YEARLY HOROSCOPES 2008

SUMMARY OF THE YEAR AHEAD
(Individual sign forecasts below)

Okay, big stuff happening in 2008, isn't there always? But seriously, folks, with Pluto, planet of power and transformation, changing signs on 26th January, this is a particuarly pivotal year, where we are on the cusp of massive change. Pluto stays in Capricorn until 2024, so the ground is shifting for the longer-term. We are moving away from the backdrop of religious fundamentalism, jihad and modern-day Crusades, and from this year onwards, pure politics will be the pressing issue.

Capricorn is all about structures, institutions and status, so our systems of government will be gradually transformed over the next decade and more. Western powers might be in for the kind of structural changes Eastern Bloc countries went through in the late 1980s. We should wake up and wonder if democracy is all its cracked up to be, especially when exported at gunpoint, and whether we want to be governed by mass marketing and opinion polls - sort of like a nighmare of reality TV.

There is an Earthy complexion to the sky, and what comes out of the Earth will become increasingly important. Natural resources and alternative energy forms will make some people very rich and powerful, as oil reserves gradually run out. Incredible how quick the Green agenda has come in from the fringes and become the #1 live issue - more of that for sure in 2008.

The cavalier Pluto in Sagittarius attitude of 'tomorrow never comes' has to end and we have already felt the ripples of the new era in the looming 'credit crunch' and the first run on a British bank for centuries. An austerity programme/ recession may or may not result, but in the end, we should all be happier. Real wealth , freedom from debt and dependence on greedy banks, and a generally less materialistic attitude are healthy symptoms, even though they won't come immediately. Downsizing and self-sufficiency become increasingly popular lifestyle choices.

Stop me if I'm sermonizing, there's lots to get excited about too. The Solar Eclipse on 1st August is significant for the runners and riders in the US Presidential Election. The eclipse hits the Shrubster's ascendant full-on, so he will be eclipsed for sure and the end of a scary era will be upon us, as the last leader in the Coalition of the Killing exits. I'm not coming out for anyone to win the election yet, we don't even know who the candidates are, but all will be clearer once we get to August (does that let me out...?)

More growth of the Internet, better streaming and sharpness, with Uranus in Pisces providing artistic inspiration through technology. Great news for You-Tube. The i-Pod melting-pot effect will continue influencing music and breaking down boundaries, we are looking at a new Jazz Age. (Uranus was last in Pisces in the 1920s).

Jupiter in Capricorn means power-dressing hits the fashions, so it's welcome to the '80s again. Understated elegance, classic cuts and shoulder pads should all be making their dubious return.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE.

*******************************

ARIES
Work:
You go from last years’ moments of genius to grounding your inspiration in 2008. Equally important, if not more so. Pay attention to fine details and take notice of the messages coming from your co-workers. Your day to day employment may be different from the big ambitions that light your fire. Shoot for the moon, but the higher you fly, the stiffer the competition and the more responsibility comes your way. 17^th October onwards sees you cutting a dash. The exciting promise of last year gives way to the real deal in 2008.
Love:
Your attitude is that anything worth having is worth rushing into. What’s to think about? Around the time of your birthday, you are looking your best and also utmost charming, so prepare for heads to turn. April is a great month all-round for putting new zest into your partnership or finding an adventurous new affair. August 19^th – October 3^rd sees you in a provocative spirit, demanding love and affection on the basis that any reaction is better than none at all.
Money
Finance comes through your work, no surprise, but there may be more of it around. Calculated risk is key – being bold and positive, but not leveraging yourself so far you can’t get back. May is a good month for money, where you have an eye for the finest quality. Don’t stint on your spending, but don’t be taken in by paying for the label.

TAURUS
Work
Stability and security fuse in the coming year, a reassuring signature for success. Your path doesn’t need any abrupt left-hand turns, just keep doing what you are already.  A reputation grows for reliability, sage judgement and delivering on your promises. The eclipse on 7^th February is a big departure, where you must find a career that singles you out. Remember, to love your work and everything is not all about money.
Love
Smooth romantic progress this year, even though you need occasional excitement and intrigue. You can find a situation that gives you a solid mooring and then look around for interests and a life of your own too. You are not afraid of work or commitment to keep a relationship afloat. You are looking good and in the mood for company around the time of your birthday in May, and love affairs take a passionate turn from October through mid-November.
Money
It’s more important to find work that inspires you this year, but that doesn’t rule out money. In fact, you stand a better chance of striking gold through something you are rapt in. With Jupiter, planet of wealth, perfectly placed all year, you have a mind to expand. Take care of your spending in January and February – impulse buys may get out of hand. By the New Moon on the 5^th May, your tastes turn expensive once again, but you should have the funds to cover it.

