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Horoscopes | Week of January 2-8, 2006

ARIES (March 21-April 19): The key to success, happiness and all that jazz in 2006 comes to you, Aries, as a simple formula courtesy of T-squaring trio Jupiter, Saturn and Neptune. Saturn asks you to hold back how much and in what ways you put yourself out there in the world. Going over the top, speaking too aggressively, or acting like you're on the attack are not properly justified by reasons like 'because I want to' or 'because it's fun'. You'll have to work harder than that to ensure you're genuinely seen for the loving person you are. If you say it or do it, then you'd better still mean it later. Neptune, on the other hand, tempts you to let go and willingly gravitate to whatever particular roles suit your natural skills and gifts. If you've got a knack for something that will help the whole team or the greater cause, flow with their needs and participate happily with the group-mind. And Jupiter promises you easy fortune by improving the ease of those touchier negotiations between what you want and what the larger whole wants from you. Go into the difficult discussions, riskier interactions and most vulnerably intimate exchanges with less resistance to the complications they cause… and you'll grow deliciously closer to contacting the root-source of your real passions.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): The key to success, happiness and all that jazz in 2006 comes to you, Taurus, as a simple formula courtesy of T-squaring trio Jupiter, Saturn and Neptune. Saturn asks you to hold back how far you overextend the present back into your past, and to lovingly discipline yourself into releasing the old unnecessary crap. Holding on to it is merely a comfortable habit, not a genuinely helpful method for nurturing your soul. Develop pride in where you've come from, but dump the useless garbage (e.g., blame, regret, resentment) on the trash heap. Neptune, on the other hand, tempts you to let go of ego attachments to how you're known for doing what you do out there in the world. The closer you get to your up-to-date emotional core (sans old unnecessary crap), the stronger the invisible tides will be that carry you toward certain worldly responsibilities, whether through promotions or job changes. Even the 'worst' luck could prove to be the best example of setting you up on the appropriate path. And Jupiter promises you easy fortune through allegiance with others in all types of one-on-one relations—romantic accomplices, professional allies, best friends, and any such partners-in-crime. Whenever given the choice, collaborate rather than going solo. Persisting in true partnership with folks (even the most difficult ones) will provide invaluable knowledge about yourself, through that mercilessly unwavering mirror of someone else's eyes.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): The key to success, happiness and all that jazz in 2006 comes to you, Gemini, as a simple formula courtesy of T-squaring trio Jupiter, Saturn and Neptune. Saturn asks you to hold back the sheer volume of partial commitments, topics of modest concern, and acquaintanceships of limited connection. Believe it or not, it is possible to spread yourself too thin. And while you needn't limit yourself to just one thing, limits in themselves are not a bad idea. Before spending time or energy, at least be sure you have genuine interest beyond mere ego-fueled diversion or distraction. Neptune, on the other hand, tempts you to let go of open-ended meaninglessness… and to quit dodging those increasingly obvious conclusions, which are liable to show up even without your having hunted for them. By limiting yourself to only those activities and involvements that matter most, you backdoor your consciousness into discovery of a more universalizing belief system. (Hey, if you're on this website reading these words, you must believe in something!) Substitute the perpetual dabbling with some serious study or practice with consequence for your fumblings toward higher meaning. And Jupiter promises you easy fortune when you channel all extra energies into something physical, to help you get out of your head… and away from people to try to impress or cater to. Pressures to have an answer (or at least a witty retort) are reduced, and you're back in touch with the simple pleasures of a job well done and a body treated right.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): The key to success, happiness and all that jazz in 2006 comes to you, Cancer, as a simple formula courtesy of T-squaring trio Jupiter, Saturn and Neptune. Saturn asks you to hold back on… well, the simple answer is money. That is, make conservative investments and expenditures that ensure you know exactly what you have (or don't have) at all times. The more complex answer is to responsibly wield whatever you possess, so you can deploy it to help yourself feel secure and/or to generate more wealth from it. Stabilize that which is yours for sure, and drop pretenses that what you have is more or different. Neptune, on the other hand, tempts you to let go of interpersonal inhibitions leading you to control the dynamics by refusing to strike a balance between give and take. When you remain closed to receiving, you deprive the other parties of the joy of giving… and enable yourself to entertain false fantasies through imagining what they might have to give, rather than facing what they actually bring to the table. And Jupiter promises you easy fortune when you adopt a playfully creative approach to life, accepting every loving opportunity to be silly and have fun. What you don't risk monetarily, you can make up for through bolder behavior, letting others take notice while you stand taller and laugh louder.

