Bill Clinton used to be extremely powerful as the President of the United States, but not even he can overcome a poorly-chosen wedding date.

His and Hilary’s only daughter Chelsea is getting married on 31 July 2010. As soon as I saw the date my heart sank (and it must have spooked another astrologer, Jeff Warren, as well).

The date of your marriage – or starting a new job, house purchase, website launch, or incorporation of a business, for example – is the birthday of that event. Just like a person, an event has its own personality.

On 31 July, there is a tough, uncompromising Mars conjunct Saturn in Libra. Mars rules action, energy, sexual drive and anger while Saturn rules endurance, responsibility, depression, delays and maturity. A conjunction locks two planets together (like strangers in a lift.) Libra, of course, is the sign of marriage, relationships, partnerships and allies. (You can see where this is going, can’t you?)

Mars and Saturn are naturally at odds – Mars wants to floor it, while Saturn wants to slam the brakes on. This is a classic aspect for stress, blocked energies, obstacles and frustration. I’m not crazy on seeing it in a sign that rules marriage.

As well, the Moon is in Aries. The Moon is the planet of home and family, what makes you feel cosy, safe and nurtured. Aries is fiery, impatient, restless and egocentric. A marriage date with Moon in Aries can make it a battle royale of over-achievers at best, a selfish, cold and competitive arena at home at worst.

An aspect that occurs only two days prior, which still has plenty of punch - Mars in Libra opposite rebellious Uranus in Aries on 29 July - only adds to the impatience, restlessness and relationship upsets. And one that occurs three days later on 3 August, Jupiter in Aries square Pluto in Capricorn is equally indicative of pressure from authority (um, guess who?!).

To top it off, there are no water element signs in their marital chart to add some much-needed softness, emotional understanding, intuition and compassion.

Chelsea and her new husband, Marc Mezvinsky, will have to work very hard to not to fight to be top dog in this marriage.

Movies and TV shows nearly always depict marital breakdown as the result of conflict. Steamy extra-marital affairs and the resulting tearful confrontations, hurled crockery and melodramatically smashed wedding portraits are typical scenes.

But a new US study suggests that marriage breakdown is more likely due to simple, long-term boredom. (Just one factor is giving @#$* flowers every Valentine’s Day, or socks and jocks for Father’s Day or “forgetting” their birthday - I mean, come on!)

The findings are the result of a nine-year study by researchers at the University of Michigan and Stony Brook University, who conducted interviews with 123 couples in the seventh year of their marriages, then nine years later in year 16.

The researchers found that relationship quality over the long-term depended on how bored the couple was at year seven.

However, not being bored at the seven-year mark didn’t necessarily guarantee that boredom wouldn’t occur some time over the following nine years. This suggests what any successfully married long-term couple could tell you: keeping boredom out of a marriage is something that requires constant vigilance.

The couples, all in their first marriages, were asked whether they considered their marriages to be in a rut and how often they did exciting things together as a couple. Those who expressed greater dissatisfaction in year 16 also reported corresponding higher levels of boredom.

The researchers concluded that couples who were experiencing less and less satisfaction with their marriages over time could possibly reverse the situation by participating in exciting activities together to increase the general level of excitement and spontaneity and eliminate boredom, which undermines closeness.

In a couple’s astrological compatibility chart, the level of excitement your relationship enjoys can be indicated by a few astrological factors.

Too many aspects involving Saturn indicate you can easily get stuck in a rut from complacency, fear (“what would the neighbours think?!”) and lack of imagination. Since Saturn is all about accountability (amongst other things) you could view doing exciting new things as KPIs to be met. An overabundance of Moon aspects suggests you want to curl up at home, which is cosy, but rarely exciting. Well, everyone goes a little crazy at the Full Moon – so once a month, make use of it!

Jupiter aspects add joy. The house your Jupiter is in your partner’s chart, and vice versa, shows where you can have fun and laugh with each other. Mars aspects create energy and sexual tension. It’s well-known that going on a rollercoaster (or any other activity which raises your adrenalin levels) ripens the mood for romance – “ahh, hold me!”

For pure excitement you need to look to the planet of rebellion,  Uranus (yeah, alright, stop the jokes already) which rules shocks, surprises and revolutions.

