ASTROLOGY FORECAST/January

Photography by John Conroy

Illustrations by David Eduardo Flores Perez

Lilly looks ahead: Watch your spending, Virgo. Prepare for travel, Aquarius. Play with your inner child, Pisces.

HEAVEN KNOWS

Our astrologer Lilly Roddy charts the year. Pluto, find a therapist

You will notice five sections for each sign, one for each of the outer planets. You may discern that the planets sometimes have cross-purposes for you. Although this may be confusing, it is nevertheless the situation that you will live through this year. Some of the outer planets affect smaller groups of your signs. However, you may or may not be aware that you have other heavenly bodies besides the Sun in that sign. And those outer planets’ forecasts also apply to you. The only way to actually know this is to have your chart run. Call your local astrologer or look on the Internet. There are several sites that will generate your chart at no cost.

For this next year, Mercury retrograde periods are 12/17–1/6, 4/6–4/30, 8/9–9/2, and 11/30–12/20. Mercury retrograde is good for review of the past but never a good time to start new projects. Review client files, contact people from the past, and clean up closets and attics.

This year Venus, planet of love and romance, goes retrograde as well. Venus has dominance over relationships and money. And you will be questioning both 5/17–6/29. Avoid making new commitments during this time either for love or money. Problems in both areas will come to the surface, and this is an excellent time to deal with them.

Eclipses this year are in Taurus and Scorpio, except for the first one in Aries. This will arouse passion, intensity, ideals about money and wealth and trust, and deep emotional attachments. Eclipse dates are 4/19, 5/4, 10/13, and 10/27.

ARIES

(March 21–April 19)

Jupiter. This year, Jupiter begins the year in your solar sixth house of work and health habits. You can expect this part of your life to be very busy, even to the point that you may have more work than you can handle. You should expect promotions, or you might explore new avenues for work. They may move you to a different office, or your work location could change altogether. In September, Jupiter moves into your solar seventh house of partnerships and will remain there until August 2005. All relationships are more positive for you. If you are single, this is an excellent time to bring a relationship into your life. For an existing relationship, this should be a good time for her or him. This can also lead to a business partner in your life, if you are looking for such connections.

Saturn. This year, Saturn is stirring things up with your family this year. You are working at establishing a strong base of emotional support by examining the past and getting your life in order. Most of you have already started and are working on getting your home more homelike. You are cleaning out your closets and family members who don’t really belong. Some of you are looking at trying to establish some roots. You are operating from a more pragmatic sense than usual. And you are considering the consequences of your actions much more than you normally do. You may also feel more judged about who you are and your sense of worth in the family. Overall, you are interested in cleaning up your past and moving forward. Be prepared in March. You will have a big time of spring cleaning.

Uranus. There is an undercurrent of change in spiritual beliefs. You are looking for some tenets that really embrace your sense of individuality. Your own traditional views will rub you the wrong way. And you will be more outspoken about these views. If others tell you the way to enlightenment, you will feel challenged and respond in a very direct way. Your natural sensitivities are increased. You will not be drawn to as much activity with others as you were in the past. You will also be more concerned with your partner’s health as you whip him/her into shape.

Neptune. Friendships are harder to define this year. You are less clear about what you want and more open to various kinds of people. And some people who have been in your life are moving on. The reasons for the separation are not always so clear. On the subconscious level, you are looking for friends with a spiritual or soul connection. In business, you should pay attention to the financial picture of the company that you work for. There could be things going on behind the scenes that you should be prepared for. Relationships are a bit easier as your partners are taking on more responsibility for fun and play.

Pluto. You are more comfortable living with your own sense of the truth. You don’t feel that you have to prove anything to anyone. Any travel that you do this year will generate a profound experience. You will feel past-life connections. If you are a writer or a teacher, this is an excellent time to get your message out to the public. There is more general acceptance to what you believe. Communication with your partner is more absorbing and intimate than it has been. Try to expand your environment. Travel, attend lectures, take classes, visit museums, and seek out people from different cultures. This is a wonderful time of intellectual growth.

