An Astrological Guide

to Personal Finance

Yvonne Morabito

A Perigee Book
 CONTENTS

Introduction Xl

ARIES 1
TAURUS 23
GEMINI 47
CANCER 69
LEO 93
VIRGO 117
LIBRA 139
SCORPIO 163
SAGITTARIUS 189
CAPRICORN 213
AQUARIUS 237
PISCES 261
"Earth (sun, moon, cosmos), isn't this what you want:

to arise within us,

invisible? ...

What, if not transformation, is your urgent command?"

-RAINER MARIA RILKE

 INTRODUCTION

It's bigger than all of us, yet within everyone's grasp. While some
of Wall Street's savviest analysts use planetary indicators to pre­
dict market movements and guide investment decisions, few peo­
ple know how to apply these powerful tools to their own business
lives. Market activity and corporate decision-making are merely
aggregates of individual human behavior, though, and astrology
serves also as a potent predictor of personal business predisposi­
tions. Dollar Signs is a straightforward guide to the personality
traits of the twelve astrological sun signs, as they relate to one's
professional choices and personal financial matters.
The legendary financier J. P Morgan is known to have relied on
astrology in his business decisions, and a number of agricultural
commodity traders long have charted the cycles of the moon to pre­
dict crop cycles more accurately. Gradually, increasing numbers of
financial researchers are realizing that the pulls and pushes of plan­
etary movements affect the human behavior that drives all financial
markets. And the discipline of financial astrology is gaining so much
popularity that astrological newsletters now circulate within some of
the most prestigious institutions in the financial community.
Xll INTRODUCTION

What Is the Sun Sign?

In essence an astrological chart provides a snapshot of the po­
sitions of the planets in the skies at the exact time we are born, and
it reveals the complex interaction of energies that cannot help but
influence us. Although the sun's placement in a: particular sign is
<;mly one aspect of our astrological makeup, the sun represents the
conscious part of living, or those left-brain activities that comprise
om intellect. Needless to say, the conscious, thinking part of our
mind is such a prevalent part of our total composition that we gen­
erally feel a strong underlying connection with the symbolism (or
energy) of our sun sign, regardless of conflicting planetary ener­
gies in our chart. The sun sign attributes, most people find, are so
pervasive in the individual that they drive career and cash man­
agement decisions. By investigating the symbolism of the sign
under which you are born, then, you can identify more effectively
the businesses and investments that best suit your natural procliv­
ities. In addition, you can learn to avoid those areas where you are
inhibited astrologically.
Rather than jumping directly into analysis of your sign, how­
ever, deriving a better understanding of some basic astrological
phenomena will enable you to grasp more fully the workings of
the natural system at play upon us.

Overview of Astrological Basics

We are composed primarily of water, and we experience the
pulls of our surrounding environment just as the oceans experi­
ence tides. Granted, technology has provided us with the means to
separate ourselves, essentially, from natural living, but we can
never really escape the influences of the larger universe that en­
velops us. Many of us may feel more "in control" by denying that
we are systematically, and continually, influenced by the move"
ments of the enormous bodies that circle our globe. But, by ac­
knowledging and analyzing those energies, which are caused by
physical phenomena we.know exist, we can pave more direct paths
 INTRODUCTION Xlll

toward self-awareness and, ultimately, plan for ourselves more

productive personal and professional lives.
Just as nature manifests different energies throughout the
changing seasons of the year, the sun's energies vary as it passes
through the twelve cross-sections of sky known as the signs of the
zodiac. The characteristics of each sign depend largely on a ruling
planet which influences that sign. And individuals born within
each sign respond to and exhibit most prominently those qualities
that are highlighted, at birth, by the sun's particular position in that
section of the sky. Of all the bodies and planets in our solar sys­
tem, the sun seems to act most intensely upon us, and the sun's en­
ergies are released in profoundly different ways, depending on the
sign through which it passes. Through both empirical research and
intuitive studies, distinct human tendencies have been associated
consistently with the sun's position in each of the particular signs.
By examining closely, then, the symbolisms of your sun sign, in
the context of the entire astrological wheel of life, you begin to
find your place in the confusing world of career and cash flow. Of
course, a full astrological profile is necessary to identify with the
other, perhaps contradictory, energies acting upon you, but the sun
sign serves as a valuable starting point in understanding basic po­
tentials and pitfalls.
The signs of the zodiac all interact in a divine balance with
one another, and certain modes of expression transcend the sun
sign categorizations. To better understand one's sun sign, and
one's place in the entire cycle of the zodiac, a brief overview of
some major crosscurrents of astrological activity is important.

The Elements
Each sign transforms and contains energy through the proper­
ties of one of four elements, known as earth, water, fire, and air.
Taurus, Capricorn, and Virgo are the earth signs. Scorpio, Cancer,
and Pisces are the water signs. Leo, Aries, and Sagittarius are the
fire signs. And, Aquarius, Libra, and Gemini are the air signs.
Individua·ls born under earth signs base actions upon physical
XIV INTRODUCTION

needs. You are grounded in the tangible world, rather than the
realm of dreams and esoteric thoughts, and you rely on your
senses of sight, hearing, smell, touch, and taste to guide you
through your daily decisions. Earth signs generally are pragmatic,
stable people with lots· of patience and an aversion to change.
Earth signs sense needs.
Water signs rely on feelings to guide ·actions. Like the earth
signs, you are grounded in the physical-world, as opposed·to the
conceptual realm. However, to reach you, others must lure you out
of the obscure, underground, or underwater territories of emo­
tional sensitivity. You are highly compass'ionate individuals with
an acute understanding of other people's feelings and a desire for
intimacy in your associations. Water signs generally must exercise
great self-control to harness effectively the power of their element.
Water signs feel.
Fire signs depend on inspiration and intuition to direct their
actions. Your hunches are as real to you as the physical signs of
life around you, and your movements are often impulsive and
quite unstable. You fire signs usually possess a strong sense of
yourselves, which prompts you to take on big gambles and com­
petition. Although you generally are unpredictable, you also are
capable of applying your energy to set objectives. Fire signs act on
impulse.
Finally, air signs base activity upon thoughts and ideas, which
often seem more real to you than the physical world itself. You rely
on your intellect to guide you through life's choices, and you ex­
press yourself freely and greatly encourage communications. Air
signs rarely seem to get bogged down by emotional issues or sen­
timentality, and they have an aura of floating on air through life's
complications. Air signs think.

The Fixed, Cardinal, and Mutable Qualities

of Expression
Depending on the particular sign, each element takes on one
of three specific qualities or "intensities" of expression. These
 INTRODUCTION xv

varying degrees of intensity are known in astrology as the "fixed,"

"cardinal," or "mutable" quality of each sign, and they tell us how
"hot and cold" an individual sways. The fixed signs (Taurus, Leo,
Scorpio, Aquarius) express their elemental forces in a steady, con­
trolled manner. They are usually stubborn in their beliefs, and they
rarely exhibit extreme displays of energy. fixed signs also usually
resist change. The cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn)
are the crash-and-burn types. They exhibit extremes of expression,
in its purest form, and they direct it fully toward one thing at a
time. So_ cardinal signs rev high and low, and-they are more un­
predictable than the fixed-signs. Finally, the mutable signs (Gem­
ini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces) spread their energies according
to the excitement at hand. Mutable signs exert their energies in
many different directions at a rapid pace. They seek variety af!d
change, and they do not fix their energies as intently as the cardi­
nal signs on any one aim. Mutable signs are happiest when in con-'
stantmotion.
The following analogy should clarify the distinctions among
fixed, cardinal, and mutable signs. Using fire as the element of
expression, a fixed sign will manifest the fire activity as a steadily
burning furnace. The temperature will be controlled at all times, if
possible, and changing the temperature will not be easy. A car&-.
nal sign, on the other hand, will act as a blowtorch, reaching the
height of fire's power and directing it with utmost intensity toward
a specific target for a limited period of time. Finally, the mutable
fire sign will travel around freely, providing a spark to any excit­
ing activity that appears to call for the flame.

The Wheel as an Integrated Whole

Now that you have a basic background of the way astrology af­
fects you, we will take a brief walk through the entire astrological
wheel of business and enterprise. As you will see, each sign feeds
on the one before it and complements the one to follow. The di­
vine interrelationship of the signs and the unique input provided
by each illustrate a production system that works with supreme ef-
XVI INTRODUCTION

ficiency when each worker performs his or her specialized func­

tion.
In a microcosmic sense, here is how the signs would interact
in a single business venture:

Aries
Aries is the first sign of the zodiac, and it corresponds with the
time of the year when new life blossoms. The sign is ruled by ag­
gressive, action-oriented Mars, the warrior planet, and it signifies
initiative and pioneering. In the business context, Aries is the en­
trepreneur. Aries is the blindly optimistic baby of the zodiac. An
inspiration-oriented fire sign, you are courageous and bold, and
you take the creative vision out of the incubator and thrust it into
real light. The ram symbolizes your "head-butting" style, with
which you provide the perfect blast of power to get the business
ball rolling, and your desire for experience and adventure super­
sedes any fears you have about the unknown. Of course, entrust­
ing a toddler with the responsibility of nailing down business
foundations and providing for future business sustenance would
be plainly foolhardy. And that's where Aries hands the game over
to Taurus.

Taurus
· The bull accepts the torch of business potential sparked by
feisty Aries and makes the enterprise real. Ruled by Venus's need
for material accumulation and wealth, you zero in on the true
value of the venture and, as an earth sign, you begin to put into
place the structure that �rives real-world business production.
Taurus is an earth sign who senses the material needs of the busi­
ness and works to provide them. You bulls tap into your enormous
strength, stamina, and focus to assemble your business raw mate­
rials and pull them to optimal output. As business heats up, how­
ever, you get set in your ways and fail to stir up the creative
communications and sales efforts necessary for further growth.
You bulls continue along your set path and entrust Gemini with
the next leg of business.
 INTRODUCTION XVll

Gemini
As summer approaches, Gemini enters the race, with the
agility of mind to stir up master strategies and communications ef­
forts to bring the conceptual aspect of the business up to speed.
Gemini not only initiates sales efforts that build the business be­
yond infancy and into its first signs of young fertility, but also in­
tegrates the internal visions and growing workforce of the
company. As the twins, you are changeable in your objectives, and
you experiment with many different game plans to see what
works. You investigate and expose all the different forces at work
behind current business and make necessary changes in ineffec­
tive practices. Fleet-footed Mercury, planet of communication and
intellect, is your guide, and you move swiftly through the busi­
ness, digging up and analyzing the systems at work. You move so
fast, however, that you fail to implement your strategies effec­
tively, and you leave business a bit undone. So, along comes Can­
cer to sink some roots.

Cancer
Cancer is the nurturer of enterprise. You are ruled by the
moon, the heavenly body of subconscious needs and desires, and
you innately provide the correct amounts of capital and labor to
grow the seeds of enterprise. You support daily activities and
nudge them in productive directions, and you foster sound busi­
ness values in the workplace. Your symbol is the crab, with its pro­
tective shell, and you incubate and strengthen inside operations
rather than openly confront competition. Cancer concentrates on a
strong home life to drive business growth, and, eventually, when
the enterprise is fully grown and ready to stand on its own feet in
the outer marketplace, Leo recruits the young rookie and coaches
him or her for the fights of full-fledged business.

Leo
The lion takes immediate control of the adolescent business
that emerges out of Cancer. Whereas Cancer concentrates on in­
ternal development and support, Leo toughens the business for the
xvm INTRODUCTION

competition of the real world. Leo is born for leadership and do­
minion over others and leads the enterprise into battle. You imme­
diately begin to assign people specific duties, and you get
everyone facing in the same direction. You are ruled by the sun,
the essence of prosperity and life, and you truly pull together the
business concept and the hands-on operations. You Leos are ex­
tremely creative, and you integrate all angles of the big-picture
business plan. Then you rally the troops to put it in place. As your
empire forges ahead, however, you tend to .overlook the mundane
details ofdaily operations. Luckily, Virgo silently creeps into ac­
tion and takes such duties off your hands.

Virgo
While Leo needs the glamour of the stage and lots of show­
manship to command the support required for development of big
business, Virgo shuns the spotlight. You work behind the scenes
and tend to the real operations and practical worker concerns.
While Leo is out preaching about the vision and creating an inte­
grated business master plan, Virgo runs the real show. You are
thorough and analytical, and you do not miss a detail of daily du­
ties. Virgo is the backbone of the growing business, and, ruled by
intellectually driven Mercury in its practical (earthy) incarnation,
you keep everything running with utmost efficiency thanks to
your fastidious mind. Before you know it, however, you are so
productive that your business is bursting at the seams. It is time to
expand beyond your current walls, and Libra is just the person to
attract business allies and merger opportunities.

Libra
As the sign of growth through relationships, Libra finds the
perfect partners to complement and enhance current enterprise.
You are charming and intellectually gifted, and you magnetize
many suitors to your business strategy. Ruled by Venus, planet of
beauty and material comfort, you present the business in its most
favorable light. You make everything look its best, and, thanks to
your facile mind, you negotiate ideal arrangements for successful
 INTRODUCTION XlX

partnerships. Your symbol is the scale, and you mechanically mea­

sure all ingredients of business life, constantly coming upon per­
fect balances between business forces. With indulgent Venus at
your back, however, you tend to overdo it, and your enterprise
grows beyond efficient levels. Then Scorpio comes in to lop off
some of the excess weight you have acquired.

Scorpio
Scorpio is the private investigator of business affairs. Unlike
outgoing, attention-grabbing Libra, Scorpio moves more stealth­
ily. You examine enterprise and expose hidden problems and inef­
ficiencies. Then you act the part of the "Grim Reaper" and kill off
the unperforming assets. Scorpio streamlines business. You are the
Scorpion who paralyzes Libra's overexpansive energies and gets
the business back to basics. By completely eliminating the fat
around operations, you make way for leaner, meaner growth and
productivity. Your ruler is Pluto, planet of death and transforma­
tion or rebirth, and you promote such processes in the business
arena. Your passions are inwardly directed, however, and as the
new, improved business emerges, Sagittarius gets the call to take
it global.

Sagittarius
Business would stagnate without the international perspective
of you centaurs. While Scorpio investigates internal operations,
Sagittarius explores the workings of the external business arena,
collecting ideas and knowledge to bring business beyond its re­
gional confines. You force business to look toward international
markets and concerns, and you powerfully pitch your product to
potential foreign demand. Sagittarius loves to travel and stirs up
interest wherever he or she goes. You are ruled by Jupiter, the
magnanimous planet of growth and expansion, and you extend
your energies outward across the map. Needless to say, you spread
yourself a bit thin to nail down practical concerns of conglomer­
ate structure and corporate reputation. Then, lo and behold, care­
ful Capricorn comes on the scene to pull it all together for you.
xx INTRODUCTION

Capricorn
Your ruler is Saturn, planet of discipline and restraint, and,
while' the centaur stirs up global interest, Capricorn creates the
harnessto control such efforts and preserve the company's bottom
-line.. No one is more organized and methodical than you goats.
And no one cares so much about status and reputation. You Capri­
corns fear deprivation and instability, so·you enter already estab­
lished businesses with plump profit lines. The goat provides for
the material base that underlies mega-business dealings and pa­
tiently builds the enterprise to the peak position of monetary
power and prestige in its field. Eventually, though, you begin to
feel the social responsibility that accompanies your moneymaking
mastery, and you look to Aquarius to bring business into the hu­
manitarian realm.

Aquarius
Your sign is the water bearer, and you Aquarians share
droplets of business success with the masses. Aquarius leads the
profit-driven enterprise to institutional status. You are ruled by the
revolutionary planet, Uranus, and you devise all sorts of innova­
tive ways to transcend the status quo of business life. The business
is mature now, and you look to spread its wealth toward charitable
goals and progressive business pathways. The usual routine of es­
tablished business bores you, and you recognize opportunities to
push the game toward higher intellectual ideals. Aquarians seek to
use big business to stir the planet to innovative thought and con­
ceptualization, rather than just the exchange of goods. As the busi­
ness develops idealistic foundations, however, you realize that
people also need to relate personally and emotionally to the busi­
ness's products, services, and initiatives. So, finally, Pisces adds
the artistic vision to fuel the next generation of business success.

Pisces
Pisces represents the last leg of the business journey. You stand
in old age and look toward the possibilities of spiritual fulfillment
and the generations to follow you. You are the sign of two fish who
 INTRODUCTION XXI

simultaneously swim upstream and downstream. The downstream

fish retreats from the real world of enterprise into the fantasy
world of dreams and what "could be." And the upstream fish
brings those visions to the fore of real life. Neptune, planet of the
underworld of illusion, constantly stirs in you creative visions to
superimpose on an otherwise dreary outward existence. You stand
at the end of the business cycle, with possibilities of creative re­
birth on the horizon, and your challenge is to propel your vision­
ary insights over the threshold of fantasy and into reality. Pisces
transcends the strictly financial focus of business through artistic
expression. And you provide the mysterious creative force that im­
pels Aries to leap forward, impulsively, into the frontiers of new
enterprise.

Naturally, every individual possesses some attributes of each of

the signs, and you tap into various strengths as needed. But each
individual is "wired" in such a way that he/she is more sensitive to
certain energies than others. As you move through the enormous
mass of dynamic energy known as the universe, you are influenced
by forces that your conscious mind fails to acknowledge. You bump
along and try to find the roads that seem to add up intellectually,
but, so often, logic provides no secret stairway to success. And,
when considering professional choices and personal investments,
you will find that any trip-ups on your path can prove quite costly.
The following pages offer a shortcut through some of your
treacherous travels in career and investment jungles. Certain char­
acteristics of your sun sign may seem inaccurate to you, yet over­
all, most people identify with the general role their particular sun
sign plays in the astrological business wheel. In those rare cases
when a sun sign feels totally uncomfortable and foreign to you, a
quick look at your natal chart should reveal the overriding forces
that block out the sun sign's influence upon you. These could be
rising sign influences, concentrations of planets in other signs, or
a host of other factors. With some minimal research or a brief con­
sultation with an astrologer, you can then pinpoint the sign with
which you are most intrinsically connected.
xxii INTRODUCTION

Before you begin, take a deep breath, keep an open mind, and
try to remember to be honest with yourself about your strengths
and weaknesses. Some of us like to imagine ourselves as what we
are not, and we go to great lengths to put forth an image so con­
vincing that even we begin to accept it. One of the great values of
astrology is its ability to reconnect us with our innate desires and
predispositions. The self-awareness that astrology offers also
breeds an appreciation for the contributions and styles of .others.
In career choices and investing, one of the most important lessons
is to focus on your strengths and to leave your weak areas for
those who are better at handling those tasks. But such advice is
more easily given than followed. After all, we kid ourselves when
we assume that we are good at all kinds of exotic skills, and we
neglect our most precious gifts!

The following chapters provide an ongoing reference to the

guts and glories of yourself and others. If you stick to your astro­
logical advantages and heed the signs surrounding you, your men­
tal state and monetary muscle should soon exhibit sure signs of
celestial stardom!
 LEADERS AND
LUMINARIES
J.P. Morgan
ARIES THE FIERY
Robert and Sid Bass SPARK PLUG
Al Gore
OF BUSINESS
Andrew Lloyd Weber
John Scully ACTIVITY
Gloria Steinem
Sandra Day O'Connor MARCH 21-APRIL 20

Well, Aries, it's a rare occasion when you sit down long enough to
consider such dry tasks as financial organizing and long-term
business planning, but the following chapter should ease the pain
of such agonizing undertakings. You are equipped with the same
tools as the gallant warrior, Mars, destined for hand-to-hand com­
bat out on the battlefields of finance. You are by no means a
behind-the-scenes planner, and you literally self-destruct if you
are not in the center of the game. The attention that comes with a
high-profile career serves your ego well, but even prestige and
power play second fiddle to your need for independence and self­
assertion.
Your specialty is action rather than extensive planning, and
you are the catalysts of business activity. Being the first sign of the
zodiac, you are a pioneering innovator who likes to do things your
own way. You are bold and optimistic, and you have such wide­
eyed enthusiasm about life's adventures that you will not allow
yourself to be bothered about the mundane money matters that
seem to rule those around you. You just do not think to worry
about long-term security when the current action around you of-
2 DOLLAR SIGNS

fers such adrenaline-drenched excitement. Fear not, because your

key to financial success merely requires that you concentrate on
your strengths and leave your weak areas to those born under other
sun signs.

Entrepreneurship
As the baby of the zodiac, Aries has all the get-up-and-:go and
curiosity of a toddler and the undying faith so crucial for the en­
trepreneur. You act on inspiration and often throw yourself into
new ventures without fully examining the risks involved. You are
unconscious of the wolves around you, so their bloodthirsty ap­
petites do not even phase you. Luckily, your passion for winning
usually overcomes any obstacles that spring up in your path to
success anyway. Like an infant, you take all the hits of the busi­
ness world in stride, picking yourself up after each punch, dusting
off the dirt, and continuing full-speed-ahead over each successive
bump in the road.
You probably burst into the business world with no precon­
ceived notions about proper behavior and rules of conduct, and
you believe your way is the only way for you. You do not at all ap­
preciate anyone telling you what you can or cannot do in your
business ventures, and you nearly flip when others question your
game plan. You are hell-bent on accomplishing a task once it's
been entrusted to you, and you simply cannot tolerate anyone who
doubts your abilities. Your desire to break down any wall is the
essence of brilliant entrepreneurship, and, especially with partners
who can follow up on what you've done and grow the foundations
you've laid, you become leaders of a cutting-edge enterprise.
The Aries's energy is fast and fiery. You use your inferno of
initiative to blast fledgling ventures through the critical start-up
phase of business. Your passion flows outward in a powerful rush,
and it desperately needs productive channels of expression. Ruled
by valiant Mars, the brave warrior planet of action and aggression,
Aries is the personification of enterprise. You are self-assertive
leaders with an innate need to influence your environments and
 ARIES 3

direct all the action of your business lives. You are not concerned
with how or what was done in the past-you are engaged in the
present and future. The ram needs to be at the pulse of the latest
hot trends, and you feel trapped and stagnated when held captive
to mature businesses that change little with life's daily dynamics.
When you Ariens spot a business idea that turns you on, it be­
comes a part of you. Your commitment and drive tell all that you
demand equal respect for yourself and your crusades. The house
of Aries in the zodiac signifies the ego and self-projection, so you
take personally every accomplishment or failure on the business
trail. Many might accuse you of believing that the world revolves
around you, but they do not complain when such self-absorption
compels you to follow through on your business commitments
when everyone else has thrown in the towel. Ariens do so hate to
lose, and they take each failure so personally, that they will risk
everything to make good on a deal. Once people are counting on
you to get a job done, your whole being is wrapped up in the ac­
complishment of the matter at hand. As an entrepreneur, such
undying faith is crucial to your maintaining support from in­
vestors and workers alike.
On the downside, your strong will often makes you appear so
dogmatic that others simply find it too difficult to deal with you.
In business situations, you are often seen as a black sheep of the
corporate family-you are just too independent and pigheaded to
go with the crowd. You often take on too much responsibility and
then fail to delegate even the most trivial of tasks. Such insistence
on doing it all yourself often leads to burnout, one of the most
common downfalls of the entrepreneur. At some point, you Arien
pioneers will need to learn to temper the flame that fuels you and
to play with your team, not against it.

Risk Profile
When it comes to risky business, Aries not only enjoys an oc­
casional gamble but actually thrives on such uncertainties. In fact,
the greater the peril, the more Ariens you'll find rushing to join in.
4 DOLLAR SIGNS

Ariens have unparalleled courage, and no task or individual is too

great a challenge. Because you focus only on the positive aspects
of each new venture, you take on the most formidable and risky
tasks. Whether it's an active market or a sexy start-up venture that
catches your eye, you bravely act on impulse when other signs
wince at the downside risk.
You fiery rams often are too impulsive for your own good, and,
before you even realize the risk level of a particular purchase, you
have already completely committed yourself. What choice do you
have, then, other than to give it 100 percent of your devotion and
support? Your energy is cardinal, as it's called in astrology, mean­
ing it burns hard and fast. Therefore, you find it difficult to mod­
erate your efforts and carefully manage the slow-growth, sleepier
investments. You get so bored with the safer side of Wall Street
that, even when your portfolio cries out for some conservatism,
you continuously veer toward the racier deals. Needless to say, the
planets urge you Ariens to employ a financial advisor who will
worry about capital preservation while you go bonkers over junk
bonds and the like.
You are actually somewhat obsessed with risk because you
feel that it provides the growth you so crave and forces you to ex­
plore ever more of your various strengths. Ariens are most afraid
of stagnating, and risk is the antidote for such inactivity. By forc­
ing yourself to face new and frightening challenges, you push
your ego and your mind to new heights of resourcefulness and un­
derstanding. In addition, you simply create new situations for
yourself by taking risks, and even modest changes stimulate your
nonstop curiosity and drive.
You revere most those who have "put it all on the line" for
something they believe in, and, valuing courage above almost all
else, you constantly strive to live up to the same brave feats as those
before you. Because you have such a hot internal fire, you need to
expend some of its heat on a regular basis. The intensity of your
flame is often too much for most mature businesses and passive in­
vestments; however, in areas like venture capital or business
growth, where it's do or die, your heightened input is essential.
 ARIES 5

When not competing at high levels of intensity, you sense that

your warrior skills are being wasted and that you are failing to
fully actualize your innate powers. You have no choice but to
throw your flame outward as a huge spark; otherwise, it can tum
on you and destroy your self-image rather than creating your
ideals. You are natural-born optimists; and, with the heavens be­
hind you, you Ariens go for the risk side of the risk-reward equa­
tion, racing right by the naysayers who warn of failure.

Investment Style
Your desire always to be number one gets you into speculative
investments ahead of the crowd, and you positively gloat over your
ability to outsmart everyone else. You love to blaze new trails, so
you generally get into trades just before the market bottoms and
you get out just before the tops, which is quite a successful strat­
egy. You play for the quick buck, so you usually go for the higher­
risk, fast-moving types of investments.
You are at your best when your adrenaline is pumping and the
markets are fast and frenetic. That's when your battle skills really
blossom. When you get into markets, you attack and retreat with
such precision that no one can beat you. In fact, many Ariens do
so well trading that they successfully make it their profession. The
markets are a fabulous playing field where the feisty ram can
knock heads each day, and the almost immediate results are ex­
actly what the impatient fire sign thrives on.

Investment Horizon
The quick buck is what you crave, and the long-term, conser­
vative gainers are far too dull for you high-flying types. You can
be in a venture for the long haul, but as traders, you are lightning
fast. You just do not have the patience to sit on stagnant markets
and to wait for your profits to mature. Ariens, as mentioned, are
quick profit-takers. You are brilliant at getting in on sudden price
run-ups that cannot be sustained. You are in and out as quickly as
6 DOLLAR SIGNS

the market changes, and you grin at the reliability of your im­
pulses and your seat-of-the-pants approach.
Because your comfort level is found in active markets, you
find it difficult to assess the value of long-term, sleepier invest­
ments, such as real estate and treasury bonds. You live in the now,
and you really do not care to speculate too much about market
movements far off in the distance. Aries. gets excited about oppor­
tunities that are about to explode and will eat, breathe, and sleep
the investment while it's getting ready to pop. Naturally, you can­
not sustain this level of concentration for too long, and, though
you can keep up the intensity for a few weeks, you rarely want to
watch over an investment for longer than a few months. Leave the
long-term planning and conservative-growth aspects of your port­
folio to the less impulsive signs.

Negotiating Savvy
Oh, Aries, do you love a fight! You feel so at home in battle
that you often instigate controversy just to heat things up to your
above-average temperature. Needless to say, this fre9uently makes
negotiations with you a really tense affair. As a hardheaded ram,
you drive your ideas home with blind determination and little re­
gard for the thoughts or feelings of those around you. In addition,
you absolutely hate to be wrong, so you often argue points just to
save face, knowing full well that you are out of line.
Although you often win your "negotiations" by forcefully
wearing down your opponents, you then leave a bad taste in their
mouths that is not easily forgotten. You dogmatically attack and
staunchly defend your turf, but you leave so little room for com­
promise that your opponents cannot possibly agree to all your
terms. As in everything you do, you go for all or nothing, and, in
negotiations, you push for every one of your points at the risk of
losing the entire deal. Learn to pick your major shots carefully,
and back off on the areas about which you are less passionate. You
are so obsessed by the drama of a good fight that you tend to use
cannons where slingshots would do, and you argue points that are
 ARIES 7

not crucial matters of business. The art of negotiation, you must

remember, is to make everyone walk away feeling that he or she
has won something. You needn't win every battle to prevail in the
war at large, Aries!

Partnership Decisions
Aries loves to be totally independent and hates to rely on oth­
ers for anything. Rams are not cut out for all aspects of business,
however, nor do they have even the remotest desire to bother
with certain financial tasks. Because you do such a lousy job at
things that do not impassion you, you are advised to surround
yourselves with dependable helpers who are sticklers for organi­
zation and detail. And, engaging in joint enterprises enables you
to spread the risk, which is a wise move for you daredevil types!
Unfortunately, you valiant rams spent too much time in your
lives stirring things up to learn the subtle skill of character
judgment. Ariens often get swindled by user-type individuals
who want to tap into the Aries fire without giving much in re­
turn. You are advised, therefore, to exercise patience and slow
deliberation before taking on any partners. Of course the safest
path is to team up with a longstanding acquaintance or col­
league who has already proven his/her trustworthiness. If it has
not already happened to you in your business life, you will be
absolutely amazed at all the snakes who try to charm you into
lopsided partnerships.
The ideal business mate will support you and fuel your fire
without trying to take advantage of it. You do well with those who
feed you positive reinforcement and dedication but do not try to
run your races with you. You are a solo act, and anyone who med­
dles too much in your everyday affairs is likely to set off your
temper. Domineering types drive you absolutely mad, so be wary
of Scorpios and Taureans with out-of-control egos. They will scru­
tinize your every move and destroy your natural, free-flowing
flair. You need to seek out the latest action while your partner con­
centrates on the business that's in place. Your partner must be both
8 DOLLAR SIGNS

comfortable with your high-profile style and complementary to

your business activities.
Air signs (Libra, Gemini, Aquarius), particularly Librans, and
fire signs (Aries, Sagittarius, Leo) make the most compatible
mates for you flashy rams, but you do not want to share the spot­
light, so make sure they have their own domain to manage. You
will butt heads with anyone who dares to tread on your turf, but
you can find a perfect mate in a suitor who helps you shine while
he/she finds thrills in the behind-the-scenes action.

Work Style
When one is charging full speed ahead, it is difficult to keep
the trail neat and tidy. Although you may know where every bump
and curve along the road lies, those around you view your whirl­
wind as sheer chaos. What they don't understand is that your job
is to blaze the dirt trail, but that you cannot be expected to lay the
concrete, post the traffic signs, and map the route.
Your style is free-form, and, despite everyone's pleas, you just
cannot get your bills paid on time, your piles of paper filed neatly,
and your work space uncluttered. Because you feel this is a short­
coming, you get extremely defensive when others tell you how to
set up your affairs or run your daily business. Needless to say,
your unorthodox organizational skills usually make strict corpo­
rate life a strain for you. You can play the game and do things their
way for a while, but, ultimately, you need the freedom to handle
your duties in your own unique way.
Ariens act brilliantly when given clear direction. In fact, al­
though you hate being told what to do, you excel in the armed
forces. As long as you do not have to waste time figuring out the
best way to organize your affairs and your environment, you do
not mind the structure. In fact, you are delighted when someone
steps in and offers you a general foundation on which to build. You
simply need plenty of space to run, many challenges, and the abil­
ity constantly to grow and achieve new heights. The ram is happy
 ARIES 9

to let others revel in laying the groundwork, as long as they do not

try to confine the Aries spirit after the structure has been built.

Work Environment
Those born .under the sign of the warrior, Mars, as you might
guess, are not mild mannered types. Aries people often are out­
spoken and aggressive, and others may not be receptive to their
opinions and competitiveness. Consequently, Ariens need to find
work environments that foster their strong wills and independent
style. Ariens fare well in smaller corporations or in autonomous
work groups where they have a say in many aspects of the busi­
ness and where they can work directly with the corporate power
center, i.e., the company president and other principals. The ram
cannot stand to feel like just one of the crowd, and, even in regu­
lar corporate photo sessions, many an Aries will be vying for the
front row or pulling an eye-catching prank just as the flash goes
off. When a large corporation attempts to compartmentalize this
feisty creature, the head butting gets so intense it usually propels
the ram right out the door.
Ariens like to work with others, particularly other fire and air
signs,. and do like the social aspect of the corporate world. How­
ever, you prefer to work on a small, fast boat rather than an ocean
liner. Ariens thrive on the violent ups and downs of the small craft
and revel in the new challenges that suddenly arise each day. You
also like to wear many hats and to feel personally connected to the
company big shots.
Ariens need variety and constant opportunities to prove them­
selves. You do best in settings where specific goals are presented to
you and then you are left to achieve your mission in your own way.
You will strongly resist supervisors who breathe down your neck,
and you do not respond well to threats or criticism. Ariens like to
feel heroic and, when treated respectfully, will kill themselves to
exceed even the highest expectations people have of them.
Despite the potentially confining aspects of corporate life, the
power of the corporation is intoxicating to you, and you thrill at
10 DOLLAR SIGNS

the way the mention of a company name can open major doors for
you. Wherever one finds power, one also finds greater ability to
buy freedom, and, thus, a high concentration of Ariens. As long as
you are given control over your particular specialty or product,
you can find much happiness and success at even a multinational
corporate powerhouse.

The Ram as Manager

Leaders at heart, Ariens take bold business initiatives and ex­
pect that others will follow their lead. Unlike Leos, however, rams
don't really think about the fleet behind them. Rams are too inde­
pendent to worry about the everyday details of monitoring subor­
dinates and co-workers. You do not get thrills from controlling the
every move of those around you. In fact, all you really care about
is results, and, as long as everyone's pulling his/her weight, you
are happy. You would rather be pioneering exciting new territory
than fussing over office politics. And you often get downright
careless about supervising your workers' activities.
Often, your lack of patience compels you to take charge of sit­
uations, and, if need be, to do other people's jobs if they do not act
promptly. In your business life, you learn early on that you run the
risk of severe burnout unless you delegate some authority and ask
for help. Ariens always strive to be heroes, but even brave warriors
require backup and support.
Because of your extreme distaste for the routine of daily busi­
ness operations, you are less-than-ideal middle managers. You are
not particularly interested in holding people's hands and teaching
them the ropes. To be bogged down with business "maintenance"
functions is actually toxic to you. You need to be moving the com­
pany forward and breaking new ground rather than spinning your
wheels in the same old mud of daily operations. All in all, you
Ariens are a bit too concentrated on your own quest to conscien­
tiously manage the affairs of others.
You do make great executives, however, because of your
strength and leadership style. Your optimism and winning spirit
 ARIES 11

provide great inspiration and enthusiasm, and employees soon

learn how loyal you are. Although you have no problem issuing
orders, and you might at first appear bossy, people soon realize
that the demands you place on them are only a fraction of the ex­
pectations you have for yourself. People soon see beyond your
protective shield and aggressiveness and learn to respect your go­
getter attitude and drive. No one works harder than you, and you
inspire awe in subordinates and colleagues alike. You get results,
and everyone soon wants to be on your team.

The Ram as Employee

You rams perform like dreams come true or living nightmares,
depending on the type of direction you get from your superiors.
Rams are extremely proud and are born to lead rather than to fol­
low. As long as your employers recognize and appreciate your tal­
ents and learn to deal with your perhaps unorthodox work style,
you prove to be a loyal and lasting treasure. However, you Aries
employees need lots of leeway to accomplish your tasks as you see
fit. You may stroll in late in the morning and disappear mysteri­
ously for an hour during the day, but you expect others to respect
your ability to get your job done.
You rams are decision makers, and you demand jobs that af­
ford you responsibility and variety. As soon as your job becomes
repetitive or you find yourself under the thumb of co-workers,
your spirit is broken. Aries needs lots of compliments and en­
couragement and cannot stomach the feeling that her or his job is
not important. Putting you rams behind a desk to perform routine
tasks is as good as handing you a pink slip.
Aries needs to work in the activity center of any business en­
vironment. You are a master at sales and promotions, and you need
to interact with people. The ram loves a stage, and if employers af­
ford you one, you live up to your star quality. But you hate to take
orders from anyone who is not clearly superior, by a long shot, to
you. You rams do have large egos, and you would rather leave than
answer to some "underling." Rams have very short fuses once they
 12 DOLLAR SIGNS

become disheartened by routine and insignificant duties, and,

even if they do not get fired, they quickly sabotage themselves by
· performing poorly.
Rams seek success and respect more than cash, and wise em­
ployers will give them titles and praise above all else. Although
bonuses are nice, a public acknowledgment of work well done
goes almost as far with the ram. More than anything else, Aries
wants to be the hero. You are ruled by gallant Mars, and you strive
to feel that you are an indispensable part of your organization. As
long as you are appreciated, you will work all night and every
weekend to live up to the demands placed upon you. You rarely
complain about additional duties, and you actually welcome any
opportunity to become more essential to your firm.
You Ariens maintain high standards for yourselves, and you al­
most expect to start at the top. As long as employers recognize
your healthy ambition as a great asset rather than a threat or empty
egotism, you produce ideas and products far beyond their expec­
tations. However, you cannot endure the employer who begrudges
you your outgoing, take-charge style or criticizes and harps on
your mistakes. You rams often must search far and wide for the
employer who does not hold you back or belittle you. Of course,
every now and again, you need to be reined in, but generally your
instincts are superb and your initiatives pay off.

Spending Style
Well, Aries, you have never been one to keep tabs on your
money flow. In fact, you probably find it a struggle even to bal­
ance your checkbook. Because you are so impulsive and like to
live for the moment, you can be somewhat reckless in your spend­
ing. Just like a child who doesn't consider the consequences of
his/her actions, you do not always think about what your financial
status down the road will be.
Generally, Ariens do not like to delay gratification, and they
strive to enjoy life at the highest level. You demand to have the
best, and you are quite vain about the way you appear to others.
 ARIES 13

Rather than deny yourself life's prize offerings, you will spend
everything down to your last cent. You usually do not stress out
over your lack of green, however, because you always know that
you will come up with some new way to get back in the black.
Ariens are the masters of the quick buck. You eagerly jump
into short-term deals that promise fast, yet unsustainable, profit
potential. You get in fast, take your winnings, and run. Before the
checks have all cleared, you are already throwing money at the
next overnight success. You make your money work hard for you,
and rarely will you simply let it sit in a bank account collecting in­
terest. Either you are investing it in exciting, creative projects or
you are making it work by funneling it back into your own busi­
ness. The thrills you get from money are not in accumulating it but
in putting it into action-using it to do the impossible and make
your dreams come to life.
However, try not to be shortsighted, Aries. You do have a way
of living beyond your means, and sooner or later you burn through
your checking accounts and find yourself backpedaling to make
ends meet. Although your ego often gets the better of you, do not
pick up the check when you are neither entitled nor able to. �ut
down on your number of credit cards, so that you can more easily
keep tabs on your exact outstanding balances. Your desire to keep
up appearances and get the best of everything will soon bankrupt
you unless you learn to carry only limited funds and to continu­
ally remind yourself of outstanding debts. Your spontaneous­
spending bug is fierce, and it constantly dares you to overflex your
financial muscle. Keep cash in check by keeping one eye on fu­
ture needs and the costs of servicing them.

Trading Abilities
Ariens often make fabulous traders. In fact, your spirit is the
essence of capitalism; you believe in the power of open markets,
rather than government intervention, to establish fair trade. Your
love of adrenaline-charged and fast-paced competition draws you
toward the markets, and you are one of the few signs that delights
14 DOLLAR SIGNS

in such quick decision making. While most other signs shudder at

the seeming chaos of fast markets, you feed on the action. You
love to compete and to outsmart everyone else, and your innate
ability always to be first gets you in and out of trades ahead of the
crowd, a highly successful strategy. You develop a natural rhythm
with market activity, and your incredible "hunches," which you
trade upon so boldly, prove unbelievably .successful.
Because Ariens are not tied tightly to money and material ac­
cumulation of wealth, they do not get too emotionally attached to
trades or distracted by the figures on the line. You rams do not sit
with your head in your hands while the markets continue to rage
on by you. For Aries, winning is all that counts. You do not care
too strongly about being right about every trade, and you will
readily reverse your position or get out when indicators tum
against you. As long as you win in the long run, you completely
erase your mistakes from memory.
Because you excel under pressure and are able to think on
your feet, you are well suited to becoming formidable market
players, but your major challenge will be maintaining discipline in
your trading. Courageous Aries tends to get too bold or even reck­
less if definite parameters are not set each time a trade is executed.
You tend to get so wrapped up in the energy of trading that you
lose sight of important details, such as margins, stop losses, etc.
You rams usually have so much going on at once that it is a mira­
cle you do not get into more trouble. If you can get into the habit
of, at least, putting in your stop orders with every trade, you will
probably escape any major catastrophes. Somehow, the more you
have on your plate, the more efficient and brilliant you are, but
even you need to have at' least some routine disaster-prevention
measures in place.

The Ram as Salesperson and Fund-Raiser

Because the sign of Aries is the sign of the self, those born
under its influence take everything in life, including sales, per­
sonally. You forget that the world does not revolve around you, and
 ARIES 15

you assume that, somehow, you are responsible for every success
and failure you encounter. You wrap yourself up so completely in
all you do that, when it comes to selling, you feel as if it is not the
product or service on the line, but you personally. Therefore, you
prefer to promote only those products or services that you believe
are worthy of your backing. When you do believe in what you are
selling, then you promote it as your life's mission. No one exudes
more enthusiasm and excitement than you Ariens, and your confi­
dence and commitment in your product or service is infectious.
And because you are not very good at deception, you often blow
your cover when peddling something that is second-rate.
Once you Ariens decide to make a pitch, one can only liken the
events that follow to the majestic, head-to-head battle of two rams
in nature. Ariens are powerful salespeople rather than soft-sell
types. You Aries men are dazzling, flirtatious, funny, and bold, and
you exude a self-confidence that borders on cockiness. As you
burst into colleagues' offices to dazzle them with your wares, they
feel as though you are leading them into a wild adventure. Their
pulse rate steadily climbs and they grow short of breath, as you,
the personification of masculine drive, blast them with fast talk,
witty comments, and a directness that allows them little way out.
You Aries women, with your deep, penetrating voices, are
equally forceful in your approach. You storm into a room with ath­
letic grace, usually late and slightly out of breath, and immediately
break through all the female chains that were expected to restrain
you. You have a no-nonsense sexuality about you that blatantly
confronts and overwhelms an entire roomful of people. Few can
shield themselves from your storm once you have gotten in the
door, and your forthright pitch piques everyone's interest. Where
you are met with resistance, you simply chip away at the road­
block with your respectful yet driving spirit. Soon you have be­
come such an utterly charming pain in the butt that you make your
sale.
What is so appealing about you Ariens is your sheer strength.
As long as you remain respectful and act within the bounds of so­
cial acceptability, you can be quite effective salespeople and mag-
16 DOLLAR SIGNS

nets for OPM (Other People's Money). You are always so alive and
you seem to give a lot to your work, so others begin to trust you.
Somehow, the way you speak so forcefully and push so hard has
them figuring that you must know what you are talking about.
Soon your undying conviction convinces people, even if they can­
not take being around you for too long, that maybe you are on to
something that could make them a lot of money or bring them
great benefits.
Your natural inclination is to put money to work, so debt is
very appealing to you. This is smart business practice, as it
achieves for you and your business the greatest bang for your
buck. Because your ruler, Mars, is closely associated with debt
and the movement of interest rates, you have an uncanny ability to
pull off eleventh-hour rescues of ailing companies. Astrologers
have discovered strong correlations between Mars's position in the
sky (and its relationship to other powerful planets) and the move­
ment of interest rates. Being born under the influence of Mars,
therefore, gives you a sense of when and how to raise emergency
capital to survive the buffeting of sudden business typhoons.
In order to lessen the need for such last-minute mi_ssions, how­
ever, when investing in debt, you are advised to put some of your
portfolio into home-mortgage debt, which is known for its low
likelihood of default. Your ruler, Mars, naturally drives you toward
high debt levels, so you must be on guard against default situa­
tions and other bad credit risks. In addition, strive to borrow only
against collateral-balance your debt against assets. Remember,
Aries, although you have a knack for bouncing back after a crisis,
your talents are better utilized in pushing you financially forward
rather than recouping ground zero.

Best-Suited Businesses
Gallant warrior Mars, the ruler of Aries, symbolizes energy and
action. With this powerful Marsian battery constantly propelling
you toward new challenges and initiatives, you probably feel
trapped running the daily operations of a product-manufacturing
 ARIES 17

business. Aries needs to be out in the field and does not like a lot
of baggage weighing him or her down. You view material things,
in general, as added responsibilities that distract you from your
true mission, so you rarely feel comfortable having to manage real
estate, machinery, and other large tangibles. You are more con­
cerned about pursuing ideals and carrying out intellectual pursuits
than about stockpiling or spitting out physical product.
Your gifts are your catalyzing energy and your leadership
qualities; therefore, the confines of a product business begin to
feel like a cage for most Ariens. You need a larger stage and a big­
ger audience than most product businesses provide, and you are so
wrapped up in pioneering the day's latest business breakthroughs
that you find the details of a product business tedious and annoy­
mg.
Ariens are very high-profile people. Although others may not
know it, Ariens need to be liked, by lots of people. So you go for
professions that provide you with plenty of attention. Service­
oriented businesses allow you to win people over and to develop a
following, which is all you really want in life. Media and broad­
casting also hold appeal because they enable you to get the atten­
tion of millions of people at a pop.
Yet not all service businesses suit you. With your independent
nature and strong will, you do not take orders well. You need to
feel that you are providing the service of your own volition and
expertise. You need to feel that people are requesting your profes­
sional services, not demanding of you services to which they feel
entitled. Rarely will you find an Aries waiting on a table at a
restaurant or serving passengers on an airplane. You may occa­
sionally encounter an Aries bartender in a hip club where he or she
seems to be performing as well as controlling the whole bar area.
But, those born under Marsian influence simply cannot be servile
people.
Because you are so attuned to the pulse of the day's hot trends,
you can be quite successful in the retailing business. Retailing is
fast and competitive, an environment in which the Aries personal­
ity thrives. The business constantly changes and the rush to catch
18 DOLLAR SIGNS

the next fashion wave totally turns you on. You tend toward the
high end of the retail market, where you are assured some consis­
tent level of quality. You believe that one must pay for quality, in­
cluding the quality of the retailer's own taste in purchasing items,
so you have no problem passing high margins on to consumers.
While commercial banking represents large, inflexible bu­
reaucracy to you, investment banking attracts many an Aries.
Commercial banks, the backbone of our economy and the
guardians of our savings, must be conservative and slow moving
by nature. The Aries influence in such institutions, if given free
rein, can be dowmight dangerous. However, investment banking
generally offers a higher risk level and greater diversity in terms
of projects. Taking a young business public, merging two compa­
nies, or selling off a division of a large corporation all require the
great drive, selling power, and innovativeness of Aries. The ability
to compete in the bidding process for new deals also thrills the
Aries soul. As long as you work within an investment bank that
eventually provides you with enough autonomy, you can make a
long-term career of the deal-making side of Wall Street.
Ariens do tend, however, to gravitate toward the riskier end of
the corporate finance spectrum. Venture capital and deals in new,
growing industries ignite the Arien sense of courage, while stodgy,
billion-dollar mergers of multinational companies put the feisty ram
to sleep. Certainly the power represented by the money exchanged
in the megadeals turns your head, Aries. But the number of players
involved, the time required to complete such deals, and the repeti­
tive scrutiny of masses of financial data just seem to go against your
personal grain. In addition, the politics and image-consciousness in­
volved in winning the bid for such deals rile your rebellious spirit.
Your blast of energy is most effective in the birthing of new ven­
tures, where sheer elbow grease and merit are what count. Launch­
ing a new enterprise not only benefits from but requires the input of
your stormy, tireless, fighting nature, whether as an investment
banker or the actual entrepreneur behind the business.
Finally, while you Arien businesspeople are incredibly adept at
making money for other people, you find it more difficult to do so
 ARIES 19

for yourself. Therefore, you Aries investment bankers or venture

capitalists are reminded to grab a bit of equity in all your deals,
and, where appropriate, to take on a principal position in a few of
your favorite business projects.

Common Professions
Business executive; entrepreneur; surgeon; military officer;
professional athlete; actor; construction worker; steel manufac­
turer (because of Mars's connection to iron/steel); mmer; pro­
moter; headhunter

Ideal Investments
Stocks
The excitement and tension of the stock market are very en­
ticing to the thrill-seeking Aries investor. In fact, you so love the
energy and high risk of the markets that you make excellent pit
traders. If the markets are fast and the atmosphere is intense, there
are sure to be Ariens driving the trading activity. Even from an of­
fice, you are able to ride the frenetic wave of whippy markets and
have an absolute ball. But, you must be stationed at a lively trad­
ing desk and play markets that are volatile and quick. The farther
you get from the pulse of the activity, the less focus you can main­
tain. You thrive on chaotic environments and crises, where you
feed off the high voltage and beat the crowd to serious profit­
taking.
You do lose interest in the daily activities of the stock market
during times when the market is relatively quiet. You do not get
turned on by scrutinizing the intricacies of corporations and mon­
itoring minute daily movements to identify long-term winners.
The humdrum of average daily market activity simply bores the
more flashy Aries investor.
However, particular sectors hold special appeal for the Aries
speculator, even when markets are not trading wildly. Any compa-
20 DOLLAR SIGNS

nies that deal in the following areas excite betting rams and usu­
ally pay off big:

Defense/military Diamonds
Athletics Explosives
Iron Machinery and heavy equipment
Steel Tobacco

Bonds
Your ruler, Mars, is the planet that influences interest rates,
and you have a good sense for bond trading when the markets are
moving. However, only the short-term fluctuations of interest rates
really excite you, because they affect the here and now. You sim­
ply do not get very fired up about long-term bond prices (which
move in the opposite direction from interest rates) because the
very nature of them is far too remote-they do not seem to affect
your present life in any significant way. Unless the thirty-year
bond market is really moving, such a market seems too intangible
and dry for your taste.
While the long-term credit markets are almost too abstract to
hold Aries' short attention span, the short-term credit markets, and
especially the riskier junk bond market, seem much more exciting
to Aries. The price movement of the "short end" of the market, as
it's called, by its very nature, seems more directly related to the
real daily events that interest you.
Corporate debt markets often attract crowds of Ariens. Due to
the higher levels of risk, particularly in issues by less established
companies, you seem naturally drawn to these markets. And,
again, because these markets depend on real companies with
everyday business issues and fluctuations, Ariens can get a real
charge from catching signals first and successfully trading off
them. Debt issues from companies in the industries mentioned in
the Stocks section pay off particularly well for the ram.

Real Estate
Bricks and mortar are far too staid and conservative for you,
 ARIES 21

Aries. You just don't get excited about square feet, and the com­
mitment is far too much for you. You need to be in and out of
investments much more quickly than the real estate market
warrants. In fact, the dragging responsibilities that property own­
ership entails utterly sap your spirit. You cannot be bothered with
the details of property upkeep, lease arrangements, selling agree­
ments, and all the paperwork and details of managing real estate
investments. You Ariens need to be much lighter on your feet.
Furthermore, because you are so impulsive, you often buy real
estate without thoroughly checking out important details. Because
you cannot stand to shop around or haggle over an investment, you
are prone to overpay. All in all, real estate investment is simply too
time intensive and too slow a process to thrill the average Aries.
You need more instant forms of gratification.
However, when property is treated as a tradable commodity
rather than a consumable, Ariens jump into the action as brokers.
Your ruler, Mars, is always associated with a "cut," which can be
a chunk of the return for the seller or a higher price for the buyer.
But, regardless, Aries gets a piece of the action and usually, there­
fore, forces the price of the property up without increasing the
value received for it.

Luxury Goods
The Aries ego always strives for number one, and the best of
the best is a credo by which you live. However, you usually do not
want to commit the time and effort involved to investigate the true
value of long-term purchases, and you much prefer to hire some­
one to handle your investments in luxury goods. You feel you can
blow some cash on unnecessary consumer goods, but you realize
that a few blundering buys in the luxury markets can wipe you
out.
It's no secret that you love to look good and live well, Aries.
You are not a gadget hound, per se, but you do love to look and
feel your very best. Your healthy ego encourages you to indulge
yourself with the best of the best, even when your pocketbook
cannot keep up with your desires. You simply cannot resist a hot
22 DOLLAR SIGNS

purchase that would enhance your appearance, and your weakness

for great clothes and an expensive lifestyle often gets you into se­
rious financial straits. Although you do not necessarily overload
on true "luxury goods," your affinity for the latest fashions, trendy
travel spots, and stylish sports equipment can nickel-and-dime
you into the red.
The luxury markets do not lend themselves to your impulsive
purchasing style. When you see something you like, you do not
delay your gratification-you buy! But, when dealing in antiques,
art, racehorses, or expensive home decorations, haste is a deadly
habit. You are advised to reserve for yourself final approval of
luxury purchases, but such decisions should be presented to you
only after review by your bookkeeper and your hired expert in that
field.
Lucky for you, Aries, your constant need for change and new­
ness steers you clear of major investments in material luxuries.
Rather than building a glamorous nest, you prefer to spend on ex­
citing adventures and items you can pick up and enjoy while on
the road. Any purchases that offer increased freedom or adventure
seem to magnetize your money flow. Cars, sports equipment, and
plane tickets are constant expenses for you, but you buy them sim­
ply to keep up with the latest action, not to impress your friends.
 LEADERS AND
LUMINARIES
William Randolph Hearst
TAURUS THE PROVIDER
George Lucas AND MASTER
Aaron Spelling
OF MATERIAL
Carolyn Roehm
Barbra Streisand WEALTH
Cher
Mike Wallace APRIL 21-MAY 21

The image of the steady bull epitomizes the Taurean approach to

personal finance. You know what you need to achieve a comfort­
able lifestyle, and you set out toward your goal with fierce deter­
mination and stamina. Your ruler is Venus, the planet that rules
money. Venusian energies are those of the mythical goddess of
beauty, the arts, and fine living, so your standards are very high.
You want only the best-of everything. You probably always had
an eye for quality, and, from your earliest years, you began paving
a road that would lead you most directly to financial security and
stature.
While the lure of fame or quick cash knocks other signs off
their career or financial course, you Tauruses stick to your plans.
You are fiercely stubborn and unwavering in your convictions, and
you rarely get bamboozled by other people's success schemes. You
also are intensely loyal, and you become set on the individuals and
ideas in which you invest. Patience is one of your most admirable
virtues. You would rather take it slowly and steadily than lose on
a gamble and be required to retrace previous steps.
You bulls are generally conservative, with a penchant for asset
24 DOLLAR SlGNS

accumulation and creation of true wealth. You like bigness, and

you build your empire one careful step at a time. W hile others
waste money on passing fancies, you will hold out until you can
buy from the top shelf of the financial game. You are the world's
bankers, and you hold the key to stable finances and the pleasures
that are acquired as a result of good taste and deep pockets.

Entrepreneurship
Well, bulls, the bad news is that in areas of entrepreneurship,
your rock-solid nature has been known to sink you. Or, more pre­
cisely, you probably fail even to set sail in entrepreneurial waters
for fear of the uncertainty that surrounds such endeavors. Al­
though you are masters at materializing the business objectives of
already established enterprise, your need for security, perfection,
and slow deliberation in business dealings hampers your entrepre­
neurial spirit.
Due to an ability to sniff out intrinsic value, Taurus has long
been known as the money sign. But your distaste for split-second
decision making and seat-of-the-pants management make you an
unlikely candidate for entrepreneur-of-the-year. You like to work
slowly and deliberately, which is often impossible when spear­
heading a start-up. Your calm demeanor and strong conviction in­
still in others a confidence in your objectives. Although you could
translate this support into a spark plug for new business, your ca­
reer life demands a markedly greater comfort level than that of the
entrepreneur.
T he bull gravitates ,toward businesses that are already
grounded and powerful. Your need for a pleasant physical work­
place is more likely served in the polished offices of an estab­
lished corporation. And you are more interested in the earning
power of a business than in the revolutionary dream behind it. As
an entrepreneur you revel in the vision-in the challenge of get­
ting a new idea off the ground-but you rarely get involved before
the groundwork has been laid.
Finally, the bull is not pushy. You Tauruses do not like to shove
 TAURUS 25

your ideas or products down anyone's throat. And, when you at­
tempt to do so, you often come on so strong and heavy-handed
that you trample on delicate business dealings. Initiating new
business requires a tremendous amount of high-pressure promot­
ing, and the momentum necessary to launch a new business is at­
tained through a good dose of outwardly aggressive tactics and
hard selling. Bulls are not fast-talking, wheeler-dealer types, and
they are often clumsy when attempting to combine pressure with
panache. The "smoke and mirrors" strategy is used at the outset of
new ventures, and you straightforward bulls seldom adopt the en­
trepreneur's fast moves to get the audience's attention.

