I was probably sitting in my ninth grade English class the first time I 
heard about star-crossed lovers. No doubt, it was the first year I thought English was going to be a little more entertaining than math and science. Even then, I was more interested in romance and passion than, say, algebra.
For those of you who’ve forgotten (pardon me while I channel my ninth grade teacher), it was Romeo and Juliet that kicked off with the rather stark introduction: “From forth the fatal loins of these two foes/A pair of star-cross’d lovers take their life.” Admittedly, this wasn’t going to be a romance with the same fun pay-off as The Flame and the Flower. But still, it sounded like racy fare for a fourteen year old.
I thought about the whole star-crossed bit this week as I plot out my next book and turn to the astrological inspiration of Linda Goodman’s Love in the Signs. Over the course of brainstorming many novels, I’ve frequently consulted astrological guides for character ideas. I like all kinds of psychological tools to develop my characters—from enneagrams to Myers Brigg profiles—and astrology is something I come back to time and again. Not because I believe I can predict my character’s future or anything (ha! Imagine how fast I’d be writing if I knew what would happen in the next chapter), but because the sun sign profiles depict identifiable, relatable character types that resonate with readers.
It helps keep my characters consistent when I use profiles like this. Midway through the book, if I’m not sure how my heroine would react, I can remind myself that she’s a Pisces and she’ll need to sit by the lake for a little quiet reflection to get her head on straight. Or that she’s an Aries and as such she’s itching for a major confrontation with the hero.
But the best reason to use the astrological profiles is so I can cast my hero and heroine in diametrically opposed signs to give them the most conflict possible (a romance isn’t a romance without a worthy battle for the HEA). I pit the Cancer woman against the Leo man. The Virgo woman against the Aries man. Literally, I cross their stars, just like The Bard suggested so many years ago.
It still works like a charm. And you know what? It turns out I was wise to tune into the racy stuff and save my napping for algebra. That wild and crazy couple from Verona sure gave me a lot to think about…
Well? Are the sun sign charts hogwash in your book? Do you fit your profile? Are you star crossed in your relationship? Chat with me today and I’ll give away a signed copy of any Blaze from my backlist to a random poster.
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Hi.
No, I don’t think sun sign charts are hogwash. I didn’t go to your link (I have an appointment shortly and wanted to whip this posting off quickly), but I’m thinking about horoscope descriptions. I was born on the cusp of Aries and Taurus. According to my Mom (and I’ve since learned that she has messed up on many details in life, so she’s not a dependable source), I was born at 2 am and would be an Aries. However, according to ALL the predictions and descriptions, I fit the Taurus profile through and through. (She also said that all four kids, all born 5 years apart from each other, were 6 lbs 6 ozs exactly, which I find doubtful, as she was various weights through the years and smoked during some pregnancies.)
As for star crossed, no, I wouldn’t say so. I’ve been married 28 years; we’ve had some rough patches when the kids were younger (which is a common time to have problems), but we weathered those storms and have come out much stronger and happier. We have no money, but we’re rich in love. (We have lots of friends who make well more than “enough” money and are SOOOOOO unhappy; I prefer OUR stage in life instead!!!)
Gotta go. Thanks for an interesting blog (as always). I too enjoyed Romeo & Juliet as a 14-year-old and have continued the romances….
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So wise to recognize your blessings! My husband always says he didn’t realize his family wasn’t rich until he was practically in college. He had seven siblings and a big lawn, so there was always a game in progress and it was the house where all his friends wanted to be. He figured he had it all!
hi Joanne,
I went to your sun signs web site and was totally fascinated. I’ve never thought of learning about my characters this way, but will from now on. Can I ask, How do you determine which sign is across the stars from which? I’m sorry if this is a dumb question, but I’d love to use this to add more conflict like you do, but now sure how you know which ones are “star-crossed”.
And, it goes without saying, I’ve ALWAYS had a thing for Romeo and Juliet, just never thought about the “star-crossed” things as having to do with the signs of the zodiac. duh.
There is no sign truly crossed with any other. And there is lots of discussion about which signs are compatible and why. These two sights agree on the basics for compatibility: http://www.astrology-online.com/love.htm, http://thezodiac.com/compatibility.htm... both suggest fire and air signs work well together, and earth/water pairings are compatible. So, taking that a step farther, if you cross those compatibility lines to pair the water-air or fire-earth, etc., it might make for more havoc. The more you read about the basic archetypes, the more potential you’ll begin to see for internal conflict.
I did also find a site that talks a bit about opposing sign chemistry: http://horoscopes.aol.com/astrology/opposite-sign-chemistry-romantic-compatibility. I think all of this is great fodder for characterization!
There isn’t really a formal opposite to any sign, and there’s a lot of different theories on what makes some sun sign pairings more compatible than others. These two sites take a fairly traditional view: http://www.astrology-online.com/love.htm and http://thezodiac.com/compatibility.htm, that fire/air pairings are compatible, as are earth/water signs. Taking that a step farther, fire-earth pairings or wather-air pairings would have more obvious potential for internal conflict.
Another website, http://horoscopes.aol.com/astrology/opposite-sign-chemistry-romantic-compatibility, makes a case for a more direct opposition to each sign, and that might be interesting to look at as well. As you become more familiar with the basic archetype for each sign, it’s a great tool for characterization and you’ll start seeing possibilities for conflicts all over the place
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My apologies if I post multiple messages here… I think I must not know how to properly post links, as my previous replies don’t seem to be appearing. But I wanted to mention that there aren’t necessarily opposing sun signs. Traditional wisdom suggests that fire signs are compatible with air signs and earth is compatible with water signs (I had sites that gave nice lists!). So if you take that a step farther, a fire sign might have more conflict potential with an earth sign and water signs would have more issues with air signs.
