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Did you know that you have a planet that rules over you? On the day you were born it stamped its characteristics and temperament, its likes, dislikes and interests on to you. Find your Sun sign below to learn your ruling planet and what expert astrologer Christopher Renstrom reveals for it in 2011, so you can create a happy and fulfilling year for yourself!

Aries
Ruling Planet: Mars
This is the year you cut loose. It begins on January 4, 2011, when you’re thrown for a loop. At first it may feel like a betrayal, but if you take a few steps back, you’ll see that things couldn’t have played out any other way. An association has outlived its purpose, and it’s time to move on. Ironically, this leads you to make two empowering decisions. The first will be to look up an estranged friend or client. You’ll want to extend the olive branch, because this person could really help you out now. The second is to stop playing it safe and to commit to the things you want to do in life. There is a lot of Mars energy coursing through your horoscope from January 22, 2011, through April 3, 2011, and you should take full advantage of it. This would be the perfect time to start over again in a different setting or to launch a new business. Relationship-wise, things are bound to get tricky on March 28, April 18 and July 10, 2011. As a child of Mars, you’re used to going it alone, but it’s important to remember that people are your greatest resource in 2011 — and that’s a resource worth harnessing.

Taurus
Ruling Planet: Venus
This is the year you reward yourself. You worked hard for the money (2010 was all about burning the midnight oil while struggling to make ends meet), and you deserve to invest some of your earnings back into yourself. Thankfully, you’ll be able to do just that in May and June 2011, when your Ruling Planet, Venus, will be in the ascendancy. This is a prosperous time for you, as you will start to see the money pour in. Now, you could splurge on this or that, but it would be a better idea for you to remodel or redecorate so that your home really is the sanctuary you need it to be at the end of your harried workday. Your ruling planet was named after the Roman goddess of beauty, and you need to be surrounded by beautiful things. Not only is it calming, but you’ll also feel rejuvenated and uplifted. The best way to make the world a better place is to start with your own little corner of it — and since you were born under the planet of attraction, you know more than anyone how “like attracts like.” Make things more pleasant in your day-to-day life and more pleasant things will come your way.

Gemini
Ruling Planet: Mercury
This is the year when you free yourself of the thankless obligations that have held you back. But don’t worry — you don’t have to make a stink or walk out on family and friends. If anything, this whole process will be easier than you think. All it takes is changing your approach to things. Now, this may seem unlikely during the first few weeks of 2011. This is when you will face a new wave of pressing concerns at work and home. Yet it will slowly begin to dawn on you between February and June that the reason you can’t find a solution to everyone’s troubles is because there isn’t any support. The people in your life simply aren’t interested in moving out of the rut they’re in. They’re happy living in a better-the-hell-you-know-than-the-heaven-you-don’t comfort zone. That may work for them, but not for you. The wonderful thing about being born under Mercury, planet of the mind, is that once you clue in to what’s wrong, you’re swift to act. You’re also shrewd about people and know how to get what you want without calling attention to it. Just carve out more time to pursue the things that intrigue and fulfill you. Chances are, everyone will be too preoccupied and self-absorbed to notice.

Cancer
Ruling Planet: The Moon
This is the year when you stop waiting on others and do for yourself. Your ruling planet is the Moon, which means that you’re a born nurturer. The Moon is the planet of the mother, home and roots, so you will automatically put the needs and concerns of loved ones and friends ahead of your own. This can even translate to business relationships, where you will extend the benefit of the doubt to certain co-workers or clients who don’t deserve it. Thankfully, the recent eclipses in your sign (July 2009, January 2010, summer 2010 and January 2011) have proven to be eye-opening experiences. That’s because eclipses act as astrology’s course correctors. They signal the time when enough is enough and you need to try something new. For you, this will be the dawning realization that the more you give, the more people will take, and that the best solution is to reverse the equation. Go ahead and let your inner Mommie Dearest come out to play in March and July 2011. There’s no such thing as being too bossy, demanding or selfish when you’re a Child of the Moon. Not only will you wind up getting what you want, but you’ll earn people’s respect and gratitude as well.