Risk Profile
As strong and stoic as you bulls may be, you don't get your
thrills in the adrenaline-charged atmosphere of high-stakes gam­
bles and dicey markets. You prefer a quieter, more enjoyable ride
in AAA-quality, established investments. The bull would rather
wait a little longer for payback time than risk losing his or her san­
ity because of an unproven enterprise. Part of your dislike of high
risk comes from your "fixed" nature, as it's called in astrology.
You put a lot of time and thought into your decisions, and you ex­
pect to be right. Once a decision has been made, you own it-for­
ever. The bull does not rethink choices or change opinions.
Therefore, whereas other signs are able to explore risky ventures,
learn from them, and move on, the bull agonizes over each and
every choice and owns it until eternity.
Because you are an earth sign, practicality reigns supreme for
you. You simply cannot justify putting money into a speculative
long shot when known value exists elsewhere. Your grounding in
the material side of life, rather than in intangible ideals, draws you
toward businesses and investments that have proven staying
power. Investment in high-risk venture usually involves banking
on a dream, and the sensible Taurus simply needs more definite
proof of true worth.
Needless to say, the bull should not go through her or his fi-
26 DOLLAR SIGNS

nancial life free of high-risk, high-reward investments. Your port­

folio will underperform if you avoid risk altogether, but you will
be fighting your nature if you try to jump into the less stable end
of finance on your own. Your best bet is to employ an air or fire
sign to handle this area for you. Libras, Geminis, and Leos are
particularly good bets. (As are Ariens, but they might be just a bit
too reckless for you!) Air and fire people generally are driven by
intellectual concepts as much as physical reality. They revel in the
world of intangible ideals and theory, and they are masters. of
logic. Because they are not as tied to the practical world as you,
they are comfortable risking material security on a fabulous idea.
Let the air and fire signs lighten up a portion of your portfolio
with some creative ventures and market speculation.

Investment Style
As mighty as you bulls may be, you do not charge into invest­
ments without a good deal of deliberation. Your style is that of a
steady locomotive, with a full head of steam and set amount of
track to cover. You know where you are going before you shovel
on the coal, and you rarely switch to another track. Once you are
puffing along, it is very difficult to derail you, and you almost
never back up on financial decisions.
The typical Taurus invests for the long haul. You like to accu­
mulate wealth as you proceed, and you are in no rush to get to your
destination. Your main objective is to acquire value, in increments,
as you go along. Eventually, you know that your financial road
map will deliver you to riches if you stick to the main roads and
make a little progress at each stage of the journey.
Whereas other signs are comfortable taking chances with their
finances, you bulls take money matters too seriously to throw cash
at a long shot. Your ruler, Venus, imposes on you her need for ma­
terial comforts, and you feel insecure and troubled when you are
forced to give something up, be it money or possessions. Your
style is to build constantly on what you already own but never to
relinquish anything in the process. You would rather see your in-
 TAURUS 27

vestments grow slowly and be sure of your returns than experience

the occasional losses associated with more aggressive ventures.
Every time you bulls put money or possessions on the line, you
feel you are losing muscle somehow, while your instinct tells you
that you should only add to financial size and strength. Therefore,
the act of selling, in general, is a distasteful experience that you
avoid unless it brings exceptional profits or satisfies some dire
need.
Because you bulls just hate to let go, you tend to lag behind
market movements. First, you hesitate to buy into the trade. You
want to deliberate a bit longer, you say, and you need to see things
move your way a little before getting in-just to be sure. By the
time you reluctantly part with your cash, the bottom in prices usu­
ally is well past you. Then, with the same uneasiness about giving
up something of value, you resist your exit cue. Parting with any­
thing, for you, is such a struggle that you often will continue to
hold on to even your trading positions, past their due course, un­
less substantial gains are at stake.
Being born under the Venusian thumb, you focus on fineness
in all things you touch. Therefore, you do not trade well on rumors
or quick run-ups. Unless an investment is inherently valuable, you
will want to avoid it. Taureans are proud, strong, and not easily
shaken. Frantic markets upset your sense of balance and calm, and
the lack of substance that drives such activity makes you feel ill at
ease as an investor.
Merrill Lynch had it right when they adopted the bull as their
trademark. Wherever Toro roams in the financial world, invest­
ments are secure, stable, and profitable over the long term. Leave
the dart throwing to more manic types. The Taurean style is to
pave a long, smooth road directly to financial fortune.

Investment Horizon
You bulls always are looking a mile ahead, and each step along
the way is merely another brick laid in the road to success. Only
when a portion of the road proves severely defective or dangerous
28 DOLLAR SIGNS

do you remove it and make repairs. The bull likes to stand on

sound financial ground and prefers to know exactly where he or
she is going. Rarely will you buy anything that is not likely to be
a lasting part of your portfolio. Whereas other signs do not mind
sailing off on the high seas of speculation, the bull keeps control
over finances with a more conservative approach.
Whereas your predecessor, Aries, qr a fast-moving Gemini
masterminds thrills in the heat of the trading moment-be it a
day-long frenzy or a two-minute turmoil-you Tauruses look at
the big picture and don't care for the headaches and disruptiveness
of such financial "noise." You do not want to lose sleep over er­
ratic, short-term market plays or high-risk new stock issues. The
bull thrives on peace, quiet, and stability. Your ideal lifestyle is one
of serenity, calm, and appreciation of aesthetic pleasures that run
much more deeply than a quick adrenaline rush. You much prefer
the slow and steady pace to the fast and bumpy roller-coaster ride,
so you gravitate toward low-risk, long-term treasuries and highly
rated debt, blue-chip stocks, real estate, and other investments
with long-term maturities and staying power.
Just as El Toro goes ballistic in the mayhem of the traditional
"running of the bulls" or the taunting of the red cape· and scream­
ing crowds, so the Taurean investor loses all control in the heat of
aggressive, high-volume, hotly charged markets. T he confusion
and overblown emotion inherent in fast trading disrupt your divine
sense of equilibrium and cloud your otherwise keen perception of
true value investments.

Negotiating Savvy
Anyone who has ever negotiated with a Taurus probably re­
members the event as an intensive study of the meaning of the
word stubborn. Because Taurus is the "fixed" earth sign, your
practicality and common sense are imbued with an unyielding
conviction and winning confidence in your views. In addition,
your style is so calm and composed that you usually do not even
break into a sweat while others lunge and retreat from all sorts of
 TAURUS 29

different approaches. Generally, you do not raise your voice or

lose your cool. You simply state your position and wait for every­
one else to accede to your wishes.
Though many may try to poke holes in the Taurean argument,
you usually have researched your viewpoint so well that you read­
ily and easily counter every one of their attacks. You do not mince
words, nor do you play the browbeating aggressor in most negoti­
ations. You maintain your reserve, state your view with clarity and
assurance, and await the other side's rebuttals. Their arguments are
no more than a swarm of gnats to you, however, for it's the bull
who sets the pace of negotiations.
Only when you are cornered do you let your more primal na­
ture surface, and you usually erupt with such intensity that you
scare everyone around you, including yourself. When you bulls
lose your cool, everyone is the loser. Negotiations break down
completely and reconsideration is unimaginable to you. Once the
Taurean mind is made up, nothing can change it.
Though the overall style of you bulls is effective, you could
benefit from a course in compromise. A more open-ended ap­
proach and greater acceptance of others' ideas could open you to
an infinitely larger pool of creativity and growth potential. Pay
heed to the old saying "Two heads are better than one," and you
just might find your stairway to success a little less steep. Oh,
Toro, you are so proud and driven that you think you must stick to
your course with each step you take! You truly believe that your
way is the only way to reach your goal, but occasionally, you'd be
wiser to let another steer you into a minor detour or two. Respect­
ing others' ideas and suggestions opens you to new alliances and
adventures, while blind adherence to your own agenda leaves you
standing alone on the battlefield of business.

Partnership Decisions
Tauruses prefer to work alone, and you are predisposed to a hi­
erarchical workplace than one based on equal authority. You bulls
like to do things your way, at your own pace. You set rigid stan-
30 DOLLAR SIGNS

<lards and methods for accomplishing your work, and you hate to
be pressured by others. Although you readily subordinate yourself
to the demands of superiors in the earlier stages of your career,
you flourish in positions of greater responsibility and control.
Partners generally come to feel stampeded or bullied, as you slice
up more than your designated share of the pie.
Taurus hates to deal with the mundane complications of every­
day business operations and does not particularly care for the sales
and promotional side of business. You are big-picture people, and
your specialty is to structure and manufacture the optimal long­
term business machine. Once the business wheels are fully
greased and turning at full capacity, you have no desire to stick
around and serve in a maintenance role. T he bull's best business
buddy is one who is content to be in control of the daily mechan­
ics of business or one who enjoys the fast-paced, social side of
salesmanship and business solicitation.
Without a partner to nurse the structure that you want to grow,
your efforts can lead to an empty shell of business. Taureans tend
to steamroll ahead toward production goals and efficient econom­
ics, but they risk losing the forest for the trees if they frighten
away all creative talent with an unyielding, unreceptive style. A
Libra partner, or one who is more sensitive to the social dynamics
of business, can provide the perfect balance for your bullish ways.
As you control the practical, moneymaking side of the business,
your Libra cohort weaves its social web. Virgos also make good
mates for Toros. Virgos are incredibly organized, they do not need
to compete for power, and they are more flexible in dealing with
people than is the bull. Finally, Pisces, the master of human emo­
tion and insight, provides a potent creative partner to the bull-if
Toro can stand the free-form Piscean work style.
The bull is unparalleled at reaping the greatest output possible
from his or her business crop. But, while you concentrate on the
fundamentals of finance, you need a teammate to market your
wares and deal with the people part of your business. Find an out­
going, hustle-bustle type whom you can trust and farm your way
to financial fortune.
 TAURUS 31

Work Style
Even as a child, you probably knew where to find each toy and
every piece of sports equipment you needed at any given moment.
You bulls are such perfectionists and your need for structure is so
important that organization skills are a natural for you. The mere
sight of clutter makes the bull see stars, and he or she will expend
time and effort to put things in their proper place. While other
signs may be able to navigate through the junk, you get so dis­
tracted by the disorder that you cannot think straight.
Again, your need constantly to build from the bottom up, on
strong foundations, inspires you to put things exactly right before
moving on to anything else. You have a firm grasp on what ingre­
dients are necessary, in what amounts, to create a desired out­
come. You will rarely make a move without knowing its exact
results and how it fits into your overall objectives. The Taurean
practicality combined with your sense of harmony give you in­
sight into the proper dimensions of each building block of suc­
cess.
Corporations seem to be built on the Taurean principles of
organization. T he Taurean energy is slow and practical, and you
rarely overlook a detail. Everyone and everything have a distinct
function and place, and you strive to make sure that all are oper­
ating properly. Like the large corporation, you expend a lot of your
energy in planning, logically and carefully, matters of structure
rather than action. To Taurus, action does not occur without an ad­
equate basis to support it. Such a mind-set is well suited for cor­
porate life, where individual initiative without organizational
consideration can cause a breakdown in business productivity. Be­
cause you bulls are always conscious of the underlying structure
of your work, you are able to fit yourselves effectively into the
corporate setup and to prosper within its framework. You actually
revel in the operation of its machinery.
The business leader must often make decisions based on less­
than-perfect knowledge, and Taurus tends to freak out if all the
necessary facts are not forthcoming. Certainly with your rational
32 DOLLAR SIGNS

mind you process the available information as well as anyone, but

you need to be willing to change your course if need be as new de­
tails come to light. Because sudden changes do not fit well into
the organizational structures you create, you often resist them.
Due to your fixed nature, you refuse to accept chaotic environ­
ments, but such rigidity is impossible when you are trying to run
a business. Often, you must jump in with both feet, make sense of
what you can, and move forward based on what little information
you do have. Otherwise, golden opportunities may pass you by.
Overall, however, you Tauruses are an integral ingredient in
successful enterprises. You lay out the business blueprint for all to
follow, and, without your organizational skills, many companies
would waste essential time and energy pulling in opposite direc­
tions from within rather than powering toward one optimal objec­
tive. The bull sets the pace for the collective business mind. While
others may clear the initial brush, you lay out the most passable
route, pave the road toward it, and keep everyone on course and
contributing to the completion of the journey.

Work Environment
The influence of your ruler, Venus, goddess of life's fineries,
sensuality, and aesthetics, instills in you a desire for comfort and
pleasant surroundings. Whereas other signs are too busy to notice
the workplace around them, you cannot function properly unless
your environment reflects your sense of beauty and refinement.
Even in the crudest workplace, you will insert some objects of
charm or warmth to feed,your senses.
The typical Taurus likes peace and quiet and is most produc­
tive when able to work alone. Complete silence is not mandatory,
for you often play music softly while you work. But you cannot
stand noise and harsher sounds like raised voices, table banging,
and other signs of discord. Any kind of raucous activity is likely
to launch the goddess of loveliness right out of her chaise lounge
and into a fit of lunacy!
The Taurean work space usually is impeccably neat and orga-
 TAURUS 33

nized. The pristine state of your desk alone just might win you a
promotion, and your office is often used as a showpiece for in­
vestors who pass through. You never have clutter, and the thought
of food scraps and coffee stains on your work absolutely revolts
you. Your senses are your avenues of expression, and you run into
major brain block when cut off from beautiful sounds, sights,
smells, and tastes.
Ultimately, Tauruses seek workplaces that display good art­
work on the walls, have gourmet lunches (that are not too rushed
to be enjoyed) as a perk, and provide some connection to nature,
either through windows with a view or by means of beautiful land­
scape paintings on the walls. You have such a taste for life's plea­
sures that you are often called upon to entertain investors and
clients. Always in the know about the latest four-star restaurants,
chic jazz clubs, and other indulgences, you put the travel-and­
entertainment expense account to the test. You Tauruses are big
supporters of corporate perks, which you do not waste on second­
rate food or folly.

The Bull as Manager

The bull has not only the strength to take command but also
the patience and calm demeanor to win over employees and co­
workers. Your solid character and emotional control earn you great
respect, and everyone readily entrusts you with the most important
matters. You are a dependable and even-keeled manager with an
aura of stability and peacefulness. Whenever a conflict arises,
your arrival on the scene automatically instills in everyone an im­
mediate sense that everything soon will be all right.
Your ruler, kind and loving Venus, comes through to others
when they interact with you, and they want to tap into your aura
of congenial composure and contentment. You bring a sense of
pleasure and well-being to any interaction, and you simply make
people feel comfortable. Whereas other signs have to work to win
affection from society, you bulls just show up and people rally
around you.
34 DOLLAR SIGNS

So often it is the Taurus in any work setting who is chosen to

represent the department or to organize special project groups and
the like. Everyone knows the bull will get the job done well. No
corners will be cut, no one will be overlooked, and the task will be
handled smoothly. And no one gets a job done more efficiently
and with greater determination than the bull. Your co-workers
come to you with grievances, suggestions, and problems, and they
rest easily knowing that you will put together an approach to deal
with the issues promptly and effectively.
Despite your overwhelming strength and obstinacy, you usu­
ally do not threaten people with pushy, showy behavior. Although
an occasional bull falls victim to an unruly ego (and functions
much like the proverbial bull in the china shop), most of you are
quite reserved and soft-spoken. You do not impose yourself on
others, and you are not a big talker. Your honesty and dependabil­
ity earn the trust of those who spend any amount of time with you,
and you make everyone feel that you have the group's best inter­
ests at heart rather than your own. In the sense that you always
want what is best for the entire company, you truly are a team
player.

The Bull as Employee

As an employee, you accept supervisors' orders and follow them
cheerfully and thoroughly, because you regard such dues-paying as a
necessary step toward your own ultimate accession to power. Be­
cause you expect others to follow your command when you are
seated on the throne, you set an example for them on your way up.
You do not get lost in the shuffle of corporate life, for your strength
and utility cannot be concealed for long. Whatever your starting po­
sition within an organization, you will step right in and begin to pull
more than your weight. As long as you are on fertile ground, you will
persevere until your work bears fruit. You do not grumble about tak­
ing orders along the way because you firmly believe in definite
chains of command. You know that you will be the big cahuna some-
 TAURUS 35

day, and you will expect your subordinates to treat you with the same
respect.
Taurus is a deferential and even-tempered employee, who
works slowly and carefully to produce perfect work. You are pa­
tient in performing tasks correctly, so you hate to be rushed. But
you are trustworthy and honest, and you require little supervision.
And the bull's ego does not inflate measurably with increases in
responsibility. You set definite goals which you achieve like clock­
work, and you usually outgrow the employee role long before your
superiors want to let you move up in the ranks.
But, generally, there's only room for one king, and you expect
to be crowned someday in the foreseeable future. As soon as you
get bogged down on your way to the chairmanship, you tum off
the main road and follow your own route. It's not your ego that
drives you but your conviction and insight as to the most efficient
way to build the business. You are so confident in your ability to
drive the company to financial good fortune that you persevere in
your directives until others hand you the ball. But, if your team
fails to provide you with opportunities to score, you simply gather
up your gear and quietly leave the field.

Spending Style
T hose who call you stingy are not part of the inner circle that
truly knows you, but you do not exactly throw cash around either.
You are quite generous with close friends and family, and, al­
though you will not waste money on frivolities, you pride yourself
on being a provider. As long as the need is real, you make no fuss
about shelling out whatever sums are necessary. You bulls simply
hate to waste anything, particularly money. Laying out cash to
purchase something at its fair price is painful for you, and tossing
money away on foolish investments or gambles is unthinkable.
Every dollar wasted puts you one step backward on the financial
mountain you are climbing, so upsetting your equilibrium that you
feel sick about it for months.
Although you do not readily put up the dough for anything,
36 DOLLAR SIGNS

after you have thoroughly researched an investment and deemed it

profitable, you often spend more than you can afford. The bull de­
sires the best of everything, and, rather than settling for second­
best, watches and waits for the finest jewels and puts every dime
into them.
You bulls are set on acquiring only tr1:1e value, and you will not
sacrifice your portfolio's integrity by going for something
"cheap." Tauruses will wear rags and eat tuna fish every day for a
year to save for a classic piece of art or furniture or for a blue-chip
stock. In fact, even during lean financial times, the bull's home
will display subtle signs of fine taste. Even when you are still a
struggling student, surprised guests do a double take of the Ming
vase on the mantel or the beautiful Picasso sketch hanging in the
entranceway. And, no matter how much you cry poverty, your bro­
ker can always persuade you to buy a few more shares of that
highly recommended Dow stock.
Unlike your astrological neighbor Aries, you keep close tabs
on your finances, and you can probably state your bank account
balance to the dollar, if not the cent. Tauruses rather revel in han­
dling their money and are great consumers of the latest account­
ing software. You find financial management empowering, in that
you feel a sense of growth as you watch your net worth increase
over time. Building slowly but surely upon your financial base,
you get a rush out of regularly logging your progress. Making as­
sets grow in a straight, upward-sloping line is a Taurean skill that
few other signs can match.
On the downside, you Tauruses often do not make your money
work hard enough for you. As the old saying goes, you do need to
spend money to make money, though you Tauruses sometimes get
so attached to cash that you hoard it and barely keep up with in­
flation. Call a small portion of your holdings "fun money" (yes, it
will be hard for you), and let a Libra or Aries trader you trust go
to town with it. Do not get involved in the trading he or she does
for you, however-unless you 're suffering substantial losses, of
course. After you experience some of the greater-than-average re­
turns that such diversification affords, you can add some more
 TAURUS 37

funds to your "fun-money" account. At the very least, investing in

instruments of different maturities and risk levels will round out
your portfolio and be a hedge against underperformance of the as­
sets you traditionally hold.

Trading Abilities
Well, Toro, you may have the determination and muscle to
make a fortune in the fundamentals of finance, but you do seem a
bit clumsy in the trading world. You bulls just do not move quickly
enough to dip in and out of the markets successfully. So much of
trading entails surfing the emotional waves of market participants,
but the bull looks for underlying value in each position. Needless
to say, while you are still trying to figure out why the market
should not have exploded, the more flexible signs, like Libra and
Gemini, have traded in and out and taken their profits. The suc­
cessful trader need not always know the substance of every trade.
Markets are dynamic and often even chaotic. While a Taurean
trader tries to confine trading to logical, controlled movements,
the forces driving prices are not, for the most part, comprehensi­
ble. And the markets won't wait for you bulls to attempt to plumb
their mysteries.
Your ruler, Venus, as the goddess of beauty and harmony, is a
great settling influence in trading. When her energies in the sky
peak, she tends to stabilize markets, and they trade within a some­
what steady range. But when her grip loosens and prices move out
of that range, to where the big, profitable trading moves occur,
you lose your bearings. Unfortunately, with Venus as your driving
force, you seem to believe that markets should always remain
within a given, historical range. And when values shift erratically
you rationalize that prices must come back to previously held lev­
els. Only when the margin calls come flooding in will you admit
that you were wrong.
Furthermore, the high-speed, high-pressure, manic energy of
the trading world is far too much for your sense and sensibility.
You Tauruses seek surroundings that are peaceful and orderly. But
38 DOLLAR SIGNS

uncertainty is the mother of speculation. Quiet, fairly priced mar­

kets do not afford much of a living to a trader. Only when variable
influences push and pull on markets do prices move enough to
yield big gains. But Toro does not like to be poked and prodded
into action. Being pushed onto the emotional roller coaster of fast­
trading markets is enough to make the bull see red.

Toro as Salesperson and Fund-Raiser

Your resounding voice and speech-making savvy could woo
the best of them, but when it comes to basic sales abilities, you
bulls seem to lose all sense of tact and artfulness. You are not long
on words, and your pitch is often so low-pressure that the poten­
tial buyer doesn't even know what questions to ask. And if he or
she does request some information, your one-word responses
thicken the air even further. Finally, when you're supposed to
clinch the deal, your "take it or move on" attitude has them run­
ning out the door. This is not to say that all areas of sales require
the fast-talking, high-pressure approach, but the qualities of the
gracious, vivacious salesperson escape the less excitable bull.
Your no-nonsense approach can be effective, however, in
pushing property, homes, or other capital investments where you
Tauruses can show off your knowledge and insights about true,
long-term value. The bigger and more stable the product, the more
intricately you analyze it and impart its worth, and your honesty
and trustworthiness impress anyone about to hand over the dough
for a pricey purchase. Whether you are talking about the value of
a waterfront view or the horsepower of a John Deere tractor, you
are brilliant at breaking down true investments and assessing each
component for your buyer.
Your nuts-and-bolts style and cash management cache equip
you well to dispense debt. You do not need to finesse anyone into
borrowing badly needed cash, and your straightforward, practical
pitch is greatly appreciated by prospective borrowers. Whereas a
stronger approach might raise suspicions in the potential debtor,
your laid-back, logical presentation of possible debt structures de-
 TAURUS 39

notes dependability and know-how. Your calm and patience instill

trust in any debt seeker who walks through your door.
Naturally, your instinctive ability to size up true worth is a
major gift to any loan department. And your flair for managing
money and assets rounds out the equation. You assess each
prospective debtor carefully and practically, and you certainly are
not rash in granting (or "selling") a loan.
When it comes to raising capital, you are such a magnet for
money that you often attract even more than you want to handle.
People feel as though their finances will be well fertilized in your
hands. Not only do others readily recognize that you are responsi­
ble and conservative, but they also sense your ability to grow ma­
terial assets to their full potential. Whereas pioneering Aries cuts
down the trees before you, you arrive and transform them into
lumber.
Peddling wares on commission is far too unpredictable and
unstable for you, but promoting deals or ideas in corporate board­
rooms absolutely agrees with you. As an investment banker or
consultant, your pitch is eloquent and easy to follow, your pro­
posal is always airtight, and your convictions are unyielding.
When you believe in something, you will take it to your grave.
You 're never unprepared, and you have obviously researched every
angle of your projects or goods. If you've chosen to endorse an
idea or business, you will almost never give up on it. And every­
one wants to buy into your team.

Best-Suited Businesses
As an earth sign, Taurus is tied to the physical world and pos­
sessions. In fact, your financial function, according to the planets,
is materialization. You bring to real form the ideas and initiatives
that other signs have pioneered. No one matches your ability to
amass assets, and you actually need to collect physical properties
and resources around you to feel secure.
Although your ruler, Venus, softens your style, you have a
forthrightness and rigidity that does not make you very effective
40 DOLLAR SIGNS

in the service industries. Investors and customers often misread

your quiet demeanor and drive as egotism, and you do not feel
compelled to "do the dance" to impress them. You like to work at
something without distraction and you like to work at your own
pace, while the service industry puts you at the mercy of your
clients. In the service industries, where the clients' demands come
in at random and must be addressed promptly, the customer sets
the pace and, much to your discomfort, dictates your schedule.
You Tauruses desire the security of industries where you cre­
ate real products with actual, quantifiable value. In the service in­
dustries, customer demand can easily erode and leave you with
nothing of tangible worth. You bulls get great satisfaction out of
manufacturing or other product businesses, where you can see the
fruits of your labor and build on them over time. Toro's mission is
to build-one small, careful step at a time-an empire for all to
see.
The exchange of material goods is appealing to the bull's
earthy orientation. You like to deal in practical items with deter­
minable worth and utility, and you have a knack for making things
appealing to the public. Your affinity for the arts works well for
you in the apparel and textile industries, where you easily pinpoint
the most pleasing patterns and styles. Retailing in fashion, cos­
metics, or the like translates your artistic sensibility into good
business.
T he unpredictable nature of retailing is not to your liking, but
your special skills in the aforementioned areas greatly increase
your odds of success. Your discipline and strong financial skills
further reduce your risk, �nd you squeeze optimal profitability out
of any goods you peddle. You know what entices the senses, and
you are adept at putting together particularly pleasing purchase
packages. While competitors shove products down consumers'
throats, the Taurean retailer presents a product they cannot refuse.
Toro simply shows off his style and everyone wants to buy in.
Banks are the physical manifestation of all the security and
capital accumulation that Taurus seeks. You are instantly at home
in a bank and have long been considered the banker of the horo-
 TAURUS 41

scope. Stockpiling and growing money is completely natural to

the Taurean, and you will find many of them at your local branch.
Banks are not known for great risk taking, and they are usu­
ally places of calm and control. Rarely will a bank go under, and
bankers themselves are, generally, a conservative lot. The daily ac­
tivities of banking are predictable yet productive, and the industry
is one of the most powerful in our society. The ability to control
enormous sums of cash and to steadily create even bigger sums is
a complete tum-on for Toro.
You are driven by your need to provide a comfortable physical
existence for yourself. Therefore you are sensitive to what prod­
ucts make for pleasurable living and how to optimize their appeal.
Money is a "product" to which the bull is especially drawn. You
love the definitiveness of its value, and you thrill at the ways you
can make it grow. Sound financial products, like long-term bonds
and other secure debt instruments, are also appealing to you.
You love, too, the definitiveness of numbers and financial ac­
counting. Whereas other signs might find "bean counting" a
major reason to snore, you truly delight in counting your (the
bank's) assets. You love to keep track of where you are and how
much you are growing, and you will carefully check your numbers
every day to be sure of your financial position.
You are extremely dependable and practical: two major attrib­
utes of bankers. And you have the eye for quality that is so neces­
sary for assessing credit risk and other, similar aspects of banking.
Tauruses exude the traditional image of the provider to all they
encounter. Banks give off a similar "paternal" image. The two go
together like a hand in a glove, and banks probably were the con­
struct of some ancient Taurean soul.

Common Professions
Banking/finance; doctor; engineer; retail-apparel/cosmetics;
design; textiles; trial lawyer; record producer; entertainment exec­
utive; real estate; leisure industry
42 DOLLAR SIGNS

Ideal Investments
Stocks
As a long-term-value investor, the bull is an unparalleled stock
picker. The Taurean stock picker does lots of homework, measures
the risks involved, and makes foresightful bets on the long-term
superstars. You impress even your broker with your ability to pick
a long line of winners.
Perhaps the biggest challenge for you bulls is letting go of the
underperformers in your portfolio. You bulls just so hate to be
wrong, and you hold on in the hope that things will turn back
around for you. And you so resist letting go of anything anyway
that you fail to get out of even the most bleak positions. Great
companies go under for a host of reasons. Unfortunately, you find
it hard to give up on any one of your "sinkers" because, at one
point, you believe you saw its impressive intrinsic potential.
Tauruses also break down in fast markets and speculative
stocks. Fly-by-night, rumor-driven companies have you running
for cover, and wide trading ranges make you wince. You bulls seek
organization, order, and certainty too much to put yourselves in
the fray of frenzied markets. You powerfully charge down direct,
clear paths, but you lose all control in open, unruly mobs.
Your ruler, Venus, is a great balancing force that takes hold of
the Taurean psyche. You are drawn toward equilibrium in every­
thing you do and experience, and that includes markets. If it were
up to Toro, stock prices would move within predictable ranges and
inch up slowly in accordance with company growth over time.
And, when. the stock reached its full potential, prices would re­
°
main flat. Exciting, huh? No, but at least you would sleep at night.
Due to your personal planetary proclivities, you realize better­
than-average gains from stocks in the following industries:

Apparel Farming
Art/gems Florist
Banking Poultry/livestock
Cosmetics Housewares
 TAURUS 43

Design/decorative fabrics Sugar

Entertainment/leisure Supermarket/wholesale food

Bonds
Treasury bonds seem to move like the bull, and this is not a
coincidence. Your ruler, Venus, also greatly influences the bond
market, and the Taurean characteristics of long-term growth, se­
curity, and little volatility pervade the treasury market. Although
bonds do have erratic runs every now and then, such moves usu­
ally result from major economic changes or events. Overall, the
bond market is stable, and investors usually can count on modest
returns over time. Although bond returns might not keep up with
inflation, holders of government issues usually will not lose their
shirts.
Corporate bonds, especially junk bonds, and the short end of
the treasury market (i.e., six-month I-bills and the like) are less at­
tractive to the bull. Unlike your preceding sign, Aries, you are not
particularly interested in jumping in on short-term chaos in inter­
est rates or corporate events. Taurus shrugs off such short-term ac­
tivity and maintains focus on the faraway horizon. You have no
desire to rush the maturing process of monetary growth, and you
enjoy the stability of long-bond trading ranges. Government is a
large and powerful institution that, you figure, will be around for
some time to come. W hereas companies do come and go, Uncle
Sam will live on indefinitely.
In summation, treasury bonds and blue-chip corporate debt
are the essence of Taurean pleasure. You can take your time ana­
lyzing the most secure and profit-packed issues, usually without
fear that prices will move dramatically while you are pondering
your purchase. Then, you can sit back and let your money grow in
small but certain steps.

Real Estate
Well, Toro, here's a real crop for you to harvest. Not only do
land deals magnetize your earthy nature, but buildings bedazzle
you-the bigger· the better. Tauruses love things in size XXXL, and
44 DOLLAR SIGNS

skyscrapers are the bull's perfect possession. You love the idea of
buying property and developing it to full potential. With your keen
eye for value, you can spot all the possibilities for land, and you eas­
ily ascertain the intrinsic worth of each feature of property. Tauruses
also have the Venusian sense for beauty and balance and are able to
spot flaws in design that others might miss. Taurus knows exactly
what changes need to be made to enhance the value of property and
thrills at the opportunity to deal in physical land and structures.
While air and fire signs might scoff at the slow and deliberate
world of real estate purchase and development, you bulls love the
hands-on aspect of these industries. You like to actually see the
output of your investment or business and to grow the crop a little
larger each year. Bulls love to labor on the sturdy foundation.
Then you enhance the structure a little bit at a time, until full po­
tential is achieved.
Physical space is an outlet for your artistic talents, and you
work on each project like a masterpiece in progress. You seek per­
fection, not speed, so the slow pace does not bother you in the
least. In fact, you enjoy being able to plan carefully, review your
work at each stage, make changes, if necessary, and achieve the
exact results you are after. In real estate, as opposed to many other
investments, you bulls feel that you can have complete control
over the outcome of your investment. You recognize the intrinsic
worth of a property, and you bring that value to light.

Luxury Goods
Here's an area where the bull is known to indulge him or her­
self. Even when you can scarcely afford it, you will pay dearly
for a piece of art or a rare gemstone. You recognize true worth
and want it for yourself. You bulls feel whole when you have a
stockpile of beautiful and valuable things, and you become in­
stantly attached to a fine purchase. Your apartment or house
might be sparsely furnished during the lean years, but the few
items you do own will be the very best. You just cannot pass up
a treasure.
But the bull never buys just for the sake of buying. Unless the
 TAURUS 45

voice of quality calls out to you, you will ignore most shopping
temptations. You can go for weeks, months, or years spending
very little, then go almost broke at a single antiques auction. As
long as you are getting equal value for the money spent, you do
not feel that you have given up anything in the exchange. And, in
the long run, you usually get more than just a bargain. Not only
does your purchase steadily and significantly appreciate over
time, but you also derive great pleasure from its lasting beauty.
With Venus as your guide, you cannot escape your attraction
to the finest things life has to offer. Be it a Renoir, a Rolex, or a
Rolls-Royce, Taurus will identify top-notch quality and devise
some way to afford it.
 LEADERS AND
LUMINARIES
Samuel Newhouse
GEMINI QUICKSILVER
John F. Kennedy STRATEGIST
Newt Gingrich
AND COSMIC
Donald Trump
Grace Mirabella
COMMUNICATOR
F. Lee Bailey
M. Scott Peck MAY 22-JUNE 21

Born under the influence of Mercury, the messenger god and

planet closest to the sun, you Geminis personify nonstop motion.
Both physically and mentally, you are forever afoot, at lightning
speed. The planet Mercury does laps around the sun in the time it
takes outer planets to move a few degrees, and you seem to live
life at quadruple the speed of those around you. With your mind
always on "go," you seek mental stimulation above all else, and
you travel constantly in search of a ceaseless stream of cerebral
sensation. No one thinks or acts faster than you, and you can sell
any idea or product to even the greatest skeptics. Geminis in­
stantly sum up a situation, exposing loopholes and likely odds for
success. You fly through life ahead of the pack; you speedily size
things up, call your shots, and move on to the next source of in­
tellectual fodder.
Just like liquid mercury, your energy is fast and fickle. You
dash off in one direction, then suddenly change course with the
same speed and certainty as on your earlier path. No situation can
contain you for long, and attempts to do so only ambush your
most awesome attributes. The Gemini spirit speeds through life
48 DOLLAR SIGNS

with the purpose of stimulating thought and forming alliances,

then stealthily steals away to the next place of intrigue.
Geminis are the brains behind abstract business theory and
creative strategizing. You are the pioneers of computer trading
systems, and certainly one day a Gemini will devise the ultimate
"black box" to beat markets. No one grasps the intangibles more
easily than you, and you dazzle all with-your ability to give logi­
cal explanations for even the most puzzling or chaotic situations.
The mechanisms of finance and trading interest you more, in fact,
than the actual business at hand. You Geminis much prefer to be
stimulating and exchanging thoughts about business than actually
running the operations. You are the networkers of the zodiac, and
you facilitate and analyze trade and spearhead communications
efforts.

Entrepreneurship
With your Mercurial nature pulling you in several directions at
once, it is difficult for you, the Gemini entrepreneur, to push busi­
ness past the idea stage and into actual production. No one catches
on to a new concept faster than you Geminis, and you are proba­
bly the most prolific idea people around. However, when it comes
to follow-through, you are possibly the last sign to cross the fin­
ish line. The Gemini mind needs too much diversity and arousal
to devote itself to one idea day after day. As any entrepreneur
knows, the inital stage of any enterprise requires complete com­
mitment to a clearly defined business objective. And seeing the
idea through_ to completion involves many hours of mundane ad­
ministration. Although the Gemini is a stellar salesperson for a
new endeavor, the mercurial mind will tend to wander when asked
to concentrate on product ordering and delivery, quality control,
and other tangible aspects of everyday business dealings.
If you can readily enlist a pragmatic partner to tie down your
loose ends, however, you can do extremely well as an entrepre­
neur. Your ideas are always ahead of the curve, and you constantly
come up with creative answers to new market demands. You are a
 GEMINI 49

total dreamer, and you prefer to keep the flow of your visions
moving freely. A savvy partner can work to the advantage of both
of you by cultivating the ideas that are workable. Although you
experience an intellectual traffic jam if forced to look at one idea
for more than a few days, a responsible partner can capitalize on
your insights for both of you. While you might not even remem­
ber your ideas shortly after expressing them, a partner can keep
inventory of the ones that make sense. Before you know it, your
stockpile of cerebral firewood is burning brightly in a successful,
real-world enterprise, thanks to a more materially grounded co­
hort, such as a Capricorn, Taurus, or Virgo.
Of course, certain industries do hold greater potential for the
Gemini entrepreneur. Any initiatives in the communications or in­
formation superhighway arenas provide fertile ground for the
Gemini strengths. These industries are largely conceptual, and
they are so globally reaching and dynamic that even a Gemini can
focus on a business in these spheres. The constantly changing en­
vironment in which they operate and the growth that occurs on a
daily basis provide enough mental charge to stimulate even the hy­
peractive Gemini brain. And all the evolving dualities within the
Gemini persona can find a point of interest in the fields of world­
wide networking and information sharing.

Risk Profile
Gemini, you must realize by now that your attraction to the ab­
stract predisposes you to having a somewhat careless attitude to­
ward money, but you are more driven by logic than any addiction
to an adrenaline rush. The practical needs that concern others do
not affect you, as you are much more focused on adventure and
the mental high-ground than on material wealth and large bank ac­
counts. Yet you do not seek risk merely for the quick rush of
throwing caution to the wind. Gemini is drawn to risk when it of­
fers a challenge to the intellect. If a business opportunity or trade
poses a theoretical question for you to unravel, you will enter the
game, whatever the stakes.
50 DOLLAR SIGNS

Ironically, your supersonic speed of action serves as a major

protection against your high-rolling tendencies. You Gemini
traders, for instance, will bet the house on one of your new and ex­
citing intellectual theories-the more abstract the better. As with
everything, you do not want to get bogged down in anything for
too long, so you get out of positions quickly. Granted, this may
cause you to miss the big moves that a more committed trader en­
joys, but you definitely limit your downside risk by readily bailing
out.
You Geminis prefer to take quick profits and to get out rather
than risk being trapped in confining situations. To you, the latter
is sheer purgatory! Though you are very adaptable, many high­
risk investments feel like chokeholds on your Gemini spirit. The
risk of getting stuck in an undesirable enterprise so threatens the
Gemini devotion to motion that you will sacrifice extraordinary
gains for freedom of movement.

Investment Style
You are such an active investor that you are considered the
"Quick Draw McGraw" of the investment world. The strategy of
"buy and hold" is a foreign concept to you, as you are much more
interested in playing market liquidity than long-term appreciation.
That is, your ruler, Mercury, is the messenger or go;.between of
commerce-the facilitator of trade. Consequently, you move in
and out of investments fast, and your natural tendency is to make
small, quick profits or merely to break even in your ventures.
Mercury compels you to involve yourself in the exchange, re­
gardless of your particip�tion in the profits. In fact, your whole
participation in investments has more to do with intellectual chal­
lenge than moneymaking coups. You jump right into the center of
investment action, and you rarely even consider the risk level or
downside potential of your endeavors. Consequently, you tend to
break even rather than reap huge gains.
Geminis are the masters of information and are always up on
the latest business and cultural events and trends. You play the
 GEMINI 51

day's events and are a constant barometer for the current state of
finance and economics. Just about any topic that catches your eye,
whether it's an oil spill or a bond auction, presents you with a
tempting opportunity to speculate. You come up with all kinds of
far-out schemes to take advantage of the day's events, and, re­
gardless of profits, you feel fulfilled at having tested your inno­
vative ideas. Tomorrow's a new day with fresh data on which to
feed as investment fodder.
The more theoretical the investment, the more Geminis will be
found pounding out algorithms and models to beat the odds.
Plain-vanilla ventures just do not do it for you cerebral types, as
your specialty is to discover obscure loopholes and to play com­
plicated odds. Gemini must go through some long and involved
calculations and conceptualization to be enticed into a buy. And,
miraculously, you twins manage to process so much information
so quickly that you stay one step ahead of the crowd.
With a little help, you twins can grow your own portfolio more
aggressively. Gemini provides an invaluable source of innovative
and ingenious investment ideas. All you need to post powerhouse
profits is the supervisory skills and fixedness of Leo or Taurus to
make it big. Gemini has a tough time even attempting to decide
which investments to hold on to. But a slower-moving sign who
can grasp your analytical theories will help you pick the invest­
ments that you should let run over the long term. A steady hand
to help you choose your best shots can launch you to superfund
stardom.

Investment Horizon
Was that a Gemini trade that just flashed across the screen?
What's the twin's position now? Long? Short? Who can keep track
of it all? You Geminis are by far the shiftiest bunch of the zodiac,
and you can barely sit at a desk long enough to call your broker,
let alone ride a long-term market move. You just cannot stay put
as you assess each price move and outwit the crowds as to where
the market will be trading next. While others may try to monitor
52 DOLLAR SIGNS

your trading style and follow your lead, they simply cannot move
quickly enough to lock in similar gains. They will still be trying to
figure out how you caught the last move, when they see that you
have been in and out of another position while they were not look­
ing.
Gemini plays fast markets that offer immediate results. You
see something moving and you need to be a part of the action, but
then you get bored just sitting on the same thing day after day. So
any change in price direction can trigger your exit, or you'll sim­
ply jump ship to explore different environs. As soon as something
else catches your eye, you gather up your things and get going.
Without looking back or pining away over lost opportunities, you
swan-dive into some new instrument or investment scheme.
Though you may enjoy the fast lane, your portfolio probably
could use a dose of grounded reality. Some real estate and long­
term treasuries would provide a perfect hedge for your technical
models and esoteric computer trading systems.

Negotiation Savvy
Try though they may, no one can outwit a Gemini. You speak
so quickly that you talk circles around your opponent, and soon
only you recall each side's original position. The Gemini intellect
is so swift that you anticipate every assault and prepare a counter­
attack before the demand has even been stated. And you make
your case with such charm and finesse that your adversary feels
right in conceding to you. Only when your challenger returns to
his or her corner does tl).e haze of your wiley charms wear off.
None but a few astute observers realize that the poor novice was
sucker-punched by a tag team of Gemini twins.
You Geminis are a shrewd bunch, and you will say whatever is
necessary to win your point. You are not above altering the truth
slightly in negotiations, and you probably have been accused of
double-talk more than a few times. But, by the time anyone even
realizes that you have bewitched them into accepting your view­
point, you have already won the debate. In fact, you are notorious
 GEMINI 53

for your aversion to written commitments: first, you might be held

to some of the fluff promises you made to win your battle; and,
second, you know you might later want to wheedle a little more
out of the deal.
No one can pull a fast one on you, however, and those who try
to confuse you with sketchy arguments are to be pitied. Not only
are you an air sign, imbued with powers of the intellect and supe­
rior logic, but you also are doubly blessed with Mercury's speed
of interpretation. Consequently, any attempts to mislead you with
argumentative noise or confuse you with superfluous facts are ab­
solutely laughable. You promptly point out the tactic, explain its
inadequacies, and, if you're feeling devious, you then successfully
execute the same mind-scrambling strategy on your dazed adver­
sary.
Anyone who tries to outsmart a Gemini dares the heavens.
With no real agenda at all, you dashing twins make sport of un­
raveling an oncomer's position. As the unsuspecting rookie gloats
over your seeming concession to some minor demand, you gra­
ciously point out that the sorry sophomore was arguing your posi­
tion all along. With a quick smile and scarcely a handshake, you
are off to your next debate.

Partnership Decisions
One of your dominant traits is your unparalleled ability to net­
work, and the Gemini Rolodex is a gold mine of powerful contacts
and acquaintances. You need constant human contact, and you are
always out in the field drawing more people into your circle. With
the master communicator, Mercury, as your ruler, you converse
with ease and get a charge from interaction with others.
To you, the thrill of business is, in fact, the weaving together
of different people and ideas to accomplish some common goal.
"Why would anyone want to work alone?" you wonder. The men­
tal stimulation you derive from partners fuels your fire, and your
creativity would get clogged up if you were to work in a vacuum.
Furthermore, Geminis are pure idea people who do not want
54 DOLLAR SIGNS

to get bogged down in the mechanics of everyday business, so

having a partner is practically imperative for success in most busi­
nesses. While you provide a stream of smart strategies and bril­
liant brainstorms, you Geminis are not very responsible when it
comes to the organization and smooth operation of your business.
Whether you work for yourself or within an organization, you can­
not bear certain everyday tasks of business, like filing, routine
correspondence and follow-up calls, ordering, inventory control,
employee management, and other mundane matters. As these are
all essential parts of running an enterprise, you need to employ
someone to handle such matters.
As mentioned in earlier sections, earth signs like Capricorn,
Taurus, and Virgo provide a necessary anchor for your business,
but you will need to find someone who is not too rigid. The earth
person is very needs oriented, so he or she will tend to all the tan­
gible requirements of running your business. But an earth sign can
be so concerned with practicality that he or she can become a drag
on your creative spirit and higher-order conceptualization. So try
to find an earth sign with a fair amount of air or fire in his or her
chart, or look to an air sign, like Leo or Aries, to see your business
through to reality. Ideally, set your sights on a Leo or Aries with a
chart containing some planets in earth.
Regarding creativity and business vision, team up with an
Aries for a blockbuster brainstorming session. The combination of
the Aries daring and the Gemini intellect is sure to ignite explo­
sive enterprise. You two feed off each other like an inferno stoked
by pure oxygen. And you move at the same speed. No one will be
able to follow your lightn�ng-quick conversations, but you will al­
ways be on the same page-speed-reading, of course!

Work Style
With your mind constantly racing off in new directions, you
rarely take time to set up any kind of structure in your work. In
fact, the typical Gemini prefers a state of continuous chaos in the
workplace. Your brain is too restless to maintain order, and just
 GEMINI 55

when a routine may be setting in, you stir things up. Geminis
thrive on the energy of disarray; it gives them the opportunity to
observe, analyze, and assess the complexities of human interac­
tion. You have multiple talents that are constantly competing for
expression, and spontaneous troubleshooting is more your forte
than maintaining orderly business.
You simply cannot sit still long enough to organize yourself or
your office, and you carelessly toss away important paperwork
and overdraw checking accounts. The dynamic twins simply can­
not be burdened with such uninspiring and monotonous matters.
Organization skills and other material responsibilities frustrate
your whole "airy" nature. Events of the intellect will forever dis­
tract you from normalizing your business activities.
Although you may act as a consultant and devise innovative or­
ganizational structures for a business, you will rarely be the one to
implement the new plans. Geminis have a great eye for the way
things work and can easily point out solutions to make a business
run with greater stability and efficiency. You will analyze, tally up,
and investigate every detail of an enterprise to develop an organi­
zational structure that works. But you consider the enactment stage
to be a redundant and inefficient use of your mental prowess.
All in all, Gemini organizational abilities are akin to the move­
ments of your ruler, the messenger god Mercury, and the liquid el­
ement of the same name. One would not expect the wing-footed
messenger god to follow a standard path in delivering hu­
mankind's messages and information. Nor could one predict the
movements of liquid mercury across a tabletop. To confine the
path of mercury to a straight line, or to deny it motion by con­
taining it, is to negate its most brilliant features. Mercury's speed,
and the way it combines and separates, always in constant motion,
is its natural and beautiful state of being.

Work Environment
The Gemini workplace is never dull, and surprises are valued
as inspirational. A Gemini trader of note in Wall Street circles runs
56 DOLLAR SIGNS

a firm in which employees really never know what to expect. One

summer day the Gemini boss returned at random from lunch with
a ten-piece Costa Rican street band to play a few tunes for the of­
fice staff. And, on a regular basis, topics are thrown out into the
trading area for anyone who dares to bite. Active debate is a usual
means of communication, and any opinion is sufficient material
for mental gymnastics.
Change is a constant in the Gemini office. Even when busi­
ness is uneventful, you will find ways to vary the workday.
Whether you rearrange office furniture or invite friends and
clients to drop in, you do not believe in "business as usual." Work­
ers in your office usually are diverse and colorful. Anyone who
works with you will have to be flexible enough to tolerate your
fancies and quick-witted enough to offer something interesting to
the spur-of-the-moment parties that arise. You rarely sit still, and,
if you cannot find some way to ignite activity in your office, you
will take short walks outside the office to find intellectual stimu­
lation.
Metropolitan centers hold the greatest appeal for you Geminis
because you need so much variegated human contact. Though you
do not involve yourself easily in long-term commitments, you
thrive on interaction with others. The wide-open spaces and aes­
thetics of country life appeal to you for a while, but, over the long
term, you crave the stream of cerebral traffic that more commonly
flows through urban centers. So you typically set up shop in a
busy part of town, and, while everyone else complains about the
crowds and struggles to avoid them, Gemini appears at the heart
of the commotion, enjoyi�g it wholeheartedly.
The Gemini office is a revolving door of interns, consultants,
and other temporary help who offer some interesting insights into
your business. Even where you might not need help, you will
often give someone a chance just to see what the person has to
offer. Without any specific game plan for a new employee, you
will hire him or her on a lark, merely because you are curious
about where the arrangement might take you. Then, just as whim­
sically, you will let the person go. You do not mean to be ruthless,
 GEMINI 57

and you rarely even consider that you are being so. You are so
wrapped up in the intellectual games at hand that you often ignore
the human element of your interactions. Employees can enjoy the
ride of a Gemini workplace for a while, sometimes for many
years, but odds are that the trip will be shorter than expected.

Gemini as Manager
Suffice it to say that you Geminis have a "free-form" man­
agement style. Whereas other signs, like Leo and Taurus, strive to
be in charge and to achieve control over work environments, you
aim to stir things up. Geminis are too interested in intellectual pur­
suits and mental stimulation to be bothered with personnel man­
agement. The twins do not get a bang out of bossing others
around. Anarchy is far more interesting to you. Because you find
the chaos that arises from a loose game plan stimulating, you are
an unlikely candidate for manager-of-the-year.
In fact, you twins are far too changeable yourselves to stick to
a consistent management plan. You like to act on a whim, and you
seek constant change. So, the mere thought of a regular policy or
mode of operation depresses you. You would just as soon delegate
the dry tasks of policing people and operations so that you can go
back to masterminding business growth and success strategies.
The Gemini nature is one of constant flux, and any situation with
definite borders and boundaries feels unbearably confining.
You are a terrific manager in times of crisis, however, when
you can assess and analyze unforeseen influences and move with
great speed and intensity. Geminis love a heated challenge, when
you can remain cool and use your lightning-quick logic to come up
with the perfect solutions. In the heat of crisis, things move very
fast, which is to your liking. As more and more factors enter the
equation, you exhibit even greater finesse. While the environment
reaches a peak chaotic state, with everyone cracking under the
pressure, you Geminis remain cool and even somewhat amused by
the whole whirlwind. Just as the entire place is about to explode,
you come up with an absolutely brilliant solution to the madness.
58 DOLLAR SIGNS

Gemini as Employee
Generally, the Gemini employee is a bundle of creative ideas
and nonstop energy who enhances any freethinking work environ­
ment. Your quick and organized mind, conceptualization skills,
sales abilities, and outright charm make you a major asset to most
enterprises. You make brilliant suggestions and handle emergency
situations with finesse. Gemini always knows exactly what to do
in a crisis and leaps to action before anyone else even recognizes
the pending danger. As long as you are given free rein to let your
mind run, you twins impress all with your broad range of skills
and dynamic personality.
Unfortunately, Geminis rarely possess the burning ambition to
remain focused on a particular goal for very long. Gemini seeks va­
riety and stimulation above status and achievement. You get easily
bored, and routine riles your Mercurial soul. Gemini needs constant
communication outlets and is happiest on the sales-and-promotion
road. You Gemini employees typically are very open and expressive,
and you promptly voice your complaints or concerns. Any attempt
to confine you, physically or intellectually, sends rou flying, al­
though you always will explain fully your reasons before you flut­
ter out the door. However, you twins cannot resist an oppportunity
to engage in a good debate, so you will attempt to win employers'
concessions to your demands before you quit.
Gemini requires lots of freedom of movement and thought and
expects to set her or his own schedule. You utterly detest supervi­
sion, and you will not hesitate to walk at the first signs of an
overly zealous administrator. Gemini is a free spirit with a fast
mind, and those environments that seek your services need to offer
plenty of intellectual fodder and open space.

Spending Style
Geminis are a sight to see when it comes to spending. You just
do not get very attached to money, so you let it come and go freely.
While other signs, particularly Taurus and Capricorn, take money
 GEMINI 59

very seriously, you just never get too worked up about it. You will
forget to pay bills and will throw money away on junk purchases.
You will write a dozen checks without considering the balance in
your account. To the Gemini, everything should move very
quickly and exist in a state of constant flux. Money is here to be
exchanged, say the twins, as they throw it around like confetti into
the wind.
What good is money in the bank when so many adventures can
be bought with the power of green? Gemini's rationale regarding
spending is that cash is the medium of exchange between them
and a lot of high living. And when a mental challenge is thrown
into the equation, you will cough up cash at the speed of light.
Whereas other signs feel power from physically holding cash, you
need no such tangible tum-on. Your thrills come from the esoteric
domain, and money can buy you a ticket to a myriad of mental ex­
penences.
Because your passions are on a higher plane, you do not need
to buy expensive possessions to feel fulfilled. You might purchase
some frivolous item that makes a statement for you, but you do not
care to amass a stockpile of worldly treasures. Gemini generally
lives a lean and mean existence, and most of his or her spending
is done on the road as opposed to on the home front.
You also like to haggle, as it is a challenge of wit, and in so
doing you make up for a lot of your loose-wallet ways. Though
you may not need to shave a few pennies off a purchase, you often
embarrass friends and family as you try to negotiate a price that
most would accept as fixed. Even a wealthy Gemini will challenge
a stated price, to initiate a little game of financial chess. Whether
you are after a shoeshine or a Swiss chalet, you will probe the
price issue just to explore the cerebral capabilities of the seller.

Trading Abilities
As is the case with all you do, you trade with the speed and
changeability of the wind. And your overactive mind forces you to
reassess markets at every price change, leaving you with a new
60 DOLLAR SIGNS

strategy at every market move. Such practices can work well in ar­
bitrage trading, where you constantly jump in and out of markets
betting on small, precisely calculated price discrepancies. Each
price change is a new opportunity to outsmart the crowds, and you
cannot resist the urge to so test your intellect.
Your thrill is in the technical analysis of markets and the de­
velopment of theories as to what drives them. Your specialty is as­
sessing market behavior against various standards of value that
you devise. Many Geminis, therefore, fare better as publishers of
newsletters and books about market theory than as actual traders
of markets. You devise brilliant theories about the mechanisms of
markets, but in the excitement of trading you seem to analyze too
much and to lose focus of your initial strategies and parameters.
Before you have followed through on one strategic plan, you begin
incorporating a new theory and fall off the track. Trading requires
a bit more discipline of thought than many Geminis are willing to
bring to bear, and, though they usually break even, they are better
suited as analytical gurus and market statisticians than as actual
traders.
Geminis are the masterminds of computer trading, and they
spearhead major systems development operations at the world's
most savvy financial institutions. You thoroughly enjoy translating
your market theories into complex mathematical algorithms and
programming computers to carry them out. In the world of com­
puter trading, you can analyze, test, tweak, and eventually trade to
your heart's content. Many securities can be bought and sold at
once, in high volume, thereby serving your need for commotion.
Massive computer tradin� systems generate tons of trades, facili­
tating active exchange, and the computer network through which
the information flows is, in itself, the essence of Gemini pursuits.

Gemini as Salesperson and Fund-Raiser

A main Gemini business function is that of the go-between.
You are the glue between buyer and seller, the medium through
which exchanges occur. With your razor-sharp intellect and fast-
 GEMINI 61

talking style, you are unparalleled at persuasion. You create air­

tight arguments spontaneously, and you present them with such
conviction and style that few can resist your pitch. So sales and
fund-raising are areas in which you cosmically clean up.
Gemini is the master of "smoke and mirrors". You create such
a dazzling presentation that your audience actually forgets to for­
age for the truth behind your assertions. You know exactly what to
say to hook your prey, and you will distort reality slightly to
achieve that end. Before a potential customer can think of a single
reason why a purchase might not make sense, you have countered
every possible attack. You stir up such a brew of energy and clever
reasoning that you bewitch all in your path, and few are ever aware
of the spell that they have been under.
You are able to raise huge amounts of capital with your money­
making methods, and you often attract far more resources than
you need at any given time. As you are never short of new invest­
ment strategies, you are eager to put the extra cash to work. But
you must be careful not to put investors' money into highly risky,
untested ventures. Though you concentrate less on practical profit
concerns than on inventive theories, investors will likely want to
stand on more solid investment ground.
The ability you possess in sales and fund-raising is truly a gift,
but you are advised to use it wisely. You know you can finagle
anyone into thinking your way, buying your product, or funding
your ventures. But you might leave people with a bitter taste in
their mouths if you misrepresent too much to achieve your ends.
Gemini is somewhat of a trickster, which can be dangerous in the
business world. Those who catch on to your schemes can blow
your cover and destroy your credibility for good.
You are so grounded in the abstract that you often overlook the
fact that you are dealing with fellow human beings who can be
very hurt by some of your intellectual entertainment. Though you
might look at a sale as a game of wit, the person on the other side
of the table can be greatly damaged financially from a bad sale or
investment. Beware of your desire to win every debate, big or
small, and use your brainpower instead to devise win-win situa-
62 DOLLAR SIGNS

tions that you can pitch with confidence as well as moral respon­
sibility.