Having a number of Uranian aspects in your compatibility chart provides the electricity every couple needs. Uranus doesn’t care what the neighbours think and prefers to be an individual. Being innovative is key. A number of Uranian aspects suggest you will have temporary separations, probably due to work, family or social commitments. But hey, absence makes the heart grow fonder, right? With Uranus you never get bored. Freaked-out, maybe.

How can you surprise your partner?

Hmmm, I really debated about including this info…

Anyway, you know how some people are well, “shit” gift-givers – well it seems that singer Ke$ha is, as well, literally.

Anyone who she considers to have wronged her in some way can expect a nicely gift-wrapped piece of dog poo in the mail for Christmas. These charming little stink bombs are courtesy of the singer’s dogs, although whether the gifts are sent with the dogs’ permission is not known.

Ke$ha had no qualms spilling the beans about this, so to speak, and she admitted that she sometimes uses her music as retaliation towards other wrongdoers. It’s hard to decide which would be worse – to receive a box of doggie doo in the privacy of your own letterbox or to have your transgression recorded for public posterity in a song.

Ke$ha is a Pisces, with Mercury (communication) and Jupiter (optimism, generosity) in Pisces. Normally this would make you rather forgiving, sweet and compassionate and highly aware of karma - especially against wrong-doers.

Unfortunately she has Mars (anger, energy) in Taurus (nature) opposite Pluto (power, taboos) in Scorpio (sex, death, destruction). When someone gets on her bad side she goes well, ape-shit, taking the particularly revengeful route of sending dog poo which would be an upsetting and disgusting gift for anyone.  

Of course, there’s always a positive spin for everything, and perhaps we should be congratulating Ke$ha for switching to gifts that are environmentally-friendly, sustainable and green.

Or in this case, brown.

Aries will be celebrating their birthdays between 20 March and 20 April this year but the best date for them to host their own Festival of Me is Wednesday 14 April or Sunday 18 April.

The 14th is the New Moon in Aries which is traditionally considered the time to make a fresh start. If you want to get your haircut, have your nails done, make up and buy some beautiful new clothes, there’s no better day! Then you can enjoy having everyone fuss over you afterwards.

The other best day this month for a party (it’s a bit light on – sign up for the free monthly horoscope newsletter to find out more) is Sunday 18 April. Today has a gorgeous Sun in Aries sextile Neptune in Aquarius aspect. It’s perfect for wining, dining and dancing with friends. The previous day (the 17th) has a wonderful Venus in Taurus sextile Jupiter in Pisces when everyone feels bountiful, luxurious and ready to splurge AND it’s the last day before Mercury turns retrograde for the next three weeks, requiring you to return to the store for a refund or exchange. So hopefully they buy your present then…

Kathryn Bigelow is the first woman to win an Oscar for film directing which is amazing considering the show’s been going for over 80 years (or at least it seems like it, during those song and dance routines).

Her award for The Hurt Locker must feel very sweet as she was going up against her ex-husband James Cameron for his monster hit Avatar.

Kathryn is a Sagittarius which rules foreign travel and culture, philosophy, politics, law and religion – themes of which keep featuring in her films (eg Blue Steel, Point Break, K19: The Widowmaker).

She has the planet of action, energy and violence (Mars) in the peaceful, romance-oriented sign of Libra, which rules fairness. She really fights for what is right, whether it is politically correct or not. Kathryn also has Jupiter (generosity, abundance, optimism) in Aries (masculinity, ego, action, war) so yes, she really does enjoy making action flicks!

As the Oscar nominations were announced, transiting Saturn in Libra (relationships, marriage, business partnerships) moved towards a conjunction with her Mars. Saturn rules longevity, endurance, patience and hard work and will make you famous once you’ve earned it – and she became famous for what she put all her energy into. Interestingly, Saturn in Libra insists on fairness and equality so even though most people expected her ex-husband’s behemoth of a movie to scoop the pool of awards, it was her low-budget movie instead.

She also has the Moon’s North Node (a fated position) in Pisces, a sign renowned for film and photography. As the Oscar nominations were revealed, transiting Jupiter (which provides lucky breaks and goodwill, among other things) in Pisces, conjuncted her natal Moon’s North Node.

Her win was meant to happen!

If you a) think it’s too corny to get engaged on Valentine’s Day, b) too “expected, or c) you just like teasing your partner and making them wait(!), ask them to marry you on Wednesday 17 or Sunday 28 February.

