Saturn, the planet of maturity and responsibility, entered Libra on 21 July 2010 where he will stay until October 2012.

Libra rules marriage, relationships, fairness, justice and good manners. Over the next two years we will see a huge emphasis on – and return to – courtesy and politeness. Libran Oscar Wilde said, “Manners before morals” suggesting that people will forgive many things if you have good manners!

And this includes the need to acknowledge someone’s gift with a thank you card (or in descending order of charm and effort, a thank you call, email or text).

When someone has gone to the effort of selecting, paying and presenting you with a gift, the very least you can do is acknowledge it. Not being thanked can make you feel used, ripped off and resentful – and very disinclined to make an effort again for that person.

Saturn is the Taskmaster of the Zodiac, a grumpy granddad, stern school principal and demanding boss, all rolled into one. Whatever sign he is he slowly but surely makes it socially inappropriate to act the wrong way (just think of the health “police” over the last couple of years he was in Virgo).

I thought about this when I read a blog post about a woman who was angry that Target had deleted her gift registry 90 days after her wedding, making it hard for her to write her thank you cards 11 MONTHS after getting married. Apparently she hadn’t kept any record of who gave what wedding gift which is just unbelievable.

Instead of getting sympathetic clucks of “you poor old thing”, almost all of the 219 replies absolutely ripped her to shreds for taking a year to thank people saying she was an “idiot”, a “jerk”, “lame”, “lazy” and so on. No-one let her get off the hook for being “too busy”.

There’s a real opportunity for (online) retailers to include a blank Thank You card with the gift so that the recipient can easily write a note of appreciation to their gift-giver. RedEnvelope used to offer this service, then stopped it.

I’d use it – wouldn’t you?

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?

Lindsay Lohan reportedly gave her mother Dina the Mother’s Day gift of a closet makeover (no, her mum is not gay) to sort out her parent’s enormous volcano of clothes waiting to erupt on some unfortunate visitor to her bedroom.

Apparently the celebrity organiser, Linda Koopersmith spent seven DAYS – not hours! – organising Dina’s clothes into some sort of structure, with labelled drawers (bet you could do it much cheaper with a Dymolabel).

Anyway, Dina is a Virgo, who are usually known for being neat and organised. Her birthday on 15 September 1962 reveals that on her 47th birthday in 2009, transiting Saturn (responsibility) in Virgo (precision) opposed Uranus (freedom) in Pisces (escapism). This is a tough aspect which will dog her until September 2010. She has already come under fire for being irresponsible, most notably for letting 16-year-old daughter Ali into clubs, and not insisting Lindsay complete rehab therapy, let alone stop drinking yada yada.

Like mother, like daugher, Lindsay is a famous hoarder herself and she’s pretty used to people pawing through her dirty laundry as well.

Lindsay is a Cancer and they’re well-known for being hugely sentimental, unable to throw anything away, attaching emotional significance to their possessions. Owning things in Cancer Land = security therefore decluttering can mean = insecurity! On top of this she has Moon (needs) in Taurus (money, possessions) which increases her tenacious, hoarding style plus a glamourous, look-at-moi Venus (beauty) in Leo (entertainment) which pressures her to look on-trend for the paparazzi.

One of the strongest aspects in Lindsay’s chart is Sun opposite Neptune. The Sun rules your self and your identity while Neptune rules, among other things, glamour, cinema and photography, but also delusions, illusions, escapism and addictions of all kinds.

Lindsay has has a highly publicised battle with alcohol and drugs and it would also seem, with the mall. Shopping is really an escape for her.

If only someone could help her sort her her own mess…

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!

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!!!

Now that our credit card bills are about to arrive(!), January is a great month to have that discussion about money, spending, saving and issues such as gift-giving with your partner. On Friday 22 January there will be a very helpful Venus trine Saturn aspect.

Venus rules love, money and possessions aka gifts, while Saturn rules responsibility, thriftiness, planning and caution. When these guys make a beautiful trine, it is the PERFECT time to discuss gift-giving and a workaround that will please both parties.

Saturn is the Headmaster of the zodiac on a good day and so he treats everything as a lesson or exam to be mastered.

“Gift-giving is incredibly important to me as it lets me show my love and appreciation for others. You would rather save the money for our future.” Discuss.

Alrighty then. On 22 January, why not tackle the gift-giving issue in alphabetical order.