Leo
Ruling Planet: The Sun
This is the year you get ahead! After two years of backsliding, it looks like you’re finally on track to making your ambitions and dreams a reality. It begins on January 22, 2011, and lasts until early June. Just about everything you touch will turn to gold during this period because of all the fiery energy that’s coursing through your horoscope. Fiery energy increases your magnetism, charisma and vitality. It stokes your confidence and enthusiasm, and makes you the sort of person that people want to be around, so you will have the support you need to accomplish much of what you want in late March and April. April 9, 2011, is your red-letter day, because this is when your ruling planet, the Sun, is exalted. “Exalted” is astrologese for “it’s as good as it gets.” The mood changes in early June, when you will have to put your shoulder to the wheel. This signals the start of a building period where you will face many challenges. But don’t worry, because your hard work and dedication will pay off in 2012. The other thing that’s nice about June 2011 is that you will see a financial headache resolved in a manner that should make you very happy.

Virgo
Ruling Planet: Mercury
This is the year when you finally set down roots. You’ve been at loose ends for longer than you can remember, and though you don’t mind living out of a suitcase (your ruling planet, Mercury, loves to travel), you’ve pretty much had your fill of it. You would love nothing more than to establish a permanent residence, and you’ll be doing this in May or September 2011. Now, this could lead to something more serious if you want it to. You could move in with someone you’ve been dating, tie the knot or introduce a new member to your family. If you do decide to take the next step, then June 15, 2011, would be the ideal date to do it. The only thing you have to watch out for is Mercury turning retrograde in late November 2011. This will bring out all of your commitment-phobia anxieties. Make yourself stay the course. As a Child of Mercury, you tend to focus more on the escape clauses than on building the ties that bind. You can’t really have a relationship if you’re always looking for a way out. Commit to being in one place with one person and you may come to find that you like it.

Libra
Ruling Planet: Venus
This is the year when you will do whatever it takes to be with your true love. 2010 didn’t end on an up note. That’s because your ruling planet, Venus, doesn’t do very well when she’s traveling through the sign of the Scorpion (September 9, 2010, through January 7, 2011). This is when relationships get dark and heavy and you feel like throwing in the towel. Yet hard times have a strange way of reintroducing people to each other. It’s when you really get an up-close-and-personal look at the character of the lover or spouse that you’ve aligned yourself with. If this person is found wanting, then you will part company near March 28, 2011. If not, then that means you made it through the crucible and by May 22, 2011, you will experience a rekindling of feelings that you haven’t felt in years. It will be like you’re falling in love all over again. If you’re single, then you’ll want to be out and about during the months of February, June and October. This is when you will find your mate. Your ruling planet, Venus, will be especially powerful in September and October, so this would be the perfect time to exchange keys, move in together or say “I do.”

Scorpio
Ruling Planet: Pluto
This is the year when you make money. You were born under Pluto, the planet of wealth. Now, that may strike you as a bad joke given your current bank balance, but you are on the verge of seeing a step up in income this year. Pluto is the slowest-moving planet in astrology, which means that you will never be an overnight success, but when you do strike gold (so to speak), the gold is here to stay. It looks like you will be striking gold some time between June 17 and August 7, 2011. This could be connected to investments, an inheritance or an extraordinary sale. This will be very good, and you will feel all kinds of excited, but you have to remember something about Pluto: It is the planet of ordeals and the transformations that arise from them. So what does that mean, exactly? It means that there’s a price to pay for the rewards that Pluto brings. You may have to take a loss on something you own, pay some kind of penalty fee or give the greater portion of the profit you earn over to a partner (like the government). You won’t like it, but you should do it anyway, because you will still come out ahead in November.

Sagittarius
Ruling Planet: Jupiter
This is the year you aim high — and hit the bull’s-eye! You were born under Jupiter, the planet in astrology that represents faith and belief. It’s important for you to believe in what you do, or else your life feels robbed of meaning. The past two and a half years haven’t been easy, as you experienced burnout and had to accept that the things that used to work for you no longer do. It was more than just a little depressing. Thankfully, your ruling planet, Jupiter, moves into the pioneering sign of Aries on January 22, 2011. Aries is all about fresh starts, and its fiery nature works with your own gumption and drive to give you a much-needed boost in morale and spirit. This energy will peak from March 20 through April 19, 2011. June through August 2011 looks like a switch in gears. Instead of pushing ahead, you’ll be settling into a new job or a higher-salaried position at work. This kicks off an industrious and potentially prosperous period that lasts through June 2012. Word of warning: You may feel out of your depth in November 2011 and like you made a wrong turn somewhere. This is the time when you need to push ahead no matter what, because there’s no going back.

