Cancer Yearly Overview

LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS
This may not be the most headline-making year of your love life, at least not during the first half of 2012. Your career and social life continue to keep you busy, barely leaving time for romance. That’s because expansive Jupiter is in Taurus, your 11th house of friendship and group activity, until June 11. You’re becoming quite the social butterfly instead of the shy crab. If you’re part of a couple, you can enjoy hosting parties, entertaining friends and attending events together.

In June, Jupiter begins a yearlong visit to Gemini, your 12th house of soul mates and fantasy. You could get swept away in a legendary love affair, meet “the One,” or get pregnant serendipitously. The 12th house also rules closure and hidden information. Some Cancers may end a relationship or discover that someone’s true colors aren’t the shades they imagined. Whatever happens, trust that the universe has your back. If you’re prone to holding on too tightly, the lesson of this Jupiter is cycle is to surrender. Hard as that may be, miraculous events will occur when you trust in the divine plan — instead of trying to control everything yourself.

Transformational Pluto is taking a long journey through Capricorn, your committed-relationship house, from 2008 through 2024. Slowly but surely, your approach to partnership is shifting to a more equal dynamic. Since this process is now in its fourth year, you may start to see some of the results. Have you become more direct about your needs, rather than expecting your mate to read your mind? You may still have healing work to do around old hurts and fears, and this is a good to continue that deeper healing work. While Pluto is retrograde (moving backward) from April 10 through September 17, delve into some of your unconscious blocks around commitment, such as fear or abandonment, rejection or betrayal. While love planet Venus is retrograde from May 15 through June 27, you may also want to do some relationship repair work.

In October, structured Saturn begins a two-year visit to Scorpio, your fifth house of romance. You may become more serious about dating, or perhaps meet someone older and more experienced who is both a lover and a “teacher” for you. Saturn brings maturity and a desire to plan. You may decide to work with a professional matchmaker or to try more selective ways of meeting people. Coupled Crabs may find it a little harder to keep the spark alive, so put some formal date nights in the calendar. If you’re trying to get pregnant, it may take a few extra tries to conceive, as Saturn can have a restrictive effect.

On November 28, a Scorpio solar eclipse sparks a new chapter of your love life. Single Cancers could find love quite unexpectedly over the holidays, or in the six months following. You may be inspired to add more glamour, passion and fun to your life. You’re always your most attractive when you’re happy, so set about finding what makes you love being alive.

WORK & MONEY
Your career has been heating up for the last couple of years, ever since lucky Jupiter began visiting the success zones of your chart in the summer of 2010. Last year, your head may have barely touched the pillow, and you may have been busy with exciting projects and great new colleagues, friends and networking opportunities. Last March, revolutionary Uranus began a seven-year visit to Aries, your 10th house of ambition and long-term success. Many Cancers are in the midst of reshaping their entire professional path, perhaps working on a more freelance or independent basis. You may be feeling a bit restless at moments, itching for variety and fresh experiences. Since Uranus rules technology, you might explore working virtually this year, improving your computer skills, or launching a website for an online business.

Lucky Jupiter spends the first half of 2012 in Taurus, your 11th house of networking and group activity. It truly is about “who you know,” so make an effort to meet interesting people in your field, through social and industry events, coffee dates and the like. This is a humanitarian part of the zodiac, so getting involved with a charitable cause will satisfy your sensitive Cancer soul and also connect you to high-quality people who also care about the planet.

On June 11, Jupiter moves into Gemini, your 12th house of closure and healing. You’re at the end of a 12-year cycle, preparing for Jupiter’s move into Cancer on June 25, 2013. There may be moments that feel unclear and confusing, almost as if you’re lost at sea and can’t get a signal or figure out where to navigate. This is a strange cycle that everyone experiences once every 12 years. Think of it as a transitional year before your rebirth, and don’t try to force anything. Miracles can happen when you let go. If you try to control the outcome, you’ll only feel like you’re on a wild goose chase. Because your subconscious is especially active, you may need more sleep during this cycle, but your dreams will carry powerful messages and guidance. Expect to see more signs, or to feel guided — such as getting a strong urge to go to a particular cafe, only to run into a long-lost friend there.

Cancerian Elizabeth Gilbert’s book “Eat, Pray, Love” might well be a model for how this cycle could go — it starts out with some part of your life coming to an end, which leads to a whole new beginning and a metamorphosis. You could certainly pack your bags for exotic shores à la Elizabeth Gilbert, too. On February 3, dreamy Neptune enters Pisces, your ninth house of travel, metaphysical study and adventure. Neptune will remain here until 2026, sparking your interest in seeing new cultures and discovering universal wisdom. Neptune is the healer, and with your compassion, you could be inspired to get involved in a cause that brings together people across cultures and so-called barriers.

Whatever fires you up, you’re sure to be outspoken about it in 2012. Until July, assertive, fiery Mars is in Virgo, your third house of communication. You may be writing, blogging, teaching or speaking about your beliefs in a no-holds-barred fashion. Cancer, you can be incredibly verbal (and visual), so put your artistic and expressive talents to good use. Share your beliefs and you’ll soon find a like-minded community with whom you can make a great difference.

HEALTH: MIND, BODY & SOUL
Your home life has had its challenges ever since stern Saturn entered Libra, your domestic fourth house, in October 2009. Saturn is here until October 2012, and you may be finishing a slow rebuilding process. Saturn may have challenged your relationship with your mother, children or a female relative. In the process, you’ve hopefully become more mature, putting up healthy boundaries or figuring out a way to relate to each other effectively. The mother-child relationship is more important to Cancer than to any other sign, as you rule the zodiac’s fourth house. Any rifts in this dynamic can be especially painful for your sign.

Saturn is also teaching you to prioritize self-care, so if you’re not eating well, sleeping enough or exercising in a life-affirming way (few Cancers have met a yoga mat they didn’t like), make that a 2012 must. Saturn also affects your living conditions, and during this period your home life may have been more transitional than ever before. If you’ve wanted to move, renovate or decorate, that could have been an uphill battle, as Saturn has put the pinch on your nesting abilities. Grrr! A child may have acted out, or you may have been hard-pressed to find quality time with your kids due to work demands.

This challenging Saturn cycle will end on October 3, and you won’t experience Saturn in Libra for another 30 years or so. There’s some good news! Until then, the way to deal with these challenges is through careful planning, patience and lots of structure. You must carve out time for your personal life, family and self-care, and make unbreakable dates for these things. Also, Saturn often departs with a lovely reward for all your hard work. So hang in there and don’t quit five minutes before the miracle, as they say. You could be getting a nice parting gift for your efforts!

On June 4, a Sagittarius lunar eclipse spotlights your health and fitness. This eclipse ties back to a Sagittarius solar eclipse on November 25, 2011. If you’ve been working toward better health since then, you could see results. You may get some unexpected health news at this eclipse that inspires you to take better care of yourself. A week later, Jupiter begins a yearlong visit to Gemini, your 12th house of rest and healing. This can be a foggy, low-energy time, and you’ll need to manage your emotional and physical resources wisely. If you’re caught in a codependent dynamic or a relationship where you’re pulling all the weight, Jupiter inspires you to create healthier, more balanced interactions. You may need more sleep for the coming year, as you’re processing over a decade’s worth of change, energy and information, and your subconscious is working overtime. The good news? On June 25, 2013, Jupiter will enter Cancer, sparking a whole new 12-year life cycle for you. Think of this is the final chapter of everything you’ve been working on since 2001. Focus on tying up loose ends, healing and completing a karmic chapter.