1. Is it permissible to talk to one's spouse when making love? And is it permissible to look at your partner's genitals? Please don't be offended by my bluntness. It's only that we've heard these things are not allowed.
Making love is an intimate act. It is a way of fulfilling one another's natural urges and keeping marriages happy and stable. It can be a source of great enjoyment and happiness, especially when spouses can respond to each other's sensitivities and desires. This is why the Prophet (s.A.w.) forbade his followers from approaching physical relations in the same way that a donkey mounts a she-donkey.
Getting one's partner in a mood to be able to respond to one's advances is essential for good sexual relations. So there is no harm at this early stage in talking to one's partner or trying to increase excitement by using affectionate language. But it has to be remembered that making love is a very private act and that at no point should the talking get so loud as to risk violating this privacy.
In his alimony, Ibn Qudamah wrote that there is nothing that is private between husband and wife. This is the general rule but one must also bear in mind the attitude of the Prophet and his spouses Aisha (may God be pleased with her) said that during the Prophet's lifetime she never once saw his private parts and neither did he see hers.
(146 - Family Relations 6)
2. Does having your palm read of using a horoscope makes a whole month's prayers void. Is this true?
Let us make this absolutely clear that there is no room in Islam for anyone predicting the future. True if anyone reads horoscopes thinking that the stars will accurately chart his or her life, his prayers will not be accepted by Allah, according to a Hadith by the Prophet (upon whom be peace). This applies equally to those consulting soothsayers and clairvoyants who cannot exercise any influence on their future. Prayers here mean supplication (Du'a) and not the five daily prayers (Solah) as the latter is an obligation which cannot be neglected under any circumstances.
Of course, one could argue that there is nothing wrong in a harmless glance at the horoscopes once in a while as long as you as one didn't believe in them. A few harmless glances, and you might find yourself unable to plan your day without looking at them.
(55 - Aqeedah & Al-Ghaib 2)
