Lilly Roddy’s 2020 Astrocast

Many dynamic functions are taking place in 2020. We will feel like we are taking two steps forward and one step back. As in 2018 and 2016, both Venus and Mars are going retrograde, along with three Mercury retrogrades. We can make progress, but we will have to stay alert and aware. Venus, the planet of love and money, is retrograde from April 29 through July 8. Mars, planet of action and survival, is retrograde from August 23 through November 30. Mercury retrogrades February 11 through March 3, June 10 through July 20, and October 4 through November 10. We only have a few months where retrogrades don’t slow us down. This will limit the number of “good” days available for marriages, surgeries, house closings, and starting new projects. However, we will be focused on taking care of past issues and clearing up leftover projects.

A major planetary conjunction with Saturn and Pluto will grab our attention. When these two planets meet, there are always worldwide governmental shifts, power shifts within all large organizations (including religious institutions), and increased financial pressures. A good example is when Saturn and Pluto were conjoined during the tragic events of September 11, 2001, now forever known simply as 9/11!

We have been in this major overhaul of our government since September of 2017, and that will continue through December 2020. Overall, this planetary influence will continue to impact the nation’s chart through the end of 2023. There are still major shifts that will occur. This will have the most impact on the cardinal signs: Aries, Libra, Cancer, and Capricorn.

Also influential are the eclipses in December 2019, January, June/July, and November/December 2020. These will have the strongest impact on the mutable signs: Gemini, Virgo, Pisces, and Sagittarius.

Stay on your toes this year! You will need to be ready to change with the shifting tides.

ARIES
(March 21–April 19)
This is a big year for decisions around career, long-term security investments, potentially starting your own business, or possibly considering retirement. You will be working to make your boundaries and commitments stronger. You’ll be considering eliminating activities, group associations, and partnerships that don’t seem fruitful. Some of you may find that the industry that you are in is declining or having to retool. You may feel that you are pushed into difficult decisions, even though these decisions will make your life better in the long run. This may compel you to start your own business so that you feel like you have more control. As this is a time for better boundaries, you are reworking your long-term goals in your personal relationships as well. Relationship issues will come to the surface in September through November of 2020. If your relationship is doing well, this will be a good time to renew bonds. However, if your relationship is struggling, issues will come to the surface that will have to be dealt with. Taking care of your health will be especially important in that same September through November time frame. Your temper will be especially short during that time. This may also be a time when you have to prove yourself or feel the urge to compete. Friendships and business relationships will also be tested for their viability and genuine support. This can be a time to step into a leadership position within a business or community organization. You will have a strong agenda and be good in a leadership role. However, if you feel that your time and energy is being wasted, you will move on to greener pastures. This is also a great year for you to go back to school, upgrade your skillset, and take a vacation! Pace yourself, as there will be plenty of opportunity for activities to get involved in.

TAURUS
(April 20–May 20)
This is a year for exploring new passions, personal reinvention, and greater personal freedom to make choices. You may initially experience this as feeling bored or trapped with your work or commitments as the initial urge grows stronger after January 10. On the career front, you are looking to take a step up the ladder, looking for a leadership role in your work or through a community organization. This is also connected to your desire to feel more passionate about the things you dedicate your life to. This is an excellent year to enhance your certification, go back to school, or work to boost the communication system that your company utilizes. Relationships are especially active this year. You are wanting your relationships—both business and personal—to be more dynamic and interesting. Relationships that are too restrictive may have to be redesigned, or may come to an end. You will want to question all your commitments in February, March, May, June, October, and November. These times are open for you to renegotiate goals and expectations of commitment. A sense of obligation will not be strong enough to hold your attention; you need to want to be there! Along with your need for greater personal freedom and expression, you will also be paying more attention to how you present yourself to others. Since this is a time of taking on a greater leadership role, you will be more aware of how others respond to you. First impressions will have a stronger impact on the people you encounter this year. For some of you, this will be a time where you will want to get off the grid and find a more peaceful and less demanding way of life. Ultimately, all of you will want to circumvent the blocks and restrictions you have encountered in the past and find that inner passion that makes life worth living.

