Lilly Roddy’s 2021 Astrocast

This year promises to be a very different one from 2020. The grouping of planets responsible for COVID-19 and the struggles with the economy will be breaking apart and allowing us to begin the recovery process. As the recovery process begins, I’m sure we will find out a lot more about what was broken, and this can be very revealing!

From a larger perspective, the nation’s chart is going through a cycle that harkens back historically to 1775 and 1776—the time we broke away from our past to push forward globally. This can be a time of purging and exposing the darker side of our nation so that it can be addressed.

The fixed signs—Taurus, Scorpio, Leo, and Aquarius—are being activated this year because three outer planets will be influencing those signs. This should be a time of growth, reinvention, and gaining a better sense of our priorities.

The eclipses this year are in Gemini and Sagittarius. This will impact the mutable signs of Gemini, Sagittarius, Virgo, and Pisces. Eclipses open doors and allow us to see new opportunities. This year, eclipses will occur on May 26, June 10, November 19, and December 4. These will be very energizing times for the mutable signs.

2021 will only have the usual three retrograde cycles of Mercury, our communicator and organizer. These will occur January 25 through February 28, May 22 through June 29, and finally, September 21 through October 23. During these periods, it’s better to deal with what we have in front of us, rather than add more to our plate. We do have a Venus retrograde, but that shows up late in December. That will be a time of counting our blessings.

ARIES
(March 21–April 19)
This year you should find more support, more opportunities, and less drama. You are still searching for a better career to produce a more secure future.

Friends and business associations will be especially beneficial in offering support and advice regarding career opportunities. This can be a very good time to get involved in community activities as you prepare to take on a leadership role. This will open doors for you, and put you in touch with other powerful individuals who can direct you on a new path that allows you to live up to your potential. If you have children, this will be the year when you see them grow up and take on more of an adult attitude.

Socially, you are more open to new friends, particularly after last year’s coronavirus restrictions. You are more open to new technology and are getting more comfortable with our “virtual” world.

You are also reworking your resource base, expanding your education, and exploring new ideas to invest in—or possibly shifting your career to be more involved in high tech. For some, this can be a time of wanting more freedom to live off the grid. You will be more protective of your finances, passwords, and other personal information, even from the government. You may be letting go of some older friendships as you make way for the new folks you are meeting.

Career activity is still undergoing change, and you will certainly need to roll with the punches. This period may actually last through 2023. Being flexible will be a real asset. Relationships are under a lot of scrutiny from September 21 through October 23. Difficult relationships may not last during this period, but stable ones will gain strength.

Times are better this year, and the crises are not so arduous.

TAURUS
(April 20–May 20)
Taurus is one of the more activated signs this year. You are going to make some long-term choices this year around your career, your relationships, and the continued pursuit of your passion.

Your career sector is going to be extra-active for the entire year. You will be open to new opportunities that allow you to do more of what you like. This may include moving to a new location or traveling more for your job. This will also be a great year for you to promote your services, go back to school, or expand and get busier in your current business.

You may also plan to start your own business, get a promotion, and/or take on more responsibility. The next two years will provide a positive time for you to be a mentor, to lead and help others along the path. For some of you, this may be a time of retirement as you seek alternatives for totally reinventing yourself.

This same energy will also be affecting your relationship sector. You will be looking to upgrade your current situation. If you are in a good relationship, this will be a time of renewal or taking the partnership to the next level. This applies to business relationships as well. You are planning to make sure that everyone is working toward the same goal.

Personally, you will be opening yourself up to be freer and more expressive. Restrictive people, rules, or situations will really gnaw at you. It is very likely that you will be getting them out of your life over the course of the year.

The upcoming Mercury retrograde from January 25 through February 28 will definitely impact your career sector. You will be looking at the reasons you feel unappreciated. This may serve as a stimulus for you to make other choices. You will have a lot more stability this year!

GEMINI
(May 21–June 21)
An eclipse occurring in your sign this year (in late May and early June) means that you are going to be open to new opportunities and will see the world from a different point of view. Another eclipse will occur in mid-November and early December. Eclipses have an 18- to 19-year cycle, so this is a repeat of 2002 for you. This eclipse cycle will have a strong impact on your relationship sector. If things aren’t going well, an eclipse can force the issue to be resolved or ended. It can just as easily bring a new person into your life.

