Between 1965 and 1970 Derek edited Poetry Review, and in 1968 published (as his first prose book) a short biography of Lord Byron. He organised the successful appeal to place a memorial to that poet in Poets' Corner of Westminster Abbey. In 1970 he edited (with John Lehmann) the selected letters of Edith Sitwell. In 1965, Julia studied for the Diploma of the Faculty of Astrological Studies. After completing her studies, Julia went on to become the faculty’s secretary, progressing to president and finally one of its three Patrons. Julia has written the horoscope column for Cosmopolitan and Good Housekeeping (UK) as well as the Hong Kong Tatler. Her books include Hearts of Fire and The Stars Shine Bright. Aquarius. Aquarius is an air sign and a sort of fallout of a mid-life-crisis. Haha. That’s for my brother. Aquarius burn, awww yeah. The symbol of Aquarius is the water bearer. Aquarians invent things that the rest of us live on. The rough thing with Aquarians is that you can’t really count on them. I don’t mean that as literally as it sounds, but at the same time, I do. An Aquarius is generally going to care about having space for creativity over people, and then the Aquarius will be hurt because he loses people to creativity. An Aquarian can’t give up creativity and invention, but also, sometimes, wants to invent a family and friends, and a spectacular life, and the rest of us are a little too mundane to fulfill the dream.

They were born in England exactly two months apart in the same year - Julia (in Plymouth) on July 27, and Derek (in Cornwall) on May 27. Twenty-five years later they were married, in Julia's birthday - at exactly the time of the New Moon in Leo, though they didn't know that at the time! Sagittarius. Sagittarius is a fire sign and the fulfillment of middle age. I will probably change this when I am old enough to understand the subtleties of people who are older than me. I don’t mean that snotty; I just mean it humbly. The symbol of Sagittarius is the archer because Sagittarius shoots his arrow right to the truth. They care about honesty and philosophy and winning. Seriously, play a game with a Sagittarius, and you will regret it if you win. Sagittarians tend to appreciate brutal honesty in relationships, I think. I think the goal of Aquarius is innovation. They crave the outdoors and fresh air and originality. Again, though, if you just say “originality,” it sounds like something constructed and fake. With Aquarius, it isn’t fake, it is just truly original. They are the genuinely weird signs of the natal chart. For example, sometimes I’ll hear a Virgo say something like, “Oh, I put yogurt in my cereal this morning. I’m so weird!” And I always think, “????” But, Aquarius is genuinely weird. Like, Einstein and the laws of momentum weird or Virginia Woolf telling you about English literature through a hermaphroditic love letter weird. Beautiful, human weird. Taurus. Taurus is an earth sign, and kind of like a toddler (you get the idea with the aging through the zodiac). The symbol of Taurus is the bull (again big on the stubbornness). Taureans are practical and trustworthy (earth). Taurus is not jealous, but they are possessive. They are very proud of their toys, and most things are like toys to them. Taureans usually have the best stuff – whether it’s the most expensive, or not, they will often tell you why it is the best, and usually they’re right. Often this plays out with friends and family that a Taurus will be mad that her toys aren’t playing like she wants them to do – not exactly jealousy, but similar. Some Taureans are hoarders of either things or people.

It seems like an eternity that Parkers’ Astrology has been on the shelves of bookshops and libraries, and every so often it appears in updated, revised, or newly-illustrated editions. Here, a masterwork arises from the essences of former versions. I think the goal of Sagittarius is truth. I’m not totally sure how that fits into my own interactions with Sagittarians, so I’m just going to leave it at that. It’s my impression that is their goal. In my own experience, they are really responsible roommates and very conscientious about not breaking dates and very concerned with being reliable. At the same time, I have seen Sagittarians cheat on people and get life-alteringly angry at friends over work habits and generally kind of act like an HBO drama. I think it’s all part of the idea that honesty is brutal, but sometimes it comes off a little more MTV Spring Break than The Wire. c/o Dorling Kindersley plc, 80, Strand, London WC2R 0RL - but please note that Julia no longer does consultancy work. Derek’s career began in radio but has spread to numerous written works on dance, opera, literature and astrology including biographies of Nell Gwyn and Casanova. He has reviewed books for The Times and edited The Poetry Review.