GEMINI
(May 21–June 21)
As we enter 2020, the eclipse cycle will begin to affect Gemini and Sagittarius. Eclipses repeat approximately every 18 years. These can be times when new opportunities present themselves seemingly out of the blue. This year, eclipses are in early June, early July, at the end of November, and in mid-December. These are important times to stay on your toes. During May through June, you will be reexamining your career directions, as well as your business and personal relationships. During this phase, you will become more cognizant of reoccurring problems. This presents an opportunity to correct or improve some relationships, while bringing to a close those that are not working. This year you will also be motivated to eliminate or consolidate your debt into something more manageable. This may be a good time to secure loans for real estate or home improvement. Demands from friendships and group associations can really irritate you from September through November. You may feel that they are demanding too much of you and not taking responsibility for their own actions or choices. Career goals continue to feel nebulous. This past year you explored many different opportunities, but you still kept your options open. You are looking for something that satisfies you more internally, rather than externally or even financially. You may find it harder to be around people who surround themselves with drama or expect you to fix their problems. In the past, these were the people most attracted to you, and you were only too happy to fix their problems. You will need to pace yourself and really focus on things that bring you a sense of personal satisfaction. You won’t be able to follow through with the same sense of obligation as you did in the past. Give yourself plenty of time to meditate, daydream, or just sit on your patio without an agenda.

CANCER
(June 22–July 22)
This continues to be an especially active and busy year! On a personal level, you will be reviewing career goals and reestablishing priorities that better support your long-term plans. For some, this can be a time of creating your own business, being a mentor for someone, or looking at cutting back or retiring. This area of your life will be especially active during June and July, and again in September through November. At this time you may be considering a new leadership role, perhaps because of difficulties with your current boss or business partners. Your relationships are going through a very similar process. On one level, this will be the ideal time to set new objectives and aspirations for your current business or personal relationships. You will be renewing those bonds and looking for projects that draw you closer together. On the other hand, if you and your partner or business associates are moving in different directions, those relationships may have outlived their usefulness. It may be a good time to explore new relationships that fit the person you are now. For those of you who are single or looking for a new partner, 2020 is an excellent year to expand your base, generate new friends, and expand on potential relationship partners. This is also a very good time to improve your exercise and eating regimen. You will be motivated to detox your system and move toward a cleaner existence. This can show up in what you eat, as well as in the friends and people you choose to have around you. Cancerians are feeling older this year and may need to address the responsibilities that come with aging. In the latter half of the year, you will be wanting to get clarity in your finances. This is an excellent time to take care of past financial problems and relieve yourself of the pressure.

LEO
(July 23–August 22)
This year may bring a feeling that things are changing around you and forcing you to adapt—like it or not! You are looking for projects, activities, and new friends that excite your passion and bring zest into your life. Changes in your career and familial responsibilities are indicated; you are looking to reinvent yourself at work and release domestic responsibilities that you always thought were yours. You will question your career direction because you want to feel more satisfied about your work. You will be feeling more limited by what is being expected of you, even though you may be great at it. This may feel especially irritating in February and March, and again in October and November. Use your energy to explore new outlets, rather than complaining about your work or family. This year you are looking to solidify positive relationships and eliminate people who want you to do all the maintenance in the relationship. You will require common goals to give relationships a greater sense of purpose. Relationships that have outlived their usefulness will be eliminated. This can be an excellent time to find a new business partner. You are becoming clear about your expectations, and are willing to verbalize them.

Health aspects are improving, and you are more open to positive changes in eating and exercise habits. Changes and shifts in your office environment could manifest as better working conditions, new office equipment, or just enjoying relationships with coworkers. Friendships will be tested in late spring and early summer. You may feel that some of your friends are letting you down and not following through. You may be hearing from old friends or ex-lovers whom you haven’t heard from in a while. You have a tendency this year to be too quick to judge. Give yourself extra time to make decisions. After those decisions are made, you won’t go back.