GEMINI
Work
Early 2008 finds you backtracking and chasing up career projects left over from last year. February starts the New Year proper for you, and the 7^th is a stand-out moment. Getting your domestic foundations secure has a positive effect on your work and you are looking for a proper adventurous vocation – nothing is gained by playing it safe. Bring on your underrated creative talents and put yourself across with style and grace.
Love
The underlying intensity of the last several years cools down and you get on with relating on a friendlier level. You have a great intuition, and people are drawn to you because you seem mysteriously to understand. From 25^th May to 18^th June, a sweet romance from the past comes back to remind you. You might pick up this relationship and run with it, or decide to move on, but for a time you bathe in nostalgia. Mid-November to late December has added passion and spice, including a big party Moon on 12^th December.
Money
Your financial and business interests grow this year, so make a good, convincing case for yourself. A smart appearance makes the right impression and people extend you credit on this basis. From March until early May, keep a tight rein on the impulse spending. You take the plunge and commit to buy items you were watching and fantasising about last year. You can make this work for you, if it means you snap up a one-time-only bargain offer.

CANCER
Work
No more Mr or Mrs Safety First in 2008. You connect with a more experimental side, and surprise everyone who knows you. Sometimes taking risks and going for what you really want is safer than sticking with the status quo. March and April especially see you facing forward, set on the bold deeds meant to do before. You pick up the all-action vibe again in October, keeping the pace up through until late November.
Love
In love, you profit from believing the best and letting people prove themselves. Jupiter, planet of faith, kicks open doors in your relationships and friendly counsel is also there when you need it. Any past setbacks or regrets are addressed and you have a sense of romantic renewal and transformation. Mid-June to 13^th July is a good phase for your close affairs, or else for discovering somebody new. The New Moon on 3^rd July is a big turning-point.
Money
You are a security-oriented type and generally prefer the tried and trusted route. But speculating to accumulate is well rewarded in the coming year - the big money is found out on a limb. You could do well getting together with someone sharp and forming a business partnership. From 10^th May to 1^st July, you have a sharp nose for a good deal and it’s smart to trust your intuition.

LEO
Work
Knowing what you don’t want is nearly as important as knowing what you do. After a long spell of testing last year, you understand yourself so much better and now can lead by example. No telling others to do what you wouldn’t do yourself. The big Solar Eclipse on 1^st August is a turning point, but let decisions ferment a while afterwards. Easier days are coming if you get the groundwork straight from the start.
Love
You are set on good times through 2008, getting away from the time when your focus was all about work. Insist on the fine print in your relationships and don’t take vague promises on trust. You are in a heady romantic phase, but you tend to build lovers’ persona up and not relate to the real person. Not everyone realises the strong sentimental streak running through you! Mid-may to late June finds you feisty and passionate, and the romantic theme picks up again around the time of your birthday.
Money
You have rich experience behind you and you’re set to make it pay. Saturn, planet of ambition, paves the way in your financial district and setting up long-term security is your goal. Build up a rainy-day fund, but keep the faith and don’t be afraid to splash out if something special catches your eye. Money is there for spending at the end of the day. Moments of doubt assail you occasionally, and a big transformation happens with the eclipse on 21^st February.

VIRGO
Work
A defining year, 2008 is all about building it up from the ground floor. You know what needs doing, no matter how major the career surgery, and you are rewarded for every effort. You feel tired and daunted occasionally, only because your goals are so spectacular. Time to break the ice on all the projects you have talked about for ages - keep chipping away and by the year’s end, your resume will be impressive. Take proper holidays and be nice to yourself.
Love
You may be so focused on professional goals that your love life takes a back-seat. Or else of course, you find someone intriguing through your work. There is a balance to strike between wanting your partner for security, and needing a life as well as a love – especially after 21^st February. Quirky, unpredictable characters come into your world and you learn to change your expectations. 6^th-30^th August is an excellent phase where you feel friendly and new invitations land on your mat.
Money
Any financial reward you receive this year, you will have earned. Yet once you have earned it, you get to keep it. It’s best to play your financial game long and not expect results straightaway. Money is there, however and you may be luckier than you realise. So keep focused and optimistic. A little luxury and escapism is excellent therapy and reminds you what all the work is for.

LIBRA
Work
Find your inner centre this year and work on feeling comfortable inside your skin. You do well when left to work on your own, in your own time, without constant interference from above. February’s eclipses find you cultivating your artistic gifts and relating well to younger people – you can be an excellent teacher or mentor figure. March and April find you in ambitious mood, definitely making up for lost time. From August 19^th to October 1^st you are taking the initiative and somebody rewards you with a leadership role.
Love
Spring and Autumn are your romantic seasons in 2008. 21^st March is a celebratory moment, perfect for partying, and April finds new people coming in to your life. If anything is worth doing, it’s worth doing in company.  In September, you have a combination of charm and dynamism, and can make something of a fleeting situation. If there’s someone out there who interests you, then you are not afraid to break the ice.
Money
Property is a big source of security through 2008, so it’s good to develop your home. Jupiter, planet of expansion, moves through this zone and you can safely ask for more than you would usually expect. Don’t leverage yourself too far, but look into the prospects for some bigger borrowing. Expect impulse buys through October – treating yourself to a fancy birthday gift?

