By Lilly Roddy
Mercury is retrograde as the year begins, making the first half of the month a bit sluggish. Things flow along much smoother when Mercury goes direct on January 13, so it may be best to wait until then to start your New Year’s resolutions.
Active and positive days for this month are the 3rd, 11th, 20th, and 23rd. The days that you should be doing exactly what you want to do are the 1st, 7th, 8th, 10th, 12th, 19th, 27th, 29th, and 31st.
ARIES (March 21–April 19). You are usually ready to jump back into life after the holidays, but with Mercury retrograde in your career arena, you are still dealing with projects from last year. You will want to take a break from it all in the second and third weeks of January. You could feel overcommitted and overwhelmed, so you may need to take a few steps back. Relationships continue to be positive and supportive throughout January. Your strong energy levels return at the end of the month as Mars, your fiery ruler, enters your sign for the next 40 days. You’ll be ready to take action then.
TAURUS (April 20–May 20). You have continued to remain in a happy and nostalgic frame of mind through the holiday period. Old friends and lifelong associations are especially important to you, both emotionally and in business. You are in a period of exploring your spirituality and challenging your own beliefs as you discover other ways to see the universe. This is also reflected in the way you’re looking at changing your entire health regimen. By midmonth you are ready to get back into your routines and focus on your future.
GEMINI (May 21–June 21). Even through the holidays, your focus has been on your career and your plans for the future. You are looking for something that provides meaning, and not just security. Since Mercury is retrograde, you have been in a more contemplative mood, even though you are ready to act at this very moment. Mercury goes direct on January 13, and that is your time to take action and make decisions. Relationships still require a major part of your focus. You are expecting a clear confirmation that both of you are moving forward in the same direction.
CANCER (June 22–July 22). Your relationship arena is especially active with Mercury retrograde visiting there. You may hear from friends, exes, and others who you haven’t seen in a while. It’s also a great time to renew your existing bonds with your partner. If there are problems in your relationship, they are likely to show up with Mercury retrograde so that they can be resolved. Your career energies are also very stimulated through January and February. Hold off till after January 13 before you make any definite plans. Future finances become more important by the end of the month. Get your house in order.
LEO (July 23–August 22). This is a month for getting organized and clear. At the beginning of the month, you are making sure that your workplace is clean and neat, and runs efficiently. You may also be cleaning out and reorganizing your closet at home. This is also a good time to restart any exercise or health regimens. In relationships, you are looking for some reassurance that you and your partner are doing well. This is a time to look at improving intimacy, both physical and emotional. By the end of the month, you are taking life a little easier and looking for some fun things to do!
VIRGO (August 23–September 22). This is a busy month with a lot of things on the menu. And with Mercury (your ruling planet) retrograde, you have the opportunity to reexamine your long-term goals one last time before you put them into play after mid-January. This can also be a good time to just clean out those files at work. You are looking to have a more playful and creative first half of the month with some sort of adventure and physical activity. Your relationship needs some attention, and if that isn’t taken care of, it will get the attention it needs through fighting and arguing. By the end of the month, you are back into your routines.
LIBRA (September 23–October 23). The holidays have been a very focused time for you, and have helped you to see where your early patterns come from. This should be a strong, nostalgic time for you—really drawing on your traditions from the past. You may also be doing some remodeling, or even considering a relocation. At work, you are still trying to finish some projects from the end of the year. It may feel like you and your coworkers aren’t all pulling in the same direction. Your relationship energies continue to be positive and dynamic. This is an improved time for existing relationships—and to be marketing yourself for a relationship if you are single. If you are having problems, you will not be able to avoid them. Take some action! The focus on relationships gets even stronger in February.
SCORPIO (October 24–November 21). You’re quiet as the month begins, but you are working behind the scenes to get organized for the upcoming year. Communications may seem harder and more delayed than usual, but you are a lot more direct and deliberate with the people you communicate with. This may not have been easy during the holidays, but after the 13th you’ll be ready to move forward with your ideas. You are in a very creative cycle during the entire month. Make sure that you take time to do some fun things—maybe around some children who can remind you that you’re not being playful enough. At the end of the month, you are working on the emotional foundations of your connection to your family. Coworkers may seem more edgy and harder to get along with after the 28th. Don’t be afraid to speak up.
SAGITTARIUS (November 22–December 21). The serious time you had during the holidays continues for you this month. In the short term, you’re looking at your current financial situation and working on ways to improve that. You may be doing some massive reorganizing or even downsizing in your home and at work. This is a time to look at resources or talents you may not have used in a long time, to determine if they still have value. Family life continues to be busy, hectic, and not very predictable. The more you go with the flow, the easier it will be. By the end of the month, your energies are flowing better and communication problems are clearing up. Your serious tone will be with you for the whole year.
CAPRICORN (December 22–January 19. Happy birthday to the Capricorns. This is your yearly cycle where you get the chance to review the past year and establish new projects for next year. Mercury retrograde in your sign makes for an especially introspective birthday time. As with the rest of the signs, it’s best to wait until after January 13 to put any new plans into action. There continues to be plenty of activity at work. If you are unhappy there, a good time to look for a new position would be after the 13th. Relationship energies are fairly positive, but you need more time to yourself. There is a lot on your mind, and you may be feeling overworked. At the end of the month you are ready to take action, so you may appear to be impatient to others.
AQUARIUS (January 20–February 18). You are in a more introspective mode as we approach your birthday time. You are more psychically sensitive, and may want others to keep their distance. Friendships continue to be somewhat problematic as your expectations clash with reality. Watch your spending throughout this month—you are in an impulse-buying phase. By mid-January, you are coming out of your self-imposed isolation. Your communication skills are called up, especially near the end of the month. This is a great time for you to be working on the Internet and with social media. After the 13th, it can be a great time to travel, take classes, or start your own marketing firm.
PISCES (February 19–March 20). The beginning of January is a bit of a dilemma for you. You have Mars, the planet of action and energy, in your sign until the 27th. Normally, this would be the best time to initiate changes or to put your plans into action. But with Mercury retrograde, you will have to wait until the 13th to act in order to ensure success. Career still has a big hold on you for the entire year. You are making plans to move yourself up the ladder, or to change direction and do something totally different. You want a career that is more fulfilling and allows you to express your creativity. The last half of the month is a good time for you to act on all of this. By the end of the month you are ready for some rest and retreat.
Read Lilly Roddy’s 2017 forecast here. For more astro-insight, log on to lillyroddy.com.
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