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Between 1965 and 1970 Derek edited Poetry Review, and in 1968 published (as his first prose book) a short biography of Lord Byron. He organised the successful appeal to place a memorial to that poet in Poets' Corner of Westminster Abbey. In 1970 he edited (with John Lehmann) the selected letters of Edith Sitwell. c/o Dorling Kindersley plc, 80, Strand, London WC2R 0RL - but please note that Julia no longer does consultancy work. Julia took part in five highly successful series of television programmes for BBC South-West, Zodiac and Co. Both she and Derek have appeared together and separately on innumerable TV and radio discussion programmes in the UK, USA, Australia and New Zealand. They have lectured all over the world, and recorded a series of twelve astrological videos.
Sun: This represents your overall personality. It is the filter through which all of your other characteristics are sifted. If the daily horoscope says you “are” an Aries or Virgo or Pisces, or whatever, that means the sun was in front of that constellation when you were born. Lift the lid off this gorgeous box of treasures to understand precisely where you fit within the sun signs, planets, houses and moon cycles at play. Make sense of who you are and discover how the workings of the cosmos can affect and influence how you feel and what you do. So, when I was born, most of my planets were lined up with Aries behind them. The moon was in front of the constellation Virgo, and Taurus was on the horizon. Now, if you look at what I say about those signs, you know me! Yay! I am an open book. Except for my seeeecrets. Now I’ll tell you what the different placements represent, and later I’ll tell you about the signs. You can correct me if your understanding is different. I think the goal of Virgo is integrity. Virgos break everything down into their simplest elements and look at it all on equal terms – what is weak, strong, delicate, beautiful, ugly, sharp, soft. They look at what lasts and what blows away. A Virgo is never going to make a choice based only on some kind of fancy, but she will weigh the solidness of all of her options and go with what she can trust. And she’s honest about all of it.
Cancer. Cancer is a water sign, and I think they are the cool late teens of the zodiac. The symbol of Cancer is a crab because Cancers are tough on the outside and soft on the inside. Cancers are shy, and often that and the tough-outer-shell thing come off as mysteriousness. And in some ways, I think, Cancers probably just are mysterious, even if they do not think so themselves. Once you are a friend with a Cancer, she never lets go of the friendship. Virgo. Virgo is an earth sign and, you know, middle-aged. The symbol of Virgo is the virgin. Virgos are philosophical and logical, and almost everyone whose charts I’ve done in law school have had a bunch of Virgo. Virgos are critical, but they are critical in this particular way. Mostly, usually, they would never mean to be judgmental or even critical, but they see the world as all of the various parts that make a whole, the ingredients to the cake. Virgos are shy, so it is not that they would ever be jealous friends, but they will assume you don’t want to hang out with them if the ingredients of how you act seem like a recipe for not wanting to be around them. Educated at Fowey Grammar School, Derek started his working life as a reporter on The Cornishman, a weekly newspaper in Penzance, and went on to become drama critic of the daily Western Morning News in Plymouth. By this time he had already published two slim collections of poetry, and seen his verse-play Beyond Wisdom produced. Libra. Libra is an air sign and ready to give up the party life to woo and be wooed. The symbol of Libra is the justice scales. Almost everybody in my group in Peace Corps was a Libra. Libras are romantic, but like with the Leo personal-appearance deal, the word “romantic” usually feels kind of wrong for Libras. Libras are about authentic, real, human-type romance, not trashy boxes of chocolate and creepy songs on the radio. They care a lot about aesthetically beautiful surroundings and fairy-tale endings (whatever that happens to mean to them). A Libra cares about falling in love, but in that sense that someday when he falls in love, things will fall into place.
I think the goal of Taurus is comfort. There tend to be two types of Taureans in my experience (a sign’s qualities usually play out in one of two ways, I think). A Taurus is usually either shallow and kind of manipulative (those toys should play right!), or she is the jolliest, cuddliest teddy bear. A good Taurus friend can be like a warm fire on a winter day. Good food, good wine, good company. I think the goal of Aquarius is innovation. They crave the outdoors and fresh air and originality. Again, though, if you just say “originality,” it sounds like something constructed and fake. With Aquarius, it isn’t fake, it is just truly original. They are the genuinely weird signs of the natal chart. For example, sometimes I’ll hear a Virgo say something like, “Oh, I put yogurt in my cereal this morning. I’m so weird!” And I always think, “????” But, Aquarius is genuinely weird. Like, Einstein and the laws of momentum weird or Virginia Woolf telling you about English literature through a hermaphroditic love letter weird. Beautiful, human weird. Sagittarius. Sagittarius is a fire sign and the fulfillment of middle age. I will probably change this when I am old enough to understand the subtleties of people who are older than me. I don’t mean that snotty; I just mean it humbly. The symbol of Sagittarius is the archer because Sagittarius shoots his arrow right to the truth. They care about honesty and philosophy and winning. Seriously, play a game with a Sagittarius, and you will regret it if you win. Sagittarians tend to appreciate brutal honesty in relationships, I think. Aquarius. Aquarius is an air sign and a sort of fallout of a mid-life-crisis. Haha. That’s for my brother. Aquarius burn, awww yeah. The symbol of Aquarius is the water bearer. Aquarians invent things that the rest of us live on. The rough thing with Aquarians is that you can’t really count on them. I don’t mean that as literally as it sounds, but at the same time, I do. An Aquarius is generally going to care about having space for creativity over people, and then the Aquarius will be hurt because he loses people to creativity. An Aquarian can’t give up creativity and invention, but also, sometimes, wants to invent a family and friends, and a spectacular life, and the rest of us are a little too mundane to fulfill the dream. Lift the lid off this gorgeous box of treasures to understand precisely where you fit within the sun signs, planets, houses and moon cycles at play. Make sense of who you are and discover how the workings of the cosmos can affect and influence how you feel and what you do. With three sets of cards for the planets, sun signs, and houses, two double-sided wheels for the earth, wind, fire, and water elements, three twelve-sided astro dice, and a detailed handbook, you'll be equipped to tune into the complex astrological landscape and reclaim cosmic control of your life.Derek’s career began in radio but has spread to numerous written works on dance, opera, literature and astrology including biographies of Nell Gwyn and Casanova. He has reviewed books for The Times and edited The Poetry Review.
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