# Your Personal Horoscope 2018

Joseph Polansky

Your complete one-volume guide to the year 2018. This fantastic and in-depth book includes month-by-month forecasts for every sign and all you need to know to find out what is in store for you in the year ahead.The only one-volume horoscope you’ll ever need.Your essential guide to love, life and career success in 2018.This popular, complete one-volume guide contains all you need to know about your personal horoscope for the year 2018. Be prepared for the forthcoming year with monthly predictions for your own sign and discover how to maximise your opportunities and potential to make the most of 2018.This bestselling astrological guide contains:• A personality profile for each sign• A forecast for the year ahead – what you can expect in terms of wealth, home, health, social and love life• A month-by-month forecast of your best days and worst days – the ideal days to attract love, money or success, and when it’s better to just stay in bed!Joseph Polansky is a leading US astrologer who has been practising astrology for over 20 years.

## Copyright


Thorsons

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www.harpercollins.co.uk

First published by Thorsons 2017

FIRST EDITION

© Star ★ Data, Inc. 2017

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Cover illustration © Sally Taylor

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Source ISBN: 9780008217754

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## Dedication

The author is grateful to the people

of STAR ★ DATA, who truly fathered

this book and without whom it

could not have been written.

## Contents

Cover

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

Introduction

A Note on the ‘New Zodiac’

Glossary of Astrological Terms

Aries

Personality Profile

Understanding an Aries

Horoscope for 2018

Month-by-month Forecasts

Taurus

Personality Profile

Understanding a Taurus

Horoscope for 2018

Month-by-month Forecasts

Gemini

Personality Profile

Understanding a Gemini

Horoscope for 2018

Month-by-month Forecasts

Cancer

Personality Profile

Understanding a Cancer

Horoscope for 2018

Month-by-month Forecasts

Leo

Personality Profile

Understanding a Leo

Horoscope for 2018

Month-by-month Forecasts

Virgo

Personality Profile

Understanding a Virgo

Horoscope for 2018

Month-by-month Forecasts

Libra

Personality Profile

Understanding a Libra

Horoscope for 2018

Month-by-month Forecasts

Scorpio

Personality Profile

Understanding a Scorpio

Horoscope for 2018

Month-by-month Forecasts

Sagittarius

Personality Profile

Understanding a Sagittarius

Horoscope for 2018

Month-by-month Forecasts

Capricorn

Personality Profile

Understanding a Capricorn

Horoscope for 2018

Month-by-month Forecasts

Aquarius

Personality Profile

Understanding an Aquarius

Horoscope for 2018

Month-by-month Forecasts

Pisces

Personality Profile

Understanding a Pisces

Horoscope for 2018

Month-by-month Forecasts

About the Publisher

## Introduction

Welcome to the fascinating and intricate world of astrology!

For thousands of years the movements of the planets and other heavenly bodies have intrigued the best minds of every generation. Life holds no greater challenge or joy than this: knowledge of ourselves and the universe we live in. Astrology is one of the keys to this knowledge.

Your Personal Horoscope 2018 gives you the fruits of astrological wisdom. In addition to general guidance on your character and the basic trends of your life, it shows you how to take advantage of planetary influences so you can make the most of the year ahead.

The section on each sign includes a Personality Profile, a look at general trends for 2018, and in-depth month-by-month forecasts. The Glossary explains some of the astrological terms you may be unfamiliar with.

One of the many helpful features of this book is the ‘Best’ and ‘Most Stressful’ days listed at the beginning of each monthly forecast. Read these sections to learn which days in each month will be good overall, good for money, and good for love. Mark them on your calendar – these will be your best days. Similarly, make a note of the days that will be most stressful for you. It is best to avoid booking important meetings or taking major decisions on these days, as well as on those days when important planets in your horoscope are retrograde (moving backwards through the zodiac).

The Major Trends section for your sign lists those days when your vitality is strong or weak, or when relationships with your co-workers or loved ones may need a bit more effort on your part. If you are going through a difficult time, take a look at the colour, metal, gem and scent listed in the ‘At a Glance’ section of your Personality Profile. Wearing a piece of jewellery that contains your metal and/or gem will strengthen your vitality, just as wearing clothes or decorating your room or office in the colour ruled by your sign, drinking teas made from the herbs ruled by your sign or wearing the scents associated with your sign will sustain you.

Another important virtue of this book is that it will help you to know not only yourself but those around you: your friends, co-workers, partners and/or children. Reading the Personality Profile and forecasts for their signs will provide you with an insight into their behaviour that you won’t get anywhere else. You will know when to be more tolerant of them and when they are liable to be difficult or irritable.

In this edition we have included foot reflexology charts as part of the health section. So many health problems could perhaps be avoided or alleviated if we understood which organs were most vulnerable and what we could do to protect them. Though there are many natural and drug-free ways to strengthen vulnerable organs, these charts show a valid way to proceed. The vulnerable organs for the year ahead are clearly marked in the charts. It’s very good to massage the whole foot on a regular basis, as the feet contain reflexes to the entire body. Try to pay special attention to the specific areas marked in the charts. If this is done diligently, health problems can be avoided. And even if they can’t be completely avoided, their impact can be softened considerably.

I consider you – the reader – my personal client. By studying your Solar Horoscope I gain an awareness of what is going on in your life – what you are feeling and striving for and the challenges you face. I then do my best to address these concerns. Consider this book the next best thing to having your own personal astrologer!

It is my sincere hope that Your Personal Horoscope 2018 will enhance the quality of your life, make things easier, illuminate the way forward, banish obscurities and make you more aware of your personal connection to the universe. Understood properly and used wisely, astrology is a great guide to knowing yourself, the people around you and the events in your life – but remember that what you do with these insights – the final result – is up to you.

## A Note on the ‘New Zodiac’

Recently an article was published that postulated two things: the discovery of a new constellation – Ophiuchus – making a thirteenth constellation in the heavens and thus a thirteenth sign, and the statement that because the Earth has shifted relative to the constellations in the past few thousand years, all the signs have shifted backwards by one sign. This has caused much consternation, and I have received a stream of letters, emails and phone calls from people saying things like: ‘I don’t want to be a Taurus, I’m happy being a Gemini’, ‘What’s my real sign?’ or ‘Now that I finally understand myself, I’m not who I think I am!’

All of this is ‘much ado about nothing’. The article has some partial truth to it. Yes, in two thousand years the planets have shifted relative to the constellations in the heavens. This is old news. We know this and Hindu astrologers take this into account when casting charts. This shift doesn’t affect Western astrologers in North America and Europe. We use what is called a ‘tropical’ zodiac. This zodiac has nothing to do with the constellations in the heavens. They have the same names, but that’s about it. The tropical zodiac is based on the Earth’s revolution around the Sun. Imagine the circle that this orbit makes, then divide this circle by twelve and you have our zodiac. The Spring Equinox is always 0 degrees (Aries), and the Autumn Equinox is always 0 degrees Libra (180 degrees from 0 Aries). At one time a few thousand years ago, these tropical signs coincided with the actual constellations; they were pretty much interchangeable, and it didn’t matter what zodiac you used. But in the course of thousands of years the planets have shifted relative to these constellations. Here in the West it doesn’t affect our practice one iota. You are still the sign you always were.

In North America and Europe there is a clear distinction between an astrological sign and a constellation in the heavens. This issue is more of a problem for Hindu astrologers. Their zodiac is based on the actual constellations – this is called the ‘sidereal’ zodiac. And Hindu astrologers have been accounting for this shift all the time. They keep close tabs on it. In two thousand years there is a shift of 23 degrees, and they subtract this from the Western calculations. So in their system many a Gemini would be a Taurus and this is true for all the signs. This is nothing new – it is all known and accounted for, so there is no bombshell here.

The so-called thirteenth constellation, Ophiuchus, is also not a problem for the Western astrologer. As we mentioned, our zodiac has nothing to do with the constellations. It could be more of a problem for the Hindus, but my feeling is that it’s not a problem for them either. What these astronomers are calling a new constellation was probably considered a part of one of the existing constellations. I don’t know this as a fact, but I presume it is so intuitively. I’m sure we will soon be getting articles by Hindu astrologers explaining this.

### Glossary of Astrological Terms. Ascendant

We experience day and night because the Earth rotates on its axis once every 24 hours. It is because of this rotation that the Sun, Moon and planets seem to rise and set. The zodiac is a fixed belt (imaginary, but very real in spiritual terms) around the Earth. As the Earth rotates, the different signs of the zodiac seem to the observer to rise on the horizon. During a 24-hour period every sign of the zodiac will pass this horizon point at some time or another. The sign that is at the horizon point at any given time is called the Ascendant, or rising sign. The Ascendant is the sign denoting a person’s self-image, body and self-concept – the personal ego, as opposed to the spiritual ego indicated by a person’s Sun sign.

### Aspects

Aspects are the angular relationships between planets, the way in which one planet stimulates or influences another. If a planet makes a harmonious aspect (connection) to another, it tends to stimulate that planet in a positive and helpful way. If, however, it makes a stressful aspect to another planet, this disrupts that planet’s normal influence.

### Astrological Qualities

There are three astrological qualities: cardinal, fixed and mutable. Each of the 12 signs of the zodiac falls into one of these three categories.

Cardinal Signs

Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn

The cardinal quality is the active, initiating principle. Those born under these four signs are good at starting new projects.

Fixed Signs

Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius

Fixed qualities include stability, persistence, endurance and perfectionism. People born under these four signs are good at seeing things through.

Mutable Signs

Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces

Mutable qualities are adaptability, changeability and balance. Those born under these four signs are creative, if not always practical.

### Direct Motion

When the planets move forward through the zodiac – as they normally do – they are said to be going ‘direct’.

### Grand Square

A Grand Square differs from a normal Square (usually two planets separated by 90 degrees) in that four or more planets are involved. When you look at the pattern in a chart you will see a whole and complete square. This, though stressful, usually denotes a new manifestation in the life. There is much work and balancing involved in the manifestation.

### Grand Trine

A Grand Trine differs from a normal Trine (where two planets are 120 degrees apart) in that three or more planets are involved. When you look at this pattern in a chart, it takes the form of a complete triangle – a Grand Trine. Usually (but not always) it occurs in one of the four elements: Fire, Earth, Air or Water. Thus the particular element in which it occurs will be highlighted. A Grand Trine in Water is not the same as a Grand Trine in Air or Fire, etc. This is a very fortunate and happy aspect, and quite rare.

### Houses

There are 12 signs of the zodiac and 12 houses of experience. The 12 signs are personality types and ways in which a given planet expresses itself; the 12 houses show ‘where’ in your life this expression takes place. Each house has a different area of interest. A house can become potent and important – a house of power – in different ways: if it contains the Sun, the Moon or the ‘ruler’ of your chart; if it contains more than one planet; or if the ruler of that house is receiving unusual stimulation from other planets.

1st House

Personal Image and Sensual Delights

2nd House

Money/Finance

3rd House

Communication and Intellectual Interests

4th House

Home and Family

5th House

Children, Fun, Games, Creativity, Speculations and Love Affairs

6th House

Health and Work

7th House

Love, Marriage and Social Activities

8th House

Transformation and Regeneration

9th House

Religion, Foreign Travel, Higher Education and Philosophy

10th House

Career

11th House

Friends, Group Activities and Fondest Wishes

12th House

Spirituality

### Karma

Karma is the law of cause and effect which governs all phenomena. We are all where we find ourselves because of karma – because of actions we have performed in the past. The universe is such a balanced instrument that any act immediately sets corrective forces into motion – karma.

### Long-term Planets

The planets that take a long time to move through a sign show the long-term trends in a given area of life. They are important for forecasting the prolonged view of things. Because these planets stay in one sign for so long, there are periods in the year when the faster-moving (short-term) planets will join them, further activating and enhancing the importance of a given house.

Jupiter

stays in a sign for about 1 year

Saturn

2½ years

Uranus

7 years

Neptune

14 years

Pluto

15 to 30 years

### Lunar

Relating to the Moon. See also ‘Phases of the Moon’, below.

### Natal

Literally means ‘birth’. In astrology this term is used to distinguish between planetary positions that occurred at the time of a person’s birth (natal) and those that are current (transiting). For example, Natal Sun refers to where the Sun was when you were born; transiting Sun refers to where the Sun’s position is currently at any given moment – which usually doesn’t coincide with your birth, or Natal, Sun.

### Out of Bounds

The planets move through the zodiac at various angles relative to the celestial equator (if you were to draw an imaginary extension of the Earth’s equator out into the universe, you would have an illustration of this celestial equator). The Sun – being the most dominant and powerful influence in the Solar system – is the measure astrologers use as a standard. The Sun never goes more than approximately 23 degrees north or south of the celestial equator. At the winter solstice the Sun reaches its maximum southern angle of orbit (declination); at the summer solstice it reaches its maximum northern angle. Any time a planet exceeds this Solar boundary – and occasionally planets do – it is said to be ‘out of bounds’. This means that the planet exceeds or trespasses into strange territory – beyond the limits allowed by the Sun, the ruler of the Solar system. The planet in this condition becomes more emphasized and exceeds its authority, becoming an important influence in the forecast.

### Phases of the Moon

After the full Moon, the Moon seems to shrink in size (as perceived from the Earth), gradually growing smaller until it is virtually invisible to the naked eye – at the time of the next new Moon. This is called the waning Moon phase, or the waning Moon.

After the new Moon, the Moon gradually gets bigger in size (as perceived from the Earth) until it reaches its maximum size at the time of the full Moon. This period is called the waxing Moon phase, or waxing Moon.

### Retrogrades

The planets move around the Sun at different speeds. Mercury and Venus move much faster than the Earth, while Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto move more slowly. Thus there are times when, relative to the Earth, the planets appear to be going backwards. In reality they are always going forward, but relative to our vantage point on Earth they seem to go backwards through the zodiac for a period of time. This is called ‘retrograde’ motion and tends to weaken the normal influence of a given planet.

### Short-term Planets

The fast-moving planets move so quickly through a sign that their effects are generally of a short-term nature. They reflect the immediate, day-to-day trends in a horoscope.

Moon

stays in a sign for only 2½ days

Mercury

20 to 30 days

Sun

30 days

Venus

approximately 1 month

Mars

approximately 2 months

### T-square

A T-square differs from a Grand Square (see above) in that it is not a complete square. If you look at the pattern in a chart it appears as ‘half a complete square’, resembling the T-square tools used by architects and designers. If you cut a complete square in half, diagonally, you have a T-square. Many astrologers consider this more stressful than a Grand Square, as it creates tension that is difficult to resolve. T-squares bring learning experiences.

### Transits

This term refers to the movements or motions of the planets at any given time. Astrologers use the word ‘transit’ to make the distinction between a birth, or Natal, planet (see ‘Natal’, above) and the planet’s current movement in the heavens. For example, if at your birth Saturn was in the sign of Cancer in your 8th house, but is now moving through your 3rd house, it is said to be ‘transiting’ your 3rd house. Transits are one of the main tools with which astrologers forecast trends.


### Personality Profile. ARIES AT A GLANCE

Element – Fire

Ruling Planet – Mars

Career Planet – Saturn

Love Planet – Venus

Money Planet – Venus

Planet of Fun, Entertainment, Creativity and Speculations – Sun

Planet of Health and Work – Mercury

Planet of Home and Family Life – Moon

Planet of Spirituality – Neptune

Planet of Travel, Education, Religion and Philosophy – Jupiter

Colours – carmine, red, scarlet

Colours that promote love, romance and social harmony – green, jade green

Colour that promotes earning power – green

Gem – amethyst

Metals – iron, steel

Scent – honeysuckle

Quality – cardinal (= activity)

Quality most needed for balance – caution

Strongest virtues – abundant physical energy, courage, honesty, independence, self-reliance

Deepest need – action

Characteristics to avoid – haste, impetuousness, over-aggression, rashness

Signs of greatest overall compatibility – Leo, Sagittarius

Signs of greatest overall incompatibility – Cancer, Libra, Capricorn

Sign most helpful to career – Capricorn

Sign most helpful for emotional support – Cancer

Sign most helpful financially – Taurus

Sign best for marriage and/or partnerships – Libra

Sign most helpful for creative projects – Leo

Best Sign to have fun with – Leo

Signs most helpful in spiritual matters – Sagittarius, Pisces

Best day of the week – Tuesday

### Understanding an Aries

Aries is the activist par excellence of the zodiac. The Aries need for action is almost an addiction, and those who do not really understand the Aries personality would probably use this hard word to describe it. In reality ‘action’ is the essence of the Aries psychology – the more direct, blunt and to-the-point the action, the better. When you think about it, this is the ideal psychological makeup for the warrior, the pioneer, the athlete or the manager.

