Capricorn (December 22 - January 19)

Capricorn (December 22 - January 19)

Your January Horoscope by Susan Miller

The year 2008 is just made for you! Last month, on December 18, Jupiter, the great planet of happiness and good fortune, moved into Capricorn for the first time since 1996 to stay until January 2009, a full year. This marks the dawning of a whole new era for you, one that will erase so many of the disappointments of the past.

In the time that Jupiter is at your side, he will act as a jolly benefactor who will be anxious to see you do well. He will see that you meet many distinguished high-level types who will open doors for you and who will be willing to see that you get ahead. You will see more of the world in 2008, for travel will almost certainly form part of the picture.

Even your personal life will benefit, as you go out more and widen your circle of friends. New interests will open up in this fresh new influence, for you are starting a whole new 12-year cycle. If you have not met a romantic partner yet, that too is possible in 2008, as the ancient astrologers always wrote that Jupiter conjunct the Sun (as you now have) is one of the best aspects possible for finding true love.

None of this will happen without your involvement - it will be up to you to take the opportunities presented and to spin them into gold.

Your first instinct will be to grab everything in sight - a little like a game show contestant let loose in a mega electronics store who has ten minutes to stuff every big ticket item he can find into his gigantic shopping cart.

To do so would be to spread yourself too thin. Be choosy, dear Capricorn, and focus your priorities. When high-level people ask you how they can help you, be ready with an answer, as this will be no time to drop the ball. The more clearly you see what you want to accomplish, the more likely it is that you will.

You will travel more in 2008 because Jupiter will encourage you to expand your view and to spread your wings. You will be exposed to new concepts and the big broad thinking of successful people, and some of their sparkle will rub off on you, too.

You are known to be a staunch realist, but even your closest friends and family will report that lately they have noticed something new in you - a twinkle in your eye, a bounce in your step, a slight turn to your lips - and wait ... could that be YOU singing in the shower? Of course it could be - and I bet you are even humming as you walk down the street! After all, if you play your cards right this year, you'll soon feel like you own the sidewalk! Jupiter is working on making you more optimistic, and if this new confidence in yourself and the future hasn't taken hold yet yet, just wait - it will, soon!

This month will be extraordinary because the Sun and new moon will welcome Jupiter to Capricorn, and Venus, currently on assignment in Sagittarius as the month opens, will arrive a little later in the month, on January 24 to stay until February 18. This year, birthday month will be extraordinarily special. Venus would not want to miss being with you, not this year!

And wait - that's not all!

Pluto is about to make a stunning move out of Sagittarius and into Capricorn on January 25. Pluto is associated with power and money, as well as with complete regeneration and renewal. As the planet farthest from the Sun in our solar system, Pluto has the slowest orbit around the Sun and therefore spends the longest time in each sign and house of the zodiac. That allows Pluto to make a truly indelible impression as it travels through a house - in your case, your 1st house of personality and personal desires, determination, and dreams.

The 1st house is always the most important for it is the engine that drives the whole chart. Astrology is not destiny, so it will always be up to us to use the cards we are dealt each year, but this year, you are holding all aces!

You have never experienced Pluto in Capricorn, and neither has anyone else who is alive today. The last time Pluto was in Capricorn it was 1762 to 1779. Indeed, many astrologers feel that Pluto in Capricorn was instrumental in creating the forces that led to the American Revolution! Pluto's job is to look at the foundations of things and to tear down any that appear to have developed cracks or serious fault lines in their structures. If Pluto finds flaws and recommends repairs or even a new foundation, Pluto will help you build it.

When big, powerful outer planets first enter a sign, they make an appearance, retreat back into the old sign in retrograde, and then return to the new sign to stay. This gives you a preview of what's to come and time to get ready.

When Pluto enters Capricorn on January 25 he will back into Sagittarius in June. However, he'll come back into Capricorn in the last week of November 2008, and when he does, Pluto will remain in your sign until 2023, fifteen years!

Pluto's influence will be to strengthen you from the inside out. You'll plumb your depths during his stay with you and you'll discover a deep and abiding passion for the endeavors that you take on.

