We started last week mulling over the different ways Sun signs react to that usually alarming (sometimes offensive) word ‘budget’ and examining the first half of the zodiac signs. Herewith we complete the second half in hopes of giving you, dear readers, some useful information when dealing with others in the very delicate area of personal finance. If you know Uncle Herman is a Gemini, for example, you won’t be astonished to learn he’s playing professional poker to fund his retirement, or that Cousin Sara has sent out a hundred or so resume’s upon her company deciding she was indeed at the age of retirement – no Virgo ever admits to being that age or indeed, wanting to retire.
Libra: September 23-October 22
With the Scales as your pictograph, you must expect your reaction to having to devise a budget to move from dreaded necessity to an “I’ll show them I can do this!” attitude, sometimes in the same day. Libras are like that. Remember it takes balancing both sides before a set of scales gives an accurate weight. If you’re a friend or lover of a Libra, you’ll wonder which persona is going out to dinner with you tonight – the tightwad who’s convinced penury is just around the corner, and wants to grab a greasy burger – cheap – and take it home, or the spendthrift who’s decided the budget and checkbook are never going to be in sync anyway, so let’s go order lobster at a fancy restaurant! Perhaps you can persuade your special Libra to settle somewhere in the middle between Scrooge and Lady Bountiful. Maybe you need to set an example?
Scorpio: October 23-November 21
Scorpios – above all they enjoy making their plans in complete secrecy, so don’t be surprised if the Scorpio you thought you knew well is a wunderkind who retires at 25 and sails to Tahiti on a yacht bought for cash. Or founds his/her own company, builds it into a powerhouse in its field and then sells it for a very comfortable sum – only to repeat this stunning maneuver again and again. A Scorpio won’t reveal what the scorecard is, whether it’s the amount of money in the bank, or how many smaller companies have vanished in yet another hostile takeover, or making the list of the richest people in the world. But you can plan on the Scorpion achieving the goals planned for so long – usually years – and never telling anyone else but their teddy bear how hard the work was, how painful the lost relationships were and how the constant search for a new challenge was nerve-wracking.
Sagittarius: November 22-December 21
Budget? Budget?! Don’t use offensive terms like that around the Archer or you may get quite a lecture about the best uses of money and why being strangled by ambition is no way to live. Sags are like Aquarians in that they want to help their fellow man but usually assist only a handful of people compared to the huge numbers of people the WaterBearer rescues. Too, a Sag is an animal lover to the max, and may want a large sum of money to build a no-kill shelter, or an adoption center for abused animals, or to close the last research labs using animals for experiments or end the dogmeat markets. Sagittarians usually aren’t too keen on the details of a grocery budget, for example, but they can deal with the millions of dollars involved in a political campaign without blinking. They want money to be used for ethical purposes and may become a whistle-blower if they find corruption or a Ponzi scheme taking advantage of the elderly, the kids, or the people frightened into believing the latest conspiracy theory.
Capricorn: December 22-January 19
Frugal, careful and investing only for the long haul, Capricorn has no fear of a budget; in fact, probably the child’s allowance was carefully portioned out so it would last the entire week and not be spent on candy bars or other frivolous items the first day it was in a pocket. If accounting or economics was offered in high school, the Capricorn signed up and thoroughly enjoyed learning about the stock market, the banking system and how judicious investments could pave the way to a secure old age. If parents encouraged it, the young Cappy socked away part of his allowance or the extra money she made running errands and baby-sitting for neighbors. That account likely bought their college textbooks in later years, or a solid, dependable used car to drive to work. Sea Goats are born workers, and often impress their elders as well as their bosses with the attention they pay to the details of projects they’re assigned. Not interested in any fortunate windfall or get-rich-quick scheme, Capricorn considers a budget a necessity for daily life and planning for the future.
Aquarius: January 20-February 18
While it’s probably foolish to throw money at a problem in an effort to fix it, an Aquarian will tell you it also can’t hurt to give it a try. Water Bearers believe in helping others, whether it’s several dozen of their very closest friends or hundreds of strangers terribly impacted by an earthquake, a tornado, a tsunami. And that’s what money is for – to help people get back on their feet, to make a better life for their children, or get the elderly’s homes repaired so they can age in place and with dignity. Sometimes their projects are just too enormous to be headed up by one or two directors, and Aquarians have to relinquish some of their autonomy, but in the end, expect great things to be accomplished. However – it’s more than likely they’ll be over budget at the final results. Nor will they be contrite, figuring if the results were the greatest good for the greatest number of people, well, everyone will just have to dig a little deeper and finish funding the project. And then start on the next big thing!
Pisces: February 19-March 20
A Pisces can start out with the best intentions but become sidetracked at the sight of a homeless dog wandering the street, or hearing of kids going hungry or barefoot, or a new immigrant being victimized by an unscrupulous landlord. The Fish have much empathy for people and their needs, and a tight budget isn’t going to stop them from helping someone who needs it, even if they have to eat deviled egg sandwiches for lunch for a week. A Pisces must learn to pay the necessary bills first (or put them on auto-pay) and then try to stretch their discretionary income as far as possible to help as many causes as they can. They also need to be a little less trusting, and make sure their donations are actually going to the folks who need help and not on fancy ad campaigns to get more money or into administrative costs. They don’t need to become suspicious; just watch for the disclosure information which has to be included in mailings or other literature and be sure it checks out. They’ll be thanked many times over for the actual help they rendered.
Now, if you’re involved in setting up a budget with another person, whether it’s a big ticket item or getting real about saving money every pay day, review their Sun sign for some clues as to how he or she handles money in the real world. Hopefully this article is a start towards discussing your money goals separately and together. And good luck!
#MadameZombra