TAURUS

(April 20–March 20)

Jupiter. Your creative juices are flowing as Jupiter begins the year in your solar fifth house of children, playfulness, hobbies, and creative ventures. If you want to apply this energy to work, you will have greater magnetism and chart. This will help to sell yourself or any ideas. It may also make you a bit lazy, and you will not want to push yourself at work. All your senses are heightened during this time. You will want more food, more drink, and more physical pleasures. After September, Jupiter enters your solar sixth house of work, service, and health. You can anticipate more activity at work through increased workloads, classes, or even travel associated with work.

Saturn. Getting your day-to-day routines in order is your plan for this year. All your actions will be contemplated before you take any sort of action. Your actions are based on improving your daily existence. And if they don’t do that, you will not expend the energy. You can expect to improve on your education and communication. Maybe consider getting a new car. In business, you are working to make things run more effectively. There will be some re-organization going on. New computers or office equipment will possibly be a part of the plans. In relationships, you are trying to be as clear as you can in your communication with your partner. You are making plans for the future, and you want all interchanges to be crystalline.

Uranus. New friendships are on the horizon for you. You are really looking for new people to bring into your life to help break you out of your routines. Old friendships may seem stifling. This will be a time when you part ways with people that you have associated with for a long time. In career, you are looking for new, dynamic, and exciting ways of marketing your talents. You could do this through school or updating current skills. Overall, you are in a more playful mood and are coming out of the serious mood that permeated your life over the last year.

Neptune. Some of you are experiencing some loss of connection to your career path. Many of you are questioning just why you are here on the planet and what you are supposed to be doing. You can work harder, but that won’t help unless you are internally nourished by the work that you do. Your work must help others. You won’t be satisfied with just getting a paycheck. Inner work such as therapy, yoga, and spiritual retreats will help. Those of you born May 1–6 or with planets at those degrees will be feeling this the strongest. February, May, August, and November are the most intense months for this energy.

Pluto. Relationships and intimacy are the issues with this planet. At the heart of the matter are what you and your partner have in common. Often the first problems encountered with this planet center around the way each person handles money. These discussions are what draw the couple together to talk about more profound topics. Sexual dysfunction or lack of sex altogether can be experienced as couples search for the connections that solidify their relationship. This will have the most impact on those of you born May 8–13 or with planets at those degrees. The strongest months for this are February, May, August, and November.

GEMINI

(May 21–June 21)

Jupiter. With Jupiter in your solar fourth house of family, home, and domestic matters, you are feeling very restless in you present location. Many of you will move. Others will update your current living environments by remodeling or redecorating. If there are problems between you and family members, this can help to smooth things over. It won’t make the problems go away, but it will make all parties more open to all points of view. In September, Jupiter moves into your solar fifth house of play, love affairs, and art. Your natural creativity will come to the surface. You may take classes to enhance your natural talents. You will attract more people to you both in business and in social activities. This will make you laid-back, and you will not feel motivated to do things other than what you like.

Saturn. You are focused on finances this year and getting that part of your life organized. On the personal level, you are looking at what worth you have in society and how others treat you. You are demanding more respect from everyone around you. In work, you want to be compensated for your expertise. And you may feel depressed or ready to look for a new job if you are not paid adequately. If you have old financial problems, you will work very hard this year to get all that cleared up. You will not be burdened by these old problems.

Uranus. Career paths are challenged as you look to update, invigorate, or totally change your chosen path. Mostly, you are just bored with what you have been doing, and you have to re-invent yourself. If you do this consciously, you will keep down the amount of drama in your life. If you wait, you will sabotage yourself, and you may be let go. You may consider going into your own business or getting involved with friends in their businesses. Consulting would be an excellent path for you. You want more freedom of choice in your daily existence.

Neptune. You are stimulated to go beyond your normal horizons or knowledge and information and open yourself up to psychic or intuitive responses. You will want to know more about the different religions of all cultures. And you will be seeking the things that have common ground rather than differences. In your way, you are seeking the common truth that binds all groups. Normal outlets of learning will seem commonplace. You will have to have the experience to know it. This is strongest for those of you born June 1–6 or with planets at those degrees.

