Your stars for 2009 by Daily Mail's astrologer Sally Brompton
ARIES: 21 March-20 April
Your intrepid nature gives you a head start over lesser mortals when it comes to facing up to life’s challenges.
But you will have to learn to curb your impatience this year as nothing will happen quite as fast as you would like on the financial front.
Your competitive streak will keep you a step ahead of the opposition - especially in late January when your ruler Mars is at its most ambitious and effective.
But with your work commitments under particular pressure, you must be prepared to streamline your workload and, possibly, even your workforce.
You also need to be more flexible both at home and at work, to make up for any lack of help due to financial constraints.
By early May you should be able to see what needs to be done to improve your financial stability, but it will be a few weeks before you are in a position to do it.
IF IT GETS TOUGH
● Focus on essentials: you cannot afford to be sidetracked.
● Learn to deal with the bits that bore you, such as the details.
● Cancel the gym membership to save money, and start running or speed-walking instead.
THE GOOD NEWS
● Expansive Jupiter in Aquarius will increase your circle of friends.
● Joint endeavours will prove rewarding - especially in May, July and December.
● Your leadership skills will stand you in good stead. Put them to good use in
late August.
WATCH OUT FOR…
● Wobbly stepladders - your DIY skills will be in demand.
● Any kind of speculative venture, especially around February’s Lunar Eclipse.
● Crossed lines in late May, when a promise could prove worthless.
TAURUS: 21 April-21 May
Because Jupiter, planet of expansion and success, enters the career angle of your chart in January and forms a series of alliances with artistic Neptune, your creative talents will be much in demand.
A new direction beckons, one that will mean working with different people on different projects, and you will discover skills you never knew you possessed.
You are advised not to make any firm decisions or declarations of intent, especially financial ones, in May, when Mercury turns retrograde in the money angle of your chart and then moves back into your birth sign.
Something that happens around the time of July’s Eclipses will remind you that there is more to life than worry and work. Your role on life’s stage will alter dramatically in the coming months, and others will have an increasing influence on
your fortunes.
IF IT GETS TOUGH
● Be prepared to move the goalposts, especially around the times of the Jupiter/ Neptune alliances in May, July
and December.
● Don’t be too proud to accept advice or help.
● Cut down on luxuries: there are less expensive ways to have fun.
THE GOOD NEWS
● You will find stardom on a different stage.
● New friends will show you new ways of dealing with problems.
● You will realise that other people’s opinions are as valid as your own.
WATCH OUT FOR…
● Things and people with little intrinsic value.
● Temptation. Don’t spend money you don’t have on things you don’t need.
● Rigid beliefs - especially your own.
GEMINI: 22 May-21 June
The economic forecast may be distinctly unpromising, but why should you care?
With your solar chart pointing to 2009 as being the year when you discover where
you truly belong, your personal outlook is exciting and inviting.
The winds of change will start making
you restless around the time of the Solar Eclipse at the end of January, and by mid-February you will have a better idea
of where you are heading.
A change of priorities, and very possibly scenery, will remind you that the world
has a great deal more to offer in terms of experiences and environments than you have encountered so far.
And with three of the year’s six Eclipses focusing on your finances, your attitude to money will alter, and plan B will become an attractive alternative.
The bigger picture will come more clearly into focus: it is where your future lies.
IF IT GETS TOUGH
● Concentrate on one thing at a time. Multi-tasking is useful but only if you finish what
you start.
● Be patient. Not everyone is as clever and quick-witted as you.
● Don’t waste money on the latest gizmo. You have more than enough already and it will be obsolete in a few weeks’ time.
THE GOOD NEWS
● Enlightened Jupiter and intuitive Neptune in far-seeing Aquarius will enable you to spread your wings.
● You will discover that true fulfilment has nothing to do with material acquisitions.
● A romantic fling with someone older will brighten your life towards the end of the year.
WATCH OUT FOR…
● An escape route into virtual reality. The real world has more to offer.
● Fluctuations in your circumstances. Make money your slave, not your god.
● Tension, especially in May when a stressful Full Moon coincides with Mercury moving retrograde through your sign.
CANCER: 22 June-23 July
The world is changing at an alarming rate, and if you cling to outdated ideas you will soon be left behind.
Two New Moons and two Full Moons in your birth sign, including a Solar and a Lunar Eclipse, denote a major turning point in your life, a point where things and people you took for granted can no longer be relied on.
Autonomy will give you strength and help you to value your independence. Even if you are one of those people who believes that this is but one of many lives, you should act as if it is the only life you are going to get.