This same energy will have an impact on your career. For the last couple of years, you have been rethinking and examining alternative career paths in order to find something that really resonates with your inner self. It has to have a creative side, as well as a side that improves or helps people and the planet. This has certainly activated your need for more creative expression and less drudgery. In a sense, you are looking for a calling and not a career.

For some, this may also be a time to retire or pull away from the noise and find a more peaceful place to live. You are more apt to travel this year to help with your spiritual searching. This will also be a very good year for continuing education, being the teacher, working on your novel or your blog, and opening up to some spiritual practices that can help you release old beliefs.

Mercury retrogrades are always important to you, since Mercury is your ruler. The most impactful retrograde for you this year will occur from the end of May through June 29, as Mercury is retrograde in Gemini at the same time the eclipse occurs. This will be a very strong time of self-examination. You are more grounded this year than you were in 2020!

CANCER 
(June 22–July 22)
You have been feeling the effects of the difficult alignment that has been propagating COVID-19 and making the economy falter. This made the past year a very challenging and taxing time that forced many of you Cancerians to review major parts of your life. This alignment begins to break apart as we get into the new year, so you will not be feeling so much stress. You will also be in a better position to make decisions about what you want to accomplish to improve your environment, despite the ongoing problems with the coronavirus.

You will want to get a handle on your debts and improve the way you manage money. You may even put yourself on a budget or cut back on needless expenses. And yet, strangely, this year can also be a better time to borrow money to consolidate debts, or even to remodel or relocate. This can also be a much better time for you to invest, as long as you take a cautious approach.

You are more open to the quickly growing world of high tech and virtual reality. You will be replacing some of your old systems and moving into the modern era! This will also improve communication between you and your loved ones, as well as your clients or your customer base.

Business associations and community gatherings will be particularly beneficial for you this year. And the more “virtual” it is, the better it will seem to work for you! This is a great year to renew friendships that were put on hold during the pandemic lockdowns. Relationships will still be going through a cleanout, but that pace will slow.

The eclipse cycle this year affects your health and work-habits sector. This is the year to develop a health program and make it a part of your daily routine.

LEO 
(July 23–August 22)
This year is very much a growth-oriented time as you make decisions about your career, your long-term security, and your partnerships.

Relationships are a big topic for you this year. You will be more open to relationships, and people will notice. If you are single, this is a good time to meet new people for fun and possible relationships. If you are involved, this is a time when your relationship should flow along much better. Of course, you may also feel that you have outgrown your partner, and this may cause you to look for someone more suitable. Any partnerships created during this year, either business or personal, will depend on logic and shared goals to create success. Business relationships can be especially fruitful this year!

You will be reviewing your career direction and long-term security goals. You are ready to take on a leadership role, and you will be wanting a promotion at work. For some of you, this may be the signal to start your own business or to gain more control over what you do. For you older Leos, this may be a time of semi-retirement or adjusting your schedule to fit your drive and needs at this time of life. Your boundaries are becoming clearer as you notice where the holes are. You will find that you are using the word No a lot more!

This will be a year of looking for something that really excites your passion for life and living. Besides looking for new paths, you will want those choices to be more fun and more in sync with the real you. You may feel totally bored by the past—including some people from the past.

The first Mercury retrograde is January 24 through February 28, and it will have a direct impact on you. Take the time to be self-reflective. You are just making sure you are on the right path.

For you, this is the year to make a difference!

VIRGO
(August 23–September 22)
You have been exploring how your choices in life reflect your view of inner happiness—or not! Your inner child is more outspoken and doesn’t want to be controlled by other people’s demands. This will change your relationship with your own children as you start to see them as individuals and not carbon copies of yourself. This year, you will take the lessons you have learned and apply them to your routines.

One of the first things you will work on is your daily health habits and routines. This is an excellent year to improve your eating patterns and start some sort of daily exercise program. You will be more aware of your physical limitations and your sense of aging. You will feel motivated to improve your daily work habits by putting some routines back into your life. Managing your time better will mean more enjoyment of your free time.