Pluto. Continuing her journey through your house of relationships, Pluto carves out the truth about what you really want for yourself. This can create a drive for perfection in seeking a partner, which can be a real problem when you don’t have the ideal picture in mind. Will you know that person when you meet? Most likely, you will not. This expunges all the negatives that you have created in your relationship structure. And what will be left will be the pristine essence of that perfection. This can create real problems for existing relationships. Many of you will feel that you are on an emotional roller-coaster ride from hell. Find a good therapist or a divorce lawyer. This is strongest for those of you born June 9–14 or with planets at these degrees. The most consequential times of the year for this are March, June, September, and December.

CANCER

(June 22–July 22)

Jupiter. This year Jupiter moves through your solar third house of communications, immediate surroundings, and learning. You are open to new ideas and generally just want to know more. You may also be the person who gives out information and takes on the teacher role. Your daily activity increases and may even take on a life of its own. Be sure to keep a limit on what you agree to do; otherwise, you will run out of time, attempting to follow through with your goals. In September, Jupiter moves into your solar fourth house of family, emotions, and real estate. You may get the moving bug and start looking for a new place to live. And your family will have more contact with you as circumstances pull you all back together for ancestral traditions.

Saturn. The area that you are getting in order this year is you. You are more focused on your health, your appearance in the world, equity in relationships, and your overall sense of authority in society. You are your own harshest critic and will pay more attention to negative views of yourself rather than the positives. This can make you feel depressed. You may want to avoid the glare of external viewing. On the positive side, you are motivated to make all parts of your life better. This is a perfect year for that to happen. Essentially, all the things that aren’t working will have to be repaired, or you will get rid of them. That can include relationships, clients, friends, family members, and excess weight. After March, you will get a real boost in your sense to complete this process.

Uranus. What a mind-expanding time you are getting with this visit from Uranus! New ideas seem to be coming to you through spiritual guides or increased development of your intuition. Friends will be very supportive of this process and may be the ones to point it out to you. You are ready to incorporate large cultural views into a single perspective. School or extended classes may be the paths that you take to get these views in hand. Traveling would be particularly beneficial for you. Expressing your individuality will be so natural and so easy that others will see you as a leader. But you will simply see yourself as a person who seeks a new path.

Neptune. With this planet’s influence, you are searching for a spiritual intimacy between you and your partner(s). Others might more commonly refer to this as a search for your soul mate. You endeavor to feel a genuine connection. Relationships are parts of ourselves that are unexpressed, unconscious, or shadow projections. When we don’t really know our own spirit, seeking the divine in others is an illusionary process that leads to disappointment and betrayal. Your own distance in your relationship could drive your partner from you. Seek connection on the earth before you choose to fly to heaven. This is strongest for those of you born June 4–8 or with planets at those degrees.

Pluto. Work and health habits are going through a time of cleaning out and cleaning up. You are interested in a permanent fix on these areas of your life. At work, they could be remodeling your office or replacing your computer system. With your health, you are more aware than ever. This is not by choice but by the need to pay better attention to yourself and your obsessive habits. And even in this, you anticipate finding the process that will change your bad habits for the rest of your life. Visit the doctor, the dentist, the chiropractor, the acupuncturist, the herbalist, and the homeopath. You need all their points of view. This is strongest for those of you born July 10–14 or with planets in those same degrees.

LEO

(July 23–August 22)

Jupiter. As the year begins, Jupiter is visiting your solar second house of money, resources, and talents. This will help you make more money and spend more money. You don’t want to have limitations placed on your expenditures. This is a good time to make investments for your future security. You will want to be recognized for your intelligence and analytical skills. And you may increase your ability to make money through these processes. After September, Jupiter moves into your solar third house. You will notice that your daily activities increase. There seems to be more going on that you can do or keep up with. You are interested in learning and may find yourself taking classes.