Aries likes to get things done, and in their passion and zeal often lose sight of the consequences for themselves and others. Yes, they often try to be diplomatic and tactful, but it is hard for them. When they do so they feel that they are being dishonest and phoney. It is hard for them even to understand the mindset of the diplomat, the consensus builder, the front office executive. These people are involved in endless meetings, discussions, talks and negotiations – all of which seem a great waste of time when there is so much work to be done, so many real achievements to be gained. An Aries can understand, once it is explained, that talk and negotiations – the social graces – lead ultimately to better, more effective actions. The interesting thing is that an Aries is rarely malicious or spiteful – even when waging war. Aries people fight without hate for their opponents. To them it is all good-natured fun, a grand adventure, a game.

When confronted with a problem many people will say, ‘Well, let’s think about it, let’s analyse the situation.’ But not an Aries. An Aries will think, ‘Something must be done. Let’s get on with it.’ Of course neither response is the total answer. Sometimes action is called for, sometimes cool thought. But an Aries tends to err on the side of action.

Action and thought are radically different principles. Physical activity is the use of brute force. Thinking and deliberating require one not to use force – to be still. It is not good for the athlete to be deliberating the next move; this will only slow down his or her reaction time. The athlete must act instinctively and instantly. This is how Aries people tend to behave in life. They are quick, instinctive decision-makers and their decisions tend to be translated into action almost immediately. When their intuition is sharp and well tuned, their actions are powerful and successful. When their intuition is off, their actions can be disastrous.

Do not think this will scare an Aries. Just as a good warrior knows that in the course of combat he or she might acquire a few wounds, so too does an Aries realize – somewhere deep down – that in the course of being true to yourself you might get embroiled in a disaster or two. It is all part of the game. An Aries feels strong enough to weather any storm.

There are many Aries people who are intellectual. They make powerful and creative thinkers. But even in this realm they tend to be pioneers – outspoken and blunt. These types of Aries tend to elevate (or sublimate) their desire for physical combat in favour of intellectual, mental combat. And they are indeed powerful.

In general, Aries people have a faith in themselves that others could learn from. This basic, rock-solid faith carries them through the most tumultuous situations of life. Their courage and self-confidence make them natural leaders. Their leadership is more by way of example than by actually controlling others.

### Finance

Aries people often excel as builders or estate agents. Money in and of itself is not as important as are other things – action, adventure, sport, etc. They are motivated by the need to support and be well-thought-of by their partners. Money as a way of attaining pleasure is another important motivation. Aries function best in their own businesses or as managers of their own departments within a large business or corporation. The fewer orders they have to take from higher up, the better. They also function better out in the field rather than behind a desk.

Aries people are hard workers with a lot of endurance; they can earn large sums of money due to the strength of their sheer physical energy.

Venus is their money planet, which means that Aries need to develop more of the social graces in order to realize their full earning potential. Just getting the job done – which is what an Aries excels at – is not enough to create financial success. The co-operation of others needs to be attained. Customers, clients and co-workers need to be made to feel comfortable; many people need to be treated properly in order for success to happen. When Aries people develop these abilities – or hire someone to do this for them – their financial potential is unlimited.

### Career and Public Image

One would think that a pioneering type would want to break with the social and political conventions of society. But this is not so with the Aries-born. They are pioneers within conventional limits, in the sense that they like to start their own businesses within an established industry.

Capricorn is on the 10th house of career cusp of Aries’ solar horoscope. Saturn is the planet that rules their life’s work and professional aspirations. This tells us some interesting things about the Aries character. First off, it shows that, in order for Aries people to reach their full career potential, they need to develop some qualities that are a bit alien to their basic nature: they need to become better administrators and organizers; they need to be able to handle details better and to take a long-range view of their projects and their careers in general. No one can beat an Aries when it comes to achieving short-range objectives, but a career is long term, built over time. You cannot take a ‘quickie’ approach to it.

Some Aries people find it difficult to stick with a project until the end. Since they get bored quickly and are in constant pursuit of new adventures, they prefer to pass an old project or task on to somebody else in order to start something new. Those Aries who learn how to put off the search for something new until the old is completed will achieve great success in their careers and professional lives.

In general, Aries people like society to judge them on their own merits, on their real and actual achievements. A reputation acquired by ‘hype’ feels false to them.

### Love and Relationships

In marriage and partnerships Aries like those who are more passive, gentle, tactful and diplomatic – people who have the social grace and skills they sometimes lack. Our partners always represent a hidden part of ourselves – a self that we cannot express personally.

An Aries tends to go after what he or she likes aggressively. The tendency is to jump into relationships and marriages. This is especially true if Venus is in Aries as well as the Sun. If an Aries likes you, he or she will have a hard time taking no for an answer; many attempts will be made to sweep you off your feet.

Though Aries can be exasperating in relationships – especially if they are not understood by their partners – they are never consciously or wilfully cruel or malicious. It is just that they are so independent and sure of themselves that they find it almost impossible to see somebody else’s viewpoint or position. This is why an Aries needs as a partner someone with lots of social graces.

On the plus side, an Aries is honest, someone you can lean on, someone with whom you will always know where you stand. What he or she lacks in diplomacy is made up for in integrity.

### Home and Domestic Life

An Aries is of course the ruler at home – the Boss. The male will tend to delegate domestic matters to the female. The female Aries will want to rule the roost. Both tend to be handy round the house. Both like large families and both believe in the sanctity and importance of the family. An Aries is a good family person, although he or she does not especially like being at home a lot, preferring instead to be roaming about.

Considering that they are by nature so combative and wilful, Aries people can be surprisingly soft, gentle and even vulnerable with their children and partners. The sign of Cancer, ruled by the Moon, is on the cusp of their solar 4th house of home and family. When the Moon is well aspected – under favourable influences – in the birth chart, an Aries will be tender towards the family and will want a family life that is nurturing and supportive. Aries likes to come home after a hard day on the battlefield of life to the understanding arms of their partner and the unconditional love and support of their family. An Aries feels that there is enough ‘war’ out in the world – and he or she enjoys participating in that. But when Aries comes home, comfort and nurturing are what’s needed.

### Horoscope for 2018. Major Trends

Some of the long-term major planets are shifting this year. They will make sure that you don’t get too fixed in your ways. Saturn changed signs at the end of 2017. Most of you – especially those of you born late in the sign of Aries in April – haven’t felt this yet, but you will feel it more next year. Saturn will be in Capricorn, your 10th house, for the next two years, which will make the year ahead a very strong career year. It’s the kind of year where you succeed by sheer merit and for no other reason. Therefore strive for excellence in all that you do. More on this later.

The other important headline is Uranus’s move out of your sign – where he’s been for the last seven years – into Taurus. This is not yet the full-blown transit but a ‘shot across the bows’, an announcement of things to come. After seven years of redefining yourself and experimenting with your image, you seem to have settled on something that works for you. You’ve learned to deal with sudden personal changes. Now, you will learn to deal with sudden financial changes. The financial life is becoming very exciting – very adventurous – just as you like it. This move will also start to stabilize your love life. More details later.

Jupiter has been in Scorpio, your 8th house, since October 2017 and he will be here into November of the year ahead. This indicates the prosperity of partners or the current love interest. Often it shows inheritance, but hopefully no one has to die. It shows good fortune in tax and estate issues and an ability to pay off debt. It also favours projects involving personal transformation. For many of you, depending on your age, it indicates a sexually active kind of year. Again, more details later.

On November 8 Jupiter will move into Sagittarius and into a beautiful aspect with you. He will bring more travel, more money and more optimism. He will bring good news for those applying to colleges or universities – and for those already enrolled in these places, he brings success in studies. But first, you have to pay your dues of hard work and striving for excellence.

Neptune has been in your spiritual 12th house for many years now, and he will be there for many more. So the spiritual life is important, and growing. Those of you on a spiritual path will see much progress this year for Jupiter in Scorpio is making very nice aspects to Neptune.

Two important planets in your chart – Mars, the ruler of your Horoscope, and Venus, your love and financial planet – will make rare retrogrades this year. Unlike most of the other planets, these only move backwards once every two years. Mars will be retrograde from June 26 to August 27 and Venus from October 5 to November 16. Retrogrades are good times for reflection and review, rather than overt action, and we will deal further with this in the monthly reports.

Your most important interests this year will be your body and image (from January 1 to May 16 and from November 6 to December 31); finance (from May 16 to November 6); sex, occult studies, personal transformation and reinvention (until November 8); foreign travel, higher education, theology and philosophy (from November 8 onwards); career; and spirituality.

Your paths of greatest fulfilment this year are personal transformation and reinvention (until November 8); foreign travel, higher education, religion, philosophy and theology (from November 8 onwards); children, fun and creativity (from January 1 to November 17); and home and family (after November 17).

### Health

(Please note that this is an astrological perspective on health and not a medical one. In days of yore there was no difference, both of these perspectives were identical. But now there could be quite a difference. For a medical perspective, please consult your doctor or health practitioner.)

Though Uranus leaving your sign is a good aspect for health, you still have two cosmic heavy hitters – Saturn and Pluto – in stressful alignment to you, so health still needs careful attention paid to it this year, even if you don’t feel like it. The empty 6th house of health suggests that you’re not paying enough attention.

Two long-term planets in stressful alignment will not of themselves cause disease, although if you have pre-existing conditions they can worsen now. But when the short-term planets join the party, this is when you become more vulnerable. So the times to watch are from January 1 to the 20th, June 21 to August 22, September 22 to October 23 and December 21 to the 31st. Try as much as possible to rest and relax more during those periods. If you can afford it, spend time in a health spa or book some massages. Let go of frivolities that waste your energy and focus only on essentials.

As our regular readers know, there is much that can be done to enhance the health and prevent problems from developing. Give more attention to the following – the vulnerable areas of your Horoscope (the reflex points are shown in the chart below):


> The heart has become important in recent years and is still important this year. Cultivate a healthy faith. Many spiritual healers affirm that worry is the root cause of heart problems: replace worry with faith.

> The head, face and scalp are always important for Aries. Regular scalp and face massage will not only strengthen these areas but the entire body as well, as there are reflexes and meridian lines there that run through the whole body.

> The musculature. It isn’t necessary to be Arnold Schwarzenegger, just to have good muscle tone. Weak or flabby muscles can knock the spine and skeleton out of alignment, which will cause all kinds of other problems. What are often diagnosed as ‘back’ problems are really muscle problems. Vigorous exercise – appropriate to your stage of life – is advisable.

> The adrenals are also always important for Aries. More importantly, learn to control anger and fear, the two emotions that stress the adrenals.

> The small intestine is another important area for Aries, and the reflex points are shown above.

Mercury is your health planet, and he is a fast-moving – and often erratic – planet. Sometimes he moves very fast, sometimes he goes slowly, sometimes he goes backwards. It is no accident that the qualities of flexibility and changeability are attributed to Mercury. Your health regime should embody this kind of flexibility.

Because Mercury moves so fast, he will move through every sign and house of your Horoscope in a given year. Thus there are many short-term health trends that depend on where Mercury is (and the aspects he receives). These are best dealt with in the monthly reports.

Mercury will go retrograde three times this year – from March 23 to April 15; July 26 to August 19 and from November 17 to December 6. These are times to avoid making major changes to the diet or your health regime. Instead, do more research and homework during these periods.

### Home and Family

This is not an especially strong home and family year; career seems much more important this year. Your 4th house is basically empty in 2018, with only short-term planets moving through there. Generally this shows the status quo prevailing. You seem more or less satisfied with your home and family situation and have no pressing need to make important changes. It is basically a good sign.

However, changes and upheavals will happen, but you will more or less react to them rather than be initiating anything new. For a start there are three solar eclipses this year. This is very unusual – generally there are only two in a year. This indicates dramas – life-changing kinds of events – in the lives of children or children figures in your life. The eclipses will also impact the overall finances of the family and especially of one of your parents or parent figures. One of the solar eclipses – the one on July 13 – actually occurs in your 4th house and this will impact strongly on the family. You will need to be more patient with them as passions seem to run high.

Two lunar eclipses (the usual number) will also affect the home and family, and we will discuss them more fully in the monthly reports.

Parents and parent figures in your life are having a stable home and family year. Likewise, siblings and sibling figures. Children, however, are likely to move, and it looks happy. If a parent or parent figure has been ailing, there is good news on the health front towards the end of the year. If he or she is not ailing, there are happy job opportunities coming. Grandchildren of appropriate age are prospering this year – especially after November – and can have multiple moves. This has been the story with them for some years now. They seem very unsettled and restless. Children or grandchildren of appropriate age (or those who play this role in your life) also seem more fertile than usual.

One of the parents or parent figures in your life is feeling older than his or her years and seems overly pessimistic. Everything looks black. They need to lighten up a bit. He or she seems to be taking on more responsibility, and this could be the cause.

This is not an especially great year for heavy duty house renovation or repairs. However, beautifying the home in cosmetic ways will go especially well from May 19 to July 23.

### Finance and Career

A new financial era is just beginning in your life this year, and it will continue for at least seven more years. The financial life is about to become very exciting – very adventurous – just as you like things.

Uranus is making a major move into your 2nd money house on May 16, remaining there until November 8. This is going to produce many dramatic financial changes – changes of investments, of financial strategy and of thinking. If you’ve been dissatisfied with the way your finances have been going, you have to allow Uranus to shake things up a bit, so that the obstructions can be removed. His goal is to bring you to ‘financial freedom’, but this can’t happen if you’re stuck in old attitudes.

In general you tend to be a risk taker – the Aries nature is about overcoming fear and developing courage – and now you will be even more so. So what if some things don’t work out as planned! As long as you maintain your fearless attitude, you’ve won. There’s always tomorrow.

The old financial rule books – the collected financial wisdom of the experts – get thrown out this year (and for the next few years). You’re going to learn what works for you through trial and error and experiment. You will explore new paths. Some, as we mentioned, might not work out – but others will. You will gain all kinds of insight into wealth, not written in any books. This is knowledge worth having.

Uranus in the money house suggests earning through the high-tech sector – a huge sector. It favours online activities and cutting-edge technologies (some not even invented yet). You will probably spend more on technology too, but it seems like a good investment.

Uranus favours start-ups – especially in the high-tech industries. These are interesting as jobs, investments or business ventures.

When Uranus is involved in finance anything can happen at any time. Opportunities can come in the darkest moments when you least expect it. Earnings can be more erratic too. The financial highs can exceed your wildest dreams, but the lows can also be ultra-low. It will be a good idea to set aside money from the good times to tide you over during the low times. The financial swings can be very extreme. One must learn not to fear either the heights or the depths. One must expect nothing, but be ready for anything.

Career, as we mentioned above, is very important this year. It has been important for many years, but now even more so than before. Saturn’s move into your 10th house of career is the cause. This indicates that you are taking on more responsibility – always a sobering factor. Saturn will exert pressure on you, not a punitive pressure but a pressure designed to educate and organize. Under pressure, one is forced to stretch one’s abilities, to find the best, most efficient way of doing something, to bring out the best that you have to offer. When Saturn is finished with you in two years’ time you’ll find that you can do a lot more than you ever believed.

This pressure can come in various ways. You can have a very demanding boss, or demanding clients and customers. Satisfying them is a challenge. Saturn in your career house shows a need for more management skills. Good management will enable you to handle all this. Many of you will be placed in managerial positions.