You will want to improve your working conditions by updating your office setting and business equipment. You are wanting a more efficient place to work, and this includes getting your co-workers to improve their attitudes.

With regard to your career, you are looking for something marketable that aligns with your inner sense of purpose. You have been exploring this since 2011. This year’s eclipse cycle will stimulate that again, and open new prospects for you around May 26, June 10, November 19, and December 4. There could be some new business partnerships and other opportunities for your career. All of this ties in with your desire to make your  life more interesting as you align your career goals with your inner aspirations.

Career activity will be under review with Mercury retrograde May 22 through June 29. Take your time. You’ll get the chance to review, correct errors, and ensure efficiency. The time to act is now!

LIBRA
(September 23–October 23)
Over the past year, the focus has been on your family, your home life, and remodeling or moving to a new home. The pace of that process will be slowing down as the focus shifts, but you will still be dealing with major shifts in your family hierarchy. Family traditions are shifting as the younger folk take over some of the responsibilities. Those traditions may not resemble what you are used to, but it’s time for you to let go of the past and allow yourself to move forward!

You are in a much more lighthearted mood as you move into 2021. You will be looking to express yourself and your creativity. For some, this can be a very good time to start a family or expand your existing one. This can also be a time when your inner child expresses your creativity by finding something that combines your interests and also makes money!

You are more willing to step outside of your comfort zone and commit to your ideas. This can be a good time for investing in electronics or other innovative technologies. You will also be wanting more independence and to have your say. This includes wanting to have more intimacy in your relationships as you open up and become more willing to share.

The eclipse cycle is stimulating your teaching, learning, and writing sector at the end of May and into early June, as well as mid-November to early December. You will want to take your communication skills to the next level. You may have a stronger voice through social media or your own platform.

Mercury will be retrograde in your sign between September 21 and October 23. This will be the time for personal review and making sure you are doing what’s best for you!

SCORPIO 
(October 24–November 21)
2021 is a very dynamic and significant year for you. Three outer planets will be affecting you at the same time. When that occurs, you are likely to find that the growth process is accelerated and you will make more consequential decisions.

In the area of relationships, you will be refreshing your views on what a partnership means to you. For some of you, this is a time of reinventing your alliances and making daily interactions more significant. Others will feel the restrictions of old ways of interacting. This could bring problems to the forefront so you can either confront them or bring some alliances to an end. You are looking for a greater sense of equality and shared responsibility in all of your collaborations.

Your career sector is highly stimulated this year—something you may have noticed beginning in late September of 2020. You will be looking to take on a leadership role or get a promotion in your field. For some, this can be a time to start your own business and make a commitment to yourself. For older Scorpios, this will be a time to rethink your current career path. You may cut back on your work schedule, or look toward retirement.

You will also be reexamining your personal and professional boundaries as you prioritize the way you spend your precious hours and minutes during these crazy times! You will want to reduce the time you spend on projects and mundane activities that don’t make your life more secure. You will expect more from the projects and the people that you focus your attention on.

This is going to be an extremely busy year. You may move, relocate, expand your business, take on more responsibility, and upgrade your commitments. This is the time to prioritize your options, as there will be many! Enjoy!

SAGITTARIUS 
(November 22–December 21)
The big news is that the 2021 eclipse cycles are occurring in your sign this year! That influence began with a late-December eclipse, and it continues with the eclipses on May 26, June 10, November 19, and December 4. This eclipse cycle repeats approximately every 19 years, so it may help to look back and recall what activity was being stirred up in your life at that time.

Eclipses prompt us to grow beyond who we have been. You can expect some doors to open and others to close. Also expect a direct impact on your relationships, both business and personal. This will shine a light on the ones that work, but especially on the ones that don’t work. You will have more options in this area of your life.

Another big theme this year is improving your boundaries, speaking your truth, and using your time to improve work routines. You will want to have more control over daily activities. You will do that by prioritizing your career and security goals, and then focusing your time on projects that address those goals. This is also a great year for expanding your presence on social media via writing, blogging, or podcasting. You will want to teach and further your education in your area of specialty.