There must be a sense of urgency about what you do: tenacity of purpose is the key to success.
With Jupiter, planet of growth but also extravagance, influencing your finances, you can make money big time, but you can lose it big time, too.
The important thing to remember is that there is nothing to fear but fear itself.
IF IT GETS TOUGH
● Unravel anything that is not working out as you intended and start again from scratch.
● Discard those things that made sense in the past but no longer make sense now.
● Cut back on inessentials. The bread is more nutritious than the jam.
THE GOOD NEWS
● Your attitude to money will alter and you will discover that there are other ways of being rich.
● You will begin to realise that the world is only as threatening as you perceive
it to be.
● Passionate Pluto in your opposite sign will transform a certain close relationship.
WATCH OUT FOR…
● Opposing attitudes to spending and saving. Love and money should be kept as far apart as possible.
● Your overprotective streak. Lay down rules, but be flexible.
● Digestive problems caused by stress. Choose meals carefully, eat slowly and chew thoroughly.
LEO: 24 July-23 August
New people will come into your life this year - people who will have a profound effect on the way you look at the world. Some of the things you believe in today won’t mean a thing to you tomorrow.
The Eclipses of late January/early February will mark a crossroads in a personal or professional relationship, and with a series of life-changing Jupiter-Neptune conjunctions also affecting your relationships, you will have more on your mind than money this year.
That said, disruptive Saturn-Uranus oppositions cutting across the financial axis of your chart warn of major changes and some brave decisions will have to be made in relation to the way you earn, save and spend.
It will force you to think along different, more flexible lines.
Never forget that your life has a purpose that has nothing to do with the contents of your bank account.
IF IT GETS TOUGH
● Set yourself realistic targets and you won’t get disheartened.
● Keep a low profile. Hogging the limelight makes more enemies than friends.
● Cut back on extravagances. You have nothing to prove and simple pleasures can be more fun.
THE GOOD NEWS
● You won’t lack for energy this year but you still need to define your goals.
● You are loved for who you are, not what you are.
● You will be the proverbial tower of strength, providing practical, emotional and moral support.
WATCH OUT FOR…
● A reduction in standing ovations. You have proved you’re a star; you don’t need constant applause.
● Those who arrive bearing gifts - they may want more in return than they are offering.
● Back and spine injuries. Avoid digging and lifting heavy weights.
VIRGO: 24 August-23 September
Don’t plan on taking things easy this year. With so much of the cosmic activity highlighting your responsibilities, your workload is bound to increase in the weeks ahead.
Your main task will be to ensure that you get adequately rewarded for your efforts, as making money appears to be a priority just now.
However, your time is precious, so don’t waste it on people who don’t seem to have your best interests at heart - especially while self-disciplined Saturn is opposing unpredictable Uranus in February and September.
Someone you meet casually in early July will light a spark that will burn brightly for several weeks - fun while it lasts, but don’t expect it to go on for ever.
Outside influences will have an increasing effect on your
life as 2009 progresses, and although it will not be the
most comfortable of years, it should turn out to be a rewarding one.
IF IT GETS TOUGH
● Keep things simple - if your affairs get too complicated you will regret it.
● Careful planning now will save a lot of repair work later on. Make sure you cover all
the angles.
● Don’t strive for perfection, strive to be happy. If you fall short of your aims it is because they are too high.
THE GOOD NEWS
● Success planet Jupiter focusing on your health will encourage you to get fit.
● Structured Saturn in the money angle of your chart from late October will help you move your finances on to more solid ground.
● You will discover your genuine priorities and appreciate how unimportant most of your worries are.
WATCH OUT FOR…
● Crossed lines, especially with authority figures, while your ruler Mercury is retrograde
in May.
● Colleagues and dependants who will demand more of you than you can spare - especially under the influence of needy Neptune in May, July and December.
● Stress-related ailments, real and imagined.
LIBRA: 24 September-23 October
Your astrological forecast for 2009 is a mixture of sunshine and showers. On the downside, the recurring opposition between restrictive Saturn and planet of change Uranus indicates a bit of a bumpy ride when it comes to your work and responsibilities.
On the upside, expansive Jupiter in sympathetic Aquarius means that your imagination will be working overtime and
if you are smart you will find ways to make your creative talents pay.
With two New Moons and two Full Moons - including two Eclipses - falling in the career angle of your chart, professional matters will certainly be uppermost. Opportunities will arise, especially in June and July.