As we mentioned earlier, the year ahead is about succeeding through sheer merit and for no other reason. It is about being the best at what you do, without gimmicks or short cuts. You will see the positive results of this approach in 2019 and 2020, when you start to reach new career heights.

### Love and Social Life

Last year was a banner love and social year. Many of you married in 2017, or met significant others. You seem more or less satisfied with the status quo this year. Your 7th house of love is not a house of power. Those of you involved with someone special will probably continue in that relationship. The unattached will most likely stay unattached. There is no cosmic pressure to make drastic changes.

In general, Uranus’s move out of your sign is a positive move for love. People will find you less rebellious and more stable. A lot of your freedom-loving urges have been sated in the past seven years and you’re more open to settling down.

Venus, a fast-moving planet, is your love planet. She is a good planet to have as this is her natural domain. In any given year, she will move through all the signs and houses of your Horoscope. Thus love opportunities can happen in many ways and through many people – it all depends on where Venus is and the aspects she receives. These short-term trends are best dealt with in the monthly reports.

Venus will make a rare (once in two years) retrograde movement from October 5 to November 16. Don’t be too upset if a current relationship seems to go backwards instead of forwards, or seems tentative during this period. This is a time to review the love life and to plan positive improvements for the future. You can act on your plans when Venus starts moving forward again. (The same applies to financial matters too.)

Those of you working towards a second marriage will have very wonderful opportunities towards the end of the year – from November 8 onwards. Something serious is developing here. Those of you working towards your third marriage will have opportunities with people involved in your finances. Wealth seems an important romantic turn on. A business-type partnership can happen from May 16 to November 6. Those working on the fourth marriage have a quiet, stable year.

Married children or children figures will have their relationships tested this year. They have two eclipses in their house of love. (This would apply to serious relationships too.) Siblings and sibling figures will find love from November 8 onwards. Grandchildren (if you have them) have a status quo social year.

### Self-Improvement

Neptune, the most spiritual of all the planets, and your personal spiritual planet, has been in Pisces for some years now and will remain there for many more years. However, Neptune is much stronger in his own sign and house than usual. Thus your spiritual urges – your idealism – are much stronger these days. Jupiter, your planet of religion and philosophy, will be making very nice aspects to Neptune for most of the year – until November 8. So there’s a lot of spiritual growth happening. Your dream life is more active and your extrasensory perception is stronger. You’re experiencing all kinds of ‘synchronicities’, meaningful coincidences, these days. It would be tempting to let go of the world and just focus on spiritual matters. But the power in your career house (and especially Saturn’s presence there) forces you to be more ‘worldly’. Somehow you have to be practical and idealistic at the same time, to marry these two urges, to make them cooperate with each other. Getting the right attitude to spirituality will be a big help. When understood correctly it is the most practical thing a person can do. It leads (usually indirectly) to practical, measurable results.

I heard a radio host recently, who mockingly asked: ‘Can prayer fill potholes?’ He invited callers to comment on it. Most said no. But this only shows a lack of understanding. Prayer might not directly fill a pothole (though it can), but it will definitely fill them ‘indirectly’ by creating the conditions and circumstances where they get filled in natural ways.

So the cosmos is calling you to learn to make the spiritual power practical in your worldly affairs.

With Uranus in your sign for the past seven years you have had to deal with issues of ‘identity’. This is more important than psychology. Most of what passes for psychological problems are really problems of ‘mis-identification’. Get the right perspective on identity and the psychological problem melts away. By now, after seven years, you understand this. Now and for the next seven years the lessons from Uranus are financial. They are about learning to be comfortable with financial change and insecurity, to take the changes in your stride and to make the changes benefit you. You have plenty of time to learn these lessons, but it’s good to get started now.

Jupiter, as we mentioned, spends most of the year in your 8th house. This favours your efforts to reinvent yourself and give birth to the person you want to be – your ideal self. This can be hard work, but you have the support of the cosmos. To have more, you must ‘be’ more.

### Month-by-month Forecasts. January

Best Days Overall: 3, 4, 12, 13, 14, 22, 23, 31

Most Stressful Days Overall: 1, 2, 8, 9, 15, 16, 29, 30

Best Days for Love: 5, 6, 8, 9, 15, 16, 27, 28

Best Days for Money: 5, 6, 15, 16, 25, 26, 27, 28

Best Days for Career: 5, 15, 16, 25

You begin your year with 90 per cent of the planets above the horizon and a super-charged 10th house of career. The entire year ahead is a strong career year, but right now you’re in the strongest month of a strong year. Almost all the action this month is in your 10th house of career. The message? Focus on your career – handle that properly and everything else will fall into place. (The lower part of your chart will get stronger in four or five months’ time, but it will never completely dominate your chart. This is a year to focus on your outer objectives.)

You’re working hard. You’re successful, but you’re earning it the hard way – through work and real merit. Yes, social connections are helpful this month – especially until the 18th – but they can only open doors. Eventually you have to produce. So, your health needs watching this month as this is not your best health period. Until the 11th pay attention to the liver and thighs. After the 11th give more attention to the back, knees, teeth and bones. (Regular thigh massage will strengthen the lower back.) The most important thing, as always, is to make sure you get enough rest. Health will improve after the 20th, but it will still need watching.

Mars, the ruler of your Horoscope, spends most of the month in your 8th house. This is a great aspect for weight loss and detox regimes. Mars will travel with Jupiter from the 4th to the 9th. This is a very happy transit and brings financial expansion and perhaps a foreign trip. Women of appropriate age are much more fertile then.

There is a Lunar Eclipse at the end of the month on the 31st. It occurs in your 5th house and affects family and children. Children and children figures are having important life changes. Family members can be more temperamental, and often repairs are needed in the home. Be more patient with your family at this time. This eclipse sideswipes Venus, your love and financial planet. It is not a direct hit, more a glancing blow, and often shows important financial changes (perhaps scares) and a need for a course correction in love and finance.

### February

Best Days Overall: 9, 10, 19, 27, 28

Most Stressful Days Overall: 4, 5, 11, 12, 25, 26

Best Days for Love: 4, 5, 16, 25, 26

Best Days for Money: 4, 5, 6, 7, 16, 17, 21, 22, 25, 26

Best Days for Career: 2, 11, 12, 21

A Solar Eclipse on the 15th appears to be a powerful one – it is not just the Sun that’s getting eclipsed, but Mercury and Jupiter as well. Mars in your 9th house all month indicates an urge for travel (and many of you will have to), but it’s not very advisable during this period. (Apart from the eclipse, Jupiter, your travel planet, is receiving stressful aspects.) If your journey is not strictly necessary, don’t do it. If it is necessary, avoid the eclipse period if at all possible, and allow more time to get to and from your destination.

The Solar Eclipse occurs in your 11th house of friends, so friendships can get tested. Often, the testing it is not the fault of your relationships but because of dramas that are happening in the lives of your friends. Children of appropriate age (or children figures in your life) are having their love relationships tested. Single children can decide to tie the knot over the next six months. Drive more defensively during this period. Communication and technology equipment can become more temperamental now and some of it might need replacement or repair. Make sure your anti-virus software is up to date and that all your important computer files are safely backed up. Technology is wonderful when it works as it should, but when it doesn’t, oh my! It’s a horror! It’s as if life stops.

Health and energy are much improved over last month, but the eclipse can cause a health scare or necessitate a change in your health regime – an important change. The job situation is also shaky for a while.

Both love and money go well until the 11th, but afterwards you will have to work harder for earnings. Perhaps you’re not enjoying what you have to do to earn your money. It is as if you can’t be bothered. If you put in the extra work you should prosper. Venus will be in her most powerful position from the 11th onwards – in the sign of Pisces. This indicates strong earning power (and social magnetism). Financial intuition is important now and, happily, it appears strong.

Love can be found in spiritual locales from the 11th onwards, and is idealistic and very tender. The beloved (or the people you meet) are likely to be more sensitive, more easily hurt, so be aware of your body language and voice tones.

### March

Best Days Overall: 8, 9, 18, 19, 26, 27

Most Stressful Days Overall: 3, 4, 10, 11, 12, 24, 25, 31

Best Days for Love: 3, 4, 8, 18, 19, 26, 27, 31

Best Days for Money: 6, 7, 8, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 24, 25, 26, 27

Best Days for Career: 1, 10, 11, 12, 20, 29

Spring is the season of new beginnings. Astrologically speaking it is the best time of year to start new projects or launch new products into the world. This year, it is better than usual. The planetary momentum is overwhelmingly forward. From the 20th (the first day of spring) to the 23rd, 90 per cent of the planets are moving forward – so those three days are the best days for starting a new project. (The Moon will also be waxing then, an added plus.) However, if you can’t start your project on those three days, the 20th to the 29th is also a good time (80 per cent of the planets will be moving forward).

Career is still active – especially from the 17th onwards – but the month ahead is a mostly spiritual-type month. It is a time for inner growth. It is a good time to focus on meditation, spiritual studies and charitable activities. Good to feed the ‘inner you’. Those of you on the spiritual path will gain insights.

The month ahead looks very prosperous as well. Venus, your financial planet, crosses your Ascendant and enters your 1st house on March 6. This brings financial windfalls and happy opportunities. You look rich these days. You have that image. People see you that way. This aspect gives a wonderful feeling of being ‘pursued’ by money, rather than you having to pursue it.

Love, too, is happy. Venus does double duty in your Horoscope. She is both the love and financial planet. So love, like money, pursues you. Your existing spouse, partner or current love is more attentive and is trying to please you. He or she is totally on your side.

Mars crossing your Mid-heaven on the 17th indicates personal career success. You’re above everyone in your world. You’re recognized for who you are and for your achievements. People look up to you.

The month ahead is very hectic and fast paced, especially from the 20th onward. But happily you have the energy to handle it. You can enhance your health even further through foot massage and spiritual healing techniques until the 6th. After then, scalp massage and physical exercise will be good.

### April

Best Days Overall: 4, 5, 6, 14, 15, 23, 24

Most Stressful Days Overall: 1, 7, 8, 21, 22, 27, 28

Best Days for Love: 1, 7, 8, 16, 17, 27, 28

Best Days for Money: 2, 3, 7, 8, 12, 13, 16, 17, 21, 22, 27, 29, 30

Best Days for Career: 7, 8, 16, 25

Last month on the 20th the planetary power reached its most Eastern position. You were in your most independent kind of period and this continues in the month ahead. With your 1st house so strong, you’re having your way in life (only career responsibilities are limiting you now). If changes need to be made – if conditions are not to your liking – then change them; make them as you wish. You have the power to do this now. (Later on in the year it will be more difficult.)

You also entered one of your yearly personal pleasure peaks last month and this continues, until the 20th of this month. This is a time for exploring (and gratifying) all the pleasures of the body. It is a great period for getting the body and image in right shape, the way you want it to be.

This year’s personal pleasure peak is different from those of past years. Yes, you want to have fun and indulge the body, but you also want to be successful in the world. Career pulls you one way while the fun-loving urges pull you another. With a little bit of creativity you can manage both. There are no rules as to how this is done. Every person finds their own solution.

Last month, the planetary power started to shift below the horizon. The lower half of the Horoscope (the night side) is as strong as it will ever be this year – 40 per cent (and sometimes 50 per cent) of the planets are there. However, the upper half is still very dominant so you still need to focus on the career, but you can allot a little more time to the home, family and your emotional well-being. This is not a big priority this year, but it can’t be completely ignored. Sometimes people need less sleep than at other times, but they still need some sleep.

The month ahead looks prosperous. On the 20th, the Sun enters your 2nd, money house and stays there for the rest of the month ahead. You’re in a period of peak earnings. There is luck in speculations (though please don’t do this with your rent or food money) and money is earned in happy ways. You’re enjoying your wealth. Children – depending on their age and stage in life – are either supportive in a material way or through inspiring you to earn more. Venus in the money house until the 24th is another good financial sign. Financial judgement is good. Conservative. (Though you should be careful of overspending on the 17th and 18th.)

Singles find love opportunities as they pursue their normal financial goals and perhaps with people involved in their finances.

### May

Best Days Overall: 2, 3, 11, 12, 13, 20, 21, 29, 30

Most Stressful Days Overall: 4, 5, 18, 19, 24, 25, 31

Best Days for Love: 7, 8, 17, 24, 25, 26

Best Days for Money: 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 26, 27

Best Days for Career: 4, 5, 14, 22, 31

Venus spends most of the month ‘out of bounds’ – from the 6th to the 31st. This shows that in finance and love, you’re going beyond your normal sphere, outside your normal neighbourhood. You’re thinking ‘outside the box’, which often brings just the right solution. It was the ‘box’ itself that was causing the problem in the first place.

You’re still very much in a yearly financial peak until the 21st. So you’re in a period of peak earnings. The New Moon of the 15th occurs in the money house, making it an excellent financial day. But more importantly, it will clarify the financial life as the month progresses – and well into next month. The information that you need to make a right decision is winging its way towards you.

Uranus, as we have already mentioned, makes a major move into your money house on the 16th, creating excitement and change. This transit is only the harbinger of things to come. It favours online activities. Your financial planet, Venus, will be in your 3rd house of communication until the 19th. This favours sales, marketing, advertising and PR activities. People need to know about your product or service. Good use of the media pays dividends too. On the 19th Venus will move into your 4th house, indicating earning through the family and family connections. Family support is good (and mutual). Financial intuition is strong. Venus opposes Saturn from the 25th to the 27th; earnings can be stalled for a few days, but this is a short-term problem. Indeed, the delays will make the final outcome even better.

Mars, the ruler of your Horoscope, has spent the past two months in your 10th house of career. You’ve been very successful during this period, and now you’re ready to be more socially oriented. You’re still focused on your career, but you’re more sociable about it. You’re there for your friends now, and are probably more popular.

Love, for singles, can be found in your neighbourhood – but not in your usual haunts. There are love opportunities in educational settings – at school functions, the library or bookstore or at lectures. You’re attracted to those who have the gift of the gab and people who are easy to talk to. You like the ‘smart people’ these days. Later on, after the 19th, you’ll crave emotional intimacy and emotional sharing. Love becomes a ‘mood’ issue. The challenge will be to get in the right mood – and get your partner in the right mood.

### June

Best Days Overall: 8, 9, 16, 17, 25, 26

Most Stressful Days Overall: 1, 2, 14, 15, 20, 21, 22, 28, 29

Best Days for Love: 6, 7, 16, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24

Best Days for Money: 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 14, 15, 16, 23, 24

Best Days for Career: 1, 2, 10, 18, 28, 29

You’re in the midnight hour of your year and should be sleeping and letting the inner forces work. But your work in the world is important and you keep breaking your sleep to focus on it. Metaphorically this is the situation. It is the dead of night, but you keep getting up.

This month you face one of the classic challenges that many face. Home and family are important, but so is the career and outer activities. Each claims their due and you can’t ignore either. Somehow or other you have to deal with both. Now you will lean one way, now the other – it’s not easy.

Retrograde activity among the planets increases this month, and by the 26th half of the planets will be retrograde – almost the maximum for the year. (August 7–19 will see 60 per cent of the planets going backwards.) The pace of life slows down. For an action-oriented Aries, frustration is the main challenge at this time. You’re a thoroughbred, built for speed, but now you’re forced to walk (and sometimes backwards). Everything seems so slow, slow, slow! The good part of this is that one learns patience. Do what is possible each day and let the rest go.

Health and energy become more of an issue from the 21st onwards too. Be sure to get enough rest. You can enhance your health through arm and shoulder massage until the 12th. From the 12th to the 29th make sure to eat right, and keep the emotions harmonious and constructive. After the 29th give more attention to the heart.

Love is still found close to home until the 14th. Make sure to keep your mood right. Bad moods will destroy romantic moments and complicate the love life. There is more socializing at home and with the family until the 14th. Don’t be surprised if an old flame (or someone who reminds you of an old flame) comes back into your life. There is a romantic opportunity with someone spiritual at the beginning of the month.

