Astrological analysis

Dear Bernard
My co-worker and I have the same birthdate, October 20, 1958. She is six years older. She is constantly off work with headaches, backaches, toothaches and so on, and when she is off I have to do her work, too. Why are we so different? Beverly

Yes, you both have the sun in Libra, but because you were born in different years, all the other planets are in different places. Your moon, for instance, is in fair and friendly Aquarius, hers is in Scorpio. That alone is enough to make a big difference in your attitudes. But there are a lot of places where your two charts, though very different, do fit together very nicely: in other words, her hypochondria may well drive you nuts, but you could do far worse...

Dear Bernard
Ruling planets are meant to confer certain traits to sun signs, but these ruling planets have changed over the years? Aquarius was once ruled by Saturn but is now ruled by Uranus. How can we believe that ruling planets can do anything when they can be changed so whimsically? John, Tunbridge Wells

They're not changed 'whimsically', John. A lot of thought goes into it. The original set-up of seven ruling planets, with the sun and moon together in Leo and Cancer, and the others fanning out in order from Mercury to Saturn round the signs in each direction, was beautiful, symmetrical, and complete. Many 'traditionalist' - astrologers still stick by this, and the system is not outdated or discredited in any way. The discovery of Uranus and Neptune created a problem; they were given to Aquarius and Pisces respectively, but as additions, not as replacements. Saturn still rules Aquarius. Planets don't 'do' anything at all: they provide a vocabulary of symbols, and as with any language, new words get added as society needs them. Uranus and Neptune are part of that.

Eric Francis writes: The release of Return of the King, is a great opportunity to look at the author of the original Lord Of The Rings books. J.R.R. Tolkien, born January 3, 1892, was a Capricorn. What more perfect sign for a person obsessed with both understanding history and respecting tradition? Capricorn has a never-ending appreciation for anything old. If you want a good time, take one on an antique-hunting mission. Tolkien's works have given new meaning to the idea of enduring value, but better still, to the enduring values of selfless service and dedication to peaceful solutions that are so necessary right now.