Best-Suited Businesses
As the twins of the zodiac, your most crucial ingredient for
contentment is constant contact with another mind. You find the
greatest thrills in businesses where you can solve other people's
puzzles and work with intellectual property rather than real goods.
Service businesses in the computer industry and telecommunica­
tions, where the goods of exchange are human ideas and networks,
offer the most fruitful Gemini playgrounds.
With your mental reasoning, silver tongue, and sales skills,
you are exceptional at acquiring clients, and you get plenty of
mental challenges from customers calling with a wide range of
problems and requests. You are complete phone hounds by birth,
and you delight in the ring of your cell phone, car phone, and
beeper, especially when they all go off at once! Communication is
your life pulse, and service businesses keep you well tapped into
conversation of all sorts. Of course, certain service businesses
lend themselves to routine hand-holding and few real brain­
teasing issues, but you will probably pick up on this before ever
getting involved. And even in the more drab service industries,
you find excitement in the cross section of people you encounter
and the chitchat you inspire.
With wing-heeled Mercury as your ruler, you are at home in
the air, weightless and unburdened by possessions and material
goods. The service indu,stries are your terrain, and rarely does a
Gemini get involved directly in the manufacture, handling, or care
of heavy physical product. You may become fascinated by a means
of production and advise or consult a product business about ways
to manufacture more efficiently. And you do have a fascination for
the way machinery works and the logic, speed, and efficiency of
the function that is ultimately performed. But you generally do not
get off on tangible matters.
In certain sectors of retailing, however, the pace is quick
 GEMINI 63

enough to sustain Gemini's interest. You see life as one fleeting

adventure after another, and retail markets play on a similar
theme. Geminis are always alert to fresh looks, experiences, and
fashions, so they often pinpoint trends long before they catch on.
By the time others recognize a hip trend, you have created the next
two to come. Consumer goods provide a ready palate for you
Gemini chamelions to continually change colors.
Retailing is dynamic and quick, with a constant flurry of buy­
ers and sellers that appeals to Gemini's fascination for networking.
Gemini functions as the glue of human coordination and trade,
and the retail marketplace sees more than its share of interactivity.
You are the brokers of the zodiac, with an innate calling to spark
transactions and unite dealing parties. Nowhere do you enjoy such
a swift spin of the purchase-and-sale conveyer belt as in "mega­
store" mania.
Most areas of banking prove too routine and sterile for the
Gemini adventure-seeker. You feel stifled in the corporate envi­
ronment in which most banks operate, and you find the hierar­
chical chain of command ludicrous and uninteresting. While
everyone strives to conform his or her behavior to a stated
"proper" bank standard, you create constant chaos and confusion.
The Gemini nature is far too dynamic to fit into the traditional
banking arena for any lengthy period of time, and old-line banks
fail to supply enough runway and speed to launch the jetlike
Gemini.
Although you are a master of the conceptual side of mathe­
matics, the repetitive nature of traditional bank number-crunching
makes a mockery of your arithmetic acumen. You become in­
censed by the lack of initiative and independence that is offered to
you, and you quickly develop a fly-or-die attitude. You are an ex­
ceptional troubleshooter and analyst, but most banks fail to offer
you sufficient outlets for these skills.
Investment banks or consulting situations do provide positive
professional potential for the twins. In investment banking, you
can use your analytical and reasoning skills to structure artful
business strategies and megadeals. As a consultant, you swoon
64 DOLLAR SIGNS

over savvy restructurings and corporate streamlining. With inves­

tigative Mercury at your back, you are a detective by nature, and
you analyze and research business faster than anyone. As long as
you are working on intellectually challenging financial projects
and your workplace allows some degree of unbridled expression,
you take the banking world by storm. And, if you do find such an
accommodating situation, you whip through executive M.B.A.
programs with ease and blast through the Wall Street ranks!

Common Professions
Sales; public relations; marketing/advertising; publishing; con­
sulting; broadcasting/media; telecommunications; computers;
analyst; physician; politician; travel/transportation; education;
electronics

Ideal Investments
Stocks
Endowed with analytical acumen, you are a- highly adept
stock picker. A Gemini can easily assess the trading pattern of a
company and can pick off discrepancies in the company's finan­
cial position and accounting. You have a knack for numbers, and
you zip through stacks of research and process them in record
time. With such a leg up on logic, you often make a career of
stock recommendations and research.
You are the technical analysts of the zodiac. Gemini stock pick­
ers are more interested in devising intriguing theories about the na­
ture of stock trading and the mathematics behind price movements
and cycles. You play for both rises and falls in markets, and you
pick off small gains by measuring current stock prices against
some chosen mathematical "correct" price standard.
You also love the fast-trading markets, particularly the tech­
nology and computer sectors, where you can exercise the speed­
freak aspect of your nature.
The faster and more volatile the market, the more numer-
 GEMINI 65

ous and intense the challenges to your wit. You are a fanatic for
chaotic markets, where you employ your understanding of the
abstract and outsmart the masses. In fact, many a Gemini can
be found working on complex trading models based on chaos
theory and publishing research about this very hot, futuristic
topic. Leave it to Gemini to always be one step ahead of the
crowd!
Particularly appealing sectors for the Gemini stock picker are:

Communications Electronics/light
Computers/data machinery
Publishing Exports
Broadcasting/media Grains
Railroads/transportation/travel Paper
Advertising Education

Bonds
Treasury securities, particularly the long-term bond market,
generally do not move with the volatility and speed that appeal to
the Gemini investor. Although you enjoy the technical analysis of
the treasury markets and the relationships between long-term and
short-term prices and interest rates, the more risky areas of the
debt markets seem more stimulating to you.
You have such strong conceptual skills that you easily grasp
the multidimensional aspect of credit markets. You develop meth­
ods to quickly pinpoint pricing discrepancies between the long
end and short end of the debt market, as well as all the increas­
ingly complex derivative markets. You analyze carefully and trans­
late the most abstract credit market instruments into working
mathematical models.
Similarly, Geminis will jump into a fast-moving corporate
debt or junk bond market, but their interest will come more from
scrutinizing the trading patterns and money flow in and out of var­
ious issues than from fundamental analyses of the businesses in­
volved. A true Gemini does not even notice what particular market
is being traded. You will jump into a trade based on an interesting
66 DOLLAR SIGNS

price pattern and market activity without knowing if it's bonds or

beans you just bought.

Real Estate
The twins do not get excited about real estate as a mere in­
vestment instrument, but properties that are socially vibrant or
naturally dynamic totally turn them ori. Generally, real estate is
too long term for you, and you feel weighed down by the ongoing
concerns of upkeep. Geminis are people of the air, and large plots
of solid earth or matter only inhibit their flight. But certain real es­
tate provides a buzz that catches the ear of the social side of Gem­
ini. Many of you twins have been known to buy into resort areas
or lively seasonal communities where the flow of people provides
all the movement you desire. The mental stimulation from the sur­
rounding scene compensates for the otherwise sleepy nature of
real estate investments.
Geminis also enjoy real estate that provides some sort of ad­
venture. Whether it's a farm where you raise some exotic breed of
wild animal or a country home where you can go white-water raft­
ing and exploring, Geminis love the mental inspiration derived
from more rustic properties. You do not acquire real estate to feel
secure in your holdings or to impress anyone. For you, property is
only worth holding if it provides a provocative playground for you
and your guests.
All in all, Gemini rarely buys to hold, and real estate does not
lend itself to the quick transactions Gemini desires. Being tied to
any particular place frightens the hell out of the changeable twins,
so rental arrangements are recommended before buying into any
property. As every Gemini knows, you are always on the verge of
packing up and moving on, so short-term leases are your commit­
ments of choice.

Luxury Goods
Luxury goods require too much deliberation and permanence
for the fleeting Gemini consumer. A valuable purchase usually re­
quires some sort of financing and, advisably, some comparison
 GEMINI 67

shopping. You twins go for instantaneous transactions, and you

can end up in the financial doldrums if you act too quickly in the
luxury goods markets. While other signs, like Capricorn, enjoy
traveling around for months looking for the best deals, you lose
interest if you cannot buy something on the spot. You threaten to
overextend yourself severely when you buy luxury items hastily.
Although inherent value is the major benefit of luxury goods,
you derive no great satisfaction from the stable worth of such
items. Your mercurial tastes drive you through all sorts of differ­
ent lifestyles, residences, and fashions, and you are ill served by
anything that inhibits your flight through the constantly changing
landscape. Although it may be temporarily titillating to own a
Faberge egg, you would find it tedious and burdensome to have to
travel across the Himalayas with such a prize.
The planets do not suggest that you avoid luxury goods alto­
gether, but choose carefully and take a more grounded individual
shopping with you. When you become blinded by the outrageous
adventures you might enjoy in a fuchsia-colored Rolls-Royce, you
cannot be trusted to act with any sense of responsibility. An ex­
cited Gemini becomes incapable of earthly practicality, and, when
high finance is involved, a level-headed Virgo or cash-conserva­
tive Capricorn is just the anchor he or she needs.
 LEADERS AND
LUMINARIES
John D. Rockefeller
CANCER THE
Conrad Hilton FINANCIER
Richard Branson
AND NURTURER
Estee Lauder
Ross Perot OF BUSINESS
Sylvester Stallone
Ann Landers JUNE 22-JULY 23

With a protective shell and inner sensitivity, you crabs are the
caretakers of the business world. The moon is your ruler, and you
are endowed with a strong intuitive affinity for human emotion
and public sentiment. Cancers possess an uncanny understanding
of the basic needs of people, which you nurture within the office
and in the external business markets. You provide for a comfort­
able, secure environment in which employees and an enterprise
can grow to full potential. And you offer the goods and services
demanded by the market ... at a healthy profit.
Cancers, male and female, represent the mothering role of the
zodiac. Your instinct is to provide a solid foundation from which
life can emerge, and in business, you supply the internal strength
from which commerce begins. Like a mother providing for her
young, you gather the resources and cash necessary to cultivate
business. You build a warm and efficient nest, and you guard all
your assets with your life. Crabs are frugal and sensible, and you
act as the disciplinarian who keeps enterprise on the right track.
You are incessant worriers, however, and, no matter how se­
cure a foundation you lay, you never feel fully secure. You build
70 DOLLAR SIGNS

up stockpiles of cash to protect you from danger, but even fields

of green do not alleviate your fear of financial ruin. So the crab is
a reserved and serious businessperson, with a strong instinct of
preservation and a tenacious grip on possessions and profits. An
equal mix of money and affection forms a suit of armor around
your more sensitive interior and prepares you well for the battle­
fields of business.

Entrepreneurship
Creative though your mind may be, you Cancers do not like to
set sail on uncharted seas. Your need for security overrides your
entrepreneurial interests, and you usually wait until business is up
and running before you get involved. You crabs just cannot stom­
ach the uncertainty of start-up ventures. While fire and air signs
relish the sudden peaks, valleys, and curves of fledgling business,
you prefer a stable home where you can sink roots confidently.
Crabs are far too emotional for the barrage of slammed doors
and daily disruptions of entrepreneurship. Whereas driven Aries
or Leo takes each hit along the road in stride, you brood over every
mistake and mishap. Even the slightest resistance feels to you like
a deliberate sucker punch to your self-esteem and capability. En­
trepreneurship requires thick skin and nerves of steel to deflect the
criticisms and cynics that challenge you at every turn. Though the
crab has a hard exterior, the cross fire of business bullets pene­
trates her or his highly sensitive heart. You absorb each shock of
business turmoil and become sickened by the abrupt bumps and
jolts of the pioneering path.
Furthermore, you crabs seldom pursue the things you want di­
rectly. You shift sideways, back and forth, and finally maneuver
your way toward the object of your desire. But entrepreneurship
requires a head-on attack with little time for sidestepping. By the
time the hard-shelled beach hunter breaks his or her sideways
course to lunge for a tempting big toe, everyone has headed off to
the cabana.
You crabs are astute observers, however, with an eerie sense
 CANCER 71

for human needs, and you instantly spot winning entrepreneurial

ideas. Your ruler, the moon, is also associated with public demand,
and you crabs engage successfully in all types of heavy trading of
mass-market goods. When crabs enter entrepreneurial waters, it's
for keeps, and they go after huge business with huge returns. Can­
cers who finally take the entrepreneurial leap often become the
captains of traditional industries, like steel manufacturing, mer­
chandising, and major chain retailing.
Crabs are also very artistic, and they frequently become en­
trepreneurs, almost unwittingly, just by pursuing their creative
passions. Cancers feel everything and have the innate ability to
produce artwork that taps into people's current emotional state.
Consequently, many of the biggest names in entertainment, in­
cluding both stars and businesspeople, are Cancers. Crabs may
not even plan to build a business, but they possess such natural
creative abilities that the market somehow forces them into pro­
duction.
Though you may not want to tackle single-handedly the fre­
netic and fierce road of business initiation, you do recognize and
track success-certain ventures. Once some fieldwork has been
done, Cancers thoroughly enjoy harvesting young businesses and
investing in promising growth companies. You avoid the agoniz­
ing birthing process of business, as your role is to nurse an enter­
prise through the toddler stage and beyond.

Risk Profile
Although you crabs forever feel surrounded by risk, you rarely
get yourself into high-stakes hoopla. You so desire security that
you rarely risk your hard-earned dollars for an uncertain return.
You move slowly and deliberately and, when you finally grab hold
of something, you fight to hold on to it. Like Taurus, you are an
accumulator, and throwing money at unproven long shots doesn't
make any sense to you. The crab has the capacity to wait patiently
for payback and prefers frugal living on solid foundations to wild
adventures in the high seas of speculation.
72 DOLLAR SIGNS

Again, self-preservation and protection lie at the core of your

investment decisions, and you seek financial foundations that are
practical and dependable. You may buy stocks on margin or take
on debt, but, undoubtedly, the underlying purchases or invest­
ments will be well-researched, steady performers. Your most
prized asset is your home, and your motive is always to enhance
it. In all your purchases, you move cautiously and defensively,
guarding against any deterioration of your fortress and trauma to
your emotional state.

Investment Style
You crabs are in no hurry to amass your fortunes, and you will
watch and wait for a good buy. Unlike Aries, who is energized by
the volatility of fast markets and high risk, you prefer a milder
ride. Your emotional life is extremely vibrant already, and you
need no outer shock waves to awaken your senses. Instead, you sit
back and cautiously observe the options that cross your path.
When an investment grabs your interest, you carefully case it,
and, as its potential becomes obvious to you, you.begin to move
in. The crab never lunges directly at commitments. You look at
every situation from all angles, and you stealthily approach, re­
treat, and dance around your temptor. You gather information, di­
gest it thoroughly, and let the matter settle before finally deciding
on a course of action. Usually, you wait until the last minute to act.
Only when your object of interest is about to be snatched away do
you really pounce on it.
Your wait-and-see �pproach keeps you out of many losing
propositions, but you also tend to buy into markets at the top and
to sell out at the bottom. You are highly attuned to public senti­
ment, and you forever follow crowd activity. You always want a
track record behind you before you move, so you wait for the
masses to confirm your instincts before you invest. While other
signs thrive on seat-of-the-pants decision-making, you find such
thrills emotionally and physically draining. You do not recover as
quickly as others from your mistakes, and you require a long con-
 CANCER 73

valescent period before reentering markets. Your vivid recol­

lection of all past losses compels you to avoid making the same
mistakes twice. Unfortunately, in trading and investments, this
wait-and-see approach often leaves you behind the curve of prof­
itability.
However, your observation skills and sensitivity for public ap­
peal make you a master at spotting undervalued companies and
ventures. And you do such thorough research before each buy that
you are almost certain to succeed. The crab hunts for tangible per­
formance results and/or solid financial structure in all investments
and will not touch anything that does not measure up. Such sound
policy provides a packed portfolio and inspires awe in your audi­
ence of peers and colleagues.
Your heightened sensitivity to the action around you causes
your systems to overload in the more chaotic environments. When
forced to make fast decisions, you experience emotional crashes
and you then make irrational choices. Impulsive moves usually
leave the crab exposed to danger, so leave the highly charged com­
motion of fast markets and high risk to the fire and air signs.

Investment Horizon
The crab deliberates long and hard about each financial move,
and enters investments with long-lasting commitment. Once you
latch on to a financial purchase, you hold on for dear life. Cancers
cannot tolerate the turmoil of short-term fluctuations and do not
believe in the quick buck. You believe returns are commensurate
with hard work, and short-term, fleeting moves throw you for a
loop. Your goals as a Cancer are a permanent, secure home and a
reliable financial base, and you get badly bruised by the whippy
moves of markets. The crab is extremely possessive and likes to
know exactly what he or she is worth at any given time. Frequent
buying and selling of short-term instruments push your asset
value in all directions, igniting insecurity and emotional uneasi­
ness.
Any financial setback along the road to riches causes you se-
74 DOLLAR SIGNS

vere and prolonged depression. Consequently, you typically put

your money into long-term growth prospects which you have fully
researched. Though these may show temporary paper losses, you
do not need to trade in and out of these investments at every turn.
You investigate your target thoroughly and make a committed de­
cision to the trade, rather than facing off with a market that de­
mands you to sell immediately. You are -not big on change, so you
choose businesses and ventures with staying power. The crab does
not pay much attention to the speedy, sizable profits made by
speculation-savvy types. You assume that the quick gains just as
easily become quick losses in the immediate future, and you pre­
fer a more definite direction for your dollars.

Negotiating Savvy
Cancer generally avoids direct confrontation. Your strength in
negotiation is your ability to assess the motivations of your adver­
sary and to identify and lay bare any hidden agendas or misrepre­
sentations. You have both uncanny intuitive powers, which you use
effectively in negotiations, and an unassuming manner that throws
your opponents off course. You put on your poker face, and no one
can see beyond your wall of privacy.
The crab is extremely deliberate and calculating and is un­
nerved by sudden confrontations. You rarely engage in heated ne­
gotiations, and when thrown into the line of fire, you respond with
defense and caution. Crabs prefer to examine thoroughly feelings
and needs regarding each issue of debate before taking a stand.
When you enter negotiations without a sound game plan, you tend
to lose your edge as you sense the emotions of your adversary.
Your nature as a Cancer is to care for everyone, not just yourself;
and, especially when your opponent is pleasant, you experience a
strong conflict of interest.
Sensitive as you are, you crabs often identify too closely with
your own emotional needs and desires and those of your oppo­
nent, regardless of the reasoning behind each position. This may
be helpful in negotiations between co-workers and on behalf of
 CANCER 75

subordinates, but you often threaten to give up more than you

should based on an emotional response to your adversary's
wishes. Or, you hold on to a point, irrationally, because your op­
ponent has struck some nerve in you. Crabs are best utilized in the
negotiation process to define the motivations and desires of each
side and to examine the options and likely responses to each. But,
when it comes down to actual battle, a less emotionally driven air
sign is better suited for the on-your-feet decision-making and con­
frontation.
When you crabs are well prepared for debate, however, you
masterfully reach a resolution appealing to both sides. Canceri­
ans' genuine concern for; others comes out in negotiations, and
they inspire cooperation from the other side in achieving a mutu­
ally acceptable agreement. You are strong willed and determined,
but you always respond to your adversary's desires with an under­
standing that disarms any atomic bombs coming your way. But
anyone who has ever pushed a Cancer too hard in negotiations has
experienced the crab's sudden withdrawal into a protective shell.
From this point, cajoling the crab back out onto the battlefield is
terribly trying, and negotiations can be suspended indefinitely.

Partnership Decisions
You Cancers are usually sensitive to the strengths and weak­
nesses of various types of individuals, and you are skilled at find­
ing partners who complement your talents. Cancers love to mind
the store while more high-flying sales types spend weeks or
months at a time drumming up business on the road. You maintain
an industrious and reliable home camp, which your pioneering
partner expands beyond the corporate walls. While you crabs are
leaders at heart, you have no desire to be the wheeler-dealers of
corporate communications and fund-raising campaigns. You pre­
fer the comforts of home, and you are best at handling the inter­
nal affairs of your company.
You have keen intuition, and you rarely make poor choices
about people. The crab can sense a potential partner's secret or
76 DOLLAR SIGNS

hidden agenda, and compatibility is usually clear to you. Cancers

usually ally themselves with people for the long haul, and once
they like and trust someone, they give that person their all. Simi­
larly, you are attuned to the needs of others, and you rally support
and cooperation from partners. On the flip side, you instantly spot
those who will work to satisfy their own egos and trample on your
accomplishments.
Cancer is a water sign, so you work best with other water signs
and earth signs who understand your emotional sensitivities. You do
well in partnerships with watery Scorpio and Pisces, as well as with
earthy Taurus: Scorpions have a knack for raising OPM (other peo­
ples' money), Taureans project confidence and make the business
look attractive to the outside world, and Pisceans develop far­
reaching vision for enterprise as well as brilliant promotional efforts.
Although the great majority of you Cancerians branch out
early in life to earn extra cash, you are not loners. As a water sign,
you seek intimate personal ties and take your time in developing
them, which can put off skittish air signs and rambunctious fire
signs. You enjoy building warm and productive business environ­
ments, and you motivate those around you with your ambition,
work ethic and dependability. The other water signs comfort you
as well as share your artistic ideals, and they likely understand and
accept your moodiness. Additionally, earth signs provide an at­
mosphere of material comfort and stability where the crab's cre­
ative visions can flourish.
Co-workers soon recognize the care and dedication you put
into your work, and you expect that you will be left to your affairs
without interference. Yo� are quite private, and you do not fare
well with pushy, busybody types who try to pry into your personal
affairs and offer unsolicited advice. Consequently, fiery Leos and
Sagittariuses are usually too outspoken for the crab's delicate re­
ceptors, and you rarely tolerate them in your space for long. Who­
ever the potential partners may be, just be sure they are not the
tightly wound, confrontational types. You crabs retreat into your
shells at the first outburst, and only your lawyers can convince you
to emerge-to sign the partnership dissolution documents.
 CANCER 77

Work Style
When it comes to organization, the crab's striving for security,
once again, keeps him or her on the straight and narrow. Whereas
other signs, like your predecessor, Gemini, get a charge out of a
little chaos, you lose your bearings. You Cancers need to know the
exact whereabouts of every possession, and, though you always
add a homey touch to any place you occupy, you require an orga­
nized environment where everything is under control. Any sign of
disarray challenges your protective hold over your peers and prop­
erty, and you feel the earth quake below you when people act on
impulse rather than as a result of careful planning.
The crabs' emotions are in constant flux, so they depend on or­
derly surroundings to function clearly and to anchor them. Enter
any Cancer's office and you will immediately sense the tranquil­
lity and calm that the crab fosters. Such a state of well-being is
hard to achieve in the midst of disorderly stacks of papers and last­
minute appointments, so the crab takes extra care to minimize
messes and carefully map out meetings and time schedules. You
crabs truly require something to contain your extremely creative,
intensely intuitive inner selves. Unlike the stereotypical di­
sheveled artist, the crab relies on an ordered exterior life to func­
tion. Your heart is such an overactive dream machine that you are
forced to balance it with a sane and orderly mind. With some dis­
cipline, you develop a practical, attentive intellect that forever
maintains a sound structure through which your creative currents
can flow productively.
Cancerians are private people, who expect to organize their af­
fairs as they see fit, rather than according to some random stan­
dard set by a corporation. Although you usually mesh with
organizational life, meddlesome managers and prying peers will
drive you nuts. A business setting must respect your need for your
own work space, and you will not take kindly to overzealous su­
pervision. Those who put direct pressure on the crab will eventu­
ally experience a severe pinch of the Cancerian claw. Crabs do not
like to be cornered or rushed in particular directions, and they ex-
78 DOLLAR SIGNS

pect to move at a pace that is comfortable for them. Many an over­

seer of a Cancer has felt compelled to direct the crab down more
efficient roads of goal achievement. But the crab has a unique
style of approaching issues and cannot work in any other way. The
crab never attacks tasks head-on but instead works around them
from all sides and eventually moves in. If your superiors cannot
appreciate your roundabout, yet thorough, style, you'd better side­
step right out the door!

Work Environment
Corporate life suits the crab well because it provides ready­
made security and an orderly means of accomplishing business.
You do not feel compelled to chase the spotlight in faster-moving
enterprises, and you rely on your own ambition and drive to move
you up the corporate ladder. The corporate environment also
shields you from the emotional outbursts and anarchy that can
occur in less formal workplaces. In corporate surroundings, you
exhibit a serious business attitude, and you are usually entrusted
with responsibility and some autonomy to lead your own small
group within the firm.
Although you crabs are protective, you are not loners. You dis­
play a disciplined demeanor, but you have a compassionate and
considerate heart and a brilliant sense of humor, which you like to
share with others. You might not readily reveal your sensitive inner
stirrings to the workplace, but your understated manner appeals to
all and wins respect. You f ind a home for yourself in some area of
the office, and you grow, it into an increasingly productive unit.
Even your desk decor of plants and photographs reflects the moth­
ering instincts you bring to work.
The large corporation is not very attractive to many crabs,
however, in that they often feel cozier in small operations where a
sense of humanity and cooperation do not get lost in the bureau­
cratic shuffle. You crabs do not like to be undercut by peers, and
you will seek to annihilate anyone who threatens your job. Pushy
types who blatantly compete with you defy your nurturing, sup-
 CANCER 79

portive spirit. You do your best to grow the corporate garden to its
fullest extent, but, as it sprouts, you feel it your duty to pull out the
weeds. Should the business entity become infested with overly
ravenous corporate mutants, the crab would rather find healthier
soil than compete for troubled turf.
The older the institution and more sedate and established the
environment, the greater will be the crab's attraction to it. History
and longevity are revered by the crab, as they represent secure
foundations. The crab also prefers co-workers who work hard,
maintain discipline, and go about their business in a quiet, unas­
suming manner. You do well with Virgo, Taurus, Scorpio, and
Pisces; and you might get a kick out of an occasional Aries or
Gemini whirlwind, but as officemates they will frazzle your fine­
tuned nature.

The Crab as Manager

Cancers are benevolent leaders, with a compassion for others
that breeds loyalty and team spirit. You are no pushover, and you
make it clear that you are in business for one reason-to make
money. But your considerate nature, combined with your depend­
ability and strong work ethic, arouses an awe-inspired following in
any business setting. Though you do not often reveal your side­
splitting sense of humor on the job, others pick up your ripping
wit. You show genuine interest in people, and your unthreatening
manner defuses all fiercely competitive types.
Developing a crew of devoted, respectful subordinates strength­
ens the crab's march toward money and control, so he or she actively
pursues management positions. You are sincerely sensitive to the
feelings of others, and you have a gentle way of handling highly
charged situations. Those who work under you learn that you are
stem yet fair, and you are generous with compensation when it is
deserved. You win over subordinates with subtle hints of your
dreamer qualities, which go hand in hand with your alert and prac­
tical intellect.
You are not impatient when dealing with employees, as you
80 DOLLAR SIGNS

see personnel issues as being as important to business growth as

profits. Cancers rear business like a family, and you embrace even
the seemingly mundane, petty problems of daily management as
crucial to your long-term success. The crab builds from the bot­
tom up and believes that the business is only as strong as the
weakest link in the organization. Consequently you personally
tend to even the most "trivial" matters ·and treat them seriously.
Because you truly care, you pay attention to the smallest details of
business dealings among subordinates, co-workers, and the like,
and you win great admiration from all.
Cancers have long been known as the captains of commerce.
Although you do not blaze trails, in the speculative trading of mar­
kets, you manage commerce with such skill that you put your
competitors to shame. From the onset of any enterprise, all see
that you are committed for the long haul, and your calm, caring
way naturally attracts an audience. You plan your moves carefully,
so employees learn to rely on you, and you always pull through for
your devotees in times of dire need. The Cancerian manager works
with precision and watchfulness, and sinks roots deeper and
deeper over time. Eventually, you and your allies rise to the exec­
utive offices.
It is important to note, however, that the Cancerian manager
will never put work ahead of responsibilities at home. You crabs
put your home life above all else, and you never expect any
flack when you rush off to your child's ball game or ask your
spouse to come by the office for lunch. No matter how busy you
are, you will always find time to tend to home life. The com­
pany that cannot respect, your priorities simply loses out on a
star manager.
Finally, anyone who needs to break the ice with a seemingly
solemn Cancerian manager should know about the crab's affection
for food. You crabs associate fine food with a sense of security,
and those who want to reach you are advised to appeal to your din­
ing desires. Over a solid meal you crabs feel safe enough to reveal
your humor and humanity, and you allow others to peek into your
protective shell. A power lunch at a fine restaurant or a dinner in-
 CANCER 81

vitation to a co-worker's home are the most reliable M.O.'s to lure

you occasionally withdrawn Cancers out of your defensive shells.

The Crab as Employee

The crab employee works for others for the security of the
money earned, and little else. You do not seek to build your ego or
to prove yourself, but you are employed as a means of making big,
executive-level bucks someday.
Cancers constantly worry about future financial wherewithall,
and such fears drive them hard. Crabs are dependable and deter­
mined, and, though their style is not outwardly aggressive or
flashy, they pursue monetary success above all else. In fact, crabs
will not last long in a workplace that fails to compensate them
properly for their work. If you are asked to take on added respon­
sibility, you expect to be paid accordingly, and bad year-end
bonuses drive you bonkers.
The crab is highly sensitive, however, and requires some oc­
casional encouragement along with a regular paycheck. You can
sense the emotions of those around you, and you provide emo­
tional support to anyone with problems on a given day. Of course,
you can go into blue moods so intense that you bring the whole of­
fice down with you. Although you are steady, responsible workers
on the outside, you experience serious spells of self-doubt. A crab
can hang up his or her creative genius for years due to imagined
feelings of inadequacy. Without authority figures' occasional ac­
knowledgments, you crabs begin to talk yourself out of your
dreams and ambitions. You sensitive crabs do not throw talent in
others' faces; instead, you retreat to the safety of your shells until
someone pries you out again.
Aside from money and an occasional pat on the back, the crab
employee demands little and returns a lot. You do not need a grand
stage, and you do not mind set business structures. You Cancers
perform dutifully and deftly those tasks requested of you. How­
ever, you are a leadership sign rather than a follower, and you
maintain a fixed eye on the top of the corporate ladder. You will
82 DOLLAR SIGNS

not stage bold initiatives to showcase your talents, but you will
take on added responsibility.

Spending Style
Anyone who has ever been the object of a crab's desire well un­
derstands the fight to break the tenacious grip of the claw. An ad­
versary may shake, threaten, and bang the crab about, but only
patience and a calm approach eventually loosen the hold. When it
comes to money, the crab's most prized possession, only serious de­
termination and the best reasoning will ease the Cancerian clutch.
Crabs are the bargain hunters of the zodiac. Rarely, if ever,
will you buy on impulse, and your patience in purchasing always
lands you the best deals in town. You research every buy and shop
around indefinitely until you are convinced that you are not being
taken. Dollars equal security to the crab, and every attempt to
wheedle them away is a direct challenge to his or her well-being.
Consequently, you develop a protective attitude toward your cash,
and you will not sacrifice the comfort of your nest egg for a quick
thrill in the game of high-flying enterprise.
You carefully calculate every expenditure, and, even when it
comes to donations or charity spending, you hold off until the last
minute. You crabs wait to see if anyone else will provide the nec­
essary funds so that you can hold on to your cash. Only when all
other sources fail and you feel the recipient is deserving will you
finally reach into your pocket.
The crab does like to acquire objects of hidden worth, how­
ever, and is a sucker for �ntiques and anything with historical or
nostalgic significance. The style in which these items trade also
fits the Cancer's purchasing preferences. You can mill around and
dig and research for days, free from the usual bombardment of
high-pressure, commercial sales pitches. And these buys have a
sense of longevity that appeases your sentimental attachment to
possessions. If the property has lasted long enough to be called
antique or historical, chances are it will survive the test of lots
more time.
 CANCER 83

Trading Abilities
Cancers are the maestros of growing business, but, generally,
they play second fiddle in the symphony of speculative markets.
The crab is tone-deaf to the rhythms of trading and forever seems
to lag a beat behind the market tempo. You are so concerned with
hitting each note perfectly that you miss your cues, and, though
you eventually might make the right sounds, you come in at all the
wrong times. And, long after the music stops, you are often still
holding on to a stale note. Your fire and air sign counterparts oc­
casionally play too high or low, too, but they immediately adjust
their levels to match the surrounding orchestra. You crabs, without
a good deal of fire or air influences in your chart, do not react
readily to your bloopers, and you suffer for your slowness.
Ruled by the moon, you respond to the natural tides of public
sentiment, and you often follow the crowd. Unfortunately, this
gets you into markets at the top, and out at the bottom. And, as the
gatherers and nurturers of the zodiac, you become so attached to
your holdings that you often fail to bail out at all!
In your search for a quiet cove to shield you from life's white
water, you grab onto a piece of tempting driftwood. Before you
even realize you have left the shore, however, you are whipped
away by the market's whirlpools. You claw at anything sound and
predictable you can find, but speculation offers little to keep you
afloat. So you hold on to your little piece of wood for dear life and
nearly hit bottom before you finally think to let go and swim.
Cancer is too emotionally hot-wired to keep cool in frenetic
markets. Your inner, intuitive powers cross wires with the market
chaos, and you can be short-circuited in the pressures of active
trading. You cannot take the time you want to investigate all angles
of a decision, and you are forced to take direct, immediate action.
Then, minutes later, you are often pressed to forget all your con­
victions and adopt new, opposing ones. But Cancer cannot just
forget about past mistakes! And all this tension has sent your sen­
sitive stomach into spasms! Without the luxury of deliberation and
thorough research, forced decisions eventually derail all Cancer's
84 DOLLAR SIGNS

means of locomotion. Hence, you get hooked by runaway losers

and take a long time to return to the market.
Fear not, though, Cancers. There exists a profitable place for
you in speculative markets. You bring a lot to the table in the area
of growth investing. The crab takes the time and care to analyze
unobvious investments with great upward potential. Teamed up
with a wave-hopping fire or air sign, especially Libra or Leo, you
constitute a financial dynamo. Crabs point out the areas to attack,
and their trading partners go brilliantly to battle.

The Crab as Salesperson and Fund-Raiser

Cancers prefer to be minding the store rather than hustling up
business on the road. Sales and fund-raising activities not only
take you away too frequently from your beloved home base, but
they also lead you along bumpier roads than you can tolerate. You
need to have more control over your daily activities than is possi­
ble in the sales field, where flexibility is key. Your role is to grow
the hands-on business with your analytical tools and organiza­
tional skills. The forceful, forthright, fast-paced sales pitch is a
foreign animal to the crab. Your nature is to embellish the things
with which you work over time, and the fleeting sensations of sell­
ing and fund-raising are far too intangible to sustain the Cancer­
ian concentration. Though you rally a strong army of salespeople
to expand your empire beyond its immediate terrain, you crabs
generally do not venture into those fast and furious battlegrounds.
Crabs have an acute awareness of human needs, which, ironi­
cally, often does not serve you well in the sales arena. Although
you innately tap into public demand, your compassionate and con­
siderate nature prevents you from taking advantage of your in­
sights. When you try to sell to or raise funds from people, you tend
to consider their feelings and reactions too much, and you fail to
attack the sale head-on. You are great at sizing up your prospect,
but, when it comes to closing the deal, you hesitate to make the
final push. Just as you run for cover from pushy sales approaches,
you cannot bear the thought of imposing them on anyone else.
 CANCER 85

The constant downpour of rejections inherent in sales also

wears down the Cancerian shell. You take each "no" personally,
and you quickly become depressed. Before you know it, you feel
emotionally exposed and lacking in control over your professional
duties. You begin to long for quiet time at the office to delve into
a comforting stack of financial reports and catch up with co­
workers. Cancer likes to bear down on tangible business matters
and to experience real, lasting results. Although sales drive busi­
ness demand, the actual selling function requires too much blind
pounding on slammed doors for the caretaking crab.
In the fund-raising forum, however, you crabs seem to snatch
up dollars at every turn. Where big money is concerned, your se­
rious, soft-sell style implies that you are trustworthy and cautious.
You do not appear rushed or desperate, and your calm, consider­
ate demeanor defuses any doubts about your business. Further­
more, anyone who inspects your track record or spends
considerable time with you receives ready, real proof of your ac­
tive cultivation of money and assets.
Your business and personal financial history show steady asset
accumulation and bulging bank balances, which please any in­
vestor. And you never risk your financial backbone on fast-money
flips of the coin. The Cancerian striving for security is the most
powerful fund-raising tool of all. Of all the signs, Cancer is best
equipped to guard clients' money and make it multiply. As long as
you get yourself out and onto the fund-raising circuit, you act as a
magnet for money as no one else does.

Best-Suited Businesses
As a water sign, you facilitate the flow of life through tangible
matter. Your goal is to produce mountains of output from the seeds
of enterprise, and you excel in hands-on manufacturing and other
product businesses. You Cancerians like to have real goods to
show for your labor, and you delight in providing the basic needs
of living. You do particularly well in businesses that supply the
items that are constantly consumed in everyday life.
86 DOLLAR SIGNS

The typical Cancer is extremely thorough and exact in his or

her work.You enjoy the monitoring, examining, and adjusting of
every aspect of a product business, and you get your hands into
every minute daily function. You derive a sense of security from
the routine of the machinery and production process, and you
prove to be an able manager of people.
You crabs do not need a great spotlight to feel successful, so
the behind-the-scenes aspect of product industries does not dis­
courage you. The crab is in business to make money ... period.
You do not initiate enterprise to service your ego, and you can eas­
ily find happiness in a factory-as long as your work brings in big
bucks and offers stability. Favorite product businesses are those
with an element of nostalgia or history, for the crab's biggest fear
is a trendy business that erratically crashes and bums in the pub­
lic limelight.
One problem for the crab in product businesses, however, is
that demand often levels off and growth ceases.You need fresh
seeds to sow and the attendant pay hikes of expanding output.
When product is at its peak and income levels off, the crab often
scurries to more fertile ground. Certain industries,· like the food
industry, however, provide long-term contentment for many Can­
cers. You get a secure feeling from dealing with food, the suste­
nance of life, and you enjoy caring for others by providing them
with their daily nourishment.
Similarly, select service businesses lure a high concentration
of Cancers.Various service industries call for you to identify basic
human needs and to make people feel more comfortable in life.
Services like social work, teaching, hotel management, theatrical
directing, and acting all call for you to tap into people's emotional
base and provide safe environments in which those feelings are
free to develop.Although these endeavors all might not bring in
major monetary returns, they provide the equivalent in emotional
rewards.
Your acute sense of public demand alerts you to merchandis­
ing and buying opportunities in the retail industry, but not all as­
pects of the field suit you. The crab, as mentioned, works well in
 CANCER 87

dealings with goods before they reach market. You feel the market
demand and fill the stockrooms with the required goods. But the
crab avoids the hustle and bustle of selling the goods to the end
consumer.
Both consumer and luxury retailing suit you, but the slower
purchase process and turnaround time of the luxury markets cap­
tures more crabs' attention. You Cancerians are happier in markets
where you can take a little more time to deliberate about pricing
and where sales cycles are not too fast and furious. You crabs love
to poke around for a while before buying for your market, but con­
sumer goods are needed quickly. The luxury markets do not have
such a sense of urgency, and you crabs can afford to sidestep a lit­
tle before jumping on your orders.
Finally, next time you go to your bank, shake them up a little
by asking the employees what their signs are. They might balk at
such questions, but when you point out that the vast majority of
them are Cancerians (and Tauruses), they are sure to be stunned
by the statisitics. You crabs are naturally drawn toward money be­
cause, to you, it represents security. And you have a planetary pas­
sion for protecting and growing anything entrusted to you. Could
one ask for better characteristics in a banker?
You crabs grow emotionally attached to the money under your
control, and you preserve it with the greatest of care. Cancer ac­
tually becomes seriously depressed when accounts do not balance
or money is tossed around carelessly. In the interest of feeling
more personally grounded, most of you Cancerians have been
working since schooldays putting money aside for the future. As
adults, it is a logical progression for you to look to banks to
achieve the same purpose. Your constant fear of financial collapse
leaves you very conservative when it comes to cash, and such is
the very essence of bank philosophy.
Cancerians are natural accountants and enjoy playing the role
of watchdog of dollars and cents. Not only do you get a sense of
stability from counting and monitoring substantial sums of cash,
but you excel at assessing needs of prospective borrowers. Cance­
rians can sense true need, and they have a radar for secrets. So you
88 DOLLAR SIGNS

develop a stellar track record of consistently lending to responsi­

ble creditors and denying bad-risk candidates. You are never im­
pulsive, either, so you do not pledge the bank's money unless it is
absolutely necessary.
Overall, Cancerians are the behind-the-scenes hoarders of
goods the public needs. With regard to banking, you gather huge
sums of cash which you preserve, cultivate, and replenish in order
to satisfy demand. No one can grow greener reserves than you,
and your risk aversion and attention to details mean that you are
tailor-made for the commercial banking world.
Cancerians also prevail in the investment banking and venture
capital fields, where they spend company funds with utmost care
and invest in only the soundest enterprises. Cancerians investigate
each product with the highest level of conservatism and caution
and pinpoint those investments that are certain to skyrocket. Al­
though investment banking and venture capital generally entail
higher levels of risk than commercial banking, Cancer undoubt­
edly will find those firms with impressive track records and deep
pockets for which to work. You also possess the creative insight to
refine and tailor business for success. The analysis you do in these
areas of banking is some of the best in the business, and you can
be sure to reach the Forbes 500 list if you find the firm to follow
through on your groundwork.

Common Professions
Banking; accounting; hotel/restaurant management; farming;
teaching; canning/packa�ing/distribution of foods; real estate;
design/interior decorating; merchandising/commerce; manufactur­
ing; shipping; writing; art/museums; music; theater; social work

Ideal Investments
Stocks
As long as you stay away from trading screens and concentrate
on fundamental research, the stock market repays you hand-
 CANCER 89

somely. You Cancerians are fabulous long-term forecasters, and

you pick all tomorrow's winners long before anyone has ever
heard of them. You have a keen eye for outstanding growth com­
panies, which you scrutinize and eventually snatch up. Though
your portfolio might take awhile to mature, you are known for
your consistently correct choices, and you sit back and watch your
babies blossom.
When the markets are slow, you crabs creep around and im­
pressively pick off undervalued stocks. Other signs ignore the
companies with flat price graphs because they offer little likeli­
hood of fast profit runs. So you crabs go bargain hunting and wait
patiently for the crowds to discover your secrets. You sit quietly
and count your coins as the masses make a massive trend of your
once understated selections.
Unfortunately, the crab does not fare so well when he or she
tries to jump into markets that are already active. Unlike Aries and
Gemini, who surf the swells of swift markets, you get sucked
under by the crosscurrents. You become disoriented in the sponta­
neous decision-making of speculative markets, and you are ad­
vised to stay close to the shores of fundamental research and value
investing.
The crab performs best in the following stock market sectors:

Banking Children's clothing

Oil Shipping
Canning/packaging/ Hotels/restaurants
distribution of foods Theater/music
Consumer goods/merchandising Silver
Real estate/homes

Bonds
The maturity aspect of bonds makes them a custom-tailored
investment for Cancerians. You love to surround yourself with
things that experience steady, predictable growth over time, and
bonds, generally, do just that. The longer the term of the bond the
better, you say, because you have all the more time to enjoy the
90 DOLLAR SIGNS

maturation process. Short-term bonds also have the time value of

money figured into their pricing from the start, and they, too, are
basically sound investments. But the short-term treasury markets
tend to fluctuate more than the long-term markets, and you are
forced to give them up after a brief maturity period. You hate to let
anything go, and few markets other than the long bond promise to
flourish with you over many years while· providing the same sense
of financial guarantee.
The treasury market is a relatively safe haven for your dearly
held dollars, and you do not mind sacrificing a few percentage
points of return for the reliability of bonds. By nature, crabs are
not greedy, and their tight grip on cash is driven merely by con­
servationist concerns. You prefer to watch your worth take baby
steps up the success ladder rather than try to skip a rung and fall
back down to the floor.
Crabs are even comfortable with the corporate bond market,
where they can delve into corporate data and pick winners. Can­
cerians are experts at finance, which, essentially, is the efficient
monitoring, management, and growth of capital. So the crab ex­
amines every corporate financial statement and record available.
You assess cash flow, revenues, expenses, and growth potential
and make skilled decisions about the company's ability to pay off
its debt and further prosper. And you amaze everyone with your
nearly perfect record in picking the right corporate bonds in which
to invest.

Real Estate
The crab glows in th� security of the bond market but enjoys
nothing more than land and property holdings. You cherish the
sense of assurance you get from tangible property, and, just as the
bond market grows with you over time, land and property invest­
ments get better with time, too, under your care. And they produce
real bounty. Nothing gives you greater pleasure than tilling your
real estate and enabling it to bear the fruits of actual farming or
just meaningful life experience, comfort, and beauty.
The longevity of real estate investments appeals greatly to the
 CANCER 91

crab. After all, who wants to change shells every few years? You
do not mind the tinkering and daily details of property upkeep, be­
cause to you, they are merely nurturing gestures that bring the
most life out of your property. To you Cancerians, property con­
tains a never-ending supply of soul, which you take upon yourself
to fertilize and awaken. With your proverbial green thumb, you
tum even the most barren grounds into plentiful estates.
Your home is your most prized possession, and no one brings
out the value of real estate better than Cancer. Because you so
adore your home, you often strive to re-create its feel in all your
favorite travel spots. (Or you avoid traveling altogether!) Canceri­
ans frequently buy into regular vacation cottages or time shares
rather than venturing to strange hotels in unfamiliar places. You
buy real estate based on very personal reasons, such as a fabulous
view or a historical landmark. Because you recognize these as
magical qualities, you rarely pick property you later have regrets
about.
Real estate by the water yields you crabs particularly high re­
turns, financially and psychically. As a water sign, you feel cen­
tered when you surround yourself with the movements of your
element. Oceans, lakes, and streams literally soothe Cancerian
emotions; and property by the sea is a divine crossroad of Can­
cerian existence. Waterfront property is a stronghold for you
crabs, where the security and comfort of your earthy needs coex­
ist with the unpredictable and stirring tides of your watery emo­
tions.

Luxury Goods
Cancerians absolutely flip over luxury goods that have endur­
ing value, but their bargain-hunting ways steer them away from a
large part of the luxury market. The crab adores antiques and an­
cient items with historical significance. But you will not buy any­
thing expensive without thorough research and comparative
shopping. Crabs will forgo most of the luxury market because
they cannot bear to overpay simply for the sake of status.
When Cancer invests in the luxury market, it is usually a pur-
92 DOLLAR SIGNS

chase for the home. The crab worships the home and will fill it
with the best life has to offer. Again, however, you concentrate on
fine antiques and restored finery rather than new "unproven" or
fad luxury items. Cancer's home signals a celebration of charm
and good taste, and he or she will go all out for fine art, elaborate
gardens, and grand pianos. Whether you do the decorating your­
self or hire a top-notch interior designer, -you will invest in lengthy
research and will shop around for each of the select items to fur­
nish your castle. The luxury goods you seek are fit for a museum,
and many of you crabs actually make your livings as curators.
 LEADERS AND
LUMINARIES
Malcolm Forbes
LEO KING OF
Bill Clinton ENTERPRISE
Samuel Goldwyn
AND STAR
Henry Ford
Madonna SPECULATOR
Arnold Schwarzenegger
George Soros JULY 24-AUGUST 23

You lions are the proud rulers of enterprise, and your natural
birthright is to give orders rather than to receive them. You rarely
work for anyone but yourself, and you gravitate naturally toward
the power centers of business. Leo is the larger-than-life deal
maker, CEO, or supertrader. And not only are you the authority
figures of enterprise, but you are also·the most creative sign in the
business zodiac. Leos are wizards at organization and delegation
of duties, and, though they might not handle their own affairs with
remarkable skill, they exhibit sheer genius in advising others how
to operate effectively. You are the sign of extraordinary intellect
and intuition, and you have X-ray vision into the machine of busi­
ness dealings. Under the tutelage of your ruler, the sun, the center
of life force and activity, you are the vitality that drives all big
business.
Leos are high-profile people who feel constantly drawn to the
spotlight and have a flair for drama. You do everything in regal
fashion, and you are driven more by pleasure than profit in your
ventures. You lions must be in charge to be happy, and you lose all
your sense of majesty in situations where you are not paid due
 94 DOLLAR SIGNS

respect. Leos are generous beyond the point of being sensible, and
they merely expect gratitude and devotion in return for the care
they put into pleasing their constituents. You lions feed on the ad;­
miration and dependence of your "subjects:' and you exhibit un­
sµrpassed confidence and strength in times of crisis. The greater
the flames around the-hot seat in which you sit, the more mag-
� nifi_cent your assertion of power. And,· because you have such a
,-,, capacity for"theatrics, you steal the show in the theater of specu-
---: lation ..
-
Of course, no sign is without its demons, and Leo's pride,
without discipline, quickly becomes _ superficial self-obsession.
Despite your talents, the unchecked Leonine ego can inspire a
mass movement of resentment and resistance to your business
' progress. Just like the lion in the Wizard of Oz, you must build
strength from within rather than looking for constant validation
from the outer world. Your ability to reign responsibly requires a
thorough understanding of your inherent shortcomings, as well air
your areas of expertise. The planets provide a ready road map of
both danger zones and divinities within the Leo makeup.

Entrepreneurship
The lion is a pioneer by nature, instilled with the confidence,
originality, and leadership abilities to push creative business con;.
cepts into action. Although you meditate long and hard over each.
venture you undertake, when you decide to involve yourself in a
project, you inject instant credibility and promise into the en­
deavor. The lion combin�s strong character with charisma to rally
support for young enterprise. You always seem to know what you
� are talking-about, and you exude such unwavering assurance that
few can resist your pitch. Whether you seek financing for fledg­
ling business or solicit orders for your first production run, you
present such airtight rationality and conviction that you launch
young business 'into orbit. /1 \ .'" 1
-·, · : , .... -n' .: /' (i
Leos never work.according to ·anyone· efse's rules anyway, so
the independence of thought necessary for successful entrepre-
 LEO 95

neurship comes naturally to them. Lions boldly enter the business

world with creative b.usiness ideas and present themselves with
such conviction arid flair that they get everyone's attention. It does
not take you lions long to identify the elite power circles of enter­
prise, and you readily approach the captains of finance with your
wares. Miraculously, you present yourself with such stature and
assurance that they welcome you as though they'd kmg been
awaiting your arrival. And, ·when you meet resistance, you display
an iron will that others can only learn to admire. In fact, only in
the throes of adversity does your innermost power come to light.
Before long, your conviction and pride win a strong following for
even your wildest ideas.
Leo is the most creative sign of the zodiac. At least, that is
what you would have everyone think, and no one devises more
broad-reaching, pie-in-the-sky business plans than you lions. Your
dreams are so broad in scope that even those of optimistic Aries
and abstract Gemini diminish in comparison, and each project on
which you work is part of a larger, farther-reaching scheme. And
you are such big-picture planners that you are prepared for even
the most far-off contingency that might arise in your entrepre­
neurial path. Others laugh at the large and complex empire that
you envision; but the naysayers learn quickly to reserve judgment:
just as they are scoffing at your grandiose gambles, you appear on
television accepting an award for your insight and daring in some
innovative enterprise.
You lions are a crafty lot, too, and.you deliberate at length in
private before commiting yourselves to any venture. You .cannot
bear to lose, so you call your shots carefully and maximize your ,,, ..
odds for success. Unlike rash Aries who goes for anything with
potential, you will reserve energy only for the projects with the
. -greatest potential. And when you do attach yourself to an en­
deavor, you stick with it. You lions are so proud of chosen mis­
sions that you wear your deals on your sleeve and live them
twenty-four hours a day. King Leo's self-esteem is on the line with •
every venture, so he fights for success as though his life depended
on it. Such dedication comes through to others, and you are able .. : 3
96 DOLLAR SIGNS

to -push your ideas through the difficult and dubious start-up

stages.
Finally, Leonine passion is hard to overlook, and your sense of
drama is intoxicating to all you encounter. The sheer energy be­
hind your endeavors is so intoxicating that others are willing to
take on more than 'their characteristic share of risk, just to bask in
some of your sunshine. You make even the smallest business ven­
ture seem like a global coup, and you carry yourself and your
business like a Fortune 500 tycoon.
Of course, Leo, you do seem to suffer from an acute case of
attention deficit disorder, which you must keep under control. You
must hot get lazy with your talent.or attempt to cut corners, and,
despite all your ability, you cannot afford to consider your project
complete before all loose ends are fully.tied down. The lion always
has a number of projects cooking at once and succesfully brings
everything to a boil. But Leo then tends to stray from the stove and
let all the hard work go up in smoke. Although you might find the
final touches tedious, entrepreneurship requires hard-driving
commitment to all aspects of your business, including the "trivial"
operational details you so despise. Granted, you cats are crafty at
getting others to pick up where you left off, but, especially at the
onset of an enterprise, you can rely only on yourself to see things
through to completion.
Also, you need to acknowledge your addiction to adulation
and rein in your boastful ways. Until you have demonstrated clear
follow-through on your business objectives, keep them to your­
self. Leo tends to sacrifice credibility by bragging prematurely
about new ventures and by exaggerating how big deals are. You
truly are an idea machine, but you lose your audience somewhere
between master plans ten and fifteen. Your dreams are noble and
passionate, but you tend to stuff people with too much to digest at
one sitting. The lion's roar is earth shattering, but it becomes noth­
ing more than a meow if overused!
You opinionated lions often have no choice but to work for
yourselves, as you cannot tolerate taking orders from people you
deem less qualified than you (which is just about everyone, you
 LEO 97

figure). Your most admirable leadership skills only come through

when you are in charge, and self-owned business crowns you the
king of your own jungle.

Risk Profile
Leo is the sign of speculation, and no sign handles high risk
with greater ease and assuredness than the proud lion. Especially
when just dollars are at stake, Leo takes selective stabs at fast mar­
kets and risky enterprise. You bet for enjoyment, and you revel in
the drama of the high-stakes arena. Where· else can you.lions bet­
ter show off your grace under fire? As the conqueror of the zodiac,
the lion comes to life at the front line of heated challenges.
As a fixed fire sign, you maintain your flame at a steady, con­
trolled temperature, and you try to avoid the manic highs and lows
of Aries. You do not get carried away by risk, but you certainly do
not shrink from it. You lions simply preserve resources for those
gambles that provide the greatest return on your choice expendi�
tures of energy. Though you love the spark of fast markets, you are
not so hooked on the adrenaline rush that you waste yourself on
trades that do not clearly measure up.
·when: it comes to risk, in fact, your pride seems to serve you
well. You lions are far from risk averse, but, where your ego is on
the line, you stack the deck heavily in your favor before you ante
up. Although lions will throw cash away on long-shot gambles,
they rarely risk their energy and reputation on endorsements that
might fail. The thought of losing face discourages you far more
than loss of dollars, so you sway the odds in your favor before at­
taching your name to risky enterprises. You lions buy only cham­
pion horses, and then you bet heavily on their success.
You will throw money at shaky ventures, however, as long as
everyone knows you are doing so simply to be a good sport and
not a serious backer. You are generous beyond reason, and you
will put money into friends' clearly dicey enterprises, as long as
they require no further responsibility on your part. As self­
proclaimed rulers of the masses, you lions fear no risk except that
98 DOLLAR SIGNS

which exposes your personal vulnerability and weakens your pub­

lic image.
When Leo does enter the high-risk arena wholeheartedly, he or
she displays awe-inspiring confidence and ·authority. You perform
at your best in the face of utter destruction, and eleventh-hour
Leonine strategies usually come off with flying colors. You lions
do not even understand the depths of your talent until you put
everything on the line, and you are· innately drawn to test the
power reserves you possess. From an early age, usually through
sports, you recognize hints of your extraordinary strength under
pressure. With the radiant sun at your back, you shine through the
dark jungles of jeopardy. Your ability to maintain your convic­
tions, intuition, and clarity of thought in the midst of even the
most chaotic crises earns you the leadership status for which you
are known in the zodiac.

Investment Style
Rather than chasing every shooting star in the business world,
you Leos prefer to stay out of the action until you can make a re­
ally dramatic statement. Leo is the king of romance, and his sense
of grandeur drives him toward only the extremes of human expe­
rience. You enter only those situations where you can achieve
greatness. Your ruler, the sun, is associated with intrinsic worth,
and you play all your investments with the trust that they will
achieve their fair value before you sell out. The Leo speculator
waits for the truly outstanding opportunity, such as a strong trend,
and bets the house. Any v�ntures that are less than magnificent do
not warrant the lion's energy.
Because you possess the combined attributes of patience and
daring, you are the virtuosos of risk. You expend your energy not
a moment too soon, and you ignore the mere taunts of market
noise. When the action intensifies, Leo watches and waits and pin­
points the ideal moment to pounce. Then you lunge forward with
awe-inspiring agility and force and bask in the warmth of the ad­
miring eyes riveted upon you.
 LEO 99

The lion goes after the biggest and boldest deals and trades,
and plays up to the crowd's expectations. Established, secure in­
vestments put you to sleep and do not demand your showman­
ship and prowess on the public platform. Leo enjoys investing
in high-profile projects, where he or she stands to reap status
and recognition as well as big bucks. You like to have fun and
show off in your investing, so you go for ventures that provide
more than just profits. Favorite forays are entertainment deals
and investments that put you in or close to the spotlight in some
way.
Similarly, Leo is tuned in to the latest popular fads and tends
to invest in trends. The lion does not look to find esoteric contrar­
ian theories about markets to guide investing. You intuitively iden­
tify the latest hot areas and buy into the action. Of course, Leo
must truly like the product or service behind the business.
Whether it's Rollerblades or snowboards, you lions usually invest
because you were one of the first to get hooked.

Investment Horizon
It takes quite a stir to rouse the lounging lion, but when you do
leap into action, you hold on as long or as little as necessary to get
the job done. You lions consider pursuit of small game a waste of
your talents, so you usually play for more than just low-profit day
trades. You await the opportunity for the big buck, which feeds
you well over the long term, rather than trading at every blip of
market noise simply to stay active.
But the lion has no set time horizon and will ride a trade for a
day or a decade, depending on the time it takes for the move to
complete itself. The lion gets no thrill from mere movement and
will not sell out prematurely simply to feel alive. On the other
hand, you Leos will not sentimentally hold on to a trade that has
runs its course or petered out, even if you have held it for only a
few hours. The lion gets excitement from being right and from
being part of hot trends. You need no fast trading in chaotic, di­
rectionless markets to fire you up. You enjoy solid bets on sound
100 DOLLAR SIGNS

moves, where the market's motor, rather than your whim, deter­
mines the length of the ride.