They may not be the sort you are hoping for, but don’t discard them out of hand as they could lead to other things.
Your key words for survival this year are endurance and persistence, and as you have plenty of both there is no reason why you should not turn the challenges into positive experiences.
IF IT GETS TOUGH
● Tension can be creative if you channel it into productive areas.
● Change your attitude: you can’t always have what you want but you can always want what you have.
● Look at the world through others’ eyes. It’s what you’re good at.
THE GOOD NEWS
● An authority figure will help you to further your ambitions, but make sure you know what is expected in return.
● You are tougher than you look: there is no way anyone can defeat you - you can only defeat yourself.
● A love affair that begins in late January will insulate you against the winter chill.
WATCH OUT FOR…
● Temptation. Extravagant Jupiter and weak-willed Neptune will try to lead you astray.
● Unfounded fears. A positive attitude is the best defence against negative events.
● Cancelled plans and crossed lines when Mercury turns retrograde in May and September.
SCORPIO: 24 October-22 November
This will be a pivotal year for you and it is unlikely you will be in full control of what happens.
What is likely is that your social circle will alter, and new friends and associates will have a significant influence on your fortunes and your future. There will be changes on the domestic front, too.
You may move house, extend your family or alter your living arrangements. February’s Lunar Eclipse will force you into a difficult choice - although it may be early August before you finally make it. Inevitably, whichever side you favour the other side will feel betrayed, but that is better than allowing a harmful situation to continue.
A business matter will come back on to the agenda in May but you would be well advised not to make any important financial decisions while Mercury is retrograde between the 7th and 31st.
There will be no shortage of challenges as the year progresses, but since your whole life seems to be one long challenge, you will be better equipped to deal with them than many people.
IF IT GETS TOUGH
● Seek inspiration somewhere different. A change of scene could change your luck.
● Be prepared to fight for your rights, especially if you have not used them for a while.
● Don’t wait for things to happen. The joy you get out of life depends on the effort you put in.
THE GOOD NEWS
● You will have energy aplenty, especially in late April and May. Physical activities will channel your aggression.
● Your ruler Pluto, planet of power, will make it easy for you to transform your life by discarding inessentials.
● A passionate phase in early June will do wonders for a close relationship.
WATCH OUT FOR…
● Entrenched attitudes and ideas - they will inhibit your progress.
● Careless talk. Make sure you say what you mean, especially in late January.
● Simmering resentment - the best revenge is to be happy.
SAGITTARIUS: 23 November-21 December
The whole tenor of your life will shift this year and you will have to make fundamental changes to the way you live and work. It will mean finding a way to please both employers and family members.
If you favour one area of your life too much you will inevitably lose the other’s support, and that could be costly - financially or emotionally, or both.
Be particularly careful in your dealings with authority figures in September when analytical Mercury appears to be moving backwards and a situation on the work front is liable to become confused.
That said, your enlightened ruler Jupiter in intelligent Aquarius indicates that what you earn in 2009 is less important than what you learn, and what you learn depends to a large extent on how open you are to new ways of thinking.
The world moves on and you must ensure that you move with it. You have already completed several stages on your personal voyage of discovery. The stage that comes next will bring its own - and very different - rewards.
IF IT GETS TOUGH
● Keep telling yourself that your ideas are good enough to succeed, even when your proposals get turned down.
● Keep your options open. First thoughts are not always the best.
● Don’t waste time lamenting what might have been. If you act quickly and decisively you will make up for any misunderstandings or missed opportunities.
THE GOOD NEWS
● If knowledge is power then 2009 will see a distinct improvement in your status and standing.
● Because you don’t care what others think, you can focus on a scheme or project to the exclusion of all else.
● Advice from friends and family will be surprisingly good. Make others’ experiences work for you.
WATCH OUT FOR…
● A double dose of New and Full Moons in Cancer - they could make you a fortune or lose you one. Make sure it’s the former.
● Other people’s feelings - your mind will be sharp this year but your tongue will be sharper. Curb it.
● Grand gestures - they may be your forte but they have been known to break the bank.
CAPRICORN 22 December-20 January
The values you have now will not be the values you have at the end of the year, so be ready to change your outlook and opinions and to approach life from a less traditional point of view.
Jupiter’s transit of your neighbouring sign of Aquarius will affect not only your finances but your belief system, too.
Sometimes distance lends enchantment to the view and the planets suggest that you will want to spend more time alone this year. Partners and loved ones will understand your needs if you make the effort to explain how you feel.
Take extra care in January and December when a Full Moon and a Lunar Eclipse in your opposite sign will put pressure on a close relationship.
