiac sign, regardless of the month. But whatever the official colour of this Full Moon it is powerful because of alignments that it will create with Neptune and Pluto. That suggests a weekend when destinies can be fulfilled. Saturday August 1 Your August Monthly Forecast Chinese astrology has The Year of the Goat - or of the Snake. Such concepts exist in the western tradition too. And just as those oriental years are not always an exact 12-month period, so our own start and end dates can vary. August marks Jupiter's departure from Leo, thus the completion of the Year of the Lion. Here begins the year of the Harvest Goddess. It is over a decade since the world last came under such a spell. A new sense of hope, possibility and potential for prosperity begins to awaken in the hearts of millions soon. Sunday August 2 Your Week Ahead - Love Focus Remember, your Love Forecast today does not 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