Negotiating Savvy
Anyone who knows a Leo understands that negotiation is not
part of the big cat's voc-abulary. You lions consider yourselves the
natural-born monarchs of mankind, with reasoning skills far be­
yond the mentality of the masses. You truly believe that your so­
lution to a problem is the one and only solution, and you leave
little room for discussion. Leos see all issues as either black or
white, and anyone who suggests that they settle for a shade of gray
eventually gets brushed aside completely by the lion's paw. And
once you declare your opponent's viewpoint laughable, you as­
sume a haughty air of superiority that further enrages your foe.
Leo will sacrifice nothing in depate and will press his or her op­
ponent to give in or get out.
You love to lecture, and you simply wear down your opponent
with a dissertation on the logic of your views. You will ramble on
until eternity with colorful analogies and anecdotes that support
your viewpoint and distract your adversary. The lion actually ig­
nores opponents' comments and frustrates any hope of compro­
mise by cutting off others' comments even before they are fully
expressed. 'Attempting to negotiate with a Leo is much like dis­
puting-a traffic ticket in court: the challenger supposedly gets a
fair hearing, but the deck is stacked heavily against the pitiable
rookie. You, the judge, wield all the power, and, though you mirac­
ulously agree with an occasional argument presented to you, you
usually drop your gavel 'on an opinion that is completely your
own-case closed.
In negotiating with one of you Leos, an adversary's only hope
is to play to your silly pride. When you lions are flattered, you lose
all sense of reason and rigidity. A carefully placed compliment
willthrow you completely off track, and you will suddenly soften
to your adversary's demands and suggestions. Leo holds ground
as much to command respect as-to express undying convictions.
 LEO 101

So the deft debator will promptly project some praise toward the
lion and enjoy a much tamer negotiation than the warlike cat usu­
ally allows.
Leo's negotiating style is most effective in preliminary stages
of long, involved debate. Because you lions will concede almost
nothing, negotiations eventually break down or end in temporary,
unsatisfactory agreements. But Leo's forcefulness can be used as
a secret weapon merely to test his or her opponents' thresholds
and hot buttons. After a bout with you, your opponents' sensitive
areas are exposed and they feel a great sense of victory at the
slightest concession by you. You then can enlistteamrhates to push
your positions on the important-issues and still reach agreements
that feel acceptable t9 both sides.

Partnership Decisions
Although you lions like to think you can conquer the world on
your own, partnership is often imperative to your success. Leo is
too proud ever to admit relying on anyone, but eventually most
successful cats accept a helping hand to smooth and pave the road
to riches. You lions are big-picture business leaders, but you tend
to neglect the final touches that make business fly. Furthermore
you often get distracted and lose your focus. A level-headed, be­
hind-the-scenes partner provides the perfect direction for the
lion's onstage antics.
You Leos need to feel that you are running the show at all
times, -so you must beware of partners who try to steal the spot­
light from you. An occasional limited engagement of two lions
is possible, but generally, each Leo needs to be the sole master
of production. You connect well with Aries, but the feisty ram
constantly butts heads with you. Aries is by no means a submis­
sive, low-profile partner, and you will find that many rams de­
mand far too many solos for you to stomach. However, if you cari
locate an Aries whose chart shows a good deal of earth, you
might have found your mate. The earth influence grounds the
Arien inspirations and drives projects through to completion. Of
102 DOLLAR SIGNS

course, the ram will still want some air time, but you will be
pressed to find a partner who so passionately shares your ideals
and adventures.
Aquarians also relate to your intellectual insights and grand
visions. But they cannot be pushed around, and you get frustrated
with the frequently flighty Aquarian nature. And the earth signs of
Capricorn and Virgo perform well the �esponsible functions that
Leo so actively avoids. You will not get the same romantic charge
and optimism from earth signs as you do from your kindred fire
spirits, but you will achieve sound results and steadier headspace
from those masters of material matters. The earth signs will take
longer to win over than fire and air signs, and, if they decide to re­
ject you, you will not regain their trust. ,So you will need to check
your abrasive style and commandeering ways to keep your earth
under you.
All in all, you Leos will have many partners, each of whom ex­
cites you greatly and becomes your new romantic Mr. or Mrs.
Right. You need a constap.t audience, so you are always accomp_a­
nied by an adoring mate. But the lion's domineering ways are
tough to live with over the long term. You leave little room for in­
dividual expression and initiative from your partners, and you be­
come terribly overbearing in supervising their actions. Because
you are so loyal, however, you split from and rejoin partners reg­
ularly over a lifetime. Of course, such seesawing can be unset­
tling. So, the lion learns, hopefully, to refrain from roaring too
loudly and from having irresponsible affairs. With some disci­
pline, Leo can experience a long and fruitful marriage rather than
ever unfulfilling serial pleasures:

Work Style
The lion is an outstanding organizer who will add order to
everything, from employees' love lives to the corporate Christmas
party. Leo needs to feel in control and always to appear a pillar of
strength.And the lion very much believes that there exists a place
for everything. Though you seldom do the actual dirty work to im-
 LEO 103

plement the structure of an enterprise, you precisely plan the ideal

working model and enlist the troops to erect it.
Although you rarely follow procedures and policies devised by
others, you develop your own effective routines. You lions devise
personal organizational guidelines that few can contest. ·Co-work­
ers might wrongly assume that your independent initiative is an at­
tempt to skirt the company rules and regulations. But, when they
recognize that you continue to work just-as hard as they, they con­
cede your-ingenuity. In fact, you soon find that many of your col­
.leagues begin to copy your style or tailor their own versions ofit.
As Leo is the fixed fire sign, Leo naturally manages energy
in a steady, orderly manner. You deeply dislike unexpected up­
heavals, so you try to erect a secure structure in everything you do.
Furthermore, you lions cannot tolerate people, property, and pro­
cedures that add nothing but unnecessary noise to your projects,
so you become superbly skilled at streamlining business opera­
tions. You Leos so need a sense of control that you plan company
work time and operations very carefully and ·strive to maintain a
. set schedule.
Unfortunately, you Leos are not as adept at managing your
own affairs as you are at orchestrating your company's optimal or­
ganizational hierarchy. You do tend to get a bit slothful, and your
severe distaste for mundane matters prompts you to cut corners.
Often the result is that proud Leo tries to lead from a den of dis­
array. And you lose your touch when you feel less than regal. So
straighten up, Leo, or risk losing your vital sense of majesty and
command!

The Lion as Manager

The Leonine management style is that of the benevolent dic:­
tator, and you even carry yourself in a way that demands nothing
less than royal respect. Leo enters a room with head held high
and shoulders back, and people seem eager to put him or her in
charge. You will never settle for long for a support position, as
you were born to run the show. Unlike the fiery Aries, whose
104 DOLLAR SIGNS

pace is S? hot and fast that people are often scared away, Leo is
slow and deliberate. You exude a sense of drama that immediately
attracts an audience, and you expect always to be treated with re­
spect. In return, you are tremendously generous, creative, and in�
spiring. You can be tough, but you sustain a precise and perfect
business machine.
You are an expert delegator, and yoµ.have an uncanny ability
to direct even remote business acquaintances to go out of their
way for you. You Leos cannot be bothered with work trivialities,
you say, when world affairs await your direction. And you easily
get others to do your dirty work.
The lion adores recreation and can appear deceptively laid­
back. But few are fooled for long. Leo simply believes strongly
in a healthy balance between work and play. You understand
completely the business pressures put upon you and your col­
leagues, and you expect them to respect your judgment in allo­
cating your time. Leo can be a ferocious lion one minute and a
playful kitten the next, depending on the level of appreciation re­
ceived from colleagues and the work at hand. You are an excep­
tional coach when you are treated with dignity and utmost faith
in your abilities and judgment. You are liberal with compliments
and valuable advice, and all admire your sense of obligation to
your team. You are also free with criticism, but your comments
are always sincere, well-meaning, and, usually, very· insightful.
Only when someone challenges your pride or position do you
bare your fangs.
Of course the Leonine pride can often be difficult to take, par­
ticularly in a small office setting. You are completely obsessed
with titles, and you cannot function if you feel your accomplish­
ments have been overlooked in any way. In addition, you need to
know everyone's business or you feel that they are deliberately
hiding something from you. In particular, you Leos need to in­
volve yourselves in all aspects of your employees' home and per­
sonal lives. Some cannot stand your intrusive ways, but those who
welcome the lion bear the fruits of your loyalty, intelligence and
creativity.
 LEO 105

The Lion as Employee

A long-term Leo employee is a very rare lion, and those of you
who remain in such positions usually run side businesses in which
you are the boss. During your time as an employee, however, you
still require all the attention and respect befitting a king. You need
to feel superior, and you will remind those around you of your tal­
ents. And, usually, you will demonstrate them in full view of
everyone.
Leo requires a lot of responsibility and becomes acutely aware
of titles in the work place. You lions will exhibit a noble dedica­
tion and sense of duty to the organization that openly or visibly ac­
knowledges your accomplishments, and fancy nameplates work
greater wonders-with you than fat paychecks. As long as you feel
that people sufficiently admire you (and you need lots of re­
minders), you lions take charge of everything in your grasp. But
you keep close tabs on company power circles, and the first time
you are bypassed for a deserved promotion will be the last. The in­
dignant lion will roar a little about the insufferable ingratitude,
then march out the door with all the resentment of an unjustly de­
nounced king.
The organization that is wise to your· ways offers you lavish
praise and impressive perks to brighten up your days. Leo aspires
to regal living, and the savvy employer will dazzle the lion with a
few corporate toys and golden carrots to keep her or him feeling a
part of a top-of-the-line operation. An extravagant lunch meeting
or weekend sales conference in Aspen brings the proud lion up to
peak performance. And the company that really needs Leo to
crank out some overtime productivity invites the lion to a presti­
gious board meeting or strategy session. You Leos always need to
feel as if you are at the helm of your own ship, and often just the
illusion of control will do.
Finally, Leo is a natural-born coach who enjoys the opportu­
nity to train new workers or lead special company projects. The
lion thoroughly thrives on any opportunity to tell others what to
do-and how to· do it. It drives you Leos nuts to observe people
106 DOLLAR SIGNS

performing even the most minor tasks incorrectly, �nd you offer
advice, to everyone, on better ways to run every aspect of their
lives. Annoying as it sounds, you usually are right!

Spending Style
No one likes to lead a more lavish lifestyle than you lion kings.
You Leos are often considered snobbish because of your expen­
sive tastes and need for grandeur. But the lion is also generous
with riches and provides well for all subordinates. Wherever beau­
tiful people roam, there is sure to be an abundance of Leos, who
also. wander into the territory of the truly needy. Overall, Leo is
free with cash as long as the spending is not a test of speculative
savvy. You tend to veer toward attractive people and settings,
where you often spend more than you can afford. But you also feel
responsibility toward the truly needy, to whom you give gener­
ously.
You Leos will throw cash at all sorts of folly, but, when it
comes down to business, you prefer to maintain your track record
of sensible spending. The lion hates to lose and abhors being
proved wrong in front of others. So tossing coins at opulence is
mere showing off to you, but playing dicey investments is less
than regal. Granted, you lions measure pleasure potential as well
as profit possibilities in your investments, but you rarely risk your
winning image on a complete crapshoot. You assume that you will
lose all credibility if you drop your facade of infallibility, so you
generally spend only on the soundest investments. You are known
to bet, heavily, on the "sure thing," and you wait patiently for such
special opportunities to cross your desk. Your public expects you
to buy from the top shelf and travel first-class-two Leo "musts."
But a true leader does not throw money away on bad business, you
reason.
Although you lions will always dress magnificently, entertain
extravagantly, and erect lavish castles for yourselves, you accu­
mulate wealth only to distribute it later to your trusted following.
In fact, even when you lion kings cannot afford to part with any
 LEO 107

cash, you are too proud to deny a friend a loan. Leo will invent
some creative way to come up with the green rather than lose face
with a subject in need. Similarly, you will spend money on all
kinds of extra help and services just to employ people. You Leos
truly see the world as your kingdom, and you feel it is your divine
duty to allow your wealth to trickle down to the masses.
Especially during the lean years, you Leos really need to en­
trust your cash flow to a partner or advisor to manage. Otherwise,
you will be forever broke! Leo is just too, proud to be cautious
with cash. Too many people rely on you for financial help, and
you feel you owe your devotees a sense of cash cushioning and se­
curity. So you spend to impress, and you lend to redress. And
sooner or later, the proud'lion is answering to loan sharks!

Work Environment
The lion is the gifted host of the zodiac, and Leo spares no ex­
pense when it comes to his or her workplace. You are running an
empire, you figure, and your surroundings should reflect the im­
portance of the work you perform. S_o the lion seeks out the pri­
vate office with the best view and begins to create a dramatic stage
for success. Soft music, subtle lighting, fresh flowers, and a large,
down-filled sofa set the tone. And a regal desk made of the finest
wood provides the suitable structure for your uncommonly cre­
ative work product and correspondence. Leo also invests in top­
quality paintings, which typically depict some sort of hunt scene.
And you prominently display a wallful of all your distinguished
awards, certificates, diplomas, and so forth. Of course, however,
your most prized decorations are the many photographs featuring
you in the company of various business bigwigs, political power­
houses, and social luminaries.
But the lion's lair is not all just show. It is a warm and vibrant
den of productivity. You are extremely hardworking, and you ex­
pect the same from everyone around you. Most of those who
belong to a Leo office environment experience a sense of accom­
plishment and pride. You lions give the impression that you are the
108 DOLLAR SIGNS

only worthwhile game in town. And, from the moment one enters
the lion's place of business; one feels stately and successful. As
you slowly stridetoward your·busin�ss guests, they feel they have
"arrived."
The ideal Leo workplace is orderly, upbeat, and original. You
lions motivate employees and co-workers, and you stimulate cre­
ativity and individualism. Of course, you always need to be the
smartest, most creative, most interesting, and most courageous,
but you love to surround yourselves with people who bring some­
thing special to the party. You may frustrate your co-workers and
subordinates by claiming their ideas as your own, and you may fail
to acknowledge sufficiently everyone's accomplishments. But
others soon learn to accept your egotism with a sense of humor
and to let you play your role as king. After all, it's a small price to
pay for your generosity in terms of compensation, devotion, and
energy.

Trading Abilities
Leo is the sign of brilliant speculation. And, though you do not
move with the frenetic speed of Aries or Gemini, you exhibit
stealth in your market dealings. In fact, your guide, the sun,
"rules" (or influences) income from invested capital or returns
from speculative ventures. The sun is associated with commodi­
ties of intrinsic value, such as gold, which can be measured to cre­
ate an arbitrary standard. And Leo, blessed with this sensitivity for
standard value, trades on market moves above and below these
standards. The lion actively and boldly buys and sells, and makes
a fabulous trader over the long term.
You lions only buy into trades that you truly like, rather than
testing out every potentially profitable opportunity you see. And,
-because you are so patient, you are terrific trend timers, which is
your secret to successful trading. The lion always needs to be
right, so you wait for evidence of strong upward movement before
buying. Similarly, you watch activity closely and get out when the
wave is at or just past its peak. So you lions buy into markets just
 LEO 109

after the bottom and sell out at or just after the top, and you amaze
all with your ability to catch consistently the bulk of the best rides.
From day to day the sun's position in the sky triggers activity
in various markets, and, because the sun is your ruler, you natu­
rally pick up on the movement. The lion does not sit in sedentary
markets. You are drawn to drama, and you only play for the most
profound profits. In particular, precious metals and currency mar­
kets tum you on. And you lions plunge in so powerfully that you
actually entice others to follow your lead.
You Leos are so deliberate and confident in your actions that
you attract an audience. On the front lines of frenzied trading, you
remain calm and levelhe<;1,ded, and you never show fear under fire.
You exhibit superhuman strength, and, even when you take a hit,
you bounce right back with undying conviction. The lion always
has a plan as well as the ability to see it through. Because of your
strength of will and disclipine of action, you make trading seem
controlled and logical.
Of course, the lion does take an occasional, outrageous gam­
ble. Especially when you are winning, you will throw the dice on
a wild wager. Nothing is too grand for Leo, and a flashy show of
betting fancy flatters you kings. You Leos like to remind others,
occasionally, of how well you are doing. So you transform your­
self into the Las Vegas-style high roller and make a brilliant spec­
tacle of your courage with cash.

Sales and Fund-Raising Abilities

Your confidence and stature draw dollars from even the desfr­
tute, and everyone forever wants to buy into your team. W hile
penniless and unknown, one Leo college student sold rock icon
Sting on his ability to set up a tour for the superstar in the Cold
War Soviet Union. Although the show never got off the ground,
the Leo go-getter, relying on no more than his self-assured de­
meanor, made his way all the way to the Kremlin to open the door
for the production. Leo is a showboat by birth who captivates the
crowds with theatrics and nerve.
110 DOLLAR SIGNS

Leo turns the dullest sales pitch into the most exciting crusade.
You lions are so creative that you turn drab ideas into grand ideals,
and you dazzle people into wanting to deal with you. Not only do
you lunge for big, bold business, but you also spare no expense on
travel and entertainment when on the sales highway. Luxurious
lunches, decadent dinners, heavenly hotels, and private planes are
normal Leonian costs of doing business. Somehow, such extrava­
gance suits you, and you bring back results that more than cover
your costs. You make all with whom you deal feel that they are in
the hands of a winner, and they cannot wait to sign up for a spot
next to you.
When it comes to raising cash, however, the Leo pride some­
times interferes with the money motive. You lions simply hate to
appear lacking, and, even when you are raising funds for multi­
million-dollar projects, you feel that, as king, you personally
should be able to foot the bill. You lions feel that money is your
birthright, because, as leader, you need it to function properly. Leo
is too concerned with running a kingdom to be bothered with
mundane money concerns. You expect that you will, naturally, be
paid what you need to do your job. Unfortunately, raising money
is not that simple, and you must learn to focus on, and lock in, the
cash that you require. Once Leos learn to swallow the notion of
neediness, they become money magnets.
The lion lives for the megadeal and thrives on the high­
powered meetings and strategizing that go with clinching such a
deal. Nowhere does Leo shine brighter than in a boardroom of
renowned CEOs or entertainment superstars. The lion gravitates
toward the high profile of Wall Street and Hollywood. Whether
you are pitching a merger deal, raising funds for a start-up, or
selling a superstar, ·you are made to take the lead oil the sales
stage.

Best-Suited Businesses
Leo usually leans toward service businesses, where he or she
can-stand in the spotlight and give advice rather than check details
 LEO 111

of assembly line efficiency. Of course, you perform well executive

�nd sales functions for product businesses, but the service· indus­
tries tend to provide greateropportunity for you·to consult and be­
stow knowledge. Leo loves to assess, advise, and, particularly,
speak in public. Your confidence and pride are two of your
strongest assets, and they are wasted on the supervision of assem­
bly line operations.
Leo is the leader or coach of business rather than the hands-on
hitter. Your function is not to create physical product. You are born
to mastermind the vision and then to sell, promote, and direct the
ongoing enterprise. You lions cannot stand the confinement of
manufacturing industries, in which you need to keep an eye on
your operations and spend lots of time tucked away behind factory
walls. Leo is a snob who does not like to get dirty, either. The lion
prefers a prestigious, white-shoe company setting to a "pull-up­
your-sleeves" production plant.
Of course, as with Aries, Leo is not suited for all service busi-
ness. You need to give orders rather'thari take them, so catering to \.
others is difficult for you. And details disgust you, so few of you
� \:.
are found in accounting firms. Basically, you Leos see yourselves <;
as kings, and you shun any job that denies you some domain of \, '
complete leadership and control. Even when you turn service into � �
showmanship, as with bartending or hairstyling, you so need to "�' ',(
take charge that you often get fired for overstepping your author- ';
�,
ity. So choose carefully those service businesses that allow you � �
both responsibility and the recognition you crave.
Because your ruler, the sun, also influences invested capital
and money raised through speculative ventures, you are a master­
ful investment banker. Though the routine and conservatism of
commercial banking do not particularly appeal to the speculation­
driven lion, investment banking provides Leo with big moves on
big deals, as well as a lion's share of recognition and power.
As an investment banker, you use your panache for the big pic­
ture and structure creative megadeals that the financial commu­
nity finds ingenious. You Leos always provide the most creative
solutions to difficult situations, and you amaze your colleagues
112 DOLLAR SIGNS

with your eleventh-hour answers for deals in distress. You do not

blink, for even an instant, in the high-pressure poker of negotia­
tions, and you thrill in the power of the pot at stake.
Of course, to become ·a deal-maker, Leo will need to spend
some difficult time as an analyst or in some other "grunt" posi­
tion. Naturally the lion enters the game wanting more responsibil­
ity and autonomy than most investment banks allow young
rookies. Conseqeuently, lots of you young lions start your own in­
vestment and money-management firms. Not surprisingly, your
track records are quite impressive.
Commercial banks are usually too conservative for Leo; both
in terms of investment objectives and environment, but crafty
lions often affiliate with commercial banks to service the more ag­
gressive portion of the banks' portfolios. Leo comes up with smart
speculative schemes for bank assets to achieve above-average
growth. Leo is one of the only signs, along with Libra, who can
handle the responsibility of speculating with such huge amounts
of capital. And you do so well for the banks that they grant you the
autonomy to run your own business within their walls.

Common ·Professions
Business executive; money manager/trader; manager; sales­
pe_rson; politician; actor/entertainer; rock star; doctor; lawyer;
teacher; counselor; announcer; writer; public relations/promotion;
plumber

Ideal Investments
Stocks
Although you prefer to trade commodities with intrinsic value,
such as gold, you lions also savor stock market speculation. Just
like a lion on the hunt, you move carefully and slowly. Then the
wind changes ever so slightly and you jump dramatically into the
chase mode. Before long, you make a spectacular killing, and you
barely seem to have broken into a sweat. Leo is a vigorous stock
 LEO 113

trader but not a foolhardy one. Unlike Aries, you need not attack
every trade simply for the sake of action. You take occasional fliers
on high-risk issues, but, generally, you bet heavily on "sure
things" and do well over time.
The stock market is a relatively high-profile, active arena in
which the lion can show off. You intuitively identify organization
and management aims of companies, and you accurately assess
the effects of governmental and political influences on the market.
And you are superb at spotting trends, which you play perfectly.
The lion invests only in stocks that show serious potential and ex­
citement. Leo maintains confidence and composure and has the
discipline to stick with strategies. Although much of the stock
market gets stuck in a flat range, you always find interesting busi­
nesses with sound stories and greater upward capabilities.
You perform most brilliantly when your exposure is highest,
so you prefer to trade on margin. You are selective in your stock
picks, and you know when to get out, so margin works well for
you. You rarely pick serious losers, so you get an incredible bang
for your buck without serious downside disasters.
Speculation and active trading are more your style than an in­
vest-and-hold approach to markets. Leo simply lives too sensa­
tional a life to sit quietly on the sidelines collecting dividends.
Stocks in the following industries treat you particularly well:

Gold Children
Entertainment/theater Education/learning
Media Gambling/casinos
Banking Advertising/public relations
Recreation/amusement Luxury travel

Bonds
Lions who become career traders often go gaga over the global
bond markets, where they constantly study and assess the broad
perspective of international debt. You feel like world leaders bet­
ting on the relative strengths and weaknesses of foreign
economies, and your big-picture sensibility makes you big bucks.
114 DOLLAR SIGNS

Since leadership is your calling, you love to scrutinize the ruling

abilities of various governments and the attendant strength or
weakness of their debt markets. Although no stage is ever big
enough for Leos, participating in the debt of countries from Ger­
many to Japan at least plugs them in to the power centers of this
planet.
On the domestic front, Leo does not get as excited about
bonds, but he or she still enjoys betting on how governmental go­
ings-on affect the treasury markets. Due to your innate affinity for
politics and government, you predict well the moves of the Federal
Reserve and various other bodies that influence interest rates. Of
course, Leos are not passive researchers, and, if treasury markets
are not moving sufficiently, they will definitely forgo the "intel­
lectual high ground" of debt research for more active and exciting
terrain.
The corporate bond market and, particularly, the junk bond
market offer a little more sizzle for the king of speculation, but,
again, these markets do not move sufficiently sizably and solidly
for the lion. Leo needs to participate in the kind of action that
makes headline news, and obscure debt issues just do not, usually,
make the cut. The lion generally junks investments that require
lots of technical and financial number crunching or specialized re­
search, as the remote debt markets often do.

Real Estate
You Leos characteristically do not leap into traditional real es­
tate deals, but you do fall for hot spot investments that put you in
the center of the latest in-scene. Although the lion may not get par­
ticularly pumped up about renovating a historic colonial inn on a
back road in New Hampshire, he or she will tum an eye toward a
ski chalet in the hottest new resort or a beach house in the current
vacation spot of the privileged set. You lions need to be noticed,
and property that puts you in high-profile positions piques your
interest.
Aside from the lion's one majestic home base, real estate in­
vesting generally does not sustain Leo's interest. The deals usually
 LEO 115

take too long, and they rarely possess the sense of immediacy and
drama that inspire so much of the lion's investments.
Lions need to derive some personal fulfillment from any prop­
erty they consider as an investment. Either you run a considerable
portion of your life from the property or you frequent the property
as a place of recreation. You Leos do like to acquire little territo­
ries over which you rule with absolute authority, but you will
rarely buy into such places unless you actually enjoying spending
lots of time in them.

Luxury Goods
The lion will rationalize luxury purchases almost as easily as
consumer buys, which can become dangerous. You forever justify
extravagant spending with a stately attitude about yourself. As the
self-assured "king," you tell yourself that the yacht in the Ba­
hamas is a perfectly appropriate and reasonable purchase, even at
times when your debt and checking account balances are equal.
The lion has expensive tastes and a flair for the flashy, which
translates into a perilous penchant for luxury purchases.
Luckily, however, lions' intuitive knack for speculation and
their patience in purchasing steer them toward real luxury that
usually pays for itself rather quickly. You lions always maintain the
highest standards, and, although you discuss wildly indulgent pur­
chases at every tum, you follow through only on the select few
that prove to be prosperous ventures. You Leos love to build cas­
tles in your favorite sun and sport locations, and you consistently
pick those territories with growing appeal. From polo ponies to
Palm Beach resorts, Leo invests in luxury that fulfills his or her
sense of majesty and entertainment. If you budget your buys with
an accountant, you eventually build an empire of financially for­
tuitous fun!
 LEADERS AND
LUMINARIES
Milton S. Hershey
VIRGO THE
J.C. Penney BEHIND-THE-SCENES
Harland "Colonel" Sanders
BRAINS AND RULERS
Warren Buffet
David Packard
OF RESEARCH
Geraldine Ferraro
Michael Jackson AUGUST 24-SEPTEMBER 23

After Leo's extravagant party, the cosmos naturally felt compelled

to create a solid, soothing sign to nurse everyone's hangover and
to restore the world's order and calm. Virgos often get a bad rep
because they are such perfectionists, but any wise, wealth-driven
executive searches far and wide for a Virgo teammate. Along with
Gemini, you are ruled by Mercury, the brainy communicator of
the zodiac. But you are the earthy manifestation of Mercury's en­
ergy. Virgo translates ideals into practical terms and makes actual
operations run smoothly. You do not need all the glitz and glam­
our of the spotlight, and you are the most competent workers
around. You Virgos may not enter a room with the dash of the fire
signs, but you are a reassuring influence that everyone wants to
keep around. You actually feel more comfortable and content serv­
ing others than enlarging your own ego, and you are the hidden
glue that keeps an enterprise together.
Virgos analyze and structure even the most chaotic situations,
and they identify loopholes that, left undetected, could undermine
enterprise. Before business is even past the conceptual stage, you
map out every potential danger in the road ahead. And, though you
118 DOLLAR SIGNS

are not the one to set out on the sales-and-promotion trail, you in­
stantly point out the land mines in proposed sales and advertising
advances. You are the practical mind behind the business machine,
and, though you might not readily catch others' attention, people
soon notice that you work harder than anyone they have ever met.
You Virgos live to be useful to others, and you contribute quietly
and consistently until you achieve success for yourself and every­
one on your team.
Many astrologers believe that Vulcan is the true ruler of Virgo,
and, when that planet comes close enough to earth to be discov­
ered officially, Virgo will feel more at ease. Vulcan was the phys­
ically misfit god who was abandoned at birth but soon revealed
his superior powers of craftsmanship and kindness. Vulcan was
banished to his own mountain, where he designed beautiful jew­
elry and produced strong and useful weapons that gained him ad­
miration and respect from the other gods. Until Virgo reconnects
with the powers of Vulcan, Mercury will continue to be your main
influence. Unfortunately, the quick-witted messenger god is a bit
too fast and frenetic for the true state of Virgo, which puts a con­
stant strain on his or her nervous system. Therefore, you Virgos
crave calm and controlled environments where you can relax and
reawaken your true Vulcan power.

Entrepreneurship
Quite frankly, Virgo, you are not, by nature, the planets' pio­
neer of business. Entrepreneurship requires a more forceful tack
than you can stomach, and the turbulence of trailblazing upsets
your entire system. Virgo is most comfortable working alone, be­
hind the scenes, on some particular area of expertise. You are great
analysts who love to delve into problem solving without interrup­
tions from the outside world. You develop strict habits, which pro­
vide you with a needed sense of security. And you shelter yourself
from criticism from the outer world, which your sensitive nature
cannot bear. Unfortunately, entrepreneurship forces you out into
the front lines of competition, where people and problems born-
 VIRGO 119

bard you from all sides. Aggression and brute force are the mode
of conduct in the seas of start-up, and survival requires nerves of
steel and blind determination. Virgo is simply too fastidious and
exacting to suffer the rough and tumble world of initiating enter­
pnse.
Entrepreneurship requires too much blind faith and promo­
tional prowess to attract many Virgos. Impulsive action and fast
dealing do not pay, you say, and muddle-through management
styles drive you to utter madness. Because of their tightly wound
interior, Virgos prefer a predictable, private environment to a
crowded, chaotic climate. You are not comfortable with large num­
bers of people, and you hate to perform in public. Unless you have
thoroughly thought out your position, you delay any decisions,
and you are too honest to fumble your way through unexpected
challenges. To you, entrepreneurship is a furious sprint into cer­
tain insanity.
Virgo sees the trees with such clarity and interest that he or she
scarcely ever notices the forest. You master details with speed and
efficiency, and you excel at life in the lab. But the outer world is
an unknown which you gladly set aside for the spotlight seekers of
the zodiac. You concentrate more on the complications you fore­
see than the creative vision that could be. Virgos are not easily
swayed by big dreams, which are the essence of entrepreneurship,
and they help to build business by refining and realizing the imag­
inative initiatives of others.

Risk Profile
You are such worriers that the pain and suffering you experi­
ence from high risk usually far outweigh any benefits you might
gain. Although you appear cool and composed on the outside, in­
ternal anxiety affords you little rest. Virgo simply cannot trust
short cuts, as duty cries so loudly that it drowns out any quick rush
from the high-risk roller coaster. Hard work is a much more com­
fortable road to riches for you, and you rarely accept substitutes
for sweat equity.
120 DOLLAR SIGNS

When you do indulge in even moderate risk, you pay your

dues in many hours of thorough, painstaking research, and only a
scarce few projects meet your standards of selectivity. You Virgos
throw money at nothing, unless you are reasonably assured that
you will receive, at minimum, the full value of your investment.
Gambling is sheer waste to you, and waste is one of your greatest
gripes. Unlike Aries, who focuses on the upside of risky ventures,
you zoom in on all the possible problem zpnes. Such a stark view
of all the evils of enterprise is enough to discourage almost any
prudent investor.
Your risk aversion stems not from a reluctance to lose any
immediate personal power but from a fear of future financial de­
pendence. Whereas other signs, like Aries, feel alive and activated
by the tension of risky enterprise, you feel paralyzed by the con­
cern that you might someday need to depend on someone to bail
you out. Virgo is a happy loner who cringes at the idea of being
obligated to anyone. You Virgos pride yourselves on your self­
sufficiency and your talent at turning hard work into tangible, use­
ful output. And you require no high-rolling acts of courage to test
your strength. One of Virgo's most admirable attributes, in fact, is
his or her ability to toil intensely for long periods of time. You do
not derive nearly the same sense of satisfaction from flash-in-the­
pan dice throws.

Investment Style
Virgo is an ideal value investor. You are expert analysts, and
you are so individualistic that you avoid the noise of secondhand
schemes or distractions and devise brilliant strategies for long­
term capital growth. Because of your unparalleled research abili­
ties, you thrive on data and information. You Virgos methodically
and neatly organize all the facts and materials you can get your
hands on. Then you tuck yourselves away and plan efficient in­
vestment strategies with little help from the outside world.
Virgos do not trust the advice and knowledge of others, and
they quite enjoy pointing out faults in every argument or sugges-
 VIRGO 121

tion that comes their way. Consequently, you rarely entrust a fi­
nancial advisor or anyone else to guide your investment decisions.
You might employ an advisor just to stimulate thought, but you al­
ways perform your own extensive research before investing in
anything.
Similarly, Virgo rarely gets caught up in the fray of active mar­
kets and mass investor interest. You pay attention to all the latest
financial news and business trends, but you do not jump simply
because others are doing so. Virgos take so long to analyze each
"hot opportunity" that they often miss the passing fads of finance.
You do not care what the crowd does, and you rely only on your
own assessment of where value exists. And Virgo is such a detail
person that he or she often finds the slightest pricing inconsisten­
cies or market anomalies that are missed by everyone else. There­
fore, you make excellent arbitrageurs and market technicians. Of
course, you focus on such intricate, subtle moves and you move
with such caution that you generally do not "clean up" in your in­
vestments, but you thoroughly enjoy the mental process of pick­
ing your plays.

Investment Horizon
Virgo's investment horizon varies considerably, and he or she
does not fall into any particular patterns of transaction timing. For
you, opportunity is the factor determining duration, and you will
hold a position for minutes, days, or years, depending on the plan
you crafted before going in. Virgo analyzes all investments inten­
sively and moves with great precision and patience. You struggle
to spawn a sufficiently sound strategy, and, when you finally pin­
point a prospect that passes muster, you set your price parameters
for entry and exit. Then Virgo waits and watches the master plan
unfold. Depending on how the market acts over time, you will be
invested for a day or a lifetime. Some signs get bored holding in­
vestments for a few days, and they sell out impulsively. Others
cannot bear to let go--ever. But time does not drive the investment
decisions of Virgo. Your main concern is to maintain the integrity
122 DOLLAR SIGNS

of your deftly designed investment strategies and to prove your

analyses correct.
Of course, some general Virgo character traits do influence
your investment timing in a noteworthy manner. You are so exces­
sively discriminating that you often overanalyze enterprise and
miss any opportunity to act on the market developments you de­
tect. While you are still scrutinizing one last fine point of an in­
vestment, someone else steals your deal .or the trade gets away
from you. So, any investments that tend to move very quickly
often slip right from the hands of the overly thorough Virgo. Fast
moves, in general, are untrustworthy anyway, you say, and you be­
lieve firmly that payoff is proportionate to the work put into a
prospect. To add insult to investment injury, though, even when
you get into the fast movers, you often so mistrust the grounding
of the gains that you sell out too quickly. You masterfully spot
most meaningful market moves, but tight time frames undermine
some of your adept analysis.

Negotiating Savvy
Okay, Virgo, here is where the symbolism of the virgin begins
to manifest itself in your sign. You are associated with purity and
peacefulness, and you actively avoid aggressive confrontation.
Virgos are known for clarity of mind, but they require a calm and
comfortable environment in which to organize their thoughts. You
simply lose your bearings when spontaneously challenged, and
you shy away from antagonistic debate. Furthermore, you are too
honest and open to finesse negotiations, and you often too readily
expose your entire hand. Or, you fail to be tactful in your criti­
cisms of opposing ideas, artd you evoke instant defensiveness and
distaste from the other side. Although you are able to use your ex­
ceptional observation skills to sum up any argument, you do not
like to battle over differing points of view. Your Virgo nature is too
reserved to impose your ideas on others, and you certainly do not
welcome having their opinions randomly thrust upon you.
This is not to say, however, that Virgo has no role in negotia-
 VIRGO 123

tions. You do make excellent critics of any argument you hear. Vir­
gos often lose sight of the relative importance of debated issues
because they become so consumed by the details of each and
every assertion made by their foes. Although this might prove te­
dious in achieving resolutions, you expertly expose loopholes in
arguments. Because Virgos so desperately need to back up any
statement or opinion with facts, they have radar vision when it
comes to statements made "off the cuff." Virgos might be accused
of"hairsplitting" in negotiations, but they provide the ammunition
to blast through any opposing arguments that are less than airtight.
Although you delight in dissecting the opinions of others, you
detest any criticism of your own ideas. Virgos become withdrawn
and visibly vexed by any attack on their views, and they serve
everyone much better in situations of teamwork and support. You
do not adjust well to sudden changes of agenda or thought, and
imaginative compromises do not come to you readily. Therefore
you prefer to retreat to the background of debate where you can
put things in order as a mere observer of the battle.

Partnership Decisions
You are both a loner and a team player. Though you love to
work alone, you very much need to contribute to some larger, col­
lective goal. In business, you love to remain incognito and to do
your work without any interrruptions from the outside world. But
you also desperately need to serve others to feel fulfilled. So Vir­
gos often find greatest satisfaction in partnerships that link them
to the outer world but do not require them to jump into the spot­
light.
You are the quintessential individualist, and you prefer work­
ing at your craft of real business operations rather than attempting
to attack the realm of intangible sales tactics. But business can
hardly flourish without marketing, so Virgo is wise to form an al­
liance with a promotions powerhouse. You usually find a long line
of people waiting to sign on with you, as you reveal your work
ethic and perfectionism in all you do. Virgos may make others a
124 DOLLAR SIGNS

little tense with their nitpicking, but their work is so reliable and
precise that they provide the essential, steady backdrop for any
business projections.
Virgo is the perfect partner for one of the outgoing, sales­
savvy signs of the zodiac, such as Aries or Libra. Aries and Libra
will not be too overbearing, and they gladly will stay out of your
particular areas of expertise. You Virgos work well with no super­
vision, and you thoroughly tie down the in_itiatives that your pio­
neering partners initiate. You love to tuck yourself away in the
back of the shop doing your research and analysis, while your
chatty, enthusiastic partner wines and dines potential customers.
You are the most dependable and loyal sign, and you provide prac­
tical grounding for the idealism of the fire and air signs. Virgo
sees to the details that get projects through to completion. And you
can make real the most outrageous and grandiose schemes your
wilder half conjures up.
Of course, you Virgos cannot bear the notion that you are de­
pendent on anyone for anything, so your partner will need to be
independent and unassuming. You will not last long with any part­
ner who comes on too strong or tries to gain an upper hand with
you. And you must be on the alert for types who want to put you
to work for them without offering much in return. Because you are
so eager to be productive and helpful to others, you rarely com­
plain about your workload. Unfortunately, an opportunistic part­
ner will keep pushing you to your breaking point unless you speak
up. Unbridled Leos have been known to drive Virgo to the verge
of a nervous breakdown.

Work Style
The Virgo mind is a finely tuned, methodical machine. And, in
the hope of keeping the mechanism functioning smoothly, Virgo
maintains strict internal and external structure. In thought as well
as environment, Virgo likes everything to be in perfect, logical
order. And you suffer physical and mental breakdown when chaos
clouds your purity of vision. Virgo is a natural worrier, and the
 VIRGO 125

only way you achieve your desired state of clarity and calm is to
minimize all the mess and mayhem around you.
So Virgo generally is a stickler for neatness in appearance,
dress, work, dining, and relationships. Your internal makeup is in­
tricate and delicate, and you spontaneously spring into intense
scrutiny of even the most minor issues. Therefore, you need a sta­
ble foundation to support you when the stresses hit. Granted, your
office sometimes becomes a bit cluttered, but you methodically
manage your mind. As a means of sheer survival, you Virgos learn
early on how to keep your thoughts neat and methodical and how
quickly to perform organizational magic on the most out-of-con­
trol situations.
You have a perfect eye for detail, and your suggestions and
strategies always are structured from solid fact. You listen care­
fully to instructions, and you strive for perfection in all your work
product. Virgos hate irregular schedules, so they impose regular
routine on any environment they enter. Before long, you process
precision out of disarray and develop a reputation as the internal
corporate glue. You do not like to perform your structural sorcery
in public view, but you work diligently from the back offices to
pilot your ship through choppy waters.
Everyone who works with Virgos grows attached to the calm
and composure that they bring to any work setting. You seem to
maintain a level head and a clear sensibility through any madness
thrown at you. Little do your colleagues realize the extent of your
internal overdrive, as you become an early expert at erecting
steady exteriors to contain the disruptive forces that continually
aggravate your affairs.

Work Environment
Immediately upon entering a typical Virgin work environment,
one senses the efficiency with which he or she performs opera­
tions. The lean and mean appearance of your office at first sug­
gests an absence of activity, but, upon closer look, the
organization obviously evidences a highly effective business
126 DOLLAR SIGNS

structure. Your desk is so tidy it looks strangely bare. And your pa­
pers, if even visible, are neatly fastened together and stacked
aside, usually in some sort of container, tray, or filing system.
Even the unusual Virgo, who allows piles of paper to proliferate
throughout the room, maintains a spartanlike work routine and an
immaculate section of desk space. Virgos basically fit one of two
categories: those who embrace the meticulous Virgo nature and
those who seem to rebel against it and _create completely di­
sheveled environments. But even the latter group cannot long con­
ceal those certain areas about which they are fastidious. Overall,
you get the most output possible from any workplace you join, and
you make optimal use of the latest technology and equipment
available to you.
Virgo avoids shocking appearances, activities, and attitudes.
You speak gently and dress in a clean and conservative manner. And
you prefer a workplace that is equally understated and tasteful. You
Virgos seek calm-loud colors and loud people or noise upset your
finely tuned equilibrium. Virgo needs some place of retreat in which
he or she can work incommunicado and achieve optimal output. You
detest unexpected changes in scheduling and intrusive interruptions
of any sort. With every disturbance you fall further behind in the
completion of your never-ending string of duties.
The inefficiencies of co-workers distract you greatly, so you
need to work around other perfectionist types, like Taurus or
Capricorn, or you need to isolate yourself sufficiently from those
who exercise a more "free-form" functionality. Aries and Gemini
greatly enhance your business's promotional activities, but you
have a nervous breakdown watching their seat-of-the pants style.
Mercury compels you to analyze and organize everything around
you, and the swift-moving messenger does not allow you to put
anything off for an instant. Of course you cannot possibly control
every reckless and risky activity around you, so you must distance
yourself physically from some of the fray.
You work best in small companies where you can exercise
some control without investing major effort in aggressive ladder­
climbing or fancy finessing. Virgo is not a confrontational sign,
 VIRGO 127

and you are too busy and forthright to play properly the political
games of corporate life. You are so self-critical that you shrink
from further faulting by co-workers. And you struggle with the
lack of individualism afforded to members of the large corporate
machine.

The Virgin as Manager

You Virgos are mild-mannered managers who lead by exam­
ple rather than forceful exertion of your views. You seek perfec­
tion in all you do, and you expect the same from everyone around
you. Virgos detest idleness, so they set out to take on superhuman
amounts of responsibility. You work so quietly and efficiently,
however, that few recognize the burdens you place upon yourself.
And you just assume that your subordinates and colleagues are
carrying their weight as well. You exhibit a gentle manner, and you
allow your co-workers the independence you expect in return.
However, the first signs of careless or sloppy work from others
send you into a panic. You become irritable and nervous, and you
worry excessively until time proves that operations are in order.
Because you are so intense about performing your own duties
perfectly, you have little time or energy left to hear other employ­
ees' problems or to monitor the quality of their work. So you sur­
round yourself with subordinates who are neat, disciplined, and
never sloppy about their work. You do not withhold criticism or
opinions, and you scrutinize every detail of your co-workers' per­
formance. You are so hard on yourself, too, that you can barely
withstand any outside criticism about your work. And you are so
fastidious that you rarely perform less than perfectly, anyway. But
Virgo often makes the mistake of obsessing about the trees rather
than focusing on the forest. You are skilled navigators of business
vision, but you rarely free your mind enough to produce the imag­
inative objectives that drive future business.
Virgo, generally, overloads when put in charge of masses of
people or money. You simply find it impossible to make every per-
128 DOLLAR SIGNS

son and work product perfect, and you get bogged down miserably
in minor business mishaps. Similarly, you find baby-sitting your
business bankroll absolutely maddening, and you stress severely
at the "creative" financing you must employ to make ends meet.
In a small, contained company of serious, streamlined initiative,
you set straightforward standards of productivity and efficiency.
But large corporate management requires too much politics and
policing for you to tolerate. Virgo does .not desire some hotshot
management job to feel secure or self-important. And the
schmooze duty required of big corporate managers only serves to
distract you from your real, hands-on operational interests. You
just hate to disrupt your productive daily practices with all the ir­
regular meetings and emergency troubleshooting demanded of
corporate bigwigs.
Within a small· work group Virgo does prove a dependable,
honest, and exceptionally efficient manager of responsibilities.
i:ou have a comforting way about you, and you seem to smooth
over any bumps in the corporate road. Your ego is rarely your dri­
ving force, and you pitch in willingly to maintain order and calm
in your environment. Virgo sincerely strives to serve others and to
provide the healing hands behind business headquarters. With
Mercury driving you, you push to put order into any situation
struggling in stagnation or lacking in direction. From behind the
corporate curtain, you so carefully choreograph production it ap­
pears to come off with ease. You drive the members of your com­
pany to precision, and you often require of them the creative input
you lack. But those who look closely recognize the superhuman
tolerance for strain, and the stamina and streamlining that enable
Virgo to realize such perfection.

The Virgin as Employee

You Virgins are dream employees. You are completely content
serving others from behind the scenes, where the fray of outside
life fails to intrude on your mental activity. Virginians are com­
mitted to detail, and you border on what others affectionately refer
 VIRGO 129

to as "anal retentiveness." Although they tease you about your

tightly wound ways, however, bosses and co-workers freak out if
they feel you might leave their team.
Employers delight in leaving the office in the hands of you ca­
pable Virgos. Not only do bosses trust that you will be responsible
to the end, but they also sense your high ethics and loyalty. While
other employees, left to their own devices, might peek at the boss's
personal files, you remain focused on your own affairs. You Vir­
gos have too much to painstakingly pull apart in your own busi­
ness duties to pry into private issues that don' t concern you. The
Virgo employee enjoys working unsupervised and is actually most
productive in the quiet of his or her own thoughts.
The Virgo employee might not be the company's most daz­
zling sales weapon. Nor will you take control of operations and
tell co-workers how to do their jobs. But everyone looks to you to
keep the practical part of the business running smoothly. Without
a lot of hype or hysteria, Virgo runs the real show from a quiet
back office. You know all the facts about the business, and you
know where to find every document and deli number any co­
worker could ever request. When everyone looks up after years of
operation, inevitably, Virgo sits at the right hand of the company
bigwig. And you much prefer your "brain-behind-the-operation"
status to the burning public demands of the corporate hot seat.

Spending Style
Because you pursue all life's pleasures from a pragmatic per­
spective, you spend only when doing so does not jeopardize future
peace of mind. You have a real fear of depending on others for
anything. Reflecting back on your true ruler, Vulcan, you are com­
pelled to live a self-sufficient and productive life on your own,
private mountain. And Virgo truly desires such a sense of self­
containment. You are acutely aware, every time you spend care­
lessly, that your overindulgence might be jeopardizing future
comfort. Such preoccupation with potential poverty pushes Virgo
to preserve cash at every cash register.
130 DOLLAR SIGNS

The concepts of steals and deals are foreign to you, and you
believe that products and services should trade only at their fair
value. Virgos work hard for due compensation, and they expect no
more or less in return for their input. The thought of extravagance
does not compute with you, for you always expect to receive the
fair amount of return for money spent. You scrutinize each pur­
chase carefully for flaws in pricing, and you walk away from any
transaction that appears slightly unbalanced. You cannot resist an
in-depth analysis of every exchange, and your logical mind will
not make sense of a purchase that fails to fit the proposed price
tag. Virgos may accumulate enormous wealth and feel free to
loosen their purse strings a bit, but they will never take the bait of
bad bargains or senseless spending.
Virgos will put a value on intangibles such as affection or jus­
tice, however, and can be extremely generous with cash for friends
or honest efforts. Although you will never spend cash on idle
hands, you will give a bighearted financial boost to people you
like. And your sense of reason does not allow you to ignore the in­
dividuals you instantly identify as underpaid. Anyone who truly
deserves a break catches Virgo's consciousness. The planets never
release you from your duty to instill proper order and balance in
every scenario you encounter.

Trading Abilities
Ruled by Mercury's nonstop motion, you are highly transac­
tion oriented, which earns you high commissions as a broker but
eats away at your profits as a trader. Virgo studies each minute
move of the market and develops a sixth sense for the tiniest
changes in price and volume. You are experts at getting in and out
of markets quickly and at finding liquidity through which in­
vestors can move positions. But, as traders, your constant need for
activity gets you in and out prematurely. Virgo is afraid to get left
holding unwanted baggage, so you dump it at the first indication
of easing momentum in the market.
With your extraordinary analytical skills, you are a terrific
 VIRGO 131

market technician. You are a fabulously successful market strate­

gist, and you are renowned for implementing state-of-the-art trad­
ing systems. However, your overly observant eye for detail
overloads your internal trading mechanisms, and you prematurely
pull the trigger on investments. You easily remedy the situation by
teaming up with one of the zodiac's bolder, steadier market
surfers, like Leo or Libra, and by publishing market newsletters.
You also do well as arbitrageurs, where you scrutinize tiny pricing
discrepancies in markets and quickly pick off the tiny profits that
elude the rest of the market.
All in all, Virgo is more a research buff and quantitative wiz­
ard than a high-rolling trader. You use your exceptional research
skills to identify price patterns, and you develop disciplines to
beat the market. And you are incredibly thorough and precise, so
you are magnificent watchdogs of portfolio positions. When you
sufficiently shut your mind to superfluous notes of outside noise,
you trade quite competently. But, you often require a computer
system to time your entry and exit points according to a preset
strategy.
Markets are influenced by such a broad and unknown mix of
factors, and Virgo does not accept well the lack of order inherent
in speculative instruments. You attempt to narrow your focus to
specific markets or trading patterns, which you then watch con­
sistently and hope to exploit. You enjoy thoroughly investigating
price movements and influential events, and you become an expert
on the various indicators of market movement. Virgo is an excel­
lent information source about markets, and many research depart­
ments overflow with the sign of the Virgin. But in actual trading
you hurtfully hesitate to enter markets for fear that you have not
sufficiently investigated each potential trade. And then you play
for a market blip at the expense of a larger, lucrative trend.

The Virgin as Salesperson and Fund-Raiser

Planetarily, Virgo is not predisposed to promotional prowess,
although you inevitably become a featured asset of any pitch about
132 DOLLAR SIGNS

your business. You are a practical earth sign, and you are much
more devoted to the actual production process of business than the
intangible sales efforts that drive its growth. Virgo, like your ban­
ished ruler Vulcan, is not heavily involved in socializing, and
you tend to be more solitary types. Of course, the exception seems
to be a completely outgoing, social spotlight grabber. But, no mat­
ter which extreme of Virgo behavior one adopts, inherently you
are simply too shy and self-contained to push yourself or your
business on others.
Sales and fund-raising require herculean amounts of enthusi­
asm and persuasion, which Virgo does not directly demonstrate.
Your honesty and integrity take precedence over any sale, and you
refuse to shine any fancy light on your company to enhance its
image for potential clients. When asked about the details of their
business, Virgos will give a brutally honest critique. You simply
cannot compromise your analytical aptitude, and you become in­
dignant at the slightest suggestion that a sale requires any manip­
ulation of the truth. You Virgins work feverishly to produce perfect
work, and you expect others to readily acknowledge the value of
your output. You often become defensive when your work is scru­
tinized in any way, and clients become immediately suspicious
and soured.
Furthermore, you become internally irritated by the notion
that you depend on aggressive sales efforts to sustain business.
Virgo would like to believe that hard work in production will al­
ways reap fair returns. But in today's competitive environment,
business requires savvy sales initiatives to survive. Such a real­
ization sends Virgo into a state of panic and mental unrest. You
lose sleep over your lack of self-sustenance, and you resent the
whole system for letting you down. You Virgos feel betrayed be­
cause your exceptional work ethic and productivity do not stand
on their own but instead require some silly, fabricated promotional
campaign. Needless to say, your resentment often comes through
in your sales pitch, and you send clients running for cover.
You Virgos provide the solid talent to back increased sales and
formidable fund-raising, but you are not the best candidates for
 VIRGO 133

the lead in the promotional play. You run such a tight and efficient
company that any client or investor who witnesses your operation
wants to join your cast. Your true skill shines behind the corporate
stage, and you are most successful back at the heart of company
activities. Let the showmen of the zodiac, like Libra, Aries, or
Leo, go out and attract your audience. You inevitably close the
deal with your airtight production and direction skills.
Virgo's plain-speaking style does fit the lead role in procuring
bank financing, however. Your no-nonsense presentation of real
business operations and your obvious attention to organization
and detail impress bankers. You exude reliability and good sense,
and your calm manner of speaking instills confidence in your abil­
ity to maintain control over all you do. Bankers cannot ask for a
better credit risk than Virgo, and you readily make them aware of
that fact. A Virgo-run business is cash-conservative, hardworking,
organized, and efficient. You strive for perfection and never act in
an impulsive or risky manner. A banker could not conjure up a
more ideal loan prospect, and you quickly learn that you have a
strange ability to summon lots of support from even the most
tightfisted lending institutions.

Best-Suited Businesses
Referring back to mythological roots, Virgo, like Vulcan, is a
master craftsman. You flourish when left alone on your own
mountaintop to create tools and objects you know will benefit oth­
ers. The routine and sense of security that come from manufactur­
ing real product soothe your otherwise overactive nervous system.
You delight in laboring intensely over some specific matter and in
exerting complete control over your environment. The more con­
tained your work space, the happier you are, and you rarely enjoy
going beyond your company walls to conduct business.
Virgo is the sign that manifests, in material form, Mercury's
quick logic and nonstop motion. And whether your canvas is ma­
chinery, computer software, numerical data, or a labor pool, you
delight in manipulating your resources to achieve optimal effi-
134 DOLLAR SIGNS

ciency. As an earth sign, you prefer to deal in the reliable, tangi­

ble world of products and in hands-on research of actual matter.
You concentrate on details rather than grand perspectives, and, in­
stead of generating highly imaginative ideas, you excel at per­
forming a learned craft perfectly.
Virgo is also skilled at service businesses that address the
public in general. Although you do not. easily acquire the social
sway and flexibility of routine to tolerate close-contact service
enterprise, you are the anonymous servants of the world, provid­
ing books, pharmaceuticals, food, medicine, and the like to the
masses. Virgo does not adapt well to the travel and entertainment
required of high-profile service expertise. You cannot stomach the
lavish client lunches and constant new customer requests and con­
cerns. But you desperately do need to be useful, so you take on the
role of hidden helper to those in need.
When Virgo goes into any service business, it is one that re­
quires some degree of specialized skill. Otherwise, you feel as
though your career fate is completely up to chance. If you are not
manufacturing products whose value is real and measurable, you
desire a service business that commands a definite price for a
learned skill. The uncertainty of output and return in service busi­
nesses immediately discourages Virgo from entering them. But
you will accept such uncertainty if you can assure yourself steady
levels of demand by providing a service that is sound and estab­
lished.
Although you are a nimble number-cruncher, banking, in
general, is a bit too big and broad a field for you. Virgos domi­
nate the realms of accounting and bookkeeping, which are prac­
tical skills with a highly specialized focus. You relish the detail
and organization required to maintain company books, and you
even enjoy the nitpicking necessary to perform such functions
properly. You Virgos love it that you can perform these functions
in the peace and quiet of your own office, safely tucked away
from the tumult of the outer world. Banking, however, requires a
much broader business perspective, and it too often puts you both
on the spot and in the corporate spotlight. You Virgos do not like
 VIRGO 135

to negotiate on your feet, and you avoid work in which constantly

changing variables interfere with your power over your work
product. Commercial banks do contain specialized divisions that
draw many a Virgin, and bank research departments often have a
large Virgo contingent. But investment banking requires more
than your preferred share of spontaneous strategizing, savvy sell­
ing, and stressful scheduling. Virgo is a masterful cash conserva­
tionist but is less likely to craft creative plans for aggressive
financial growth.