Others will admire your single-minded determination to succeed, for surely, Pluto will require an all-or-nothing approach from you. As a Capricorn, your motivation and ambition to succeed has always been high, but now it is about to become sharpened, focused, and intensified. Your ability to persuade others will become more effective too, for you won't take "no" for an answer!

There is something else happening in the solar system that you may find encouraging. Over the course of past years the major outer planets - the ones with the true power - have favored fire and air signs in an outrageous way.

As of this month, that balance of power will shift to earth signs: Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn. (Water signs always do well when earth signs do well, so Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces will benefit from this trend, too.)

Let's have a look at the evidence. Your ruler, Saturn, for two years traveled in fire sign Leo, a difficult place for you, but switched to earth sign Virgo last September, a place it will remain in until October 2009.

Jupiter was in fire sign Sagittarius, but is now in an earth sign - Capricorn - until January 2009.

Pluto is about to leave fire sign Sagittarius, having been in that sign since 1995. When Pluto finally brings all his pots and pans to settle into Capricorn, it will be until 2024.

Uranus has always been supportive, in water sign Pisces since 2003, and will remain there until 2011.

Neptune is the sole planet not in a compatible element to yours. Now in air sign Aquarius, Neptune will continue to travel in this sign until 2011.

Still, you see how much favor you have behind you! These encouraging planets will act like kindly little relatives who love you and who want to see you do well. They will push you and prod you, teach you and encourage you, and generally keep their arms around your shoulders to protect you.

More importantly, this new emphasis on earth signs means that the world is about to come to realize that that your particular talents are precisely the ones that are needed most. Those will be your proclivity to be practical, productive, and trustworthy, and to accurately manage large amounts of money. Your role in the zodiac has always been to effectively translate your ideas and those of others into something real, tangible, and lest I forget to add: highly profitable.

Increasingly, you will find that you will feel in the sync with the thinking of the times and you will be pleased to see your instincts affirmed. With so many heavy-duty outer planets supporting your aims, you'll no longer feel that you are continually battling the elements. You've climbed Mt. Everest - now you can survey the view.

You will start to find found that you are at the right place at the right time. Dear Capricorn, it's been a long time coming, but no one deserves this more than you!

Do you remember the phase that extended from the latter half of 2003 to mid-2005? That had to have been a tough period when relationships were very difficult, or when you may have been concerned about the welfare of a male who was close to you. In fact, you may have seen your own health suffer. I am so sorry you had to endure that. That period did make you very strong, but gee, at such a cost!

If your birthday falls early in the sign, in December, then late 2003 turned out to be the harder period. If you were born in the third week in January, then the first half of 2005 was your tough period. No matter when you faced Darth Vader (and indeed, it had to have felt that way), it was a time of enormous struggle and tension.

As extreme as that period was for you, you will now get to experience the flip side - one that will be extremely positive!

And if you were one of the few readers who say those years were actually great years for you, you may have had a rising sign that was attracting favorable aspects for you, ones I cannot see from where I sit. All I can say is this: Your coming year will be even better! Capricorn rarely if ever complains, so if you thought 2003-2005 were great years, I want to say this loud and clear: "You ain't seen nothing yet!" (as your grandpa might have said!)

This month set your eyes on the important new moon, January 8, the day that key planets will be all set to roll into position. This will be your moment to shine. It will be your moment to state your desires and to launch endeavors that are dear to you, either personally or professionally. You often put the welfare of others ahead of your own, but this month, it's time to think about your own interests.

If your birthday falls on January 8 plus or minus five days, you will feel the benefic effects of this new moon with double strength.

Saturn, your ruler, will continue to retrograde until May 2, having reversed its orbit last month on December 19. Once Saturn is back on track in May, you'll feel like you've poked the pinata, for later this year even more fantastic goodies will rain down on your head. Think of the opportunities coming your way as a trend that will only grow bigger as the year progresses.

Speaking of retrograde planets, Mars has been retrograde since November 15 but will bolt direct on January 30. If you have tried to solve a home, family, or real estate-related problem, you may have felt as though you were struggling to walk against a powerful headwind that kept pushing you back. It was very hard to make progress.