Derek and Julia Parker are among the best-known writers on astrology and dream interpretation - you have seen their books in the bookshops, and probably heard and seen them on radio and TV. Here are some facts about them, details of some of their books - and a free updated monthly astrological column! Lift the lid off this gorgeous box of treasures to understand precisely where you fit within the sun signs, planets, houses and moon cycles at play. Make sense of who you are and discover how the workings of the cosmos can affect and influence how you feel and what you do. With three sets of cards for the planets, sun signs, and houses, two double-sided wheels for the earth, wind, fire, and water elements, three twelve-sided astro dice, and a detailed handbook, you’ll be equipped to tune into the complex astrological landscape and reclaim cosmic control of your life. Scorpio. Scorpio is a water sign, and again with the aging. The symbol of Scorpio is the scorpion. People are always afraid of Scorpios because if you cross them (even accidentally) and they sting you, you die. An old boss of mine, a Scorpio, says, “This office has a looooong memory,” and he says it in this menacing way, where you know he’s not kidding. I actually have had a lot of really good friends who are Scorpios, and they have this magnetism and intensity that pulls you to them, but if they ever think you’ve betrayed them, they kill you. This is an interesting thing to me with the jealousy idea, too. Scorpios, I think, are traditionally jealous, like you would think of jealousy in a movie. They are all about sex, and so jealousy with Scorpios is an interpersonal sort of sexual thing. Heralding from England, Derek and Julia Parker were married at 25 years of age. Since then, Derek and Julia have become the world’s most knowledgeable couple on all things astrology. Their expertise has seen them travel the globe and produce countless works on a range of topics from the arts, life, love and the messages of the universe. Derek and Julia now live in Sydney with the similarly expatriate Toorak (the most recent of three wire-haired fox terriers).

Aries. Aries is a fire sign and the baby of the zodiac. So, Aries is based in passionate emotion (fire). The symbol of Aries is the ram. Aries are stubborn in the traditional sense. We think it is hilarious to dig our heels in until we see a good reason to move. We also, like a ram, frequently bang our heads against walls both literally and figuratively. We fear abandonment. Aries seek out independence, but we want to trust that when we look up from learning to crawl, someone will be there to clap for us. Educated at Fowey Grammar School, Derek started his working life as a reporter on The Cornishman, a weekly newspaper in Penzance, and went on to become drama critic of the daily Western Morning News in Plymouth. By this time he had already published two slim collections of poetry, and seen his verse-play Beyond Wisdom produced. Lift the lid off this gorgeous box of treasures to understand precisely where you fit within the sun signs, planets, houses and moon cycles at play. Make sense of who you are and discover how the workings of the cosmos can affect and influence how you feel and what you do. Rising (also called the “Ascendant”): This is the base of your personality. It is what is underneath everything that you do. They say that it is the part of your personality that a good friend or family member would know, but an acquaintance would never guess. So, those are the main parts of the personality (the “personal planets”). Now I’m going to go through the signs and talk about their characteristics. They are all categorized into one of four elements: fire, earth, air, water. Captain Planet knows all about this business. Fire and water signs are both based in emotion. Fire signs are passionate emotion; water signs are subtle, interpersonal emotion. Earth signs are practicality and steadiness. Air signs are intellect. The signs all get older through the zodiac, so Aries is the youngest and Pisces is the oldest.

I think the goal of Libra is peace. They say that Libras are the mellowest people you’ll meet, but they will easily stand up for themselves. I have always seen the mellow, but maybe I just haven’t seen a Libra in a position where he needed to really take someone down. Libras in general just bring peace and balance. They don’t appease, they just help you see the other point of view. A lot of astrology books are not my favorites because of their, I don’t know, odd sexism, prejudice against certain signs, or useless generalities (among other faults). I really like the Parker’s, though. I have a lot of nostalgia wrapped up in this book because of time spent going over it with friends. It’s been pretty trusty. I’m persuaded it was written by Geminis because, I mean, let’s be real, no one is this rah-rah about Geminis. Sorry, Geminis. You are my friends, but I’ve seen the kind of stunts you pull. But the favoritism to Geminis is only a funny thing, and not a fault. Sometimes, I am totally out of the mood for astrology, but tonight I finished a long day of studying for the bar exam, and I’m feeling like some hokum. I’m going to give you your own personal (not-so-)brief guide to astrology according to me. Capricorn. Capricorn is an earth sign and a climb up the hill to a midlife crisis. The symbol of Capricorn is the goat. I don’t know what the goat has to do with anything, but there you have it. Capricorns are concerned about social status and attuned to popularity. They are usually really funny in a cynical, sometimes assholey way, and a lot of times I have mistaken them for Aries. But, then, later, they’ll make fun of you for a social faux pas and you’ll realize that they’re definitely not an Aries (Tennessee Williams makes this point, too, in Streetcar). Capricorns are immensely practical, and sometimes that can be fun, and other times it is mean – but anybody can be mean, right? In the autumn of 1984 a revised and re-designed edition of The Compleat Astrologer was published as The New Compleat Astrologer, launched by a coast-to-coast tour of the USA. In the autumn of 1985 Dreaming, a book on the interpretation of dreams, was published, presenting a system of dream interpretation on which Julia had worked over some years. (Derek and Julia were guest dream analysis on the ITV morning show The Big Breakfast for some months after its launch). Sun: This represents your overall personality. It is the filter through which all of your other characteristics are sifted. If the daily horoscope says you “are” an Aries or Virgo or Pisces, or whatever, that means the sun was in front of that constellation when you were born.Cancer. Cancer is a water sign, and I think they are the cool late teens of the zodiac. The symbol of Cancer is a crab because Cancers are tough on the outside and soft on the inside. Cancers are shy, and often that and the tough-outer-shell thing come off as mysteriousness. And in some ways, I think, Cancers probably just are mysterious, even if they do not think so themselves. Once you are a friend with a Cancer, she never lets go of the friendship. Really good reference book and contains a LOT of detail. It touches on many different astrological basics and techniques, plus contains extensive tables, sample interpretations, and “practice problems” - it’s like a textbook for astrology students. It’s beautiful and would make an excellent coffee table/party book or a gift for a nerdy astrology friend. The illustrations in section one are so striking! Libra. Libra is an air sign and ready to give up the party life to woo and be wooed. The symbol of Libra is the justice scales. Almost everybody in my group in Peace Corps was a Libra. Libras are romantic, but like with the Leo personal-appearance deal, the word “romantic” usually feels kind of wrong for Libras. Libras are about authentic, real, human-type romance, not trashy boxes of chocolate and creepy songs on the radio. They care a lot about aesthetically beautiful surroundings and fairy-tale endings (whatever that happens to mean to them). A Libra cares about falling in love, but in that sense that someday when he falls in love, things will fall into place. Leo. Leo is a fire sign, and the smug and satisfied 20-something. The symbol of Leo is the lion. Personal appearance is very important to Leos, like the lion lounging in the sun. You would think that Leos would be fashionable because of their concern with personal appearance, and that is not always, or even usually, the case. Usually, they do somehow identify their physical appearance with their personality (like my Leo friend who will try on five different crappy baseball caps before he goes out of the house because he’s not sure which beer company or college football team he wants to endorse that day). More than that, though, they enjoy compliments. I mean, who doesn’t enjoy some sort of recognition? But, it seems to me like with Leos, they take compliments to be a serious reflection on their identity.