Saturn. Spiritual reality is playing a big role in your life this year. You want to know how you fit into the Universe. But you are more interested in making this quest a practical application of those spiritual ideals rather than just lip service. You could consider it a view of your environmental or spiritual health. In addition, you are taking a very critical view of religion and spiritual beliefs from your past. This will encourage you to look beyond what you know to develop deeper beliefs that are grounded in your own life experiences. You are also more selective about the people you allow in your life. Even romantic relationships could seem shallow as you grow beyond your own ethereal self.

Uranus. You are freeing yourself from old notions and ideas about intimacy and sexual attitudes. You are experimental and want to have more fun. This will provoke your partner and the current rules you operate under. This can cause reactions of fear or inadequacy in your partner. Try to bring him/her into the process as an adventure so that he/she doesn’t assume blame for your new interest. This is the beginning of the breaking down of barriers between you and your partner. Truth will have her way, and she cannot be stopped. As you become more open, you will talk about things between yourselves that you never thought you would have discussed.

Neptune. With Neptune in your relationship sector, you may choose to not have relationships or to enter a period of celibacy. You are more interested in spending time with yourself than others. With your sensitivity levels so strong, interactions with others, even pleasant ones, can be painful. You may also feel that you are trying to make commitments to yourself rather than to others. Issues around desertion will come up, and you will be sad and may not know why. They are buried in your past, and your outer adult would prefer that you just forget them because they happened a long time ago. Neptune isn’t happy with that approach. This is strongest for those of you born August 3–8 or with planets at those degrees.

Pluto. Pluto can stir your children to be their own persons. This is a good thing if they are 30 and are pushing toward relationships or career goals. This can be a difficult thing if your children are teenagers or younger. They do not want to be limited by society’s norms and mores. This can be a time when you are separated from your children. On the internal level, your own inner child is being awakened, and she is hungry. And she wants to come first, and darn those who think their needs are greater than hers. Creative outlets such as art classes, play workshops, etc. are important at this time. If you try and repress her, you will become the brat you really are. This is strongest for those of you born August 10–16 or with planets in those degrees.

VIRGO

(Aug. 23–Sept. 22)

Jupiter. Jupiter begins the year moving through your solar first house of self, personality, and your physical body. It is very easy for your appetites to increase during this time. You may want more people around you, more activity, and more food and drink in your mouth. You are certainly charming, and people will be drawn to you like a magnet. This is a great time to promote yourself in business or in personal relationships. On the other hand, you are not roused to do anything other than what you like to do. Try to find a balance. This becomes an issue in September as Jupiter enters your solar second house of resources. You are more aware of the connections between your resources and your relationship skills. And you will do your best to enhance both of these things. Watch your spending. You are likely to justify whatever you want.

Saturn. You reevaluate support from friends and organizations this year. These things have to have a real purpose in your life. It would be normal to imagine that you are pulling away from the groups that you have been associated with in the past. You are not playing the leadership role that you have in the past. Others may see you as distant and captious. This will also occur in your friendships. You will judge them much more harshly than you once did. Be careful. You may be very right in the end but also very alone. In business, you are evaluating the value of your company or business. You are supposed to help improve that situation. Step up to the front and put your ideas out there. They are waiting for a guide to help them through this North Wind.

Uranus. Routines in partnerships are out the window. You are looking for new, fun, exciting ways to be in a partnership. This will be a very stressful time on existing relationships. Often, there is one person in the relationship who doesn’t want to change, and this will force the other person into action. If this is happening to you, then you are not addressing your own internal or shadow desires. One thing that will be true is that your current relationship will have to change or it will come to an end. This will be especially tense from mid May through the end of June.

Neptune. Your work needs to be driven by inspiration, dreams, and emotional intuition. Your normally practical mind is stepping outside the logic sequence that you use to arrive at answers. Instead, you are being moved to higher states of understanding. Working at this level can make you tire more easily, and you will find it harder to withstand the strain. In a sense you are channeling information directly from the spiritual source. Your words have deep meaning to others even if you don’t understand the impact it has on them. This has the greatest impact on those born September 3–8 or with planets at those degrees.

