Aquarius Monthly Horoscope

MONTHLY OVERVIEW
Dream on, dreamer. The Sun nestles into Capricorn, your sleepy twelfth house, until January 19, kicking off 2013 with a bubble bath, not a bang. The low-key mood compels you to opt out of social obligations—so unlike you!—in favor of quiet nights at home. Curl up by the fireplace, read a book and sip a mug of cozy chamomile tea (or a glass of comforting Malbec). But don’t get too cozy in those yoga pants. Go-getter Mars is Aquarius all month, revving you up to achieve a personal goal. Expect to feel both wired and tired, or to experience fresh starts and endings overlapping. This is quite the tightrope walk, as you might feel like you’ve downed two double espressos, even though you can’t stifle your yawns.

On January 11, a Capricorn new moon illuminates your twelfth house of surrender and healing. This is a big clearing moment for your psyche—a time when suppressed feelings come into the open for some much-needed closure. Where have you been holding out? What’s been holding you back? How have you been engaging in self-sabotage? You might have an epiphany that helps to resolve a past matter at the root level—or hey, even at the past-life level if you really want to go there, to ancient Egypt or the Italian Renaissance. Whatever the development, you’re cleaning the slate and making amends with an old, nagging issue that’s been crowding your space. As a stubborn “fixed” sign, you’re not always big on acknowledging when you’re wrong, but today, you might find that taking personal responsibility helps set you free. In lieu of clinging to control—which is all an illusion anyway—surrender your troubles to the universe as much as you can.

Soon after the Capricorn new moon, the Sun and expressive Mercury move into Aquarius on January 19. Practically overnight, you get your second wind—and your buoyant personality back. Your friends breath a collective sigh of relief…it wasn’t right to see you passing on happy hours and lively dinners out. You’re officially back to life, a non-stop gabber, super-motivated to express yourself and chase after your biggest dreams. Stand in that metaphorical doorway of your life and ask, “What else is there for me?” (Actually, this would be a good journaling exercise for you, to write about what you see, literally, when you stand in the doorway.) As the ceiling of your current limitations is shattered, you’re looking at a whole new, exciting landscape. Your sign is never short on dreams anyway, only now you’re motivated to bring them beyond the confines of your vivid imagination.

The January 26 full moon in Leo, your seventh house of partnerships, marks a big turning point or fruition of an important relationship. A budding connection could turn into a full-on commitment, or your current relationship may have a resurgence of romance. Before you break out the rose, though, you may encounter some firm boundaries, since the full moon is square stern Saturn in Scorpio, your tenth house of long-term goals. Despite the Grade A swooning, are you two on different pages, when it comes to your 10-year plans? As passionate as things are, you simply have a few deal-breaking differences in your long-term goals.

If you end up parting ways, fear not: lucky Jupiter goes direct (forward) on January 30 in Gemini, your fifth house of romance. Whew! Your date-card will soon be full, with exciting new opportunities—like, say, a late-night cocktail with that hottie from your acting class or a Valentine’s Day that doesn’t suck…for once. Or, if you decide to stick with your partner, you may decide to bring the spark back and inject a shot of playfulness into your dates. Trapeze class, anyone?

LOVE & ROMANCE
This month, you’re lost in romantic reveries, with the Sun touring Capricorn, your dreamy and fanciful twelfth house. While it’s lovely to let your idealistic mind wander through all kinds of soft-focus fantasies—the stuff of Hollywood rom-coms and sentimental love songs, you might have a hard time sorting out what’s real and what’s not. Go with your flowing, poetic mood, but don’t make serious commitments until you can see clearly again.

On January 11, a new moon in Capricorn could open your eyes, especially with magnetic Venus, expressive Mercury, and soul-stirring Pluto all hanging out in the same dreamy sector of your chart. Intense, lovelorn feelings might rise to the surface now, or perhaps you see someone’s true colors, in a surprising or revealing way. Perhaps you’ve been so stuck on things being a certain way, either blissfully rosy or impossible to work out, that your own extremist mindset has caused a rift. Now you’re being called to surrender.

Whatever events transpire, you realize that you are not in 100 percent control all the time, in spite of your most valiant efforts to be. If you have to loosen your grip on the one you thought was “the One,” so be it, especially if that means making room for real, lasting love. As a sign with a reputation for detachment, you don’t want to miss this chance to really open yourself up and be vulnerable, so that you’re available to a satisfying soul-mate connection. Resolve to lift and disband those blocks—and start by digging them up at the roots. For example, if you’re torturing yourself because one of your parents held a conviction that there’s no such thing as true love, why not make a decision to consciously excise that limiting belief system? For a soul-soothing blueprint on how to do this, check out “Calling in the One” by Katherine Woodward Thomas.

The twelfth house is the realm of illusions and the subconscious. Your attraction to someone may very well be echoing an unresolved issue from childhood. Paging Dr. Freud! But seriously, there’s a good chance you may be rehashing an ancient dynamic—maybe one you saw between your parents—or striving for an unmet emotional need from childhood. While the need is valid, trying to get it from a romantic partner is a recipe for heartache and strife. Since new moons have a six-month growth cycle, you may want to begin working with a therapist or healer to resolve this old wound.

If any of that sifting proves unpleasant, don’t worry. Sexy Mars takes up residence all month in Aquarius all month. With Mars’ extra spice, you’re not apt to fade into the woodwork. In fact, you might even be surprised by all the attention you attract. By month’s end, a January 26 full moon in Leo illuminates your seventh house of relationships, bringing commitment matters to a head. Perhaps you’ve been trying to dance the two-step, only to lose your footing (but not your love). On this date, a relationship could become official, as events of the past six months come full circle. You may wake up one morning and think, “Yes!” as in…you’re ready to commit wholeheartedly to one special person—or to stop privately wondering if the person you’re with is right for you. That’s a conscious choice only you can make.