The overall question this year is: are you travelling in the right direction? With the Saturn-Uranus opposition cutting across the knowledge and enlightenment axis of your chart, there will be days when you have serious doubts.
Ask yourself what you would like to be doing if family and financial problems did not exist. Then do it anyway.
IF IT GETS TOUGH
● Use the element of surprise. Others expect you to do things by the book, so it will give you a big advantage.
● Do what you know is right. If the rules are wrong, ignore them and follow your conscience.
● Leave yourself room to manoeuvre in the future. You can make plans but there are no guarantees.
THE GOOD NEWS
● Your creative skills will be much in evidence. There is more than one way to solve a problem: think laterally.
● Your disciplined ruler Saturn urges you to chuck out the clutter. Do so.
● Lucky Jupiter will bring money into your life. Extravagant Jupiter will spend it. Prove who is in control.
IF IT GETS TOUGH...
● Your pessimistic streak - realism and optimism are not mutually exclusive.
● Stifled emotions, especially around the time of July’s Capricorn Lunar Eclipse. Share your feelings with those you trust.
● Irrational behaviour on the part of loved ones. Be patient - they’ve got worries, too.
AQUARIUS: 21 January-19 February
You are always in tune with the spirit of the times and, with enlightened Jupiter in your birth sign this year, never more so than now. It suggests major changes in your life and, although they may be unsettling at first, you will eventually come to appreciate just how fortunate you are.
Because the recurring opposition between restrictive Saturn and your disruptive ruler Uranus cuts across the financial axis of your chart, there will be changes on the financial front, too.
Some hard decisions will have to be made but they will serve you well in the long term. Just be careful not to upset someone close early in the year when Mercury turns retrograde in your birth sign.
The experiences of 2009 will have a profound effect on your attitudes, your beliefs and the way you live your life generally.
Your roller coaster of a year will get off to a flying start around the time of the Solar Eclipse in your sign at the end of January.
Hang on tight - you might even enjoy the ride.
IF IT GETS TOUGH
● Don’t let anyone make decisions for you. Neptune, planet of illusion, warns that the only person you can trust is yourself.
● Keep an open mind - you may think you know all the answers but there is much to be learned by listening to the questions.
● Aim for small victories. Defer major battles until you have the right ammunition.
THE GOOD NEWS
● With Jupiter in your sign you can achieve a great deal - concentration is
the key.
● A Venus-Jupiter alliance in early March will mark a romantic interlude. Even if it is short-lived it will be fun.
● You, more than most, already know that there are more important things in life than material possessions.
WATCH OUT FOR…
● The needs of someone close around the time of the Lunar Eclipses of early February and early August.
● A struggle with your conscience after Saturn changes signs in late October. Rewrite the rules to fit your personal values.
● Spontaneous reactions. Think twice before you act, especially if there is money at stake.
PISCES 20 February-20 March
With your joint rulers Jupiter and Neptune prominent in the most sensitive sector of your chart, and the Saturn-Uranus opposition cutting across your birth sign, you stand to learn as much about yourself as the world around you this year.
And since the search for self-awareness is an important ingredient in the Pisces persona, it should be an enlightening period. On a more material level, you need to keep a close eye on your finances in early April as some of the people you have to deal with, although not dishonest, may be rather careless.
And avoid making a business decision in September when retrograde Mercury is liable to confuse. Most importantly, leave nothing to chance this year and plan everything you do with the utmost caution.
Two New Moons in sympathetic Cancer will bring out your creative side, and could lead to a money-spinning opportunity.
All in all, 2009 will be a memorable year for you, but whether it is for the right reasons or not lies in your hands.
IF IT GETS TOUGH
● By all means be sensitive to others’ needs, but don’t lose sight of your own. Look after yourself for a change.
● Don’t start anything unless you are certain you will be able to finish it. Better to finish one thing than give up on many.
● The best way to predict the future is to study the past. Do that this year and you will overcome the odds.
THE GOOD NEWS
● Follow your hunches - they will be more reliable than the so-called ‘experts’.
● A sudden attraction, possibly around midsummer, could turn into a long-lasting affair.
● An offer that arrives out of the blue could prove to be that once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Give it serious consideration.
WATCH OUT FOR…
● Powerful emotions - and not all of them positive. A hint of jealousy could lead to serious problems.
● Wishful thinking. It could blind you to reality. Facts and figures that do not fit must be dealt with, not just ignored.