Pluto. Pluto is cutting the umbilical cord that connects you to your family and your emotional past. Fears of rejection or withholding of love will not hold you back. You clean out all the rot that is at the bottom of your emotional swamp. Toxic cleanup has a special meaning for you. The good thing is that you are no longer inhibited by fear, imagined or real. The difficult thing is that you must find your own reason for getting up every morning. Swim through the swamp to fly to the sun. This is strongest for those of you born September 10–15 or with planets at those degrees.

LIBRA

(Sept. 23–Oct. 23)

Jupiter. Friends’ and associates’ resources are helpful to you as Jupiter begins its travel in your solar twelfth house of empathy, compassion, and the inner spirit. You are inspired to analyze your work habits and routines and improve upon these aspects of yourself. You will be drawn to look for a deeper spiritual meaning in life and the interconnection to all the activities you participate in. You will want more time to yourself, or you will be much more selective about those with whom you want to spend time. After September, Jupiter moves into your solar first house of personality, vitality, and physical appearance. You are more positive and more open about your life than you have been in 12 years. You will draw more positive people and events into your life. Be careful about self-indulgence. This is a time when it is easy to gain weight.

Saturn. You will apply yourself to career evaluation and goal setting. External security is your call to action, and everything else is second in your life. And as long as relationships and friendships feed into this part of your life, you will nurture them. If they don’t, you will not be sentimental about your past relationships. This will surprise many people as your inner nature comes to the surface. You are a tough negotiator this year—and seem more interested in a true compromise of win/win rather than the acquiescing that you have done in the past. You can have problems with authority figures or bosses who seem to be in your way. Build your road carefully.

Uranus. Your work and health habits are going to change this year. At work, they are putting in new equipment, changing the way you and your co-workers have always done things. They could move you to a new location and even change your job title. Your role at work is changing. You do not like feeling that you have to sacrifice for the peace of the office. Health takes on a totally new concept. You are embracing the ideal of improving your lifestyle and not just eating and exercising better. You want more freedom and will eventually let yourself off the hook for everyone’s sanity.

Neptune. With this placement, your creative impulses are stimulated much beyond what you are accustomed to. You will be drawn to new ideas about art and beauty. Friends and groups will help bring this out in you. Even in business, you are drawn to associations that help your artistry and promote your gifts. Aptitudes you had as a child will rise to the surface as a part of this activation. Your own children will be more artistic and sensitive. They may take an interest in spirituality. This is strongest for those of you born October 4–9 and with planets in those degrees.

Pluto. Your logical mind is going through a shift. You are more aware of your articulateness and the impression it has on the people around you. You are better able to express yourself in a direct manner. And it will certainly surprise those around you who are more accustomed to your diplomatic form of expression. You will share more of your metaphysical views with those in your immediate environment. Pluto will also help you to get your life in order by getting rid of the clutter around you and shifting some of your negative personal habits. This will be more significant to those of you born October 12–16 and with planets in those degrees.

SCORPIO

(Oct. 24–Nov. 21)

Jupiter. With Jupiter in your solar 11th house, this is an excellent year for you to increase your participation in groups and social associations. You are very charming during this year, and people want to be around you. It can also be a good time to examine your goals and dreams for the future and to act upon them. You are feeling positive about the future, and your own resistance won’t stand in your way. After September, Jupiter enters your solar 12th house of spiritual retreat, meditation, and intuition. Your psychic sensitivities are increased. Being around chaos and confusion will be harder. You will shy away from these energies as you seek a more peaceful environment. You will also do a lot of spiritual searching during this time, looking for the larger connections between you and the goddess.

Saturn. This year, Saturn is helping you pursue higher education and improve your station in life. You may be taking classes or finding ways to improve your career skills. And you are doing all of this with a sense of enthusiasm. You are cheerful about these prospects. In relationships, you are making sure that you are clear about you and your partner’s goals and aspirations. You are more open about what your expectations are in your relationship and want to cover things in more detail than your partner is accustomed to. Views that you learned from your childhood are also being examined and will need to be integrated into the present or discarded.

Uranus. Playfulness is a strong theme in many parts of your life. Uranus is certainly making her presence known in this area. If you have children, you want them to be free and to free yourself from their daily rearing. If you are more controlling in this area, then your children will seem rebellious. Or if you are thought of in this way, you will be seen as the rebel. If you take some classes, you may be able to help free your inner self. You are searching for the passion of life that you lost about seven years ago. You will find that missing piece this year.