If you’re feeling lackluster in your relationship, try an experiment: view this person as your perfect partner no matter what, and allow him/her to show up that way. It’s a reverse of the passive way we’re trained to think (e.g., “if he gives me a diamond ring, he must love me”), waiting for external evidence to determine our feelings and actions. Consider this: a study showed that people don’t smile because we’re happy…we actually become happy WHEN we smile. Activating the facial muscles sets off a brain response, releasing chemicals that signal “I’m happy!” Applied to your love life, rather than waiting for someone to become YOUR perfect partner, shift your focus to BEING a great partner—a much more empowered stance.

With the full moon squaring Saturn in Scorpio, your tenth house of authority, you may also have an epiphany about any looming daddy issues that have been threatening your long-term happiness. If ever there was a time to deal—to become your own best parent—your time is now. If you don’t kick that baggage to the curb, how can you ever have “moon and the stars” kind of love?

And if the full moon doesn’t stir things up, just wait. After a four-month retrograde (backward) period, expansive Jupiter finally moves forward (direct) on January 30, in your fifth house of passion and fertility. Since October, you may have found yourself reviewing and revising your attitude toward romance, realizing that you could be flirtier, more fun or just more proactive about love. At the end of the month, you’re ready to act, and, in fact, the next five months are super-sexy and glamorous. If you’ve been dreaming of becoming a parent, now might be your chance, given the strong fertility factor of your no-holds-barred fifth house. A stalled romantic connection could surge ahead between now and July, as Jupiter helps make passion a priority!

MONEY & CAREER
With motivator Mars in Aquarius, your first house of personal goals, you begin the year with your eyes on the trophy…and all the necessary drive to win. Yep, this is a real go-getter start to 2013. With Mars here until February 1, this is an ideal time to put a new project out there or launch a personal endeavor, such as writing a book, taking a life-changing workshop or auditioning for the lead in your community theater’s spring production. Since you’re so clear on where you’re going, all you need to do it pick up that metaphorical spear and charge forward.

On January 26, as the Leo full moon spotlights your seventh house of one-on-one collaborations. Ready to seal the deal on a lucrative business partnership, or make a collaboration official? You’re definitely spurred on by both your head and your heart, as the Leo influence demands that you genuinely enjoy (and even feel family-level closeness with) any potential partners. It could be a virtual lovefest as you ink a joint venture contract or open an Etsy store in both of your names—yes, your BFF’s hand-dyed scarves are a perfect complement to those funky chandelier earrings you’ve been wanting to put on the market.

However, with the full moon sober Saturn in Scorpio, your tenth house of boundaries, make sure you spell out all the finer points—roles, responsibilities, payment distribution. Don’t assume that this person will roll up his sleeves and do what it takes to meet every deadline. If you don’t have the same goals and work ethic, you could end up carrying the ball…and that will not sit well with you once the profits start rolling in and you still have to split them 50-50. So get straight about your own goals before you throw your hat in the ring and say, “Hell yeah!” to this work relationship.

This potent full moon could spell tension between your career ambition and your closest personal relationships. Maybe your sweetheart feels neglected by the long hours you’ve been logging …when in fact, you’re gunning for work success so that you can share your bounty with your love. Maybe you’re being too strident, or not communicating your true motivations (and fears), as you try to play life coach and project manager for your mate. Take this time to delineate what you want for the next several years, both in work and love. We know…this is weird for an Aquarius to think about, since you enjoy dreaming about the future, but not planning it.

While your idealistic insights are priceless, so is the act of intentionally plotting out how to move forward. When you do, miraculous things can occur. A few years ago, our Aquarius friend Misha created a massive, color-coded spreadsheet of all of his personal goals, one of which included meeting the man of his dreams. By December 21, he’d accomplished everything…except finding the relationship. So, he created a challenge for himself: ten dates in ten days. (“I still have 100 percent of the year left,” he insisted in his cute Russian accent.) Somewhere around date number seven, Misha hit the motherlode, when Facebook led him to a sexy Russian doctor, also named Misha, believe it or not. The two are now married, best friends, incredible hosts and world travelers. So let the Mishas be your inspiration; it can happen to you, too!

HEALTH: MIND, BODY & SOUL
Beauty sleep, Aquarius…that’s your priority this month, as a cluster of planets gather in Capricorn, your twelfth house of healing and rest. As you gear up for your personal new year—and birthday!—you’re in an important phase of wrapping up loose ends. On January 11, the Capricorn new moon is a wonderful moment for a mind-body-soul makeover. Line up your support system for the coming year. Get conscious about whom you consult for guidance. Explore or deepen your own spiritual path. Instead of sharing your latest tale of woe, pause, take a deep breath and say, “What is in my power to change about this situation?” (Hint: Though you may not be able to control the actions of your mother/lover/pal/boss, you can always be in charge of how you feel.)

All month, energetic Mars moves through Aquarius, giving you more than ample energy to get yourself firmly entrenched in a new exercise or nutritional groove. You’re pumped up to tone your muscles and just move your body on a more frequent basis. Since Mars can also amplify stress, be careful of taking on too much, and definitely monitor your stress levels. Stock up on Tension Tamer teas, and keep sneakers on hand, in case you need to take a break and sprint around the block.