Friday November 22nd 2002 - edited by Bernard Fitzwalter ~ AstroDiary ~ The passion planets are on the move. Here's how their new positions could affect your love life... Last month, Mars was chasing Venus with a wicked glint in his eye - but Venus was playing hard to catch. Since then the celestial lovers have been getting closer and closer, though it has to be said that Mars has been doing most of the work. Until yesterday, the two planets were actually moving towards each other - but it now seems that Venus has changed her mind. For the next five days she is going to be virtually static in the sky, thinking about whether she wants her affair with Mars to happen or not. Then she is going to start moving away, increasing the distance between them. Perhaps this is because she genuinely doesn't want him to get any closer or perhaps she is keen to make him work even harder for the last stages of the chase. But as what happens in the sky is always reflected by what happens here on earth, a lot of people this week may find that their partner has suddenly moved the goalposts in their particular personal version of this cosmic love game. You can watch all this if you are up at about half past six, while it is still dark. Look to the South-East and you'll see a very bright star, which is actually the planet Venus. Near to it on the right is Spica, the star of corn and the harvest. In between them, but rather fainter, is Mars. As you look each day you'll see Venus moving hardly at all - but Mars is very definitely catching up. The story of these celestial lovers isn't over yet, not by a long way! Arabic astrologers a thousand years ago were all very keen to calculate the time of the Biblical great flood, so they could work out the cycles of world history from that starting-point. I have been reading a book which says that, according to their calculations, the actual anniversary date falls this week, on the 26th. That would account for the weather we've been having, then... AstroDiary Saturday November 23: Astrological Association Research Conference: Systems, Models and Theories in Astrological Research. Theosophical Society, 50 Gloucester Place, W1. 020 8880 4848; Email: [email protected]; www.astrologicalassociation.com Saturday November 23: Suffolk Astrological Society: Dragon's Head & Dragon's Tail, Melanie Reinhart. Day workshop 10am - 4pm. �25 (members �20). The Black Boy, Guildhall Street, Bury St.Edmunds. 01284 768756 or [email protected] or www.suffolk-astrological-society.org.uk Wednesday November 27: Company of Astrologers: Astrology and the Subliminal Mind, Geoffrey Cornelius. 7.30-9.30pm. 4 Marty's Yard, 17 Hampstead High Street, London NW3. (�5 on the door). https://coa.hubcom.net Please double-check with the organisation before attending any events listed here - we cannot accept any responsibility for events changed/cancelled. Are you holding an astrological event - especially one outside London!! - that you would like others to know about? Write to [email protected] with subject heading: Astro Events with website links. Please note - we cannot promise to include ALL submissions but will do our best. New Service is Top for the Charts The Astrological Association of Great Britain is proud to announce that you can now speak LIVE to an expert astrologer. For an instant in-depth telephone consultation about your full horoscope call 0845 120 1416 or +44 207 436 9101 (a confidential 30-minute reading costs �29.50, payable by credit card. Or cheque/postal order from UK.) Lines are open 9am-9pm GMT, Monday to Friday. A few weeks ago, the Astrological Association of Great Britain launched this new, live fixed-fee, telephone chart reading service. It has since proved big hit with callers from all over the world. AA President Roy Gillett told Astro News: "I am delighted with the warm response that we have had. Once, if you wanted a reading of your full birth chart, you would have to struggle to find a genuine, reputable astrologer. Then, you would have had to make an appointment and travel miles. Now, at last, there's a quick and easy way to get your questions answered by a real expert - from the comfort of your own home." Mirror reader Julie Roberts from Rochester was equally enthusiastic. "I rang last Tuesday and spoke to an astrologer called Maria. Within moments, she was telling me details about my childhood that she could not possibly have known... then she said some fascinating things about my future. If you missed any of Friday's Astronews articles, click here for Astronews Archives