Astrology characterisation is based on four elements (fire for ambition, earth for practicality, air for intellectualism and water for emotion); and three qualities (cardinal for assertiveness, fixed for purposefulness and mutable for flexibility).
Aries, Gemini, Leo, Libra, Sagittarius and Aquarius are usually mainly bold and daring. Taurus, Cancer, Virgo, Scorpio, Capricorn and Pisces are usually mainly cautious and wary.
Now see how these fundamentals apply to your sun sign, and how you fit into the zodiacal framework – and also discover what is in store for you now that 2017 has arrived.
ARIES
Mar 21-Apr 21
Characteristics: Aries, ruled by the fire element and cardinal quality, you are outgoing and ambitious. Your intellect is sharp and quick so there is usually a sense of urgency or impatience about your thinking. You are self-assertive and impulsive to the core, and quick to grasp the initiative. You are apt to make snap decisions and to demand immediate results. Highly ambitious, you must ensure that your plans and actions are always well structured.
ARIES in 2017
You can look forward to a year in which good health and a plentiful store of energy will be your major assets. With enhanced ingenuity underlined by your extra vitality, you will obviously acquit yourself very well in handling work assignments and special projects. However, you might stumble in dealing with some of your personal affairs unless you are more realistic about them. Home life should be quite content and you will appreciate improved relationships with key members of your family. But you may experience difficulty with some who wield power in high places, you must be shrewd in order to get the better of them. Avoid financial problems by seeking advice from professional sources.
TAURUS
Apr 21-May 21
Characteristics: Taurus, ruled by the earth element and fixed quality, you are capable of being imaginative, colourful and humorous but you are mainly inclined to think and move along direct and straightforward lines, and you tend to view life in shades of black and white. You are seldom undecided or prone to confusion; something either is or it is not. Your manner and expression are invariably frank and uncomplicated, and periodically you’re too reserved and cautious.
TAURUS in 2017
Some of your hopes and dreams are sure to pan out very nicely, provided you don’t suddenly develop doubts and fears. Keep your thinking bright and you will hatch some excellent plans. You should manage to come to highly effective agreements with certain people and should benefit through teamwork as long as your attitude is flexible and accommodating. Don’t allow stubbornness or greed to spoil what could be beneficial arrangements. Friendship is well starred in your instance and you may socialise quite a bit. However, you must be careful not to mess up your romantic relationship by neglecting your partner and giving too much of your attention to your acquaintances instead.
GEMINI
May 21-Jun 22
Characteristics: Gemini, ruled by the air element and the mutable quality, you are capable of being exceptionally adaptable or versatile and rather clever as well. You are certainly alert and inquisitive, ever eager to absorb all manner of knowledge and information. Although naturally highly intelligent and very broad-minded, you are periodically inclined to become shallow and easily bored. You are also erratic and imitative, and quick to latch on to ideas already in vogue.
GEMINI in 2017
With your business and career fortunes nicely into the upswing, you should do some good deals and attain fairly important status and extra rewards. You can consolidate your position in the commercial world but should not do so at the expense of a happy home life. Take good care of your loved ones and show your concern by devoting extra attention to home-based interests. Inner contentment might be elusive at times and you must be careful not to succumb to ailments by overworking yourself. Try to gain inner calm through regular relaxation and prayer. Co-operation with important people will produce financial benefits, yet you must not cancel your gains by being careless with cash.
CANCER
Jun 22-Jul 23
Characteristics: Cancer, ruled by water element and fixed quality, you are usually resourceful and determined. Nonetheless, your thoughts, feelings and actions are apt to cause problems because you also relate strongly to the moon’s phases. Mostly, you are deeply intuitive, highly impressionable, rather imaginative and severely emotional. Your thoughts are coloured by your feelings, so you are extremely sensitive and often touchy but also capable of being cheerful and tolerant.