Neptune. With Neptune’s influences on you, you may feel that you are disconnected from your roots and familial impressions. You may want to run away from home to separate from the identity that you have carried with you for so long. You certainly will need a more peaceful environment to live in. Your tolerance for chaos and drama will be low. The negative effects of these energies can directly affect your health. Old family patterns of sacrifice will be shoved into your face until you are the only person you can rescue. Many will feel that they need more time to themselves. Trips to spas, lakes, or the beach can be very helpful for your psyche. Those affected the most intensely are born November 4–8 or with planets in those degrees.

Pluto. Your ruling planet, Pluto, is helping to revamp your financial situation. You are feeling pressured to pay off bills and get yourself totally out of debt. Mostly you want to regain control of your life and your resources. Some of you are more motivated to develop dormant abilities instead of just relying on those who got you through. One part of this awareness is the understanding that you have not had faith and trust in your own abilities and have chosen a path of safety. Others have seen your talents, but you avoided acting upon them. You were afraid that your talents (you the person) would abandon you (the child). Time to support that part of you. This is strongest for those of you born November 11–15 or with planets in those degrees.

SAGITTARIUS

(Nov. 22–Dec. 21)

Jupiter. Career and work activities are ever increasing as Jupiter is traveling through your solar 10th house of career, authority, and the public self. Taking on more work than you can accomplish will be easy. Watch what you agree to do. You will feel that you can tackle any task set in your path. But it will be so easy to over-commit as that is a natural trait for Sagittarians. And you will be open to really great career opportunities that present themselves to you. In September, Jupiter moves into your solar 11th house of social groups, humanitarian interest, and innovation. You will want to spend more of your time with people of like minds and explore the universal connections. Social movements and organizations will capture your interest as you take a lead role in them.

Saturn. The deeper meaning of relating is what you are being driven to explore this year. You are suspicious of people who have hidden agendas, and you will be able to smell them out quicker than ever. Uncovering deeper meanings is very important to you as you strive to find the truth between you and the people you consider partners. This will put a strain on existing relationships as you take them apart piece by piece. Your tolerance for lying or half-truths will be non-existent. Be careful. As you judge others, you will be judged in the same way. The problem of shared resources will initially bring all this to the surface. This is not the real issue but the catalyst.

Uranus. Traditions and family ties will be confronted this year. You are no longer motivated by the fears of what you knew and did as a child. This process will undermine your choice about career and put you on a path to find yourself. You will pull away from family roles and may even be seen as unstable. You will want the home you live in to be more open and to have more light. You may move or remodel your home. There are certainly dramatic changes taking place in your family of origin. Keep in touch, as they will need your courage to change and forget the past.

Neptune. Boredom in routines can be brought on by this transit of Neptune. You are in a dreamy and escapist state of mind. This is not good for detail work, decisions with serious outcomes, or logic. However, it is great for writing fiction, learning about psychic and intuitive skills, and just getting away from the humdrum. You will find that you are getting more information from the people around you than just what they are saying. You are picking up on their thoughts and feelings. Sometimes this can be very oppressive and can make you want to isolate yourself from the outside world. This is more potent for those of your born December 3–8 or with planets in these same locations.

Pluto. Pluto has been in your sign since the late ’90s and has slowly been embracing and enveloping all the Sagittarians one by one as she slides through your sign until 2008. This year, those of you born December 10–15 and with planets in those degrees will be affected by Pluto’s cosmic enema. This is a time of detoxification of the personal self. Some of you will exercise and diet to improve who you are. Some of you will divorce or end relationships that you have tolerated. And still others will end disappointing careers. It is an unsettling time. But it is a time when you regain control of your destiny. You will not run on automatic. The times of the year when this is the most powerful are March, June, September, and December.

