Modern woman doesn't want a realm, she wants a life. That's the message from IPC which is merging Woman's Realm with Woman's Weekly. Current editor Mary Frances will move on to edit 'Your Life', a new title for 40-50 year olds. How will she fare in her new role?

As a Leo (August 14 1953), her horoscope shows the dilemma faced by many Leo Lions, whether to perform like the big cat or the cuddly, chocolate box kitten. Despite attempts to innovate, Woman's Realm got stuck with its knitting pattern, nesting image and the female planets in her horoscope must have responded in kind. She has a charming and persuasive, nice-lady Libran Moon, linked in to graceful Venus in the homey sign of Cancer. The Libran Moon accommodates others, although it is notoriously indecisive and her Venus is warm and womanly. When these planets combine, it brings out the side of her which really does know how to knit a scarf to keep teddy warm (Woman's Realm, first issue February 22 1958).

Those days are over and 'Your Life' is activating her jungle instincts, with more scope for her bold and colourful Leo style. But can she use this to break new ground? Despite her creative vision and organisational skills, she is coming up against an ill-chosen moment. The horoscope for the launch of 'Your Life' reveals it to be a lack-lustre Taurus (April 24 2001), with poor aspects to glossy, good-life Neptune. Its horoscope does not look as if the magazine will do well with its target market of 'empty nesters' who have time and money for luxury treats. As a staunch Taurus, 'Your Life' may hang on a while but this is a difficult time for the glossies in general, and IPC in particular. On May 6, Jupiter makes its final opposition to Pluto, crossing IPC's horizon, a problem period for the company with a probable downturn in advertising revenues as the year unfolds. Old formulas will cease to work and the winners will be the innovators.

Mary Frances has her Sun placed next to the power planet Pluto, so she does have a real lion's roar in her. People with this configuration have the ability to " regenerate and change themselves and the things around them by focusing their wills. .. but these natives can be dictatorial .. they must realise they are not the only power in the universe". (Sakoian & Acker, The Astrologer's Handbook). This side of her nature is coming into play much more now because in February, Uranus began making a series of oppositions to her Sun-Pluto power point, calling for a radical change of lifestyle and approach. This time of life "awakens us to our own power.. we may not be the most peaceful person to live with. We are excitable, 'wired', unpredictable and restless. We want to remove what we feel is stifling, and break free of the restrictions of tradition or past conditioning." (Howard Sasportas, Gods Of Change). Uranus will continue to activate her desire to create something unique until it has completed its transits in January 2002.

But she is coming in to bat on an unlevel playing field, and it won't be until autumn 2003 that this lioness feels secure in her den again. If, by then, 'Your Life' is full of life, it will be largely down to Mary Frances finding her roar and rising to meet the challenge of the winds of change.