LEO (July 23-August 22): The key to success, happiness and all that jazz in 2006 comes to you, Leo, as a simple formula courtesy of T-squaring trio Jupiter, Saturn and Neptune. Saturn asks you to hold back on whatever you automatically do to garner attention for yourself in your day-to-day existence. Inject a hearty helping of forethought into all aspects of your life, to confirm that what you're about to present to the world is authentic and appropriate to who you are. Before moving ahead into action, ask yourself, 'What's my motivation?' (And if need be, ask that question a thousand times a day.) Neptune, on the other hand, tempts you to let go of believing you understand (or should understand) what motivates other people. Much of the value of relationships comes by inviting the unknown… with the possibility you'll cease to be the same person, once you're joined up in charmed companionship with cronies of various kinds. (Then what?) And Jupiter promises you easy fortune from growing ever more comfortable with yourself behind the scenes, when nobody's there to see you or to worry about. Whenever you get stuck between too much focus on yourself and not enough on the other person—or vice versa—return to the peaceful simplicity of inwardness. Stay home, get away from outside pressure, take lots of deep breaths, and quietly relax.

VIRGO (August 23-September 22): The key to success, happiness and all that jazz in 2006 comes to you, Virgo, as a simple formula courtesy of T-squaring trio Jupiter, Saturn and Neptune. Saturn asks you to hold back on all types of escapist notions… attempts to run away from the reality of situations, to dull the anxiety and pain through drugs, alcohol, relational codependency, or too much damn TV. Yes, you may need to 'get away', but you can do so with much more healthful tactics—quiet soulful walks alone, a meditation or prayer practice, therapeutic massages, retreats, regular time built into your schedule for appreciating birds and flowers. Neptune, on the other hand, tempts you to let go of beliefs in the existence of right and wrong ways to lead your daily life. As serious as you are about working hard and fulfilling your responsibilities, you must also acknowledge that to truly be of service is to happily surrender to the meandering path of any given day's distractions and detours. All you can do, after all, is to remain present and accept what's in front of you. And Jupiter promises you easy fortune through frittering more of your leisure time away in the company of others… shooting the shit with lots more folks in different social environments, attending coffees and meals with those acquaintances you always say you'll call but don't, getting you out of the routine and into the moment, exposing you to more and more variations and alternatives.

LIBRA (September 23-October 22): The key to success, happiness and all that jazz in 2006 comes to you, Libra, as a simple formula courtesy of T-squaring trio Jupiter, Saturn and Neptune. Saturn asks you to hold back being the person your friends, associates and affiliated organizations expect you to be to suit their purposes… especially when it promotes a claustrophobic feeling or is an inexact match for who you crave to be. While you can't help but naturally notice how others react and respond to you, if you let them dictate who you are, you're telling your true unique self that you're not interested in listening to her/her. Neptune, on the other hand, tempts you to let go of the fear of looking silly, being outrageous, or drawing too much of 'the wrong kind of attention' because of doing something you think will make you stand out. The fluttery fluster of 'should I?' in your stomach… that's your true unique self chiming in, urging you to take more risks and to tell self-imposed embarrassment to fuck off. In spurs of moments, move faster and make people remember you, maybe even dare to fall in love (for a minute, a month or all of eternity). And Jupiter promises you easy fortune when you use what you possess (especially cold hard cash) to feel abundantly alive. Risk-taking is easier when you realize all you have at your disposal, should you need to bail yourself out. What good is stuff if you don't put it to good use?

SCORPIO (October 23-November 21): The key to success, happiness and all that jazz in 2006 comes to you, Scorpio, as a simple formula courtesy of T-squaring trio Jupiter, Saturn and Neptune. Saturn asks you to hold back professionally… not by setting low sights, of course, but through assuming a humbly patient, diligent though unpushing stance toward achieving your goals. Concentrate on the one or two most immediate essential ambitions, and let the others take a yearlong backseat. At every turn, volunteer to earn it the hard way rather than testing out short cuts. Neptune, on the other hand, tempts you to let go of trying to be in control of your emotional variability, and of the private home environment in which you're most comfortable feeling it. Though you are your own man or woman, your soul is inextricably linked up to a stream of ancestral histories and patterns. Your openness to feeling into it, without disturbing your discreet individualism, puts a wealth of familial wisdom (indirectly learnt from their experiences) at your psychic fingertips. And Jupiter promises you easy fortune simply by being yourself, with less self-consciousness and more trusting spontaneity. With good-luck Jupiter in your sign for almost the entire year, you're the one with the bountiful blessings in store—so it's to your benefit to uncork the bottle and uncover your deepest desires so we may help fulfill them.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22-December 21): The key to success, happiness and all that jazz in 2006 comes to you, Sagittarius, as a simple formula courtesy of T-squaring trio Jupiter, Saturn and Neptune. Saturn asks you to hold back on uncompromising loyalty to your one-track-mind answers. While it's good to maintain belief in the existence of higher meaning, a 'good' and a 'bad', and absolute justice in a general sense, it's less productive to cling to the specific dogma inherent in one particular way of verbalizing it. Whatever's far outside your perspective, such that you immediately and vehemently disagree, you might want to spend some time studying a bit more closely. Neptune, on the other hand, tempts you to let go of impatience toward people and experiences that seem shallow, pointless or mind-numbingly irrelevant to your life. You'd be surprised what profound significance can be indirectly spawned under the auspices of trash-talking, dumpster-diving and time-wasting trivia-dishing. And Jupiter promises you easy fortune from faith! faith! faith! So set intentions for magic to manifest about a year or so from now, ask for signs of intelligence in far reaches of the cosmos, and open up to experiencing phenomena you wouldn't believe were possible if you hadn't experienced them for yourself. Believe big, and include everything.