Common Professions
Service industry; health care/medicine; agriculture; environ­
mental industry; food; pharmaceuticals; military; publishing;
bookkeeping/accounting; market analysis; scientific research

Ideal Investments
Stocks
The stock market fascinates Virgo, and you often become ca­
reer researchers and analysts. You automatically aspire to impose
order on even the most chaotic trading activity, and you have the
discipline to sit and scrutinize market activity for hours on end.
Virgo homes in on details to detect the intricate workings of mar­
ket forces. You dig to the heart of activity and monitor movement
with your ultrasensitive eye.
Virgo is often happiest trading in stocks that move within a
predictable range. You skillfully spot a stock's customary course
of action, and you play it like a fine instrument. The ability to un­
derstand and take control of seemingly chaotic circumstances
comforts you more than enormous profit potential.
When markets become fast and furious, and unpredictable
outside influences bombard your state of supposed order, you
tend to panic and pull out prematurely. Virgo becomes over­
whelmed by the onslaught of new and uncertain variables, and
136 DOLLAR SIGNS

you refuse to ride the market's waves without thoroughly identi­

fying and incorporating the new factors into your formula. Virgo
misses no nuance of trading activity, but you focus so singularly
on each market component that you tend to overlook the overall
company strength that plays such a substantial role in market
pncmg.
Many Virgos decide to profit from markets by publishing re­
search rather than by trading actively. But the following stock
sectors offer particularly optimistic returns for any interested
Virgo:

Health care Publishing

Military/defense Pharmaceuticals
Insurance Electronics
Food/agricultural products Light manufacturing
Computers/data

Bonds
Virgo enjoys the security of the bond market and the less
volatile nature of treasury securities. You do quite well with bond
investments because you take the time and effort to analyze care­
fully the relative strengths of various issues. You Virgos do not cut
comers when playing the treasury market, and you actually find
adventure in detailed comparisons of the various maturities avail­
able to you.
Long-term bonds are particularly attractive to you because
they alleviate your fears of future destitution. Virgos constantly
worry about long-term survival, and thirty-year bonds provide
them with some assured payoff down the road. Although treasury
bonds are not completely foolproof, you trust Uncle Sam to pay
up when debts become due.
The short end of the treasury market, such as six-month trea­
sury bills and five-year notes, provide secure investments that ap­
peal to your sense of caution in investing. And they often engage
you in intricate analysis of interest rate movements and other eco­
nomic data. Whereas other signs run from the task of such re-
 VIRGO 137

search, Virgo enjoys becoming an expert on interest rate activity

and the activities of the Federal Reserve. And you do not mind that
you might only see a small return on your investment. You value
the solace you receive from knowing that the government is be­
hind your every trade.
Corporate debt is only interesting to you as far as its potential
to trade in any predictable pattern is concerned. Just as with
stocks, you will play these markets to test some market theory, but
gambling on the fundamentals of corporate growth does not thrill
you. Virgos cannot ignore the fact that corporate debt can become
worthless, so they prefer to invest in the sounder government is­
sues. The profit potential and excitement of corporate junk bonds
do not thrill you, so you generally avoid these dicey waters. The
junk bond market trades too erratically and the moves are too dra­
matic to attract the detail-oriented Virgo.

Real Estate
All Virgos have an underlying urge to own a farm or some
other natural retreat to call their own. You are not comfortable in
crowded spaces, and you seek open fields and solitary walks
through the countryside to calm your senses. As an earth sign,
mountains are particularly appealing to you, and they seem to
shield you from the intrusive noise of the outer world. You have
impeccable taste, and you have some kind of built-in radar that
draws you to the most magnificent spots the world has to offer.
You Virgos do extremely well in real estate ventures, as your sense
of order and tranquillity leads you to seek out the globe's greatest
natural gifts.
Real estate ventures move at a comfortable pace for Virgo, and
they offer the lasting security he or she so desires. You Virgos can
take your time to analyze thoroughly every aspect of your invest­
ment, and you do not usually find yourself in the midst of a high­
pressure price frenzy. You easily assess the true value of real
estate, and you bid fairly on each real estate endeavor. Because
you are certain you are getting a fair trade for your money, you
confidently part with cash for property investments.
138 DOLLAR SIGNS

Virgo does not mind the ongoing care required for real estate
upkeep. In fact, you enjoy the daily routine of tending to your
property. Whereas other signs drown in the details of proper real
estate management, you revel in the most minute duties demanded
of you. Whether trimming shrubs or drafting lease agreements,
Virgo much prefers the tangible mattters of real property endeav­
ors to the esoteric concerns of sheer mar.ket speculation.

Luxury Goods
As with consumer goods, you do not purchase luxury items to
win the admiration of your associates. You thoroughly and quietly
study every potential purchase, and you rarely overpay. The Virgo
phobia of future disability or destitution deters you from deepen­
ing your debt, and you seldom buy a luxury good that yields no
real-world returns. Virgo will splurge on real estate or high-quality
cars, but these purchases are functional, not flashy.
Just like Vulcan, who crafted beautiful jewelry for the gods,
however, you possess an impractical penchant for precious gems
and fine jewels, on which you sometimes overextend your fi­
nances. As an earth sign, you love to analyze the actual, physical
object and to judge its worth with your own senses. And you love
the time and care you can invest in researching most purchases.
The trouble arises when your bank balance says no and you say
yes. Then you panic and, to compensate, you often become overly
stingy in other areas of your life.
Generally, Virgo is very responsible with money and can be
trusted completely to make smart luxury investments. You know
what you want, you research your potential purchases, you are not
afraid to haggle, and, as long as you're not staring at sapphires and
the like, you have the sense to walk away from a bad buy.
 LEADERS AND
LUMINARIES
William S. Paley
LIBRA SUPER TRADER
Lee lacocca AND
Jesse Jackson
BUSINESS
Barbara Walters
Donna Karan
DIPLOMAT
Ralph Lauren
John Lennon SEPTEMBER 24-0CTOBER 23

Libra is the great harmonizer of the zodiac. And whether you

sense discord in a market or in a corporate negotiation, you enter
the scene to push activity toward a natural state of balance.
Whereas your predecessor, Virgo, works magic from an individu­
alistic standpoint, you perform best in association with others.
Like Taurus, you are ruled by Venus, goddess of beauty, art, and
peace. But, while Taurus is the physical manifestation of Venus,
you are the intellectual expression of her energies. Taurus concen­
trates on building a material environment that fosters Venusian
values. And Libra, as an air sign, utilizes highly evolved intellect
to promote such prosperity and pleasure.
Libra investigates all possibilities of every situation and de­
velops ingenious strategies to solve the most complex problems.
You often seem indecisive as you weigh all the factors of even
simple issues, but you unfailingly choose the path to peak pros­
perity. You are usually outgoing and expressive, and you lead with
persuasion and charm rather than power and push. Few can argue
with your airtight answers to all life's problems, and, because you
always include others in your master plans, you become a beloved
140 DOLLAR SIGNS

leader of many. While other signs set out to become solitary pio­
neers of business power, you create an integrated team of comple­
mentary talents. You Libras always stake out the common ground
and place of calm in any environment, and you effortlessly enlist
strong support for all your corporate crusades.

Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship is a grueling, gritty road that Libra rarely
goes down alone. This is not to suggest that you are not venture­
some, because you often manage to pursue full-time, creative hob­
bies alongside your regular work. But your distaste for tension and
time constraints discourages you from independently pioneering
business projects. Your sense of harmony gets horrifically harried
in the aggressive, antagonistic world of initiating enterprise,
where communications and activity are often loud, unrefined, and
dogmatic.
Indiscreet, impulsive behavior completely unnerves you, and
you require sounder cerebral conduct than entrepreneurship al­
lows. Where you want to collect facts and consider the conse­
quences of decisions, frontiering forces you to act. And, where
you want to play peacemaker, you must selfishly steamroll for sur­
vival. You want to procrastinate until some of the chaotic clouds
clear, but you cannot afford to lose crucial competitive lead time.
The constant influx of new business issues gratifies your greedy
intellect, but you desire deeper deliberation on each of the matters
at hand. So you find yourself elbowed and bruised by the persis­
tent prodding of the particulars of pioneering. Libras have the ca­
pacity to make lightning-quick decisions, but entrepreneurship's
physical and temporal discomforts often pollute their perspective.
Due to the uncertainty of markets, entrepreneurs usually hang
their futures on little more than dream and drive, and Libra balks
at such seemingly blind faith. Venus is not the goddess to break
down doors or fight to the death to initiate action. And you regard
any sort of recklessness as sheer insanity. With your mental pow­
ers, you strive to win all your battles before entering the ring. So
 LIBRA 141

you rely on thorough and careful research to bring you business

success.
Libra is the planetary pillar of tact and grace, attributes that
are often overlooked in the trials of trailblazing. You do not shy
away from intense intellectual challenges, but you require sur­
roundings that do not distract you from your mission. Libra intu­
itively senses any outer discord and endeavors to set it right. And,
when you are forced to remain in unpleasant situations, you tend
to lose your focus. Unfortunately, solo business endeavors often
afford little opportunity for diplomacy, and daily operational con­
cerns command a greater degree of care than compliant conversa­
tion.
Of course your social savvy does not go overlooked in the en­
trepreneurial realm, however, and you magically magnetize ideal
mates for all your endeavors. Libra is the sign of relationships, and
you build bonds that propel you to prosperity. With a power­
driving partner to handle the more abrasive areas of entrepreneur­
ship, you set out to seduce a world of support. Libra presents the
entrepreneurial vision with a divine mixture of image and sub­
stance. You capture everyone's curiosity with your attractive pre­
sentation and wholesome charm. And you hold your audience
with your superior strategies and electric mind.

Risk Profile
Because Libra rarely acts without thoroughly examining each
element of a decision, you do not fall prey to high-risk hoopla. You
always consider the consequences of your choices, and you are
very careful in the plans you make. Although you take your time
and solicit all sorts of outside opinions and recommendations, you
always rely ultimately on your own superior intellect. In fact, other
people's notions of high and low risk do not really compute with
you. The superior Libra intellect weighs all the factors of each de­
cision and produces an optimal course of action. With careful
analysis, each situation, you believe, reveals its ideal, natural state
of being.
142 DOLLAR SIGNS

Given your highly evolved sense of logic, you Libras cannot

fathom unfounded risk-taking. You see no reason to jump un­
guarded into the unknown when you can go in prepared. In fact,
Libra actually becomes agitated when around rash, whimsical
types. Your sought-after sense of balance is sure to be upset by
such recklessness, so you secure your success before entering the
speculative scene. By carefully figuring· out the odds before en­
tering the game, Libra maintains a harmonious, calm state of
mind. Whereas other signs are thrilled by the peaks and valleys of
investment activity, Libra prefers a steady and secure walk
through all the mayhem.
The foregoing is not to suggest, however, that you shrink from
speculative endeavors. You Libras are ignited by competition, and
when you decide to accept a challenge, you jump wholeheartedly
into the heat of battle. High risk simply requires a more intensive
test of your mental faculties, which you find appealing. So you
carefully choose those shots that suggest manageable downside
risks. The whole risk arena is a chess game to you, and, depend­
ing on the situations your competition presents you with at any
given time, you will play anything from a king to a pawn. The key
is that you always postulate potential sacrifices before you make
your moves.

Investment Style
Libra is a connoisseur of the investment craft, with an eye for
value and a sense for successful strategies. With Venus as your
guide, you comfortably r�cline on your chaise lounge and debate
the merits of each potential masterpiece presented to you. You
hold out for the ones with the right balance, and you get so caught
up in weighing the pros and cons of each that you often need com­
petition to stir you to action. Then you passionately engage in the
investment and aptly assess every new factor that might affect
your buy.
Your highly active mind forever runs at full speed, giving you
an aura of restlessness. But Libra rarely rushes into anything. The
 LIBRA 143

scales cannot refrain from making constant comparisons, always

sizing up one thing against another. You seek out those buys that
exchange equal value for the money spent, and you rarely sell
without realizing a profit. Furthermore, you go for the buys that
bring you some pleasure aside from profit, and, like Taurus, you
do not trust underpriced "bargains." Your ruler, Venus, is highly
sensitive to true worth, and you intuit that undervalued goods usu­
ally settle at their low levels for a reason. Finally, you do not jump
into investments to fulfill a need for action, and hasty decisions
merely derail your otherwise masterful mental missions. Without
the security of knowing that you have thoroughly thought through
your investment, you constantly feel compelled to look back and
reevaluate your commitments.
Libra has a sixth sense for natural balance and can detect when
a market is even slightly out of whack. You investigate each in­
vestment in great detail, considering all angles so carefully that
you often seem to get confused about which way to bet. Libra
never works in a vacuum and needs to bounce ideas off others to
receive outside input. You rarely involve yourself in eccentric
philosophies, and you do not put up cash to impress your friends.
Instead, you miraculously process all the information you can ac­
cess, and you come up with correct investment actions.
Finally, you Libras should keep in mind your tendency to
overindulge. With pleasure-seeking Venus pulling at you, you
sometimes want to go overboard in your investments. Venus never
quite feels full, and she urges you to overeat at the investment
table. Be sure that you know when to say when in all your pur­
chases, and plan strict limits before you begin shopping for in­
vestments.

Investment Horizon
You Libras strive for profits, security, and pleasure, and, de­
spite the substantial pleasure and profits you derive from trading
fast markets, you always invest a good portion of your proceeds
into long-term value. Venus never wants to live less than luxuri-
144 DOLLAR SIGNS

ously, and she strongly asserts her need for security in all your in­
vestment decisions. The goddess of fine living forces Libra to
stockpile money and wealth, through long-term accumulation and
intrinsically worthwhile purchases. Quick trading upsets the Venu­
sian calm, and you can recapture your peace by carefully balanc­
ing long-term investment options and correctly choosing those
destined to become cash cows. In fact, with your impeccable taste
and analytical acumen, you Libras are the quintessential value in­
vestors who buy and build fortunes over the long haul.
Unlike Aries or Gemini, who just cannot sit still, Libra is quite
content reposing while the going is peaceful. You do not need to
get into short-term activity just to have something to do. And, with
your philosophical mind, you entertain yourself by analyzing
everything in sight. It's only a matter of moments before some
temptation will knock your scales completely off-kilter and you
will have to jump into action. Until then, you are happy sitting on
your real estate investments or junk bonds and watching them
slowly and peacefully grow. However, you will not hesitate to seil
out of your long-term buys if you sense they are about to lose
some ground!

Negotiating Savvy
Although Gemini might give you a run for your money, you
are the master of negotiation. Your incredible sense of logic en­
ables you to sort through stacks of facts and process the one solu­
tion that is fair to both sides. And you present your arguments with
such calm and charisma that the ripostes of your opponents are
immediately deflected. Although Gemini or Leo might craft some
creative solutions to negotiated issues, their style often puts peo­
ple on the defensive. While other signs look for ways to break
down the competition, Libra searches for fair answers to which all
agree willingly.
The scales balance both fact and emotion, and offer finely tai­
lored anwers to satisfy both. As an air sign, you see all sides of
every issue, and you conscientiously gather all facts that are rele-
 LIBRA 145

vant to the situation at hand. But you also pick up on any emo­
tional discord and you include those issues into your stockpile of
research. You then pile all the materials onto your internal scales
of justice, and, miraculously, you issue the one balanced, harmo­
nious judgment that all find appealing. The scales settle on a
peaceful level that is only possible when all the elements are mea­
sured at once.
In addition, everyone loves to deal with you. Libra brings
warmth, serenity, and style to any negotiation, and you impress all
with your composure and tact. Granted, Libras will flatter and
sweet-talk, but they have such an attractive way about them that
people actually sense that they might be sincere. Again, Venus is
at work, and she knows just which of her charms will achieve her
objectives. You are great talkers, with seductive voices, but you
also listen well for clues about the motivations of others.
The diplomat of the zodiac, Libra is turned off by hard­
driving, aggressive negotiations. You immediately set out to calm
nerves and ease tempers, at any cost, and you have been known to
contradict yourself simply to make peace. So that each side can
appreciate the logic of the other's point of view, you take it upon
yourself to justly present both sides of a heated argument. Then
you use your dazzling social graces to set the tone for further dis­
cussions. You do not miss the slightest nuance of arguments at
hand, but you ensure that everyone conducts business with a sense
of refinement.
In the rare cases when negotiations remain heated, despite
your peacekeeping efforts, you become quiet and stubborn. You
will not fight in a loud and vulgar environment, but you will not
compromise your sense of justice either. You will not be pushed
into decisions you deem unfair, and, until tensions die down, you
simply suspend all agreements. Libra is in no hurry and will sac­
rifice time in the interest of securing correct resolutions. Though
you often do· not speak up for yourself, you will not give in to an
aggressor's scare tactics. And, though you often feel uncomfort­
able standing alone against the crowd, you will stand your ground
in the interest of justice.
146 DOLLAR SIGNS

Partnership Decisions
Libra is the sign of relationship, and, whereas other signs per­
form their greatest work solo, you achieve success with the sup­
port of skilled accompanists. You analytical Libras are acutely
aware of your own strengths, as well as everyone else's. And you
do not hesitate to employ others to service those areas of business
into which you wish never to venture. You are so charismatic and
outgoing that others readily recognize your star quality and want
to join your team. And, just as the scales would be ineffective
without both balances, you have a subconscious need to find your
other half.
Of course not just any mate will do, and Libra seeks out those
suitors who possess the qualities he or she lacks. Your nature is to
bring people and ideas together in harmony, and you feel incom­
plete without the input of others in your daily decisions. While
you are gifted with the charms of Venus and the intellect of air
signs, you seek partners who will tend to the more messy hands­
on aspects of business. You strategize superbly and sell like the
dickens, but, when it comes to keeping machines running
smoothly, you often are up in the clouds. And you are known to
need a little push to get your ideals under way. You Libras will put
off until tomorrow what needs to be done today, and only reliable
partners can be trusted to keep you on track.
You Libras are also crafty in your partnership concerns, and
you prospect in a powerful way for good social contacts and con­
tractual opportunities that propel you to prosperity. You place
great value on an active social life, and you make good use of your
time at the country club. You bring grace and gallantry to any
gathering, and you are welcomed with open arms in the elitist of
crowds. And your ruling force, Venus, prefers to conduct business
in refined and attractive surroundings, anyway, so you take your
social schedule quite seriously.
Libras are also amazingly adept at contracting out work that
they find undesirable or beyond their capabilities. Your convincing
approach and obvious charm enlist all kinds of support for even
 LIBRA 147

the most annoying tasks. You Libras have an unparalleled ability

to get people to agree promptly to perform for you tasks they
would not dream of doing for anyone else, including themselves!
Libra has the contract signed and the materials ordered before
anyone can second-guess the decision to do the work.
Libras, unfortunately, are not all sweetness and tact in daily
life, and co-workers soon learn about their totally unpredictable
moods. Though you remain consistent in your loyalties and val­
ues, your feelings are liable to sway with every change in the
wind. Aquarius and Gemini, as fellow air signs, have a good un­
derstanding of your changeable temperament as well as your vi­
sions. And, because Libras often need some practical grounding to
snap them out of their overly sensitive space, Tauruses can make
terrific Libran partners. Finally, Aries provides some valuable fire
to initiate new projects and take on the business battles for you.
But Aries might be too impulsive for you, logical Libra, so choose
carefully to find an Aries with a good dose of earth in his or her
chart.

Work Style
As is true of all you do, you constantly vacillate between two
opposing modes of conduct, balancing the need for both styles
and integrating them for optimal efficiency. On the one hand,
Libra will work around the clock, acting as a nonstop whirlwind
of business activity and initiative. Then, suddenly, you will need
to take time out and get lots of rest. In fact, Libra will go through
periods when naps are a necessity and will barely lift a finger for
days on end. Your co-workers need not worry, though, because you
are merely processing all the information you gathered in prior
weeks. When you bounce back into an active mode, you inevitably
will amaze all with ingenious strategies and venture prospects.
Similarly, Libra requires equal doses of solitude and social in­
teraction to reach peak performance. Although you need utter
calm to restore your mental balance and sort out plans of action,
you cannot work in a vacuum. Libras require constant access to
148 DOLLAR SIGNS

the company of others, and you express yourselves best in discus­

sion with colleagues. Although you often just listen and absorb all
sorts of opinions from the outside, the conversation is fodder for
your impressive intellect. As an air sign, you have a great flair for
philosophy, and you apply it practically to sort out any disarray
you discover during the day.
Your acute sense of reason imposes order on your work style,
and you detest careless or sloppy performance. Although you
often seem restless, you always think actions through and pull off
tasks with grace and control. Venus demands smoothly run oper­
ations, which are possible only through such careful planning and
discipline. And you maintain productive practices and a pleasant
attitude when provided with your requisite portion of peace. You
might balk at other people's orders, but you always seem to pro­
vide the output that is expected of you. Libras see no logic in less
than perfect work, as mistakes force them to waste time retracing
old steps. Libra's smoothly flowing system gets all backed up by
such bad logic.
Libra is likely to procrastinate, however, and often needs a
healthy nudge to keep his or her ideas inching forward. You get so
involved in patching up other people's issues that you leave little
time or mental energy to promote your own plans. And you do
tend to indulge in recreation just when it's time to give business a
healthy push. While long, pleasant lunches are good for your men­
tal balance, success demands that you steamroll at times. Venus
goes into quite a huff when goaded by the corporate grind, and she
causes your divine powers of reason and rapport to completely un­
ravel in such uncomfortable conditions. But you cannot indulge in
Venusian rainstorms when you need to meet deadlines. So you as­
tute Libras develop careful game plans, groomed playing fields,
and motivated teammates to keep you going at all costs.
Libra is efficient and cool, always keeping a level head in the
midst of chaos. But you detest exaggerated or embarrassing dis­
plays. You are rarely starved for the spotlight, and you feel un­
comfortable with anything or anyone who stands out too blatantly.
Although you naturally attract attention with your good looks and
 LIBRA 149

grace, embarrassing displays of passion or anger are completely

intolerable to you. You do your best to address brewing concerns
before they become full-blown issues, and you manage to comfort
others before they make waves. Libra has the innate abilities of in­
tense concentration and depth of mind. Given the correct balance
of downtime and diplomacy, you set a standard for efficient orga­
nization of daily business duties.

Work Environment
Ruler Venus requires beauty, balance, and business buddies to
function properly. Brash or offensive behavior blows the Venusian
sense of harmony, and Libra's finely-tuned mental machinery
goes totally off the track. So you create an environment that is at
once efficient and aesthetically exceptional, and, in fact, your
workplace seems to maintain an element of Zen harmony. Not
only do your surroundings exude the peaceful aura of your fa­
vorite Eastern philosophers, but they are also characterized by a
divine simplicity and clarity of character.
Libra's sense of order requires a somewhat sparse, yet tasteful,
decor in which thoughts and people can flow freely. As long as
you are afforded a place of quiet retreat, you are able to sustain a
cool, constant temperature that comforts all. Libra loves to ven­
ture out into the thick of social theater but needs to retreat regu­
larly to the quiet pleasures of his or her den. In your heavenly
haven, you download all the information that you absorbed in the
company of others, and you output original and ingenious ideas
and initiatives.
Because you get rattled by even slight disturbances, you con­
centrate seriously on a pleasant physical workplace. Dust and dirt
are absolutely unacceptable, and awards and pictures are symmet­
rically displayed. You cannot resist your sense of vanity, so you
hang mirrors to reflect your own attractive appearance. And you
embellish your work space with soft music and, often, a regular
supply of fresh flowers and plants. Of course, Libra requires a
plush, comfortable couch on which to steal an occasional power
150 DOLLAR SIGNS

nap. And your walls are often a pale blue or similar gentle tone
that tempers your otherwise hyperactive head. Soft light further
soothes your sensitive soul, and books of poetry and fine literature
provide a quick escape from the bullying of business culture.
But even when your physical space is in order, your creative
coups cannot occur when there are intrusions of commotion from
outside. When you get down to serious business, you cannot tol­
erate tension; and loud voices, noise, or expressions of vulgarity
send you into a tailspin. Corporate gossip disturbs and distracts
you, and off-the-cuff opinions irritate you immensely. Outspoken
workers unnerve you with arguments that they make about unim­
portant issues which waste too much of your valuable time and en­
ergy. And although you Libras desperately desire interesting
conversation, you despise ill-planned, spontaneous displays of
verbiage.
Entering a Libra workspace is an impressive experience, and,
upon leaving it, one always feels pleasantly touched. You Libras
are great company image-boosters, and you often become the
spokespersons and showpieces for investor relations. Your charm
is infectious, and you eventually eke out sanity from even the most
aggressive workplaces. In fact, many trading desks are run by Li­
bras, and, despite the frenetic nature of the business, you instill
order and composure in all that goes on there. Just be careful not
to lose your own direction in your efforts to quell the storms
around you.

The Scales as Manager

With your innate scales of justice constantly called upon to
create peace, you are a magnificent manager. Your co-workers
could hardly ask for a more gracious and beloved boss, as you may
have already detected from the number of office crushes you in­
spire. Libra does not rule with an iron fist and yet solves problems
with greater speed and more satisfactorily than anyone around.
You are persuasive talkers who effortlessly motivate a roomful of
colleagues. And you have a knack for getting others to do for you
 LIBRA 151

what you do not want to do for yourself. Libra's smile works a

thousand miracles, and you back it up with such cutting intellect
that few can resist your lead.
Libra is a galactically gifted union leader who mobilizes
masses of support with fair solutions to all sorts of business chal­
lenges. Rather than relying on hierarchical heavy-handedness to
achieve your goals, you set an example of careful, honest prob­
lem-solving. You neither push nor pester employees to perform,
but you set fair standards by which all must abide. Libra is a mas­
ter strategist who looks at all the facts behind an issue before de­
vising a course of action. You are so thorough in your work that
you might delay a bit in delivering your decrees, but you consis­
tenly come up with the most palatable solutions to business prob­
lems.
Libra considers no problem too petty and sets out to smooth
even the most minor bumps in his or her business dealings. With
your sincere respect for the sensitivities of others and your care­
ful consideration of each individual issue, you naturally make
masterful mediators. People confide in you and have trust in your
sane and sensible solutions. Your sense of loyalty and honor is ob­
vious, and you have an aura of quiet intelligence. Even when you
are angry, you do not lash out with burning offenses or betray
trusts.
Of course, along with your superhuman sense of justice, you
Libras often become so trusting that workers occasionally attempt
to take advantage of you. Your Venusian underpinning leads you
to ignore anything that is ugly or unattractive, so you sometimes
actively tend to ignore the existence of bad seeds in your garden.
Eventually, the negative influence sinks roots that threaten your
peace, however, and you are forced to take action. Venus rarely al­
lows you to raise your voice or even scowl, and you are so gener­
ous in your pursuit of peace that you shine through even the most
unpleasant situations. But you must embrace an occasional un­
pleasantness to preserve your potential for progress. Although
Libra hates to create discord, a firm stand is sometimes needed to
restore harmony. You can quietly and calmly disengage yourself
152 DOLLAR SIGNS

from unproductive practices and people without disrupting your

entire equilibrium.
You conduct yourself with such dignity and grace that others
are often lulled into following your lead. Libra always dresses
beautifully and speaks in a soothing, comforting tone. You are not
only good talkers; you also impress co-workers with your sympa­
thetic ear for their problems. In fact, you Libras become so at­
tached to your workers that you often entertain the entire staff at
your home. You are lavish hosts, and you usually spend freely on
your workers. Employees sense the respect you have for their tal­
ents, and you win lifelong devotees. Libra thoroughly acknowl­
edges the strengths of others and never expects blind servitude.
Though you may not readily welcome those who try to compete
with your talents, you openly appreciate the complementary skills
of employees. You Libras truly seek a balanced, humane state of
nirvana, and others instinctively flock to your side in the hopes
that you will find it.

The Scales as Employee

Even when Libra is a low-level employee, he or she acts and
dresses like a hotshot. Your energy burns brightly, and you are
clearly meant for management positions. But, until you are pro­
moted, you take charge of even petty positions and handle them
with style. You Libras fluidly finesse the red tape of daily tasks,
and you manage trivial complaints with the care and consideration
that earn you support and recognition among your peers. You over­
look no company problem or roadblock, and you employ your
thorough intellect to solve menial matters as efficiently as if they
were major corporate issues.
Libra brings a cooling, calming influence to any work envi­
ronment and soon earns the title of department peacemaker. The
delicate balance of your scales senses even the most minor of of­
fice intrigues, and you seem to bring out and dissolve any dis­
agreements among your peers. The scales regularly engage in the
sport of debate, weighing various arguments and testing new the-
 LIBRA 153

ories. But you maintain etiquette in the exercise of your mental

powers, and such debates rarely get emotionally charged. Overall,
Libra serves to bond people together and enable them to collabo­
rate harmoniously.
Despite the satisfaction you derive from melding a unified
workforce, you require advancement and status to stick around.
Usually, you are far smarter than your superiors, and you rely on
your own logic, rather than company commands, to fulfill your re­
sponsibilities. You Libras want to be in charge, and you promptly
put together a clever campaign to reach the top. You sense which
corporate executives are your best allies, and you painlessly form
partnerships with powerful mentors. In addition, you instinctively
become part of the right social circles and enjoy almost immedi­
ate acceptance into the executive ranks. Everyone soon learns
what an asset you are in corporate show-and-tell, and you soon
feel like the corporate spokesperson. But your charm is not the
only thing about you that they cherish, and you prove yourself in­
valuable in corporate strategy sessions.
You work well with Gemini and Aquarius, who readily recog­
nize your agile mind and delicate demeanor. Taurus, also ruled by
Venus, understands your need for a peaceful work space and calm,
efficient operations. If the regimen is relaxed enough to allow you
your requisite freedom, you work well with El Toro.

Spending Style
Although at various points in your life you are either the most
generous or the stingiest sign of the zodiac, you have an innate
awareness of the fact that great wealth is a symmetry of saving and
spending. Even in your lean years, you need to experience your
Venusian pleasures, so you tend to overspend. But, later on, when
your bank account is beefier, your sense of logic kicks in and you
seek balance in your budgeting. Libra then becomes slower to
spend, employing reason and realism in all deliberations regarding
purchases.
Your rational mind really cannot fathom inequitable ex-
154 DOLLAR SIGNS

changes, so you always spend with an expectation of getting fair

value for your money. Libra, ruled by greedy Venus, forever works
to amass wealth. Although you love the intellectual challenge of
gambling, you need to know that you are building fortunes rather
than just tossing cash to the wind. Even when you are spending
freely when buying things for friends, down the road you expect
to receive equal amounts in return.
Because Venus wants to feel secure, she demands even more
than mere appreciation of assets. Venus leads you astray toward
purchases that bring pleasure apart from profit. So Libra always
seems to spend more on art, real estate, and recreation than on
strictly financial investments like treasury bonds. You price things
carefully, though, before paying up, and you tend to walk away
from items that are overly expensive or too cheap. Such purchases
just do not compute in your zone of balanced trade. Though, when
you do tip your scales of reason, it's usually in overpaying for
some high-end item. Libra does put a psychic premium on life's
fineries.

Trading Abilities
Libra is the supertrader of the zodiac, and an uncommonly
large percentage of professional traders and money managers pos­
sess natal charts with powerful Libra influences. As an air sign,
you are endowed with exceptional analytical abilities, and you de­
velop sophisticated strategies for beating markets. Unlike Gemini,
however, who moves too erratically, and Aquarius, who forgets to
move at all, Libra combines just the right amount of initiative and
in-depth inspection to dance for dollars in and out of markets.
You are patient traders, with the discipline demanded of top
producers, and you paddle out into the speculative waters, where
you watch and wait for only the opportunities that measure up.
You spot the best developing patterns long before the crowds do,
and, suddenly, you are up on your board and at one with a perfect
wave. You Libras have such a sense of balance that you truly har­
monize with the market's every motion. You pick up on the natural
 LIBRA 155

patterns of price moves, and you sense instantly any abnormal ac­
tivity that might trigger danger.
Where other signs panic, Libra uses logic to cut through the
emotional fray. You stay cool and let the markets lead you rather
than fighting the forces that be. After recognizing a market bot­
tom, Libra waits a bit to buy, just to be sure. Then, once you are
in the action, you make slight adjustments and constant redistri­
butions of weight to account for the new factors that come on the
scene. But you never jerk around or lose your head. You stick to
your set strategy, and you know exactly where to cut out if you
lose control.
Whereas water signs get emotionally attached to positions,
earth signs get too stubborn, and fire signs get overzealous, airy
Libra remains rational and reserved. The scales are always at
work, balancing markets, price patterns, market indicators, and
the like against one another, and are the kings and queens of com­
parisons. If you see you are going the wrong way, rather than try­
ing to resist nature, you swiftly turn around and surf the other way.
You are so smooth in your style that you will jump in and out, buy­
ing and selling on every swell so that no one can keep up with you.
Although your overall strategy might be to glide on a strong up­
trend, you Libras are so sensitive to the slightest market discord
that you cut in and out of the small moves within the larger ride,
adding extra points to your profit line.
Your ruler, Venus, always feels empty, urging you to accumu­
late possessions and wealth for her security. In earthy Taurus,
Venus manifests a need to hold on to actual positions. But, in
Libra, Venus is less directly attached to the holding itself. She
urges you to accumulate profits, by selling when the opportunity
1s npe.
Libra's biggest challenge in trading is dealing with the physi­
cally loud, chaotic (and often vulgar) environment of active mar­
kets. You do better trading from an office than from the hectic
trading floors, and, luckily, you usually possess enough talent to
rise quickly to the prestigious positions "upstairs." Even on the
market floors, you seem to seek out some small portion of private
156 DOLLAR SIGNS

space to which you regularly retreat and regroup. But, generally,

Libra moves quickly and efficiently to secure a spot at a sophisti­
cated trading desk in some savvy, white-shoe firm.

The Scales as Salesperson and Fund-Raiser

Libra seems to show up and smile, and the sale is made. You
are so attractive in dress and demeanor that you stir a roomful of
people without even trying. Again, Venus is at work, instilling in
you a sense of peace, calm, and refinement with which all want to
associate. When you make your pitch, you never hammer people
with hard-sale tactics; instead, you dazzle them with delightful
words and a supremely persuasive and pleasant presentation.
Libra is the sign of relationships, and you effortlessly enroll oth­
ers in your initiatives.
You are not just a pretty face, however, and you always back
up all the finery with a fabulous intellect. Before any marketing
campaign, Libra carefully plans a perfect proposal. You collect all
the facts surrounding a sale, and the scales meticulously measure
each element. Then your superior cerebral processor spits out a
supreme strategy that pleases both buyer and seller. Libra always
searches for the middle ground, the place where both parties can
meet comfortably. You do not seek to pummel people with bad
products, and you are too honest to create demand through decep­
tion.
Venus is associated with steady and predictable trade, and
Libra sets out to facilitate the fair and frequent exchange of goods
and services. You are almost always reasonable, and you value
peace over profits. Libra sells and promotes as much for the op­
portunity to bring people and ideas together, in harmony, as for the
cash involved. Granted, you are out to build wealth, but you will
not do so by might. Luckily, Libra is such a compelling talker that
the profits come pouring in anyway!
On the other hand, Libra is adamantly averse to aggression and
can become supremely stubborn when pushed to the wall. Libra
 LIBRA 157

will drag out a deal indefinitely if forced to hurry decisions, and

such delays can be dangerous in delicate sales and fund-raising
campaigns. Sales often require a little bullying by the seller to
move things along, and Libra is not one to grapple. With some
time, you continuously come up with creative solutions to buyer
concerns, but you will not be rushed into quick compromises.
Where sales need a fast and furious push, Libra is wise to enroll a
Leo, Aries, or Gemini for the job.
With all her extravagant desires, Venus, logically, is the goddess
of money, and she provides you with an innate ability to lure lots of
loot. Because of your impeccable taste and refinement, others as­
sume that you know how to make good use of green. They feel that,
if they endorse you, somehow they will get some of your style, too.
Of course, you must be careful not to go overboard in your expres­
sions of elegance, or potential financiers might think you frivolous.
Although dressing for success has been proven to empower people
in business, you do not want to appear to be a financial fop, with
cars and caviar on your mind more than capital appreciation. Gen­
erally, you Libras are a magnet for money, as long as you do not in­
advertently imply that you already have too much.

Best-Suited Businesses
As an air sign, Libra is driven more by ideas and concepts than
by material matters. Although your artistic inclination attracts you
to the worlds of fashion, design, and beauty, you generally prefer
intellectual property to real goods. As the cardinal air sign, you sort
through the most complex subjects with mind-blowing intensity.
No one can match your ability to concentrate on and comprehend
humanity's deepest concepts, and you are masters of expression.
While Taurus services ruler Venus by providing her with ma­
terial comforts, Libra creates the strategies by which ideas and in­
dividuals come together to do business. Libra skillfully structures
collective efforts to achieve business goals, rallying requisite sup­
port with promotional panache. Although certain businesses, such
as fashion, jewelry, music, beauty, or publishing, provide you an
158 DOLLAR SIGNS

opportunity to incorporate an artistic or philosophical view into

the product, you generally get involved in strictly cerebral pur­
suits, such as consulting, law, and trading. To Libra, an ideal is as
real as an object and requires the same careful craftsmanship.
Because of exceptional analytical skills and sales abilities, the
Libra sign denotes a devastating deal maker. You not only bring
companies together for some common ·good, you also design in­
genious strategies by which they can operate more effectively. You
thoroughly scrutinize each company's workings and wants, and
you sense the imbalances in its business mechanics. Then you
deftly design deals where companies combine and complement
each other where needed. You shine with your prowess at making
presentations and smoothly sell all on the logic behind your plans.
Libra's need to unite and to harmonize works magic in the world
of investment banking and corporate mergers.
Commercial banking generally provides less diverse chal­
lenges and fewer deal-making opportunities for you Libras, but
you do excel at planning balanced saving and spending strategies
for bank funds. You still enjoy the analysis and research that are
required in commercial bank functions, though you miss out on
lots of the creative deal structuring and razzle-dazzle road shows
that you so love. Libra prefers the more innovative and prestigious
world of high-powered investment banking and venture capital,
but basic banking employs your Venusian sensibility about value
and security quite well.
Aside from the product businesses mentioned above, Libra's
flair for facilitating fair exchange makes him or her a helluva
wholesaler. Libra generally dislikes the grit and guts of manufac­
turing, preferring instead pleasant and peaceful surroundings in
which to contemplate deep subjects. But the business of whole­
saling excitingly engages your desire to network people in fair
trade. The scales are beacons of barter trade, where worth is bal­
anced and both parties receive equal benefit from the bargain. And
your ability to reap success through relationships powerfully pre­
pares you for prosperity in mass product wholesaling.
 LIBRA 159

Common Professions
Trading; law; consulting; fashion; beauty; music/art; publish­
ing; social/service corporations; science; politics/diplomatic ser­
vice; entertainment; interior design; ministry; catering/weddings

Ideal Investments
Stocks
Libra is both the speculative supertrader and the value investor
in one, and the stock market provides fertile ground in which to
sow the seeds of corporate success. Although Venus, through the
earthy manifestation of Taurus, seeks to accumulate value and
hold on, her incarnation in Libra realizes the wisdom of cashing
in when profits are at their peak. Because you Libras view all
speculative investment as an intellectual chess game, you do not
get emotionally attached to actual holdings or refuse to sell when
the timing is right. But Libra also recognizes the true value of a
stock pick, and, unlike the impulsive air sign Gemini, will hold on
indefinitely to realize full growth potential.
Libra is a superb analyst, who constantly compares stock data
and weighs them against other markets and economic informa­
tion. You do research by relating stocks to one another as well as
to other markets, and you do not buy a security unless it measures
up vis-a-vis your other options. You may point out the fundamen­
tal characteristics of various issues for hidden value and growth
potential, but you will not buy until you check out other possible
picks.
You Libras read everything you can get your hands on and,
somehow, you make masterful predictions about trends. Your nat­
ural understanding of human relationships enables you to pick up
quickly on the real needs and demands of the public, and you bet
accurately on how they will be served. As the planetarily poised
peacemaker, you readily spot solutions to what people really want,
and, in the stoc� market, you immediately identify those issues
that serve some significant new need and pay off in a big way.
160 DOLLAR SIGNS

Overall, you Libras have the capacity to be supertraders.

Somehow, internally, you sense imbalances within and between
markets, and you coolly size up the best values around. Although
you hate to be directly pressured into decisions, competition
sparks you to action. Your only real flaw is that you flounder when
it comes time to trade at all.
The following sectors hold particular appeal for Libra:

Beauty/jewelry Publishing
Fashion/retailing Hospitals
Banking Catering
Wholesaling Consulting
Entertainment Scientific research

Bonds
As is the case with stocks, you feel no special desire to in­
vest in bonds, unless they stand out relative to other markets at
a particular time. Unless you are a professional trader, bonds
generally do not provide enough pleasure or profit potential to
attract your interest as a Libra. You would rather put your
money into something that offers the possibility of greater re­
turns, in terms of dollars or senses. Libra typically prefers in­
vestments that have actual aesthetic appeal, like art, or provide
some greater social benefit.
Of course, however, Libras who look at trading as more than
an occasional stock or bond buy usually get hooked on compara­
tive analysis of the treasury markets. Not only do you enjoy the
constant "harmonizing" of interest rates and prices for all debt is­
sues, but the different durations of treasury securities provide fer­
tile ground for your analytical urges. Libra studies the activities of
the short-term treasuries versus the long-term issues and becomes
quite good at predicting where the real value is in the market at
any time.
Corporate and junk bond debt generally do not satisfy Libra.
With your eye for value, you would rather enjoy the growth po­
tential of equity than the steady income streams of corporate debt.
 LIBRA 161

And, where you desire a consistent cash return, you would sooner
go to the less risky treasury markets than to corporate debt. As for
junk bonds and other highly risky corporate debt, you distrust the
"bargains" that they offer. Libras truly believe that one gets what
one pays for, and "dirty" debt cuts against their affinity for high
quality.

Real Estate
You Libras enjoy real estate investments that offer pleasure
apart from profit, and your Venusian eye for beauty and calm
often attracts you to the world's most spectacular aesthetically at­
tractive escape locales, well before they become crowded hot
spots. Your need for peace and harmony attracts you to such heav­
enly havens as a means of basic survival. And you thoroughly
enjoy the areas in which you invest. Then, as the crowds catch on
and drive up your property's price tag, you recognize the ideal
time to sell for a handsome profit. Real estate as a passive invest­
ment just does not register with your advanced sense of logic. You
are always conscious of the fact that you can invest the same dol­
lars in a property from which you will receive added returns in
terms of pleasure.
Libra usually does not do too well with handyman's specials,
however, as you cannot tolerate less-than-attractive surroundings
for very long. With Venus's sense of beauty and refinement un­
derlying all you do, you become depressed and even physically ill
in dirty, unkempt environments. Libras need an orderly and bal­
anced atmosphere, and they seek out those spots that are elegant
scenically as well as socially.

Luxury Goods
Luxury goods are inherent in the Libran way of life, and you
have a knack for knowing high quality when you see it. You are the
sign of good taste and cultivation, and you require physical beauty
to keep your senses intact. So Libras cannot help but spend lav­
ishly on the best life has to offer and would sooner go without than
compromise their aesthetic ideals. Ruled by Venus, Libras have a
162 DOLLAR SIGNS

particular flair for fine art and jewelry, and exquisite antiques
bring them physical and psychic pleasure.
Luckily, Libra is a careful researcher who usually does not get
taken at Tiffany's counter. You rarely rush into purchasing any­
thing, and you instinctively identify market demand for high-end
items. In all undertakings, you look closely at each option and
weigh it against other choices. Libra responds to herd activity and
catches on to trends that will increase the price of even luxury pur­
chases. So the scales usually get the most for their money. Libra
is almost never flashy and does not buy items that come with a
luxury price tag simply because of some fad. But you do take full
advantage of opportunities to speculate even on luxury buys.
Though you relish your Renoir, you readily sell it for profits when
the market so demands.
Just remember, Libra, food on the table is usually more essen­
tial than a van Gogh on the wall. Sometimes you can go overboard
with your need for luxury living, and you find yourself asking
friends to spot you twenty for lunch. You do not need to spend a
lot to keep up your impeccable image, and quality can come more
cheaply than you sometimes think. Your sense of style comes
through in your stature and expression, regardless of your fancy
trinkets. Concentrate on your philosophies as much as your finer­
ies, and you will maintain both a balanced mind and bank account.
 LEADERS AND
LUMINARIES
Milton Bradley
SCORPIO CORPORATE
Bill Gates RAIDERS AND
Ted Turner
INSIDE
Hillary Clinton
Martin Scorcese INVESTIGATORS
Mark McCormack
Larry King OCTOBER 24-NOVEMBER 22

Scorpio is ruled by Pluto, planet of death, rebirth, and the se­

crets of the underworld. Needless to say, your sign is a pretty
heavy trip, and you exude an undercurrent of power that people
both fear and respect. Unlike your predecessor, Libra, you rely
on no one but yourself, and you tend to be completely self­
contained and reserved. You are suspicious of those around you,
and you make excellent investigators, figuring out people's mo­
tivations long before they even know your name. Then, rather
than openly vying for control, you rule from the subconscious
and direct everyone as you desire. The Scorpion has the might
to save or destroy, to which people naturally, though unwit­
tingly, respond.
You are the corporate raiders of the zodiac, and you streamline
business to ultimate efficiency and success. Heroic endeavors and
constant crusades are your forte, and you perform the most pre­
carious business deeds to test your skills. Ruled by Pluto, you are
driven by the tension of death and destruction, and you accept
such challenges head-on, particularly in bankruptcy situations and
restructurings. You understand the necessity of total annihilation
164 DOLLAR SIGNS

in order to build anew, and, considering the fact that your guide,
Pluto, is also the ruler of nuclear power, you get some idea of the
kind of energy with which you are endowed.

Entrepreneurship
As the sign of regenerative energy and procreation, Scorpio is
quite adept at starting from scratch. With Pluto at your back, you
exhibit your greatest strokes of excellence in matters of life and
death, and you thrive on crisis. Historically associated with the
powers of the underworld, Scorpio is comfortable dealing at the
crossroads of light and darkness, or success and failure. Certainly,
start-up enterprise affords you ample opportunity to demonstrate
your daring, and you deliberately steer toward such business
struggles to test your strength.
Even though you remain cool and calm in your method of at­
tack, others seem to sense your iron willpower and deadly com­
petitive sting. Consequently, you easily attract OPM (Other
People's Money) and short-term venture capital for your endeav­
ors. Not only do you exude complete confidence,• but your hyp­
notic intensity also seems to rally people to your side. And you
typically succeed in entrepreneurship by sharing the risks and re­
wards with an attractive ally. You have a talent for pooling re­
sources to achieve optimal efficiencies, and you lead your troops
with unfaltering courage and conviction.
However, you Scorpions typically involve yourselves in re­
structurings rather than completely new enterprise. Unlike fast
and fiery Aries, your style of success is slow and controlled, and
you see no need to blast through brick walls. Scorpions under­
stand life's cycles very well and are completely comfonable wait­
ing for the right time to eventually achieve their goals. So you
do not push new ventures with the same frenetic force of fire­
throwing Aries, and you take control slowly but surely over time­
unless the threat of destruction is knocking at your door.
When confronted with an ailing enterprise, Scorpio secretly
revels in the opportunity to heroically harness the destructive
 SCORPIO 165

forces and create new life. You expertly extract the cancer cells
from the afflicted company, then rebuild a leaner, meaner opera­
tion with what remains. Whereas Aries has all the blind ambition
and optimism to give birth to brand-new ventures, you Scorpions
are drawn instead to the death-defying task of business resurrec­
tion.
Scorpio is stealthy rather than outwardly forceful. Your sting is
deadly, so you preserve it for eleventh-hour rescues rather than
pep rallies and launch parties of new enterprise. Because your en­
ergy is so intense, you plan to preserve it for only crucial business
bailouts in which real lives are at stake. Until then, you control
things coolly from behind the scenes, where you investigate and
expose bad business practices. Scorpio is too private to pitch and
promote completely virgin ventures and prefers to solve the mys­
teries of existing operations. In fact, you are antientrepreneurs of
sorts, in that you often completely kill off business to make room
for new life. When the damage to a company is beyond repair, you
break down the enterprise completely and salvage what you can of
the remains.
Scorpions usually stay out of the traditional entrepreneurial
spotlight, especially if they can join forces with a showboat type
who enables them to remain in their protective shade. You Scorpi­
ons are the secret detectives of the zodiac, and your prefer to lurk
behind the scenes where you can rule from the intuitive realm. You
are entrepreneurial in drive and dedication, but you seek not to ex­
pose yourself in your quest for success.

Risk Profile
As mentioned, Scorpions are ruled by Pluto, the planet of
death, and their innate understanding of life's natural cycles in­
stills in them a calm that is difficult to shake. Ironically, you
have a tendency to self-test your steady demeanor with a contin­
uous stream of high-risk business long shots. Because you are so
completely cognizant of the forces of utter destruction, only an
extreme crisis truly tests your strength of will. You know, at
166 DOLLAR SIGNS

every turn, the worst that can happen, and nothing seems too un­
bearable. So you take on the highest-stakes games around. With
your intrinsic knowledge of the life-death cycle, you have com­
plete confidence in your ability to overcome any obstacle or set­
back, and you believe fully in a mysterious, yet certain, course
to success.
However, you are not in any way cavalier or casual about the
challenges you undertake, and you exercise utmost care and plan­
ning in your dealings. Just as nuclear power requires utmost con­
trol and care, you take equally prudent precautions to avoid total
annihilation in your risky business ventures. You are naturally
guarded and paranoid, so you generally do not rush into specula­
tive enterprise. You need time to trust anyone or anything, so you
rarely make reckless investments. And the Scorpion is sly enough
to get others involved to share the risk. Rarely do you put your
own money into a venture, as you find it so effortless to raise out­
side cash for your crusades.
Scorpio is the sign of passion, however, and occasionally
will risk it all, beyond reason, for a worthy cause. Where you
sense that a business is being squeezed out unjustly by an un­
scrupulous competitor, you will jump into the fray with little
hesitation. The Scorpion needs some constant battle to feel ful­
filled and to experience the Plutonion home of intensity between
life and death.
Unfortunately, because of your depth and your daring in the
face of destruction, you are more likely than most other signs to
fall prey to deviant business practices and self-destructive behav­
ior. Although a healthy Scorpio strives to solve legitimate busi­
ness puzzles and to bring ailing enterprise back into the light, this
sign has a proclivity toward addiction. So some of you get hooked
on the mere adrenaline of risk, and you seek solely the highs of
shady enterprise. You put all reason aside and plunge into the ul­
timate dangers of black market goods and underground schem­
ing. Just as a safe measure, Scorpio is advised never even to
entertain discussions about illicit trade or dealings with corrupt
individuals.
 SCORPIO 167

Investment Style
Scorpio is the business raider. You look for weakness in an en­
terprise that you can exploit for great profits. The Scorpion
watches and waits for an ideal opportunity to strike. You know
your sting is deadly, so you do not waste it on every potential busi­
ness prey that comes your way. Instead, you case your surround­
ings and identify an ailing investment with some underlying
salvage value. Scorpio is the killer of business, actually, and acts
to eliminate company waste and bring operations back down to
basics. You never act on impulse; instead you plan your coup care­
fully, often employing outside support in your strategy. Then you
attack ruthlessly, taking your prey by storm. Once your target is
trimmed to its most essential elements, the Plutonian transforma­
tion and regeneration can begin.
You are famous for hostile takeovers and leveraged buyouts
(LBOs), where you sell off company assets for a profit, pay down
huge debt, and leave the operation streamlined and stripped of any
dead weight. These business practices so well illustrate the Scor­
pio style of investing that they must have been invented by some­
one born under this sign (note: Teddy Forstmann of Forstmann
Little, the famed takover firm and heavy user of LBOs, is a Scor­
pio). You Scorpions hate to put up your own cash for investments,
so you develop a knack for raising creative debt financing for your
business endeavors. In a leveraged buyout, you actually are able to
pledge the underlying assets of the target company as collateral
for the very loan that will be used to take over that same company.
Scorpio businesspeople thrill at such opportunities to participate
in risk with little money up front. Because you take on such bold
ventures, you find it foolhardy to tie up all your assets in any one
prospect. One warning flag to which Scorpions must pay heed, in
fact, is the tendency to borrow so excessively that they spend all
their investment income on interest payments rather than growing
substantial holdings.
Scorpio likes troubled, cheap investments that are about to
make a turnaround. While others are afraid to enter depressed
168 DOLLAR SIGNS

markets, you spot the bottom in prices and courageously jump in.
Scorpio shrugs off the fear and dejection in a sold-off market and
buys in bravely as prices bottom. You have an eye for revival po­
tential, and you buy early and simply wait for the markets to catch
on to the value you possess. Then you sell out for handsome prof­
its. Like Mars, Pluto does not compel you to hold on to your in­
vestments but instead prompts you to sell as soon as profits are at
peak. Pluto is the planet that forces change through natural life cy­
cles, and, as your ruler, it tunes you in to such rhythms in your in­
vestments and enables you to play them profitably, you hope. Of
course, some of your highly risky prospects never make it out of
the mud, and your investments in the restructuring arena vacillate
between big hits and total wipeouts.

Investment Horizon
In investments, Scorpio gets involved either in restoration or
destruction activity of business and assets. And, depending on
which side you are playing, your investment horizon vacillates be­
tween quick and dirty and long and fruitful. On the. one hand, as a
fixed sign, Scorpio tends to buy and hold investments to achieve
true value. And you are sufficiently patient to put off your pur­
chases until such value opportunities arise. This is the restorative
side of Pluto, your ruler, and you buy into enterprise that appears
undervalued or ailing and enjoy the ride back to prosperity. When
you enter such situations, you hold on until profits are achieved,
which could be years, and then sell out as true worth is achieved.
Scorpio has no sentimental attachment to holdings, and you play
the natural cycles of price highs and lows with little emotion.
Because you understand death as the natural and inevitable
flip side of life, you have no qualms about exploiting ruthlessly
the downside of markets and corporate activity. You readily play
markets that are crashing, and you will invest in hostile takeovers
for a quick and dirty profit.
Scorpio is not, however, so swift in action that she or he steers
toward day trading and fast speculative markets. You are too pre-
 SCORPIO 169

occupied with the life-and-death, dramatic moves of investments

and markets to involve yourself in every minor blip that comes
across the trading screen. So your investment horizon usually
spans at least the days or weeks required to execute an asset ac­
quisition or an equity investment in a corporate takeover. You are
more value investor than avid speculator, so you do not regularly
need to jump in and out of the fray of frenetic markets. Even when
you are playing markets solely for speculative purposes, you usu­
ally get in for the big cyclical moves rather than the minor techni­
cal price spasms.

Negotiating Savvy
When negotiating with a Scorpio, one can almost feel the
Scorpion's stinger hovering silently overhead, waiting to strike.
Not only is there no room for debate, but your opponent feels as
though each and every nervous utterance might mean the end of
discussions. Your cool, reserved manner, coupled with your un­
derlying intensity, immediately intimidate your adversary. With
inner confidence and a hypnotic stare you take control of your op­
ponent's emotions. And, realizing the futility of trying to snow a
Scorpio, your foe soon confesses more than is strategically sound.
You are a detective at heart, and you masterfully manipulate op­
ponents through what they thought were their hidden motives.
The Scorpion rarely initiates an outright attack on adversaries
but, instead, asserts control with cool nonchalance. You maintain
an impenetrable poker face, and your true intentions remain a
complete mystery to your adversary. You say little to reveal your
desire to win, and you catch others completely off guard. Just
when they think they can flatter you or pull a fast one on you, you
nail them from the least anticipated angle.
You Scorpions, on the other hand, are always prepared, and
you assert your demands with a sly speech that sways rather than
confronts. With stirring yet controlled passion you mesmerize
your prey into submission. You and your opponents are always
aware of your poisonous stinger, and you both treat it with fear
170 DOLLAR SIGNS

and respect. Occasionally, under extreme circumstances, you will

unleash the fiery emotion that smolders beneath your skin. And
your flare-up completely annihilates anything in its path. Whereas
Mars, ruler of Aries, battles only until goals are met, Scorpio,
once triggered, stops at nothing short of an absolute wipeout.
Scorpio's energy is best utilized to uncover hidden objectives
and weaknesses in an opponent's argument. But, when you want
to reach a quick, comfortable settlement of clashing issues, your
style is probably too extreme. Scorpions just cannot help taking
everything to the most dramatic levels of life or death, and, in ne­
gotiations, tend to destroy their adversaries where all that's re­
quired is a gentle nudge.

Partnership Decisions
Although you initially frighten others with your guarded man­
ner, you prosper most profoundly in partnership. You are fiercely
loyal, as well as team oriented, and you only work with people you
like. As is true of all Scorpio does, you become very intense in
your relationships, and you move mountains for th_ose you invite
into your inner circle. Consequently, you amass truly devoted ad­
mirers who want in. But, due to your passionate persona, you
badly fear being hurt by those you allow to get close. So Scorpio
is extremely slow to trust and develops a standoffish, "don't mess
with me" persona. Partners communicate for you in the outer
world and play the social games and graces you so despise. And,
throughout astrological history, the house of Scorpio has been
known for financial success stemming from partnership and joint
ownership of assets.
While you Scorpions scare away the masses with your no­
nonsense style, an accommodating partner can promote the posi­
tive side of your business brawn. Sales and marketing spread your
ideas to millions, but they require a lighter style and sometimes
frivolous finesse that scorpions frankly cannot feign.
Scorpio is very much a one-on-one type of person who holds
values and self-respect above all else. The impersonal fray of busi-
 SCORPIO 171

ness dealings often eats away at you, and you prefer to stay behind
the scenes with those you can trust. Scorpio remembers every
slight and snide remark and finds it difficult to interact with those
he or she dislikes. So Scorpions look to outgoing messengers to
perform the everyday functions of enterprise. And you rely on
partners who can play the role of diplomat while maintaining their
consistency with you (which usually rules out Gemini and Sagit­
tarius).
Cancer and Pisces often become your long-term, trusted
mates, and they provide you with an emotional home base in the
brackish business world. Tauruses, with their dedication and no­
nonsense drive, also prove to be loyal partners for you. And, fi­
nally, Aries often teams well with Scorpio. T he outgoing Aries
spirit is a good match for your more stealthy approach to business,
and both signs share a passionate sense of business heroism that
drives you toward similarly grand business goals and challenges.