You will also bring your office into the new virtual world, improving it with new electronics and changing how you work.

The Mercury retrograde is the time to review past decisions. That 2021 retrograde will have the biggest impact on you from May 22 to June 29, combining with the eclipses that are taking place in May and June. This period will highlight partnerships, so that would be an excellent time to fix problems, renew your commitment, or possibly end a relationship. Focus on what you can do, and let that be your agenda!

CAPRICORN 
(December 22–January 19)
For the last few years, all of the heavy-duty planets have been in your sign. For many of you, this process actually started in 2008 and got stronger until it reached its peak in 2019 and 2020. As we move into the new year, two of those big planets are moving out of your sign and giving you time to breathe! Although remnants of this energy will remain through the end of 2024, you will move out of this stagnant time as you begin to put some plans and projects into motion.

You will be reassessing your skills and talents this year. You could reinforce and expand on those skills, or you might consider a whole new track. You will be more concerned about your finances, and may feel that you have to put yourself on a budget. This is a good time to rely on skills that you may have thought you were never going to use again. This is true on a personal level as you decide who and what you want to give your time to. For Capricorns, time is money and you don’t want to waste any on people or things that don’t enhance your sense of security.

This is also a good year to expand your education, as that will give you an edge in an ever-changing job market. You may even consider a whole new field of study so you can change your career direction completely. You are more comfortable with making commitments to yourself, rather than feeling stuck and doubting your choices like you did last year.

The eclipse cycles of May/June and November/December will impact your health and work habits. You may already be feeling some of this from the late-December eclipse. You will not tolerate the same level of stress from your work commitments. Your world must fit you better, rather than the other way around.

AQUARIUS
(January 20–February 18)
This is a very important year because you are looking at future plans to improve your life. This is a big year for career! You may take on a leadership position, start your own business, or if you are older, look to start cutting back and only do what interests you. This is also a year of improving personal boundaries. You will find yourself saying No a lot more often, because you are valuing your time more.

You will be more aware of your vitality and health. You will want to improve your diet, your environment, and rid your life of negativity. You will be more protective of the people you care the most about. The same will be true for those you choose to work with or have as friends. You are wanting people to grow up and act more mature and responsible!

This is also a time when you will want to expand your social outreach through community groups, social media, or your circle of friends. You are feeling more positive about the future, but you’re still keeping the past in mind.

Your family is going through some changes this year. If you have older relatives, they may be looking for the final freedom. You are needing to live in the present more and more. This will bring reality into greater clarity and allow you to prioritize your objectives. If you choose to, you can have a voice in the changes occurring in your family structure.

Mercury, our communicator and organizer, is retrograde in your sign from January 25 through February 28. This is a super time to review the past, enjoy friends you haven’t spoken with in a while, listen to songs from your childhood, and review your personal plans for the future! Work on current projects, and avoid starting anything new until after February 28.

PISCES 
(February 19–March 20)
This is a very active year for you, with career and home being strongly influenced by the eclipse cycles in May/June and November/December. Eclipses have an approximately 19-year cycle, so you may want to look back 19 years to see how those areas of your life were affected then. With both career and home energized, you may be looking at a promotion, more responsibility, possible relocation, and/or furnishing your new home or office.

Family will have a strong pull on you this year. This may be the time for a changing of the guard. Older matriarchs and patriarchs will be replaced by the younger family members coming up. You will find your own role shifting in the family. You can have more input and a stronger voice if you choose to. Some of this will be more apparent with Mercury retrograde from May 22 through June 29. That may be a time when you feel compelled to act.

This same Mercury retrograde period will shine a light on your relationships. That will be a good time to address the problems that even good relationships have. Problematic partnerships will have to improve, or you will leave them behind.

Pisceans always need some time alone to process their emotions without having another person around to psychically interrupt them. You will need more time to yourself for personal renewal this year. In fact, this is a great year for any type of retreat, vacation, spiritual pilgrimage, and/or just spending more time at the beach!

Career takes a back seat as you focus on improving your health and your environment, finding a sense of inner peace, and doing something that feeds your soul and also makes money. This is a great year to focus on you!

This article appears in the January 2021 edition of OutSmart magazine.