CAPRICORN (December 22-January 19): The key to success, happiness and all that jazz in 2006 comes to you, Capricorn, as a simple formula courtesy of T-squaring trio Jupiter, Saturn and Neptune. Saturn asks you to hold back on how intensely become ensnared and ensnarled in somebody else's life… unless, of course, you're sure these intertwinements are what you deeply and truly want, instead of merely 'what you're supposed to do'. Particularly when it comes to intimate involvements with others' dollars and others' bodies, you'll want to look out not only for your own wants but also for the other person's. Otherwise, the price you'll pay may be more than you bargained for. Neptune, on the other hand, tempts you to let go of how much control you imagine you hold over your material satisfaction and security. Through you're a brilliant pragmatist and businessperson, there's no accounting for those odd times when, in opposition to official reports, 2 and 2 add up to 5 or 3. That's why you can't rely on calculations alone… and why, as I've already said, your intimate involvements require diligent effort. The wild card is always some other person (even when you think you're acting alone), and it affects your bottom line no matter how you try to force or finagle. And Jupiter promises you easy fortune whenever you take part in movements and messages larger than you, taking you away both from overwhelming psychological intensity and unsure-footed material insecurity. When in doubt, join your energies with others, diluting the private burdens you hold with more selfless participations that make a difference in the world… and make you feel less alone.

AQUARIUS (January 20-February 18): The key to success, happiness and all that jazz in 2006 comes to you, Aquarius, as a simple formula courtesy of T-squaring trio Jupiter, Saturn and Neptune. Saturn asks you to hold back on thinking you know best—or even that you know what you want—in one-on-one relationships, when in fact it's their very unpredictability (which you supposedly embrace out there in the world, in theory) that makes them so worth having. Release the idea that you need a certain thing from a certain someone. Instead, offer what you have, accept what's being giving… and take it from there. Neptune, on the other hand, tempts you to let go of any fantasy you entertain of understanding how they see you. What you put out there is, shocking as it may be, probably much different than you imagine. But it's okay because, for the time being, identity confusion is wholly fine… and helps ease the challenge of releasing relationship expectations. And Jupiter promises you easy fortune for putting yourself out there anyway, no matter what they see, and reaping the professional or public benefits of reaching really high for those most lofty stars-in-the-sky. Worry about how it'll define you later. For now, being a little pushier than usual with career projects (all while holding a great big smile) is okay… especially when you consider that, as you ascend toward accomplishing your goals, you'll also instinctively help heal the planet from the ugliness of too much tradition and conventionality.

PISCES (February 19-March 20): The key to success, happiness and all that jazz in 2006 comes to you, Pisces, as a simple formula courtesy of T-squaring trio Jupiter, Saturn and Neptune. Saturn asks you to hold back on working too hard with little return, or not smartly enough to bank on your best efforts… and while you're at it, to quit pretending physical wellness is irrelevant. I know it can feel good to live in the disembodied la-la-land of spirit, but you also need a fit and healthy bodily vehicle for this segment of the journey. The more efficiently you get your duties done, the more time you'll have to yourself… and the more you can devote to eating healthfully, sleeping well, exercising, and otherwise blowing off the stress. Neptune, on the other hand, tempts you to let go of any doubt that there's more out there than what you can see. It's a magnificent time to foster your faithful connection to the profound mysteries of existence. Still, as I've told you, faith alone won't be enough to keep you alive and kicking. Watch that you not react against earthly reality in the form of delusional dream-world thinking. Faith must be combined with physical effort to actually transform reality… but miracles are indeed possible. And Jupiter promises you easy fortune when you shake up your usual frame of reference (it is getting a bit dull, isn't it?) through wild travel excursions, further educational opportunities, daring explorations of other faiths and cultures. While you're on Earth for this limited time, why not expose yourself to all the different ways other people answer those same big questions? Now's as good a time as any. Scratch that… now's a better time than most.