Work Style
You Scorpions have a strong enough will that you do not need
a strict regimen to keep you in line. Your work style is calm yet ef­
ficient, and your methods of accomplishment usually remain
somewhat of a mystery to all. You are secretive in your work
habits, and few really know how you do what you do. But your
output is of such high quality that people learn not to probe too
deeply. You do not demand a lot of attention, and, in fact, you erect
a certain wall of privacy. You do like to investigate the affairs of
others, however, and you often find yourself at the heart of office
intrigues. But you set such a stellar example of self-control and
achievement that everyone gives you space to do your own thing.
The Scorpion requires little outside guidance to attack targets,
and you instinctively develop innovative approaches to your prey.
Your energy is fixed and cool, meaning you calmly and deliber­
ately set your objectives. And your intent does not sway. Scorpio
is known for great composure, and, rather than running off in sev­
eral directions, patiently awaits the ideal opportunities to act. You
172 DOLLAR SIGNS

do not set out to break down walls, but instead you calculate
placid, subversive overthrows. You almost never act impulsively,
and, though you may appear to ignore some angle of your advance
at any given time, you covertly monitor all your grounds. You
Scorpions remain levelheaded and even-tempered at all costs, and
your successes seem to come off so smoothly as to appear to be
divine events rather than disciplined struggles. However, you are
always on guard, and you are both scheming and sensible. Scorpi­
ons appear laid-back and unthreatening while they craft the most
diabolical coup d' etats. And anyone who relaxes his or her guard
around the Scorpio competitor long remembers the sting.
Scorpions are careful and precise, and, though their desks may
appear to be cluttered and their files a mess, their work area ex­
udes a sense of smooth, steady activity. You are extremely re­
sourceful, and you can work effectively under even the most
trying circumstances. Whether you are in a large organization or a
small start-up operation, you Scorpions adapt and adjust your at­
tack to the environment you are given. Because you are so sure of
your ultimate success, you do not rush to achieve your goals. You
build a strong infrastructure of teammates and allies, and you
move your forces forward with finesse rather than fight. Of
course, when pushed in an extreme emergency, you Scorpions will
unleash your bottled-up reserve of surging emotion and will anni­
hilate all problem areas in your path. People sense this deadly side
of the Scorpion, however, and they generally avoid any action that
might trigger it. The subconscious fear you arouse, coupled with
your obvious organizational talent, result in a work style that few
understand but all revere.
The Scorpion style can unnerve those who do not understand
your subtle yet supreme power. Some people, particularly Leos, do
not easily accept the mystery of your strengths, and such outwardly
aggressive individuals attempt to steamroll over the Scorpion. You
are a team player, and those who selfishly promote only themselves
make you see red. But upheavals against such types usually undo
you, in part, as well as your adversary. So, unless it's absolutely
necessary, keep your venom in check for the real disasters.
 SCORPIO 173

Work Environment
You Scorpions will carve out some calm oasis in the work­
place and will allow only those you like and trust to enter your
boundaries. The Scorpion work environment is usually the most
placid, smoothly run area in the organization, and you strive to
keep it that way. Whether you are a unit of one or one hundred,
you do not tolerate embarrassing emotional displays or commo­
tion. And you expect co-workers to keep their tempers in check.
You do not need a high-profile office or position, as long as you
are given some definite domain of responsibility and a cause in
which you truly believe.
The Scorpion's work area is rarely the big, sunny office with
the bright colors and cheerful music. In fact, your space often is a
bit dark and dusky. A certain melancholy and drama pervades the
Scorpion office, and personal items define the feel more than any
particular decorating style. Family photographs are the main at­
traction in your space, followed by mementos of past and present
personal relationships. Everything in your office has a story be­
hind it, and you thoroughly enjoy reminiscing with visitors about
each object. Without someone to clean up after you regularly, you
tend to stockpile papers and items long after they are useful. But
the Scorpion needs constant references to the past to plan his or
her next moves into the future.
Ruled by Pluto, you radiate an intensity of purpose in all you
do, and you constantly seek greater efficiency from your group.
Yours is not an area for the fainthearted, as you value in truth and
reason over sentimentality. Scorpio will not falsely flatter to in­
spire or wrongly criticize to tame. You are honest and value ori�
ented, above all else, and you expect the same from co-workers.
Scorpions are team players who require dedication to the group
over individual agendas. You will promote your allies as you pro­
mote yourself, when such action is warranted. But you do not be­
lieve in stealing the spotlight or showboating, because, in your
view, true talent always, in its own time, comes to the fore.
You deal best in close one-on-one relationships as opposed to
174 DOLLAR SIGNS

superficial encounters, and your work environment usually fosters

lasting, loyal friendships. Though Scorpio will work in any size
organization, in order to be content, he or she needs some steady
group with which to move beyond casual interactions. Scorpio
needs to pry into co-workers' personal lives and problems to feel
comfortable with them. As your ruler, Pluto, controls the under­
world of the subconscious, you are forever fascinated by people's
inner desires and motivations, and you always adopt the role of
resident shrink in your workplace.
Unlike Aries or Gemini, Scorpio needs no outer turmoil to
make her or him feel alive. Your inner passions provide plenty of
fuel to drive you, and your grand purpose is more efficiently
achieved through disciplined action than disarray. Hyperactive,
nervous types unsettle you, and you prefer more emotionally
grounded individuals to share your space. Water and earth signs
usually make comfortable office mates for you, although fire
signs can be your eyes and ears to the latest action and excitement
out there in the world.
Finally, Scorpio does not require specific direction or struc­
ture to figure out how to add value to an organization. You are
such clever investigators that you uncover weak areas and devise
plans to address those needs. You Scorpions need neither positive
reinforcement nor fearful threats to motivate you, and, left to your
own devices, you contribute greatly to any group you join. You
will tolerate strict corporate guidelines while you are paying your
dues, but, ultimately, you expect to be afforded the leeway to ad­
dress issues as you see fit.

The Scorpion as Manager

As the master of the underworld, Scorpio has a subtle, yet
strong, grip on people's emotions. Although others do not under­
stand your power, they sense that they should watch their step
around you. The Scorpion seems to understand life's cycles, and
you exude confidence and control in even the most volatile busi­
ness environments. Although you do not blatantly take charge of
 SCORPIO 175

situations, people look to you for guidance in times of crisis. No

one is more courageous and calm than Scorpio in the face of utter
destruction, and you inspire absolute awe at all levels of the cor­
porate hierarchy. You learned very early on to control your own in­
tense emotions, and, therefore, you maintain the same even keel in
failure as in success.
You Scorpions are ferociously protective of earned turf, but
you keep your ambition hidden. You quietly wait for your oppor­
tunity to strike, and, when you get an opening, you do not miss.
Your sense of timing is your trump card, and you play it with pre­
c1s1on.
Aside from the occasional Scorpion ambush, the Scorpion
management style is sly and subtle, and rarely do you raise your
voice. Others feel the stinger hovering overhead, and they usually
pay you immediate respect. You do not throw rank in subordi­
nates' faces, and you work as hard as all the rest of your team. But
never should your co-workers let their guard down around you.
You Scorpions can be ruthless when you recognize weakness, and
you will not sacrifice efficiency for popularity.
You Scorpions have the ability to delve into others' souls while
maintaining a wall of secrecy around yourselves. Granted, you use
your understanding of your group's deepest desires to manipulate
them as you wish, but few could ask for a more sympathetic boss.
Scorpio picks up on all surrounding moods and emotions and re­
sponds to them accordingly. This style is a welcome break from
the hard-driving, often callous demands of the Leo's style of au­
tocracy.
Admittedly, Scorpio is controlling and needs to know exactly
what everyone in his or her group is up to. From the most minute
details of daily business to the master vision of your group, you
keep a continuous and careful watch over all aspects of opera­
tions. Somehow, though, you respect your co-workers' sensitivities
enough that you do not hound them with inane requests. You are
not sticklers for punctuality or set hours, and you know when it's
time to take a break. But, when a job needs doing, you expect all
to buckle down and contribute equally. You distrust flattery and
176 DOLLAR SIGNS

fluff, and you run your operations honestly and efficiently. Scor­
pio believes in complete meritocracy, and those who do not cut it
simply do not survive.
You are a fair boss with a compassion that comforts, but you
never forget a slight. Those who let you down will never be for­
given, and you may even stage a vendetta against them. Once the
Scorpion mind is made up, nothing can change it, and enemies re­
main in the penalty box for life. Others sense the ruthless coun­
terpart to your passionate loyalty, and only a fool dares to cross
you. The mere thought of being treated with disrespect so disgusts
you that you will carry a grudge around for years until you find
the ideal opportunity to launch a surprise attack against the un­
lucky offender.
The biggest danger to the Scorpion manager is the temptation
to engage in intrigue, corruption, and compulsive behavior. Your
tendency toward secrecy and underworld activity can lead you into
the depths of deviant business practices and underhanded deal­
ings. Sometimes Scorpio gets so intrigued by the "dark side" of
enterprise that she or he becomes one of its active participants.
And you are so stealthy and sly that you seem to get away with
your indiscretions. But the destructive side of your ruler, Pluto, al­
ways catches up with you and completely wipes you out.

The Scorpion as Employee

The Scorpion is a stellar employee, with the self-containment
and poise of a seasoned professional. Although you remain a bit
of a mystery to all arou�d you, you display self-motivation and
initiative well beyond your years of experience. You take complete
responsibility for your successes and failures, and you never at­
tempt to pass blame for your mistakes on to others. Scorpio is at
once fearless and deferential, and even your enemies above and
below you on the corporate chain of command learn to show you
respect.
Scorpions are completely aware of hidden agendas and
masked motivations, and they expect and accept no favors on their
 SCORPIO 177

climb to the top. You are totally certain of your own potential, and
you believe that the choice to succeed or fail lies completely
within you. Consequently, you do not need outside compliments
or support to achieve the goals you set for yourself.
You Scorpions always keep an eye on some unknown distant
target, and your inscrutable impulsions make you somewhat
frightening to co-workers. Others sense that the present game is
not enough for you and that any day you could surprise them with
a resignation and a total change of course. Those who need to
know the concrete reasons behind your actions do not fare well
with you. Pry though they may, they will never expose your true
agenda, and many cannot stand such secrecy.
Scorpio employees are cleverly calculating, however, and
know how to make their self-paved road to success a bit smoother.
You are not afraid to eat crow on the way up, because you are so
confident of your path. From a power position, you will tolerate
no slights, and you will be ruthless in your revenge against those
who wrong you. But, on the way up, you accept the authority of
those who butter your bread, and you withstand even their rude
and wrongful behavior while they sign your paycheck. As em­
ployees, you Scorpions know that you cannot be so quick to anni­
hilate those above you. You are shrewd, and you see that certain
superiors are needed to advance your position. So, Scorpions
weigh the price of every action and submit coolly to those who
have some grip over their goal seeking.

Spending Style
On the one hand, you Scorpions, as a fixed sign, are calm, cau­
tious, and careful in your expenditures. Rarely do you jump into
an unresearched purchase, and you generally seek true value in
your investments. However, the other side of Scorpio is marked by
a potential for bankruptcy, which stems from the Scorpion ten­
dency to overextend finances and develop gambling addictions.
Always at odds and always struggling for turf in your business
psyche, these opposing pulls are the productive and destructive
178 DOLLAR SIGNS

polarities of your ruler, Pluto. Both need to be monitored con­

stantly and carefully to assure secure financial status.
Scorpio, generally, is not one to throw cash around. You typi­
cally are patient purchasers who buy undervalued goods and hold
them until they rise to their true level of worth. With any luck,
your buys appreciate to their appropriate prices in a reasonably
short time and you sell out for a pretty profit. Unfortunately, often
your purchases do not rise to proper levels for a long time, and you
have a tough time letting go before profitability. Because you ha­
bitually finance your spending with debt, you tend to get caught
in serious credit crunches. If returns do not materialize for a very
long time, you actually can go bankrupt. Scorpio is the sign of ex­
orbitant borrowing against assets, and you must constantly avoid
the temptation to take on impossible debt levels. When your in­
vestments do not pay off readily, your cash flow gets eaten up by
interest payments rather than smart spending.
Scorpio does have an amazing ability to get others to put up
the cash for her or his investments, though. Rarely will you pay up
before checking to see if anyone else will kick in dollars first.
"Why use my money when others might pay?" you ask. Though
this can annoy your friends, such an approach maintains the
meatiness of your wallet. At your best, Scorpions are the masters
of OPM (Other People's Money), and you often do not even put
up the majority of the cash that yields you your profits. Scorpions
often invest jointly to share the risk of any given venture and are
masters at pooling resources to make purchases beyond their indi­
vidual means and desired risk exposure.
In addition, Scorpio generally does not fall for fads and does
not buy frivolously for the sake of fashion. You are too single­
minded and sensible to splurge on passing whims, and you delib­
erate long enough before buying so that novelties wear off before
they cost you. You generally spend on old, hidden assets, which
can turn a quick profit for you if they appreciate as anticipated.
You do not rush into your buys, and your style generally keeps you
out of the poorhouse.
On the negative side, however, the Scorpion attraction to the
 SCORPIO 179

occult and your desire to investigate underworld practices can land

you in the middle of serious gambling debt. Not only are you pre­
disposed to compulsive behavior by nature, but the secrecy of il­
licit trade truly intrigues you. So Scorpions do well to employ
trusted financial advisers to keep them on the spending "straight
and narrow."

Trading Abilities
You Scorpions do not move with the speed and stamina of the
supertrader, but your exceptional research skills and sense of cy­
cles make you a master timer of major market bottoms and prof­
itable turnaround prospects. With powerful Pluto, planet of life
and death, guiding you, you have a feel for true revival potential
in investments. Whereas other signs will not defy the widespread
negativism and enter depressed markets or companies, Scorpio
confidently identifies the life that is beginning to emerge anew.
You jump on the budding action wholeheartedly, before the
masses catch on, and then you sell out for a quick profit when the
crowds have pushed prices to a peak. Pluto, your ruler, like Mars,
ruler of Aries, trades for the quickest possible profits. As soon as
the expected move is complete, you sell and collect your pay.
Holding on to trades beyond their natural course makes no sense
to the sign of life's natural rhythms.
Your planetarily divined interest in cycles, however, slows you
down a bit in trading. You carefully investigate unusual market
phenomena, and you move in and out of positions much more
slowly than your predecessor, Libra. You are thorough analysts,
and you prefer to load up the ship on a few major moves rather
than jump frantically in and out of market "noise." The emotional
hysteria of markets rattles the intense Scorpion concentration, and
you prefer a more controlled approach to price movements. While
other signs, like Aries, feed off the very energy of market activity
to trade, you prefer to stay off the exchanges and in the back of­
fice, where you can search for trading clues in your obscure charts
and price histories. Always preoccupied with life's undercurrents,
180 DOLLAR SIGNS

you are more interested in the engines underlying price move­

ments than in the resultant activity on the trading floor. You are in­
genious investigators of hidden market forces, and you are often
the first to make sense of highly bizarre trading patterns.
As the sign of debt financing, you are not afraid to trade on
margin, which increases the bang you get for your buck when you
do enter a trade. The Scorpion is cool and calm in the face of de­
struction and does not mind the high level of risk that margin buy­
ing entails. Of course, you Scorpions tend to become excessive in
your leveraging, which can bankrupt you over the long term. So
you should employ a broker who restricts your margin trading to
only the most well-researched, short-term plays.
Because you Scorpions so hate to put your own cash at risk in
investments, you especially enjoy acting as brokers. As brokers
you are able to participate in the decisions that drive markets,
without spending a dime. You are the sign associated with pros­
perity through shared resources, so such agency functions serve
you well. In addition, as your ruler, Pluto, instills in you an ap­
preciation for the life-and-death phases of all earthly activity, bro­
kering enables you to serve as a facilitator of such cycles. You take
a commission out of other people's profits or losses, whether mar­
kets are rising or falling, and you promote the natural rhythms of
trading activity.

The Scorpion as Salesperson and Fund-Raiser

The Scorpion is an imposing, frightening creature to most, so
sales functions are not the most natural fit. Not only do you seem
guarded and tough, but you are so emotionally cool and controlled
that people are taken aback by you. The Scorpion's body language
clearly states, "Don't mess with me," whereas selling usually re­
quires a more welcoming, warm demeanor. You Scorpions simply
detest emotional displays, and even smiles are difficult for you. To
potential clients, your cool style translates as snobbery, indiffer­
ence or self-serving secrecy.
In addition, the forthright Scorpion style and commitment to
 SCORPIO 181

truth often intrude on your desire to make a sale. Scorpio sustains

strong viewpoints, and you do not compromise your beliefs for
anything. Though you often remain stoic and silent when in dis­
agreement with someone, if asked your opinion, you will pull no
punches. Scorpio speaks the naked, often brutal truth and deeply
distrusts flattery. You will not butter up sales prospects, but, in­
stead, you will sting them with the solemn truth as you know it.
Although your delivery may be calm and carefully calculated, the
blatant truths you put forth tend to paralyze your listeners.
On the bright side, Scorpio, you do exhibit plenty of promise
in the fund-raising forum. While sales requires a flexible style
with which the fixed Scorpio soul cannot comply, fund-raising
provides you with a fixed podium from which you powerfully
promote your passions. Your self-control and pristine planning,
mixed with your mesmerizing mastery of people's emotions and
moods, totally captivate an audience. Your intensity of emotion
fires forth from your speech, and your obvious inner strength in­
spires teams of support. Few can escape the hypnotic haze you
unleash on unsuspecting financiers. And your sixth sense for the
subconscious allows you to fashion your pitch precisely accord­
ing to the moods and motivations of your potential backers.
Without even knowing your listeners' intentions, you seem to
know just the right phrase and demeanor to strike their specula­
tive cash chords.

Best-Suited Businesses
Whether your medium is minerals, metals, management, mor­
tar, or medicine, your planetary calling is transformation and re­
birth. As mentioned, your ruling planet, Pluto, is the planet of
death and resurrection, and you carry such proclivities into your
professional pursuits. Whether you transform raw materials into
saleable products or sleepy old companies into streamlined, savvy
new ventures, you Scorpions kill off bad business to make way for
progress. Any business dealing with rehabilitation, remodeling, or
restructuring attracts many a Scorpion. And not only are you en-
182 DOLLAR SIGNS

amored of the cyclical process of business, health, and life in gen­

eral, but you are also the saviors of the zodiac.
Scorpions are not tied to product or service industries, per se,
though they tend toward transformations of the material order.
Therefore, many born under your sign are leaders of refining,
mining, and other areas of heavy industry, where they strip down
raw materials to their most basic form and then create anew some
useful product. Similarly, you Scorpions lean toward serious re­
search jobs, where you investigate the transformative processes of
chemicals, biology, technology, and the like, and develop useful
output that transcends the utility of the various inputs. Many Scor­
pions enter the realms of psychology and surgery where they in­
vestigate and diagnose people's psychological or physical
conditions and then pare away the destructive elements to allow
for improved health. Whatever the matter, Scorpio changes it for
the better, though his or her touch might carry some sting.
In financial realms, Scorpio is the master of the hostile
takeover and restructuring arenas. You thrive on ailing companies
that have gotten too fat and unhealthy to survive. Scorpio enters
by force, if necessary, and amputates inefficient areas. Then you
rehabilitate the remaining entity to stronger standing. On the flip
side, you effect mergers and partnerships to promote growth
when individual constituents are too weak to prosper on their
own. And, when the business simply is too far gone to save, Scor­
pio provides gains through the death of the company. That is,
Scorpio specializes in bankruptcy, as an investor as well as a prin­
ciple in a dying company. Whatever the specifics of the deal at
hand, Scorpio enters to pare down to basics the elements of the
entity. Then you use your transformative powers to rebuild a bet­
ter machine.
Perhaps the most vivid examples of Scorpion-laden businesses
are nuclear power and waste management. These businesses are
the essence of the Plutonion powers of total destruction, on the
one hand, and far-reaching, potent transformation, on the other.
Nuclear energy is the conversion of basic elements into colossal
power, with the attendant possibility of complete annihilation.
 SCORPIO 183

And the recycling of toxic waste into benign matter is another

awesome transformation of matter, with a similar undercurrent of
extreme danger. These industries deal at the Plutonian crossroads
of life and death. Scorpio is planetarily propelled toward these
dramatic arenas where utter devastation constantly looms over­
head, but the courage and control required breed modern-day sav­
iors. Industries that demand any less than superhero strength and
daring do not do it for the passionate Plutonian in you.
The downside of all that Plutonian power is, unfortunately,
corruption, organized crime, underground gambling, and other il­
licit dealings. Pluto, in its destructive mode, can manifest itself as
an addiction to the occult or an attraction to black market busi­
ness, prostitution, and pornography. Watch out, Scorpio, for the
constant calling of these terrfiying territories!
In fact, an unusually large percentage of American presidents
have been born under a Scorpio sun. The job description of the
president certainly contains the savior-destroyer dichotomy so at­
tractive to Scorpio, and few other positions provide the potential
to control countries with such superhuman subconscious string­
pulling.

Common Professions
Private investigation; heavy industry; rehabilitation/restora­
tion; mining; refining; research/science; surgery/medicine; psy­
chiatry; corporate raider; bankruptcy specialist

Ideal Investments
Stocks
The stock market is home to a lot of savvy Scorpio investors.
You have an uncanny ability to pick undervalued companies and
imminent turnaround candidates, and you make big bucks on such
bets. Scorpio is not a speedy speculator who cuts in and out of fast
markets with total trading talent. But you are extraordinary value
investors due to your ability to detect companies' hidden assets
184 DOLLAR SIGNS

and concealed worth. Scorpio sees beyond obvious financial data

and business environments and delves into the heart of the stock's
secret potential. Scorpio also gets behind corporate intrigue and
rumors and plays them beautifully in the market.
Scorpio also finds cycles fascinating and has a good sense of
general trends in the marketplace. You are diligent researchers of
market mechanisms, and that, combined with your feel for sub­
conscious undercurrents, enables you to spot market turning
points with amazing accuracy. Unfortunately, you often miss op­
portunities to trade on your insights because you move too slowly.
Scorpio is a bit of a control freak and does not like to act under
frenzied, rushed conditions. Because markets often take new di­
rection in less than orderly ways, Scorpio sits out lots of winning
trades. But, in the long run, you do pick major trend moves, and
you are not afraid to sell out readily when your profit levels are
posted.
The industries in which Scorpio's stock picking is most suc­
cessful are:

Mining/refining Surgical devices

Gambling Nuclear energy­
Research and development­ research
scientific and medical Waste management/
Heavy industry/ recycling
manufacturing/distribution Insurance

Bonds
Because you Scorpions so hate to spend your own cash on
anything, you become close and careful followers of debt financ­
ing. You borrow frequently for personal purposes, so you develop
a good feel for interest rate cycles. Your own experiences in seek­
ing loans sensitize you to the levels at which people part with their
money, and you detect when rates are unsustainably high or low.
As you become major manipulators of debt financing, in fact, you
Scorpions tend to get overleveraged yourselves. And a nice way to
provide for the interest payments on your debt is to build a solid
 SCORPIO 185

bond portfolio to yield returns commensurate with your regular

payouts. Because you seem to get caught consistently in cash
crunches, you also are astrally advised to stick to the shorter end
of the bond market, from six-month T-bills up to five-year T-notes.
Scorpio also loves the corporate debt market and particularly
prefers the dicey world of bankruptcy debentures. As in the stock
market, Scorpio has a knack for hidden value assessment and
spots cheap issues that are poised to turn a quick and considerable
profit. You enjoy digging behind the scenes of corporate crises and
questionable business situations to uncover the true operations
and assets at hand.
Bond markets can be Scorpio's best bet or worst wipeout, de­
pending on your ability to manage your cash flow in light of
your debt holdings. Bonds generally provide nice, steady re­
turns, in contrast to your highly speculative bankruptcy invest­
ments and risky turnaround targets. But Pluto forces constant
utilization of your money supply, and, if your cash is not at work
promoting growth and progress, your ruler tends to kill off wast­
ing wealth.

Real Estate
Real estate provides Scorpio the perfect physical canvas on
which to work his or her transformative magic. Scorpions move
slowly and seek control of their environments. And property
proves to be precisely the solid ground you seek. You take time to
investigate thoroughly behind every wall, and you accurately as­
sess any hidden worth in a land area or structure. Scorpio sees
when weak structures are covered by fancy facades and rarely gets
taken. And, conversely, you identify buried value in even the most
rundown pieces of land or property. Then you transform them for
a gargantuan gain.
Once again, with regenerative Pluto at your back, you Scorpi­
ons pick up broken-down buildings and overrun acreage by their
bootstraps. And, whether restoring historic homes or refurbishing
shopping malls, Scorpio brings new life out of old property. You
are so effective that you often tackle entire cities with ingenious
186 DOLLAR SIGNS

urban-renewal projects. And your knack for raising needed out­

side financing serves you well in securing mortgages.
In matters of real estate, your forthright, no-nonsense style is
greatly trusted and appreciated, and the values you present speak
for, and almost sell, themselves. Scorpions love working dili­
gently behind the scenes, analyzing, fixing, developing, and im­
proving the basic elements they are given. Details do not deter
you, and you carefully and coolly manage all the daily concerns of
property upkeep.
Just remember, Scorpio, that you tend to overextend your dol­
lars, and numerous mortgage payments are sure to eventually sap
your cash streams. Choose your deals with an eye on your entire
portfolio, and employ partners to share your risk and regular real
estate financing responsibilities.

Luxury Goods
Few Scorpions are flamboyant, and you generally limit your
luxury purchases to fine artwork and antiques rather than the
day's hot high-end products. The Scorpion likes to remain re­
served and quiet, and flashy, show-off items serve you no
purpose. As is true of your personal appearance, your luxury pur­
chases exude a silent grace and understated value that blossom
gradually over time. You are much more people of substance than
of image, and you find the high-flying fops absolutely foolish.
Your homes are the real focal points of your luxury buying, but
associated with each purchase is a personal story that transcends
the high price tag. And, though you tend toward acquiring antiq­
uities, you continually �ix in contemporary items to keep current
and full of new life.
Your ruler, Pluto, is a planet of cycles, and drawn-out though
such movement may be, you are constantly in a state of flux.
Therefore, you are constantly on the prowl for underperforming
luxury prospects that you can buy low and sell high. You are not
averse to change, and you geographically relocate with each of
your many lifestyle changes. Because you do tend to move around,
too many valuables can seriously weigh you down. And your pas-
 SCORPIO 187

sions reign supreme over personal, physical luxuries. So Scorpio

usually fares best with a select few prize possessions, and a prag­
matic approach to such purchasing. As mentioned earlier, you
tend to stretch your dollars to the extreme, and a few unfettered
luxury buys can break your financial backbone.
 LEADERS AND
LUMINARIES
Andrew Carnegie
SAGITTARIUS INTERNATIONAL
Walt Disney ENTREPRENEUR
William F. Buckley
AND PROMOTIONS
Steven Spielberg
John F. Kennedy, Jr.
POWERHOUSE
Jane Fonda
Margaret Mead NOVEMBER 23-DECEMBER 21

You create quite a stir as you sweep around the globe with your
bold ideas and boundless energy. Fearing any job that ties you to
a desk, Sagittarius runs at full throttle on the enterprise highway.
You are usually extroverted individuals with a fun-loving manner,
so you seek high-profile careers that put you in the center of the
latest action. Your symbol is the gallant centaur, who is no meek
fellow, and you confidently blaze trails in your chosen, far­
reaching fields of business.
Because nothing ever really measures up to your ideals, you de­
velop a great sense of humor and seem to take life as it comes. But,
your laid-back attitude masks a cutting intellect that plays to win.
You seem to be enjoying yourself too much to be stressing over
success, and others assume you are just plain lucky. But, under­
neath your party-person facade, you calculate your actions
precisely and fire with precision when it counts. Ruled by mag­
nanimous Jupiter, planet of growth and expansion, Sagittarius is a
progressive thinker with a brilliant business imagination. Your en­
ergy is mutable and fiery, meaning that your actions and words are
bold and uninhibited. And you learn and adapt from your mistakes.
190 DOLLAR SIGNS

Entrepreneurship
Few signs demonstrate such obvious entrepreneurial flair as
the dashing centaur. You are independent minded and you move
with the speed and strength of a horse. In fact, while few profes­
sions provide enough space for you to run in, entrepreneurship is
custom-made for your high adrenaline level and restless energy.
You are planetarily programmed to work sixteen-hour days, and
you thrive on the risk and uncertainty of uncharted waters. Be­
sides , Sagittarius's expansive imagination finds an outlet in few
other forums, and his or her advanced ideas fly high above the
heads of traditional thinking. In all honesty, Sagittarius, you so de­
test an authoritative atmosphere and corporate confinement that
you have little choice but to branch out on your own.
Sagittariuses are endowed with exceptional intuition, and
they endorse hunches with such fervor that others feel sure that
they hold some special secret of success. Whereas other signs re­
sist action until they have ensured that their visions are not just
passing delusions, Sagittarius charges into the danger of the un­
known. You love the taste of competition, and you,are a crusader
at heart, always rebelling against any kind of convention or
stuffy societal stigma. The centaur eagerly lunges forward with
little inhibition. And, when you hit walls you simply correct your
approach and try again. Like fellow fire sign Aries, you are am­
bitious enough to trample on some toes, and you never run from
a fight or challenge. Sagittarius needs cash to lead a free-spirited
lifestyle, and you are set to spar for it. You have high ideals and
far-reaching philosophi�s that inspire much of your enterprising,
and the smell of green sends you thundering through the entre­
preneurial thicket.
Possibly the biggest threat to successful Sagittarian entrepre­
neurship is your fierce phobia of lost freedom. You centaurs often
associate responsibility with a ball and chain, so you fail to com­
mit yourself sufficiently to achieve success. Until you Sagittar­
iuses learn that obligation can buy greater growth and freedom,
you needlessly place yourself in shackles of unfulfillment and fi-
 SAGITTARIUS 191

nancial distress. The centaur who runs without solid conviction

loses focus, footing, and funding.
When your behavior turns skittish, you become clumsy and
absentminded, and you lose your entrepreneurial edge. Al­
though the centaur tends to surf opportunity on the basis of gut
instincts, frenetic starts without consideration of consequences
can land him or her in hot water. The Sagittarian big-picture vi­
sion is usually strong enough to see you through some sec­
ondary oversights. But, when your course continually wavers,
neglected daily business details can wipe you out. Coupled with
a propensity to promise more than you can possibly deliver,
your credibility begins to spiral downward. Before you can
catch your breath, the shores of success have faded from the
horizon.
Your ruler, Jupiter, is just about the size of a full-fledged star,
and such abundant energy translates into lady luck. Sagittariuses
do get to play a little closer to the fire without getting burned. But,
remember, there is a limit, and you must maintain commitment to
feel the full heat of your enterprising engine.

Risk Profile
Whether risking it all at a roulette table or on the wheel of life,
Sagittarius is the gambler of the zodiac. Again, the feel-good
forces of your ruler, Jupiter, instill in you a faith that everything
will always turn out fine. So the centaur charges headlong into
high-stakes happenings with the bravery and optimism of a child.
Your eyes widen at the sight of action, and you are well into the
game before you even consider the consequences.
You act on your excellent hunches and perceptions, which
seem to serve you quite well. Sagittariuses embrace the changes
that they face at each step on their business road, and they realize
early on that predictions about the distant future are foolish. So
you concentrate on the matters of the day and leave tomorrow up
to the cosmos. Because you rarely have any set plans for the road
ahead, you stay open to the opportunites that present themselves
192 DOLLAR SIGNS

daily. And Sagittarius does not move in subtle ways. When you
commit to action, you burst forth at full throttle.
Whatever the risk level of the activity, Sagittariuses run in at
top speed, and the sheer force of their action often sees them
through the initial scares of speculative endeavors. While other
signs hesitate and back off at the first indications of turbulence,
the centaur swims steadily toward the white water. While more
timid types get tossed about as they attempt to retreat to their in­
vestment mainland, you stay your course and often reach fruitful
hidden shores. Of course, you periodically get washed completely
out to sea, but you live most comfortably by this code of high risk,
high reward.
In fact, you only seem to suffer when others attempt to bridle
your energies. As other, more conservative types convince you to
slow your pace and push less powerfully, you feel yourself getting
sucked under. The ways of the wiley tend to cramp your natural
rhythms and anchor you to the deadening confinement of the
harbor.

Investment Style
The Sagittarian investment style does require some outside su­
pervision, as you would just as soon avoid the whole subject if left
to your own devices. You Sagittariens, frankly, couldn' t care less
about investment portfolios, and you put off such concerns as long
as possible in life. The centaur would rather concentrate on today's
fun and adventure than on tomorrow's potential problems. But,
eventually you learn that your travels will be neither sweet nor ex­
pansive without the backing of a comfortable financial cushion.
So you enter the investment arena with a skeptical resistance to
the forces that rule there. Once you make the leap into the invest­
ment corral, you find it less painful than you imagined. But get­
ting you to mind investments is like breaking a wild stallion.
Just as your ruler, Jupiter, strives to swell to a full-grown star,
you constantly look for growth. So in your investments, you set
your sights on growing enterprise and value that is soon to see an
 SAGITTARIUS 193

upsurge. As the leader of optimism, along with Aries, you are the
first to buy into what others deem hopeless. Then you sell as the
surge reaches a peak. Sagittarius loves change and does not get at­
tached to his or her holdings. In fact, you really enjoy the freeing
feeling you get from selling. So Sagittarius generally buys to sell
or simply sells short.
You Sagittariuses are never slow in your investment activity,
and you find danger and hair-raising escapades utterly exhilarat­
ing. You make excellent, though erratic, traders once you develop
some modicum of methodology to protect you against complete
clean-outs. Sagittarius is a big-picture investor who fails to focus
on intricate daily trivialities. You play for the big moves, and you
play boldly. If you can curb your fear-nothing foolhardiness and
gamble with some sense of control and responsibility, you pro­
duce unparalleled profits. But beware of the barrage of little hits
that can bankrupt those who let every passing passion prompt
them to action.
Once you get the hang of the investment rodeo, you get totally
into the game. But your wild nature is never truly tamed, and you
tend to overdo your investments. While fellow fire sign Aries fo­
cuses a flamethrower on its prey, then moves on to something new,
Sagittarius tends to spread a little bit of flame onto almost every­
thing that crosses her or his path. Expansive Jupiter urges you to
amass wealth through your financial crusades, but the planet
knows little restraint. So the biggest struggle for the Sagittarian
investor is knowing when to stop. The centaur skillfully spots an
active trend and saddles up to ride it to big returns, but the real test
lies in the dismount. Unfortunately, the enthusiast in you wants the
ride never to end, so you go for just one more move. Before you
realize you 're too strapped to manage the next hurdle, you go
down with your mount.

Investment Horizon
The centaur lives for the action at hand and enjoys changing
course with the wind. You are quite moody, and you rarely know
194 DOLLAR SIGNS

how you will feel about your positions from one day to the next.
So short-term investments are your forte. Sagittarius does not like
to scheme and strategize about the distant future. Your energy is
short-lived and changeable, and you prefer to preserve it for the
immediate plays. Because you are so attuned to the latest action,
you have a knack for targeting trends and picking up tips in the
hub of activity. So you profitably play the short-term markets, pro­
vided you do not get piggy.
The centaur usually will need someone to lay long-term
financial foundations. You just cannot stomach the passive plea­
sures of long-term planning and conservative capital apprecia­
tion. And, even when you buy lasting investments such as real
estate, you cannot resist the urge to sell them when the markets
heat up. You are not sentimental about your holdings, and you
seek stimulation over security. So at any given moment, a short­
term market rally can send Sagittarius scrambling for cash. You
will auction off everything from nest-egg bond holdings to heir­
loom jewelry to play the day's hot movers, so you typically need
someone with farsighted focus to preserve the long end of your
portfolio.

Negotiating Savvy
No other sign combines such a fun-loving, popular appeal
with such a poisonous arrow. You exhibit a sometimes careless, if
not clumsy, demeanor, which conceals your highly evolved intel­
lect. For those who can remember, television's detective Lt.
Columbo depicts well the Sagittarian negotiator, who will go off
on tangents with seemingly inane stories, only to sum up with a
puncture-proof proposal to solve the issues at hand. While daily
details seem to dance right by you, you never miss crucial facts.
You are like a radar screen for relevant data, which you gather and
process continually throughout each day. The centaur is on a con­
stant quest for knowledge and enlightenment. You are the philoso­
phers and inquisitors of the zodiac, and you gather heaps of handy
information to back up your every move and mindset. So, when
 SAGITTARIUS 195

others challenge you, you superbly educated Sagittariuses simply

blow them away with a bazooka of factual backup.
While at first you joke around and relax everyone with your
approachable attitude, you turn on your torches when they
threaten your cause. Sagittarius is a tactless negotiator who spares
no feelings or facades. You are completely above ground in your
arguments, and you hold back no hits in destroying your oppo­
nent's position. The centaur is totally turned on by the heat of a
heady battle, and quickly takes out targets with bold, blunt body
blows. You do play, but you play to win.
Of course, Sagittarius will not come out swinging right at the
bell. You first employ your persuasive prowess and powerful intu­
ition to reach a peaceful agreement. Your comforting style and en­
joyable joking can turn the hardest adversary into a lasting social
buddy, who will compromise some turf to be in business with you.
And, even when your charms do not stir a smile, you Sagittariuses
often play on intuitive insights to peacefully win a battle. You have
excellent judgment, and you pick your shots carefully and craftily.
Sagittarius quickly surmises which battles are potential wins and
which ones are best left to compromise. The centaur is part animal
who can sense its prey's nerves from a mile away.
Sagittarius sniffs out puffery and pretense in the cleverest of
con artists and exposes their hidden motives with such embar­
rassing accuracy that they shakily succumb to any demands. Be­
cause of your ability to put people at ease and then expose their
innermost motivations, at your convenience, many of you Sagit­
tariuses have masterful legal minds. You do seek ultimate truth in
yourself and others, so you are not unfair in your attacks. Sagit­
tarius just cannot abide injustice and detests dishonesty more than
most other human frailties. Your clever intellect, driven by your
high ideals, cuts through any fluff in your opponent's argument
with little concern for diplomacy.
Where Sagittarius errs in negotiations, in fact, is in his or her
desire to achieve unattainable goals. You get so caught up in your
concepts of perfect solutions that you tend to forget about the fea­
sibility of carrying out such measures. You often promise more
196 DOLLAR SIGNS

strength and output than you alone ever can supply, and you risk
losing face when you fall short of your promises. As in everything
you do, you tend to overextend yourself, hopelessly, so that you
risk becoming the dilettante who rarely delivers.
Furthermore, your forthright manner can dangerously disturb
touchy negotiations. Where just a touch of finesse is required to
nudge a skittish agreement to a close, the mere sight of a steamy
Sagittarius storming toward the door can blow all discussions to
smithereens. Although you are rarely aware of the fire of your
frankness, your burns run deep. Where tact and diplomacy are
needed to fine-tune a fragile agreement, send in a Libra as a sub­
stitute for the sassy Sag!

Partnership Decisions
Although your ruler, Jupiter, is the planet of social connection
and growth through relationships, Sagittarius is indefatigably in­
dependent. The centaur works to join people for the sharing of
ideas and concepts or the completion of some business purpose.
But you fear lasting one-on-one commitment. Such ties represent
to you a loss of freedom, and you have difficulty finding individ­
uals you think can fly with you through your series of idealistic
initiatives.
Sagittariens are usually very popular and, typically, are talka­
tive extroverts who inspire a crowd of admirers. But, as much as
others want to partner with you, the responsibility of such unions
seriously scares you. You are certain that your needs and desires
will change, and you do ,not want any excess weight on your back
as you travel into your new adventures. Sagittarius often fails to
learn that responsibility and commitment can ultimately buy
greater freedom. And even when you catch on to the power of
partnership, you maintain a cautious distance from most of those
who want to join your team.
On the other hand, you can learn that a partner can tend to all
the messy details of your imaginative endeavors. While you brain­
storm and trailblaze, your trustworthy partner can tie down the
 SAGITTARIUS 197

loose ends of actually running your business. Sagittarius hates to

be tied to a desk, but someone needs to stay and mind the store.
While you need to be constantly on the road, various other signs
are thrilled by the throes of office work and management. Sagit­
tariuses are not responsible enough when it comes to cash flow
and mundane business concerns to keep operations running
smoothly. So you often need someone to cover the practical details
that so depress you.
Although Aries and Leo make for fabulous, fiery friendship
with the centaur, you generally require more grounded business
partners to complement your skills rather than compete with them.
Fire and air signs, generally, will want to be out in the social eye
as much as you, and you need someone to tend to the operational
nitty-gritty. Low-profile personalities make perfect mates for the
flashy, spotlight-starved centaur, so you gravitate toward Capri­
corns and Tauruses. These earth signs are strong enough to handle
Sagittarius's wavering moods and outspoken style. The bull and
the goat do not get ruffled by your sudden outbursts and your in­
explicable excursions. And they blast you back in line if you stray
too far off course. Otherwise, Capricorn and Taurus merely mind
their own matters and keep things running smoothly. These sign s
need no audience, and they are shrewd enough to know that the
benefits you will bring back from your travels will well make up
for your erratic escapades.

Work Style
Centaurs require a flexible structure in which to conduct busi­
ness, and their personal work style is usually unorthodox. You
Sagittariuses put 100 percent into all your duties, and you expect
others to give you rein to run as you feel fit. Sagittarius is not the
most prompt worker of the zodiac, and you often appear slightly
disorganized and disheveled. But your underlying game plan and
mental planning are right on target. You centaurs move with star­
tling speed through all assignments, and you take full responsibil­
ity for your accomplishments and errors.
198 DOLLAR SIGNS

The superb Sagittarian imagination summons up big plans

with big potential, and you expect co-workers to seriously con­
sider your ideas. You do not accept any business at face value, and
you request that others explain the rhyme and reason behind work
at hand. Your inquisitions can be annoying to others, but you pro­
vide such a steady flow of excellent suggestions that few complain
about your questioning.
Admittedly, you Sagittariuses often plan work better than
you perform it. You tend to brush over trivial matters and ad­
dress only those that fully engage your energetic intellect.
Rather than closing in on one project at a time, the centaur com­
monly scatters energy toward several subjects at once. And you
often promise to deliver far more than is humanly possible. But,
anyone who dares to get on the centaur's case about such minor
mishaps will receive a sure hoof to the head and door in the
face. You Sagittariuses will not tolerate for long those who
question your capabilities, and, rather than whine or complain,
you promptly pack your bags.
You are no angel, and your work style unnerves conservative,
methodical types. You tend to be a free-form performer, and your
gestures always seem to sway toward the sublime. Sagittarius
storms in and saves all from utter destruction one day, and blows
up the storeroom the next. Your successes and failures are equally
spectacular, and only those with an appreciation for adrenaline
truly encourage your absolute freedom of action.
The centaur needs to stage small rebellions against conven­
tion and control. Unlike Aries, who thrives under clear direction,
you instinctively challenge orders and demand to do things your
own way. You are the warring crusader who wants no help in
pulling off your performances. You need to come and go as you
please, and those who try to get in your way typically get tram­
pled, or, worse yet, ignite your terrifying temper. Sagittariuses
can scare away the devil with their fits of anger, which usually are
triggered only when their integrity is challenged. You are ambi­
tious, and you tend to trample on a few toes. But your sense of
honesty and truth is your highest ideal, which, if questioned, will
 SAGITTARIUS 199

set off a Sagittarian earthquake. Any authority figure who looks

too suspiciously at a Sagittarian subordinate will soon suffer the
centaur's storm.
Fortunately, others learn that your thunder passes as quickly as
it comes. After the storm Sagittarius then feels ugly for having un­
leashed such venom, though no one but he or she can so com­
pletely clear the air with quick-witted humor and a clever joke!

Work Environment
Sagittarius seeks a work environment with plenty of room to
run. You cringe at the mere thought of confinement, and you get
physically ill when designated to daily desk work. You detest dis­
plays of authority, and conventional corporate hierarchies give
you hives. You are a creative warrior who likes to mix plenty of
pleasure with performance, and you need the flexibility of style
and schedule to allow your mind to work its magic.
You are very generous with time and effort, and you truly care
about the work and people you report to each day. So you demand a
reciprocal sense of communal care from your workplace. When you
discover that others are playing by their own rules, at the expense of
basic moral conduct, you feel terribly betrayed. You will not tolerate
possessive people who carry secrets and selfish motives to the job,
and your winning ways perish in the face of pessimism. You centaurs
see life as humorous, and you inject healthy doses of wit into your
office environment. You often are the office prankster, and you al­
ways like to send a sly chuckle through everyone's workday.
You spend so little time actually sitting at your desk that you
usually do not invest too much time and effort in office decor. Al­
though you like work space to be bright and sunny, you require no
ornate antiques or artwork. The standard Sagittarian workplace is
rather spartan, with just a few personal photos and possibly a post­
card or two from exotic foreign lands. As you dash in and out, pa­
pers tend to pile up on your desk, never to be filed. And, of course,
you always have stacks of books and magazines piled in some cor­
ner. Your space rather resembles a weigh station, where you breeze
200 DOLLAR SIGNS

in and out but never really settle in. The centaur is too busy out
stirring up business to bother with mundane, menial matters of
management memos and office design.
If forced to spend much time in an office, Sagittarius prefers
a newsroom setting, trading desk, D.A.'s office, or the like, where
people and information move around freely and action abounds.
The centaur needs a stage and can always attract attention in such
open environments. You need to be learning, constantly, to be truly
content, so you seek atmospheres free of thick corporate walls and
stifling, polite conduct. Sagittarius encourages open outcries and
a fair amount of unbridled expression. You might be accused of
encouraging crass behavior, but you are the most colorful, fun­
loving, well-informed people around!

The Centaur as Manager

The Sagittarian manager is fair and fun, yet the centaur is not the
traditional candidate for the job. You are too busy chasing down
ideals in exotic lands to concern yourself with employee time cards
back home. Sagittarius is more a teacher and motivational figure­
head than a hands-on manager. You cheerlead for your team and sup­
port optimism and creativity. Though you try to assume a royal
demeanor when giving orders, your instructions are always so rea­
sonable and your obvious nature so friendly that few feel that you are
even delivering direct demands. And, ultimately, you run your show
like a democracy, which wins you big points with your people.
You shoot off your mouth constantly, and you tend to preach
to your people. But yo�r dissertations are so full of uplifting in­
sights and educational instruction that you captivate your audi­
ence. The downside of your wisdom and keen perception is your
frightening frankness. Sagittarius holds honesty in the highest re­
gard, and despises deception. The centaur shoots directly at the
chest, and you maintain completely above-board communications
that afford no room for the fainthearted. You do not mean to be
cruel or harm anyone by your cutting comments, but the centaur
simply sees no value in less than absolute truth.
 SAGITTARIUS 201

Though your manner may be tactless and your style some­

times sloppy, the Sagittarian mind does not miss a beat. Not only
do you exhibit excellent intuition, but you also absorb and retain
a library of useful knowledge and facts, which you offer as backup
to all your decision making. The centaur may appear casual in
style and structure but his or her intellect never slacks off. You
promote high standards, and you deftly distinguish between work
behavior that is right and wrong. Others might consider you right­
eous, in fact, but your high-minded opinions are usually right.
Overall, the centaur is a daredevil manager who leads workers
into all sorts of exciting adventures. You often are on the road or
moving about, searching for exciting new ideas and projects to
bring home to your following. And you encourage constant
changes in the work routine to provide for new growth. You are not
the type of leader who holds hands or precisely monitors perfor­
mance. And your department may, at times, lack clear direction.
But you teach your group how to think creatively and you cheer
them on to greatness.

The Centaur as Employee

You centaurs are easygoing, upbeat employees who feel like
good-luck charms to any group you join. Sagittarius generally is
cheerful and generous and entertains everyone with all sorts of
stories about wild adventures, brilliant books, and treasure-laden
travel spots. You are not humble, and you will be the first one to
boast about your successes. But you usually display such a sunny
disposition that people overlook all your outspokenness. The
Sagittarian employee will criticize an employer's new haircut, in­
terrupt co-workers' sentences, and regularly forget minor business
details. The centaur also will childishly promise, on a daily basis,
to deliver the world, offering all sorts of startling new ways to con­
duct enterprise. Nothing about you is small or demure, and your
successes and screw-ups are equally extraordinary. Of course, you
can be quite moody, and your active intellect can drive others to
drink, as you question the meaning and method behind every
202 DOLLAR SIGNS

minor matter. But, overall, everyone recognizes that, beneath all

your bravado and bumbling, a winner lurks.
Although you are customarily casual, and sometimes careless,
in your work routine, the big stuff never gets by you. Your sense
of logic exceeds that of most other signs, and you practice your
reasoning by sparking debate, frequently, about philosophy, reli­
gion, and ideals. When problems require quick solutions, people
count on you to provide valuable insights. Furthermore, you cen­
taurs are excellent judges of character, and your hunches are so ac­
curate that they border on the eerie.
You Sagittariuses do everything fast, and, as long as you do
not try to overdo it, you accomplish more, successfully, in one day
than most can pull off in a week. But you centaurs sometimes get
too revved up for your own good. When you spread your energies
too thin, you become a dangerous live wire. Not only do you be­
come testy and tense, but you accomplish nothing well. You cen­
taurs frequently offer much more than you can deliver. Then you
curse those who call you on your promises. Because you would
never run from a challenge or ask for help, you run around like a
maniac and upset everything in your path. Granted, you are capa­
ble of heroic feats, but you just appear flaky when you offer peo­
ple the outrageous.
Finally, anyone who hires a Sagittarius should know that her
or his talents do not come cheap. You centaurs are not interested
in long-term incentives and deferred bonus potential. "Who
knows what tomorrow will bring?" you ask. You want your money
now! And cash is king with you centaurs, who need the financial
freedom to participate in the day's adventures. You are generous,
and you will sacrifice an occasional bonus when times are tough.
But Sagittarius cannot stand stinginess. And employers who want
to retain you Sag superstars had best fuel your financial fire!

Spending Style
Well, centaurs, everyone has a weakness, and spending money
is yours. Cash seems to slip through your fingers, and, try as you
 SAGITTARIUS 203

may, you just cannot conceive of long-term saving strategies. Just

as you spread your energies too thin, you stretch your green be­
yond logical limits. Money is important to you, but you just can­
not resist an impulse buy or a loan to a friend. Before you get your
paycheck to the bank, you have scattered your week's pay into all
sorts of fleeting fancies. And, not only do you nickel-and-dime
yourself to empty pockets, but you tend to take enormous risks
with large portions of your net worth.
Although not all Sagittariuses run to Las Vegas to roll the dice
with their life's savings, they do make larger wagers in their busi­
ness dealings than they can comfortably sustain. The centaur is
prone to plunge into any exciting venture or trading activity with­
out fully considering the consequences. In truth, you play to win,
and you do quickly calculate the odds before you commit. But you
do not realistically measure the setbacks to which you expose
yourself. You rationalize your risk as a few nights of eating in until
your next big hit. And, like all gamblers, you always take it for
granted that you are in control and that you will get back on top.
You are naive about money and, silly as it sounds, you centaurs
probably need to be kept on an allowance to keep your spending
sprees in check. Sagittarius moves so speedily and fears so little
that he or she takes on heart-stopping risk in the course of a casual
conversation. Luckily, you hit the jackpot at least as often as you
wipe out. But, just for peace of mind as you near your leisure
years, get someone to provide for your nest egg. You cannot be
trusted with the conservative portion of your portfolio, so find a
financial planner who will automatically set aside and grow a
healthy portion of your green.

Trading Abilities
You are a spectacular trader, though your style is much more
volatile than the cool grace of Libra or the control of Leo. Sagit­
tarius puts everything on the line, on a hunch. And, somehow, you
win more often than you lose. Could you be blessed with such
lightning-quick reasoning skills that your planned decisions ap-
204 DOLLAR SIGNS

pear to be mere luck? Or is giant Jupiter guiding you through your

hair-raising trades? Most likely, both Jupiter and your masterful
mental processing are at work in your speculative successes.
You centaurs absorb information like a sponge, and you recall
relevant facts, with amazing clarity, when reasoning through an
issue. Sagittarius is highly inquisitive and passionately pries into
market mechanisms and economic data. Somewhere between
looking at a chart on a screen and discussing a potential market
turnaround with a colleague, you get an intuitive urge to put on a
certain trade. While you are only semiconscious of the rationale
behind your action, you spit out correct calls, and, almost miracu­
lously, you make money!
As with your spending habits, however, you must refrain from
jumping into every trade that catches your eye. The centaur often
gets greedy and tries to take on too many markets at once. You lose
your clarity and conviction when you so scatter your energies. And
then you find yourself scrambling to bail out of all kinds of bad
trades. Sagittarius needs constant variety and change, so go for
short-term moves. But do not take on all markets at once!
When trading with discipline, you Sagittariuses are terrific
trend trackers. You buy into markets when everyone else has lost
heart. Then you ride the soon-to-follow upsurge to swift and sub­
stantial profits. And you do not hold on to your buys a moment too
long. You love to sell (and to move on to the next thing!), and
whether you buy to sell or sell outright (sell short), your timing is
just right. Sagittariuses do not get attached to trades or investments,
and, when profits ripen, they embrace the change and get out.
You do not search for the obscure trade that comes and goes in
some thinly played market. Sagittarius always does best where the
activity is greatest. The most popular issues peak your interest,
and because you are so attuned to the latest trends, you get in just
before their major price moves. With Jupiter, the planet of expan­
sion, guiding you, you are drawn toward issues with real growth
potential and mass appeal. You have a sense for the hot flavor of
the day, and, if your efforts are not scattered in too many direc­
tions, you sense the moment the taste gets stale.
 SAGITTARIUS 205

The Centaur as Salesperson and Fund-Raiser

The centaur lives to crusade for a cause and thrills at bringing
a business vision to the masses. As mentioned earlier, your ruler,
Jupiter, is the planet of growth and expansion, and your natural in­
clination is to magnify everything you touch. And sales efforts
certainly are the battery behind business enlargement. In addition,
your fondness for the actual selling process means that you are
destined for the sales road. Sagittarius can imagine few functions
so sweet as traveling around the globe with the purpose of grow­
ing a worthy enterprise.
With your fiery spirit and fun-loving enthusiasm, you easily
attract everyone's attention and present your pitch. Sagittarius is
such an inspirational speaker that many of you eventually make a
living at it. Not only do.you hail both the high ideals and the prac­
tical potential behind your wares, but you exude such a winning
spirit that everyone wants to do business with you. As the saying
goes, sales are not about selling a product, they're about selling
yourself. And you Sagittariuses put on Grammy-winning perfor­
mances. Like Aries, you use your forthright sex appeal to the
fullest, subconsciously flirting your way into people's favor. All
in all, you present your ideas so energetically, and you back them
up so readily with facts, figures and lots of flair, that potential
clients are totally floored by you. Though they do not always un­
derstand exactly what you are talking about, you sound so smart
and seem so confident that they just want to buy into whatever
you have.
Your promotional enthusiasm stems, in part, from the joy you
derive from the business travel. The centaur forever needs variety
and the opportunity to learn constantly. When on the sales road,
not only do you feel completely independent, but you find all sorts
of people and places to entertain your active mind. In fact, the cen­
taur rules the realm of international business. Sagittariuses hit for­
eign soil with all the enthusiasm of a child, and they get more out
of such work, both in profitable sales numbers and personal
growth, than any other sign. Your quick mind picks up foreign Ian-
206 DOLLAR SIGNS

guages quickly, and, before you leave for home, you are ordering
breakfast in the native tongue. The potential clients you visit find
your interest in their culture flattering, and they often invite you
into their homes. Getting the final sale out of them after you have
taken their kids out fishing usually is a mere formality.
You are best suited for sales functions in which you act as a
broker, getting investors out of their posifions as well as into them.
Sagittarius more thoroughly enjoys inspiring people to act than
planning their long-term stategies. So, in the investment game, you
much prefer to work both sides of the buy-sell equation, regardless
of your clients' profits or losses. Again, the centaur's desire to
avoid responsibility guides his or her professional path. Advising
people about what investments to buy implies an accountability for
their welfare, which ties you down psychically. You Sagittariuses
would rather facilitate a storm of transactions than burden your­
selves with the obligations inherent in lasting sales commitments.
One problem area in the centaur's stockhouse of sales skills is
his or her desire to do too much. Sagittariuses not only try to do a
deal a minute, if left to their own devices, but they push projects
that they have not sufficiently scrutinized. Whether ·you are sell­
ing products or raising funds, you must bridle your urge to make
every pitch that pops into your head. Otherwise, not only do you
bum out present and potential clients, but you lose credibility.
If you can discipline and direct your enthusiasm, you Sagittar­
iuses lead the list of fund-raising legends. With a little careful prepa­
ration and thought, the centaur can win the endorsements of even
the biggest tightwads. You are particularly adept at raising funds for
charitable institutions and educational causes, where you can incor­
porate your own passionate ideals and interests in your pitch.

