Aries - March 21st-April 20th

The month of January for Aries correlates with your solar 10th house of career and status. It is therefore going to be a major focus for you this month and notably from the 8th when Mercury moves into Capricorn, your intellectual strengths will be tested in your career environment.

Before the 8th all born after April 11th will benefit from the creativity of their brain and it augurs well for writers, critics and journalists.

After the 27th, all born up to March 28th will be focusing more on collective goals that are not necessarily related to your own individual needs. Friendships are also flagged up as important.

However, your ruler Mars, currently in Virgo which is also connected to your house of everyday routine, does move retrograde from the 24th, suggesting that from that date and indeed for several months, there could be a sense of uncertainty and some paralysis of aims and goals and attitudes in your working life. It is also possible that for some there will be a renewed questioning of goals and values, and at best this shift in Mars’ movement suggests a need to be more watchful and considered, and to listen to the heart. Indirect or covert action may be your modus operandi of necessity. The danger is that there could be seething resentment. Remember, internalized anger can equal depression, so address issues as they arise.

Before the 14th, for all born after April 3rd, Venus in Aquarius points to a rather vibrant social life with the 13th indicating tests of loyalty and a realization of some powerful connection with someone that needs honoring. From the 14th when Venus moves into Pisces, there will be a need to retreat a little and privacy and secrecy may well be the order of the day, particularly when it comes to romantic and creative projects. The ability to selflessly give to others will also be underscored.

Jupiter in Taurus continues to protect your financial situation at the very least, but Saturn in the last degrees of Libra is now directly opposing the Suns of those born April 17th to 20th. This is a slightly haunting energy of oppression and/or obligation and this comes from others. It can be a time when you feel tired and vulnerable physically and it is a time for more sleep. Remember that Saturn represents the march of time, but it also represents obligation, duty, responsibility, learning curves and reality checks, and ultimately doing what is necessary. However, decisions about what is necessary can only be honestly taken with humility and a serious searching of the heart. It is not an easy time, but what one does, under a challenging Saturn, because one has to, sets one up for future success. The gifts Saturn brings are not obvious at the time, but retrospectively they become so. No pain, no gain.

Uranus in your sign, still hovering around those early degrees, continues to give to those born at the very beginning of Aries around March 21st/22nd as you have been experiencing since March of last year, a great sense of a huge revolution in your life, a magical mystery tour that seems to often make no sense. The unexpected and left field are part of this awakening and enlightening. The good news is that by the end of February you will be off this particular roller-coaster and you will look back and understand just how much your life has changed and your vista on the world will have been revolutionized. Times when this awareness will be particularly obvious are around the 22nd and 28th.

Neptune is in harmonious angle to the Suns of those born March 18th to 20th and although this group are having Saturn as a challenging energy, this is definitely a cavalry rescue effect. This gives you the ability to have empathy, compassion, sensitivity and creative inspiration. It gives spiritual understanding which helps with the challenges of Saturn.

Finally, Pluto is still squaring your sign as he will for many years to come, but will be focusing now on the Suns of those born March 27th to 30th. If you cast your mind back to last March, April and May, there is a similar energy at work again. This energy will not finally be sorted until next year, but meanwhile there is a challenge for you to stand up to test your ability to not abuse your own power or indeed not to allow others to abuse theirs, with dignified boundaries being drawn. End of chapters are in the air, particularly on a professional basis, but out of every ending comes a potential new beginning, and any melt-down which creates a vacuum has got a fated feel to it and allows you to psychologically empower yourself. You may feel primeval in energy and as if you are in a battle for your survival but you must not be ruthless. Your actions must be based on spiritual and psychological strength, rather than primitive knee-jerk reaction.

Thought for 2012: Follow through is as important as your original brilliant inspiration.