Eros was the god of erotic love. The position of the asteroid Eros in our charts points to our passion and erotic turnons. Mars shows us the style in which we go after what we want, including the ways in which we express our sexuality. Venus shows us some of the important “trappings” and foreplay that help us get in the mood for sex. While the positions of these planets and cosmic bodies in our natal charts remain static, their positions are always changing in the cosmos, activating houses and hotspots in our natal charts. The horoscopes presented here are necessarily general, as we are focusing on only the Sun sign or Ascendant, and how these sexual cosmic bodies are currently affecting the natal chart.

Please note: These horoscopes are more accurate for the Ascendant sign, so if you know it, read them for the sign of your Ascendant first, and the sign of your Sun second.

Taurus

In 2009, much focus is on career and professional matters, continuing to expand your connections, and exposure to new lifestyles. Last year, dear Taurus, your romantic relationships required some sort of “clean up”. For many of you, a relationship that was previously more on the frivolous or lighthearted side became more serious. In other words, you may have made a stronger commitment to a casual romance!. Others met a more mature or serious romantic partner, some felt frustrated that their social life was a little too serious, and some of you ended a relationship that didn’t “cut the mustard”, so to speak. In other words, the relationship didn’t survive the reality tests that faced them. This trend continues this year until the end of October 2009, when Saturn, the planet of maturity, restriction, and realism, leaves your romantic sector. Until then, these themes are still active, particularly strong for Taureans born later in the sign (from May 11 to 20).

A close partner continues to go through deep changes this year. However, this year is a little more stable than last year, when your chart’s partnership ruler, Pluto, was moving back and forth between two signs, indicating a real state of flux and pointing to a partner giving off some serious mixed signals! Pluto is now solidly in Capricorn, and although your partner is certainly displaying different behavior than in previous years, at least in 2009 the new traits are steady! You could find that a partner is more goal-oriented and is approaching your relationship from a different, more practical, perspective.

Because your romantic sector’s ruler is Mercury, your romantic friendships are particularly vulnerable to Mercury’s retrograde periods.  These are periods when romance could be on the stagnant side, a lover is reflective, or when love bites you in the ass! Mercury’s retrogrades in 2009 occur from January 11-February 1, May 7-30, September 7-29, and December 26, 2009-January 15, 2010. Perhaps the most challenging of these periods are the May retrograde, when Mercury is retrograde mostly in your sign and you could be misunderstood quite readily, and the September retrograde period, when Mercury is retrograde part of the time in your romance sector.

A sticky period for love occurs from March 6-April 17, and this is true for all. However, for you, this is a time when others seem to misunderstand you, and/or find you hard to reach. You could be turning to your past rather than looking ahead to your future. Past actions come back to visit you, and for some, past lovers reappear in person or in your thoughts to an unusual degree. Karmic circumstances are occurring now.

Uranus continues to help you out, exposing you to new and perhaps quirky lifestyles, groups, and friends. You are continuing to expand your mind through contact with a diverse set of acquaintances. Neptune continues to challenge you, obscuring your vision of structure in your life, and perhaps confusing you on a professional level.

Those of you born very early in Taurus (April 21-24) are feeling very powerful this year! Many will find a long-term partner, possibly from a different cultural background or while expanding their horizons. Greater confidence in yourselves leads to new opportunities in 2009.

A lover could find your changing lifestyle or friendships hard to accept this year, becoming a real issue especially in February and September. Periods of pronounced intimacy occur in May, July, and December, when an alignment between Jupiter and Neptune is most likely to present career opportunities to you, but can also represent periods of intimacy that border on the sublime! The Saturn-Pluto square in mid-November is most likely to affect your work, but could also represent a challenging period for a partner. Eclipses this year don’t directly affect your love life.

Key Periods in 2009:

Venus is in your sign from June 6-July 5. This is a time when the world seems to speaking, or at least appreciating, your “love language”. It’s a period ripe with opportunity for attracting others, for turning on the charm, and for receiving positive feedback from partners or love interests. Love seems to come to you without the need for your pursuing it.

From June 6-July 15, both Venus and Mars are traveling close to each other, in your sign! This is a sexy power period. Singles may very well find themselves a passionate relationship now. If there was any lull in your love life during the Venus retrograde period in March to April, you’re certainly making up for it now! Mars is in your sign specifically from May 31-July 12, and it’s time to go after what (or who) you want with confidence.

From August 23-September 22. Every year when the Sun is in Virgo and traveling through your romance sector, your focus is on love, entertainment, romance, and fun.

From September 7-29, Mercury is retrograde partly in your partnership sector. It’s a time when you should watch what you say in order to avoid misunderstandings in relationships. It’s probably best not to rock the boat just now.

From September 29-October 13, your charm is easy and natural.

November 8-December 1 is an auspicious period for attracting or enhancing a close love relationship.

The strongest periods for love occur from June 6-July 5.

Try our Love & Romance Forecast report for the upcoming year.

Monthly Horoscopes