● Petty disputes. Give those you live and work with the benefit of the doubt, even if they don’t deserve it.
Your intrepid nature gives you a head start over lesser mortals when it comes to facing up to life’s challenges.
But you will have to learn to curb your impatience this year as nothing will happen quite as fast as you would like on the financial front.
Your competitive streak will keep you a step ahead of the opposition - especially in late January when your ruler Mars is at its most ambitious and effective.
But with your work commitments under particular pressure, you must be prepared to streamline your workload and, possibly, even your workforce.
You also need to be more flexible both at home and at work, to make up for any lack of help due to financial constraints.
By early May you should be able to see what needs to be done to improve your financial stability, but it will be a few weeks before you are in a position to do it.
IF IT GETS TOUGH
● Focus on essentials: you cannot afford to be sidetracked.
● Learn to deal with the bits that bore you, such as the details.
● Cancel the gym membership to save money, and start running or speed-walking instead.
THE GOOD NEWS
● Expansive Jupiter in Aquarius will increase your circle of friends.
● Joint endeavours will prove rewarding - especially in May, July and December.
● Your leadership skills will stand you in good stead. Put them to good use in
late August.
WATCH OUT FOR…
● Wobbly stepladders - your DIY skills will be in demand.
● Any kind of speculative venture, especially around February’s Lunar Eclipse.
● Crossed lines in late May, when a promise could prove worthless.
TAURUS: 21 April-21 May
Because Jupiter, planet of expansion and success, enters the career angle of your chart in January and forms a series of alliances with artistic Neptune, your creative talents will be much in demand.
A new direction beckons, one that will mean working with different people on different projects, and you will discover skills you never knew you possessed.
You are advised not to make any firm decisions or declarations of intent, especially financial ones, in May, when Mercury turns retrograde in the money angle of your chart and then moves back into your birth sign.
Something that happens around the time of July’s Eclipses will remind you that there is more to life than worry and work. Your role on life’s stage will alter dramatically in the coming months, and others will have an increasing influence on
your fortunes.
IF IT GETS TOUGH
● Be prepared to move the goalposts, especially around the times of the Jupiter/ Neptune alliances in May, July
and December.
● Don’t be too proud to accept advice or help.
● Cut down on luxuries: there are less expensive ways to have fun.
THE GOOD NEWS
● You will find stardom on a different stage.
● New friends will show you new ways of dealing with problems.
● You will realise that other people’s opinions are as valid as your own.
WATCH OUT FOR…
● Things and people with little intrinsic value.
● Temptation. Don’t spend money you don’t have on things you don’t need.
● Rigid beliefs - especially your own.
GEMINI: 22 May-21 June
The economic forecast may be distinctly unpromising, but why should you care?
With your solar chart pointing to 2009 as being the year when you discover where
you truly belong, your personal outlook is exciting and inviting.
The winds of change will start making
you restless around the time of the Solar Eclipse at the end of January, and by mid-February you will have a better idea
of where you are heading.
A change of priorities, and very possibly scenery, will remind you that the world
has a great deal more to offer in terms of experiences and environments than you have encountered so far.
And with three of the year’s six Eclipses focusing on your finances, your attitude to money will alter, and plan B will become an attractive alternative.
The bigger picture will come more clearly into focus: it is where your future lies.
IF IT GETS TOUGH
● Concentrate on one thing at a time. Multi-tasking is useful but only if you finish what
you start.
● Be patient. Not everyone is as clever and quick-witted as you.
● Don’t waste money on the latest gizmo. You have more than enough already and it will be obsolete in a few weeks’ time.
THE GOOD NEWS
● Enlightened Jupiter and intuitive Neptune in far-seeing Aquarius will enable you to spread your wings.
● You will discover that true fulfilment has nothing to do with material acquisitions.
● A romantic fling with someone older will brighten your life towards the end of the year.
WATCH OUT FOR…
● An escape route into virtual reality. The real world has more to offer.
● Fluctuations in your circumstances. Make money your slave, not your god.
● Tension, especially in May when a stressful Full Moon coincides with Mercury moving retrograde through your sign.
CANCER: 22 June-23 July
The world is changing at an alarming rate, and if you cling to outdated ideas you will soon be left behind.
Two New Moons and two Full Moons in your birth sign, including a Solar and a Lunar Eclipse, denote a major turning point in your life, a point where things and people you took for granted can no longer be relied on.
Autonomy will give you strength and help you to value your independence. Even if you are one of those people who believes that this is but one of many lives, you should act as if it is the only life you are going to get.