CANCER in 2017
This could be the year in which you realise your true potential and manage to bring one or two of your major wishes to reality, strengthen your important relationships and forge some special agreements. You have much to learn from others but you must pick and choose your allies and companions very carefully. Self-belief is also very important or you might periodically experience diminished self-confidence or lose yourself in fantasy or surrender to irrational behaviour. Strive to get and to maintain a strong grip on yourself and reality at all times. Eliminate trivial thoughts and focus on expansive yet practical ideals. Romance looks very promising but beware of false friends.
LEO
Jul 23-Aug 24
Characteristics: Leo, ruled by the fire element and the fixed quality, you are usually cheerful and magnanimous, have a sunny disposition and smile a lot, but can often be inordinately stubborn as well. You are favoured with a fine intellect and your pride demands that you think and act confidently. However, you are frequently apt to over reach yourself, especially during your self-centred and conceited phases. You may indeed be somewhat egocentric but you are also very generous.
LEO in 2017
You may look forward to attaining an intensely personal ambition. Indications are that you will experience a spiritual awakening and learn the value of prayer. On a more physical plane, you must watch your health and not put yourself at risk in any way, lest you become a victim of a mishap. A nice combination of ingenuity and practicality ought to make you successful in business and career activities, but take care not to neglect family matters as a result. Your financial fortunes might deteriorate unless you stick to a strict budget and curb any reckless spending urges. Luckily, it is a year in which you will score through teamwork and the goodwill of caring companions.
VIRGO
Aug 24-Sep 23
Characteristics: Virgo, ruled by the earth element and the mutable quality, you are practical yet also favoured with superior mental proficiency and fine communicating ability, so it is unsurprising that you are such a shrewd strategist. You are particularly adroit at solving problems because you have an analytical mind. Although you are adept at dispensing sensible advice, you can also be overly critical and disparaging and apt to wound with sharp wit and biting sarcasm.
VIRGO in 2017
Focus from the outset on consolidating your special relationships and on improving current agreements as well as on establishing co-operation with new people appearing on your scene. Be careful not to upset others by adopting a superior attitude. You could spoil things by being too critical and outspoken. You will certainly have plenty of excellent ideas to pursue yet must be practical too. You should not try to fly too high or you might come crashing down. The romantic side of your life appears to be particularly promising and you must make the very best of your amorous opportunities. Beware of people who are cunning and demanding because they might thwart your aims and hopes.
LIBRA
Sep 23-Oct 23
Characteristics: Libra, ruled by the air element and the cardinal quality, you are endowed with a largely pleasant disposition and a deceptively ambitious nature. You are apt to become very unsettled and fractious when matters don’t run your way. You are highly idealistic and that means you are often peevish as well. As your intellect and emotions are closely entwined, you can be quite fickle at times. Then again, your strong sense of justice makes you insist on fair play.
LIBRA in 2017
A money-spinning year is forecast for you, provided you don’t allow others to take advantage of your financial gains. You will have that special touch that enables you to create your own opportunities but could suffer setbacks if you join forces with inefficient people. Life on the home front will usually run smoothly but you might often find the going to be tough in the outside world, where you are liable to clash with those who have power. You will have to be very shrewd in dealing with issues of a legal and official nature. Although your enhanced efficiency and physical wellbeing will enable you to achieve numerous worldly objectives during this year, you might not attain true inner composure.
SCORPIO
Oct 23-Nov 23
Characteristics: Scorpio, ruled by the water element and the fixed quality, you are imbued with powerful and deep passion, and your feelings often permeate your thoughts. You are astute, perceptive and shrewd, yet don’t always obey your intuition, and sometimes forfeit instead of seizing your chances. You are mostly suspicious and wary of people and circumstances, and apt to brood a lot. However, you are highly diligent and resourceful when set upon accomplishing your special aims.
SCORPIO in 2017
While your powerful persona will be a decided asset in numerous ways, making you confident and assertive and thereby enabling you to succeed impressively in worldly pursuits, it could also render you too aggressive for the likes of some people. Arrangements could go awry if you are too forceful. Friendships might suffer if you put unfair pressure on your companions. Nonetheless, you will have some brilliant thoughts and insights to bolster your prospects across a wide spectrum of life. But you must be very practical and realistic at all times and should resist the inclination to take unnecessary risks. You will be pleased to know that your romantic fortunes are promising.
