Some like it hot

Fri 22 April – Thurs 5 May

Sun in Taurus; Mercury in Aries (dir); Venus in Aries; Mars in Aries; Jupiter in Aries (conj Mars)

Joining Mercury, Mars and Jupiter in action-oriented Aries this edition is Venus, our goddess of love. That only leaves the Sun in Taurus to temper the current impulsive adventurous spirit. Let’s hope the Taurus influence will slow the otherwise furious pace available now. After all, Mercury is over his retrograde phase so it’s full speed ahead, which could lead to potential dangers, were it not for the slow, steady bull. The danger of all that Aries fire could spark off the furies, for Major-General Mars is at his strongest and most belligerent in his own sign, with loads of energy, initiative and courage urging for expression. Add to that an impulsive “shoot first” attitude and you have a recipe for anything that requires action, enthusiasm and drive, or worse. To compound that, Taurus will heighten the sensory and sensual urges – whatever can be relished via the five senses will demand priority attention. I just hope you like your curry hot, for chili is not a side order this week but a primary ingredient, as in red hot chili peppers on rice - or potatoes. Don’t waste your time thinking teamwork or compromise will come easily either, like a little yoghurt or banana to cool the tongue and lower the blood temperature to just below boiling point. No sir, you will just have to steel your gullet and pretend you are doing an impersonation of a volcano as you swallow those chilies whole, and then potentially find yourself barking orders like a sergeant major on parade ground. Of course if you are currently at war then the competitive urge will stand you in good stead, but if you’re just trying to decide the menu for the family dinner then I suggest you have a backup plan of “I’ll make my own then”. After all, not everyone can handle that much chili in their salad. And this is not just for the men; Venus, our archetypal epitome of femininity, is also in camo fatigues now so don’t expect too much self-control when it comes to satisfying the demands of the senses in that department either. The lack of patience means she won’t even want to waste time trimming of the outer leaves as she hastily gets her tongue into action and swallows that chili, seed and all. Needless to say, love at first sight comes quite naturally under these circumstances, so make sure you’re looking in the right direction. Just imagine all that above-mentioned Aries assertiveness in the romance department and it definitely won’t be enough for you to just lie back and think of England. And after all that chili I doubt if that will be possible anyway. So if it’s excitement you’re looking for in your love life then you won’t even need that chili sandwich for breakfast, because the extroverted, demonstrative and excitement-seeking qualities abound, regardless of your gender. More timid souls may want to carry a liter of yoghurt around with them in case things spice up a bit too much for their liking, and be sure to econdomise on the luxuries, for the senses really are easily aroused now, and may invariably have the staying power of a bull in a chili shop.