The urge to travel is very strong these days, but if it isn’t necessary avoid it. Jupiter, who rules travel for you, is receiving good aspects, but he is retrograde. If you must travel during this period, allow more time to get to and from your destination. Insure your tickets, and do what you can to protect yourself against delays and glitches.

### July

Best Days Overall: 5, 6, 14, 15, 22, 23, 24

Most Stressful Days Overall: 12, 13, 18, 19, 25, 26

Best Days for Love: 5, 6, 16, 18, 19, 25, 26

Best Days for Money: 1, 5, 6, 7, 8, 12, 13, 16, 20, 21, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29

Best Days for Career: 7, 8, 16, 25, 26

Mars, the ruler of your Horoscope, spends almost the whole month ‘out of bounds’. This indicates that you’re outside your normal sphere, from the 9th onwards. You’re in an adventurous period, meeting new friends and perhaps getting involved with groups and group activities that are outside the norm for you. Adding to the adventure and the sense of ‘being ready for anything’ are two eclipses this month.

The Solar Eclipse of July 13 occurs in your 4th house of the home and family. All of you will feel this, but those of you born later in the sign of Aries (April 8 to April 15) will feel it strongest. You should be taking things easier anyway until the 22nd, but especially around the period of the eclipse. It looks like it will have a strong effect and will bring family dramas and shakeups. Family members are more temperamental at this time, and are experiencing life-changing events. Often, as our regular readers know, repairs are needed in the home. Hidden flaws tend to come to light under an eclipse’s influence. Parents or parent figures are having their marriages tested. Children or children figures are making life-changing kinds of decisions (some can be quite normal, but for them it is life changing). They too should take a more relaxed schedule. The family finances – especially those of a parent or parent figure – need a course correction. Pluto is affected by this eclipse, so you could be involved in near-death kinds of experiences. Death (usually on a psychological level) touches you in some way.

The Lunar Eclipse of the 27th also impacts on the home and family – as every Lunar Eclipse does. So there is more of the same with the family as we’ve written above. This eclipse occurs in your 11th house of friends, so there are dramas – and perhaps crises – in the lives of friends. Friendships get tested, as do computers and high-tech equipment (often these need repair or replacement). This eclipse affects you strongly as Mars is impacted here. So reduce your schedule and avoid dangerous or stressful situations. Spend more quiet time at home. The impact on Mars shows a need to redefine yourself – how you think of yourself and how you want others to think about you. This will be a six-month process. This redefinition is basically a healthy thing: since we are always changing we should always be redefining ourselves. But here it is rather forced on you. The events caused by the eclipse force you into this process.

### August

Best Days Overall: 1, 2, 3, 10, 11, 19, 20, 29, 30

Most Stressful Days Overall: 8, 9, 14, 15, 21, 22

Best Days for Love: 5, 14, 15, 24, 25

Best Days for Money: 4, 5, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 24, 25, 26, 27, 31

Best Days for Career: 4, 12, 21, 22, 31

Just when you thought the disturbances of last month’s eclipses were over, there is another one – the third Solar Eclipse of the year – to keep you on your toes. It is helpful to understand that eclipses are not ‘punitive’ (though it can feel that way). Their cosmic job is to clear the obstructions to your path in life, the obstructions to your good. And, they generally do a good job of it. It is also helpful to know that this is the last one for the current year.

Mars is still ‘out of bounds’ this month – for the entire month. So you are still outside your normal haunts, in unknown territory. So the adventure continues.

This Solar Eclipse of the 11th occurs in your 5th house and impacts more on the children or children figures in your life. Whatever changes were not made last month will be made now (and over the next six months). This eclipse has less of an effect on you than the previous ones. Your overall health and energy are much better this month, and no other major planets are affected by it. But it won’t hurt to take it easier over this period – and that goes double for the children or children figures in your life. As we mentioned, many of the changes in their lives are normal – part of growing up. Sometimes they have their sexual awakenings; sometimes they go off to school or university. But for them these are life-changing events. Whatever the actual event – and there are many, many scenarios – it will cause them to redefine themselves, to change their image and their self-concept, to change (over the next six months) their wardrobe and how they present themselves to others. And those of you in the creative and artistic spheres re changing your creativity – you are making course corrections here.

Venus has her solstice this month – from the 5th to the 9th. She pauses in her latitudinal motion and then changes direction. This shows a pause in your love and financial life and then a change of direction. This is nothing to be feared. The direction you’re to take will become very clear.

On the 22nd the Sun enters your 6th house of health and work. This indicates a nice financial period for your children (or children figures in your life). For you, it shows a focus on health and work. It is a favourable time for job seekers.

### September

Best Days Overall: 7, 15, 16, 25, 26

Most Stressful Days Overall: 4, 5, 11, 12, 17, 18, 19

Best Days for Love: 2, 3, 11, 12, 13, 22, 23

Best Days for Money: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 13, 14, 22, 23, 24, 27, 28

Best Days for Career: 1, 8, 9, 17, 18, 19, 27

The planetary power is now at its maximum Western position for the year. Thus, the planetary energies (the short-term planets) are moving away from you and towards others. You still have plenty of personal independence – the Western, social sector is not dominant – but less so than usual. So, this is a time to be more adaptive to the conditions around you. It’s not an especially good time to make changes – that will come later in the year. Rather, it is a time to cultivate your social skills. Your likeability will get you further than your personal efforts.

Your 6th house is still strong this month, until the 22nd. So this is a good time to do all those detail-oriented, boring tasks that need to be done. You have more energy for them. It is still a good financial period for the children or children figures in your life, and it is still good for hiring others or for finding a job – whatever the need happens to be.

On the 22nd, the Sun enters your 7th house of love and you begin a yearly love and social peak. The love and social life becomes more active. Singles are dating more and are more in the mood for love. (This is 90 per cent of romance: being in the mood, being interested.) Those already in relationships are more romantic within that relationship.

Finances are good this month (and will get even better next month). On the 9th Venus enters your 8th house of regeneration, and stays there for the rest of the month. She is moving ever closer to Jupiter, so earnings are expanding. Opportunities are coming. Your financial planet in the 8th house shows a need to prosper others – to put the financial interest of others ahead of your own. This, by the karmic law, will bring your own abundance to you. Venus in your 8th house (and in Scorpio) is good for paying off debt or for taking on loans – according to your need. It is good for getting financially healthier, eliminating unnecessary expenses. Good to go through your belongings and get rid of things that you don’t use. Clear the decks to allow the greater good to come in. This planetary position also indicates good financial cooperation with your spouse, partner or current love interest. Financial intuition is excellent this month. Take heed of your dreams, and be alert to nature’s signals in everyday life.

### October

Best Days Overall: 4, 5, 12, 13, 14, 22, 23, 31

Most Stressful Days Overall: 2, 3, 8, 9, 15, 16, 29, 30

Best Days for Love: 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, 11, 20, 21, 29, 30

Best Days for Money: 2, 3, 10, 11, 20, 21, 25, 26, 29, 30

Best Days for Career: 6, 15, 16, 24, 25

You’re still in a yearly love and social peak until the 23rd of this month, but love is much more complicated now. Venus, your love planet, starts to retrograde on the 5th and will be that way until November 16. So social confidence is not what it should be (or will be). You’re going out more but don’t seem certain as to what you want. Existing relationships can seem to go backwards instead of forwards. This is not a good time to be making important social decisions one way or another. Rather, this is a time to put this area under review and to gain mental and emotional clarity. See where things can be improved. Then, when Venus starts moving forward again next month, you can put your plans into action. The same is true in finances. Avoid major purchases or investments from the 5th onwards. Put your financial life under review. Your financial thinking is not realistic right now, although this will change next month.

Health and energy are not up to their usual standards this month, so, as always, the important thing is to get enough rest. High energy levels are the first defence against disease. Enhance the health in the ways mentioned in the yearly report. Until the 10th you can add hip massage to your regime. A herbal kidney cleanse might also be a good idea. After the 10th detox regimes become more effective, and sexual moderation is also important (especially from the 28th to the 30th). Happily, health and energy will improve after the 23rd.

In finance, like last month, it is good to keep the financial interest of others in mind – even to put it ahead of your own. And it is still good to ‘detox’ the possessions, to get rid of what isn’t useful.

Mercury moves into your 8th house on the 10th and the Sun will follow on the 23rd. Venus and Jupiter are already there. So this is a strong house from the 23rd onwards. Your finances might be slow, but your spouse, partner or current love is picking up the slack. He or she is having a banner financial month (in fact the whole year has been good). Even though your financial planet is retrograde at the moment, this is a great period for tax and estate planning (if you are of appropriate age). It doesn’t mean that you have to finalize anything, only start investigating and making plans. Tax efficiency seems very important on the financial level this year.

### November

Best Days Overall: 1, 9, 10, 19, 20, 27, 28

Most Stressful Days Overall: 4, 5, 11, 12, 25, 26

Best Days for Love: 4, 5, 14, 15, 23, 24

Best Days for Money: 4, 5, 8, 14, 15, 19, 21, 23, 24, 22, 27

Best Days for Career: 2, 10, 11, 12, 21

On September 22 the short-term planets began to move from the bottom half of your Horoscope to the upper half. Now, 80 per cent (and 90 per cent, for half the month) of the planets are in the upper half of your chart – the sector of career and outer achievement. This is a huge, huge, percentage. Career has been the major focus since that time and the trend continues. You’re in a very successful period now (and it will get even more successful next month). Doing right is more important than feeling right. You will feel in harmony when you’ve achieved your outer goals. You have the aspects of someone who is very career-driven these days. If moving the family and disrupting the home advances the career, you will do it. (There is probably a price to pay for this further down the road, but you don’t seem to care.)

Health and energy are much better than last month. They could be better still, but Saturn won’t move out of Capricorn for another year or so. However, they are at their optimum for the year. You can enhance the health further by giving more attention to the thighs and liver. Thigh massage will not only strengthen the liver, but the lower back as well.

Jupiter has been in your house of regeneration all year. On the 8th he makes a major move into your 9th house of education, thought and travel. This is a happy transit for you. First off it will bring prosperity for the coming year. It will bring success to the children and children figures of your life. Career is still going to be important, and you’re still going to work hard, but you’ll also find time to play – time to enjoy yourself. There is foreign travel in your future. Those of you at university should have success in your studies. Those of you applying to colleges will also have success. If you are involved in legal issues there is good fortune with them.

Venus will start to move forward again on the 16th, so both the love and financial life will start to be clear. Both the social and financial judgement will improve. Venus spends the month in your 7th house of love. Thus business partnerships or joint ventures (cooperative enterprises) will be happening. Your social grace is not only helpful romantically but on the financial level as well. Friends seem supportive: who you know is perhaps more important than how much you have.

### December

Best Days Overall: 6, 7, 16, 17, 25, 26

Most Stressful Days Overall: 2, 3, 9, 10, 23, 24, 29, 30

Best Days for Love: 2, 3, 14, 15, 23, 24, 29, 30

Best Days for Money: 2, 3, 6, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 23, 24, 26

Best Days for Career: 8, 9, 10, 18, 27

On November 16, Mars moved into your 12th house of spirituality, and he will remain there for the month ahead. So you have strong spiritual interests now – more so than usual. Spiritual-type exercises, such as yoga, are very powerful for you now. Mars will be conjunct to Neptune from the 5th to the 7th and you can expect revelatory dreams and spiritual breakthroughs during that period. There will be a meeting with a guru or guru figure in your life.

For those of you looking for work, there is good news from the 20th to the 22nd. There could be travel involved in this job. If there have been health problems, good news concerning them comes at this time too.

Uranus moved back into your sign last month on the 6th. For those of you born later in Aries (April 19 to 21) it shows important changes in your life and in the lives of children and children figures. But the financial life gets a bit less hectic. This is, as we have mentioned, a short-lived aspect: Uranus will move back into your money house next year and will stay there for many more years to come. Finances are good this month. Venus is moving forward and on the 2nd she moves into your 8th house. You and your spouse, partner or current love are cooperating financially. If you have good ideas it is a good time to attract outside investors. This is a good period to make money for others and with other people’s money. A good time to borrow or repay debt – according to your need. Good tax planning will pay off now too.

Love is about eroticism these days. It’s the sexual magnetism that matters more than anything else. Love is intense and passionate, and problems can come from too much of a good thing – jealousy, etc. Love and social opportunities can happen at funerals, wakes or memorial services (most people find these morbid, but this month they aren’t).

On the 21st the Sun crosses your Mid-heaven and enters your 10th house of career. You enter a yearly career peak. The focus has been on the career for many months of course, but now it is even more so. Your challenge now is to make it more fun – to have fun as you pursue your career goals.

A foreign trip this month wouldn’t be a surprise.

### Personality Profile. TAURUS AT A GLANCE

Element – Earth

Ruling Planet – Venus

Career Planet – Uranus

Love Planet – Pluto

Money Planet – Mercury

Planet of Health and Work – Venus

Planet of Home and Family Life – Sun

Planet of Spirituality – Mars

Planet of Travel, Education, Religion and Philosophy – Saturn

Colours – earth tones, green, orange, yellow

Colours that promote love, romance and social harmony – red-violet, violet

Colours that promote earning power – yellow, yellow-orange

Gems – coral, emerald

Metal – copper

Scents – bitter almond, rose, vanilla, violet

Quality – fixed (= stability)

Quality most needed for balance – flexibility

Strongest virtues – endurance, loyalty, patience, stability, a harmonious disposition

Deepest needs – comfort, material ease, wealth

Characteristics to avoid – rigidity, stubbornness, tendency to be overly possessive and materialistic

Signs of greatest overall compatibility – Virgo, Capricorn

Signs of greatest overall incompatibility – Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius

Sign most helpful to career – Aquarius

Sign most helpful for emotional support – Leo

Sign most helpful financially – Gemini

Sign best for marriage and/or partnerships – Scorpio

Sign most helpful for creative projects – Virgo

Best Sign to have fun with – Virgo

Signs most helpful in spiritual matters – Aries, Capricorn

Best day of the week – Friday

### Understanding a Taurus

Taurus is the most earthy of all the Earth signs. If you understand that Earth is more than just a physical element, that it is a psychological attitude as well, you will get a better understanding of the Taurus personality.

A Taurus has all the power of action that an Aries has. But Taurus is not satisfied with action for its own sake. Their actions must be productive, practical and wealth-producing. If Taurus cannot see a practical value in an action they will not bother taking it.

Taurus’s forte lies in their power to make real their own or other people’s ideas. They are generally not very inventive but they can take another’s invention and perfect it, making it more practical and useful. The same is true for all projects. Taurus is not especially keen on starting new projects, but once they get involved they bring things to completion. Taurus carries everything through. They are finishers and will go the distance, so long as no unavoidable calamity intervenes.

Many people find Taurus too stubborn, conservative, fixed and immovable. This is understandable, because Taurus dislikes change – in the environment or in their routine. They even dislike changing their minds! On the other hand, this is their virtue. It is not good for a wheel’s axle to waver. The axle must be fixed, stable and unmovable. Taurus is the axle of society and the heavens. Without their stability and so-called stubbornness, the wheels of the world (and especially the wheels of commerce) would not turn.

Taurus loves routine. A routine, if it is good, has many virtues. It is a fixed – and, ideally, perfect – way of taking care of things. Mistakes can happen when spontaneity comes into the equation, and mistakes cause discomfort and uneasiness – something almost unacceptable to a Taurus. Meddling with Taurus’s comfort and security is a sure way to irritate and anger them.

While an Aries loves speed, a Taurus likes things slow. They are slow thinkers – but do not make the mistake of assuming they lack intelligence. On the contrary, Taurus people are very intelligent. It is just that they like to chew on ideas, to deliberate and weigh them up. Only after due deliberation is an idea accepted or a decision taken. Taurus is slow to anger – but once aroused, take care!

### Finance

Taurus is very money-conscious. Wealth is more important to them than to many other signs. Wealth to a Taurus means comfort and security. Wealth means stability. Where some zodiac signs feel that they are spiritually rich if they have ideas, talents or skills, Taurus only feels wealth when they can see and touch it. Taurus’s way of thinking is, ‘What good is a talent if it has not been translated into a home, furniture, car and holidays?’

