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Horoscopes | Weeks of December 22, 2008-January 4, 2009

ARIES (March 21-April 19): We've seen it approaching for a while now. The definitive moment when we finally must take action on whatever situation we've watched worsen, deepen, deaden, intensify, slip further down the hole, or turn ever more entrenched or hopeless… And at last, that moment has arrived. The signs are everywhere. Things will change—either through our courageous choice to turn this ship around and humbly regroup, or by passively allowing external circumstances to deteriorate further, pushing us toward a crisis we'd rather hide from. How will you have it go, Aries? These closing couple weeks of the year are an ideal moment to consider your strategies for confronting Pluto's new longtime home in your 10th, the highest house in your chart, the setting for your biggest achievements out in the world (professional, community-related, etc.) and the public reputation you earn as a result. Over the coming months and years, you'll be met with numerous opportunities to ascend to your highest levels of accomplishment yet, which will require you to put every last bit of passion and commitment behind 'em… since, all the while, you also may need to contend with institutional obstacles, intimidating authority figures, and/or psychological complexes that won't make such accomplishments terribly easy. How serious are you, then? Are you willing to slay demons, overthrow the unjust king, and shove your way to the top? Or have you never realized, until recently, what's really been standing in your way … and now, upon further inspection, responsibly choose to switch paths? Where shall you make your most successful contribution (since, surely, failure isn't an option)? Remember: Your life is not merely a set of circumstances passively stumbled into, but also (and rather profoundly) the results of decisions made. Saturn's station to retrograde in your 6th indicates a revisiting of the recent work you have (or haven't) put in, in terms of responsibly repeating the same well-thought-out steps regularly (whether at work, toward household chores, or in maintaining bodily health) so incremental progress can be made and sustained (instead of momentary whims initially coddled, then left to peter out). And to hear Venus and Neptune in your 11th tell it, don't underestimate the relief that'll come from disappearing into the throngs of holiday celebrants and well-wishers, participating with full presence but without necessarily standing out, causing much fuss, or assuming a central role. In fact, as career or public obligations require an even greater portion of your limited energies in 2009, blending into warm crowds of familiar faces during your off time—with little responsibility for taking charge of anything—may well become your failsafe strategy for after-work decompressing. Please note: This horoscope is good for two weeks. I'm taking Christmas week off, okay? Your next fresh scope will appear on Mon Jan 5.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): We've seen it approaching for a while now. The definitive moment when we finally must take action on whatever situation we've watched worsen, deepen, deaden, intensify, slip further down the hole, or turn ever more entrenched or hopeless… And at last, that moment has arrived. The signs are everywhere. Things will change—either through our courageous choice to turn this ship around and humbly regroup, or by passively allowing external circumstances to deteriorate further, pushing us toward a crisis we'd rather hide from. How will you have it go, Taurus? These closing couple weeks of the year are an ideal moment to consider your strategies for confronting Pluto's new longtime home in your 9th, the house from which we can glimpse the whole huge wide world as our oyster… a view that invites us to ask the big questions about why we do what we do, what those actions means for us, and how we might discover totally foreign experiences that push our understanding further, forcing us to ask these questions again and again, forever getting closer to our version of Truth. Over the coming months and years, you'll need a good grasp on the moral principles underscoring the choices (active or passive) you make in life, to ensure this is sincerely a life you feel is worth leading according this chosen manner, for reasons you can clearly detail. Otherwise, as dramatic change continues to sweep through every last cultural familiarity, you could begin to feel as if you're merely going through rote motions but aren't sure why—a stance toward existence that isn't terribly motivating. Can you discern some meaningful strain of philosophic continuity that's propelling you forward into the unknown, with interest and curiosity in what else there is to learn? Because, if not, you may be tacitly allowing this underlying sense of pointlessness to further