Whether you wanted to sell a house, change roommate, locate that special piece of furniture, or sign off on the right contractor, since mid-November no home-related task proved to be exactly straightforward or easy. Finding options for an elderly parent you were trying to help would have been equally frustrating. After Mars goes direct on January 30, you'll find your efforts lead to more productive results, although not quite instantly.

Why not instantly? Just as Mars is about to go direct, Mercury will begin to retrograde from January 28 to February 17. That will mess up your timing, so you will have to sit tight.

This time, Mercury will retrograde in your 2nd house of salary and possessions. You may find that checks suddenly go missing or that vital paperwork you need to complete becomes tangled in red tape. If you are due child support, your ex may not be able to send checks on time, due to his or her sudden unemployment or other factors. If you expected checks from good customers, suddenly their lack of cash flow will affect you, too. You may need a backup plan to bridge this period financially until things normalize.

During the retrograde period, check your bank accounts and statements for possible computer errors - Mercury will retrograde in the digital sign of Aquarius. Keep alert for any possible attempt to steal your identity, too. You will need to back up your computer now as well. In fact, you may need to be more careful about sending the email to the wrong person. When you Xerox a sensitive, personal document, make sure you don't leave the original in the photocopier for others to find later. Be very careful not to lose your cell phone during this phase or any other key communication device. You may have to bring at least one item to the repair shop. (I really don't like to have to deliver this news!)

During this phase it would not be wise to move ahead on your home-related endeavor or to initiate any new plans, so don't accept a new career offer, start a new job, or sell a house during this period.

It would also not be wise to spend a great deal of money either, and certainly not on any electronic items like a new computer, flat screen TV, or car. You could find your purchase was a big mistake, a "lemon," or that it just doesn't deliver the benefits and pleasures you had anticipated. Either make your purchases prior to January 20 (leaving space of a few days before Mercury starts to go backward) or plan to go shopping in March.

Normally it would be fine to wait a few days beyond the date that Mercury is done retrograding (in this case February 17) and resume normal initiations. This time, however, you won't be able to do that, because February will be rife with cosmic static. Two eclipses will occur next month, one in Aquarius on February 6 and the other a full moon lunar eclipse in Virgo on February 20.

Alas, it's never wise to act on an eclipse but rather to respond to others' actions on an eclipse. In February's confusing atmosphere, it would be wise to first see what news the eclipses deliver before you make any key announcements. Your priorities are likely to change, so don't be too hasty. March will bring a calmer, more secure picture into play, so if you can't quickly initiate your key plans now, between January 8 and 20 (your best period), then wait until March.

You have one sterling day, when all sorts of news should please you to no end: January 21, when Saturn (your guardian planet) will receive a missive from Jupiter. It's a four-star day of the year, full of hope and optimism, and a day when you can lay the groundwork for long-term security. Use this day for any important meeting or action. We get very few of these sparkling aspects in a given year - this one is just made for you because your ruler will be both prominent and supremely benefic.

Were you born on December 28 or close to this date? You actually are in a perfect position to reap benefits galore. If you were not, you may have other planets at 7 degrees of an earth sign, so stay happy!

At the full moon, January 22, your financial 8th house of income and outgo will be highlighted, so you may get a check or have to write one. Unlike years past when you felt like a crocodile inside would snap at your fingers every time you opened your mailbox to grab your mail, this year will be different. Saturn has departed from its difficult place in your chart, and there's no need to fear your mailbox any more. You can deal with anything that comes up, dear Capricorn.

This month you may have enough money in your account to cover any bill that shows up - even with some to spare. If you find you do have some extra, treat yourself to a special birthday present. As a Capricorn, you rarely indulge in things like this, but go ahead - times are changing!

As if the universe has not provided enough of an array of delicious aspects for you this month, there will be one more at month's end to delight you.

Venus will be in Capricorn from January 24 to February 17, a time when you'll feel very social. You'll be particularly charming now, so go ahead - let friends drag you out of the house for birthday fun. This particular phase would also be excellent for finding flattering new clothes or to spiff up your appearance.

Your most romantic evenings include: January 7 - 8, 11 - 12, 16 - 17, 21, 24, 25, 29, and 31 - February 1.

Let's talk about the last two dates, which will be simply stunningly special.