The 17th February features the absolutely gorgeous Venus conjunct Jupiter in Pisces aspect. This once-in-12-months planetary line-up offers love, sweetness, generosity, joy and abundance. You couldn’t plan a proposal on a nicer day!

If you’re the type who likes to have the ring organised first and payday came after Valentine’s Day, you could also ask on the equally sweet, lovely and optimistic 28th February when the Sun conjuncts Jupiter in Pisces. It’s also the same day as the Full Moon which is the culmination or fruition of a project and plus, it’s super-romantic being proposed to under a a full moon. 

Pisces also rules karmic links and soulmates so if you’re meant to be together, it’ll just feel “right”.

Good luck!

When I read about singer Katy Perry planning to give her brand-new fiancee, Russell Brand, a lilac Bentley for Valentines Day, I thought, “wooah, there, girl!”

They got engaged very romantically on the Full Moon of New Year’s Eve in India after dating since only September 2009.

Whichever way you cut it, after barely five months, they still don’t know each other very well. Yeah, yeah in THAT sense but it takes time for a person’s chart to unfold.

The strongest aspects around their chart have to do with Uranus (no jokes, please) which indicate sudden, enormous attraction, crackling electricity, independence, unconventionality, friendship, but also a definite on-off quality to their relationship.

The sign your Jupiter is in is where you find fun, joy, generosity, and optimism. Katy has hers in Capricorn. While the Mars-Jupiter conjunction that she has is renowned for being super-impulsive (compulsive, even), Capricorn is not known for being splashy with money and prefers to climb the career ladder, building a solid reputation. She also has the Sun, Moon and Mercury in Scorpio which means she is completely passionate – yet also highly strategic.

While I don’t doubt she fancies Russell’s pants off (his Mars in Aries trines her Venus in Sagittarius – lovely for a romantic, sexual attraction), she’s no fool and knows her flamboyant gesture would get publicised (which kinda ruins the surprise for him).

I’m not convinced that these guys can make it last the distance however. Russell has his Moon, Mars and Jupiter in Aries which means he feels, acts and has fun spontaneously. Plus he’s a Gemini and boy, are they hard to tie down! Katy’s more of a planner so his impulsive proposal may come unstuck as transiting Jupiter and Uranus in Aries (mid-year), Pluto in Capricorn and Saturn in Libra hit their charts over the next couple of years.

Better keep the receipt for the Bentley!!!

If one of your favourite people is a Capricorn, make an extra fuss of them!

They suffer the double whammy of having their birthday around Christmas (when you-know-who tends to forget to stuff a little extra something in his sack for them), and the hangover territory of New Year’s Eve and Day. Plus, if you live in the southern hemisphere, it’s summer so many people are away for your birthday.

These guys are modest, but surprisingly sentimental so please don’t forget their day or “double-up” on their birthday and Christmas gifts!

The archetypcal Cappie is ambititous and keen to climb that career ladder (just think of Alex P. Keaton from Family Ties). They want to look classy, elegant and capable. If you can give them something that has a little cache to it, so much the better. They’re not into bling like Leos and they’re not mad ego-maniacs like many Aries, but they do want to be taken seriously.

Secretly (OK, sometimes openly) snobbish, they just want the very best. They prefer classics to anything trendy and natural fibres to sticky, scratchy polysters. They secretly like fabulous items that make them feel like an old-fashioned millionaire, like smoking jackets, velvet slippers, cashmere coats, real ivory jewellery, vintage accessories, bankers’ green glass reading lamps and Monopoly!

Antiques can have enormous charm for these guys – they just adore the craftsmanship and beauty of the object. If your budget doesn’t run to antique furniture, perhaps antique objet d’art, jewellery, homewares or industrial items could appeal. Capricorn Prime Minister Paul Keating used to collect French clocks, for example, but many Cappies have a collection of some sort.

Many Capricorns often have a very clear path in mind ie finish university (while doing summer internships), work at a blue-chip company for several years, get posted overseas, complete an MBA, launch their own business then sell it out at IPO – or something similar.

Even Gen Y Capricorns have a healthy respect for learning from their superiors and putting in the hard yards. Inspire them with tomes of those super-successful entrepreneurs who made it – and cautionary tales of those who didn’t. They love to hobknob with industry VIPs – could you pay for a year’s airline lounge membership if they’re about to travel overseas?

