I was recently having dinner with an old friend, discussing astrology over steamed dumplings. While my friend was skeptical, I insisted I believe in it.
I suggested she check out the only published horoscopes I swear by -- in Elle magazine. They have proved, in my experience, uncannily accurate. The next day I received an e-mail from Susan Miller, the famous astrologist who writes the horoscopes for Elle!
Miller invited me to cover her event, ," an all-day program raising money for the Red Cross efforts in Haiti. Susan contacted me after running into a mutual friend at a coffee shop who suggested I might want to attend.
The very next morning, I cleared my schedule and I was there, sitting front row with editors and marketers of Elle, there to support their colleague and hang on Susan's every cheery word. (It's impossible to convey in print just how upbeat she is).
"Sometimes you have to go through something [difficult] to get to the good," she said. "It doesn't mean it's a bad year." Miller started her morning talk by assuring that difficult periods are times to shed behaviors and beliefs that aren't working for us.
So when will the U.S. finally "shed" this Great Recession?
Two years ago, astrologists saw that we were moving into a new money system, she says, when Pluto went into Capricorn. The last time this happened, the English created the Stamp Act -- raising taxes on the American colonies, which lead to the Revolutionary War.
Now we're going through another monetary shake-up, but things won't be easier until October 2012. Miller promises it won't be "all bad" until then; it's a time for financial reform. "The planets try to get us to change," she says. And change is never easy.
But with Jupiter in Pisces -- one of the most charitable signs -- it's all falling back on us to help one another. This year is all about community.
And then there's great news: this is an excellent year for reinvention.
When I was gushing over her horoscopes in the magazine to Elle's creative director Joe Zee, he assured me that Miller's Web site AstrologyZone.com has lots more amazing information. I've provided links to each sign on her site with information she went over on Saturday's event. If that's still not enough information, you can get a personalized astrology book from Miller's publisher for around $50 that is specific to your place and time of birth.
Now, a quick note on fashion before we get started. With Jupiter in Pisces, that means fashion is all about sparkling things -- like a sparkling school of fish, which I have been loving. But this summer, with Jupiter in Aries, expect fashion to take a militant turn with shorter haircuts, riding crops, and sportier looks. I shared this news right away with one of my favorite people in fashion, couture designer Sergio Guadarrama of Celestino, an Austin, Texas-born line. "Well, at least that's good news for us," he shrugged about the current sparkling explosion.
For a slice of what's in store for you in 2010, check out the full post on Walletpop.com.