corrode into a festering 'why bother?' soul-sickness. Don't we all require a reason to 'bother'? Remember: Your life is not merely a set of circumstances passively stumbled into, but also (and rather profoundly) the results of decisions made. Saturn's station to retrograde in your 5th indicates a revisiting of the recent work you have (or haven't) put in, in prioritizing the pursuit of whatever leisure activities, creative arts, or parlor tricks are likeliest to sweep you up and carry you away on a fireball of 'just because I want to and it's fun'. (Yes, this can require work.) But to hear Venus and Neptune in your 10th tell it, don't underestimate your deserved craving for acknowledgment and appreciation for all that you do at your job or in your community. After all, you willingly assume the role of 'our rock' (and redeemer?) time and time again, letting us know we can count on you to reliably and consistently serve us. Trust me, Taurus, in 2009 you're surely due to satisfy that craving. You've earned it. Please note: This horoscope is good for two weeks. I'm taking Christmas week off, okay? Your next fresh scope will appear on Mon Jan 5.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): We've seen it approaching for a while now. The definitive moment when we finally must take action on whatever situation we've watched worsen, deepen, deaden, intensify, slip further down the hole, or turn ever more entrenched or hopeless… And at last, that moment has arrived. The signs are everywhere. Things will change—either through our courageous choice to turn this ship around and humbly regroup, or by passively allowing external circumstances to deteriorate further, pushing us toward a crisis we'd rather hide from. How will you have it go, Gemini? These closing couple weeks of the year are an ideal moment to consider your strategies for confronting Pluto's new longtime home in your 8th, where polite civility devolves into the nitty-gritty once we get that much more intimate… and where we are forced into very close examination of our underlying urges, drives and feelings, those we may not have had much awareness of until You-Know-Who poked us right in that tender spot. Over the coming months and years, you simply won't be able to avoid looking square into the eyes of that which both intrigues and exasperates you, gets your heart pumping in desire and your blood boiling in rage, depending on the day. In one form or another, there will be tricky comings-together and painful endings, tense sexual or financial negotiations, unavoidable truths and realities you'd probably rather not accept. These are all natural parts of life… though, truth be told, you Geminis have a reputation for attempting to sidestep the full brunt of these 'darker' experiences, by just turning the other cheek and telling a different, less 'burdensome' version of the story. But you aren't that shallow a person, are you? Will you exist in a 'happy' world of gumdrops and ponies and mylar stickers, able to connect with others only as long as topics stay light and confessions remain unconfessed… or will you integrate all shades of emotional experience into your consciousness, making you that much more effective a friend, spouse, partner or family member to the ones who really matter? Remember: Your life is not merely a set of circumstances passively stumbled into, but also (and rather profoundly) the results of decisions made. Saturn's station to retrograde in your 4th indicates a revisiting of the recent work you have (or haven't) put in, in carving out a safe domestic sanctuary for yourself and limiting undue unsupportive family influences (past and present), so you may redirect your emotional energy toward situations where you're likelier to actually find productive healing. And, to hear Venus and Neptune in your 9th tell it, you mustn't underestimate the thrill of gathering energy and excitement for this latest leg on Your Great Big Journey… for as long as you can find some expansive new context in which to continually probe deeper into the ever-evolving meaning of your life, you'll never lack compelling reasons to awaken each morning and see what the world has in store. There'd better be something you're extremely excited about jumping into in 2009. If you can't locate it yet, start looking for it now. Please note: This horoscope is good for two weeks. I'm taking Christmas week off, okay? Your next fresh scope will appear on Mon Jan 5.