They’re well-known for taking a long-term view of wealth-building. Perhaps they’d enjoy an investment course or a subscription to Money magazine?

Some of them don’t want to draw any attention to themselves and dress on the boring side. A stylist might give them some practical tips on how they could stylish and presentable. Many Capricorns can look too old for their years so if you know them really well, perhaps a really good moisturiser or classy sunblock wouldn’t go astray…

They want to feel special but don’t want you to spend a lot of money either. This is one sign who doesn’t mind receiving a regifted item – nor hesitate to give it either. They appreciate thriftiness and cleverness so if you (or they) can get a tax deduction, or use frequent flyer points to cash it in for a gift, so much the better.

Most of them are hugely sentimental about their partners. A personalised gift about them as a couple will always work.

Note: Jupiter will be going into their solar third house of communication on 18 January. While they’re not known for being early adopters of technology, if you spring for a new iPhone, laptop, printer or other business-type gizmo, that would be fine with them this year. On the communication theme, they also might appreciate you paying for them to attend a media presentation or public speaking course. Anything that helps them raise their profile – professionally of course – is fine with them.

Sagittarians are ruled by the biggest planet of ‘em all, Jupiter! He rules optimism, expansion and exploration so your typical Sagittarians loves a good holiday! One of their favorite presents is a an airline ticket (even better if it’s open-dated so they can come home – eventually) but if you can’t spring quite that far, give them something that expands their horizons. A gift certificate to a travel agency, hotel, car, airline or adventure company would go down well.

Can you organise a weekend away that combines a fun event – whether it’s the Elvis Festival, a rodeo manned by lanky, tanned cowboys (a favourite look for many Sagittarian girls) or something hilarious like those Finnish wife-carrying races?

They’re fond of the outdoors so some of them may like a deluxe camping chair or bed, outdoor shower unit or gas-powered refrigerator to keep their drinks cool? Many of them are very sporty so they might appreciate roofracks for their surfboard, skis or bike, or perhaps some cool athletic wear.

They love to know about other cultures so you could give them a beautiful coffee table book on Africa, or an amazing souvenir from Asia. They can- and do - pontificate about politics and religion for hours. How about The God Delusion for a real thought-raiser, something about the Dalai Lama or a biography of adventurers such as Amelia Earheart,  Steve Fossett, Jacques Costeau, Joy Adamson, or Ernest Hemingway.

They love a good laugh, too. More cerebral Saggies might prefer comedies by fellow Sagittarian Woody Allen, while others may chuckle at classics ranging from the madcap Marx Bros to the Farrelly Brothers. Male Sagittarians of a certain age might prefer westerns with John Wayne but both sexes should enjoy Indiana Jones, Pirates of the Caribbean, or those Errol Flynn swashbuckling classics on DVD.

These guys are one of the few signs who love gags and tricks so yes, woopee cushions are fine with this gang. Younger Saggies might like dress-up kits, too.

Sagittarius rules publishing so you might introduce them to Kindle, or thrill them with a personalised book about themselves that you’ve had specially created for them.

And if you’re still not sure, it’s a rare Sagittarian who doesn’t have a healthy appetite. Since most of them like entertaining, why not put together a hamper containing gourmet meats, sauces, marinades, relishes, nuts, chips and dips for an instant BBQ party?

If you’ve got a diamond ring burning a hole in your pocket (or just the urge to propose), Wednesday 28 October 2009 is a lovely day to get down on a bended knee to pop the question!

Venus (the Goddess of Love and Beauty) will be in Libra (the sign of balance, harmony and relationships) which will make a gorgeous trine to Jupiter (the Santa Claus of the zodiac) in Aquarius (friends, hopes and wishes) that day. There is probably no other combination as romantic, lucky, prosperous, abundant and joyous as this aspect!

On the same day there is also Mercury (communication) in Scorpio (sex, insight, psychology) sextiling Pluto (the planet of transformation) in Capricorn (stability, longevity, conservatism). This combination is fantastic for putting a metaphorical jigsaw puzzle together in a long-term way. Hopefully you are the one who “completes” them.

Plus, Saturn (the Pillar of the Community guy) moves into Libra (see above) the very next day. He WANTS you to get married and to make a commitment! How cool is that?!