VIRGO
(August 23–September 22)
Your spiritual pilgrimage continues, and you persist in questioning the viability of your core beliefs. Last year opened you to fresh ideas, new social situations, and expanding your views—both culturally and historically. This year you will be exploring ways to utilize and bring to fruition the concepts that inspired you last year. You are in a more creative cycle, and you will feel more compelled to apply that energy, rather than just daydream about it. On a very personal level, this is a time when your inner child has awakened and needs nourishment. You will want your creativity to have a practical application. If you have children, you will see them mature as you pay more attention to yourself and sustain your own inner child. This year’s energies are supportive of taking a hobby and turning it into a vocation. It’s also a good year for promoting your services or projects, or even for looking for a better-paying position. Writing, publishing, filmmaking, or other creative avenues are open to you. Relationships are always unique and different with Virgos. You need emotional closeness and yet some physical distance in order to create the right balance for you. You are more than ready to adapt to new situations, but there should be more stability in your relationship in 2020. You will be reviewing your own health and exercise routines for most of the year. This is an especially good year to focus on chronic issues and find some relief. You are likely to be successful with any exercise or diet program you start. Your career comes under review in May and June. This is an excellent time to take care of existing projects and not start anything new. Relationships with coworkers and colleagues will have to be revisited. You are more in touch with the flow this year, and that should make for easier navigation.

LIBRA
(September 23–October 23)
For the last couple of years there have been huge changes and significant turmoil surrounding your family and your inner sense of security. This has created problems with stability in your work and career arena. You have had to come to terms with what is really important to you. The demands of others had to be weighed against your need for emotional stability. Your home may have needed some major repairs, and external conditions may have forced you to move or relocate. This energy is finally coming to a head in January and February. You should feel your harsh conditions beginning to improve. Although you will see some of this energy return in November and December, it will not be as intense as it has been. In your career, you definitely have a different set of priorities than you had in the past. You are looking for a more balanced life that embraces all parts of you. You are definitely reworking your career path. You may be focusing on what really works for you. Consider retraining to pursue an entirely new path, or downsizing for a simpler life. In your relationships, you are setting new boundaries and are having to be more explicit about your expectations from your partner. You want to make sure that you are both headed in the same direction. There could be a bump in the road from September through October. That is a time when your relationship will need some extra attention. This is a great time for emotional and physical bonding. If you’re having problems, this will be the time when those problems surface so that they can be addressed. Finances should improve, but you will still maintain your careful spending. There could be opportunities for loans pertaining to real estate or remodeling. Keep your priorities focused on what’s best for you, and we will all benefit!

SCORPIO
(October 24–November 21)
As we enter this new year, you are reassessing your life direction, career interests, and relationship, as well as creating a more comfortable nest for your personal life. With your career, you’ve reached a peak and now you are looking for new interests to bring back that spark. For some of you, this is a time of new beginnings. You are ready to step forward and do what you can to create security in your life. Others may be exploring a mentoring role, downsizing their lives as they move toward retirement. But all of you Scorpios are improving your boundaries, getting clear about priorities, and creating stability around you. Partnerships fall into this time of reimagining relationships and what represents the ideal for you. This is the time to explore the unique ways relationships can exist. Traditional views on relationships are being expanded to represent the equality of each partner. You and your partner may look for new projects to do together to generate more emotional intimacy in your relationship. Relationships that have a lot of preset expectations may not do well in 2020. You and your partner may need more personal space due to work or family needs. Your overall finances look better as you will find it easier to make decisions and be clear about your goals. You will be reexamining some of your finances in May and June to find a better way to capitalize on your resources. In the latter part of the year, September through November, pay attention to your health. This would be an excellent time to start or resume any kind of exercise or health regimen. You will be particularly reflective prior to your birthday in 2020. This will begin a time of some very important decision-making for you. This is a good year to get organized and get clear about your priorities.

SAGITTARIUS
(November 22–December 21)
With last year being so busy and filled with so many different ideas and opportunities, you are looking to make this year a lot more positive and profitable. In your career, you’ll be wanting to do something that really aligns with your nature, helps to make you feel fulfilled, and satisfies an internal yearning. You will be able to manifest these energies and make money with your new projects more directly. Home and family have been elusive aspects in your life, especially last year. You may be looking to recreate that sense of family with new people in your life. You may also be working on stabilizing your home’s foundation and dealing with water problems. You will want a home that offers you a sense of retreat from the harsh realities of your day-to-day life.Finances should be better this entire year, but you will still be cautious about how and where you spend your money. This is a good year for you to invest in long-term stable assets. Avoid investment schemes that seem too good to be true—because they are. You are working to make your daily life more effective and efficient. You will value your time more and will not be happy with people who take advantage of your generous nature. Relationships could hit a bumpy patch in May and June. If you are having problems in some of your relationships, consider that an advantage. This will be a time when those problems come to the surface, and you will have an opportunity to address them out in the open. You may feel that there is some deception going on, or that the truth is being withheld to spare your feelings. Take advantage of this time to see more clearly.