SAGITTARIUS
Nov 23-Dec 22
Characteristics: Sagittarius, ruled by the fire element and the mutable quality, you are mainly outgoing and optimistic, but sometimes too adventurous, fickle and reckless. You are also apt to attract trouble because you are so impulsive. On the other hand, you are exceptionally broad-minded and philosophical, always hopeful and able to take the bad along with the good, pursue your dreams and aspirations regardless of obstacles. You can be really generous, yet also extremely envious.
SAGITTARIUS in 2017
Amid some splendid portents there are also a few warnings to heed right from the outset. You will undoubtedly enjoy material good fortune and should cultivate the saving habit instead of squandering your gains; will find that others are only too willing to take unfair advantage of your financial resources. Family life will become more comfortable and pleasant, and intensely personal affairs ought to pan out much to your satisfaction. However, you must keep your wits constantly sharp when operating in the outside world, where you are liable to encounter some shrewd operators who try to bamboozle you. Look after your health; do yourself a favour and eliminate bad habits.
CAPRICORN
Dec 22-Jan 21
Characteristics: Capricorn, ruled by the earth element and cardinal quality, you are invariably cautious and serious yet also notably clever and eloquent. Moreover, you are mostly practical in your reasoning and methodical in your planning. Logic is all-important in your estimation and you always base your assumptions and all decisions on proven facts and figures. Yet, in being so deliberate and grim, your manner often veers towards the combative, exacting and narrow-minded side.
CAPRICORN in 2017
Splendid self-control and good measures of ingenuity and resourcefulness will keep you going forward, provided your plans and actions are confined to familiar areas. The unknown poses great danger. You could benefit enormously by keeping the lines of communication open. You should manage to convert ideas doing the rounds to personal advantage and will find some of your friendships to be extremely useful. Important acquaintances can be persuaded to pull vital strings on your behalf. In contrast, your love relationship and more intimate associations could deteriorate if you become too manipulative. You must in all instances play fair with the people who are closest to you.
AQUARIUS
Jan 21-Feb 20
Characteristics: Aquarius, ruled by the air element and the fixed quality, you are eloquent and strong-minded, project an independent and detached persona which is usually very effective in throwing others off guard while you exercise your curiosity. Your mind is always very active so it is no wonder that you are deemed to be intelligent and ingenious. However, you are notoriously unpredictable and often rather eccentric as well. You are always liable to cause shocks and surprises.
AQUARIUS in 2017
You have some good times to look forward to in relation to business and career affairs; will readily get on the right side of influential people and thereby manage to extract special favours, which could result in splendid monetary gains and improved personal status. However, you must be very wary of certain relatives and companions who will be over-ready to impose on your financial resources. Family life may be subjected to some difficult phases, with certain relationships testing your patience. You might struggle to get co-operation and assistance at times and should really rely mainly on your own abilities. Your health is precious, so don’t take any chances in any instance.
PISCES
Feb 20-Mar 21
Characteristics: Pisces, ruled by the water element and mutable quality, you are both intuitive and resourceful, but can also be too dreamy and dissipated at times. Favoured with a powerful imagination and a love of fantasy, you are a natural performer and apt to act your way through life. Because you spend so much time involved in abstract thoughts, you are not always seen to be logical, yet, are usually correct in your assumptions because your sixth sense is so sharp and accurate.
PISCES in 2017
This new year will be very fortunate for you in certain areas yet also quite difficult in other instances. Since your outlook will be far more serious than usual, you should manage to notch up some impressive triumphs in your worldly affairs. Fresh aims and ideas could reward you with greater security if you are able to steer clear of trivial issues which could hinder your aspirations. Unfortunately, you may sometimes be out of favour with certain relatives, so there will be periodic clashes. You must be more accommodating, in making agreements and arrangements, for the sake of harmony. Treat matters of the heart carefully. New interests and activities serve to make life enjoyable.
