A.  Your description of your one true love is deeply touching. You met this man when your progressed Venus (ruler of love relationships) was within a 1.5° orb of your natal Sun (ruler of your 5th house of romance), and you had recently completed your first Saturn return,¹ There are three Saturn returns in a 90-year life span, when transiting Saturn conjoins natal Saturn; each marks the completion of a specific stage of life. a significant threshold in anyone’s life. With your natal Saturn and Venus in exact conjunction, and natal Uranus close by, it seems that destiny brought you a lasting love — but not in the way you might have hoped.           

Your natal Moon and South Node in the finely tuned sign of Pisces, in your 11th house of hopes and dreams, shows a propensity for a rich fantasy life, which is amplified by the square your Moon makes to your Gemini stellium.² A stellium is defined here as a cluster of 3 or more planets closely related by sign or house. Astrologers differ in their use of this term; some consider a stellium to be 5 or more planets (Nicholas deVore, Encyclopedia of Astrology, Totowa, NJ: Littlefield, Adams & Co., 1976), although others define it more loosely, as I do (Fred Gettings, The Arkana Dictionary of Astrology, London:Arkana, 1990).No flesh-and-blood man can compare to the compelling memory of this lost love that resides in your heart and mind. Even he himself would probably have fallen short of the mark, had you two had the opportunity to actually develop an ongoing, day-to-day relationship, so it’s easy to understand why it’s been so hard for you to move forward in your life.

However, you do have the capacity to change this: The choice is yours, and the time is now. In June 2001, you completed your second Saturn return, as transiting Pluto made a last-quarter square to your Moon, ending your 30-year cycle of sorrow. For the past several months, the progressed Moon has been passing over Uranus, Venus, and Saturn (May 3 – Sept. 9), awakening your longing for love in the here and now. Give yourself total permission to bless the past, let go, and move on (transiting Neptune opposing natal Mars). Gather together a group of supportive friends, and create a ritual of farewell to this past love and welcome to a new one.

Transiting Jupiter recently entered your 5th house, enhancing the opportunities for romance. By next spring (May/June 2004), Jupiter will sextile your natal Sun (5th-house ruler) as transiting Saturn conjoins it, providing relationship staying power. The then-approaching last-quarter square of transiting Uranus to natal Venus supports the exploration of exciting new relationships, outside of your normal peer group. Be bold!

An online dating service would be an excellent way for you to meet a suitable partner (Gemini stellium; 3rd-house Jupiter–Sun conjunction in a supportive trine to your 11th-house Moon). Don’t hesitate; perform your farewell ritual and start surfing the Web. Drop preconceived notions of who might be right for you; think outside the box. Ask yourself what it means to open your heart to love, and let your powerful capacity for faith guide you toward new love.