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): We've seen it approaching for a while now. The definitive moment when we finally must take action on whatever situation we've watched worsen, deepen, deaden, intensify, slip further down the hole, or turn ever more entrenched or hopeless… And at last, that moment has arrived. The signs are everywhere. Things will change—either through our courageous choice to turn this ship around and humbly regroup, or by passively allowing external circumstances to deteriorate further, pushing us toward a crisis we'd rather hide from. How will you have it go, Cancer? These closing couple weeks of the year are an ideal moment to consider your strategies for confronting Pluto's new longtime home in your 7th, where we broker the compromises and collaborations that rest at the heart of all our closest one-on-one relationships. Over the coming months and years, you'll contend with an up-close-and-personal microscope's view of how you behave in relationships… whether the balance of give-and-receive is kept at a fairly even-keeled level, or if you're way too comfortable with one end of the exchange (hmm, giving perhaps?) than the other. What we tell ourselves about our relationship attitudes, alas, often fly in the face of what we actually do. So does your nurturing instinct stem purely from a place of kind generosity, or do you also get something from providing the care? Are you merely meeting your need to be needed? Do you even know what your relationships needs are? And what do your past relationship patterns have to say about how well you're asking for what you need? Remember: Your life is not merely a set of circumstances passively stumbled into, but also (and rather profoundly) the results of decisions made. Saturn's station to retrograde in your 3rd indicates a revisiting of the recent work you have (or haven't) put in, in terms of being explicit and precise about informing people where you're coming from (rather than saying 'sure, no problem!' when you're secretly thinking 'shit, I'd rather not!'). And, to hear Venus and Neptune in your 8th tell it, don't underestimate the tremendous intimacy that can be achieved, when we show other people the very sides of ourselves we're most nervous to expose. Not being afraid to deepen a connection by asking for more—and, at the same time, sharing more—is one of the most interpersonally enjoyable ways to creep that much farther out from your shell. In 2009, you almost won't be able to stop this inevitable opening and deepening. Please note: This horoscope is good for two weeks. I'm taking Christmas week off, okay? Your next fresh scope will appear on Mon Jan 5.

LEO (July 23-August 22): We've seen it approaching for a while now. The definitive moment when we finally must take action on whatever situation we've watched worsen, deepen, deaden, intensify, slip further down the hole, or turn ever more entrenched or hopeless… And at last, that moment has arrived. The signs are everywhere. Things will change—either through our courageous choice to turn this ship around and humbly regroup, or by passively allowing external circumstances to deteriorate further, pushing us toward a crisis we'd rather hide from. How will you have it go, Leo? These closing couple weeks of the year are an ideal moment to consider your strategies for confronting Pluto's new longtime home in your 6th, the zone of our duties and responsibilities, where the energy we dedicate to managing each day's routine directly impacts both our relative efficiency and effectiveness and our physical health and well-being. Over the coming months and years, you'll be confronted with pressures to more smartly assign your efforts once, like it or not, you face the limits to how you're currently getting your stuff done. Perhaps you're working too many hours without feeling like it's amounting to anything, carrying out wasteful tasks out of habit, or spinning your wheels. Perhaps you've got the wrong type of schedule for your natural rhythms, the wrong diet, or the wrong job. Maybe you just need more organization, more exercise, or more hours of pure sweat equity per week. Can you step outside the mundane automatics of daily life, to really question yourself on how proactively, evenly and context-appropriately you're expending your efforts? Remember: Your life is not merely a set of circumstances passively stumbled into, but also (and rather profoundly) the results of decisions made. Saturn's station to retrograde in your 2nd indicates a revisiting of the recent work you have (or haven't) put in, in terms of making reasonably responsible decisions vis-à-vis your finances, thinking ultra-conservatively rather than lavishly about how to spend, knowing this is clearly a moment for delaying instant gratification. To hear Venus and Neptune in your 7th tell it, don't underestimate the easy pleasures from the cheery company, compelling conversation, and maybe even cuddly canoodling found in your most important one-on-one relationship(s). You're going into New Year's with a wide-eyed appreciation for the unique qualities possessed by a certain person (or people) you'd love a chance to spend more time with. Lucky thing is, with Jupiter in your 7th all of '09, you're rather likely to get that chance. Please note: This horoscope is good for two weeks. I'm taking Christmas week off, okay? Your next fresh scope will appear on Mon Jan 5.

