Gay Stars The Ultimate Gay Guy's Guide to Astrology

Introduction In the Beginning, There Was aPoof!A long time ago, in a galaxy very, very nearby, a runaway meteor crashed into a small planet. Poof! In a cloud of smoke and gas, the meteor sprinkled the oceans with organic molecules, the stuff that life is made of. Pretty soon, over the next few billion years, the planet was hopping with amoebas and jellyfish, penguins and elephants, Neandethals and disco queens.If scientists are right -- if life's original ingredients came here on a star-sprinkled meteor -- that makes all of us intergalactic hitchhikers. Gypsies from outer space. A whole planet of disoriented Dorothys seeking the Wizard of Oz. This means that we are, in fact, the children of stardust, planted here for God only knows what purpose.Kinda cool, isn't it?So if we come from the stars, do we continue to have a relationship with them? That's the question humans have always asked, in many, many ways. Of these ways, the oldest and most enduring is astrology. As old as civilization, maybe older, astrology studies and interprets the relationship between us and the stars we come from. It's part science, part imagination, and totally fascinating.The Greatest Show in the UniverseForget the circus. Turn off the TV. Put away your Barbra CDs -- yes, even your Barbra CDs. You've got front-row seats for a show that's been playing a lot longer thanCatsorI Love Lucy.It's the Great Cosmic Soap Opera, and you're not only a spectator -- you're the star of the show. All of us are.Gaze at the stars. Look at the moon and planets. Up in the sky, the most spectacular performance takes place every night. Long before Broadway or Hollywood, the stars captivated nearly every human culture. These cultures recognized that the stars were telling stories about our lives on Earth. These cultures listened to the stars for news and important events. They watched the stars dramatize myths, values, and dreams.Gay culture is no different. Our stories are told in the stars -- they always have been. But modern astrology has generally overlooked gay interpretations, just as mainstream culture has frequently overlooked, suppressed, or stereotyped gay culture. One popular astrology book, for example, asserts, "The problems of homosexual tendencies and homosexual panic run rampant through these times of permissiveness." Hmm, I didn't realize it was a problem!Anyway, it's time to change all that. Our culture has come a long way since Stonewall. We've learned to appreciate gay contributions to world art, history, literature, music -- the works. Likewise, we need to rip astrology's closet door off its hinges and reclaim our stories in the stars.The Stars Are Out!Why have so many Geminis become famous gay authors? What makes Aries actresses some of our favorite bitchy role models? More important, how canyouseduce that aloof but oh-so-yummy Aquarius waiter at the local cafe? Open upGay Starsand explore these mysteries among the stars.This book showcases the gay characters and stories that the zodiac "performs" every night -- what I like to call The Great Cosmic Soap Opera. Like a play,Gay Starsis divided into two sections:1.The Cast of Characters:With in-depth character sketches, this section illustrates your sun sign -- and all the rest -- in terms of archetypes familiar to our culture, drawn from the movies, books, and plays we love -- or love to hate. To make astrology less abstract and more hands-on, the Cast of Characters explains the zodiac with real-life examples we can relate to, spotlighting the lives of the divas and heroes of gay culture.2.The Stars in Action:Characters don't just exist -- theyactandinteractwith one another. This section offers practical insights and advice on using astrology in the real world. It addresses the issues most frequently on gay men's minds. A finAbergel, Matthew is the author of 'Gay Stars The Ultimate Gay Guy's Guide to Astrology' with ISBN 9780684866079 and ISBN 0684866072.