There must be a sense of urgency about what you do: tenacity of purpose is the key to success.
With Jupiter, planet of growth but also extravagance, influencing your finances, you can make money big time, but you can lose it big time, too.
The important thing to remember is that there is nothing to fear but fear itself.
IF IT GETS TOUGH
● Unravel anything that is not working out as you intended and start again from scratch.
● Discard those things that made sense in the past but no longer make sense now.
● Cut back on inessentials. The bread is more nutritious than the jam.
THE GOOD NEWS
● Your attitude to money will alter and you will discover that there are other ways of being rich.
● You will begin to realise that the world is only as threatening as you perceive
it to be.
● Passionate Pluto in your opposite sign will transform a certain close relationship.
WATCH OUT FOR…
● Opposing attitudes to spending and saving. Love and money should be kept as far apart as possible.
● Your overprotective streak. Lay down rules, but be flexible.
● Digestive problems caused by stress. Choose meals carefully, eat slowly and chew thoroughly.
LEO: 24 July-23 August
New people will come into your life this year - people who will have a profound effect on the way you look at the world. Some of the things you believe in today won’t mean a thing to you tomorrow.
The Eclipses of late January/early February will mark a crossroads in a personal or professional relationship, and with a series of life-changing Jupiter-Neptune conjunctions also affecting your relationships, you will have more on your mind than money this year.
That said, disruptive Saturn-Uranus oppositions cutting across the financial axis of your chart warn of major changes and some brave decisions will have to be made in relation to the way you earn, save and spend.
It will force you to think along different, more flexible lines.
Never forget that your life has a purpose that has nothing to do with the contents of your bank account.
IF IT GETS TOUGH
● Set yourself realistic targets and you won’t get disheartened.
● Keep a low profile. Hogging the limelight makes more enemies than friends.
● Cut back on extravagances. You have nothing to prove and simple pleasures can be more fun.
THE GOOD NEWS
● You won’t lack for energy this year but you still need to define your goals.
● You are loved for who you are, not what you are.
● You will be the proverbial tower of strength, providing practical, emotional and moral support.
WATCH OUT FOR…
● A reduction in standing ovations. You have proved you’re a star; you don’t need constant applause.
● Those who arrive bearing gifts - they may want more in return than they are offering.
● Back and spine injuries. Avoid digging and lifting heavy weights.
VIRGO: 24 August-23 September
Don’t plan on taking things easy this year. With so much of the cosmic activity highlighting your responsibilities, your workload is bound to increase in the weeks ahead.
Your main task will be to ensure that you get adequately rewarded for your efforts, as making money appears to be a priority just now.
However, your time is precious, so don’t waste it on people who don’t seem to have your best interests at heart - especially while self-disciplined Saturn is opposing unpredictable Uranus in February and September.
Someone you meet casually in early July will light a spark that will burn brightly for several weeks - fun while it lasts, but don’t expect it to go on for ever.
Outside influences will have an increasing effect on your
life as 2009 progresses, and although it will not be the
most comfortable of years, it should turn out to be a rewarding one.
IF IT GETS TOUGH
● Keep things simple - if your affairs get too complicated you will regret it.
● Careful planning now will save a lot of repair work later on. Make sure you cover all
the angles.
● Don’t strive for perfection, strive to be happy. If you fall short of your aims it is because they are too high.
THE GOOD NEWS
● Success planet Jupiter focusing on your health will encourage you to get fit.
● Structured Saturn in the money angle of your chart from late October will help you move your finances on to more solid ground.
● You will discover your genuine priorities and appreciate how unimportant most of your worries are.
WATCH OUT FOR…
● Crossed lines, especially with authority figures, while your ruler Mercury is retrograde
in May.
● Colleagues and dependants who will demand more of you than you can spare - especially under the influence of needy Neptune in May, July and December.
● Stress-related ailments, real and imagined.
LIBRA: 24 September-23 October
Your astrological forecast for 2009 is a mixture of sunshine and showers. On the downside, the recurring opposition between restrictive Saturn and planet of change Uranus indicates a bit of a bumpy ride when it comes to your work and responsibilities.
On the upside, expansive Jupiter in sympathetic Aquarius means that your imagination will be working overtime and
if you are smart you will find ways to make your creative talents pay.
With two New Moons and two Full Moons - including two Eclipses - falling in the career angle of your chart, professional matters will certainly be uppermost. Opportunities will arise, especially in June and July.
They may not be the sort you are hoping for, but don’t discard them out of hand as they could lead to other things.