These are all reasons why Taurus excels in estate agency and agricultural industries. Usually a Taurus will end up owning land. They love to feel their connection to the Earth. Material wealth began with agriculture, the tilling of the soil. Owning a piece of land was humanity’s earliest form of wealth: Taurus still feels that primeval connection.

It is in the pursuit of wealth that Taurus develops intellectual and communication ability. Also, in this pursuit Taurus is forced to develop some flexibility. It is in the quest for wealth that they learn the practical value of the intellect and come to admire it. If it were not for the search for wealth and material things, Taurus people might not try to reach a higher intellect.

Some Taurus people are ‘born lucky’ – the type who win any gamble or speculation. This luck is due to other factors in their horoscope; it is not part of their essential nature. By nature they are not gamblers. They are hard workers and like to earn what they get. Taurus’s innate conservatism makes them abhor unnecessary risks in finance and in other areas of their lives.

### Career and Public Image

Being essentially down-to-earth people, simple and uncomplicated, Taurus tends to look up to those who are original, unconventional and inventive. Taurus people like their bosses to be creative and original – since they themselves are content to perfect their superiors’ brainwaves. They admire people who have a wider social or political consciousness and they feel that someday (when they have all the comfort and security they need) they too would like to be involved in these big issues.

In business affairs Taurus can be very shrewd – and that makes them valuable to their employers. They are never lazy; they enjoy working and getting good results. Taurus does not like taking unnecessary risks and they do well in positions of authority, which makes them good managers and supervisors. Their managerial skills are reinforced by their natural talents for organization and handling details, their patience and thoroughness. As mentioned, through their connection with the earth, Taurus people also do well in farming and agriculture.

In general a Taurus will choose money and earning power over public esteem and prestige. A position that pays more – though it has less prestige – is preferred to a position with a lot of prestige but lower earnings. Many other signs do not feel this way, but a Taurus does, especially if there is nothing in his or her personal birth chart that modifies this. Taurus will pursue glory and prestige only if it can be shown that these things have a direct and immediate impact on their wallet.

### Love and Relationships

In love, the Taurus-born likes to have and to hold. They are the marrying kind. They like commitment and they like the terms of a relationship to be clearly defined. More importantly, Taurus likes to be faithful to one lover, and they expect that lover to reciprocate this fidelity. When this doesn’t happen, their whole world comes crashing down. When they are in love Taurus people are loyal, but they are also very possessive. They are capable of great fits of jealousy if they are hurt in love.

Taurus is satisfied with the simple things in a relationship. If you are involved romantically with a Taurus there is no need for lavish entertainments and constant courtship. Give them enough love, food and comfortable shelter and they will be quite content to stay home and enjoy your company. They will be loyal to you for life. Make a Taurus feel comfortable and – above all – secure in the relationship, and you will rarely have a problem.

In love, Taurus can sometimes make the mistake of trying to control their partners, which can cause great pain on both sides. The reasoning behind their actions is basically simple: Taurus people feel a sense of ownership over their partners and will want to make changes that will increase their own general comfort and security. This attitude is OK when it comes to inanimate, material things – but is dangerous when applied to people. Taurus needs to be careful and attentive to this possible trait within themselves.

### Home and Domestic Life

Home and family are vitally important to Taurus. They like children. They also like a comfortable and perhaps glamorous home – something they can show off. They tend to buy heavy, ponderous furniture – usually of the best quality. This is because Taurus likes a feeling of substance in their environment. Their house is not only their home but their place of creativity and entertainment. The Taurus’ home tends to be truly their castle. If they could choose, Taurus people would prefer living in the countryside to being city-dwellers. If they cannot do so during their working lives, many Taurus individuals like to holiday in or even retire to the country, away from the city and closer to the land.

At home a Taurus is like a country squire – lord (or lady) of the manor. They love to entertain lavishly, to make others feel secure in their home and to encourage others to derive the same sense of satisfaction as they do from it. If you are invited for dinner at the home of a Taurus you can expect the best food and best entertainment. Be prepared for a tour of the house and expect to see your Taurus friend exhibit a lot of pride and satisfaction in his or her possessions.

Taurus people like children but they are usually strict with them. The reason for this is they tend to treat their children – as they do most things in life – as their possessions. The positive side to this is that their children will be well cared for and well supervised. They will get every material thing they need to grow up properly. On the down side, Taurus can get too repressive with their children. If a child dares to upset the daily routine – which Taurus loves to follow – he or she will have a problem with a Taurus parent.

### Horoscope for 2018. Major Trends

Sometimes the best way out of a rut is not climbing out of it, but simply blasting the rut away. When the blast is over, you’ll find your path open. This is what is starting (and it is only the beginning) to happen this year, as Uranus enters your sign on May 16. This is a momentous transit that you will feel for the next seven years. Those of you born early in the sign of Taurus (April 20 to April 22) are going to feel this the most this year. But all of you will feel it in coming years.

The other major headline is the love life. The love life was good last year, but gets even better in the year ahead. Jupiter is firmly positioned in your 7th house of love almost all year – until November. For singles this brings romance and serious types of relationship. More on this later.

Jupiter will move into your 8th house on November 8. This will bring prosperity to the current love or spouse. He or she enters a peak prosperity period that will last well into 2019. It will also be a good time to pay off debt or attract outside investors. More on this later on.

Saturn moved into your 9th house late last year and will remain there for the next two years. This is basically a happy transit as Saturn makes harmonious aspects to you. You will be more disciplined and organized. For college students this is a difficult transit, however; it shows a need for more work, more effort, more discipline in the studies. You can’t coast this year. It is also challenging for those of you involved in legal issues. You can expect many delays and setbacks.

Pluto has been in your 9th house for many years now, and will be there for many more. This indicates that a cosmic detox is going on in your religious and philosophical life. This is a long-term process. Old beliefs – those that don’t belong in the mind – get flushed out so that a better, more realistic belief system can evolve.

Neptune has been in your 11th house for many years and, likewise, will be there for many more years to come. Neptune, like Pluto, is a very slow-moving planet. This transit is spiritualizing your friendships. You’re attracting more spiritual friends, and perhaps are more involved in spiritual types of organizations too.

Your most important interests this year will be the body and image (from May 16 to November 6); love and romance (until November 8); sex, occult studies and personal reinvention (after November 8); religion, philosophy, higher education and foreign travel; friendships, groups and group activities; and spirituality (from January 1 to May 16 and from November 6 onwards).

Your paths of greatest fulfilment this year will be home and family (until November 17); love, romance and social activities (until November 8); sex, occult studies and personal transformation (from November 8 onwards); and communication and intellectual interests (after November 17).

### Health

(Please note that this is an astrological perspective on health and not a medical one. In days of yore there was no difference, both these perspectives were identical. But now there could be quite a difference. For a medical perspective, please consult your doctor or health practitioner.)

Health and energy look excellent in the year ahead. There is only one long-term planet, Jupiter, in stressful alignment with you. All the others are mostly in harmonious aspect. So if you have any pre-existing conditions or health concerns you should hear good news about them this year. They are likely to be much milder, or even resolve themselves now.

Your empty 6th house of health is also a good sign: you don’t need to focus on health as it is not a big issue. Why do drastic things when there’s nothing wrong? You sort of take good health for granted this year. On November 8, even Jupiter will move away from his stressful aspect. So overall health will become even better.

Sure, there will be periods in the year when your health and energy are not as good as usual, but these are temporary things caused by the planetary transits. They are not trends for the year. When they pass, your normal good health and energy return.

Good though your health is, you can make it even better. Give special attention to the following – the vulnerable areas for Taurus (the reflex points are shown in the chart below):


> The neck and throat. These are always important for Taurus and regular neck massage is always a good thing. Tension tends to collect there and needs to be released. Craniosacral therapy is said to be good for the neck.

> The kidneys and hips. These too are always important for Taurus. Hips (and the buttocks) should be regularly massaged. This will not only strengthen these areas but improve your overall posture. A herbal kidney cleanse might be a good idea if you feel under the weather.

Venus, your health planet, is a fast-moving planet and will move through all the signs and houses of your Horoscope in any given year. Thus there are many short-term health trends that depend on where Venus is and the aspects she receives. Some months you might respond better to one therapy and some months to another. These short-term trends are best dealt with in the monthly reports below.

Uranus, as we have mentioned, will move into your sign on May 16. From a health perspective it signals ‘experimentation’ with the body. There will be tendency to ‘test the limits’ of the body. This is a wonderful thing in that much of our physical limitations are self-imposed or have been inherited, and it is good to break these limits. On the other hand, this testing should be done in a mindful and conscious way, not recklessly. Thus disciplines like yoga, tai chi or other martial arts might be good. These are safe ways to test the body’s limits.

This year Uranus is only making a foray into your sign. But next year – and for the next seven or so years – you will experience the full-blown transit and these tendencies will be a lot stronger.

Your health planet will move backwards this year. This is a relatively rare phenomenon that happens once every two years. So, from October 5 to November 16 avoid making major changes to the diet or health regime.

### Home and Family

Your 4th house is not a house of power this year, Taurus. So the cosmos is not pushing you to make dramatic changes in your home life one way or another. It tends to the status quo and shows a sense of satisfaction with the way things are. You have more freedom in home and family affairs, but lack the interest to alter things. In spite of this, there will be changes and dramas in the family circle this year. Most likely you won’t be initiating these things, but reacting to events that happen. This year we have three Solar Eclipses – usually there are only two. Since the Sun is your family planet the Horoscope is forecasting more than usual turbulence. Two eclipses – one Solar and one Lunar – will actually occur in your 4th house of home and family, reinforcing the sense of ‘shakeup’ and ‘drama’ that we see.

We will cover the eclipses in more detail in the monthly reports. In general it is wise to be more patient with family members (and with parents or parent figures) as they are apt to be more temperamental. The emotional life (and the dream life) will tend to be more volatile as well.

A parent or parent figure is likely to move, renovate the existing home, or buy an additional home. It seems happy and fortunate. Another parent or parent figure seems very devoted to you and seems very focused on you. This is a double-edged sword: there is more support, but perhaps more control as well.

Siblings or sibling figures in your life could have moved in 2015 or 2016. Things are more stable for them this year. Children and children figures are likely to move after November 8, and perhaps next year too. This looks happy. Grandchildren of appropriate age have perhaps had multiple moves in recent years. This trend continues this year. Their wanderlust seems almost over with, however, and they will be more ready to settle down next year.

Though you are likely to need to make repairs to the home this year, major renovations aren’t likely. (You have freedom to do them, but no pressing necessity.) However, if you’re redecorating or updating the home in cosmetic kinds of way – or buying art objects for the home – June 13 to August 23 seems a good time.

One of the parents or parent figures in your life needs to watch his or her health more. A daily disciplined health regime is in order. He or she should pay more attention to the spine, knees, teeth, bones, colon, bladder and sexual organs. Surgery could be recommended to this person too.

Siblings or sibling figures have wonderful job opportunities this year. If there have been health problems there is good news on that front.

### Finance and Career

Money and financial well-being are always important for Taurus, but this year less so than usual. I read this as a good thing. Finances are relatively stable – relatively satisfying – and you have no pressing need for major change. The money house is not a house of power this year. It is basically empty. Only short-term planets will briefly pass through there, so finances will be more or less like last year.

Your financial planet, Mercury, is, next to the Moon, the fastest and most erratic of the planets. Sometimes he moves very fast (passing through three signs and houses in a given month), sometimes he’s slow and sometimes he goes backwards. The fact that he’s your financial planet shows that though you tend to be fixed in your ways, when it comes to finance, you’re very flexible. You can change your opinions and attitudes at the drop of a hat.

This erratic nature of Mercury indicates that there are many short-term financial trends, all depending on where he is at any given time, how fast he’s moving and the aspects he receives. These trends are best dealt with in the monthly reports.

We should mention that Mercury will go into retrograde motion three times this year (this is usual, although in the past two years he went retrograde four times each year). These are times to put the financial life (your goals and planning) under review. These are great periods for research and study, but not so good for making important purchases or financial moves. Mercury is retrograde from March 23 to April 15, July 26 to August 19 and November 17 to December 6.

The real action this year is in the career. Here we see many – and positive – changes. You tend to prefer status and prestige over mere money, Taurus. You sort of feel that ‘if I’m successful, if I have status, money will follow eventually’.

There are two eclipse in your 10th career house this year – a Solar Eclipse on February 15 and a Lunar Eclipse on July 27. These indicate shakeups in your company or industry. Your career strategy and thinking will change. A lot of obstacles (or what you thought were obstacles) will be removed. But even more important than that is your career planet Uranus’s entry into your sign on May 16. This signals you have the favour and support of the people with power in your life, the bosses and authority figures. This move is favourable for the career. It shows that career opportunities will start seeking you out rather than vice versa. The offers will come, you just have to go about your daily business.

With Uranus in your 1st house people will see you as successful. This will be your image and persona. You will dress and look the part. Personal appearance and overall demeanour will be a big factor in your career success.

Uranus in Aries for the past seven years has made the career highly unstable. There was always a feeling of insecurity. Uranus in Taurus is more stable – more solid – less volatile.

### Love and Social Life

As we mentioned earlier, the year ahead is a banner love and social year. For some it will be the best ever, for others it will be up there among the best. Much depends on your age. Jupiter will spend the year in your 7th house of love. The stresses to your love planet, Pluto, are mostly over with. If you are single, this is a year for finding that special someone. Often this transit shows a literal marriage, but not always. Sometimes it shows a relationship that is ‘like a marriage’.

All of you will be socializing more, making new and significant kinds of friendships. Often business partnerships happen under this transit too.

In spite of all this good, there are some complications (and this is especially so for those of you born early in the sign – from April 20 to April 23). Uranus in your sign is not the best aspect for serious relationships. There is a tendency to want absolute personal freedom and it is difficult having to compromise that. You want to do what you want to do when you want to do it. A committed relationship, by definition, implies a limitation of personal freedom. One needs to be able to sacrifice the latter in order to explore other kinds of freedom – the freedom of intimacy with another, the freedom to explore family life, etc. Too much self will might not stop romance, but it might stop committed relationships. Those of you involved romantically with a Taurus need to give them as much space – as much freedom – as possible, so long as it isn’t destructive.

So romance is very likely this year – the opportunities are certainly there – but will it lead to marriage or commitment? That is the million dollar question.

Pluto, the generic planet of sex, is your love planet. Jupiter, the actual planet of sex, is in your house of love. This gives many messages. Sexual magnetism seems the most important thing for you (and for the people you’re involved with). It seems the ‘be all and end all’. While there is no question of its importance, we can’t confuse that with real love, nor can one build a solid relationship only on that. More is needed.

Jupiter in your 7th house indicates an attraction to foreigners and to highly educated or religious kinds of people. You’re attracted to mentor types. (Many of the people you meet seem eager to be mentor figures.) It shows an attraction to wealth too. In fact the people you’re meeting seem well off; they seem like ‘money people’.

There are romantic opportunities at your place of worship, at religious or educational functions or in foreign lands. Professors and the clergy in your life – as well as the people in your place of worship – like playing Cupid.

### Self-Improvement

Uranus’s brief venture into your 1st house this year is only a foretaste of things to come; an announcement. Much change is happening in your life, much of it sudden and unexpected. There is a cosmic lesson here. An important one. Taureans are conservative people. They like routine. They like predictability. And they don’t do well with too much change. But now the cosmos is pushing change on you – and make no mistake, it is for your good. So the lesson here is to make change your friend. To embrace it. To roll and adapt with it. There is something very exciting about all this. Anything can happen at any time. Routines – comfortable though they may be – are not likely to last. It is important now to be flexible and ready to let things go. If you learn this, things will go easier for you down the road.

