New Years Resolutions

New Moon in Capricorn, December 31st 2005, 03h11

It’s that time of year again: the time when we gather with friends and family to reflect on the ups and downs of the previous year, have one last party to round off the excesses of Christmas, and welcome in the hopes and dreams of the New Year to come. At this time more than any other, our thoughts turn to what we want to achieve in the coming months, with many of us making a New Year’s resolution. But did you know that the origins of the New Year celebrations date back over four thousand years, to the time of the ancient Babylonians?

In ancient Babylon, the New Year’s festival was called Akitu and was celebrated at the time of the spring equinox. It involved ritual enactment of a battle between the new god Marduk, and the old goddess Tiamat, who fought to bring heaven and earth back into alignment. The festival of Akitu symbolised starting afresh with renewed optimism for the year to come; much the same sentiment with which we celebrate our modern New Year.

As we’re all now reflecting on what we’d like to achieve in the coming twelve months, here are some suggestions for New Years Resolutions for 2006 according to the sign of your Sun. Remember, the Sun in your birth chart represents just one part of your character and may not tell the whole story. But as the part it symbolises is your developing sense of self identity and your life journey, it’s seems like a good place to start with planning the year ahead. Happy New Year!

Aries
You’re brilliant at pushing forward with more vigour and dynamism than a rocket on bonfire night! What you’re not so good at, though, is dealing with the damp squib effect that inevitably follows when the fireworks have all spluttered out. So this year, how about directing some of that fireball energy towards helping other people reach their goals rather than focussing just on your own? Offering to share your talents will not only give you a warm glow, but it’s also bound to bring praise and attention from miles around, which is just the fuel you need to launch your next stellar mission!

Taurus
Taureans tend to be firmly rooted in the tangible world, enjoying the good things in life such as fine wine, gourmet food, fancy chocolates … so Christmas can end up being a huge temptation fest for the bull! So while a perennial New Year’s resolution might be to make up for some of the over-indulgence of the festive season, here’s another, perhaps more meaningful suggestion: Taureans tend to avoid the less tangible elements of life, and particularly the expression of emotion. This year, why not aim to recognise and express your feelings rather than trying to pretend they don’t exist? Then see how those close to you become even closer with your more open approach.

Gemini
Gemini is the curious communicator. Always looking for new ideas, new people to talk to, new views to debate … All of those fascinating facts and opinions provide endless scope for exploration! This drive to “seek out new input and boldly go where no conversationalist has gone before”, like some kind of Star Trek pioneer, is all well and good, but it can be challenging for you to explore things in more depth. What you’re looking for is answers in the outside world, when in reality all the answers you need are almost certainly already inside you. So this year, resolve to make a list of goals that have meaning for you, and stick with achieving them no matter what new distractions come along. You’ll find that newer isn’t always better!

Cancer
Being a “cardinal” sign, Cancer likes to go out and take action. The area the Crab excels in is connecting with other people on an emotional level. You have a deep desire to take care of others and help them to succeed in their projects. But beyond this ethos of helping others fulfil their dreams there has to be some payback, and generally you get your 10% from the feeling of being needed which helping others brings. The downside can be that pouring your energies into others means you’re avoiding putting effort into achieving in your own right. Why not make your New Years resolution to draw up a list of personal goals for the year and then take action to achieve them? Make 2006 the year when you dare to do something for yourself for a change!

Leo
Leo’s often get a bad rap, being labelled as one of the most attention-seeking signs of the zodiac. The truth is you’re driven by a small voice inside who’s constantly asking “Who am I? What makes me special?” and you often look for the validation of other people to answer that question. Your sign is all about creative, individual expression, and ironically, the more you encourage these qualities in other people the easier it will be to find them within yourself. So, for 2006, your mission, should you choose to accept it Leo, is to recognise and encourage the creativity in those around you. By concentrating on what makes others unique you will start to understand what makes you unique too.

Virgo
Practical, reliable, efficient and always eager to be of service, Virgo loves detail. “A place for everything and everything in its place” was surely a phrase first coined by a Virgo! The challenge self-development brings for you is recognising that what is right for you, doesn’t necessarily suit everyone else – we can’t all have your exacting standards in life. Whilst you’re busy making sure the micro issues are running smoothly, you might just be overlooking something amazing that can only be seen in the bigger picture. This year, why not take a few risks or do something on a whim and see what happens? Or at least resolve not to plan for every possible eventuality and relax for a while.