VIRGO (August 23-September 22): We've seen it approaching for a while now. The definitive moment when we finally must take action on whatever situation we've watched worsen, deepen, deaden, intensify, slip further down the hole, or turn ever more entrenched or hopeless… And at last, that moment has arrived. The signs are everywhere. Things will change—either through our courageous choice to turn this ship around and humbly regroup, or by passively allowing external circumstances to deteriorate further, pushing us toward a crisis we'd rather hide from. How will you have it go, Virgo? These closing couple weeks of the year are an ideal moment to consider your strategies for confronting Pluto's new longtime home in your 5th, the astro-sphere of all things fun, playful, creative, and childlike, which we enjoy as we do simply because we are unique individuals and this is how we personally choose to express it. Over the coming months and years, you'll be pushed to examine just how hard it is for a dutiful, practically-minded Virgo to do anything just because s/he wants to… how often the self-critical voice creeps in, to try and spoil the party with claims you're somehow 'doing it wrong' or too recklessly risking the safe predictability… and how your tendency to eschew 'meaningless' revelry, artistry or gaming could actually prove to be a serious drawback in life, if not dealt with. Are you okay with merely settling for 'doing a good job' at mastering responsibility, without demanding satisfaction and pleasure from your earthly days? Aren't there ways to better prioritize your need to kick up your dancing shoes and cha-cha more often, instead of accepting a humdrum all-work-no-play existence as your 'lot in life'? Remember: Your life is not merely a set of circumstances passively stumbled into, but also (and rather profoundly) the results of decisions made. Saturn's station to retrograde in your 1st indicates a revisiting of the recent work you have (or haven't) put in, in terms of ensuring that what you outwardly put forth as 'Me' is an accurate representation of who you truly are (not just what you imagine you're 'supposed to be') and getting rid of too-strict self-imposed prohibitions that leave you selling yourself way short. And to hear Venus and Neptune in your 6th tell it, don't underestimate the exuberant response your body is liable to have, should you give it all the sleep and yummy food (with only moderate imbibing, of course) it needs and plenty of exercise to get you out of your head. As 2009 will hopefully demonstrate, you'll be getting a lot closer to fun whenever you're doing something blissfully physical. Please note: This horoscope is good for two weeks. I'm taking Christmas week off, okay? Your next fresh scope will appear on Mon Jan 5.

LIBRA (September 23-October 22): We've seen it approaching for a while now. The definitive moment when we finally must take action on whatever situation we've watched worsen, deepen, deaden, intensify, slip further down the hole, or turn ever more entrenched or hopeless… And at last, that moment has arrived. The signs are everywhere. Things will change—either through our courageous choice to turn this ship around and humbly regroup, or by passively allowing external circumstances to deteriorate further, pushing us toward a crisis we'd rather hide from. How will you have it go, Libra? These closing couple weeks of the year are an ideal moment to consider your strategies for confronting Pluto's new longtime home in your 4th, the roots of the chart and of where we come from, our parental imprint and familial history, hometowns and traditions and lineages… and how we've swallowed it all hook-line-and sinker, learning to care for ourselves from the model with which we were raised, or whether we departed to create a new 'room of our own' where more effective emotional self-nurturance is able to take place. Over the coming months and years, you'll definitely come to understand how kindly (or not so kindly) you treat your tenderest innards—and feel the subsequent pull toward greater inner peace at any cost, even if it means moving or cutting ties or taking some other 'housecleaning' action. There is simply too much harshness out there in the world for you not to prioritize a calm domestic space over virtually everything else. Don't you deserve a quiet place to rest? Or have you grown so accustomed to the mental unrest that you'd given up on the hope you could ever let it go and just relax? Remember: Your life is not merely a set of circumstances passively stumbled into, but also (and rather profoundly) the results of decisions made. Saturn's station to retrograde in your 12th indicates a revisiting of the recent work you have (or haven't) put in, in terms of whether you're giving yourself enough quality time and meditative space all by yourself, so that you might listen to the quiet voice of your intuition guiding you away from too much interpersonal influence… and toward what's authentically you. And, to hear Venus and Neptune in your 5th tell it, don't underestimate the kooky times you can stir up over the holiday season, if, after one too many non-virginal egg-nogs, you purposely make much more of a spectacle of yourself than you typically might. (No, you're not usually the 'scene-maker'.) Yet, with the 'always perfect' appearances that accompany modern fetishistic consumer capitalism rapidly decaying to show the cracks and foibles underneath everything, it's time to start brazenly revealing your proudly buffoonish cracked-and-foibled side a bit more often. Appearances, after all, are always temporary. Please note: This horoscope is good for two weeks. I'm taking Christmas week off, okay? Your next fresh scope will appear on Mon Jan 5.

