As the year ends, I urge you to think back and pick out the very best day of the year, which made you smile, and the hardest day of the year too. If you have my annual calendars, you can see what aspects were at play on the days you choose, or the aspects very close to that day. Make a note of the aspects you find – they might be helpful to you over time…

You have a marvelously social month ahead. The full moon starts off the year with the full moon in Cancer 12 degrees, on January 1. This suggests you will have fun at a party, with the person you are dating, or at home with fun pastimes with children. If you are single, you might meet someone new in the first days of January, as a full moon in this romantic area of your chart always has an influence of four days beyond January 1. Also, if you have been working on a creative project, you may now put your final touches on it during the first week of January.

This full moon is as delicious as a cup of hot chocolate. It brings a twinkling golden triangle to the sky, with the Sun and new moon in Cancer sending golden beams to Neptune, your ruler, and planet of creativity, compassion, and unconditional love. Neptune might inspire you to do something kind for a person near who is in need. You may also be putting final touches on a creative project you started some time ago. The third leg of the golden triangle will point to Jupiter and Mars in Scorpio, suggesting something special is bubbling up regarding an impending trip, most likely to a foreign country or island that requires your passport for entry. If your birthday falls on March 2, plus or minus five days, you will benefit the most from this full moon. It is a highly romantic one, and you should find the days that follow the full moon thoroughly enjoyable. The same is true if you have Pisces rising or the moon in Pisces at 12 degrees, or have a natal planet in Pisces, Scorpio, Cancer, Taurus, Virgo, or Capricorn at 12 degrees, plus or minus five degrees.

After the full moon, you have an extraordinary conjunction of Jupiter, giver of gifts and luck, and Mars, the planet of energy and action. Mars and Jupiter are in Scorpio, the best place for them for be for you, for Scorpio is a water sign like yours, and will encourage all your actions, especially those related to ninth house activities: dealings with international executives, travel to a foreign, settling an immigration matter (passport, green card, or visa), and all matters related to college, for undergraduate or graduate degrees.

On January 8, the Sun in Capricorn in your house of hopes and wishes, and Jupiter in Scorpio in your house of long-distance travel and matters abroad will combine forces. It appears a wish you’ve long held may be within reach. If you have a law case, you may now hear a verdict that pleases you.

On January 9, Venus will receive beams from Mars and Jupiter, and that will rev up your social life. Again, foreign people and places are playing an important role, and is where some of the golden nuggets lie. Additionally, if you work in publishing or broadcasting, you may be nearing a big breakthrough with a new, lucrative opportunity that may come up now or sometime this month. Those hoping to go college would have a very favorable day to send in your application or to have an interview.

Your big moment will be the new moon January 16, in Capricorn, at 27 degrees. This new moon is unusual in so many ways, for six happy planets will crowd into your house of hopes and wishes, and also covers friendships, new people, and events. You will have powerful integration with your community, followers, fans, friends, and new people you have yet to meet. If you are on social media, consider entering a new social media venue or working on the page you have now – it looks like you will attract many more followers.

In this area of your chart, you will have Venus, Mercury, Saturn, Pluto, the new moon, and Sun. That’s remarkable, for it is the highest number of planets that will be aligned in one sign, one constellation. Many years ago, on May 3, 2000, we had an alignment of seven planets in Taurus, a number that scientists tell us will never happen again in our lifetime. We will have six, though, and that will happen January 16, 2018, and that day is almost here. New moons always open the door for fresh opportunity, and for you, this will come through people who know you personally (friends) or who are enthusiastic about your work (fans).

I love that Jupiter and Mars will be close enough to send encouraging vibrations to the new moon and Sun on January 16, suggesting that you may meet someone new that becomes a good friend, or if you are involved in the media, have a chance to extend your reach to your audience.

If your birthday falls within four days of March 15 (before or after), you will feel this new moon of January 16 the most, and find ways to benefit from it. This will also be true for you if you have Pisces rising or the moon in Pisces 26 degrees, plus or minus four degrees. If you have a natal planet in Pisces, Scorpio, or Cancer, Taurus, Virgo, or Capricorn at 25 degrees, plus or minus four degrees, you, too, will benefit.