Your key words for survival this year are endurance and persistence, and as you have plenty of both there is no reason why you should not turn the challenges into positive experiences.
IF IT GETS TOUGH
● Tension can be creative if you channel it into productive areas.
● Change your attitude: you can’t always have what you want but you can always want what you have.
● Look at the world through others’ eyes. It’s what you’re good at.
THE GOOD NEWS
● An authority figure will help you to further your ambitions, but make sure you know what is expected in return.
● You are tougher than you look: there is no way anyone can defeat you - you can only defeat yourself.
● A love affair that begins in late January will insulate you against the winter chill.
WATCH OUT FOR…
● Temptation. Extravagant Jupiter and weak-willed Neptune will try to lead you astray.
● Unfounded fears. A positive attitude is the best defence against negative events.
● Cancelled plans and crossed lines when Mercury turns retrograde in May and September.
SCORPIO: 24 October-22 November
This will be a pivotal year for you and it is unlikely you will be in full control of what happens.
What is likely is that your social circle will alter, and new friends and associates will have a significant influence on your fortunes and your future. There will be changes on the domestic front, too.
You may move house, extend your family or alter your living arrangements. February’s Lunar Eclipse will force you into a difficult choice - although it may be early August before you finally make it. Inevitably, whichever side you favour the other side will feel betrayed, but that is better than allowing a harmful situation to continue.
A business matter will come back on to the agenda in May but you would be well advised not to make any important financial decisions while Mercury is retrograde between the 7th and 31st.
There will be no shortage of challenges as the year progresses, but since your whole life seems to be one long challenge, you will be better equipped to deal with them than many people.
IF IT GETS TOUGH
● Seek inspiration somewhere different. A change of scene could change your luck.
● Be prepared to fight for your rights, especially if you have not used them for a while.
● Don’t wait for things to happen. The joy you get out of life depends on the effort you put in.
THE GOOD NEWS
● You will have energy aplenty, especially in late April and May. Physical activities will channel your aggression.
● Your ruler Pluto, planet of power, will make it easy for you to transform your life by discarding inessentials.
● A passionate phase in early June will do wonders for a close relationship.
WATCH OUT FOR…
● Entrenched attitudes and ideas - they will inhibit your progress.
● Careless talk. Make sure you say what you mean, especially in late January.
● Simmering resentment - the best revenge is to be happy.
SAGITTARIUS: 23 November-21 December
The whole tenor of your life will shift this year and you will have to make fundamental changes to the way you live and work. It will mean finding a way to please both employers and family members.
If you favour one area of your life too much you will inevitably lose the other’s support, and that could be costly - financially or emotionally, or both.
Be particularly careful in your dealings with authority figures in September when analytical Mercury appears to be moving backwards and a situation on the work front is liable to become confused.
That said, your enlightened ruler Jupiter in intelligent Aquarius indicates that what you earn in 2009 is less important than what you learn, and what you learn depends to a large extent on how open you are to new ways of thinking.
The world moves on and you must ensure that you move with it. You have already completed several stages on your personal voyage of discovery. The stage that comes next will bring its own - and very different - rewards.
IF IT GETS TOUGH
● Keep telling yourself that your ideas are good enough to succeed, even when your proposals get turned down.
● Keep your options open. First thoughts are not always the best.
● Don’t waste time lamenting what might have been. If you act quickly and decisively you will make up for any misunderstandings or missed opportunities.
THE GOOD NEWS
● If knowledge is power then 2009 will see a distinct improvement in your status and standing.
● Because you don’t care what others think, you can focus on a scheme or project to the exclusion of all else.
● Advice from friends and family will be surprisingly good. Make others’ experiences work for you.
WATCH OUT FOR…
● A double dose of New and Full Moons in Cancer - they could make you a fortune or lose you one. Make sure it’s the former.
● Other people’s feelings - your mind will be sharp this year but your tongue will be sharper. Curb it.
● Grand gestures - they may be your forte but they have been known to break the bank.
CAPRICORN 22 December-20 January
The values you have now will not be the values you have at the end of the year, so be ready to change your outlook and opinions and to approach life from a less traditional point of view.
Jupiter’s transit of your neighbouring sign of Aquarius will affect not only your finances but your belief system, too.
Sometimes distance lends enchantment to the view and the planets suggest that you will want to spend more time alone this year. Partners and loved ones will understand your needs if you make the effort to explain how you feel.
Take extra care in January and December when a Full Moon and a Lunar Eclipse in your opposite sign will put pressure on a close relationship.
