The week ahead courtesy of our expert astrologer Jessica Adams
ARIES
A friendship or group involvement in your life has churned up the usual lack of patience and tolerance, thanks to Mars. Now things take a different turn, as Venus enters the mix – and Mars will be gone from your life completely by 12th January. Until then the priority must be expediting an important talk or signature process, as once you enter next week, what you set up or ‘finalise’ could be about as final as unset jelly and wobble around until March.
TAURUS
This is the time of year when large industries, corporations and businesses traditionally trot out redundancies, new hirings or other changes. It’s so typical that this should coincide with your ruler Venus moving to the zone of your chart which rules your C.V. If you want your curriculum vitae to be relatively stable, though, allow for tremendous delays, changes of mind, paperwork glitches and so on, from next week. Do all you can now – if you can!
GEMINI
As the planet poises to enter Mercury Retrograde Shadow from next Monday, make sure your travel and transportation is insured and protected by Plan B. Not only is Mercury your ruling planet, his retrograde or apparent backward motion will manifest in everything from freak weather to other X factors until March. The cycle begins next week so clear the decks now and look at your diary. This is especially true if Europe or the USA are involved.
CANCER
You are always protected financially, or with material matters generally, when Jupiter is in Leo. Nevertheless, Jupiter will have to work very hard from next week forward, as your business interests, banking, tax, house, flat, possessions or charity will be affected by a long Mercury Retrograde cycle, which enters the shadow from Monday 5th January. Promise yourself now you will read the fine print on potential changes, delays or even u-turns.
LEO
The atmosphere with your former, current or potential partner changes completely after Venus, the planet of complex relationships, enters Aquarius on Saturday 3rd January. This is also the case with enemies, rivals or opponents; there is the potential for the scales to be balanced after Saturday. In all cases, as a crucial debate or piece of paperwork is coming up, try to finalise it by Sunday or you could hit reversals and delays right up until 3rd March.
VIRGO
Keep a very flexible diary from next week forward, as your working day – and perhaps your body – will not run to a schedule. The issue is your ruler Mercury, about to turn retrograde shadow, and much as this week promises firm plans and fixed procedures for the opening quarter of 2015, you can bet on the usual state of flux. Taking a zen approach to the rest of January and February will help. You are famous for your orderly approach, but try cruising.
LIBRA
Your children, young relatives or godchildren? Youth projects? Serious sexual relationships? The Fifth House of your horoscope, where we find a stellium this week, rules all those things. One thing would normally lead to another, in a perfectly straight line, but anticipating a zig-zag trajectory would be more sensible, given that January and February will deliver ever-changing discussions. What can you get out of the way before Sunday?
SCORPIO
If it involves your flatmate, relative, builder, landlord, tenant, property agent or local government then it’s going to change. And then change again. No doubt with both Venus and Mars in your home zone, you’d like to wrap things up while the mood takes you. Instead, what is signed off, or confirmed by a handshake, could easily stall or reverse until March. Do all you can by this weekend to finalise things. Alternatively make huge allowances.
SAGITTARIUS
The Third House of your horoscope, where Mercury is poised to turn retrograde, rules your computer and internet use, and also your telephone, fax machine and voice, full stop. It also describes your car and regular commute, and any short-haul flights. An awful lot seems to be going down at the moment, but where it ends up is another matter, as normal service will not be resumed until March. Prepare for this now. Read the finest of the tiny fine print.
CAPRICORN
You won’t know where you stand with the money, house, flat, business interests, possessions or charity until the first week of March, so do as much as you can this week, before you hit the usual Mercury Retrograde alterations and waiting games. Venus, which rules Taurus and Libra – the signs of weighing, evaluation and measuring – lends the process a complexity which was not there before. Allow for a circuitous route from Monday 5th.
AQUARIUS
Venus and Mars are both in Aquarius, your own sign, so you are caught up with matters of image, title, reputation, branding and your personal appearance. Normally this would lead to a swift chain of decisions, but from next Monday you will be on a peculiar pathway with far more room for mistakes, u-turns and delays than usual. As this lasts until the opening days of March try to make allowances for that. From Botox to business cards, be aware.
PISCES
The Twelfth House of your horoscope is emphasized this week. It rules what lies beneath; no matter if you are putting in tremendous time and effort behind the scenes, or frantically covering something up. A normal decision-making process will be sent off-course by Mercury from Monday 5th January, so try to be aware of the extra time that may be required, as you make your plans this week. Do be flexible enough to deal with changes.