    Mercury was retrograde in December, so you may have felt that your career was in limbo, but now that feeling will melt away, and with the help of Mars starting January 26, you will be ready, willing, and able to light your rocket to the moon.

I worry, however, that Uranus is in hard angle to the Sun, new moon, and Venus on January 16, suggesting you may get financial news that shocks you. It seems to be related to an event you will participate in, such as a friend’s destination wedding, for example, that starts to cost you much more than you ever anticipated. Perhaps you hope to join a certain club, but the entry fee has changed, and it’s much too expensive. It is a good month to join a new social or professional club, but only if it is affordable.

In truth, this expense that comes up on or soon after January 16 may be related to any subject – it is just financial news that comes out of the blue, and relates to a work project (as the Sun rules your day-to-day assignments). A new moon ushers in a long period, so it may take some time for you to sort out whatever financial news comes up.

I know you are tired of seeing surprise reverse financial news. This has been the case since Uranus first entered Aries in 2010. It’s been a long time of dealing with up and down finances, but you are coming to the end of this phase. In May 2018, Uranus will leave Aries, but in early November will retrograde back to Aries, the place that is not so good for your money matters.

Keep the faith because once you get to March 2019, you will be free and clear of this relentless pounding from Uranus for the rest of your life. Uranus takes 84 years to go around the Sun, so after Uranus leaves Aries in March 2019, Uranus will not be back to Aries until April 2094. That is not a typo! Over the past years, however, you’ve become resilient, resourceful, and flexible when dealing with money matters. You’ve likely become more knowledgeable about finances, and you likely have realized the need for financial contingency plans. If this is true for you, Uranus has done his job.

Now let’s turn to Mars, which as mentioned earlier, is in the sign that’s perfect for you, Scorpio, in your ninth house of wide horizons and adventure, gained through travel, higher education and the media.

From January 26 through March 17, Mars will tour Sagittarius and light your professional house of honors, awards, and achievement. During that time, Mars will begin to bring career rewards for the entire test you have endured and for the hard work you put in while Saturn toured Sagittarius. This period will be one of the most vital periods of 2018, at least in the front part of the year, for having Mars blazing here will give you a presence and compelling clout with VIPs. Your reputation and experience will speak for itself.

Over the past three years, since December 2014, Saturn tested your professional mettle in your tenth house of fame, honors, and achievement. That long three-year test is over now, not to return until February 2044. You are finished with your training, and are comforted in knowing that every subsequent visit of Saturn becomes easier now that you’ve gone through the gauntlet. Theoretically with each visit of Saturn, you will have less to learn. You are now ready to get your reward for the hard work you put into your career. You’ve not seen the biggest reward yet, but it is on the way.

Here is the interesting news: On January 26, Mars will enter Sagittarius and light your professional house of honors, awards, and achievement. At that time, January 26 through March 17, Mars will begin to give you career rewards for all the tests you have endured and all you have learned while Saturn toured Sagittarius. As said, Mars will remain in your house of fame and honors until March 17 and at some point during that time, you will get favorable publicity, honors, and offers for more sophisticated projects and positions from established, prestigious companies. That’s a lot to look forward to!

In the meantime, I know what you are thinking. Saturn has to go somewhere, so where will Saturn go next? The answer is that Saturn will go to Capricorn, and be in your house of friendship and humanitarian projects. You may be moved to help a friend who is in a very tough patch, or work on behalf of a charity to relieve suffering in a segment of society that needs your help.

Compared to where you’ve had Saturn, this is a much easier part of the chart to host Saturn. It’s known in astrology that planets on the north-south-east-west points of the chart act very powerfully, like wild horses, so that’s the experience you’ve had with Saturn. In the eleventh house, you have more choices of how to learn from this planet of maturity. Be careful about those you give your trust, as one person may take too much from your giving nature.