CAPRICORN

(Dec. 22–Jan. 19)

Jupiter. Travel, education, and social justice are aroused with Jupiter moving through your solar ninth house. You are very curious about expanding upon your education or simply broadening your horizons. You will come into more contact with people from different cultures and countries. These are great people for you to be involved with in business or even relationships. After September, Jupiter enters your solar 10th house of career, public life, and long-range security. This should be an excellent time for you to seek promotions or new, improved job situations. You will carry a sense of knowing and power as you enter all new situations. People will be expecting more from you, and leadership may be thrust upon you.

Saturn. Your ruling planet, Saturn, is having you review your structure of relationships. If you are in a good relationship, this is a time of renewal and building new goals. If your partnership is questionable, it must be improved. Ignoring problems that are there will be impossible. This would be a great year to consider some couple’s counseling. If you are not involved, you are interested in potential relationships that have a sense of commitment and destiny. And you are looking for people who have a traditional view of commitment. This is a good time to enter into commitments for you since you are not blinded by love.

Uranus. You are becoming more open in your communications. You are not so self-judgmental about what you are saying and the impact that it will have on others. You may find that your mental activity has sped up and you are restless. There is a tendency toward clumsiness during this time. Your mind is definitely more open to new ideas and views. Travel, school, or a new social group can be beneficial now. You are more attracted to high-tech gadgetry in all aspects of daily life. Expect to be bored with your routines as you look for more interesting ways to live.

Neptune. Finances can be very confusing now. On one level of consciousness, you are not as afraid of being a bag lady as you once were. And you are freed from the notion of having to survive. The pressing question is, What do I want to do with my capabilities? This is an extremely different perspective for a practical sign such as yours. First, you must find internal motivation that is not based on what the world thinks. Second, you have to use your genius more imaginatively. And third, you must do something about this now, so you don’t shoot yourself in the foot out of boredom. Take some classes to see what you are attracted to, and try not to concentrate on the potential outcome.

Pluto. You are digging up your spiritual views and giving them a good cleaning. Mostly, this has not been an area of your life that you spent a lot of time on. You were more focused on what was important in the here and now. You had been happy with getting to the afterlife when you got there. But now you are drawn to knowing more about Universal Truth. And you will explore many paths before you decide just which is the best for you. You will draw more people to you who are interested in esoteric views. A teacher will come into your life to help you along this road of universal discovery. This will enhance the lives of those of you born January 8–13 or those of you lucky enough to have planets in those degrees.

AQUARIUS

(Jan. 20–Feb. 18)

Jupiter. With Jupiter moving through your solar eighth house, you are very busy this year exploring the depths of collective resources, exploring higher states of consciousness, and trying to regenerate your very soul. The Universe is open to helping you by expanding your shared resources in partnerships and drawing you closer to your partner than ever. A whole new level of intimacy is open to exploration. You are beginning to understand just what makes you tick. After September, Jupiter makes entrance into your solar ninth house of philosophy, travel, and histories. School is an excellent place to be at this time. You are open to new ideas and views. Travel is certainly on your agenda.

Saturn. Getting your office or workplace organized is your goal for this year. Disorder and chaos will have to live elsewhere. At work, you are very likely to be put in charge of this task. Make sure that you have the company’s authority and power for the changes you want to make, or you will be made the scapegoat. And be careful about taking on this task if you don’t have those things. In your personal life, you are interested in getting your health in order. This will be a great time for improved health regimes and exercise programs. You will have this sense of inner discipline for the entire year.

Uranus. With your ruling planet, Uranus, moving into Pisces, you are finding all sorts of new and latent talents and resources that you had hidden away from yourself. This can be a super year if you are willing to go beyond what you are familiar and comfortable with and explore all new options. Routine will create boredom and can distract from your path. You will also want to be viewed differently by relationship partners. And it would help if they would notice your uniqueness on their own. This is also a time when you are expanding your circle of friends. You may have lost some close friends in the last year. Now you are ready to find some new ones.