Uranus is your career planet. The worldly aspects of your career have been discussed above, but the 10th house has a deeper meaning than just the worldly career. Spiritually it represents your soul purpose, your spiritual mission for this life. This is going to become ever more important in the coming years. The message of the Horoscope is that your body and image is basically your mission. You’re being called to create and personify the ‘Divine Body’ – the body as it was created to be – the Divine Idea of your body. This is perfection when we understand it correctly. But it is not just about the body, it’s also about your outer personality. You are being called to perfect yourself, to make you as you are intended to be.

Uranus is going to initiate a long-term trend in ‘self-redefinition’. You will be constantly redefining yourself, changing your image and your look – upgrading it the way you upgrade your computer and software. Every time you think you have it ‘perfect’ – a new idea comes to you and you change. You’re not going to be the ‘stodgy boring Taurus’ any longer, but someone exciting, electrifying and fun to be around. You will have a magnetic, charismatic kind of presence.

For years now, Pluto has been detoxifying your belief systems – your philosophy of life. Everyone has a philosophy of life – consciously or unconsciously. This area of life is much more important (though less popular) than psychology. Your personal philosophy will shape your psychology. So, much change has happened in your belief systems over the years. Now Saturn’s presence in your 9th house is going to test your new beliefs. They get a reality check. The changes you have made, are they real? Are they true? Can they hold up under the events of life? In the next two years, you will find out. Some will hold up, some will need to be changed, modified or thrown out completely.

Saturn in your 9th house favours what is called ‘the old time religion’. Traditional religion. It has been fashionable to toss this out the window, to mock it in certain quarters. But the reason these religions have lasted so long is that underneath the human baggage lie deep spiritual truths. These should be understood and absorbed now. Once you have the essence you can throw away the outer trappings. But first one needs the essence.

### Month-by-month Forecasts. January

Best Days Overall: 5, 6, 15, 16, 25, 26

Most Stressful Days Overall: 3, 4, 10, 11, 17, 18, 31

Best Days for Love: 5, 6, 10, 11, 15, 16, 25, 26, 27, 28

Best Days for Money: 1, 2, 3, 4, 10, 11, 15, 16, 20, 21, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30

Best Days for Career: 4, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 23, 24, 31

You’re in a very interesting situation these days. You begin your year with 90 per cent (and for half the month all) of the planets above the horizon. The upper half of your chart – the ‘day side’ – is chock-full of planets, while the lower half is empty. Only the Moon will move through the ‘night side’ of your chart this month, from the 3rd to the 9th and from the 25th to the 31st. This means that you are very much a ‘day’ person in the year ahead. A career person. A person focused on outer achievement. Home, family and emotional issues are taking a back seat. Also it means that the lower half of the Horoscope – even at its strongest point – will never dominate. You’re in a strong career year – and the month ahead is a strong career month. If people accuse you of being ‘career driven’ – just humbly nod your head. It’s in the stars.

A Lunar Eclipse on the 31st will force you – if only briefly – to pay more attention to the home and family. It occurs in your 4th house of home and family and brings dramas in the lives of family members – especially a parent or parent figure. Often repairs are needed in the home and you won’t be able to avoid this. This is a powerful eclipse so reduce your schedule over that period. This eclipse will test cars and communication equipment, and in many cases they will need repair or replacement. Siblings and/or sibling figures in your life will have life-changing dramas. Since Venus is impacted by this eclipse (although not exactly, it’s more like a glancing blow) the health regime will change in the coming months. Sometimes there is a health scare – but your health looks good and it probably won’t be anything more than that. There can be upheavals in your neighbourhood and with neighbours too. If you employ others there is instability with employees.

It is interesting that this eclipse occurs right in the midst of a yearly career peak – one of your most successful (and demanding) times. It’s a distraction to the career. Happily, the family (for the most part) is supportive of your career goals. They see it as a ‘family project’ and not just personal to you.

The love life is going well this month. Between the 8th and the 10th Venus travels with your love planet, Pluto. For singles this indicates a significant romantic meeting or opportunity. Jupiter is in your 7th house as well – serious love is in the air.

### February

Best Days Overall: 2, 3, 11, 12, 21, 22

Most Stressful Days Overall: 6, 7, 14, 15, 27, 28

Best Days for Love: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 11, 12, 16, 21, 22, 25, 26

Best Days for Money: 2, 3, 6, 7, 11, 12, 16, 17, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26

Best Days for Career: 10, 14, 15, 19, 20, 28

Many of the trends discussed last month are still in effect now. You’re still very much in a yearly career peak and seem very successful. Last month – on the 18th – Venus, the ruler of your Horoscope, crossed the Mid-heaven and entered your 10th house of career. This shows personal success and elevation. People look up to you. You’re in charge (or aspire to be) and are at the top of your game. Venus will remain in your 10th house until the 11th. But another eclipse will distract you – and this one also looks to be powerful. It is a Solar Eclipse on the 15th, which occurs in your career house.

You need to be taking it more easy until the 18th anyway, but especially during the eclipse period. This Solar Eclipse affects the family, and especially the parents (both sets of parents or parent figures). There are dramas in their lives. The home might need more attention as hidden flaws there can be revealed. There are shakeups in your company and industry: perhaps the government changes the law and the rules of the game are changed. Bosses and authority figures have personal dramas. All these things are ultimately going to benefit your career, as obstructions to your progress are being blown away. But while it is happening there is usually a feeling of insecurity. A career course correction is very much in order now.

This eclipse is powerful in other ways too. Mercury, your financial planet, is affected. There is some financial disturbance, something that forces a course correction in your financial strategy and thinking. A love affair can be tested. Children and children figures need to redefine themselves. Jupiter, the ruler of your 8th house of regeneration, is also affected. Thus there can be near-death kinds of experiences, problems with the tax authorities or legal issues. Often people have dreams of death under these kinds of eclipses. But this is just to help you come to terms with it.

Health and energy will improve from the 18th onwards. Until then make sure to get enough rest. Enhance the health in the ways mentioned in the yearly report. Until the 11th pay attention to the ankles and calves. Massage them regularly. After the 11th give more attention to the feet – foot massage becomes very beneficial. Venus in Pisces, from the 11th onwards, favours spiritual kinds of therapies. If you feel under the weather, see a spiritual healer.

### March

Best Days Overall: 1, 2, 10, 11, 12, 20, 21, 29, 30

Most Stressful Days Overall: 6, 7, 13, 14, 26, 27

Best Days for Love: 1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 18, 19, 20, 21, 26, 27, 29, 30

Best Days for Money: 6, 7, 8, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27

Best Days for Career: 9, 13, 14, 18, 19, 27

Career is still very important, and this is how it will be all year. But the month ahead is more spiritual. There are many planets in the spiritual sign of Pisces this month: at least 40 per cent (and sometimes 50 per cent) of the planets are either there or moving through there. This shows involvement with spiritual-type groups and befriending spiritual people. The spiritual connection seems important in friendships these days. (Let’s not forget that Neptune, the generic spiritual ruler, has been in your 11th house for many years now.)

Spirituality is further emphasized after the 20th as your 12th house becomes ultra-powerful. Your challenge this month will be to merge your spiritual values with the values of the world. This is not so easy to do. Your career approach will become more spiritual and your spiritual approach more worldly and practical.

Health and energy are superb this month. There is only one long-term planet in stressful alignment with you. All the short-term planets (except for the Moon on occasion) are either in harmony with you or leaving you alone. So long as you don’t fritter away all this extra energy it should bring you success and prosperity. You can enhance your health further by giving more attention to the feet until the 6th, and to the head, face and scalp after that date. Scalp massage will not only strengthen the brain and head, but the entire body as well.

Mercury, your financial planet, spends most of the month in your spiritual 12th house – from the 6th onwards. This shows the importance of intuition, and a need – and an ability – to access the supernatural sources of supply. This is a time for miracle money, rather than natural money. Mercury will go into retrograde motion on the 23rd, so wrap up important purchases or investments before then. After the 23rd it’s time to put your finances under review.

Love is good this year, as we’ve said, but after the 20th it does become more challenging. You have to work harder at your current relationship. There are some short-term personal disagreements with the beloved. Next month harmony is restored.

The planetary power is approaching its maximum Eastern position this month. Next month it will be even stronger. Now is the time to make the changes that need to be made. You have plenty of cosmic support. (If we have cosmic support we’re not worried about what humans think.) Personal independence is unusually strong.

### April

Best Days Overall: 7, 8, 16, 17, 25, 26

Most Stressful Days Overall: 2, 3, 9, 10, 11, 23, 24, 29

Best Days for Love: 2, 3, 7, 8, 16, 17, 25, 26, 27, 29

Best Days for Money: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 12, 13, 14, 15, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24, 29, 30

Best Days for Career: 6, 9, 10, 15, 24

A happy and successful month Taurus, enjoy! Health and energy are terrific. And with more energy there is more happiness. (A good definition of depression, astrologically speaking, is ‘lack of energy’.) With more energy your horizons expand. Things that were considered impossible – things you may have dismissed from your mind – are now eminently possible.

The planetary power is East – maximum East. This, as our regular readers know, is the sector of self. The planetary power is on your side, supporting you and your personal happiness. As we mentioned last month, this is the time to make any changes that need to be made in your life. Irksome conditions are easily alterable now, there’s no need to suffer or compromise. Personal initiative matters. Personal skills matter. We are never disrespectful of others, but now you’re not that dependent on them. It’s time to have things your way – to have life on your terms. If you create wisely, the year ahead will be more comfortable. If you make mistakes you’ll learn about them over the next six months, and when your next period of independence comes, you’ll be able to make appropriate changes.

Spirituality is still important this month, until the 20th. Spiritual breakthroughs that happen will change both the financial and career situation for the better. Even the family situation will improve because of this. If parents or parent figures haven’t been getting along, there is more togetherness from the 17th to the 19th. There is happy career success in that period too.

Venus spends most of the month in your sign, until the 24th. This brings beauty and glamour to the image. It is one of the best times to buy clothing or personal accessories as your taste will be excellent. Happy job opportunities are coming too: there is no need for any Taurus to be unemployed now.

The Sun moves into your sign on the 20th. This, too, improves the personal appearance. You have ‘star quality’ now. Charisma. A twinkle in your eye, a spring in your step. It is no surprise that the love life is vastly improved. The only complication is the retrograde of your love planet Pluto on the 22nd, which will go on for many months. This doesn’t stop love, but it does slow things down a bit. And it should be slowed down – let love develop as it will.

### May

Best Days Overall: 4, 5, 14, 15, 22, 23, 31

Most Stressful Days Overall: 7, 8, 20, 21, 26, 27, 28

Best Days for Love: 4, 5, 7, 8, 14, 15, 17, 22, 23, 26, 27, 28

Best Days for Money: 2, 3, 9, 10, 13, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19, 22, 23, 26, 27, 31

Best Days for Career: 4, 7, 8, 14, 22, 31

Another happy and successful month, with just a few challenges to keep things interesting. (Too much happiness can get boring after a while.)

Last month, on the 20th, as the Sun entered your 1st house, you began one of your yearly personal pleasure peaks. This is a great time to pamper the body and to enjoy all the pleasures of the five senses. It’s also good for getting your body and image in right shape. The cosmos supports these activities.

Mercury, now moving forward, crosses your Ascendant and enters your 1st house on the 13th, bringing financial windfalls to you. You start to dress more expensively and present an image of wealth. Financial opportunities seek you out. You have the financial favour of the money people in your life.

The big news – and we mentioned this in the yearly report – is Uranus’s move into your sign on the 16th. Taureans have a tendency to get stuck in their ways. But those days are over (especially for those of you born early in the sign). Now change can happen at any time, in any place – sudden and dramatic change. During this period it seems to involve the career. Happy career opportunities come that can upend your whole status quo.

On the 21st the Sun enters your money house and you begin a yearly financial peak. Venus is in the money house until the 19th – also good for finances – and your money planet Mercury will enter on the 30th. So the month ahead is prosperous – Taurus heaven!

Mars crosses the Mid-heaven on the 16th and enters your 10th house of career. This indicates a lot of frenetic career activity. Perhaps there are some unpleasant revelations about your company or industry and much work has to be done. Perhaps you have to fend off competitors. It will keep you on your toes.

Money comes through your personal effort, your job, family and family connections and from good sales and marketing. A speedy Mercury (he moves through three signs and houses this month) shows financial confidence and fast, forward progress.

Family support is very good now. They seem devoted to you. Love is happy but Pluto is still retrograde, so no need to rush into anything. (Jupiter in your 7th house of love is also retrograde, just to reinforce what we’re saying here.)

### June

Best Days Overall: 1, 2, 10, 11, 18, 19, 28, 29

Most Stressful Days Overall: 3, 4, 16, 17, 23, 24, 30

Best Days for Love: 1, 2, 6, 7, 10, 11, 16, 18, 19, 23, 24, 28, 29

Best Days for Money: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14, 15, 23, 24

Best Days for Career: 1, 3, 4, 10, 18, 28, 30

Planetary retrograde activity increases this month. By the 26th half the planets will be moving backwards – almost the maximum number for 2018. The pace of life slows down considerably. There are many delays and glitches in the world. On a psychological level it is useful to understand what’s going on. Also, as an added bonus, we learn patience.

You’re still very much into one of your yearly financial peaks. Things might be slower in the world, but your earnings are coming in as they should. By the 21st your short-term financial goals are more or less achieved and you can focus on other things – such as intellectual development. This is a great period to take courses in subjects that interest you. If you have expertise in a given field it’s also a good time to teach others, to communicate what you know. Sales and marketing are always important on a financial level, but especially until the 29th.

Venus makes beautiful aspects to Neptune on the 1st and 2nd. This brings someone spiritual into your life. Your intuition is keen and the dream life is very active. From the 4th to the 6th, as Venus opposes Pluto, there are short-term conflicts with the beloved. These will pass. You’re just seeing things from opposite perspectives.

Health and energy are basically good this month. Be careful of overworking though – Mars is still in your 10th house and career is frenetic. You can enhance the health through right diet and emotional tranquillity until the 14th. After that date, give more attention to the heart. Heat-oriented therapies (and plain old sunshine) are healing from the 14th onwards.

Finances, as we mentioned, are basically good this month, but on the 15th and 16th there is some challenge or delay. On the 22nd or 23rd there can be a financial disagreement with the beloved.

Venus, the ruler of your Horoscope, is ‘out of bounds’ from the 1st to the 7th. So you’re outside your normal sphere then. This might be because of your job.

Uranus is still in your 1st house this month and very near your Ascendant. So change and excitement is happening for many of you. Many of you are changing your image – experimenting with it. You keep upgrading your image the way some people update their software. It is an ongoing, continuous process.

### July

Best Days Overall: 7, 8, 16, 17, 25, 26

Most Stressful Days Overall: 1, 14, 15, 20, 21, 27, 28, 29

Best Days for Love: 5, 6, 7, 8, 16, 17, 20, 21, 25, 26

Best Days for Money: 1, 5, 6, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 27, 28, 29

Best Days for Career: 1, 7, 16, 25, 27, 28, 29

Persistence – some might call it stubbornness – is one of the important virtues of Taureans. You have this innate ability to create success when others have long since given up. But this virtue is sometimes a vice. Sometimes you get too stuck in your ways and need a course correction. Uranus in your 1st house, and two very strong eclipses, are taking you out of your rut this month. Many of you saw the beginnings of this – the harbinger – last month.

Both eclipses – the Solar Eclipse of the 13th and the Lunar Eclipse of the 27th – affect you strongly, so take it nice and easy then. The Solar Eclipse not only impacts on your home and family planet, the Sun, but also occurs in the sign of Cancer, which generically rules family. So more family dramas are happening. Memories can arise about explosive past events. A parent or parent figure has to make a life-changing decision. Hidden flaws in the home can come to light so that you can deal with them. The family situation is not as it seemed to be, and the eclipse reveals this. The Solar Eclipse occurs in your 3rd house and so siblings and sibling figures in your life are affected here. They are experiencing personal and financial dramas. Cars and communication equipment will get tested, and will often need repair or replacement. Students below college level can change schools, or otherwise change their educational plans. There are disruptions in their school. Pluto, your love planet, is impacted too, so a current relationship gets tested. Repressed grievances tend to come up and need to be dealt with. Be more patient with the beloved at this time.