1. Anniversary gifts. Unless you’re a newlywed, most couples stop giving each other traditional anniversary gifts after the first three years and then prefer to go away for the weekend (which, ironically, is more expensive). If it’s not your first, second or third, and it’s not a big milestone like a 10th, 15th, 20th or whatever, perhaps you can agree to have a nice dinner instead. (Obviously you want to agree on this so you can be around to discuss anniversary gift-giving all over again next year.)

2. Birthday gifts. I realised that I’ll be buying a minimum of 19 birthday gifts per year which frankly horrified even me so if you have a partner (and he makes you buy all the gifts for his family, too), you could be up for a lot of gifts.  First make a list of each person you like to give at least one birthday gift to. Multiply that by a modest $50 to get your total. Once you’ve picked yourself off the floor, you may want to put a couple of rules in place. Perhaps you give only gifts to those friends you see at least once a month, and send cards to those you see less often. Or you replace gifts for friends with dinner at your home? Keep in mind that birthdays are the gift occasion where people are most likely to give personalised gifts so it’s worth planning ahead when there’s a special promotion on and to put away ahead of their birthday.

3. Christening gifts. These won’t happen every year thank goodness but you might decide to give gifts only if you live in the same city or base it on your closeness to the child.

4.  Christmas gifts. The Big Kahuna. For your own family you might discuss replacing what you spend on Christmas gifts with the equivalent on a family holiday, or lots of little things for one big-ticket item. Buying gifts only when they’re on sale. Or doing a Kris Kringle. Or setting up a Chrisco account. Or perhaps having a garage sale or selling stuff on eBay to finance Christmas gifts ie you don’t use your savings.

5. Engagement gifts. Again, these won’t happen every year but the woman will get engaged faster if she’s Generation X.

6. Fathers Day gifts. Can you take both Dads out to lunch on the same day to make a family affair and make that the gift? If you have to cut back on gifts somewhere, Father’s Day is the gift-giving occasion least likely to upset your father.

7. Mothers Day gifts. Hmmm, a lot more fuss is necessary here… She is your mum, after all.

8. New baby gifts. Work colleagues spend less per person when they contribute to a group gift whereas family and friends spend more on new baby gifts! Perhaps what gifts the new mother really needs are not cute hanging mobiles…

9. Valentines Day gifts. Will you feel upset if he overlooks it? What was your favourite Valentines Day gift? Did you get what you really wanted? Would you want it again? What about taking a raincheck for the following weekend when the flowers and chocolates/jewellery/lingerie/perfume boxed sets are reduced?

10. Wedding gifts. Again, weddings don’t necessarily happen every year although I did have three in six weeks one year. Are you going to faithfully stick to their registry or will you give them something that is very “them” but not listed? You do have up to one year to give them a wedding gift – at which point you can start the discussion all over again.

Those of you who are single on 14 February 2010 might be on your Pat Malone for a while longer, while those in newish relationships could have second thoughts, and married couples could just have to grin and bear it.

Saturn (the Grumpy Grandad of the zodiac) goes retrograde in Libra (the sign of relationships) on 15 January and will go further retrograde backwards into Virgo on 8 April. He doesn’t go direct in Virgo until 30 May and it will take him until 22 July to re-enter Libra. Added to this, Mars (the Action Man) is in Leo (the sign of love and romance). He too is retrograde (and has been since 20 December 2009) and won’t go direct until 11 March.

Since the planets of commitment AND courage – both necessary for a relationship! – are retrograde over Valentines Day I don’t think there will be too many proposals happening. Couples may instead be taking time out to think about where their relationship is headed and to confirm if they both have the same future in mind. Couples who marry or go on honeymoon during this time may have much to consider.

 While it isn’t the stuff of crazy let’s-get-married-in-Vegas tomorrow type moments a la Britney Spears, it IS a great time to reflect and to understand each other.

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?!

If your favourite Virgo is celebrating his or her birthday, I hope you’ve marked it in your diary/Outlook calendar, have left enough time to get their present there on time AND call them on the day. Well, they would do it for you! Most Virgos have an amazing memory and mentally file away everyone’s birthdays, anniversaries etc so they can deliver a gift on YOUR day. You might be surprised to know that they’re secretly wounded by people forgetting their birthday and quietly, desperately need you to prove that they’re special.

So, what to get them? One of the nicest things you can give them is a break from the housework that they tend to feel overwhelmed by. When too much is going on in their lives – and it has been thanks to Saturn in Virgo putting immense pressure on them since August 2007 not to mention Uranus in Pisces freaking them right out with undependable partners – they tend to clean, polish, sweep, vacuum, scrub, and wash etc to get some sense of order back. So as you might imagine, they have been cleaning up a storm for a couple of years…Give them a well-deserved break.