Capricorn
Ruling Planet: Saturn
This is the year you say “I do.” You were born under Saturn, the planet of tests in astrology. No stranger to hardship, you know what it’s like to rough it through tough times. But the test for you this year is: Do you know what it’s like to go through good times? Right now your ruling planet, Saturn, is traveling through the zodiac sign of Libra. Saturn is exalted in one sign and one sign only: Libra. What does that mean? It means your ruling planet will be on its best behavior the entire time that it is in this sign (Saturn leaves Libra in 2012). Libra is also the sign of marriage in astrology, and Saturn, being the planet of rules, likes to see people married. If you’re single, you will probably find yourself getting very serious about a relationship in June. If you’re already spoken for, then 2011 is when you may formally tie the knot or renew your vows. The best time for a marriage ceremony or a civil union would be between June 4, 2011, and August 30, 2011. It won’t be easy getting used to having a companion by your side, but if there was ever a test worth passing with flying colors, then this is it!

Aquarius
Ruling Planet: Uranus
This is the year to live life on your terms! You’ve been scaling a slippery slope since 2004, when ruling planet Uranus entered the watery sign of Pisces. Your ruling planet doesn’t do very well here, and you would have felt that for every two steps forward, you were forced to take one step back. Plagued by uncertainty and doubt, it would have been hard for you to get your bearings. Thankfully, this changes when Uranus enters the fiery, bold sign of Aries on March 12, 2011. This is when the fog dissolves and you can clearly see the road stretched out ahead of you. Aries is the zodiac sign of the spring equinox, the season of new beginnings, so you can expect a radical departure from the way you live now. The best way to harness this planetary energy is to embrace the spirit of adventure. You will have many opportunities to change the way you live your life so that it’s more in keeping with who you are. You could move, relocate for business or switch career paths altogether between March 12 and July 13, 2011. Pursue these pie-in-the-sky ambitions — no matter how far-fetched — and you can’t go wrong.

Pisces
Ruling Planet: Neptune
This is the year when you come into your own. Your ruling planet, Neptune, takes 13 years to travel through one zodiac sign, and on March 4, 2011, Neptune will enter its own sign. The last time that Neptune was in Pisces was 156 years ago! As you can imagine, this is going to be an extraordinary time for you. Neptune rules streams of consciousness as well as streams of revenue, so you will experience a creative period (and potentially a financially profitable one) from March 4, 2011, to June 3, 2011. On June 3, Neptune turns retrograde, and its backward motion will introduce delays and complications, which is why you will want to have everything signed, sealed and delivered by Memorial Day weekend. The retrograde will last until November. You could see many gains evaporate, but don’t give up. It’s important for you to keep on doing what you’re doing — even if it feels like you’re struggling against the current of events. That way, when Neptune comes out of retrograde and reenters Pisces on February 3, 2012, you’ll be sitting pretty instead of scrambling to recoup lost ground. Neptune in Pisces from 2012 through 2025 will be one of the high points of your life where you will realize many of your dreams and aspirations.


About Christopher Renstrom:
Rulingplanets.com is Christopher Renstrom’s vision of an on-line, interactive Astrology Magazine. It is based on his book "Ruling Planets," which was first published by HarperCollins in 2002 and has sold over 50,000 copies to date. Renstrom has been a practicing astrologer since 1985. He created the horoscope column for ALLURE magazine (Conde Nast publications), his “Renstrom’s Horoscopes” were carried on Verizon, Sprint and AllTel, and he conceived and developed Ask the Astrologer for Lifetimetv.com. Renstrom currently writes the daily horoscopes for the San Francisco Chronicle/SFGate.com, and his Ask the Astrologer feature now appears in CATALYST magazine as well as on Rulingplanets.com. Renstrom regularly appears on radio and lectures around the country.