SCORPIO (October 23-November 21): We've seen it approaching for a while now. The definitive moment when we finally must take action on whatever situation we've watched worsen, deepen, deaden, intensify, slip further down the hole, or turn ever more entrenched or hopeless… And at last, that moment has arrived. The signs are everywhere. Things will change—either through our courageous choice to turn this ship around and humbly regroup, or by passively allowing external circumstances to deteriorate further, pushing us toward a crisis we'd rather hide from. How will you have it go, Scorpio? These closing couple weeks of the year are an ideal moment to consider your strategies for confronting Pluto's new longtime home in your 3rd, where we use our wits and charm to keep the social gears greased… to communicate with just the right blend of sincerely caring friendliness and assertive directness that we both effectively deliver our message and maintain a pleasurable network of contacts and acquaintances. Over the coming months and years, you'll come to realize how very much of your true self you convey—your passing moods, your underlying attitudes and beliefs, your unspoken judgments—in the smallest and most seemingly insignificant social contacts with others. Huge ripples of effects radiate outward every time you greet someone with an open heart and extra-generous graciousness… and, alternatively, when you snap at 'em rudely over an innocent misstep or snidely refuse to give 'em the time of day. Do you treat your casual day-to-day exchanges with consciousness and care? Do you treat everyone you encounter as an equal, worthy of basic consideration and respect? How are you treated in response? Remember: Your life is not merely a set of circumstances passively stumbled into, but also (and rather profoundly) the results of decisions made. Saturn's station to retrograde in your 11th indicates a revisiting of the recent work you have (or haven't) put in, in terms of maximizing your participation in only those social environments and milieus where you're comfortable enough to communicate with the utmost authenticity (rather than surrounding yourself with folks who aren't your cup-o'-tea, so that you've got to put on an act to get along with 'em). To hear Venus and Neptune in your 4th tell it, don't underestimate the need for plenty of private home time, in order to give yourself ample space to handle any emotional speed-bumps all by your lonesome. Keeping your own house clean, both literally and in a metaphoric sense, means you'll enter social situations with a clearer head and heart… which should help prevent the unfortunate experience of taking out your crap on some unwitting store clerk, customer service rep, or pal with poor timing. Please note: This horoscope is good for two weeks. I'm taking Christmas week off, okay? Your next fresh scope will appear on Mon Jan 5.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22-December 21): We've seen it approaching for a while now. The definitive moment when we finally must take action on whatever situation we've watched worsen, deepen, deaden, intensify, slip further down the hole, or turn ever more entrenched or hopeless… And at last, that moment has arrived. The signs are everywhere. Things will change—either through our courageous choice to turn this ship around and humbly regroup, or by passively allowing external circumstances to deteriorate further, pushing us toward a crisis we'd rather hide from. How will you have it go, Sagittarius? These closing couple weeks of the year are an ideal moment to consider your strategies for confronting Pluto's new longtime home in your 2nd, the accounting balance-sheet of the astro-chart… where we decide how best to put our material resources to use, how much to save and spend, and which of our traits and assets are most valuable to us. Over the coming months and years, you'll feel the weight of ever-present economic considerations requiring you to think twice (at least) before taking off on whatever latest fire-sign adventure captures your heart, lest you also drain your monetary coffers in the process. Through all those years of Pluto in your sign (1995-2008), you had a hard fight getting to where you now are: unapologetic awareness of who you are, what things are worth the hassles and which are decidedly not. So, what lasting cushion of material stability and surefootedness will you have to show for all of it, that you might use to protect this hard-fought victory of self? Or will you keep turning your back on such boring, lackluster concerns… until you find yourself seriously lacking in 'the basic building blocks of life' category, with creditors breathing down your neck and a hungry grumble in your tummy? Remember: Your life is not merely a set of circumstances passively stumbled into, but also (and rather profoundly) the results of decisions made. Saturn's station to retrograde in your 10th indicates a revisiting of the recent work you have (or haven't) put in, in terms of fully accepting and integrating all reality-checks on your career (or other public-world) aspirations… and either recommitting to additional long-term strategic efforts (in refusal to back away from important goals) or finally agreeing to try something else (in refusal to keep beating a dead horse). But to hear Venus and Neptune in your 3rd tell it, don't underestimate the light-hearted joy that comes from shooting the shit, holiday-season-style, with all the different sorts of folks who cross your path… and then walking away when you're no longer interested. With so many 'serious' things to think about, those flashes of spontaneous social connection over topics of little direct import to your life will prove some of the moments you cherish most in '09. Please note: This horoscope is good for two weeks. I'm taking Christmas week off, okay? Your next fresh scope will appear on Mon Jan 5.