The overall question this year is: are you travelling in the right direction? With the Saturn-Uranus opposition cutting across the knowledge and enlightenment axis of your chart, there will be days when you have serious doubts.
Ask yourself what you would like to be doing if family and financial problems did not exist. Then do it anyway.
IF IT GETS TOUGH
● Use the element of surprise. Others expect you to do things by the book, so it will give you a big advantage.
● Do what you know is right. If the rules are wrong, ignore them and follow your conscience.
● Leave yourself room to manoeuvre in the future. You can make plans but there are no guarantees.
THE GOOD NEWS
● Your creative skills will be much in evidence. There is more than one way to solve a problem: think laterally.
● Your disciplined ruler Saturn urges you to chuck out the clutter. Do so.
● Lucky Jupiter will bring money into your life. Extravagant Jupiter will spend it. Prove who is in control.
IF IT GETS TOUGH...
● Your pessimistic streak - realism and optimism are not mutually exclusive.
● Stifled emotions, especially around the time of July’s Capricorn Lunar Eclipse. Share your feelings with those you trust.
● Irrational behaviour on the part of loved ones. Be patient - they’ve got worries, too.
AQUARIUS: 21 January-19 February
You are always in tune with the spirit of the times and, with enlightened Jupiter in your birth sign this year, never more so than now. It suggests major changes in your life and, although they may be unsettling at first, you will eventually come to appreciate just how fortunate you are.
Because the recurring opposition between restrictive Saturn and your disruptive ruler Uranus cuts across the financial axis of your chart, there will be changes on the financial front, too.
Some hard decisions will have to be made but they will serve you well in the long term. Just be careful not to upset someone close early in the year when Mercury turns retrograde in your birth sign.
The experiences of 2009 will have a profound effect on your attitudes, your beliefs and the way you live your life generally.
Your roller coaster of a year will get off to a flying start around the time of the Solar Eclipse in your sign at the end of January.
Hang on tight - you might even enjoy the ride.
IF IT GETS TOUGH
● Don’t let anyone make decisions for you. Neptune, planet of illusion, warns that the only person you can trust is yourself.
● Keep an open mind - you may think you know all the answers but there is much to be learned by listening to the questions.
● Aim for small victories. Defer major battles until you have the right ammunition.
THE GOOD NEWS
● With Jupiter in your sign you can achieve a great deal - concentration is
the key.
● A Venus-Jupiter alliance in early March will mark a romantic interlude. Even if it is short-lived it will be fun.
● You, more than most, already know that there are more important things in life than material possessions.
WATCH OUT FOR…
● The needs of someone close around the time of the Lunar Eclipses of early February and early August.
● A struggle with your conscience after Saturn changes signs in late October. Rewrite the rules to fit your personal values.
● Spontaneous reactions. Think twice before you act, especially if there is money at stake.
PISCES 20 February-20 March
With your joint rulers Jupiter and Neptune prominent in the most sensitive sector of your chart, and the Saturn-Uranus opposition cutting across your birth sign, you stand to learn as much about yourself as the world around you this year.
And since the search for self-awareness is an important ingredient in the Pisces persona, it should be an enlightening period. On a more material level, you need to keep a close eye on your finances in early April as some of the people you have to deal with, although not dishonest, may be rather careless.
And avoid making a business decision in September when retrograde Mercury is liable to confuse. Most importantly, leave nothing to chance this year and plan everything you do with the utmost caution.
Two New Moons in sympathetic Cancer will bring out your creative side, and could lead to a money-spinning opportunity.
All in all, 2009 will be a memorable year for you, but whether it is for the right reasons or not lies in your hands.
IF IT GETS TOUGH
● By all means be sensitive to others’ needs, but don’t lose sight of your own. Look after yourself for a change.
● Don’t start anything unless you are certain you will be able to finish it. Better to finish one thing than give up on many.
● The best way to predict the future is to study the past. Do that this year and you will overcome the odds.
THE GOOD NEWS
● Follow your hunches - they will be more reliable than the so-called ‘experts’.
● A sudden attraction, possibly around midsummer, could turn into a long-lasting affair.
● An offer that arrives out of the blue could prove to be that once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Give it serious consideration.
WATCH OUT FOR…
● Powerful emotions - and not all of them positive. A hint of jealousy could lead to serious problems.
● Wishful thinking. It could blind you to reality. Facts and figures that do not fit must be dealt with, not just ignored.
● Petty disputes. Give those you live and work with the benefit of the doubt, even if they don’t deserve it.