SCORPIO
Work
March and April are perfect for purposeful moves, as you are certain of your direction. If you are acting to a proper plan, nobody can stop you. The Solar Eclipse on August 1^st illuminates your career zone and a big turning point arrives. Make an itinerary of tasks to tire yourself out and you outstrip even your own high expectations. You are working hard around the time of your birthday, and this is where you look for promotion. Pay attention to group ideals and gather people around you of like mind.
Love
May is the month of love, where you have the charm, the looks and the desire for perfect company. Between May 25^th and June 18^th, a second chance comes to connect with someone from the past, where you make up for a lost opportunity. An ex’ returning into your world makes things complicated for a while, but admit that you love the romantic intrigue. October finds you fit, focused and flying and any partner struggles to keep up with you.
Money
Finances are not such an overriding issue in 2008. Pluto, planet of power, moves on and you are more concerned with group goals and ambitions nearer your heart. October 19^th to November 13^th finds you with expensive tastes, willing to buy the best. A romantic gift or peace offering at this point makes the perfect impact.

SAGITTARIUS
Work
You have gotten by on large dollops of good fortune up to now, but 2008 is about grounding your luck. Building up your brand name and reputation, and watching the offers come flooding in. Understanding your exact role is the most important thing, and not taking any shortcuts to the top – your patient efforts are noted and rewarded. Success is a wonderful feeling, but you are defined by more than just the size of your office and initials after your name. The lunar eclipse on 21^st February points you the way.
Love
You feel good going into the New Year, and your rediscovered optimism draws the right people towards you. Between mid-May and the end of June, you have a strong and adventurous attitude, and you put yourself in all the right places to be seen. The beginning of June sees a reprise of an old relationship, or exploring a past issue in your present affair. Mid-November through the time of your birthday in December has promise for a romantic conquest.
Money
You are cashing in on breakthroughs you made last year. Pluto, planet of power, moves into your money zone in January and brings you into contact with influential types. This is the start of a long chapter, where you appreciate the corporate world a little more and the importance of financial planning. Money luck is here for you in 2008, and prioritising is essential if you are to get the absolute best from the time.

 CAPRICORN
Work
Startling stuff to look forward to this year, bigger and brighter than you are used to. You define success by worldly status, but inner grace and poise feel pretty good too. Jupiter, planet of fortune, stays in your sign all year, bringing opportunities for promotion and expansion. You are also rewarded for soldiering through the day-to-day and being simply yourself. It’s not often you get such crazy luck and the means to ground it too.
Love
Friends see a big change in you. No more the careful romantic strategist, you are open and spontaneous, and start taking risks, inviting all to approach you. You are good in company and people like having you around. Late January, through to February 17^th is an excellent period where you are especially warm and generous. This attitude will be repaid later in the year. Believing the best, almost to the point of naivety, is the way to approach your love affairs. Money
Money should be there for you when you need it. This is an outstanding time to be open-handed and to give without expectation. You believe that funds will simply be there and for this reason, you may not think about money so much at all. Take care of too excessive spending, especially around the important lunar eclipse on August 16^th. You can afford to be generous, but don’t forget completely your customary Capricorn canniness.

AQUARIUS
Work
You are left alone to define yourself this year, without the pressures and expectations of 2007. Easier times approach, if you discover the right career niche. Bosses find you dreamy and distracted, but you can prove your worth by tapping into your creative, imaginative side. Mid-August to late September is perfect for pushing ahead and travel opportunities may come around your workplace. Big eclipses spell change on 7^th Feb and 16^th August.
Love
Relationships are also less pressured this year, if you find the right situation. You need someone who understands your need to escape occasionally and to indulge your romantic fantasies. January and February are excellent for chasing up old relationship leads and taking the steps you should have done before. The solar Eclipse on the 1^st August is a breakthrough where you leave behind limiting emotional expectation.
Money
As with every other area, you are very idealistic around your money this year. Putting your efforts into charity and good causes makes you popular and gives you a vital sense of purpose. Unpredictable circumstances follow your finances around, so stand by for unexpected expenses and sudden windfalls. If you are breaking out and becoming more independent, then changeable conditions come with the territory.

 PISCES
Work
Some ambitions have reached a natural end and knowing when to quit is an art-form. Cut your losses in work situations that are no longer fulfilling - something better always finds you if you are bold enough to look. Uranus, planet of rebellion, inspires you all year to break out on your own path in your own style. Rest up and reflect rather than soldier on, especially when the career pressure-cooker gets too much. September 15^th is a major turning point, and your goals and outlook are very different by the end of the year.
Love
A big contradiction surrounds your love life this year. You are looking for security and someone to be your rock. At the same time, you are restless and unpredictable, and your heart’s desire changes from day to day. A feeling of fate enters in and it seems you are brought together with someone to learn definite love lessons. March 13^th - April 6^th is a good spell for flirtation and October to mid-November sees you finding somebody new.
Money
It’s not so much about the money as what you have to do to get it. A full-circle feeling envelops you from time to time and you will want a complete change of scene. Earning money an independent way is a big challenge and adds precious excitement. The Full Moon on 14^th October lights up your prospects and it’s worth spending the extra on something you just have to have.