CAPRICORN (December 22-January 19): We've seen it approaching for a while now. The definitive moment when we finally must take action on whatever situation we've watched worsen, deepen, deaden, intensify, slip further down the hole, or turn ever more entrenched or hopeless… And at last, that moment has arrived. The signs are everywhere. Things will change—either through our courageous choice to turn this ship around and humbly regroup, or by passively allowing external circumstances to deteriorate further, pushing us toward a crisis we'd rather hide from. How will you have it go, Capricorn? These closing couple weeks of the year are an ideal moment to consider your strategies for confronting Pluto's new longtime home in your sign, which means your self-transformation will arguably be the most comprehensive among all the signs, as well as directly and transpersonally relevant to how adeptly we all progress from this macro-level crossroads we find ourselves approaching. Over the coming months and years, you'll be challenged to assume the calm-headed, strategic-implementer authority position we've come to expect of you… to hold us all to sufficiently high standards that we willingly embrace the path of becoming our best selves, but without being so severe or punitive that you cannot muster compassion or kind words for those who desperately need a leg up. Obviously, this challenge starts at home with you, and how respectfully you honor yourself as a competent leader. Will you block yourself from giving something a good try because you're already caught up in criticizing your still-unfolding efforts? Will you remember to pause and applaud yourself for all you've already accomplished? Will you remember to revel in the striving, without presuming to know how it 'should' go? Remember: Your life is not merely a set of circumstances passively stumbled into, but also (and rather profoundly) the results of decisions made. Saturn's station to retrograde in your 9th indicates a revisiting of the recent work you have (or haven't) put in, in terms of sticking quite close to whatever you've personally decided will leave you feeling awash in integrity, while refusing to veer into questionable territory by tacitly swallowing somebody else's ethics as your own or avoiding all such evaluative questions altogether. And to hear Venus and Neptune in your 2nd tell it, you shouldn't underestimate the influence you'll have on others by frankly discussing the financial squeeze we're all feeling… even going so far as to publicly advocate a preservationist approach, if only to encourage some of your more conspicuously spendthrifty chums to clutch their coins a while longer. Your long-ranging views on money and such does indeed make you, Capricorn, the wisest economic mind on the block these days. Please note: This horoscope is good for two weeks. I'm taking Christmas week off, okay? Your next fresh scope will appear on Mon Jan 5.