The Lunar Eclipse of the 27th also impacts on the home and family, as the Moon, the eclipsed planet, is the generic ruler of this area of the Horoscope. Siblings and sibling figures are once again affected, forcing important personal changes. Cars and communication equipment get tested once again. This eclipse occurs in your 10th house of career, so there are course corrections in your career. The rules of the game are changing. This eclipse impacts on the other parent figure in your life. Often there are dramas with bosses, elders and people involved in your career. This eclipse affects Mars, the ruler of your spiritual 12th house. Thus there are shakeups in a charitable or spiritual organization that you’re involved with. There are dramas in the lives of guru figures. The dream life is likely to be hyperactive, but not very reliable. Don’t put too much stock in your dreams for the moment.

### August

Best Days Overall: 4, 5, 12, 13, 21, 22, 31

Most Stressful Days Overall: 10, 11, 16, 17, 24, 25

Best Days for Love: 4, 5, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 21, 22, 24, 25, 31

Best Days for Money: 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 16, 17, 19, 20, 26, 27, 29, 30

Best Days for Career: 4, 12, 21, 24, 25, 31

The turbulence of the past month is not yet over with. We have another Solar Eclipse – the third one of the year – on the 11th. This is more or less a replay of last month’s eclipses (things never repeat in the same exact way, but the themes of the eclipses are similar). It occurs in your 4th house of home and family and the eclipsed planet, the Sun, is the ruler of your 4th house. So there are yet more family dramas, and perhaps more work needed on the physical home. (The hidden flaws there were more numerous than you thought.)

You should reduce your schedule this month, until the 22nd anyway – it’s not your best health month – and especially around the eclipse period.

It is midnight in your year (allegorically speaking) and yet you seem wide awake. The outer world calls to you. You would like to sleep, but you need to focus on the activities of the day. It’s a curious situation, and one that perhaps leaves you feeling sleep deprived.

Enhance the health by making sure you get enough rest. But also give more attention to the diet and the small intestine until the 7th, and to the kidneys and hips afterwards. Regular hip massage will not only strengthen the kidneys, but the lower back as well. Your health planet, Venus, spends most of the month in Libra – her own sign – which is a good health omen. She is strong in that sign. It also indicates a need for good social health, and good marital health. If there are problems there, resolve them as quickly as you can.

Your financial planet, Mercury, is retrograde until the 19th, so avoid major purchases and investments during this time. After the 19th there will be more clarity and it is safer to act. Mercury spends the month in your 4th house. So (no surprise), you’re spending more on the home and family. Perhaps you’re earning from there as well. Some of you will be earning money at home. Family and family connections are playing a huge role in the financial life this month.

Mars, your spiritual planet, is ‘out of bounds’ all month (an aspect that began last month). So in your spiritual life you’re outside your normal sphere. This is the kind of aspect of someone who travels to some distant land on a spiritual pilgrimage. But it can also indicate exploring new and different types of spirituality from where you are.

### September

Best Days Overall: 1, 9, 17, 18, 19, 27, 28

Most Stressful Days Overall: 7, 13, 14, 20, 21

Best Days for Love: 1, 2, 3, 9, 10, 13, 14, 18, 19, 22, 23, 27, 28

Best Days for Money: 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 13, 14, 18, 19, 22, 23, 24, 29, 30

Best Days for Career: 1, 8, 9, 17, 20, 21, 27

Now that the excitement of the eclipses is over you can enjoy your life more. Your 5th house of creativity and fun is still very strong until the 22nd, so you’re in another one of your personal pleasure peaks for the year. A good time to schedule more leisure and fun activities into your life.

Health and energy are much improved over last month. If there have been health problems you should hear good news about them this month. Continue to pay particular attention to the kidneys and hips until the 9th. After the 9th give more focus to the colon, bladder and sexual organs. Detox regimes are powerful after this date, and a herbal colon cleanse might be a good idea if you feel under the weather.

Finances are also good this month. Mercury is moving fast and financial progress happens quickly. You cover a lot of territory. The period between the 6th and the 22nd is particularly good. Mercury will be in your 5th house, showing that money is earned in happy ways. The act of making money is enjoyable (and we can’t always say that). There is luck in speculations. Most importantly you’re enjoying the wealth that you have. You’re spending your money on fun activities. Children and children figures in your life seem important financially. Sometimes, especially if they are young, they motivate you to earn more. Sometimes they have ideas or insights that are profitable. If the children are older, they can be financially supportive in a more tangible way.

Your 6th house of health and work becomes strong from the 22nd onwards. This signals a good work ethic – something you need right now with Mars moving back into your 10th house of career. The demands of career are very strong, but you seem up to it. Those of you looking for work should have success during this period (and next month too).

On July 22 the planetary power started to shift from the East to the West, from the sector of the self to the sector of others. Now, it is approaching its maximum Western position. This means that the planetary power is more focused on others, flowing towards others, away from yourself. And, this is how you should be. Venus, the ruler of your Horoscope, moves into your 7th house on the 9th and stays there for the rest of the month ahead. You’re taking a vacation from yourself (a much-needed one), and you’re more concerned for others now. You put the interests of others ahead of your own. You feel good when you can do things for others. This tends to popularity, so love is going well too.

### October

Best Days Overall: 6, 7, 15, 16, 25, 26

Most Stressful Days Overall: 4, 5, 10, 11, 17, 18, 19, 31

Best Days for Love: 2, 3, 6, 7, 10, 11, 15, 16, 20, 21, 25, 26, 29, 30

Best Days for Money: 1, 2, 3, 9, 10, 11, 20, 21, 27, 28, 29, 30

Best Days for Career: 6, 15, 17, 18, 24, 25

Love is the main headline in the coming month, but it is still a bit complicated. On the one hand, Pluto, your love planet, is finally moving forward again after many months of retrograde motion (this happens on the 20th). Jupiter in your 7th house is also moving forward, and on the 23rd the Sun will enter your 7th house, initiating a yearly love and social peak. So love is in the air for singles these days. There is only one problem. Venus, the planet of love and the ruler of your Horoscope, starts to go backwards on the 5th. So, love is happening, but you seem to be backing away from it. Perhaps you’re taking a wait-and-see attitude. Perhaps you’re being more cautious. But the love opportunities are there, and the social judgement is getting better.

Health is good this month and you’re on the case – your 6th house of health is still very strong until the 23rd. After then, however, your health will need more attention being paid. We don’t see any major disasters, just energy not up to its usual standards. So make sure, as always, to get enough rest. Enhance the health in the ways mentioned in the yearly report, and in the ways mentioned last month. Detox regimes are excellent. A herbal colon cleanse might be a good idea. Safe sex and sexual moderation are important.

The career has been important all year, but now, from the 23rd onwards, it becomes even more of a focus. After the 23rd 90 per cent of the planets will be above the horizon. Mars is still in your career house, however, and the career is frenetic. You need to be more aggressive here.

Finances looks good this month, but stronger after the 10th than before. The month will wind up being prosperous. Until the 10th money comes through your work – the old-fashioned way. On the 10th your money planet Mercury moves into Scorpio, your 7th house, and travels with the Sun. This signals good support from family and friends. Mercury will travel with Jupiter from the 28th to the 30th – indicating a nice payday. It also shows good financial cooperation with the spouse, partner or current love. Debts are easily paid. This is a good period to contact outside investors if you have good ideas for projects. A business partnership or joint venture could happen – the opportunity will come. Social connections are important all month.

### November

Best Days Overall: 2, 3, 11, 12, 21, 22, 29, 30

Most Stressful Days Overall: 1, 6, 7, 8, 14, 15, 27, 28

Best Days for Love: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 14, 15, 21, 22, 23, 24, 29, 30

Best Days for Money: 1, 8, 9, 10, 19, 20, 23, 24, 27, 28

Best Days for Career: 2, 10, 14, 15, 20, 28

The spouse, partner or current love has had a good financial year, but this month it gets even better. On the 8th Jupiter will move into their money house, a classic signal of prosperity, and on the 22nd the Sun also moves into this house and they enter a yearly financial peak. You seem personally very involved with this.

Jupiter’s move into your 8th house of regeneration shows the importance of tax efficiency. Good tax planning will play an important role in your bottom line. It is also excellent for paying debts, refinancing debt on more favourable terms, or for taking out loans – all depending on your need. Often this transit indicates inheritance, but hopefully no one has to die. You can profit from estates or be appointed to some administrative position in an estate.

You’re still very much in the midst of a yearly love and social peak until the 22nd. However, Venus is still retrograde until the 16th, so while the love opportunities are still there you seem hesitant. This will start to change after the 16th. The New Moon of the 7th is going to clarify love issues as the month progresses. All the information you need will come to you effortlessly as the month progresses. You’ll have all the information you need to make a correct decision.

Mercury, your financial planet, spends the month in Sagittarius, your 8th house. This shows involvement with the income of the spouse, partner or current love. It also shows the need for good tax and insurance planning. For those of you of appropriate age it is a good aspect for estate planning. Mercury is ‘out of bounds’ from the 4th to the 20th, showing that you’re moving outside your normal sphere in pursuit of earnings. Sometimes it shows that there is a need to do this – that you can’t attain your goals unless you think ‘outside the box’. Mercury will go retrograde on the 17th, so try to wrap up important purchases and investment decisions before then. The Sun travels with Jupiter from the 24th to the 28th. This indicates a nice payday for you and for a parent or parent figure. He or she is likely to be more generous with you over that period.

Career is still important but it is a bit less frantic this month. Mars will leave your 10th house on the 16th.

Uranus’s foray into your sign finishes on the 6th. He moves back into Aries for the next couple of months. But he did his job, he delivered his message; major changes will be happening from next year onwards.

### December

Best Days Overall: 9, 10, 18, 19, 27, 28

Most Stressful Days Overall: 4, 5, 11, 12, 25, 26, 31

Best Days for Love: 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 10, 14, 15, 18, 19, 23, 24, 27, 28, 31

Best Days for Money: 4, 5, 6, 13, 16, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26

Best Days for Career: 7, 11, 12, 17, 26

Though you’re not in a yearly love and social peak, the love life seems active and positive this month. Venus is now moving forward and will spend almost all month in your 7th house of love. Pluto, your love planet, is going forward too. So the social confidence and judgement is good. Venus in your 7th house signals much social popularity. You’re there for your friends and the beloved. You put their interests ahead of your own. You’re very devoted to your existing relationship. This tends to popularity. Good social skills (and you have them now) are not only important in love but in finance as well. Mercury is also in your 7th house until the 13th.

Mercury resumes forward motion on the 6th, so your naturally sound financial judgement returns. This is a positive for finance. On the 13th Mercury moves into your 8th house again. This, as we have mentioned, is good for tax and estate planning (for those of you of appropriate age), for paying down or making debt (according to your need), and for focusing on the financial well-being of others. It is good for attracting outside money to your projects – in the form of either investors or credit.

Taureans tend to be hoarders. They take in, take in, take in. This a good month to detox your possessions – to get rid of the things that you don’t need or use. Use should be the criterion. The things you use, keep. What you don’t use, either sell or give to charity. Too many things clog up the internal system. You need to make room for the new and better things that want to come in.

On the 21st the Sun enters your 9th house and starts to travel with the ruler of that house. This signals foreign travel, foreign lands call to you. Spending the holidays with the family in some foreign spot seems a good idea. This is also a good aspect for college students. They seem more disciplined and more focused on their studies.

Mars, your spiritual planet, travels with Neptune from the 5th to the 7th. Pay attention to your dreams during this period as they seem significant. You could feel the effects of this aspect even before the 5th. It will bring spiritual breakthroughs. More spiritually minded friends will come into the picture.

### Personality Profile. GEMINI AT A GLANCE

Element – Air

Ruling Planet – Mercury

Career Planet – Neptune

Love Planet – Jupiter

Money Planet – Moon

Planet of Health and Work – Pluto

Planet of Home and Family Life – Mercury

Colours – blue, yellow, yellow-orange

Colour that promotes love, romance and social harmony – sky blue

Colours that promote earning power – grey, silver

Gems – agate, aquamarine

Metal – quicksilver

Scents – lavender, lilac, lily of the valley, storax

Quality – mutable (= flexibility)

Quality most needed for balance – thought that is deep rather than superficial

Strongest virtues – great communication skills, quickness and agility of thought, ability to learn quickly

Deepest need – communication

Characteristics to avoid – gossiping, hurting others with harsh speech, superficiality, using words to mislead or misinform

Signs of greatest overall compatibility – Libra, Aquarius

Signs of greatest overall incompatibility – Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces

Sign most helpful to career – Pisces

Sign most helpful for emotional support – Virgo

Sign most helpful financially – Cancer

Sign best for marriage and/or partnerships – Sagittarius

Sign most helpful for creative projects – Libra

Best Sign to have fun with – Libra

Signs most helpful in spiritual matters – Taurus, Aquarius

Best day of the week – Wednesday

### Understanding a Gemini

Gemini is to society what the nervous system is to the body. It does not introduce any new information but is a vital transmitter of impulses from the senses to the brain and vice versa. The nervous system does not judge or weigh these impulses – it only conveys information. And it does so perfectly.

This analogy should give you an indication of a Gemini’s role in society. Geminis are the communicators and conveyors of information. To Geminis the truth or falsehood of information is irrelevant, they only transmit what they see, hear or read about. Thus they are capable of spreading the most outrageous rumours as well as conveying truth and light. Geminis sometimes tend to be unscrupulous in their communications and can do both great good or great evil with their power. This is why the sign of Gemini is symbolized by twins: Geminis have a dual nature.

Their ability to convey a message – to communicate with such ease – makes Geminis ideal teachers, writers and media and marketing people. This is helped by the fact that Mercury, the ruling planet of Gemini, also rules these activities.

Geminis have the gift of the gab. And what a gift this is! They can make conversation about anything, anywhere, at any time. There is almost nothing that is more fun to Geminis than a good conversation – especially if they can learn something new as well. They love to learn and they love to teach. To deprive a Gemini of conversation, or of books and magazines, is cruel and unusual punishment.

Geminis are almost always excellent students and take well to education. Their minds are generally stocked with all kinds of information, trivia, anecdotes, stories, news items, rarities, facts and statistics. Thus they can support any intellectual position that they care to take. They are awesome debaters and, if involved in politics, make good orators. Geminis are so verbally smooth that even if they do not know what they are talking about, they can make you think that they do. They will always dazzle you with their brilliance.

### Finance

Geminis tend to be more concerned with the wealth of learning and ideas than with actual material wealth. As mentioned, they excel in professions that involve writing, teaching, sales and journalism – and not all of these professions pay very well. But to sacrifice intellectual needs merely for money is unthinkable to a Gemini. Geminis strive to combine the two. Cancer is on Gemini’s solar 2nd house of money cusp, which indicates that Geminis can earn extra income (in a harmonious and natural way) from investments in residential property, restaurants and hotels. Given their verbal skills, Geminis love to bargain and negotiate in any situation, and especially when it has to do with money.

The Moon rules Gemini’s 2nd solar house. The Moon is not only the fastest-moving planet in the zodiac but actually moves through every sign and house every 28 days. No other heavenly body matches the Moon for swiftness or the ability to change quickly. An analysis of the Moon – and lunar phenomena in general – describes Gemini’s financial attitudes very well. Geminis are financially versatile and flexible; they can earn money in many different ways. Their financial attitudes and needs seem to change daily. Their feelings about money change also: sometimes they are very enthusiastic about it, at other times they could not care less.

For a Gemini, financial goals and money are often seen only as means of supporting a family; these things have little meaning otherwise.

The Moon, as Gemini’s money planet, has another important message for Gemini financially: in order for Geminis to realize their financial potential they need to develop more of an understanding of the emotional side of life. They need to combine their awesome powers of logic with an understanding of human psychology. Feelings have their own logic; Geminis need to learn this and apply it to financial matters.