Best-Suited Businesses
Sagittarius tends to travel light and move around frequently.
Therefore, you generally prefer the service sector to product ped­
dling. The centaur needs a great deal of variety and hates any sort
of strict work routine. In addition, you require constant mental
 SAGITTARIUS 207

stimulation and opportunity for creative thought. Unfortunately,

most product manufacturing requires a much more focused, repet­
itive process than you can stomach. Although after the products
have been made, of course, you find plenty of exciting opportu­
nity in advertising, marketing, distributing, and exporting the
goods.
You are a promotional powerhouse, and whether you push
products or services, you hit the sales trail with an earthshaking
blast. The centaur thunders across the map like a whirlwind of en­
thusiasm and energy. You delight in the freedom of the road, and
you get a fabulous education from the foreign lands you visit. Al­
though one-on-one relationships are difficult for you, you are a
global humanitarian. You are the spark behind all sorts of social
causes and philosophies, and you save many a charity from going
under.
You seek professions with a large stage and global reach, so
publishing and communications attract many of you centaurs. As
a writer, advertising executive, publishing agent, or magazine ed­
itor, you enjoy the constant flow of new ideas and opinions that
cross your path. The hustle and bustle of deadlines does not shake
you, and you enjoy following the very latest thoughts, interests,
and events that the world has to offer.
Sagittarius, though you may not admit it, you need a lot of at­
tention, and you are no behind-the-scenes player.· So many of you
also end up in the entertainment industry. Needless to say, the va­
riety of people and projects in the creative industries thrills you,
whether you are in front of the camera, behind it, or counting big
bills in the production office. The entertainment arena also affords
you plenty of travel and a colorful cast of co-workers. So much of
the business is promotion, and your exceptional enthusiasm trans­
lates well in the somewhat surreal world of Hollywood.
On a more serious plane, perhaps, you aspire to great ideals,
and the legal profession provides a comfortable corral for the cen­
taur. You delight in courtroom debate, and you craft brilliant in­
tellectual arguments instilled with a dramatic flair befitting a
mega-movie star. You centaurs offer confidence and capability to
208 DOLLAR SIGNS

your clients, and you quite enjoy the bloodcurdling competition of

high-stakes trial work. With your thick skin and rare reasoning
skills, you often shoot right up the legal system and onto the
judge's bench. Few but the stoic and self-assured Sagittarius feels
solid enough in judgment to decide matters of life and death.

Common Professions
Lawyer; foreign trade/relations; promotion/public relations;
advertising; publishing; education; broker; sales/marketing; entre­
preneur; religion; shipping

Ideal Investments
Stocks
Stocks provide plenty of action for the sensation-seeking
Sagittarius. You are the sign of hopeful futures, so growth stocks
are your natural market selections. The centaur feels the formation
of a fast-coming trend and plays the price run perfectly. Although
you do not hold your positions long, you make lots of quick prof­
its in active stocks. Sagittarius much prefers such variety and ac­
tion to the staid, steady value sector of the market. Fast trading
turns you on, and, like Aries, you jump in with an almost reckless
abandon. Sagittariuses take the risk one step further, though, in
that they spread themselves across several speedy markets at once.
The centaur often finds it difficult to focus, so he or she does best
to stay as close to the action as possible. Trading from some dis­
tant island can be dangero_us, as you will likely get hopelessly dis­
tracted from your investment disciplines.
The more research you can get your hands on, the better you
centaurs surf the stock market. You possess a powerful ability to
process masses of information in record time, and, by doing so,
you avoid some of your hasty blunders. Speed is not a problem for
you, and you actually improve your investing when you slow it
down a bit. You typically are not big chartists, but you tap into the
fundamental factors behind market movements. Sagittarius enjoys
 SAGITTARIUS 209

the social story behind stocks and prefers to make predictions

based on hot products rather than intricate price patterns. You rec­
ognize trending prices and important levels, but you more accu­
rately analyze the actual human interactions driving stock prices.
Sagittariuses trade exceptionally well in stocks of the follow­
ing industries:

Transportation/airlines Import-export
Publishing Gambling
Advertising/publicity Entertainment
Education Long-distance communications
Distribution

Bonds
You probably could use a few more of these in your portfolio,
Sagittarius. Although if you are an avid market watcher, you might
hop into a heated move in the treasury markets, these relatively
unsexy investments generally do not catch your eye, let alone your
cash. Interest rates typically do not change fast enough to draw
mass attention to the treasury market. When you get wind of some
likely government shakeup, you might play the short-term mar­
kets, such as bills and notes, for a quick profit. But, because your
investment horizon is so narrow, the moves in the less volatile
thirty-year bonds usually do not warrant your efforts. You could
benefit from a buy-and-hold in a few of these babies, though! You
may find it torturous to tie up cash for such slow and relatively
slight returns, but you will be grateful for the financial padding as
time beats you up a bit.
As for the corporate market, suffice it to say that you prefer the
higher-profile stock arena to the often obscure workings of corpo­
rate debt. Though the death-defying risk of distressed (bankruptcy)
securities or corporate junk bonds attracts your attention briefly,
these markets are not popular enough for the trendy Sagittarius.

Real Estate
The centaur moves around so much that he or she finds it fool-
210 DOLLAR SIGNS

ish to invest lots of cash in real estate. And even when doing so as
an investment, you really find the headaches and hindrances to
entry and exit a bit of a drag. The idea of real estate investment
seems attractive to many of you, until you are stuck with a prop­
erty you cannot readily unload. You do not fare well with buys that
linger long after the point when you want out, and troubled real es­
tate deals can remain a long-term drag oh your energies as well as
your finances.
You are not very detail oriented, and the mundane matters of
property upkeep seem to slide right by you. Sagittarius is not one
to need physical possessions to feel safe and secure. On the con­
trary, you delight in living light. You need to roam freely without
the burdens of property left behind, and the real estate buy can be­
come an anchor on your spirit's travels.
The good news is that you do usually make a nice profit in
selling real estate, whether as a broker or on your own behalf.
When selling your property, though, you often experience a damp­
ening of your freewheeling style, which can outweigh any mone­
tary profits. So the key for you in property transactions is to
minimize the complications of transferred ownership. Because
you are so quick to act, try leasing before you buy any real estate.
If you find the property relatively free of red herrings, it could be
the ideal balance to your otherwise high-flying investments.

Luxury Goods
In luxury goods markets, as with real estate, the centaur gen­
erally moves too fast and changes mindsets too often to warrant
the purchases. Sagittarius would rather invest in a trip or some
other adventure of the day than in some stodgy old artifact or
glitzy new glamour good. Expensive jewelry seems always to get
lost. And art and antiques are nice to look at, but, because you are
so rarely home, you do not get to enjoy them. Sagittariuses con­
centrate on what money can do for them rather than what it can
buy. That is, you are less concerned with tangible proof of your
worth than you are with enjoying the freedom money can provide.
In addition, your tastes change with popular trends, and you
 SAGITTARIUS 211

welcome the new looks and fads that the market provides. With
luxury goods, you are committed to your selection for a long time
after your purchase, unless you can sell it. But disposing of luxury
items is no easy task, and you sometimes must wait long periods
for market conditions and economic factors to change. Sagittarius
enjoys staying on top of current tastes and sampling all sorts of va­
riety. Unless you are infinitely wealthy, such practices can prove
financially frightful if carried over into the luxury markets.
 LEADERS AND
LUMINARIES
Howard Hughes
CAPRICORN CONSERVATIVE
Aristotle Onassis CAPTAIN OF FINANCE
John De Lorean
AND CLOSET
Elizabeth Arden
Elvis Presley CREATIVE TYPE
Howard Stern
Alvin Ailey DECEMBER 22-JANUARY 20

Astrologically, you goats at first appear to get a raw deal in the

battles and brawn of big business. First of all, the goat is an
unglamorous creature whose magic is not readily recognizable.
Accordingly, you are not immediately noticed for natural leader­
ship qualities, like Leo the lion, nor do you display the diplomatic
flair of the dashing Libra. And being ruled by Saturn, planet of
discipline and restraint, does not sound like much fun. But the
cosmos knows what it is doing, and Saturn's difficult lessons,
when taken seriously, ultimately yield the sweetest rewards. The
goat may not look very gallant during the lean years. And you
might eat all kinds of garbage on your climb up the career moun­
tain. But you Capricorns always reach the peak of your profes­
sions, albeit from a unique, understated approach.
Practicality and focus are the secrets to your success, and you
shun the spotlight. Capricorn runs the tightest ship around, from
behind the scenes. Saturn has instilled in you the fear of scarcity,
and you understand all too well the high price of uncontrolled pas­
sions. So the goat remains cool and calm and plods along the path
to profits, always conscious of the future and prepared for things
214 DOLLAR SIGNS

to come. You rarely move on impulse, and you play the game by
conventional standards. Saturn does not allow you to take high­
flying risks or to cut corners, and only serious business is allowed.
Ironically, within almost every Capricorn lurks a brilliant artist
aching to come out. But, unless you can prove to Saturn that such
creative efforts will produce a practical road to profits, the planet
of discipline and restraint will often relegate your right-brain po­
tential to weekend hobbies. Luckily, your artistic sensitivities al­
ways find subtle channels of expression, and Wall Street benefits
greatly from executives with your Capricornian compassion and
creativity.

Entrepreneurship
I hate to begin with bad news, Capricorn, but, of all the signs,
you like to expose and embrace your limitations and to plan busi­
ness accordingly. So, generally, entrepreneurship is not your area
of expertise. The goat is far too practical and low-profile to push
some unproven new venture. Your unforgiving guide, Saturn, pro­
pels you toward established enterprise, where the path to profits
and prestige is clearly marked. You Capricorns put great faith in
custom, and you revere those who came before you and blazed the
trails for you to follow. Whereas entrepreneurs eagerly look for­
ward to the uncharted and the unknown, Capricorns reflect on his­
tory and condemn those who act in unconventional ways.
The goat works best within a set structure, where success is
not left to chance. You slowly climb the corporate ladder of orga­
nized operations while an the idealistic Sagittariuses and individ­
ualistic Arieses chase dreams outside your office. Although your
fiery counterparts appear to have a heck of a time in their entre­
preneurial escapades (though it all seems like a lot of silly head
butting!), you seek order and authority to feel truly content. You
goats take great care to avoid obstacles, so you follow the steps of
those who have conquered the path on which you are headed. You
keep your eyes fixed on the footpath of those before you rather
than following some sketchy trail of entrepreneurial starlight.
 CAPRICORN 215

As the figure of focus, Capricorn simply cannot scatter his or

her energies sufficiently to deal with the dynamics of daily pio­
neering. And the psychic bashing of starting out on your own to­
tally tortures the sensitive goat. You are perfectionists who thrive
on being precise, but much of entrepreneurship is a "best esti­
mates" style of business. When you Capricorns make errors, how­
ever, you become absolutely miserable. Each mistake sets you
back a mile, when business requires that you do not miss a step.
While goats never enter business without full financial where­
withall, the unpredictable contingencies of entrepreneurship can
render them insolvent at any moment. And the goat is not one to ask
friends for money, deceive creditors, or stave off customers with tall
tales. Typical Capricorns are just too honest and too "by-the-book"
to withstand the wheeler-dealer ways of the entrepreneurial "Wild
West."
You goats need not despair, however, because your hardwork­
ing, efficient ways are eagerly sought by most swinging entrepre­
neurial types. Most business pioneers begin to break down when
the enterprise is up and running and, suddenly, they are expected
to stay at the office to handle payroll problems. When business op­
erations need to be structured and offices require managerial di­
rection, the goat is the perfect pick to save the store. So sit back
and stay your calm, cool self, Capricorn. Someone will soon call
on you to run the next Microsoft to come on the scene, for big, big
bucks!

Risk Profile
Saturn, your ruler, is the planet that rules life's hard experi­
ences and the lessons to be learned from them. So, in matters of
risk management, you tend to focus on the worst-possible-case
scenarios, and you stay away from high-stakes speculation. Saturn
teaches you early that short cuts to fortune are fraught with dev­
astating pitfalls. And, having learned these lessons once, the goat
forever steers toward cautious, conservative roads to riches.
While other signs rely on free-spirited optimism or intellectual
216 DOLLAR SIGNS

agility to dance through the high-risk areas of the financial jungle,

the goat's survival tool is the ability to practically plan a safe
course through the danger. When you step off your protected path,
you expose yourself to all the doom of financial snakes, specula­
tive snares, and investment quicksand. The wounds you sustain are
not necessarily life threatening, but, because you have such a pho­
bia of deprivation, you feel as if the world- has ended. Where other
signs pick up and run, you sit in shock and, as a result, compound
your mJunes.
As an earth sign, you are endowed with a healthy practicality.
And Saturn urges you to prepare thoroughly for each and every
step you take on your financial journey. With all this grounding
influence, logically, the goat prefers to climb the money mountain
slowly and to avoid any obstacles or unexpected slippage. And
high risk offers nothing but an avalanche of falling rocks and
loose soil. You goats feel ill equipped to handle such uncertainties,
and you are such excessive worriers that the fear of a risky venture
can put you right over the edge.
Capricorn needs to be prepared fully for each investment step
that is taken. And, because you feel uneasy about rushing into
anything, you move only when absolutely necessary. The goat al­
most never acts on a hunch and usually holds off and plans ex­
cessively before buying into even the most basic investment. You
work too hard for your money, you say, to throw it away on some
ill-conceived speculative scheme. Though you are generally a
good listener, you have a short fuse when it comes to projections
that do not make sense, and you usually put your cash into only
those investment methods that are long-proven, yet slow movin' ,
wmners.
The high-stakes arena looks like a lot of fun to you goats, but
good ole' Saturn just will not allow such frivolity. You constantly
think about old age and the need to preserve all your assets for
later life. Your ruling planet disciplines you and teaches you self­
denial in order to strengthen you and ensure a steady road to suc­
cess. Pay heed to Saturn's powers and enjoy the best of life's
bounty. Disobey the planet's mandates and you usually find your-
 CAPRICORN 217

self wallowing in severe loss. Sure, Capricorn can get away with
a night or two in Vegas. Just be sensible and do not bet the house.
Practicality should reign supreme in your attitude toward risk!

Investment Style
The goat waits and watches ...and waits and watches ...
and ... Well, you get the point.You Capricorns just do not like to
make mistakes, and you hesitate to commit to even the most con­
servative investments. You rarely, if ever, pioneer innovative in­
vestment strategies, and your more common mode of money
management is to buy what makes fundamental sense to you.The
goat is a capable critic of sound investments, and, by researching
the basic businesses behind the buys, puts together a portfolio of
overall winners.You invest only in what you understand, and you
never buy on impulse.
The goat is very patient in realizing profits and typically buys
and holds over the long haul.Capricorn does not panic in troubled
times and try to unload the tumblers. And, you will stay out of
markets indefinitely if you feel uncomfortable about them. You
may miss some short-term moves by remaining so still, but you
avoid giving up gains in market noise and bad calls. The goat
closely examines excited markets but, usually, gets into markets
just before or shortly after the feeding frenzies.You do not need to
showboat in fast trading, and you prefer control to chaos. So
Capricorn usually invests in slower-moving gainers and follows
well-researched investment strategies and proven performers.
Capricorn always looks to past successes for guidance into the
future and tends to be a sucker for track records.W hen you goats
hear of someone making a million in oil tankers, for example, you
want to repeat the process and do just as well. Unfortunately, in
investments, past performance is no great indicator of future
profit potential. The economic environment changes every day,
and markets move to their own drums. Certain strategies do yield
steady performers over the long haul. But the more speculative
ventures usually succeed or fail depending on a host of time-
218 DOLLAR SIGNS

specific factors. Be leery of following someone else's footsteps

right into financial flops.

Investment Horizon
Like the proverbial tortoise in its race against the hare, you
are in no great hurry to get yourself into fast twists and turns,
and you just plod along, with clear direction, over the long
course. Somehow, you come in first at the finish line, and you
do so by being patient and sticking to your chosen paths. While
other signs jump in and out of markets attempting to rack up
short-term gains, the turtlelike goat realizes that such practices
are not foolproof. Of course, long-term buys can go belly-up,
too, but you goats usually do sufficient research to identify tra­
ditionally steady values.
Uninterested in short-term potential, Capricorn rarely even
follows such activity. Unless the move is so powerful that it makes
headline news, Capricorn rarely pays attention to short-term price
activity. You concentrate on general trends, and you always look at
your investments with an eye toward old age. Preoccupied with
the golden years, the goat rarely considers any investment that will
not provide for the future.
You are a first-rate worrier, and you stress so much over every
investment that a handful of short-term market plays would prob­
ably give you ulcers. You deliberate about all your decisions, and
the time you take and the effort you make to get in and out of
trades take their toll on you. The goat cannot tolerate mistakes, yet
jumping in and out of sh?rt rallies and dips is sure to produce
some losing trades. Capricorn does not roll well with the market's
punches.

Negotiating Savvy
You goats are formal, shy, and nonconfrontational, and you
would just as soon avoid the head-to-head intellectual combat that
your friends with the big, curved horns so love to instigate. You
 CAPRICORN 219

Capricorns take great care to avoid any obstacles in your path of

progress, and you find outward displays of emotion utterly em­
barrassing. So, when heated negotiations begin to erupt, you lie
low and quietly creep along your own set course. The goat re­
quires order and set structure in all dealings and squirms at the
thought of spontaneous debate. Capricorns need to prepare and
plan for decisions, and pressured negotiations force them to act on
the fly. Goats will pretend to agree to others' demands just to keep
the peace, but they will never really deviate an inch from their own
objectives. You Capricorns silently grind down any resistance in
your path without ever engaging in direct combat. And, therefore,
attempting any sort of compromise with the stubborn goat is ut­
terly useless.
When negotiations are really about holding ground against
some governing body or headquarters hotshot, however, bring in
Capricorn to save the day. The goat's kind, gentle manner and
complete respect for authority earn him or her major points in
confrontations with Big Brother. While other signs tend to be cav­
alier or cute in their run-ins with business bigwigs, you display the
deference that power demands. Your formal demeanor works won­
ders on corporate bean counters and federal agents, and they fully
appreciate your no-nonsense style. The goat gets right down to
business, and his or her facts and figures are always perfect.
Capricorn will always be fully prepared and able to offer the
prompt answers and aboveboard information others appreciate.
Consequently, you earn the utmost respect, and some unexpected
slack, from even the hardest-edged government headhunters.
Overall, the goat is one of the most proficient problem solvers
around. You work through mountainous messes with complete
calm and composure, and you offer answers that always add up.
But, once your mind is set on a particular solution, you do not dis­
cuss matters further. And you particularly despise debate. You
goats fancy yourselves as the practical parent figures to the peo­
ple around you. You listen well and look at all sides of an issue be­
fore passing judgment. But, once you lay down the law, you expect
others to respect your honest efforts and to follow the good sense
220 DOLLAR SIGNS

you set forth. Good luck to anyone who then tries to sell you goats
on an alternative course of action!

Partnership Decisions
You Capricorns are so busy tending to your own mountain of
responsibilities that you do not pay much attention to the activities
of those around you. Because you are so innately sensitive, you
fear that your concern for others will dangerously distract you
from your own duties. So you develop a hard demeanor that in­
timidates others and shields you from intrusions from the outside
world. Cold as it sounds, the goat learns to look at most people as
mere rungs on the ladder to success. Though you show great com­
passion for children and the elderly, you have little patience for
peers who pull you down. So you stick to yourself and depend on
no one to lighten your load.
Admittedly, you goats are real control freaks, with set routines
and work methods that leave no room for personal interpretation
or modification. Capricorns hate to give up control over even the
most minor matters of work for which they are responsible. So
you tend to do everything yourself, regardless of how much longer
such a solo performance takes. Until someone absolutely forces
you into a collaborative project, you never think to hire outside
help for anything. In addition, you Capricorns hate to spend cash
unnecessarily, so you figure that you should do as much as you
can to avoid wasteful spending. Without even considering the
value of your own time, you goats work around the clock figuring
out a task that could have been farmed out cheaply to someone
with the appropriate exper�ise.
Once someone pries you away from your solitary existence,
you actually revel in the benefits of partnership situations. Not
only do you gain added sweat equity, which increases your effi­
ciency and output, but you also no longer need to tend to all
those sales and promotional matters that you so despise. The
goat is a behind-the-scenes business player who hates to travel
or to interrupt his or her daily routine at the workplace. You are
 CAPRICORN 221

generally introverted and shy, and the thought of meeting with

strangers all day to push your products almost paralyzes you.
The goat would rather be back at the office dealing with more
tangible matters like producing actual product and fine-tuning
financial reports. So the goat finds real comfort in the co­
venturer who can cover the public part of enterprise. W hile you
peacefully plan the business progress, a well-suited mate mar­
kets the vision to the masses.
So, who proves to be the proper partner for you stubborn
goats? Well, that depends on where you are in your business.
Capricorn tends to seek out other earth signs (Virgo, Taurus) and
water signs (Pisces, Scorpio, Cancer) as friends and confidants.
And, when you choose your in-house staff, you invariably will
want these serious-minded, soothing types around you . How­
ever, when you are looking to move your business beyond medi­
ocrity and get your wares to the masses, an outgoing air sign
(Gemini, Aquarius, Libra) or fire sign (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius)
really brings you out of your shell. Sagittariuses and Geminis
particularly spark sales, and they soup up your psyche as well.
Capricorns tend to get extremely gloomy, and interaction with
the more freewheeling faction of the zodiac works wonders on
your mental and physical health. In fact, one of your greatest
challenges is to defy the negativity that Saturn's sternness tends
to breed. The goat needs regular doses of air's refreshing breeze
or fire's sunny warmth to remind him or her of the pleasant pas­
tures that lie ahead.

Work Style
To witness Capricorn at work is to experience pure efficiency
personified. The goat chugs away like a machine, seldom looking
up long enough to even notice that everyone else has gone home
for the day. Saturn conditions you, from a young age, to bust your
butt. By the time you are young adults, you are so used to the
planet's whip that you naturally work longer and harder than any­
one around you. The goat, sadly, is driven constantly by the fear of
222 DOLLAR SIGNS

deprivation and loss, so he or she treads carefully and tries to

make few mistakes. Impulse and carelessness scare the daylights
out of you, and you make sure that you have a good road map for
every step you take.
Avoiding any obstacles, real or imagined, Capricorn grinds
through mountainous amounts of work with focus and stamina.
You may not look terribly glamorous as you plod away, and few
people will even notice you moving modestly along. But, for all
the wisecracks you take for your slow, meticulous methods of
accomplishment, you are amazed at the long lines outside your
door when problems arise. Others readily notice the streamlined
efficiency with which you perform your own work, and you
often are summoned to structure the whole system of office op­
erations. Everyone knows that Capricorn is in control and has
the exceptional organizational skills to bring some kind of order
out of total chaos. All the flashy types, whom you find both en­
tertaining and frighteningly foolish, look utterly defeated by the
messes they create. Luckily, you are a compassionate soul, and
you stay up all night fixing things without ever even saying a
word about it.
You never let your emotions interfere with your efficiency,
and you loathe lateness and idleness. Capricorns seem to work
continuously, collecting facts, planning, and striving for excel­
lence in everything they undertake. You goats are painfully
aware of your flaws, and you do not try to mask them. You con­
front personal weaknesses head-on, and you hack away at them,
over time, until you overcome them. Others might consider you
a stick-in-the-mud when you fail to participate in office pranks,
but all respect your work. ethic and seem .
to sense the serious-
ness and fear that Saturn instills in you. Because you are so in-
tent on carrying out your own responsibilities, you sometimes
steamroll over those around you. But, generally, you work in
such a low-key, efficient manner, and the office truly cannot run
without you, so you stay in everyone's good graces. Although
your style is subtle and understated, everyone bets on you to be
the next Bill Gates.
 CAPRICORN 223

Work Environment
You goats need few amenities to pull off the most formidable
of tasks, and your work space usually combines homey charm
with utmost efficiency. In fact, because you are such workaholics,
you often bring your job home and vice versa. Work is so intrinsi­
cally entwined in Capricorn's personal life that, ultimately, living
rooms become offices and co-workers become part of her or his
extended family. You need no glamorous office space or cushy
surroundings to feel important; instead you seek smoothly run op­
erations with relatively few unexpected outbursts or disruptions.
Though your hours are long and your standards are high, you cre­
ate an atmosphere of calm and control, which all find quite com­
forting.
Your office is usually inviting and tasteful, with little touches
of your creative flair. The Capricorn desk is usually large and piled
high with papers to be tended to immediately. And your decor is
often reminiscent of the past, with long curtains and soft carpets,
and, of course, lots of old photographs, antiques, and books. Gen­
erally you have a couple of couches, to accommodate your ever
growing family of workers, and pictures of your loved ones sur­
round your desk.
Although you appreciate an occasional uplift from an ener­
getic fire or air sign, you do not like to work too close to them.
While you are trying to crunch numbers, your fire and air coun­
terparts are telling some tall tales and vying for attention. Al­
though you find them amusing, they distract you from your work
and their idle gossip and goofing off drives you mad. You goats
fall victim to some nasty Saturnian depressions, during which you
need to cut yourself off from the world completely, and fire or air
people bring just the optimistic burst you often need to bring you
back among the living. Just make sure an office or two separates
you, physically, from these freewheeling types.
You goats require more formality, structure, and reserve than
other signs, so you are not at all averse to the often stuffy settings
of large, established corporate enterprises. In fact, corporate
224 DOLLAR SIGNS

America usually welcomes you goats with open arms. Capricorn

strives for efficiency and excellence above all else and reveres
those who have achieved success. And, while other signs find the
corporate ladder a tedious and tenuous climb, Capricorn feels for­
ever grateful to those who have laid out such a practical path to
power and prestige. Whereas small-business settings require you
to change hats many times, the large corporation generally gives
you a clearly defined direction in which to devote your energies.
Whereas other signs love to act as generalists, with their hands in
all sorts of new and different functions, Capricorn likes to spe­
cialize and focus.
You appreciate the ready-made reserve of traditional firm set­
tings, and you are not afraid of being lost in the crowd of compe­
tent employees. You are well aware of your capabilities and
shortcomings, and you know your talents eventually will carry
you to the corporate boardroom. All in all, traditional corporations
offer you an ideal setting in which to bear down, with few dis­
tractions, until you are appointed CEO.

The Goat as Manager

You are one of the most capable managers around, and, with
little conscious effort, you seem to find yourself appointed to the
job. You do not readily expose your ambition, but office mates ob­
serve your superior work style and steer you into positions of au­
thority. No one else is as responsible as you goats, and you
naturally come to handle all the major matters that face your
group. No problem is too big or too small for you, and you be­
come the company resolution machine. You generally do not offer
unsolicited advice, but workers learn to come to you with all sorts
of personal and professional dilemmas. Although you become vis­
ibly chafed when people do not follow your advice (after you have
afforded the time and energy to solve their problems so effica­
ciously!), you expect no gestures of gratitude or overdone appre­
ciation. You goats feel a sort of parental responsibility to chip
away at any problems that come your way, and you successfully
 CAPRICORN 225

handle even mountainous obstacles with calm and control. You

often put professional demands ahead of your personal needs, and
everyone soon recognizes your honest dedication to your job.
You Capricorn managers work longer and harder than any of
your subordinates or superiors, and you set an example of effi­
ciency and excellence that you expect all to follow. The goat does
not pry into workers' personal lives, and you rarely raise your
voice or shout orders at people. You goats are generally shy and re­
served, and you have a strong appreciation for authority which you
expect others to share. So you assert your power quietly, from be­
hind the scenes. But you will not tolerate idle chitchat and goof­
ing off. The Capricorn manager means serious business, and the
worker who tests his or her patient soul with carelessness or bla­
tant stupidity is likely to come face-to-face with the horror of an
enraged and unforgiving Saturn. And any Capricorn can attest to
just how terrifying Saturn's discipline can be!
Aside from the rare explosion, Capricorn is a compassionate,
yet strict, manager. You hate any kind of waste, and you ensure
that your ship handles time, energy, and cash flow efficiently. The
year's end will not mean fat bonuses under a Capricorn manager,
but workers can rest assured that their kids will all have wonder­
ful presents under the tree. With your stern and formal manner,
you goats appear to be intimidating. But workers soon learn that,
beneath your tough exterior, you are devoted to them and you pro­
vide a dependable hand to which they can reach in times of need.
You seldom dish out compliments or praise, but you give so much
of yourself to the organization that everyone recognizes your ap­
preciation. You are generous with the time and care you expend to
run an efficient business. And, ultimately, you steer your ship to­
ward major success that benefits all.

The Goat as Employee

The Employee-of-the-Millennium 1s, undoubtedly, a Capri­
corn. Let's face it, after having answered to Saturn for all these
years, you kno:V how to please even the most hard-driving, tyran-
226 DOLLAR SIGNS

nical boss! Employers cannot fathom a worker who shoulders as

much responsibility or maintains such pleasing and cool compo­
sure as Capricorn. You goats are, undeniably, the most dependable
of the astrological lot, and you are the mecca to which everyone
retreats when in trouble. Superiors and peers alike recognize in
you a reliable safety net for those times when they fall behind.
And you never even attempt to seek favors in return! You goats so
love responsibility and the feeling that you·are desperately needed
that you take on an inordinate workload without even a grunt or
groan.
Your work ethic is almost uncanny, and you amaze employers
with your threats to quit if they will not increase your duties. Of
course, you goats also expect regular pay increases, but you are so
conservative that your sense of worth is usually terribly skewed.
While you Capricorns are worth your weight in gold, you settle for
raises that barely move the scales. And titles do not impress you any
more than corporate perks that you will never use, like frequent­
flyer miles. You goats simply hide your ambition and respectfully
make yourselves indispensable to your companies.
Capricorn presents a conservative appearance, in dress and
demeanor, and exhibits a respect for authority that the old-timers
at your firm thought had died out for good. You take work more
seriously than even those at the top of the corporate food chain,
and you do not change jobs often. No one is more consistently
well prepared than the goat, and no one feels worse when a mis­
take is made. Punctuality is imperative, and your practicality and
perseverence make routine problems virtually disappear. You do
not waste company time with silly chatter but instead will devote
your efforts to some definite goal that you set for yourself long
ago. You follow no methods that seem impractical or senseless, so
before long you streamline business so efficiently that all are
turning their heads.
So, what's wrong with this picture? Well, just think how hor­
rible you will feel when you are asked to replace the boss who
taught you (almost) everything you know? Oh well, he or she will
 CAPRICORN 227

get over it. After all, you goats cannot hide your ruthless ambition
forever!

Spending Style
To say that the goat is stingy with money is to say that the
night is long-it's all a matter of where you are spending it! You
are the outlet and thrift shop maven, and you usually can name
every sample sale or clearance that has occurred in your area over
the past several weeks. Whether you are buying a car or a house­
hold cleanser, you simply need to acquire things at their fair value,
which is usually considerably lower than retail. So Capricorn
shops around for even the most trivial items, waiting patiently to
find them offered at wholesale prices. It's enough to drive your
loved ones nuts, as you will delay hanging curtains for days until
you can find the right rod at the Price Club.
The same is true of your financial investments, and, even when
you know you are buying a basic bond issue or blue-chip stock
that varies little in price, you will wait, indefinitely, and watch
markets until you deem the price fair. Then, you will take the time
to check out several different banks and brokerage houses to com­
pare the transaction costs of each investment. You truly amuse
your friends and family when you return home, all smug and smil­
ing, and report that you saved an eighth of a point on a stock trans­
action by waiting those extra two months and finding a discount
broker two towns over.
You simply cannot help your frugal ways. After all, good old
Saturn has you in his grips, causing you to worry, incessantly,
that today's misspent dollar means deprivation later on. There­
fore, you spend only out of necessity, rather than whim. And,
though you may shop around, you make several trips before you
ever reach the cash register. Your expenditures are always con­
trolled and steady, and you conscientiously keep an account of
your cash.
The goat runs an extremely streamlined business and spends
228 DOLLAR SIGNS

capital only on essential items. You pay your employees fairly, and
you maintain modest yet presentable offices. But you rarely make
a purchase that is not forced on you by the market. You truly are
the masters of cost control and cash-flow maintenance, as you
simply cannot bear to throw cash at anything less than fairly val­
ued necessities.

Trading Abilities
Goats are too risk averse to actively trade markets with any real
success, but they do make excellent value investors over the long
term. Capricorn moves too slowly and requires too much planning
to take advantage of short-term market moves. And the frenzied ac­
tion of fast markets provides you with little of the control you so
desire. But with your eye always focused twenty years ahead on the
invesment horizon, you develop a good sense for buys with lasting
value. You goats do a fine job of investing based on fundamentals,
which are the nuts and bolts of the actual businesses behind your
buys, as opposed to technical factors like price patterns. Assuming
that they seem fairly priced, you buy into those instruments that
make practical sense to you, without a lot of financial-industry
hype. You hold on to your purchases, even through some stormy
weather, and, as you head out to your retirement haven, you notice
that you are beating markets by a long shot.
Capricorn's gifts of practicality and caution are two of the
most useful gifts an investor can possess, though you need to be
reminded occasionally to use them! While such qualities might in­
hibit your trading abilities, they enable you to weed through a lot
of tempting junk in the ma,rkets and to zero in on those invest­
ments with real potential. Unfortunately, that Capricornian desire
to confront and overcome shortcomings entices you into all sorts
of investments that you are not ready to enter. Rather than learn­
ing the hard way, stay out of any trade you do not fully understand,
and stick to those where your practical reasoning powers provide
some guidance.
Your ruler, Saturn, is the great limiter, and his influences are
 CAPRICORN 229

usually associated with market tops, bottoms, and trading ranges.

When Saturn is energized by other planetary interactions, he says
whoa to prices that have spiraled too high or too low and confines
erratically trading instruments to a range of stability. These highs,
lows, and trading ranges are where you tend to get into the mar­
ket, and you can make lots of money riding the new market direc­
tion. Of course, you Capricorns tend to hold on, so you rarely
capitalize on the intermediate price changes. But, over the long
haul, you catch some very profitable long-term trends.
Generally, Capricorn makes a better researcher or analyst than
actual trader. You are incredibly efficient and thorough, and you
monitor market moves with a level head and clear focus. Rather
than getting lost in some conceptual theory about market behavior,
the goat provides a realistic viewpoint as to what caused prices to
move in a certain way. You do not gloss over facts or provide patent
answers for complex phenomena. But Capricorn will painstakingly
dissect a market or investment instrument and point out all the im­
portant factors affecting it. You have terrific instincts as to what is
the fair value of an investment, and, though you might not trade on
it yourself, such calls are well rewarded in the financial community.

The Goat as Salesperson and Fund-Raiser

The dynamics and daring of sales and fund-raising appeal to
only the rare exceptions of your sign. Sales generally require a
flexible, outgoing personality and a comfort with uncertainty that
the goat does not possess. You want to map out your days down to
the minute, but sales patterns never develop according to set
schedules. And, just when you want to hunker down in your office
and get some "real" work done, some silly sales function calls you
away from your duties. And you just hate all those ostentatious
parties and inflated egos!
Not very much of a party person, Capricorn cringes at the over­
done, alcohol-inspired emotional displays of clients on the cocktail
circuit. Sure, you secretly would love to be such a casual and fun­
loving spirit. B�t your ruler, Saturn, makes you pay dearly for
230 DOLLAR SIGNS

every deviation from the path of order and practicality. Though you
possess an often captivating intensity, your serious, formal manner
at first intimidates new acquaintances. And, you just cannot muster
false flattery and compliments to win the favors of new clients.
So the goat moves along slowly and quietly in the fast-paced
sales arena, and, usually, is overshadowed by those less capable, yet
charismatic, air and fire people. While Capricorn ponders some
sound method to land an account or raise that extra million in ven­
ture capital, some Libra or Sagittarius has come in and wisked the
prospective client off for a spin in his or her new convertible. Oh
well, says the goat, I'll nail that huge client tomorrow morning.with
one of my really sensible, neat presentations. But, just as you tum to
head back to the office and prepare your airtight pitch, you overhear
that same prospect enthusiastically agreeing to a passionate pitch by
your competitor. And, of course, you are too shy and reserved to butt
in, so you silently slide out and stress about your future.
Saturn basically instills in you a pessimism and caution that
carries over into your fund-raising forays. While other signs pro­
ject enthusiasm and confidence in ideas, you reflect a suspicious
concern about even the most solid ideas and products. You cannot
help it, Capricorn, you clearly are conditioned to question every­
thing and to address flaws first and foremost. Unfortunately, such
tactics rarely fare well in getting people to part with cash.
Not surprisingly, however, your pragmatic and precautionary
undertones are well received in the sale of financial and banking
services. Many goats make excellent financial advisors in presti­
gious firms. In essence, you goats sell your caution to a nervous
public, without all the hype and hardball of traditional sales jobs.
While many brokers seem, to browbeat and push clients into all
sorts of scary investments, the goat learns to soft-sell clients into
capital conservation.

Best-Suited Businesses
As a practical earth sign, you goats are the tangible product
people of the business world. Whereas air and fire signs find con-
 CAPRICORN 231

cepts as real as concrete goods, you receive little comfort from the
abstract. You goats like to see the actual fruits of your labor, and,
whether you get into fashion retailing or real estate development,
you prefer material matter to mental machinations. The security of
goods in hand eases some of your Saturnian anxiety about the fu­
ture. And many of you also satisfy your strong creative side by
dealing in products of the art and music worlds. Whatever the par­
ticular field, you feel like you can assert more direct control and
order over real property than intellectual ideals.
The goat thoroughly enjoys working behind the scenes of tra­
ditional industry. You feel a sense of groundedness strolling
through an operating factory or industrial warehouse. And you de­
light in the understated, yet staggering power of multi-national, es­
tablished enterprise. The practical utility of the products you
produce and the efficiency with which you conduct operations ab­
solutely thrill you goats.
Your love of practical methods and order also entices you into
finance and banking as well as other professions where you can
set sensible policies by which people can function more produc­
tively. The goat is meticulous, by nature. And you feel compelled
to create order wherever you go. You always act with a definite
plan and a conservative attitude, and you are dependable beyond
belief. In banking, your thorough, cautious approach to money
management makes you a star, and clients become completely de­
pendent on you to handle their affairs. No one catches every de­
tail and prepares for the future like Capricorn. And you provide
clear, realistic game plans for future financial success.
As teachers and policy makers, you Capricorns revel in your
right to order people's lives. You cannot stand the inefficiency of
those around you, so you often tend toward management and
teaching functions where you set strict yet sensible guidelines by
which people can achieve their goals. No one sees so clearly the
correct way to organize a project. And you never let emotion or
excitability interfere with efficiency. Capricorn runs a clean, tight
ship with a crew that always sails smoothly to its preordained,
proper destination.
232 DOLLAR SIGNS

You goats do not seek fancy titles and empty glory, but you do
desperately seek reputation and status in your field. Capricorns will
not veer for the warmth of a fleeting spotlight but will strive to rise
in businesses that have staying power and public appeal. That way,
when you earn your way to the top, your reign is long and well re­
spected. You goats are saps for tradition and authority, so a great
many of you even venture into government and politics. You truly
respect the order and method that your ancestors set out for you, and
you set out to contribute to the process for future generations.

Common Professions
Banking; real estate; construction; manufacturing; refining;
retailing; printing; management; teaching; research; engineering;
art; architecture; politics; music

Ideal Investments
Stocks
You do quite well in the stock market, as long as you do not
try to kid yourself that you are a supertrader. The goat has an ex­
ceptional eye for long-term winners and is a great bargain-hunter.
Capricorn spots stocks that are cheap and rides them up to fair
value. And you pick up fairly valued stocks that are headed for
overpriced territory. All in all, as long as you goats stick to stocks
in industries that you understand, you do quite well over time. You
are too cautious and slow moving to play quick, active stocks. And
you tend to hold on for long periods. So research your buys and
employ that practical sensibility of yours. When you do your own
homework and buy those stocks that meet the Saturnian standards
of realistic, long-term value, you know you are destined to make
some serious dollars!
The daily frenzy of market activity usually serves to frighten
and discourage controlling Capricorn from ever investing in
stocks. So try to avoid the noise of technical trading and the racket
of sales hype, and concentrate on the basics behind the businesses
 CAPRICORN 233

you buy. Rather than focusing on stocks that look most active and
popular, zero in on those with businesses you deem valuable. The
goat always gets a slap on the wrist for trying to take investment
short cuts. Following your friends' advice might seem like an eas­
ier way to invest than struggling over a lengthy annual report or
prospectus. But do you really think Saturn will let you get away
with such cop-outs?
Stocks in the following industries make the most sense to the
goat and offer steady and substantial returns:

Banking Research
Manufacturing Pharmaceuticals
Retail Construction/architecture
Printing Property management
Refining/oil

Bonds
Capricorns love bonds. The treasury market provides the long­
term security and steady returns that you goats work so hard to
achieve. Not only do they provide steady interest payments about
which you need not worry, but bonds mature at that time in the fu­
ture that so concerns you. Long-term bonds are conservative, like
you goats, and they generally hit you with no surprises. Their
prices tend to move slowly, and you need not rush to buy them.
Furthermore, they are issued by the government, which impresses
you Capricorns. Ycu respect authority and the "establishment,"
and any instrument put out by such a revered body as the U.S. gov­
ernment must be good, you figure.
You goats also occasionally dabble in the higher-risk area of
corporate debt. You generally stick to debt issued by the large, es­
tablished "blue chip" market leaders, but you even veer toward an
occasional distressed security. You goats simply cannot resist a
good buy, and the market for debt of bankrupt companies offers
some real plums. Capricorn is sufficiently patient and thorough to
research and identify those companies with real potential to come
back. You are able to practically assess a distressed company's
234 DOLLAR SIGNS

strengths and weaknesses, and you have a great sense for what, re­
alistically, will pull the business out of bankruptcy. Of course,
when you discover just how risky these investments can be, you
tend to shy away. But, generally, your instincts about business are
good, and, when you home in on and research your corporate tar­
get with true Capricomian focus, you make excellent picks.

Real Estate
The goat loves land, and property holdings probably comprise
a disproportionate share of your portfolio. As an earth sign, you
feel at home in real estate investments. You are able to go look at
the physical investment, for a change, and you feel more secure
in having something tangible to show for your dollars spent. You
goats rest easily knowing that the property (usually) is not going
to evaporate, and you do not find property management distaste­
ful. You set up systems of property upkeep that keep things well
in hand, and you coolly tend to the minor headaches of care and
management. The goat revels in being responsible and derives
great satisfaction from the duties inherent in holding real estate.
Your creative side also finds a fabulous outlet in real estate in­
vestments. The goat loves to build structures that serve practical
purpose and also has an eye for design and landscaping. The goat
enjoys spending many hours planning precisely the right balance
of bricks, mortar, and mulberry bush and loves to supervise every
detail down to the gardening. Few things please a Capricorn more
than the sight of money being spent wisely on lasting, tasteful real
estate holdings. Even money loses its worth. But an intrinsically
valuable property will always maintain its worth, figures the goat.
Capricorns take time, to pick the right real estate and they
rarely flip it for a quick profit. As much as you goats like to pre­
tend that you are buying property solely for short-term capital
gains, you rarely sell out when you said you would. You generally
bargain-hunt, and you tend to look for slightly undervalued prop­
erties as opposed to buys in hot, trendy areas. Regardless of what
you buy, you tend to resist selling. You figure that your money is
as safe in real estate as anywhere, but such a philosophy can result
 CAPRICORN 235

in a dangerously undervalued, illiquid investment profile. Though

you love your mountains, goats, you certainly do not want to drag
one around!

Luxury Goods
The goat is modest and conservative, and he or she has little urge
to splurge on showy luxury items. However, a luxury purchase with
real lasting value occasionally prompts the goat to go for it. You
Capricorns are practical, and you need no showy house or fancy car
to prove your worth to friends and neighbors. However, you are a pa­
tron of the arts and have a sense of history, and you will occasionally
invest in a fine painting, sculpture, or antique piece. Fine jewelry,
gemstones, and furs will also excite you goats, as you figure these
are not merely for flash. Art and jewelry appeal to your inner cre­
ative sensibility, and you rationalize their high price by dubbing
them long-term collectibles rather than passing power items.
Much as you hate to spend money, you feel better putting your
cash into luxury items than into consumer products. You will dress
modestly and take no extravagant vacations. And you will be the
last on your block to buy the latest satellite technology. When your
friends come over for dinner, however, they will notice the Renoir
in the corner and the fine antique coffee table. And they will gasp
at the rock on the goat's finger. Saturn approves of life's fineries,
after all, as long as they are tasteful!
Out of habit, you goats worry excessively after buying any
luxury item, and you probably make your family eat tuna fish for
a week after every such purchase. To alleviate the pain, plan every
luxury expenditure carefully and never let anyone push you into a
buy. Even the goat becomes a little bedazzled by the lure of lux­
ury items. And, once you are in the seller's lair, you tend to fall
victim to your eye for beauty at the expense of your mind for fi­
nance. Then you make yourself feel so guilty about the purchase
that the self-deprivation to follow becomes almost unbearable.
 LEADERS AND
LUMINARIES
Charles Tiffany
AQUARIUS CORPORATE
Boris Yeltsin REVOLUTIONARIES
Oprah Winfrey
AND STARS OF
An Wang
Tom Brokaw
CYBERSPACE
Helen Gurley Brown
Yoko Ono JANUARY 21-FEBRUARY 19

You Aquarians provide the business world with a glimpse of the

future. Your ideas and interests ignite worldwide revolutions in the
marketplace, and you make it your mission to defy convention and
trends. Your ideas are so progressive that others often deem them
irrational and iIP.practical, but you simply fly onward and hope for
the world to catch up. Although you personally avoid direct con­
frontations, your theories and concepts go so directly against the
grain as to be considered contrarian. Your ruler, Uranus, is the
planet of sudden change and violent reversal, of massive propor­
tions, and you create quite a stir with your radical visions and
eccentric interests. The water bearer is your symbol, and you re­
quire complete freedom to wander the globe doling out your wa­
ters of worldly wisdom.
Yours is the sign of brotherhood, and, whether in computer
networks, television syndication or stock mutual funds, you bring
people together with your innovative intellectual ideals. You be­
long to mankind in general, rather than just close personal ties,
and you make friends with everyone you meet. Though the Aquar­
ius's actions are normally independent and unpredictable, they
238 DOLLAR SIGNS

serve to bring society together for the common good. You will not
stay around long to implement your ingenious insights, but you
clue in enterprise to the directions in which it should develop.
Aquarius always carries the torch of new technologies, and, as an
air sign, is particularly attracted to enterprises that carry you far
above the clouds. As civilization moved into the Age of Aquarius,
we put a man on the moon. Now an inordinate number of Aquar­
ians lead the voyage into cyberspace.
Aquarius is the sign of genius, and you exult in exploring
global issues and electrifying the world with life-changing inven­
tions. Though many of you have shed the beads and bare feet of
the sixties, you always stand out in a crowd and shock the universe
out of uniformity. Your motto is live and let live, and you rarely
revel in ruling over other people. But, you fly through the business
world, befriending everyone and sparking explosive break­
throughs in corporate rationale and reach.

Entrepreneurship
Possessing intuitive insights and futuristic vision, Aquarius
seems like the essence of entrepreneursip. As the natural rebels of
the zodiac, with the superior intellect to chum out a constant
stream of innovative business brainstorms, you blast the market
with brilliance. And, though your ideas are completely contrarian,
they precisely address the future needs of the masses. Before the
market even knows what it wants, Aquarius presents the perfect
products and services to satisfy the demand. You are such an
advanced thinker that you become conditioned to any initial resis­
tance to unconventional ideas. And you maintain the indepen­
dence and conviction that feed the fire of new enterprise.
Unfortunately, Aquarius walks away from the flame of heated
combat and prefers to leave business battling to more aggressive
types like Aries or Leo.
Aquarius strives to make friends with the universe and simply
cannot endure direct confrontation or hard sales pressure. While
your objectives support a complete overhaul of business society,
 AQUARIUS 239

your style suggests softer tones. The water bearer leads by exam­
ple, wandering freely among the masses and sympathizing with
their needs and wants. You do not seek to force your ways upon
others; instead, you revel in each individual's unique expression.
Aquarius delights in the investigation of human motivation and
desire, and you find the colorful mix of ideas and lifestyles thor­
oughly exhilarating. So, despite the bold initiatives you promote
for the common good, you refuse to ram your visions down any­
one's throat. Entrepreneurship, however, usually demands of you
such forceful attacks.
Another problem for Aquarius on the path of new venture is the
tendency to drift off course. Business pioneering requires a focus
and drive that you generally shun, as you consider the confinement
of such fixed attentions utterly abominable. The water bearer de­
velops ideas and opinions that are absolutely unwavering, but your
lifestyle requires a much freer style than entrepreneurship allows.
Although you get to call the shots when you run your own busi­
ness, you Aquarians do not even care for such responsibilities.
While the idea stage of entrepreneurship fosters the freedom
Aquarius fancies, the demands of daily business soon drive him or
her out the door. Initiating profitable enterprise requires persistent
attention to people and procedures to get your products and ser­
vices to fly. Yet Aquarius dislikes making decisions, feels odd
giving orders, and rarely recalls important duties that must be at­
tended to. The sign of electricity and experimentation, Aquarius
flourishes in environments where free-form motion fosters unpre­
dictability and chance. Just like the proverbial absentminded pro­
fessor, you perform most effectively when left to your own
devices (which is why you are always running off to the lab at all
hours of the night). To chain your mind with mundane concerns is
to extinguish its exceptional insights, and to attempt such mea­
sures of control is like trying to harness the wind.
Luckily, you Aquarians are not all in the clouds, and you make
your most profound impact working in collaborative efforts. (In
fact, uranium, the element associated with your sign, is found in
nature only in c·ombination with other elements.) So you generally
240 DOLLAR SIGNS

join forces with entrepreneurs eager to bring your ideas to fruition.

While you continue to change course and experiment at every step,
your pioneering partners exploit your most promising ideas for the
benefit of all. The water bearer is too concerned with intellectual
returns to worry about those of the monetary kind. And you so de­
sire your freedom that the thought of debt's clutches confounds
you. So solo enterprise will always be difficult for you. But teamed
up with a financially savvy and forward-looking fire sign, in par­
ticular, you Aquarians give rise to record numbers of revolutionary
business ventures.

Risk Profile
You Aquariuses rarely consider the risk element in your ac­
tions, though danger seems to lurk constantly in your lives. The
water bearer sets out to explore and experience all the wonders of
existence. And your natural inclination is to stir up every environ­
ment you enter to reveal the underlying forces that drive it. The
safe roads of tradition and routine make you see red, as you feel it
your calling to expose the falsehoods and misconceptions upon
which they are based. Aquarius is a bona fide rebel who dares to
break laws of custom and convention to ignite important and pro­
found change. You are so compulsive about your intellectual cru­
sades that you generally disregard thoughts about money and
security. Aquarius can be content in a one-room shack with
scarcely more than a mattress and a few books, and the conse­
quences of taking on high risk, quite frankly, do not often cross the
water bearer's busy mind..
The clearest picture of the Aquarian risk profile comes to light
when considering the hippies of the 1960s. The individuals who
joined the Uranus-driven cultural revolution thought compulsively
about high ideals and free expression, which they promoted with
little regard for traditional notions of risk. These people did not
worry about losing their edge in the financial rat race; they con­
cerned themselves almost completely with progressive ideals and
an experimental lifestyle.
 AQUARIUS 241

Similarly, you Aquarians generally focus on the activity or no­

tion that captures your interest, and you enter that experience
wholly. The hot-wired Aquarian intellect does not hesitate in the
middle of an electrical brainstorm to factor in the possible down­
side of enticing opportunities. You believe in the adventure, and
you usually are willing to accept whatever is the natural outcome
of such action. Many observers of Aquarian behavior, such as the
hippie movement, consider you Uranus-influenced individuals
simply irresponsible. But, in your seemingly carefree crusades,
you open up all sorts of roads by which humanity can pursue
greater enlightenment and growth.
Unlike Aries or Gemini, who throw themselves into high-risk
activities for the adrenaline rush and stimulation of high-speed
uncertainty, Aquarius is merely indifferent to the stakes involved
in various investments. You do not pursue risk nor do you avoid it.
It is merely a by-product of some of the initiatives you undertake.
One minute you will participate in the high-stakes arena of some
risky public offering. Then you will stay out of the stock market
for years while you buy conservative long bonds. And all the
while your attitude about risk will remain the same-you have no
attitude about it. As for the company that did the IPO (Initial Pub­
lic Offering), they are a biotechnology concern that caught your
interest because of the innovative genetic research they perform.
And the bonds you bought were to support the government of an
emerging political regime that you hope will bring prosperity to a
Latin American country you just visited.

Investment Style
Aquarius seldom focuses long enough on one investment to
actually put cash behind it. You possess incredibly powerful per­
ceptive abilities, and you anticipate market moves with amazing
precision. But, before acting on an investment insight, you lose
interest in the puzzle you just solved and move on to the next
intellectual challenge. You Aquarians generally do not enjoy ag­
gressive movements, and you leave the regular brawn of fast
242 DOLLAR SIGNS

markets and megadeals to the more assertive air and feisty fire
signs.
With revolutionary Uranus at your back, however, you are
drawn to markets that are about to explode due to some as yet
undiscovered underlying forces. Aquarius is the contrarian, and in
your investing, you are innately drawn to the markets and instru­
ments that are about to take off or self-destruct. Your eye is always
drawn naturally to the cutting edge of activity, and you make as­
tounding calls in emerging technologies and other futuristic in­
vestments. When you make a move, you act quickly and without
warning, and you seem always to be playing into an imminent
state of panic or euphoria. Like every other aspect of your life,
your style and performance are unpredictable and your profits
vary greatly.
However, with almost infallible intuition and uncanny fore­
sight, you Aquarians sense the stirrings of seemingly staid indus­
tries. As the sign of humanitarianism and global reach, you plug
in to public sentiment and manage to predict with amazing accu­
racy the direction of public demand. Unfortunately, you often are
so engrossed in uncovering the mysteries of human motivation
that you fail to fully capitalize on your insights!
Aquarius frequently is too absentminded to deal with the de­
tails of putting trades in or monitoring investment portfolios. So
you calmly call the greatest market crashes and business break­
throughs without ever profiting from your prophecies.

Investment Horizon
The water bearer hates to be pinned down and requires con­
stant change and freedom to experiment with new investments.
Therefore, you rarely tie up your capital in long-term holdings.
Ruled by tumultuous Uranus, Aquarius is subject to violent
changes at any moment. So you play market activity that is sud­
den and dramatic. Such movements usually have only a brief du­
ration, and you make big money or lose rather miserably. Uranus
is not a moderate planet, and it forces you to the fore of earth-
 AQUARIUS 243

shattering market storms that are short-lived but long remem­

bered.
Other signs look to long-term investments for future security,
but Aquarius seeks no such protections. You live in the future any­
way, so it does not frighten you. Aquarius focuses on experience
and would rather be a part of movements than sitting quietly on
some stash of long-term, conservative gainers. You water bearers
usually will not even sit still long enough to consider treasury
bond or real estate investments, and you will readily sell out of
them to play a major market move you feel coming on. You are ex­
hilarated by Uranus-inspired mob madness, political scandal, and
furious fads, where you anticipate runaway prices and examine in­
tense human behavior at work.

Negotiating Savvy
Despite all your turbo-power intellect, you Aquarians do not
care for tete-a-tete style negotiations. Uranus endows you with a
highly .sensitive nervous system, which provides superhuman
powers of perception but tends to overload under attack. While
your viewpoints are fixed in stone, you will not try to force them
upon anyone else. In fact, when you sense a confrontation, you ac­
tually will attempt to physically escape. And, if held captive to an
aggressive ambush on your ideas, you will either lash out with an
uncharacteristic, emotional response or feign agreement with the
adversary just to keep peace. Needless to say, neither reaction
lives up to the true capabilities of the Aquarian mind, nor does ei­
ther lead to an effective resolution. But, the water bearer simply is
not cut out for battle. You will not hard-sell your views; you pre­
fer, instead, to make your points merely by living them.
Aquarius will not fight fire with fire, but will get involved in
a drawn-out analysis of the debate itself. You find the dynamics of
negotiations fertile ground for your curiosity about human moti­
vation, and, instead of arguing your point, you begin to delve into
the needs of the other side. Anyone skilled in negotiation tactics
will throw you completely off course by sparking your excursion
244 DOLLAR SIGNS

into the abstract. Before you come to your senses, you have spi­
raled out into space with little hope of returning in time to settle
the issues at hand.
Aquarius simply strives to make a friend of everyone. And you
always seek to expose the ground in which your brothers and sis­
ters root their views. The water bearer finds diversity of opinion
exhilarating, and, even in business negotiations, your sympathy
for individual desires seems to prevail. You never will compromise
your own viewpoints, but you give everyone an attentive hearing
and win lots of new comrades. Unfortunately, you accomplish lit­
tle in terms of cutting a deal.

Partnership Decisions
Aquarius makes friends with the world but maintains few in­
timate associations. Although you constantly surround yourself
with people, you remain slightly distanced from this world. You
live in the future, and few can keep up with you. Your insights
drive you constantly ahead into new adventures, and, for water
bearers, partners seem to become burdensome extra baggage. You
value your freedom above all else, and commitment to partnership
implies to you a confinement of your spontaneous style-or so
you think.
Aquarius requires a completely unrestrained body as well as
mind and cannot bear to be tied down to specific business obliga­
tions or directions. With so much exploration beckoning you at
every turn, you cannot dream of limiting yourself to the chosen
path of one partnership. And you Aquarians tend to tire of people
as soon as you figure out their motivations. You respect everyone's
individuality, and you would never tell others how to live. But you
are not about to sacrifice your personal safari for them, either!
So who is going to make sure you absentminded professors
pay your bills and show up for sales meetings, if not a trustworthy
partner? Well, Aquarius usually joins with others for temporary
business purposes. You always attract people with your electric
mind and friendly manner, and your traveling circles of acquain-
 AQUARIUS 245

tances keep you relatively functional. As far as long-term partner­

ships are concerned, however, they are rare. Granted, you occa­
sionally discover a partnership opportunity with a game plan that
seems amenable to your freewheeling style. And you remain loyal
for a lifetime when you decide to accept such commitments. But
the water bearer more commonly drifts from job to job, briefly ex­
perimenting with people and projects and then moving on. Or, you
simply decide to work independently, which typically requires
some outside support in terms of operational matters and promo­
tions.
The signs that have the best shot at a successful partnership
with ingenious Aquarius are Leo, Sagittarius, and the other air
signs (Libra and Gemini). Leo will add structure to the global vi­
sions and humanitarian ideals you both share. Sagittarius will put
sales and promotion power behind your brilliant ideas. And fellow
air signs will devise global strategies and networks to implement
your ideas in the international marketplace.
You Aquarians, in turn, will generate a steady flow of intellec­
tual business genius, and you will not compete for your partner's
spotlight. You will remain honest and loyal, and you will never at­
tempt to usurp control of the partnership for your own selfish
gains. With your far-reaching foresight, focus, and friendliness,
you also will jet-propel your team toward global recognition and
influence.