They also love a good de-cluttering. They have Pisces on the seventh house of relationships which can make them hate to throw things away that their loved ones have given them and have Sagittarius on the fourth house of home and family which suggests they live with complete grots (sorry, disorganised people). Call in the professional organisers – it will make them silly with happiness!

Saturn in your own sign is, shall we say, a little heavy-going on one’s self-esteem and attitudes towards one’s looks. Is it time for a professional stylist to freshen up their look with more flattering clothes, a haircut or better make-up choices? They just lurrve those makeover shows!

Pluto in Capricorn entered their solar fifth house of love and creativity in January 2009 and will be there until 2024. Pluto rules Scorpio so anything that promotes a bit of lovin’ and kissin’ – can you babysit the kids for the weekend? – is ideal. Virgos love step-by-step manuals and since there are all sorts of interesting how-to books to do with lovemaking, this could be a a naughty thrill!

Jupiter is in Aquarius is their sixth house of work and health until January 2010. Jupiter is what you find fun. Personally I’d like to steer away the emphasis from work for Virgo - it’s waaaay too easy for them to be workaholics – so please don’t give them leather-bound diaries or desk organisers – yuck! Springing for some new bookshelves for their home office - the Expedit ones from IKEA are very popular – might be OK, as might picking up a cute little handbag-sized laptop for them.

Or let’s consider the health side of things. Perhaps you could spring for a personal trainer, a new gym membership, some cute workout clothes, the Low GI Diet book, a delivery of fresh fruit and vegies, or at least a good, deep Swedish massage. The sixth house also rules pets. Have they been pressing their nose up against the puppies’ window at the local pet store or RSPCA? If a little doggie or kitty-kat could fit into their lifestyle, a pet could make a wonderful surprise gift.

Books are also pretty well-received. Since they love to know how things work and what makes people tick, why not check out the latest round of self-help/inspirational books?

Oh boy! I would love to know what is going on with this family!

An 11-year-old in Britain has been reported as the country’s most spoilt child, receiving approximately $300,000 in clothes and gifts (we’re talking about $2,300 a month, EVERY month, people) since she was born.

Her mother Alison MacKay, who must be the world’s best paid hairdresser, apparently started this insane and revolting spending spree since Brogan was born, lavishing her with Gucci loafers before the toddler could walk, giving her the latest Jimmy Choo shoes, Prada, Louis Vuitton and Chanel handbags, as well as a $1,100 flatscreen TV, iPhone and everything else you could poke a maxed-out credit card at.

Alison apparently “can’t go into a shop without buying Brogan something….She’s always been obsessed with her looks and I’m happy to work extra hours to buy her new clothes.”

Her dad is no better. According to Alison, Stephen “doesn’t mind. He just says, ‘Oh, let her have it.’ We have no savings but he believes in living for the day.”

What a psychological smorgasbord for a future counsellor to pick over.

While I don’t have any of their birth charts, Brogan is currently 11 years old. Allowing for this pre-teen to have just turned 11, or about to turn 12, she was born sometime between August 1997 and July 1998. Throughout this year-long period, Saturn was in Aries (between 20 to 29 degrees). Saturn rules what you’re insecure about, feel guilty about, get criticised for and have lessons in which to learn. Aries rules the physical body and is well-known for its overly healthy ego. When Saturn is in Aries, it can make for a person who is hugely insecure about their looks, yet who is also has guilt about feeling that it is ”all about them”. Brogan is going to be in for some pain if she thinks handbags and shoes can make her feel good about herself.

Her parents seem to be lacking that vital body part: a spine. Alison seems to have Neptune (glamour, illusion, addiction) in overdrive, buying her young daughter endless gifts. She “cannot go into a shop without buying Brogan something”. She really needs help! Her Dad is playing Good-Time Dad, which can often be an overly generous, irresponsible Jupiter at large. Jupiter hates responsibility and certainly doesn’t like the idea of savings.

As Pluto works his inexorable way through Capricorn (he’ll be there til 2024), we’ll all be taking much greater financial responsibility for ourselves. Pluto rules resources (anything from mineral to human) and you have to make the most of what you’ve got.  I think that when Brogan’s Saturn in Aries squares Pluto in Capricorn, (from about 2017 onwards), if she or her parents haven’t addressed this, there could be some real tears to be shed.