### Career and Public Image

Geminis know that they have been given the gift of communication for a reason, that it is a power that can achieve great good or cause unthinkable distress. They long to put this power at the service of the highest and most transcendental truths. This is their primary goal, to communicate the eternal verities and prove them logically. They look up to people who can transcend the intellect – to poets, artists, musicians and mystics. They may be awed by stories of religious saints and martyrs. A Gemini’s highest achievement is to teach the truth, whether it is scientific, inspirational or historical. Those who can transcend the intellect are Gemini’s natural superiors – and a Gemini realizes this.

The sign of Pisces is in Gemini’s solar 10th house of career. Neptune, the planet of spirituality and altruism, is Gemini’s career planet. If Geminis are to realize their highest career potential they need to develop their transcendental – their spiritual and altruistic – side. They need to understand the larger cosmic picture, the vast flow of human evolution – where it came from and where it is heading. Only then can a Gemini’s intellectual powers take their true position and he or she can become the ‘messenger of the gods’. Geminis need to cultivate a facility for ‘inspiration’, which is something that does not originate in the intellect but which comes through the intellect. This will further enrich and empower a Gemini’s mind.

### Love and Relationships

Geminis bring their natural garrulousness and brilliance into their love life and social life as well. A good talk or a verbal joust is an interesting prelude to romance. Their only problem in love is that their intellect is too cool and passionless to incite ardour in others. Emotions sometimes disturb them, and their partners tend to complain about this. If you are in love with a Gemini you must understand why this is so. Geminis avoid deep passions because these would interfere with their ability to think and communicate. If they are cool towards you, understand that this is their nature.

Nevertheless, Geminis must understand that it is one thing to talk about love and another actually to love – to feel it and radiate it. Talking about love glibly will get them nowhere. They need to feel it and act on it. Love is not of the intellect but of the heart. If you want to know how a Gemini feels about love you should not listen to what he or she says, but rather, observe what he or she does. Geminis can be quite generous to those they love.

Geminis like their partners to be refined, well educated and well travelled. If their partners are more wealthy than they, that is all the better. If you are in love with a Gemini you had better be a good listener as well.

The ideal relationship for the Gemini is a relationship of the mind. They enjoy the physical and emotional aspects, of course, but if the intellectual communion is not there they will suffer.

### Home and Domestic Life

At home the Gemini can be uncharacteristically neat and meticulous. They tend to want their children and partner to live up to their idealistic standards. When these standards are not met they moan and criticize. However, Geminis are good family people and like to serve their families in practical and useful ways.

The Gemini home is comfortable and pleasant. They like to invite people over and they make great hosts. Geminis are also good at repairs and improvements around the house – all fuelled by their need to stay active and occupied with something they like to do. Geminis have many hobbies and interests that keep them busy when they are home alone.

Geminis understand and get along well with their children, mainly because they are very youthful people themselves. As great communicators, Geminis know how to explain things to children; in this way they gain their children’s love and respect. Geminis also encourage children to be creative and talkative, just like they are.

### Horoscope for 2018. Major Trends

Major, long-term planets are changing signs this year and this brings changes of direction in your own life. Nothing is settled right now. Everything is subject to change.

Jupiter spends most of the year in your 6th house of health and work. This is good news on the health front: if there have been problems in this area you should hear good news about them. It also shows very nice job opportunities coming your way. This can be with your present company or with another one. These job opportunities are happy. More on this later.

Jupiter, your love planet, will move into your 7th house of love on November 8. This shows happiness in love and a stellar kind of love life. Next year will also be good. There’s more on this later.

Saturn moved into your 8th house of regeneration late last year, and most of you haven’t felt the influence of this transit yet, but this year you will. It signals a need to rein in the sex drive and sexual activity – quality is to be preferred to quantity. The spouse, partner or current love is forced to reorganize the financial life. He or she is taking on new financial burdens.

Pluto has been in your 8th house for many years and will be there for many more to come. Since Pluto is your health planet, it indicates a tendency towards surgery. (This could have already happened.) But detox regimes should also be explored. More details later.

Uranus, the planet of change and experimentation, is making a foray into your 12th house of spirituality from May 16 to November 6, and next year he will move in for the long haul. Thus many of you will be changing your spiritual paths in the coming years, embracing a more scientific kind of approach. Many of you will change teachers and teachings – most likely multiple times – over the next seven years. Again, there are more details later.

Neptune, your career planet (and the most spiritual and idealistic of all the planets), has been in your 10th career house for some years now, and he will remain there for many more (he is a slow-moving planet). Thus idealism is important in the career. This aspect favours a spiritual type of career. More on this later.

Your most important interests in the year ahead will be health and work (until November 8); love and romance (from November 8 onwards); sex, occult studies and personal transformation; career; friends, groups and group activities (from January 1 to May 16 and from November 6 to December 31); and spirituality (from May 16 to November 6).

Your paths of greatest fulfilment this year are communication and intellectual interests (until November 17); finance (from November 17 onwards); health and work (until November 8); and love and romance (from November 8 onwards).

### Health

(Please note that this is an astrological perspective on health and not a medical one. In days of yore there was no difference, both these perspectives were identical. But now there could be quite a difference. For a medical perspective, please consult your doctor or health practitioner.)

Health is good this year, as we mentioned. For most of the year until November, there is only one long-term planet in stressful alignment with you – Neptune. After November 8, however, Jupiter will move into Sagittarius and a stressful alignment. Most of the long-term planets are either in harmonious alignment or leaving you alone. So overall energy is good. Sure, there will be periods where your health and energy are less good than usual (and we will cover this in the monthly reports). But these are temporary periods caused by the short-term planets. They are not trends for the year. When the short-term planets move away, health and energy return to normal.

The other good health signal is Jupiter in your 6th house, as we mentioned. This shows ‘good fortune’ in matters of health. With this kind of transit cures are often found for things believed to be incurable. Medicines and therapies tend to be effective. The understanding of health and disease gets expanded.

Good though your health is, you can make it even better, as our regular readers know. Give attention to the following – the vulnerable areas of your Horoscope. (The reflex points are shown in the chart below.) Most of the time, problems can actually be prevented. But even in cases where they can’t be totally prevented, they can be softened to a great extent. They need not be devastating.


> The lungs, arms, shoulders and respiratory system. These are always important for a Gemini. Regular arm and shoulder massage is always advisable as tension tends to collect in the shoulders and needs to be released.

> The liver and thighs. These became important in October of last year, when Jupiter moved into your 6th house, and remain so until November 8 when he moves on. The thighs should be regularly massaged. Thigh massage will not only strengthen the liver but the lower back as well – very important these days. If you feel under the weather a herbal liver cleanse might be just the ticket.

> The colon, bladder and sexual organs. Safe sex and sexual moderation are always important. If you have been neglectful of this, Saturn in your 8th house will probably enforce the issue. If you feel under the weather, a herbal colon cleanse might be a good idea. Many natural healers affirm that all disease begins in the colon, so it is important to keep it clean.

> The spine, knees, teeth, skin and overall skeletal alignment. These have been important areas to you since December 2008, ever since Pluto moved into Capricorn, and they will remain so for many more years. Regular back (and knee) massage is recommended, as are regular visits to a chiropractor or osteopath: the vertebrae need to be kept in right alignment. Therapies such as The Alexander Technique, Rolfing or Feldenkrais are good. Yoga and Pilates are excellent for the spine. Give the knees more support when exercising. If you’re out in the hot sun use a good sun-screen. Regular dental check-ups and cleaning are important too.

There is another issue to be considered in health. Jupiter, your love planet, is in your health house. So, good health for you (especially this year) means good social health – a healthy marriage or love life. If there are problems here it could impact on your physical health. So, if problems happen (God forbid), restore the harmony in the love and social life as quickly as possible and the health problem will weaken and disappear.

### Home and Family

Your 4th house of home and family is not strong this year – it is not a house of power. Only short-term planets will move through there – and briefly. The planetary powers are not pushing you one way or another in this department. They give great freedom to shape this area as you will – but you lack the interest. Other things are more important these days. The tendency would be to the status quo. You seem basically content with things as they are.

Mercury, the ruler of your Horoscope, is also your family planet. This shows that family is important to you and perhaps part of your identity. In many cases, it takes time to forge your own identity as a separate individual within the family group.

As our regular readers know, Mercury, is a fast-moving and often erratic planet. (Doesn’t this describe Gemini well?) Sometimes he is zipping along with great confidence. Sometimes he moves slowly and cautiously. And, sometimes, he goes backwards. He is the embodiment of ‘flexibility’ – a Gemini trait. In a given year he will move through every sign and house in your Horoscope. Thus there are many short-term home and family trends depending on where Mercury is and the kind of aspects he receives. These are best dealt with in the monthly reports.

This not an especially great year for doing major renovations to the home. However, if you’re redecorating (repainting or re-arranging things), July 10 to August 7 and August 23 to September 22 are good times. These times are also good for buying furniture or objects of beauty for the home.

Siblings and sibling figures in your life are likely to move, renovate or buy an additional home this year. They have good fortune in the purchase or sale of a home. Their marriages are being tested. Children and children figures are prospering this year, but the home life seems stable. Parents or parent figures are likely to move or renovate their house after November 8 and into next year. Grandchildren (if you have them) are likely to move – and perhaps multiple times this year and in the coming years. They seem very unsettled.

The parent figures in your life – both sets – are making important changes to their health regimes. Perhaps there is some health scare that forces this. Their job situation seems unstable and, if they employ others, there is employee turnover.

### Finance and Career

Your money house is not particularly active this year either. Again, only short-term planets will move through there, rather quickly. Finance is not a major concern. You seem more interested in the finances of others than in your own. This is generally a good thing. You seem satisfied with things as they are and have no need to make drastic changes. In spite of this I feel you will end the year richer than when you began. On November 17 the Moon’s North Node will move into your money house and stay there for the rest of the year (and next year too). The North Node tends to show ‘excess’ – and in finance this is a good thing. Better too much than too little.

Should financial problems occur, it is most probably due to lack of attention. You have to force yourself to pay attention here.

Having said this, we do see some important financial shifts, changes and course corrections this year, more than usual. There will be two Lunar Eclipses (the usual number) and these always impact on finance. But in addition to this there is a Solar Eclipse on July 13 that occurs in your money house. This will create dramatic financial change. You probably won’t be initiating these changes, but reacting to the events caused by the eclipse. We will deal with these more fully in the monthly reports.

The Moon, the fastest and most changeable of all the planets (even more so than Mercury) is your financial planet. Where Mercury will move through all the signs and houses of your Horoscope in one year, the Moon does so every month. Moreover, she is quite changeable, sometimes waxing, sometimes waning, sometime close to the earth and sometimes far away. Thus there are all kinds of short-term financial trends, depending on where the Moon is and the aspects she receives. These are best dealt with in the monthly reports.

You are more ambitious than usual these days. The long-term planets are mostly in the upper half of your chart this year, and by November 8, all the long-term planets will be there. The bottom half of your chart (the sector of home and family) will never match the power of the upper half. Your career 10th house is strong all year, whereas your family 4th house will only be strong for a couple of months. Jupiter is making beautiful aspects to your career planet Neptune almost all year. Thus you’re successful – elevated in your status and profession. You have good career support from friends and social connections. Those of you who are attached are getting good support from the spouse, partner or current love interest. You’re socializing with people who can help you careerwise. It is good for your career to attend or host the right kind of parties or gatherings this year.

Your professional skills are very important, but this year your social skills, your ability to get on with others – your likeability – seems very important. Of two people with equivalent professional skills, it is the more likeable one who will get the promotion.

It will also be good – and this has been the trend for many years – to be involved in charitable or altruistic causes. You’re receiving perhaps more recognition for your spiritual activities than for your professional work now.

Jupiter in your 6th house of work shows that your good work ethic is noted by the people in authority in your life. It is an important factor in your success. ‘Pray devoutly,’ say the sages, ‘but hammer stoutly.’

### Love and Social Life

The year ahead, as we mentioned above, is a banner love and social year. And next year will be even better. You’re in a very happy and active social cycle right now.

With Jupiter, your love planet, spending most of the year in your 6th house the workplace is not just your place of work but your social centre as well. Many of you are being offered happy job opportunities this year, and the social conditions of the job are playing a big role in your choices. The social atmosphere and opportunities could trump salary this year. For singles, this aspect signals romantic opportunities with co-workers or at company functions or events. It would also show an attraction to health professionals and for people involved in your health.

A good part of your socializing seems career- and job-related. And Jupiter in your 6th house making nice aspects to your career planet almost all year would also signal an attraction to people of power and prestige – people above you in the professional hierarchy. You find people who can help you careerwise alluring, and seem to get on with them.

Sometimes this aspect shows that parents, bosses and authority figures support your social goals and will often play Cupid. They seem to be playing an important – and positive – role in your love and social life.

The real romantic fun begins on November 8, however, as your love planet moves into your 7th house of love. This often signals marriage or relationships that are ‘like marriage’. It signals ‘committed’ kinds of relationships. Often with this aspect you’ll find that you’re attending more weddings too. It’s in the air. In general you will be attending more parties and gatherings. You will make new and significant friendships too.

You always have an attraction to foreigners, religious and highly educated kinds of people. As Jupiter moves into his own sign of Sagittarius in November, this becomes even stronger. The workplace will no longer be your social centre; instead now it will be the place of worship, the university or foreign countries.

For those of you in or working on the second marriage, the social life will also expand. If you’re married or in an existing relationship, it will get tested in the year ahead – there are two eclipses in the house of the second marriage. Romantic opportunities will be found in spiritual settings – in prayer meetings, spiritual or meditation workshops, charity events. You seem to crave a more spiritual kind of relationship.

Those in or working on the third marriage have had much instability in love for the past seven years. Things are calming down this year. Marriage is not yet advisable, however; next year will be better than 2018.

### Self-Improvement

Neptune, as we have mentioned, has been in your 10th house of career for many years now. So, many of the trends that we have written of in past years are still very much in effect. Long-term, slow-moving planets indicate long-term projects and developments. The transit of a long-term planet is not really an ‘event’ but a ‘process’.

So you have been – and still are – in the process of spiritualizing your career. You’re imbued with great idealism. Merely being successful in the worldly sense is not enough for you. Your work, your career has to be meaningful – something that uplifts all of humanity. It is an aspect that favours careers in charities, foundations and non-profit organizations. But there are other options too. Often we see people with this kind of aspect involved in worldly careers – mundane kinds of careers – but they are heavily involved in charitable activities. They are more known for these activities than for their worldly career.

There’s another way to read this too – and it will fit in many cases. Your spiritual practice, your spiritual growth, becomes the career – the life work, the mission. This seems impractical and improbable as a career. Yet, it can be very powerful. One spiritual breakthrough – perhaps as you are sitting in meditation by yourself – has the power to not only change your life, but your family, community, country and even the world – eventually. Many of the great world movements that we see right now began in this way.

Spirituality is becoming important in another way too. Uranus will move into your spiritual 12th house on May 16 and stay there until November 6. Next year he will move into your 12th house for the long haul – for the next seven years. This shows dramatic changes in your spiritual practice, teachings and teachers. Many of the old rulebooks – the ‘thou shalt nots’ – get thrown out, and you begin to learn through trial, error and experiment. The transit favours a more scientific, rational approach to spirituality, as opposed to the traditional, mystical ones. Thus it would favour paths such as Jnana yoga, hermetic science and kabbalah – all rational approaches. There is a deep science to spirituality (and some of this is being discovered by secular scientists and doctors). And this is a time to explore this.

Uranus rules astrology. So the esoteric – philosophical – side of astrology would be another viable path.

### Month-by-month Forecasts. January

Best Days Overall: 8, 9, 17, 18, 19, 27, 28

Most Stressful Days Overall: 5, 6, 12, 13, 14, 20, 21

Best Days for Love: 1, 2, 5, 6, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 20, 21, 27, 28, 29, 30

Best Days for Money: 1, 2, 5, 6, 10, 11, 15, 16, 20, 21, 27, 28, 29, 30