On January 31- February 1, Venus and Jupiter will make their once-a-year romantic rendezvous in Capricorn and swirl across the gorgeous diamond-studded sky. Venus rules your 5th house of true love, and Jupiter is simply in charge of ALL your happiness, romantic or not!

This is due to be a truly fantastic two-day period - again, worthy of four stars! This one has your name written all over it. My goodness! Romance should be outstanding, and someone may have a very generous birthday gift for you too, dear Capricorn. Be happy! This is your year!

Summary

What a month! With Jupiter, the giver of gifts and luck, in your sign now for the coming year, you will have exceptional opportunities to realize many dreams you've long held but found hard to translate into reality. Although you are an ambitious soul, you seem ready to put your personal needs and desires ahead of all else these days. Good! You have all the planetary help you need to see a fantastic dream realized now. You are brimming with enthusiasm too, as well you should!

Give your ideas a passionate push, dear Capricorn, for the life ahead of you is about to improve radically. With Pluto, the master of transformation, now starting its headline-making move into Capricorn for the first time since the beginnings of the American Revolution in 1762, absolutely nothing will hold you back.

Since Pluto is positioned at the farthest end of our solar system, it takes this planet approximately 246 years to revolve around the Sun. That's why Pluto's visits to your sign are so rare - and special. Rare visits of planets are always noticeable and more powerful than commonplace ones. The influence that is on the way is completely new, as no one alive today has experienced Pluto in Capricorn.

Pluto may be small, but is considered one of the very most powerful of all heavenly bodies. Pluto doesn't work quickly, but gradually, so you'll need patience. Pluto will teach you to go about your plans slowly and methodically. You'll have the time - Pluto is not set to leave until 2023. This year, for the coming 12 months, good fortune Jupiter will act like a booster rocket to Pluto, helping you accomplish what seemed too daunting in the past. Moreover, Saturn, your ruler and planet of long-term gains, will support Jupiter and Pluto, a rather remarkable situation. The net result is that your New Year has all the markings of one of the most vital years of your life. Having Jupiter, the planet of gifts, in Capricorn would alone make it that, but you have that and so much more.

Your annual birthday gift, the new moon in Capricorn, will occur on January 8. The actions you take between January 8 and 20 will affect you for weeks and months to come, and very possibly you will be sowing the seeds for a lifestyle or endeavor that will be in place for a decade, or possibly forever. Your future is very literally in your hands, so begin to take steps toward a deeply held dream.

Here's more good news: You seem to have been concerned about a shortage of cash over the past two years, but the full moon on January 22 will prove to you that indeed, a new day has dawned. Your budget should open up, allowing you to buy at least one coveted item you've had your eye on in recent months.

Do not sign a final agreement at this full moon, however as Mercury and fuzzy Neptune will obscure facts. Talk but do not finalize anything quite yet. If you do, terms will be muddled, and as you move forward, you would encounter problems.

Another reason to delay formalizing your decisions and actions is that Mercury will begin more than three weeks of retrograde orbit on January 28, proving that this deal has not yet been thoroughly discussed and developed. Conditions around you are in flux and you will need to think dynamically. Mercury will not regulate its orbit until late February, so you'd really be wise to table the official signing of this agreement until early March if you can't do so earlier, on or near January 8 - 18, which will be your best phase.

Devise a long-range plan that will, in time, succeed beyond your dreams on one of this month's four-star days, January 21.

Big plans for your living quarters will finally hit the fast lane, now that Mars will barrel forward on January 30. Mars has been napping since mid-November, so if you were wondering why a home or family situation brought so little progress, you now know that Mars was to blame. Happily, Mars will stay in fine form for the coming nearly two years, so nothing should hold you back any longer.

Finally, just before the month ends, have something planned for January 31 or February 1. (Of the two dates, your stronger one will be January 31.) This will be a divine day, when all your fairies land on your windowsill and shower you with happiness and hope. It's sure to be a romantic, happy day, too special to spend alone indoors. It's a time to dance the night away, and if you're single, to meet someone special.

Happy birthday, dear Capricorn! The dark days are over and done, and starting now, you can push closed that old big heavy door on the past, lock the padlock, and throw away the key. You won't be revisiting those old days anymore. Hurry up! You've got a lot of living to do from now on, and no one deserves it more than you!