SignOut
by Lilly Roddy

Ah, January! That lovely time of the year when we make all those New Year resolutions to make improvements to our lives. The time of the year when we feel so hopeful about making ourselves anew. I am just resolving to do two things I know I can do this year. One, drink more coffee and two, eat more chocolate. Because at the beginning of the next new year, I will have been very successful.

On the 9th of this month we have the second part of the eclipse cycle. The first part was in December. This one is in Cancer and will incline us to want a closer connection to family. Even if we don’t have those connections with our family, you will bring that into your life through friends. Both Jupiter and Saturn go direct on the 25th and 24th respectively, which should make things go a bit faster in our lives. Good days this month are the 5th, 6th, and 11th. Those are great days for self-indulgence. Days with tension are the 1st, 9th, 13th, 17th, 20th, 22nd, 24th, 25th, and the 27th. So the last part of the month is definitely rugged going.

Capricorn (Dec. 22—Jan. 19) Yes, this is your birthday month, that time when the sun makes its yearly cycle through your sign–the end of last year’s cycle and the beginning of the new year’s cycle. The first part of the month is a great time for review of what you accomplished and what you wanted to accomplish. The later half of the month is good for putting your new aims and endeavors into play. You will be more conscious of finishing things that you start this month. Normally, you are a person who judges herself by what you do–this month, you are even more conscious of that.

Aquarius (Jan. 20— Feb. 18) You are in a rest-and-retreat mode this month. Even though it is the new year and all, you are not ready to embrace this yearly renewal time. You are more sensitive than usual and everything seems to bother you more; your psychic receptors are turned up to maximum. You may want to avoid those large crowds and crowded restaurants–these sort of places just seem to drain your energies. You can focus on your work and you may work best when you are alone. You will want to come first in your own life, and you will not find it easy to share space, time, or creative considerations with others. You pull out of this somewhat by the end of the month, but you are still very introspective

Pisces (Feb. 19—March 20) Friendship and business and community associations are important to you this month. You are playing an important role in other people’s lives and you are going to be appreciated for this part of you. Normally, you just get in there and help people; you don’t give it a second thought and you don’t necessarily seek others’ gratitude for what you do. But this month, that acknowledgment will come your way and it may surprise you. Don’t be afraid to accept the leadership role they are offering you. You may feel that you could be overwhelmed by the responsibility. But as the year progresses, your boundaries get stronger and you will become a better delegator.

Aries (March 21—April 19) You are ready to start the year off with a running start as you focus this month on your future security and career. Practicality will be your watch-word and you will appear to be in a no-nonsense mood to others. You want to be recognized for what you do at work. By mid-month, you are more social and ready to spend time with friends. You will still be in a career mood, so business associations, networking, and breakfast meetings would be very good for you. Even though the holidays have come to an end, you are still ready to be with your friends

Taurus (April 20—May 20) Relationships are front and center for you as the New Year begins . . . and with plenty of fireworks, as your relationship calls out for adventure and excitement. You can achieve this by changing those routines or engaging in verbal combat. The choice is yours. If you don’t have a romantic partner, you will find yourself trying to make that happen. Your career continues to be unsettled as the month begins; you will have a couple of false starts or feel that you are taking two steps forward and one step back.

Gemini (May 21—June 21) You are back into your busy phase. I hope you enjoyed your brief rest during the holidays. Oh, you didn’t get one? Well . . . you had better plan well over the next two months as you will continue to be busy and maybe even a couple of notches busier. You are in a good place and good things are happening to you. You feel that you have to make the best of this time just in case things slow down. This is a good time to market yourself or your work. Your charisma is strong. Relationships need some tending to. You or your partner will feel that a sense of distance has developed between you. Take some time to get reacquainted

Cancer (June 22—July 22) Relationships are in the spotlight for you this month. You are really wanting to have some stability and a strong sense that your relationship is moving in the direction that you want it to. This can be a great month to get away and plan for the future. You will want some sense of assurance that your partner is as committed as you to your alliance. This will affect business partnerships as well as romantic ones. Your creativity and your sexual energies are flowing: You can channel this into your relationship, or into your work, or both. You may be in the mood to try some different approaches.

Leo (July 23—Aug. 22) Time to get the workplace in order for the new year. You really want to use your time productively this month and you don’t want to feel that you are wasting your time. Coworkers could expect you to take the lead and show them the way. Taking more of the "boss" role is a good way for you to shine. Home may be a bit uncomfortable this month as small irritations really get under you skin. It would be a bad time to visit your parents or to be too close to your own children. They will be very demanding and you may feel that you are not able to be yourself.

Virgo (Aug. 23—Sept. 22) Your creative skills are on the upswing this month. You are able to find solutions to problems more easily, market yourself and your products better, or just get along better with your own children. Your communication skills are improved as well; you seem to be able to get your message across in a very direct way. Relationships also get easier after the 3rd, although you may want to take a break from your partner right around mid-month, as one of you could be feeling pretty jealous or possessive. If you are not involved with someone, this very same energy will make you attractive to others and could easily draw someone to you. If you choose, you could use this in business as well

Libra (Sept. 23—Oct. 23) Home and family themes continue as the new year begins; you are really wanting a solid foundation. With this year’s eclipse phase, you are really wanting to create a strong sense of security in the home and in your career. You will find yourself focusing on this even when you are not trying. You will probably have to take a stronger role in your own family–you might even find yourself taking care of your own parents, a role switch. Even with this, it will be extra easy to spend money this month. You are in an impulsive "let’s buy" mode. Best to watch those investments and stick to a conservative mode; this is not the time to take a risk.

Scorpio (Oct. 24—Nov. 21) Your energy levels and desire for fun and adventure are very strong for the next two months. January is a good month for you to take some risks and invest your courage. You will not want to wait or let others go first. This is definitely a "me first" month. This could be a great time for exercise programs, diet and health regimes, or visiting the doctor for a checkup, as you are more physically conscious and aware of your body. You are also more likely to be the initiator in the bedroom. If you don’t find a socially acceptable outlet for this energy, then you are going to be cranky, irritable, and argumentative. And that is okay as long as it is happening to you and not to me. Your sleep patterns could be erratic as well. Look for some battles to engage in.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22—Dec. 21) Money and personal resources take the spotlight this month–you are very aware of where your money is. This would be a good time to get your bills paid and your financial information together and organized, perhaps assessing how much you make and how much you charge your clients. And you will not want to be ignored by others. If you are not acknowledged for what you do and who you are, you are not going to be a happy camper. Slights, even unintentional, will affect you. You will want to be careful who you allow to judge you. You could take to heart what the guy at the gas station says, and he may not be a good judge at all.

Lilly Roddy is a Houston-based astrologer. She can be reached at lillycath@aol.com or www.cybersim.com/hermes.