Work Style
The Aquarian work style completely defies convention. You al­
ways seem to be drifting somewhere up in the clouds, and you never
can remember if you are coming or going. And, when you reach
your destination, you just cannot, for the life of you, remember why
you went there in the first place. But, somehow, you unexpectedly
run into an old friend on the way and cut a plum deal for some well­
needed software. It is a good thing that you are late, too, because,
while you are reading the contract for that software deal, you notice
another old fri.end carrying a computer to her car at the end of the
246 DOLLAR SIGNS

sidewalk. When you run out to help her, she offers to sell you a
networking system for your office that would have cost twice as
much from anyone else. And all this seeming "chance" is how
Aquarius runs business. Surprises and the unexpected are part of
the normal course of your Uranian-influenced business activity.
The water bearer hates set appointments and routines and will
fight tooth and nail to avoid such slavery. While other signs rely
on structure to streamline their productivity, you require freedom
and space to experiment and invent. And you need to keep your
schedule loose to allow for all the unpredictable dynamics that in­
evitably will consume part of your workday. So you break the
rules of traditional company conduct, but you put in such full-time
efforts anyway that no one seems to mind. You change daily duties
and complicate plans at the last minute, but you churn out the
most innovative business suggestions anyone has ever seen,
though you might have to wait a few hours for the sun to rise be­
fore you can inform everyone of your discoveries.
While you seem absentminded and forgetful, your mind is as
sharp as a tack. You possess an overwhelming power of concen­
tration, and, when you are in deep thought, you might walk by
your own mother without recognizing her. Those who do not know
you get nervous about your seeming failure to focus and take
notes, but those who understand the Aquarian style trust that you
will register the important facts. You seem to pick knowledge out
of thin air, like radar, discarding all the noise and efficiently pro­
cessing only what is important. You ask everyone's opinion on a
matter, and you often delegate the final decision-making to others.
Then, as though you just ran the data through your mental com­
puter, you instantly point out even the most subtle errors in their
logic. Despite your freewheeling facade, you Aquarians possess
the cutting insight and analytical agility to dissect and measure
massive amounts of information with expert efficiency.
You enjoy the reasoning process more than the final outcome,
however, and, admittedly, you take some extended journeys into
space as you ponder deep business questions. At first, your ideas
and solutions to problems are often considered eccentric whims.
 AQUARIUS 247

But, you take the criticisms in stride, and you find amusing the
process by which your once "impractical and unrealistic" sugges­
tions eventually become recognized as strokes of pure genius. Oh,
Aquarius, you must forgive your mere mortal co-workers who, be­
cause they cannot figure out how you do what you do, resist your
lead at times.

Work Environment
Only the rare Aquarius will last long in a nine-to-five corpo­
rate regime of structure and stodgy conservatism. You need lots of
space and freedom to roam, and your natural inclination for re­
bellion does not fare well in traditional firms. You are diplomatic
and gentle but fiercely independent, and attempts to confine you
to strict schedules and rigid rules of conduct send you running for
the door. Uranus forever compels you to challenge custom and
convention, and you are unmoved by authority and tradition.
Whereas corporate hierarchy generally requires blind adherence
to a set order of operation, the water bearer feels compelled to ex­
pose the faulty foundations upon which the whole system relies.
You are always fun to have around, and you will add some color to
the drab sea of suits around you. But, just as soon as you have
made friends with everyone in the office, you ditch the stifling du­
ties of traditional corporate life.
You Aquarians constantly search for the place in which you
can feel completely comfortable in your individuality. Of course,
with all your eccentric habits and unpredictability, such an envi­
ronment is often difficult to find. So Aquarius wanders, experi­
ments, looks and learns-and keeps moving on to the next thing.
Change is an integral part of your life, and you refuse to hold
yourself to set responsibilities and time constraints. You exhibit a
cool and calm composure, rarely revealing any trace of intense
ambition, and you will never be caught trying to bully your way
up the corporate ladder. You simply demand room to run, physi­
cally and intell�ctually, so that you can bring to life all those pass­
ing insights and ideals that scramble across your mental screen.
248 DOLLAR SIGNS

Although you Aquarians almost constantly surround your­

selves with friends, you experience a steady, deep-seated sense of
isolation. Your mind is simply too advanced for this world, and
you never truly feel that anyone understands your "trip." So you
ultimately remain independent and unattached to people and or­
ganizations. You travel around the globe, developing fleeting cir­
cles of admirers wherever you go. But very few places ever feel
truly comfortable. Occasionally, an Aquarian will encounter a
place that promotes the high-minded ideals and individualism so
dear to the Uranian-influenced spirit. And, when you find such a
place, you stay forever. Of course, you always take an occasional
personal excursion, during which you hibernate from the misun­
derstanding planet. The water bearer requires such time to replen­
ish his or her supply of waterly wisdom. But soon you are ready
to again speak of your valuable dreams to society. So you quickly
come back out to your world of friends, who learn to accept your
eccentric ways.

The Water Bearer as Manager

As the sign of antiestablishment, revolutionary tendencies,
Aquarius hardly fits the bill for best-suited business manager.
And, although the water bearer boasts all the brainpower of top
management, he or she rarely aspires to such positions. With
wild Uranus at your back, your behavior sways toward erratic
and unpredictable while managerial functions require order and
stability. Your complete lack of faith in formal authority and tra­
dition further dissuades you from any cracks at climbing the cor­
porate ladder. And, finally, your desperate desire to run from set
responsibilities practically precludes your joining the manager­
ial market.
You are too freedom-loving to assert your views or demands
to others, and you seldom exhibit the intense ambitious drive char­
acteristic of so many who climb up through the corporate ranks.
You believe that personal expression drives productivity, and,
without interference or aggression, you will get where you need to
 AQUARIUS 249

be. And, regardless of the results of your journey, you want to

enjoy the ride. The exceptional Aquarian insight instills in you a
calm, cool composure that separates you from the fray of compe­
tition, and you actually avoid confrontation at all costs. Manager­
ial responsibility, however, often demands hard-edged, assertive
tactics of control.
Aquarius enjoys analyzing the intellectual process at work in
human interaction and collaborative efforts, and rarely wants to
make any final decisions that will define objectives or modes of
conduct. The water bearer asks everyone else's opinion and usu­
ally has subordinates make the ultimate calls. You find the learn­
ing process and discovery that come with free exploration far
more fascinating than adherence to blanket rules. And you secretly
strive to reveal the inefficiencies and flaws of the corporate sys­
tem rather than enforce policy as expected.
The rare Aquarian manager often inspires great creativity and
innovation by promoting independent thought, but large corpora­
tions usually do not function under such open-ended systems. Un­
fortunately, few workers seem to make good use of the
responsibility they are given under the Aquarian work style. And
even fewer can operate, like Aquarius, without organized infor­
mation systems and set strategies. You hate to tie yourself to spe­
cific schedules or responsibilities, but your troops usually need
such direction. Even when you appear to have a plan, you contin­
ually spring disruptive changes on superiors and subordinates at
the last minute. So you Aquarians find few managerial opportuni­
ties in traditional organizations, but the stuffy board meetings and
corporate executives would bore you to death, anyway!

The Water Bearer as Employee

Everyone loves to work with you free-spirited Aquarians,
though the experience usually will be short-lived. Your sensitivity
to co-workers' moods and your genuine interest in people shine
through brightly to all you meet. And your lofty ideals and hu­
manitarian insights, combined with your sharp, yet slightly per-
250 DOLLAR SIGNS

verse, wit can enchant a roomful of people. The water bearer picks
up all sorts of eclectic knowledge and wisdom in the process of
questing around the globe and intently studying all forms of
human activity. But you Aquarians do not force yourselves or your
ideas onto others, and you generally blow a cool breeze through
heated competition or aggression. Your seeming lack of forceful
drive puts everyone at ease, and your stunning intellect keeps em­
ployers happy.
The Aquarian employee may dress a little funny and may shock
people with some eccentric habits. But you always become the
most popular employee in the office. Something about your far­
away gaze intrigues others, and you seem to possess some secret to
the universe that keeps you free of concerns about money or future
security. Aquarian employees work for the joy of the experience
and put in their best efforts until the experiment gets repetitive.
You are a worker with global interests, and you often bring ex­
pansive ideas to the enterprises in which you work. Aquarius looks
at everything from a broad perspective and combines worldy
knowledge with keen insight to advise superiors about innovative
growth opportunities. You do not generally concern yourself with
selfish motivations but instead focus on humanitarian visions.
Aquarius truly is an employee of society, serving up grand ideas
and means by which people can come together in business that
benefits the common good.
Your intellectual ideals are your basis for living, and you es­
tablish a strict moral code from which you do not deviate. Aquar­
ius typically treasures honesty and trust and rarely passes
judgment on the personal choices of others. You will pry into per­
sonal lives of co-workers out of curiosity, but you never betray
those who confide in you. Colleagues become attached to you as
they learn about your acceptance of even their most risque expe­
riences, although you reveal little about your own personal affairs.
Aquarius is a conscientious, calm, and exceptionally compe­
tent employee as long as no one cages him or her into set routines,
time schedules, or responsibilities. Your creative mind is a major
asset to any organization, and employers profit substantially from
 AQUARIUS 251

your input. You give your full efforts to your work, as anything
less would be a form of deception to you. And, when you find you
are no longer honestly inspired by the work, you move on to your
next venture.

Spending Style
You Aquarians do not think much about money, so it seems to
come and go as freely as you do. Your ruler, Uranus, governs all
the sudden upheavals of life, from noble revolutions to natural
disasters. So, you can imagine what effect the planet has on your
cash flow. Aquarius is prone to a binge-and-purge spending style
that, if left unchecked, drives friends and family to drink. Some­
how, Aquarius spends everything down to the last dime without
even breaking into a sweat. Then, just as you begin to notice that
your pockets are almost empty, some unexpected windfall comes
your way. No one is as cool as Aquarius through boom and bust.
Once again, you seem to have some peculiar insight into the fu­
ture, and you spend down to your last dime without the slightest
panic about the planets' ability to provide for you.
While your loved ones might get used to your volatile spend­
ing cycles, business associates, creditors and investors might not
be so forgiving. To keep an enterprise under control, Aquarius
usually needs to be kept to a regular budget. Of course, you detest
the idea of such an imposition on your freedom, but at least some
sort of constraints need to be imposed on your explosive Uranian
nature. Although you hit home runs as often as you strike out, the
erratic nature of Aquarian spending frightens financiers. By hav­
ing an advisor allocate only a portion of disposable income to you,
everyone benefits from your creative financial breakthroughs but
no one loses business when you blow out your bank account.

Trading Abilities
Aquarius is the erratic trader who either breaks the bank or
goes belly-up when playing markets. You tend to suddenly and sig-
252 DOLLAR SIGNS

nificantly jump into trades based on some intricate and unconven­

tional theory you have concocted. You are very fixed in your ideas
so you bet hard and hold your ground in the face of market ad­
versity. This strategy works for you as often as it wipes you out,
and luckily you trade less frequently than the other air signs (Libra
and Gemini), who more readily sell out of positions that turn
against them.
You get into volatile situations just before the storms hit, and
you thrill in outsmarting the crowds. As mentioned, Aquarius is
the contrarian. You put lots of money into markets or instruments
you sense are soon to explode, though public sentiment appears to
the naked eye to be raging against you. Then, when the anticipated
turbulence hits, you either skyrocket or utterly crash.
You water bearers are not very aggressive, however, and your
actions are generally slow and deliberate. You get into markets be­
fore the action erupts, and you get out when prices have settled at
their new levels. You do not move quickly enough to play markets
with any consistency, and, frankly, you shun the frenetic markets
that the adrenaline-addicted signs seem to play just for fun. Fur­
thermore, you find daily market trading quite dull, and, while
other signs enjoy exploiting known patterns in specific markets,
you find such work repetitive and confining. Aquarius is not dri­
ven by the profit potential in trading to get tied to relatively rou­
tine activities day after day.
One way you Aquarians have taken good advantage of your
market insights, yet escaped the boredom of routine trading prac­
tices, is through computer trading systems. Aquarians have a
knack for computers an)"Yay, and most of you are more than liter­
ate about the latest software. So you develop intelligent strategies
to teach the computer to trade. You then implement your clever al­
gorithms through massive computer trading systems, which prac­
tically trade themselves, while you further scrutinize and invent
new strategies. Of course, these often trigger "Uranian events"
such as massive computer buy or sell programs that create panic
and move markets drastically.
When considering trading as a profession, the majority of you
 AQUARIUS 253

Aquarians choose the role of researcher or investment analyst over

active speculator. Aquarians brilliantly sense public demand, and
they truly feel the slightest changes in the winds of mass senti­
ment. But, while you are so busy analyzing the reasons behind the
shift in opinion, markets explode right before your eyes. Again,
the absentminded professor in you walks around for days before
major market reversals mumbling something about a crash. But,
you are so deep in your thoughts that you forget to enter an actual
trade. While your relatives curse your forgetful ways, you Aquar­
ians revel in the lessons learned and the experience of calling the
market correctly. After all, money is not important up in the
clouds of wisdom and foresight!

The Water Bearer as Salesperson and

Fund-Raiser
Aquarian ideas can create a movement without your ever rais­
ing your voice or delivering a hard sales pitch. But putting the
water bearer out on the sales and fund-raising road can be less
than productive. Although you are fabulous promoters with a mys­
terious magnetism and an unusual sensitivity to public sentiment,
you do not like to tell others what to do. And, getting people to
part with cash calls for some substantial coaxing. Although
Aquarius may firmly believe in a product or service, he or she
leaves the aggressive marketing to the more forceful sales signs,
like Aries, Leo, and Gemini.
You Aquarians, as mentioned earlier, personify the "absent­
minded professor" stereotype, who is hardly the poster boy for
business prowess. While your ideas might be revolutionary and
your visions practically clairvoyant, basic organizational skills
seem to escape you. Aquarians generally seem a little "off in the
distance," which unsettles potential buyers and investors. Your
mind wanders toward the abstract, and your suggestions often
seem impractical and unrealistic. Of couse, you are merely
speaking ahead of your time, but potential customers consider
254 DOLLAR SIGNS

you flaky. You can be quite forgetful, too, and forgetting cus­
tomers' names usually doesn't assist in prying sales from them.
Aquarius does excel, however, at structuring syndicate deals
and other forms of investment pools. As the sign of brotherhood
and broad social appeal, you understand how to bring people to­
gether to achieve common goals. The water bearer shows a par­
ticular penchant for pulling together large funds of foreign
investment capital. You speak most spectacularly on global issues
and interests, and your wordly insights translate powerfully into
promotion of investment opportunities with a far reach.

Best-Suited Businesses
As the sign of intangible assets and intellectual property,
Aquarius has a professional mission that usually involves experi­
mentation and analysis. The water bearer is a knowledge gatherer
and disseminator. You pursue careers in which you are exposed to
a constant flow of new information, which you then process and
deliver back to the world-in the form of innovative ideas and in­
ventions that serve the soon-to-be needs of society; Because of
your curious nature and your interest in global issues, you tend to­
ward service industries with broad reach, particularly research,
analysis, and reporting functions.
As the air sign with the perceptive precognition of the future,
you are intrinsically drawn toward space research and travel.
Whether you tum to aeronautics, astrology, or cyberspace, your
Aquarian craving for exploration and learning will be satiated by
these highly abstract fields. You manage massive amounts of data
with ease, even though you tend to become forgetful about facts
you deem insignificant. And space research is a good utilization
of your keen intuitive abilities as well as your sense of logic. With
the on-line explosion, Aquarius delights in the opportunity to
reach around the globe, with innovative thought and technology,
for the general good of society. Not surprisingly, the Internet, and
new media industries in general, are flooded with Aquarians. And
 AQUARIUS 255

these fields seem to be a major area of growth as we progress

through the Age of Aquarius.
Although generally shunning repetitive product manufactur­
ing, Aquarius does enjoy the electronics, high-technology and
biotechnology industries. The latt�r fields offer exciting opportu­
nities to innovate and invent, and they are information-intensive
industries. You water bearers have the minds to conceptualize
complex functions of high technology, and you do not even notice
the long hours in the lab as you ponder deep questions and gener­
ate ingenious ideas to improve current capabilities.
In the financial arena, most Aquarians pursue positions in­
volving research and development of financial instruments and
investments. Aquarius is the quintessential "lab rat" who thrives
in the quiet calm of these bastions of experimentation and in­
tellectual challenge. In business settings, you lab rats are called
"quant geeks", but you equally enjoy the work. You can tinker
for hours on end examining the fine points and flaws of finan­
cial products, companies, and computer trading strategies. Re­
search materials and data abound, and you dig through all sorts
of educational information. Then Aquarius examines and im­
proves the investments and financial instruments, ultimately
offering the global marketplace the most innovative products
available.
The water bearer's "water" has taken the form of everything
from ideas to ions, and the Aquarian mission is to continue to
travel around the globe pouring knowledge, information, or other
intangible goods to society at large. And, through such initiatives,
you bring people together for the promotion of causes and objec­
tives that yield social as well as personal returns.

Common Professions
Research and development; biotechnology/high-tech industry;
space/air travel and research; electronics; computers; broadcast­
ing; author; dancer/singer; photography; auto racing
256 DOLLAR SIGNS

Ideal Investments
Stocks
Aquarians tend to play the stock market most actively just be­
fore or after a major price reversal. Whether you buy into a market
index or an individual stock, you have an internal radar for public
sentiment. You catch the shifts in the wind before the market even
evidences any signs of impending change in direction. Aquarius
jumps into markets against the trend, it seems, and ends up looking
like a genius when prices begin to quickly fall into line. Of course,
this is a bold, risky, and inconsistent form of investing, so Aquar­
ius yields erratic returns from stock market plays.
Your ruler, Uranus, is closely associated with computers, and
you often develop more regular trading habits through program
trading. Whether inventing the market strategy yourself or invest­
ing in an existing system, Aquarius does well in the computer
trading arena. You assess the feasibility of the algorithms behind
various systems, and you generally pick those strategies that make
good intuitive sense. Computer trading can also produce violent
swings in profitability, but it is becoming a useful hedging tool for
traders who, like most Aquarians, need to stabilize returns.
On an individual basis, Aquarians like to invest in stocks that
are doing something "cutting edge" and revolutionary, or in large
conglomerates. You have a sense for where the market demand is
headed, and you make consistently good calls in sectors such as
new technology/new media and computer software and products.
Aquarius senses when a company is about to do something unique
and different and tends to, bet correctly on the profit potential of
such activity. Whether the business is going to split its stock or re­
vamp its traditional product line or franchise, Aquarians are there,
making the right calls on businesses' future orientations. And you
understand the collaborative process and successful mergers of
mass groups of people. The broad reach of conglomerates, there­
fore, entices you, and you invest in those with soon-to-be-popular
global objectives. These usually provide some stable returns to
your somewhat risk-heavy holdings.
 AQUARIUS 257

Finally, Aquarius invests very successfully in mutual funds

and other sorts of investment pools. As the sign of collective ac­
tion and the benefits such joint efforts bring, Aquarius persistently
pegs profitable insurance funds, pension funds, and mutual funds.
You have such a good sense for the strategies underlying these
highly popular investment tools that you often create your own.
With a good understanding of public demand, Aquarius stays on
top of various hot markets by aggressively trading portions of
these enormous money pools. In addition, you find the investment
of pooled pension and insurance funds a worthy and far-reaching
cause. So, you promote these efforts with your gift for global ap­
peals, and you attract storms of foreign and domestic capital.
Aquarius generally experiences the greatest gains from stocks
in the following industries:

Computers/new media Medical Research

Electronics and Development
Airlines High-Tech Industry Research
Space research/travel and Development
Utilities
Broadcasting/
television/radio

Bonds
Aquarius is too concerned with today's ventures and near­
term market surges to tie up funds in long-term bonds. Occa­
sionally a government upheaval, political scandal, or legislative
action will threaten bond prices enough to catch your attention,
but Aquarius rarely buys bonds to hold for the long term. You
seek change and investments that break new ground, but bonds
offer little activity and conservative, slow gains. While politics
and government, in general, and the treasury, specifically, fasci­
nate you, the staid and predictable profits of long bonds do not
meet your Uranian, revolution-seeking requirements. Aquarians
are so concerned about missing out on some latest cultural move­
ment or experience that they even find it difficult to settle down
258 DOLLAR SIGNS

to live in one place for more than a few years. Tying up cash, for
even a few years, in an investment that does practically nothing
and teaches you almost nothing is almost unimaginable to the
Aquarian explorer.
The short-term bond markets do not offer much exciting
experimentation opportunity and intellectual growth, either. How­
ever, they are a bit less of a time commitment for the freedom­
loving Aquarian. And sometimes the regular short-term treasury
auctions get heated up by some political activity or government
action. In such cases, Aquarius might jump in for the quick surges
m pnces.
Debt issuances of companies going through major upheavals
or breakthroughs do intrigue the Aquarian investor. Just as with
stocks, you like to pinpoint bonds of companies with innovative
and groundbreaking business practices and products. You sense
where public demand is headed, and you make brilliant calls about
which companies are conducting business that will soon be re­
warded by the market. Distressed securities also appeal to your
Uranian understanding of sudden destruction and explosion.
Aquarius has a knack for spotting those bankrupt companies that
are making real breakthroughs back toward productivity. Uranus
gives you a sensitivity for boom and bust types of activity. You
spot companies that are headed toward either extreme.
Overall, most Aquarians could use some more government
debt holdings to balance their otherwise erratic investment in­
comes. Such staid, conventional instruments are difficult for you
to swallow, and you probably will forget you even own them. But
they will protect you from your loved ones' scowls when you next
toe the line of insolvency.

Real Estate
You Aquarians so hate to be tied down to any person or place
that real estate investments practically send you running. You are
not very responsible about routine duties and the mundane details
of life, so property upkeep becomes a real effort for you. Aquari­
ans will miss mortgage payments, forget to pay the gardener, and
 AQUARIUS 259

eventually let the whole place go to pot unless someone is on their

backs, constantly, reminding them about such things.
Aquarians often do well, however, in putting together creative
collaborative deals by which people can invest in large real estate
projects. The water bearer successfully pulls together investors to
buy everything from corporate towers to expansive farmland. You
exhibit great expertise in joining people in major enterprise, and
you can remain removed from any of the upkeep and daily drag of
owning your own property investments.
The water bearer is, essentially, a nomad who needs no prop­
erty holdings to provide "grounding". In fact, you look to live in
your airy world of weightlessness and exploration, and real estate
holdings merely burden your flight.

Luxury Goods
Just as with real estate, clunky property tends to weigh down the
Aquarian 's flight. Therefore, you are much more inclined to invest
in present activity and mind-expanding expeditions than famous
paintings. However, Aquarius does have a fancy for items reminis­
cent of worldly experiences or interesting stories. Rather than buy­
ing items with lasting market value or prestige, you often invest in
goods because they remind you of an intriguing lesson or culture.
Some of these eccentric items are valuable and some are not, and
the price tag is practically irrelevant to you. Obviously, then, you
must try to monitor such purchases so that you do not end up, some­
day, with a lot of worthless junk. Aquarians need to be reminded,
constantly, to make sure they really know what they are buying.
Generally, you water bearers are not conscious of fancy luxury
labels, and you tend to buy into whatever current taste catches
your eye. Aquarius has elegant, yet eccentric, taste, and will mix
antiques with the most contemporary artwork (e.g., a watercolor
done by a kid at a street fair). Your luxury purchases are often
made with the same amount of deliberation as your consumer pur­
chases, which could get you into some financial hot water. So try
to check the price tag before you pay up.
 LEADERS AND
LUMINARIES
Sir James Goldsmith
PISCES BUSINESS
Walter Annenberg VISIONARY
Lawrence Tisch
AND MASTER OF
Rupert Murdoch
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
MARKETING ILLUSION
Quincy Jones
L. Ron Hubbard FEBRUARY 20-MARCH 20

The achievements of Piscean Albert Einstein well illustrate the ge­

nius of which you fish are capable when you decide to stop drifting
downstream and turn your visionary wizardry toward real-world
goals. As the last sign of the zodiac, you possess an understanding
of all human experience as well as a unique compassion that devel­
ops out of such knowledge. This profound wisdom is a pretty in­
tense responsibility, and many of you attempt to retreat into the
world of illusion and fantasy. Your predecessor, Aquarius, utilizes
intellect to move the human experience to higher planes, which, in
business terms, usually means inroads in technology and computer
industries. Pisces then, through art and the fantasy of entertainment
businesses, fosters the emotional understanding that brings us to the
final goal of spiritual fulfillment.
Having felt all the pains of the world, many of you Pisceans
prefer dreams to reality, and you get hopelessly lost in your imag­
inations. But those of you fish who choose to swim upstream take
your bubbling creativity and adroitly apply it to practical endeav­
ors. When you Pisceans overcome your own sensitivity and reach
out to serve the public through creative enterprise, you provide-
262 DOLLAR SIGNS

eventually for huge profits-revolutionary goods and services

that truly help the world and yourself cope with life's ultimate
harshness.
Pisces rarely works for others and embarks on all sorts of risky
creative endeavors with a faith in some higher order or, at least, a
dream of one. The fish rarely worries much about money or prac­
tical pressures. You face your greatest competition within your
own hypersensitive psyche. Your ruler is Neptune, god of the sea
and fantasy, and you possess a power of illusion as mysterious as
the ocean yet as comforting as its breeze across a sweltering shore.
Whether through movies, advertisements, or pharmaceuticals,
Pisces uses creative insight to create an existence that feels less
frightening. You view the whole world as a stage, and you go
through life styling the scenes as you sense they show greatest ap­
peal. Because you forever want to put things in a more attractive
light than reality offers, you sometimes get duped by schemers.
But overall, you fish wrap up the financial horoscope with an in­
tegrated understanding of human needs that translates into bril­
liant business instinct and cosmically charged creativity.

Entrepreneurship
Pisces is the sign of superior intuitive insight and creative vi­
sion, and, clearly, such gifts provide great groundwork for entre­
preneurial excellence. No other sign imagines the innovative idea
so vividly, and few understand human needs better than the fish.
And your artistic talents shine so sharply through your marketing
and promotional efforts that your business begins to fly before you
even lay its foundations. You truly personify entrepreneurship, as
long as you do not neglect real dollars in pursuit of unrealizable
dreams.
You fish typically set out on your own with your creative vi­
sions, and you offer, in your business ei:ideavors, to reprocess life
experience and distribute it in more appealing packaging. But
your success as entrepreneurs depends on your ability to resist
your strong inclination to retreat from reality. Although Pisces
 PISCES 263

people possess all the insight and independence of effective en­

trepreneurship, you tend to swim off into self-delusion when the
waters get choppy. The fish boldly initiates creative venture with
little hesitation about risk or financial insecurity. But, when ad­
versity rears its head in your windows, you tend to pull the shades
and make believe the demons do not exist. Entrepreneurship re­
quires a more confrontational style than the fish customarily
chooses. However, the potential to swim upstream lurks within
every Pisces, and those of you who meet your challenges head-on
spectacularly realize some of humanity's highest aspirations.
The fish learns early in life that "going with the flow" is much
more comfortable than fighting the currents. And your ruler, Nep­
tune, god of illusion, tempts you with the "easy road." So you in­
stinctively jump on any wave that captures your interest, and you
ride it with all the excitement and showmanship of a pro. You at­
tract all sorts of attention with your enthusiasm and style, but you
fish tend to put great faith in fate, which often works against you.
Just as the competition heats up, you progressively lose your­
self in your dreamworld. Although your comfort in life's natural
processes instills in you the daring to act on some of your creative
wishes, you often fail to struggle sufficiently for business sur­
vival. Furthermore, you neglect to organize effectively and nail
down the material aspects of your initiatives. You get so wrapped
up in the experience of the dream that you often fail to translate
your vision into practical terms. Your biggest undoing is your abil­
ity to tune out and ignore the mundane responsibilities of cash
flow and competition, and you tend to sidestep when straightfor­
ward action is critical. The fish generally scatters from too much
responsibility and lets promising enterprise drift out to sea.
Fortunately, you fish are shrewd thinkers, under all the emo­
tion. And, early on, you employ business partners to structure the
management and money part of your enterprise. Or, you simply
keep business small and streamlined by working as an indepen­
dent agent. Many of you Pisceans become microentrepreneurs as ,\
solo writers, producers, curators, and other professions where
your own creative expression is the product of the business.
264 DOLLAR SIGNS

Should you get so huge that offices, staff, and serious expansion
are needed, you fish then count your blessings and hire people to
put the business structure in place.

Risk Profile
Risk rarely intrudes on the Piscean v'ision, and you jump into
speculative ventures with little deliberation about any negative
consequences. The fish understands the human experience so
deeply that he or she learns to play all of life as a game. And you
are more concentrated on providing insight to emotional peace
than on proving moneymaking prowess to your pals. With Nep­
tune, master of fantasy, guiding you, you tend to overlook real­
world concerns and to concentrate more on the illusion you desire
to portray in any particular venture.
The fish does not seem to pursue risk for a mere adrenaline
rush. But you do not shrink from it, either. Pisces simply plays the
games in which creativity can be expressed in some practical way.
When, and if, the activity becomes distasteful, you fish quickly
will pull out and accept the sudden change gracefully. Pisces
works to avoid human suffering, oppression, and unfulfilled de­
sires. And you view monetary loss as a mere by-product of living.
You'd sooner save your senses than your cents, that is, and noth­
ing is more astonishing than the Piscean indifference to the life
events that scare the sunlight out of other signs.
Of course, you fish are so mysterious about your true motiva­
tions that few could ever hope to figure out whether or not you
secretly revel in the high-risk of fast trading and fly-by-night
enterprise. You seem to possess sharp instincts about speculative
venture, as you take rash runs at the diciest of the lot. And you
seem to thrill thoroughly in the white water of fast market trading,
jumping playfully in and out of the waves of moving prices.
However, you fish do have an unusual self-destructive streak
which you must monitor at all times. You Pisceans sometimes turn
all your compassion inward and take on a role of martyrdom. As
you then sabotage everything good in your life to live up to your
 PISCES 265

new persona, you sometimes throw yourselves into highly risky

investment schemes just to compound your misery. Pisceans tend
to do things in excess, and, when you are feeling badly blue, you'd
best advise your broker not to buy in to your financial suicides.

Investment Style
As a mutable water sign, you Pisceans act off of your emotions
and you are changeable in your choices. And you fish are prone to
boom and bust periods due to your hasty runs at all sorts of spec­
ulative ventures. The fish are not driven by greed, though, and
moneymaking potential prompts fewer payouts from you than an
almost compassionate compulsion to support creative endeavors.
Unfortunately, deceptive Neptune confuses your investment
decisions with a filter of rosy-colored sheen. The planet of illusion
instills in you a tendency to look at investments and deals with
overinflated optimism. Pisces overlooks material flaws in invest­
ments and sees situations more favorably than reality indicates.
You cannot resist your desire to make life appear better than it is,
and you subconsciously impose on your potential picks an image
of what they could be. Although some of your buys eventually live
up to your idealistic view of them, you often miss out on invest­
ments with real star quality. And, of course, many of your false
hopes become harsh financial realities.
Although the fish naturally resist any instructions that put lim­
itations on their free-flowing style, they benefit greatly from even
minimal outside supervision of their investments. Capricorns and
Tauruses provide the perfect "reality checks" for the idealistic Pis­
cean picks. You fish always make your own choices, regardless of
outside opinions, but shining a bright spotlight on obvious invest­
ment oddities should at least save you from the total scams.

Investment Horizon
You fish seek to ride the swells of investments achieving their
true price potential, and, ideally, such moves are strong and speedy
266 DOLLAR SIGNS

so that you can move on to the next rising business sensations. You
Pisceans continually need to direct your creative energies toward
a progressive path, and you bail out of investments that become
stagnant. Immediate experience is most important to the fish, and
you rarely worry about your financial future or pine away over
your investment past.
As the final sign on the zodiacal wheel, Pisces possesses a
unique power to collapse past, present, and future experience into
one. You live each moment with a fully integrated awareness of
events gone by and those to come. So you generally do not con­
cern yourself with future income and security. The moment you
are experiencing is the place to focus, you say, as today's choices
encompass all the concerns of your entire existence. In more basic
terms, you fish are quite careless about providing for long-term
financial foundations. You tend to concentrate only on the invest­
ments that offer real returns today.
Of course, any responsible financial advisor will tell you Pis­
ceans that you really need to think about the days when you will
not be such a young guppy. Even with your full faith in nature's
guidance, financial storms erupt that threaten you and your loved
ones. To fail to have some protection under a long-standing struc­
ture, like the long bond, is flat-out foolishness!

Negotiating Savvy
The highly sensitive Piscean nervous system tends to overload
in the heat of negotiations. In fact, you fish so dislike debate that
you develop all sorts of curious covers to avert adversarial af­
fronts. Not only do you attempt to drift off to your daydreams of
harmonious dealings, but you dance around your own demands to
keep the peace. You are so conditioned to hiding your true desires
from potential public attack that you become extremely elusive in
discussions. Pisceans will distort the truth and resort to deception
to create pleasant interactions. And, rather than giving straightfor­
ward arguments and reciting facts truthfully, you fish will put
forth information as you think it will be received most positively.
 PISCES 267

Any agreements based on such faulty foundations, of course, are

sketchy at best.
Generally, Pisces is too sympathetic a soul to excel at negoti­
ation. You may have very strong viewpoints, but you very rarely
will be forceful about them. Rather than pushing your points, you
will listen compassionately to the other side's needs. And, even if
you staunchly disagree with the arguments presented, the thought
of launching a direct attack on anyone is painful for you. You sel­
dom get riled, and you shrink from the competition just when you
should tum on the pressure. In fact, the fish often will try physi­
cally to wriggle away in the middle of negotiations.
Again, the Neptunian temptation to delude others seems the
path of least resistance. But no one stands to benefit from feigned
agreements that bear no fruit, and you begin to lose lots of trust by
bending the basics of negotiation. Unless you can trust yourself to
avoid the lure of duplicity in dealing, refrain from sitting down at
the bargaining table. You are master promoters and salespeople,
Pisces, but, when the pitch comes back at you, you begin to lose
your head!

Partnership Decisions
You Pisceans are extremely independent, yet you are shrewd
enough to acknowledge both your shining points and shortcom­
ings. You are secure in your creative talents, and, as long as busi­
ness requires little more than your showing up to impart your
artisitic visions, you figure you are okay. But, as business grows
into an operation that requires a support staff and credit line, you
begin to realize your need for a partner.
Pisceans enjoy the company of fellow imaginative types, but
you tend to team up more securely with those who bring cautious
planning and office management skills to the marriage. You Pis­
ceans may strive to become orderly, but Neptune injects a dose of
chaos and confusion into your lives. So you fish learn to lean on
more practical, organized types, who keep you on track and ensure
that business runs smoothly. Capricorn and Taurus provide solid
268 DOLLAR SIGNS

partnership potential for the fish, as they keep a keen eye on cash
flow and a strong hold on operational efficiency.
Because you are so deeply sensitive, however, you are wise to
be extremely selective about the people with whom you surround
yourself. Pisces' high-frequency sensitivity system actually ab­
sorbs the vibrations of people and events around them. And, as
soon as you allow into your enterprise one individual with a
gloomy attitude, business quickly tends to become very dark for
you. While you can turn an indifferent ear to suggestions about
your carefree spending habits, you cannot escape the negative vi­
brations of an unhappy soul. Your first impressions about such
matters are usually right-on, Pisces, so listen to them!
When business grows sufficiently to expand your creative
staff, you thoroughly enjoy the company of Cancer and Scorpio.
And, at some point, you stand to gain a lot from an Aries or Gem­
ini who will debate and find funding for you compassionate, cre­
ative fish!

Work Style
As mentioned earlier, your ruler, Neptune, induces in you a
slight state of confusion, and you seem to bring a little bit of chaos
wherever you go. Many just consider it an endearing artistic un­
dercurrent, but, when business gets out of control, your lack of or­
ganization becomes painfully disconcerting. The fish are simply
too swayed by emotional sensitivities to tend to the mundane mat­
ters of business management, and they are so comfortable about
following the hand of fate, that they leave a lot of tomorrow's re­
sponsibilities to utter chance.
You fish typically "go with the flow" in work efforts, and,
rather than commit yourself to set duties and deadlines, you let
your dreams and feelings guide your productivity. While other
signs stress about sticking to a set plan, the fish exhibit a casual
indifference to the demands placed upon them. Your powerful
imagination is as puzzling as the cosmos, and attempts to confine
it seem self-defeating and senseless. After all, you figure, your ex-
 PISCES 269

perience is directed by some inexplicable forces that control the

mysterious master performance. And the coming storms are part
of the story line. So Pisces faces upheavals with composure, and,
when adversity applies too much pressure, swims away to idyllic
dream pools.
Fish, by nature, fail to fight fiercely in the face of competition
and rarely get roused by the aggressors that threaten their path.
Rather than playing by the rules of the material world, you Pis­
ceans choose to strive for higher goals. Your style is a comforting
break from the hard-driving business battlefield, but even you oc­
casionally need to war against the tides of secular existence. The
downstream path of personal peace provides little ultimate plea­
sure for Pisces. Only when you struggle upstream for some sound
social good do you fish ever reach career contentment.
The free-form Piscean work style fosters great creative in­
sight, but success in business, and life, also requires an adherence
to realistic aims. Although you prefer to work alone, the wise ones
among you surround yourselves with support structures to keep
your focus on practical pursuits. When you are contentedly con­
tributing creative flair to useful projects, you surprise everyone
with your focus and dedication to detail. And you work well in
areas that require abstract thinking. But, when work turns to the
more mechanical duties of basic business management and oper­
ation, you Pisceans usually need some channeling force to keep
you chugging along a productive path. Although you do not re­
spond to direct pressures on your artistic energies, well-chosen
carrots of creative outlet lead you fish steadily toward success. Of
course, you often will need to find a good earth sign (Capricorn,
Taurus, Virgo) to keep digging up those carrots!

Work Environment
You fish are such sensitive creatures that you absorb the vi­
brations of all the people and activity around you. Consequently,
you require work environments that are relatively free of frazzled
nerves and negativity. Although you endorse atmospheres of un-
270 DOLLAR SIGNS

structured productivity and creative freedom, your internal sys­

tems crash as the air fills with agitation. While some signs, like
Gemini, enjoy the fray of any unfettered emotion, and others, like
Aries, feed off the tension of others' fear and competition, Pisces
must pull out of such mayhem. You fish take on the colors of your
surroundings, and neither gloomy shades of depression nor clash­
ing hues of hysteria suit you well.
Despite the seeming order and calm of many corporate arenas,
most fish steer clear of such stodgy settings. The structure and
routine of traditional firms prove far too confining for the free­
dom-loving fish, and you prefer to stir your own waters of creative
enterprise. You Pisceans need to channel creative energies into
your work, and businesses that deal in the arts or abstract theory
are most appealing to you. Although exceptions exist, corporate
life usually does not foster full development of the personal cre­
ativity or attention to individuals' sensitivities that are the essence
of Piscean existence. And you fish begin to take on dull, gray
tones of mediocrity as sterile corporate life steadily stifles your
vivid imagination and sullies your overall professional outlook.
You do not care much for power, prestige, or piles of money, so the
psychic price you pay in traditional "establishment" jobs far out­
weighs any benefits you might receive.
The fish prefers small, creative company settings where work
methods are flexible and people show up because they enjoy their
work. Of course, that sounds pretty idealistic to lots of people, but
Pisces really cannot settle for less. You cannot stand to be con­
fined in one place for very long, and you will quit any position
that imposes set hours anq performance schedules on you. You do
not need others to set work guidelines for you, and you seek little
direction as you go about your work. Although you enjoy inter­
acting with others, you sometimes need to stake out some area of
privacy to still your emotions. When you retreat, you do not ex­
pect to get a lot of questions, and persistent attempts to pry into
your personal life could drive you away permanently.
Physically and psychically, Pisceans need bright, sunny sur­
roundings. Rich green colors and lots of plants, alone, work won-
 PISCES 271

ders on Piscean performance. And the addition of some beautiful

artwork, fresh flowers, and soft music really make your spirits
soar. Finally, to inspire full creative genius, all fish should sur­
round themselves with positive, pleasant, productive people. That
sounds obvious, but think about all the companies full of crusty,
hypercompetitive, number-crunching types who show up simply
for the love of cash.

The Fish as Manager

Most often, you fish are unmoved by the power of high com­
pany rank, and you rather pity those who must bear the burdens of
such responsibility. You do not like to stay in one place for very
long, and you cringe at the cramp a nine-to-five position puts in
your imaginative processes. You much prefer to move around
freely, as mankind's artists, painting pretty pictures over all of
life's pains. So, when you find yourself in leadership roles, it is
usually by mere chance.
You sensitive fish generally pursue goals of a higher order
than the accumulation of power and personal wealth, and you
rarely will be seen competing up the corporate ladder. Pisceans
are so acutely aware of the human condition that they are happiest
in roles where they use their heightened sensitivity to comfort
others through life's complications. In an ideal world, managers
might delve deeply into peoples' psyches and offer artistic insights
to more enjoyable living. But, in traditional corporate life, man­
agers serve to impose order and efficiency and (hopefully) some
occasional inspiration. These functions drive business success and
achieve lots of good for society, but they rarely satisfy Pisces' cre­
ative yearnings.
Rather than balancing spending budgets and organizing oper­
ational systems to achieve higher output, Pisces' mind wanders
toward the abstract aspects of business. You dazzle all with
exceptional advertising ideas and innovative strategic planning.
And, combining an intuitive understanding of your students and a
deep grasp of even the most complex subjects, you are highly
272 DOLLAR SIGNS

skilled at training employees. But your capacity for business me­

chanics leaves a lot to be desired. You Pisces realize that others do
not work in as free-form a way as you do, but you cannot seem to
come up with solutions to the chaos around you. So, in manager­
ial roles, you generally muddle through and try to find a few
Capricorns or Tauruses to control the practical, and particularly fi­
nancial, concerns of your business.
You rare Piscean managers usually get assigned to your high
seats in honor of your exceptional creative contributions to an
enterprise. And, where you remain in such positions, you can
usually attribute your success to the team you build around your­
self. Although alone you do not make a masterful manager, you
are savvy enough to acknowledge your weaknesses and surround
yourself with superstar people. You have negligible desire to as­
sert control over others, you dislike set work routines, and you
enjoy adding a rosy tint to facts and figures of life as well as
business. Although you seem ill prepared for the responsibility
of corporate captain, your imaginative genius flourishes in the
steady hands of practical-minded support people.

The Fish as Employee

The most original ideas will pop out of the gentle Piscean em­
ployee, as long as the sensitive fish is afforded an attractive envi­
ronment and duties extending beyond the merely perfunctory. You
fish constantly face the choice to swim upstream or downstream,
and your surroundings will regularly push you in and out of the
company door. You require constant creative opportunities, and
you will perform, as the "up-fish," with focus and efficiency in
such activities that exercise your artistic flair. But, when work
drifts toward the dreary and routine, Pisces becomes the lazy
"down-fish" with the depressed, uninterested attitude and the
soon-to-follow resignation. And you fish do not stick around to
discuss chances for improvement, either.
Generally you do not speak directly of personal desires, and
you retain a sense of secrecy about your career goals. Part of your
 PISCES 273

guardedness stems from your own innate confusion about your

motives. Neptune, master of mystery, constantly casts doubt on
your decisions, and you rarely know which of your choices you
truly own. So Pisces moves along quietly and without aggression,
providing creative input, wherever possible, but never revealing
true motives.
Your employers need not fear that you Pisceans will squeeze
them out of their positions someday. The burdens of management
and company responsibility totally turn you fish off. You watch
your superiors get more and more bogged down by the duties of
leadership, and you thank the stars for your freedom of movement.
You swim forever forward, searching for opportunities to which
to innovatively apply your artistic sensitivities. And you move
swiftly past those waters that look mired with mundane matter.
The fish needs to change scenery too often to get caught up in the
confines of company hierarchy.
When you fish find a colorful cove with creative potential,
you contribute wonderful assets to the environment. You still tend
to daydream a bit, and you hide in a corner for weeks when em­
ployers yell too loudly at your sensitive soul. Your work methods
are often quite eclectic, and your bookkeeping skills probably
make your boss balk. But, you exhibit such a willingness to help
others, and you seem so lacking in selfish motives, that you truly
are a hidden treasure. No one listens better or so well understands
an employer's needs. And few provide such exceptional enhance­
ments to the company's creative vision. In return, the fish de­
mands little maintenance. Pisces does not expect extravagant
raises or big bonuses and rarely complains about pay. Occasion­
ally you might need a cash advance, but employers learn to ac­
commodate you sensitive sages!

Spending Style
Although you fish desire the financial freedom to roam care­
lessly through life's experiences, you let money slip through your
fingers. You put so much faith in the guidance of a higher order
274 DOLLAR SIGNS

that you fail to worry much about the future. So, with little discre­
tion or healthy conservatism, you spend your money on all sorts of
passing fancies. Ironically, however, you exhibit little moneymak­
ing drive, and your purchases often exceed your means. Neptune,
your friendly dream weaver, is at it again, Pisces, providing you
with a false sense that you always can afford to live as you wish.
Pisces seems to believe in some sort of cosmic money pool, by
which cash is transferred constantly between those in need and
those with unused holdings. In such a system, you fish simply see
yourselves as cash conduits. You tap into reserves when you need
to make a purchase, and you pass funds on to others as they ex­
press a need for capital. You are extremely generous, and you will
give away your last dollar to a friend in trouble. You expect the
same courtesy in return, of course, but you otherwise will neglect
to request any repayment.
You fish just cannot keep tabs on the cash flow. And your
propensities for constant change and spontaneous experience fur­
ther erode your chances of financial fortitude. To ensure that your
purse strings do not someday pull the plug on your personal quest­
ing, the planets stress partnering with a cash-conservative advisor.
Whether you formally employ a financial watchdog or entrust a
friend or family member to put you on a budget, you almost al­
ways need to put a plug in the cash-flow drain.
As stated earlier, practical earth signs, like Capricorn and Tau­
rus, serve as superb braking systems to your supersonic spending
habits.

Trading Abilities
You fish often make quite competent traders, and you appear
to have an absolute splash as you jump in and out of active mar­
kets. Pisces moves quickly into trades and usually acts on hunches
rather than carefully planned strategies. The fish does not fear the
disorder of markets, and you look at trading as an amusing game.
Because you play more for fun than for steady income, you fish
typically trade only where markets offer really ripping price runs.
 PISCES 275

You have sharp instincts about human emotional activity, and you
seem to sense when a market is ready to take off. Pisces jumps
into positions powerfully, and you ride the waves erratically to ei­
ther windfall gains or total wipeouts.
When you exercise some restraint and practically assess your
market instincts before trading them, you usually catch the big,
hysteria-driven up-moves in markets. The fish senses the vibra­
tions of mass panic just before it hits and buys into a position.
Then, the crowds frantically enter the market and drive prices to
unsustainably high levels. Again, Pisces picks up the subtle
change in emotional winds. Before the public begins scrambling
to sell out, you take your profits and watch prices retreat back to
normal levels.
However, when you get careless, Neptune's power of illusion'
clouds your judgment. You fish maintain false hopes that your
picks will live up to your overinflated perceptions. And you tend
to hold on to obviously bad buys too long, which explains the se­
vere losses you endure. Rather than bailing out when the tides
turn, you ride your trades right down to rock bottom and miss out
on the real winners.
As in all your activities, you fish are prone to excesses in your
trading. Not only do you make rash dives into ill-researched
trades, but you also forget about the money you put on the line.
Because the trading game is such a sensational experience, Pis­
ceans can become addicted to the action. You often begin to use
trading as one of your retreats from reality, and, like all artificial
stimulants, it eventually burns you out.

The Fish as Salesperson and Fund-Raiser

With all your powers of creative illusion, you Pisceans are
star-studded salespeople. The fish can reprocess anything into a
more attractive form. And, with your heightened awareness about
human sensitivities, you know just what will seduce your poten­
tial customers. You put a fine coat of artistic gleam over the most
drab displays, and you tap into your audiences' needs so power-
276 DOLLAR SIGNS

fully that they feel grateful to you for addressing them. Rather
than the hard sell of Gemini or Aries, Pisces offers a peep at a
world that is much sexier than reality. You sell them life through
the artist's eye, and depending on your audience, your style can
range from the slightly pornographic to the pristine.
Your first instinct is to connect with and comfort people's
emotions, and, in selling, you sense people's desires and try to sat­
isfy them. You fish are innately gentle and kind, and you exude a
genuine compassion for your customers' needs. Whereas other
signs, like Leo, attempt to dominate their prospects, your laid­
back style draws them to you. Pisces seems to possess the prophe­
cies and outlook that everyone seeks. Perhaps you simply
understand that people desperately desire a little formality and
fineness sprinkled over their otherwise dreary lives. You give us
glimpses of your insights through your creative sales campaigns
and project presentations, and no one can escape the lure of the il­
lusions you put forth. Particularly in your fund-raising initiatives
for noble causes and charities, you inspire others to transcend
mundane existence and buy into higher goals.
Whether you are selling wonder bras or worldly missions,
however, you hit the promotional pavement as though you were
beginning your own crusade. Your ruler, Neptune, offers up top­
shelf fantasy so potent it enables you Pisceans to create mass hys­
teria behind your objectives. You love to travel, with no set
schedule or routine, from one human theater to the next. Pisces
acts as a complete conformist with one client and turns into a
compassionate liberal with another. And, your role change is con­
vincing because, as the last sign of the zodiac, you have already
played all parts on the world's stage. So you interpret for the
planet, to standing ovations, the magic behind your wares, and you
sell out the house wherever you go.
As corny as it may sound, most Pisceans are not motivated by
the money in sales and fund-raising. You really enjoy the opportu­
nity to exercise your creativity in a practical way as you travel
around the globe, spreading hope. Because of the genuine emo­
tion in your endorsements, people connect with you and sense that
 PISCES 277

you are not just after their money. Then, naturally, they give it to
you! (You really do know how to play the world like one big pup­
pet show!)

Best-Suited Businesses
Because of your constant need for change and creative ex­
pression in your work, it is more common for you to swim toward
service businesses than product industries.
As mentioned throughout this chapter, your ruler, Neptune,
planet of fantasy and illusion, prepares you for life as the world's
painters. Pisces exhibits a deep intuition and sensitivity that trans­
lates itself through the arts. Whether you perform, produce or di­
rect the creativity, you fish bring pure genius to the fields of
acting, art, music, writing, and photography.
Pisces deeply understands the bareness of ordinary life and
sets out to give the globe a much more glamourous packaging.
With your eye for illusion, you flood the advertising industry with
a storm of brilliant ideas. And Pisceans find Hollywood, and the
entertainment industry in general, a real pleasure palace. Through
movies, music, plays, television, and radio you create living that is
la�ger than life. The fish piles heaps of hype onto ordinary exis­
tence and delivers beauty, creative insight and lofty ideals from
which, hopefully, someone finds some inner peace. You are the
quintessential visionary, and, with the entertainment industry's
playthings, you compose sensational scenarios to exercise your
artful eye, and, in the process, comfort people with some insight.
Pisces people seem to serve a higher order than the other
signs, and their first instinct always is to help people. Conse­
quently, the fish often pursue professions in the hospital industry,
nursing, pharmaceuticals, social work, and charities. The compas­
sion of the fish runs deep, and you achieve your greatest sense of
accomplishment through serving the physically, psychologically,
and spiritually needy.
You fish generally shy away from traditional financial careers
and banking. Pisces is usually an abstract thinker, and the confines
278 DOLLAR SIGNS

of mechanical number crunching and asset management mean lit­

tle more to you than a huge headache. Because of your right-brain
intuition and vision, however, you do demonstrate a knack for fi­
nancial and strategic planning. Unfortunately, the walls of corpo­
rate towers feel like a fish tank to the ocean-bound Pisces. So you
typically employ your skills of financial foresight in your own cre­
ative businesses.

Common Professions
Artist/musician/writer/actor/photographer; entertainment­
producer/director; TV; advertising; sales/P.R.; health care; hotel
manager; charity; radio; teacher

Ideal Investments
Stocks
Your ruler, Neptune, also greatly influences the New York
Stock Exchange (NYSE), and you are, therefore, "in sync" with
the way the market operates. (Just look at the NYSE 's constant
sense of chaos and confusion to better understand the way Nep­
tune works on the Piscean nervous system!) You fish enjoy trad­
ing, though you tend to experience booms or busts in your returns.
You jump in quickly, without much concern about risk, and you
often trade beyond your means. Just like the "Big Board" (NYSE)
itself, you vacillate between days of absolute chaos and crash ac­
tivity to days of smooth, controlled trading. And, over time, your
profits keep climbing.
Otherwise, Pisces has a penchant for picking stocks that are
about to experience heated run-ups in prices. With your rose-col­
ored glasses, you fish recognize potential in stocks before real
progress is evident. You see clearly what a company could be­
come, and you buy shares while the prices are still low. Then, as
the company begins to live up to your inflated vision, the public
floods in and drives the stock way up.
You fish are not big on aggression and forceful behavior, so
 PISCES 279

you usually avoid active exchanges and trading floors. Your tightly
wired nervous system tends to crash in the heated commotion of
crowds, and the crude accommodations of the physical space of
trading floors hardly appeal to your artistic sensitivities. Pisces
cannot block out all the crude intrusions in order to concentrate
sufficiently on the markets themselves. And, when you get care­
less, you fish often find yourselves in the middle of shady
schemes and shady trading practices, so stay alert.
Assuming you are trading from some quiet desk somewhere,
the planets give you better than average odds in stocks in the fol­
lowing industries:

Entertainment Shipping
Health care/hospitals Chemicals
Pharmaceuticals Cosmetics
Oil Plastics
Beverages/alcohol

Bonds
Treasury bonds barely register on the Piscean investment
scale. You fish do not think much about tomorrow, and you prefer
investments that provide you with prompt action. Pisces looks for
investments that offer some potential to think creatively and
strategize, and treasury bonds are pretty much "plain vanilla." You
just do not believe in tying up major funds for future security
when all sorts of imaginative investments pass before your eyes
today.
Pisces finds corporate bonds of secure, established enterprise
almost as uninteresting as treasury markets. But you entirely enjoy
investing in corporate "junk bonds". In the junk arena, as in stock
investing, Pisces is a real pro at spotting the potential for a com­
pany to prosper. With your creative mind and your ability to "over­
inflate" life, you visualize the promise in a young company. And,
with some confirming research, you make exceptional picks in the
debt of "underdeveloped" companies.
Note: Much as it pains you, Pisces, you probably could use a
280 DOLLAR SIGNS

few long-term treasury bonds to balance out your volatile stock

investments. Just to humor all the friends and family who worry
about your future, buy a few, put 'em away somewhere, and forget
about 'em.

Real Estate
Unlike treasury bonds, real estate is· a relatively conservative
investment from which Pisces can reap immediate benefit. You
typically enjoy real estate investing, as you inspect property and
envision all its true potential. Again, the fish has the exceptional
creative eye to imagine the property as it could be, at its best,
rather than as it is. So you make lots of smart buys that you find
aesthetically rewarding as well.
You Pisceans particularly go for home purchases, in appealing
parts of the world. You fish like to experience first-hand the re­
wards of your creativity, so you buy homes that you know you can
use during, at least, various periods of the year. Of course, you
embellish your properties with your artistic input, and you pay
amazingly close attention to the details of your property upkeep.
Because your real estate holdings are your creative outlets, as well
as investments, you take the time to focus on their proper mainte­
nance and care.
Because of your strong fondness for property holdings and
your natural tendency toward excess, you must exercise extreme
caution in the real estate arena. Too many real estate investments
can completely sap your (probably) already strained cash-flow sit­
uation.

Luxury Goods
When you save enough cash for luxury purchases, you are de­
voted patrons of the arts. Unfortunately, however, you rarely con­
centrate on cash sufficiently to amass the amounts necessary for
any luxury market inv�stments. You fish have an eye for glamour
and glitz, but you usually borrow it rather than buy it. You ex­
tremely enjoy leisurely living and life's most extravagant plea-
 PISCES 281

sures, but your lack of ambition about making mounds of money

usually means you are a guest in such worlds.
Those Pisceans who do break the bank (or marry the banker)
will need to monitor your luxury purchases very closely. First,
Pisces is highly susceptible to fraud and could get taken to the
cleaners in the art world alone. Be sure to check every purchase
very carefully before paying up. Second, in the luxury markets,
your tendency toward excess can put your net worth right down to
the poverty line. Make sure you plan each purchase realistically.
Otherwise, your own creativity usually attracts you to the
finest items the luxury markets have to offer. And your deep sen­
sitivity to the workings of the emotional realm instantly alerts you
to those buys that have, or will have, enormous public appeal. So
these purchases can become, for Pisces, profitable businesses as
well as personal pleasures.