But the more familiar you become with the basic archetypes, the more possibilities for internal conflict you’ll find. I’ve found it not only helpful, but fun
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Honestly, I don’t pay much attention to the signs, but how neat that it helps you form your characters! And it’s very fun to read about those “star-crossed” couples!!
Hi Joanne, I love the use of sun signs. I don’t rule my life by them but I do check them all the time and get the daily e-mail from the same site. I find that depending on the source my sign fits me probably too well. I also love seeing the use of the chinese zodiac signs as well. They can be really fun as well. Have a great day. *I Love this blog.
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Thank you, Melanie!! I always like stopping by the Blaze Blog too… am so grateful to our awesome Tawny Weber for being the mover and shaker to get it up and running. I definitely look forward to my day to visit each month!
I don’t know too much about the different signs and what they mean for people born during that time. When I do read horoscopes they seem so vague that it’s hard to apply it to me.
The older I get the more I believe in the influence of a sign. I’m definitely an Aquarius through and through and I find myself noticing more of its associated traits (as do my friends). I find that I can guess people’s signs now after I meet them, and I’m starting to apply that knowledge in how I approach and deal with people. It’s amazing what will work when you do that. So I definitely don’t think it’s ‘hogwash.’ Don’t know about the star-crossed lovers thing in real life. I’ll let you know. LOL. But I do love working with signs when creating characters. It’s another aspect of their personality that helps flesh them out and bring them to life.
Julie
Years ago, I looked into my sign… specifically my b-date, a friend shared this book that spoke about everything. It had talked about personality, some fascinating characteristic, numbers, likes and dislikes, etc. I found it fascinating… alot of it was true…
I don’t think mine has particularly fit me, I’m a Leo, but I know others that theirs describe them perfectly. So I will say I don’t think it’s hogwash.
Testing… am having trouble posting today!
I am A cANCER/ MOONCHILD AND very MUCH FIT MY SIGN. lol MY HUSVAND SAYS HE CAN TELL WHEN THE MOON CHANGES BECAUSE MY MOOD FOLLOWS IT REALLY CLOSELY. HE ON THE OTHER HAND IN A VIRGO. DO WE FIT TOGETHER BECAUSE OF OR INSPITE OF OUR SIGNS? I’M NOT REALLY SURE BUT WE HAVE BEEN TOGETHER FOR ALMOST 19 YEARS ANYWAY. ;O)
As a Virgo myself, I can only say that we have very exacting standards and we make it a point to choose excellent mates!
Thanks. He is very paticular about certain things and as my grandmother would say, “Get’s his underware in a wad” when it isnt done that way! LOL
I like to mother all those around me and I think at times he appreciates it but at others I am sure it drives himm crazy… 
;o)
I am a Virgo too Joanne, and I find that the same exactness is causing me problems in finding the excellent mate area….lol…
Loved your blog today…sorry I am a bit late, but here is my 2 cents anyway. I didn’t realize how much my sign meant until I started to see the parallels in myself. I used to think it was hogwash, but now I look at it in a different light…sometimes it really freaks me out how accurate some of the readings can be…I hope that you had a wonderful day today.
Peace and love,
Paula R.
I don’t think the sigh stuff is hogwash, some things I read do fit me and some don’t. I love reading about it, it’s interesting because sometimes it’s dead on. I read the link you provided about Virgo and I’m always the first one to lend a helping hand and I pay attention to details. As soon as any of my family changes anything in the house or yard I notice it right away. So it was pretty spot on.
I think sun sign charts are fascinating and do find that certain descriptions of my character are accurate.
Joanne, what a fun post! I admit that beyond reading my daily horoscope, I don’t know much about sun signs. But I’m a Cancer married to a Leo, and I can say that this man is ALL Leo, lol! If he’s not getting his share of attention and adoration, he gets very cranky. I have a close friend who is very into astrology, and has done several different analyses for me and others. If I weren’t happily married, I’d be with Gerard Butler, since my friend says our signs are very compatible, and the sex would be great. *sigh* Talk about star-crossed lovers!
Wouldn’t that be a great fan letter to pen Gerard? We’re meant to be together… it’s written in the stars!!! And I’m attempting to write a Cancer/Leo story right now, BTW. Can I call you when I need some conflicts?
Joanne, I love that you follow the traits for your h/h astrological signs! I find horoscopes very interesting, although I don’t think I have many traits of my sign (Aries). Of course, I was born a few days after the cusp of Pisces and Aries, so maybe that’s why I feel more like a Pisces.
I remember studying Romeo and Juliet in the 9th grade. We also watched the original version with Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussy. *sigh* We girls quite enjoyed ogling his bare butt! And of course, we all wept profusely at the end. I still do!
I read my horoscope once in a while for fun, but I don’t really follow it too closely.
Thank you to everyone for visiting!! I always appreciate the 11th of the month when I get to drop by and chat.
Thanks so much, Joanne!
Congrats Gannon!
I always think about star signs for characters, but then I was lucky enough to study with the Faculty of Astrological Studies in London in my youth!
I wonder if I should include details like that in a synopsis, or whether that would be taking it too far?!