Neptune. Neptune has been visiting your sign since 1998, slowly making her way through. She is having her most profound influence on those of you born February 1–5 and those fortunate enough to have planets in those degrees. This is probably one of the most life-altering transits you will ever have, a time of spiritual pilgrimage. You need to get away from all expectations placed on you by society, family, and your own demands. And you are looking for that place where you don’t have to be anything to anyone. You can only do things that first feed you internally. Duties and expectations cannot be fulfilled unless they come from your universal center. Sometimes people hide from this by seeking behavior that takes them away from the feelings. Ultimately, you are looking to fill a hole that only a journey inward can do.

Pluto. Your base of friends is going through a time of transformation. You are losing some old friends and gaining some new ones. And this is not an easy thing for you, because you don’t allow many people into your life. Friends must have lofty principles and want to continue to grow and seek integrity. You may be drawn to organizations that seek to dispel recalcitrant cultural conceptions. You will want to aggressively expose these false beliefs. One way to do this is through education, lecturing, or even writing. You will meet with resistance since this undermines the very values that society has built itself upon. In work, your company is going through a purging of false doctrines. The real values will come to the surface.

PISCES

(Feb. 19–March 20)

Jupiter. Relationships are highlighted as Jupiter makes her way through your solar seventh house of partnerships, companions, and cooperation. If you are in a relationship, this will improve current conditions and bring a sense of profound renewal. If you are single, this may very well bring someone into your life. It will be an easy relationship, as you will both have much in common. Your partner(s) will approach life in a more down-to-earth manner, and that will help you ground your own abilities. After September, Jupiter moves into your solar eighth house as you take relationships to the next level. You will seek deeper intimacies, not wanting any blocks in your way to prevent total understanding between you and others. Loans, investments, and other’s resources are more available to you after this time.

Saturn. Creative you may be, but you will need to find structured and tangible ways to birth this process. Just imagining these things is not good enough for you. And you will want others to judge your art. Of course, they will find it wonderful, but you are not so sure as you give physical form to your inner creative spirit. You are more playful but in a constructive way. Even in your romantic relationships, you will want to encourage the friendship between you and your romantic partner, finding activities that bring this out in you both. If you have children, they are becoming more mature and finding their own way. And this is the signal for you to take better care of your inner child. Take her out to play.

Uranus. Uranus enters your sign for the first time in 84 years. Unless you have been around a while, this is going to be a whole new experience for you. This will be like you taking the shuttle to the moon. You have new ground to explore, and nothing and no one will stand in your way. Any thing or person who attempts to hold you back will end up in the pages of your history. You will challenge all previous images of yourself. Some will see you as courageous, and others will see you as a revolutionary. You will seek a new career path, new relationships, and new versions of you. Be prepared. You will rock the boat.

Neptune. You are questioning the very core of your spiritual beliefs. You are wondering just how relevant they are to you. You have a very open and accepting view about how all the pieces fit into the whole, but recently you’ve found that there are ideals that challenge your preconceptions. People you work with dispute your view of “acceptance of all.” Prejudice and bigotry seem to be more acceptable to the general population than your view of universal love and compassion. You are feeling alien to your own society. You will go out searching for people who have similar hearts. This search stimulates those of you born March 1–6 or those pilgrims with planets in the same degrees.

Pluto. Massive career shifts are occurring for those of you born March 8–13 or those mermaids and mermen with planets in these degrees. You can expect mergers, buyouts, and downsizing to be part of your company’s plan of catharsis. On a personal level, you are wondering just why you are there, too. This can be very unsettling for Pisceans who like to be the ones who offer calm to their friends. Since the Pisceans are the people who stir up their own sea of tranquility, you will need help from others. This is a switch from the role of rescuer to rescuee. Some of you are voluntarily examining your career choices, and you are ready to consider changing the path you are on. You are certainly not satisfied with what you are doing. Now is the time to look for a new ocean to swim in. The most intense time frames are March, June, September, and December.

Lilly Roddy has been a professional astrologer for more than 20 years. She counsels individuals in personal, business, and financial matters and teaches classes in astrology. On January 9, Roddy will forecast 2004 in greater detail during a 7:30–9 p.m. lecture at the LaQuinta Inn, 4015 Southwest Frwy. The fee is $20 person. More info: 713/529-5842 or Lillycath@aol.com.

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