Libra
Fairness, balance and good judgement are the watchwords of those born with the Sun in Libra. You’re consummate diplomats because of your innate ability to see all points of view and give each one a fair hearing. The trouble comes when you have to plant your flagpole firmly on one side of the fence ... Then analysis paralysis sets in! Life is seldom as ideal as you’d like it to be, and an important life lesson for Librans is that it’s better to risk some short term upset at the expense of longer term limbo. Resolve this year to put your own opinions on an equal footing with those of others by sticking to your guns, even if it does mean you might risk upsetting someone. Chances are they’ll be over it in 5 minutes flat and you’ll have gained tonnes of respect for your integrity.

Scorpio
With your penetrating insight into the human condition in its full range of expressions you’re a formidable people analyst, Scorpio! You feel life intensely and it’s an all or nothing game for you in many ways. Either you’re 100% committed to people in your life, or they don’t exist at all, no middle ground. For someone who feels so passionately in life and in relationships, you may scare others off with your intensity. And those who betray you will be condemned to a lifetime of looking over their shoulders … But being so intense takes a huge amount of energy. One of the life lessons your sign is learning is to cultivate grounded objectivity, to see situations more clearly. For 2006 make it your goal to look at close relationships and everyday situations not as a battle of wills, but as an opportunity for everyone to end up happy. All it takes is a little win/win mentality.

Sagittarius
The eternal optimists of the zodiac, your big-picture view on life inspires others to pursue their dreams as you pursue yours. Whilst you’re busy chasing rainbows, though, your carefree approach might be letting some more practical aspects of life slip through the net. You know that this can only go on for so long before reality bites … so this year, be prepared! Resolve to make sure you have the “boring stuff” (such as paying the bills or doing the laundry) organised into such a slick routine that you won’t need to give it a second thought. With the chores and the finances set up to run like clockwork you’ll be free to soar onwards and upwards!

Capricorn
For you, Capricorn, two of the keys to life are wisdom and respect. The friend of time, you’ll work as hard as you possibly can to earn the recognition and respect of your community or social circle. But there’s another side to Capricorn which you don’t often show – not in public, at any rate! That’s a side which understands and respects the mystery and wonder of the Universe, a sense that there’s more to life than just what we see on the material plane. In order for you to balance these two sides of your personality, you have to learn to take risks now and again, which can be scary, as that means potentially relinquishing control. Why do you need to be in control? Fear of failure. The irony is that you probably set yourself up to fail unwittingly by trying to live up other people’s standards rather than your own. Resolve this year to measure your achievements on your own personal scale, and to go easy on yourself if you don’t quite make it first time round: by doing so you’ll feel true to yourself and at the same time earn the respect of others.

Aquarius
In myth, Prometheus was the bloke who stole fire from the gods and, for his pains, got chained to a rock to have his liver pecked out by a vulture on a daily basis. Not a nice position to find yourself in! But there, Aquarius, lies the moral of your story: acting in the name of the greater good can come at personal expense. Driven to communicate and bring the concept of original thinking to those you encounter, you’re drawn to groups and fighting the cause of whatever underdog you happen across in life. Do this to extreme, though, and those closer to home will start to suspect that you’re running away from intimacy, scared to face your emotions. Opening up to another person doesn’t have to mean forfeiting your independence. Resolving to spend more quality time with a loved one or a close friend and facing up to your feelings could bring a whole new dimension to your life in 2006.

Pisces
Compassion, Pisces, is your middle name. Or could that be sacrifice? … The chameleon of the zodiac, you long to bridge the gap between yourself and other people, yourself and creative expression, yourself and the universe even … phew! If you try to blend in much more you’ll disappear completely! One of the main lessons for Pisces to learn in life is the need for boundaries. People with strong Pisces energy are able to sense the tumult of emotional currents around them, the tensions, frustrations and longings of other people, which if they’re not careful will overwhelm them. It’s so important for you to factor in “me time” to allow you to escape from the emotional white noise which is constantly around you. Make 2006 the year when you resolve to respect your personal boundaries by making time and space in your life to be quietly creative on your own.

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