I think the goal of Aries is self-actualization, self-discovery (I just looked it up and, as I thought, Maslow was an Aries). This can play out in a couple of different ways, though. You have your arrogant, selfish Aries and your fun, genuine Aries. As a rule we do not take ourselves seriously. When an Aries takes himself seriously, and it typically happens on a matter of pride, no good can come of it. It is not that we’re so much selfish, though some of us truly are, it is more that we are egocentric – like a baby – and it is our job to discover ourselves, like it is a baby’s job to do. Mostly, though, we are just fun. I think the goal of Virgo is integrity. Virgos break everything down into their simplest elements and look at it all on equal terms – what is weak, strong, delicate, beautiful, ugly, sharp, soft. They look at what lasts and what blows away. A Virgo is never going to make a choice based only on some kind of fancy, but she will weigh the solidness of all of her options and go with what she can trust. And she’s honest about all of it. So, when I was born, most of my planets were lined up with Aries behind them. The moon was in front of the constellation Virgo, and Taurus was on the horizon. Now, if you look at what I say about those signs, you know me! Yay! I am an open book. Except for my seeeecrets. Now I’ll tell you what the different placements represent, and later I’ll tell you about the signs. You can correct me if your understanding is different. Virgo. Virgo is an earth sign and, you know, middle-aged. The symbol of Virgo is the virgin. Virgos are philosophical and logical, and almost everyone whose charts I’ve done in law school have had a bunch of Virgo. Virgos are critical, but they are critical in this particular way. Mostly, usually, they would never mean to be judgmental or even critical, but they see the world as all of the various parts that make a whole, the ingredients to the cake. Virgos are shy, so it is not that they would ever be jealous friends, but they will assume you don’t want to hang out with them if the ingredients of how you act seem like a recipe for not wanting to be around them. It was at Plymouth that he met Julia, who had left school at the age of fourteen to attend Plymouth College of Art as its youngest ever student. She combined her art studies with a talent for dancing, and not only studied ballet but danced professionally as part of the famous Tiller Girls troupe. She later taught art at Plymouth College for Boys.

Together they have produced a long list of titles including The New Compleat Astrologer, Dreaming, and The Complete Book of Dreams. Furthermore, Derek and Julia’s Parker’s Astrology, published in 2001, is regarded as the world’s best introduction to astrology, for beginners. Moon: This represents your first instinct. It is the instinctual, emotional reaction you have in any given situation. Derek (who had made his first radio broadcast at the age of fifteen) left newspapers to join the staff of TWW, an independent television station in Cardiff, Wales, as announcer, newscaster, scriptwriter, presented and interviewer. Julia, joining him in Wales, worked as a freelance set designer and graphic artist. They then moved to London, where Derek worked as a freelance writer and broadcaster and Julia first as an art teacher at Hammersmith Girls' Comprehensive School, then as writer and consultant astrologer. Julia took part in five highly successful series of television programmes for BBC South-West, Zodiac and Co. Both she and Derek have appeared together and separately on innumerable TV and radio discussion programmes in the UK, USA, Australia and New Zealand. They have lectured all over the world, and recorded a series of twelve astrological videos.