Mars in Gemini turns direct today after 2 1/2 months retrograding through Cancer. The Cardinal signs breathed a sigh of relief when that pesky retrograde, OOB Mars gave them some peace to give Gemini and the Mutables a brief fling with the red guy (since 12/31/07). Can everyone rest easy, or maybe this time, will we finally be able to harness the positive momentum promised by Mars? It seems to me, riding the red planet like riding a dirt bike – the ride is exciting and circuitous. When Mars is in our sign, we move at a faster speed than our Sun sign friends, make headway in the affairs of our lives that demand courage, energy and ambition – but we do get a good bit of sand kicked in our face. And that’s just the price of the ride.

What happens when Mars visits your sign, anyhow? Just ask the Simpson sisters who made headlines today: Can the Simpsons Rise Above the Haters? (siblings are Gemini territory). Everybody’s dogging on the two sisters: Of late, Jessica, 27, and sister Ashlee, 23, are regularly slimed in the blogosphere, which becomes more and more vicious as public interest in celebrities reaches an all-time high. Trying to nurture a career — and stay in fans’ good graces –amid gleefully ruthless tabloid scrutiny can’t be an easy feat.

Geesh, are the Olson twins next?

Gladly, Mars can whiz through obstacles at speed of light. Help you fight the good fight. Hold your ground when you need to. And Mars can make you a public – and easy – target. If you’re riding around town on your dirt bike (you’re really going places). People notice you. It’s like walking around with a big red bulls-eye on your forehead. The thing is, it’s practically invisible; you don’t realize it’s there because you’re so focused on your game. Stay focused on your game. Maybe it’s a good time to learn how to manage criticism.

The internet is information, Gemini-ruled, and Mercury is in electronic Aquarius, retrograde. I’m certain that certain internet chat rooms will face onslaughts of people with heated opinions. The dialogue will be intelligent, but idealistic (Aquarius) and mercurial (Gemini). And as we know, exercising the mind, without heart, is a slippery slope. The age of information allows everyday people like me to assume a public identity, without ever having face-to-face contact and there’s danger there. We think we know them. We take license to say things we’d never say to their face. As with the Simpsons, we’re granted access into their personal world and we treat their lives like an all access cable t.v. channel. That’s Gemini – just delivering the facts, ma’m.

As for the talking heads, we can listen with the detached objectivity required of all this airy energy. Evaluate the difference between opinion and fact (remember that grade school exercise?). Critically inquire.

And the more sensitive among us may have to turn up our bullshi** meter. Or use our intuition to deftly identify when our beloved is talking smack -as happened when I questioned something my husband said last night when I noticed an out of character comment.

To which he breezily replied, “Oh that? I was just getting a mouth-feel for it. You didn’t actually believe what I just said, do you?”