This month will also hold a full moon eclipse, January 31, in Leo 12 degrees. This full moon will light your sixth house of work projects. You may get an offer to do a completely new project, one that brings you into new frontiers. It might be in the field of entertainment, luxury goods, goods, and services directed to children, or have to do with teaching. These fields have to do with Leo, the sign that this eclipse is lighting.

Think back to February 10, August 7, and August 21. This month’s eclipse is a continuation of those eclipses in the series. Often discussions that came up on one eclipse are advanced to a new level by the subsequent eclipses. If you can see a theme emerge, you will have insight into the new one, January 31, 2018.

Also, did you know that eclipses repeat every 19 years to precise mathematical degree? Indeed they do, so try thinking back to January 31, 1999 to what happened then. Was it a big day for you? If so, think about what you were discussing and actions you were taking. While no eclipse will be a copy of the ones that happened years before, you may still get an idea of what might come up now.

The sixth house, where this eclipse will fall, also rules your health. If you have had a health concern, full moon eclipses tend to bring things to a point where the problem ends or you do something, such as an operation or a procedure to make you more comfortable.

Finally, this house also rules pets. You may be thinking of adding a furry little creature to your household. This would be a time when you make a decision about your choice of a small domestic pet, and one that will make you very happy.

The holidays may be over, but December was a powerful month for your career, so last month you may not have had time to fully relax and let go. Now you can. The month starts off with a dramatic full moon in Cancer and will likely bring you an invitation to a beautiful party or a romantic episode for “just us two.” You will be made doubly happy by events if your birthday falls within five days of March 3 – you will feel the bright, shimmering rays of this full moon.

The new moon in Capricorn of January 16 finds more than half the solar system circulating in your eleventh house of friendship and fun events, thanks to the arrival of the Sun, new moon, Venus, Mercury, Saturn, and Pluto, all in Capricorn. This configuration will bring new friends, invitations to groups, and happy experiences with friends, and for you, this will be the case.

The problem is that Uranus will be up to his old antics, throwing thunderbolts and causing tension. You will notice Uranus’ jarring events mainly in your earned income sector. There are many possibilities of what Uranus might do, so here are a few examples. A friend may let you down by not paying back the money she owes you. Or, you may find that your participation in a social event – such as being an attendant in your best friend’s destination wedding – is becoming far more expensive than you ever imagined, causing you anxiety.

Trying to guess what Uranus, planet of unanticipated events, will do is futile, for he always strikes at something you’re not thinking about as a possibility. One way or another, an unexpected expense is likely to come up, and you will have to find a way to handle it. Fortunately the planets in your eleventh house in Capricorn will blend well with your Sun, so you may find a way to juggle funds to take care of whatever money you need to cover a financial quagmire. Jupiter and Mars will rush in to help you too, and those planets represent considerable support.

Your mind will be on work at the full moon lunar eclipse in Leo on January 31. Think about discussions you had near the two eclipses last year on August 7 and August 21, for if something significant happened then, you would see more development regarding those talks. Jupiter and Pluto are close to a dazzling “sextile” and that is considered an aspect of opportunity that brings a chance for attaining power, money, and influence.

Your best luck will likely emanate from foreign people and places, the media (publishing, broadcasting, and the Internet), and from academia or the courts – one or more of these areas may be instrumental in your progress. On January 31, 1999, you had a similar eclipse (same sign and degree), so see if you can discern a general theme regarding work that may now again come up.

On or near the January 31 eclipse, you would be wise to take very good care of your health, as many demands will be made on you, but hopefully they will be ones that allow you to gain a career victory that you have worked so hard to grasp. Dream big, for you will have special help from Mars at the time.

Mars will tour your tenth house of honors, awards, and achievement from January 26 until March 17, giving you a great career start to the New Year. Mars, the action planet, will help you build upon the deals you made and on the projects you created last year, and allow you to generate the recognition and applause that you deserve. This will be one of the most sparkling periods for professional advancement of the coming two years, so use this period to your advantage.