AQUARIUS (January 20-February 18): We've seen it approaching for a while now. The definitive moment when we finally must take action on whatever situation we've watched worsen, deepen, deaden, intensify, slip further down the hole, or turn ever more entrenched or hopeless… And at last, that moment has arrived. The signs are everywhere. Things will change—either through our courageous choice to turn this ship around and humbly regroup, or by passively allowing external circumstances to deteriorate further, pushing us toward a crisis we'd rather hide from. How will you have it go, Aquarius? These closing couple weeks of the year are an ideal moment to consider your strategies for confronting Pluto's new longtime home in your 12th, the realm of the invisible, the illusive, the obscure, the unknowable and the borderline insane… undeniably a place we can only investigate by ourselves, in some degree of seclusion and separation from the 'earthly' world, but which deeply undergirds our experience of everything else in life. Over the coming months and years, you'll face lots of mystical logic-defying examples of how whatever you find yourself focused on in your wildest fantasies, scariest worries, most bizarre dreams or 'out-there' visions has a strange way of manifesting in your actual lived life. And while proactively engaging in the art of molding, maneuvering and manipulating one's dreams and visions isn't often thought of as the most efficient means of altering the real reality, you'll soon be proving time and time again how scarily effective it actually is. So, will you give your latent fears all the magnetic strength to attract difficulties, downers and disasters to you by continuing to fixate on 'em? Or will you take charge of your unconscious, programming it full of upbeat notions and affirmational visionalizations? And are you open to crossing the threshold from tangible to unseen, to seek otherworldly assistance for that which you seek to accomplish in this-here-world? Remember: Your life is not merely a set of circumstances passively stumbled into, but also (and rather profoundly) the results of decisions made. Saturn's station to retrograde in your 8th indicates a revisiting of the recent work you have (or haven't) put in, in terms of refusing to perpetuate any further unnecessary drama in those messiest of relationships that aren't likely to get any less messy (so why hold onto unresolved resentments when they're taking up space in your unconscious?). But to hear Venus and Neptune in your sign tell it, don't underestimate the value of simply showing up and making yourself open and available to others. With this winning combo in your 1st as we head into the holidays, your presence at events can't help but be welcome, unobtrusive, and gently supportive to the smoothest social dynamics. Get used to it, Aquarius: Jupiter spends all of next year in your sign, which means your 2009 will definitely be one for the record books. And without a doubt, something in your life will become monumentally larger. Please note: This horoscope is good for two weeks. I'm taking Christmas week off, okay? Your next fresh scope will appear on Mon Jan 5.

PISCES (February 19-March 20): We've seen it approaching for a while now. The definitive moment when we finally must take action on whatever situation we've watched worsen, deepen, deaden, intensify, slip further down the hole, or turn ever more entrenched or hopeless… And at last, that moment has arrived. The signs are everywhere. Things will change—either through our courageous choice to turn this ship around and humbly regroup, or by passively allowing external circumstances to deteriorate further, pushing us toward a crisis we'd rather hide from. How will you have it go, Pisces? These closing couple weeks of the year are an ideal moment to consider your strategies for confronting Pluto's new longtime home in your 11th, the house of our larger social connection to friend groups, communities of shared interests, niches of like-minded individuals, and society at large. Over the coming months and years, you'll be confronted with the consequences (good and bad) of aligning yourself with certain individuals—or, as the case may be, of isolating yourself from them. Again and again, you will encounter examples of how powerfully your wishes and ideals are influenced by those you keep company with. Which begs me to ask: Are the current peer influences on your behavior healthy, or not? Are you surrounded with the folks who will bring you closer to the life you want to lead, or with those who distract you from (or even actively undermine your relationship with) what's really important? Remember: Your life is not merely a set of circumstances passively stumbled into, but also (and rather profoundly) the results of decisions made. Saturn's station to retrograde in your 7th indicates a revisiting of the recent work you have (or haven't) put in, in terms of holding sane practically-minded boundaries in your primary one-on-one relationships so they fuel your real-world goals (rather than steal energy from them). And, to hear Venus and Neptune in your 12th tell it, don't underestimate the force of projecting massive blasts of positive loving energy to yield mysterious miracles that may well unite people you never thought you'd see come together. Of all the signs, you, Pisces, can create some major magic by channeling your idealistic love for all creation into intentions that help heal the world. With Jupiter in your 12th throughout all of 2009, the planets obviously expect you to lend a heartfelt hand in that arena. Please note: This horoscope is good for two weeks. I'm taking Christmas week off, okay? Your next fresh scope will appear on Mon Jan 5.