CAPRICORN
(December 22–January 19)
Since 2008, you have been under some of the most difficult planetary aspects that you may encounter in your lifetime. The culmination of this process reaches a peak in mid-January, though you will still be experiencing this energy through the end of the year. This has been a trying time where the forces around you affected your work, your relationships, your sense of purpose, your confidence, and your spark. You will be slowly rebuilding as more opportunities appear this year. Yet the sense of loss and foreboding continues to be active in your sign through January 2021. In your career, you may have had to change your goals, experience downsizing, mergers with other companies, and major changes to your industry. You may have had to retire, start your own business, or reeducate yourself in an entirely different field. You should see less of this crazy energy in 2020, but it is still lurking in the shadows. You will be focused on recreating stability in your life. One area that you will be very focused on is improving your finances. You will be re-examining your investments and possibly putting yourself on a budget to make sure that you have full control of your financial picture. You may have some problems with coworkers and work schedules in May and June. People are willing to talk and negotiate, but the changes may affect you directly. There is also some turmoil in your family that shows up between September and November. This could be as simple as you wanting to do some remodeling around the house, or as difficult as dealing with major health factors for older members of your family. This is a time of rebuilding in your life. You may feel that you are taking two steps forward and one step back throughout this whole year, but you are still making progress. This is a more positive year for you.

AQUARIUS
(January 20–February 18)
This year you are looking to make your life more effective and  efficient with the time that you have. This will be an important year of focusing on boundaries, setting career goals, having more stability in your relationships, and satisfying your needs first and not putting others ahead of you. Career activity is very strong for you this year and next year. This can be a time when you are pushing for a leadership position, starting your own business, or cutting back and moving toward retirement while looking for new projects to take their place. You will be more clear and direct about how you feel as you perfect ways to keep people from taking advantage of you. If you are having problems with your boss, this may be a strong indicator for you to look elsewhere where your talents can be appreciated. This is a time to strengthen your relationship by working on common goals or projects that bring you closer together. If your partner isn’t willing to share the responsibility and the load, you will be looking for other people to share your time with. This applies to both business and personal relationships. You will be working on yourself this year—improving your appearance, your health, and who you share your resources with. This is a super year to start an exercise and eating plan. You are more willing to make a commitment to yourself and to follow through on all of your plans this year. There could be some problems with work and coworkers in June and July. Management may not be sure of the direction it’s taking, and that will cause confusion about what the right approach is. Stay flexible during this time and allow the solution to surface in July. You will be goal-oriented, and you should be able to accomplish what you set out to do this year.

PISCES
(February 19–March 20)
You continue to be in a place where you are looking to make your life, your work, and your relationships more fulfilling and more balanced. You may have stepped away from many of your friends and organizations while you focused on elements of your life that are personally satisfying. Opportunities for new career activities, creating new friendships, and increased spiritual awareness are all part of the upcoming year. You are going to be much more active in your community and with friends. This is a great year for you to take a leadership role in a community organization, or to take up a cause with others to improve your surroundings and make your environment much safer. This could turn into a career opportunity as the year progresses.

Relationships are mostly stable, except during May and June, when old problems may reemerge so they can be addressed. This is not a particularly angry or vengeful energy, but one that seeks harmony and compromise so both people benefit. This would be a good time to reexamine long-term goals in all of your relationships, just to make sure. As always, if your relationship partners aren’t willing to put in the work, this could be a time for serious negotiations and possibly ending the relationships that aren’t working. Finances may emerge as a problem from September through December. This would be a good time for you to stop avoiding the problem, and direct your energies to alleviate debt. You may have to spend money on an emergency situation, despite your best efforts to keep your finances under control. This should be a better year for you overall. You should have more social activities centered around fun, instead of just being connected to activities that have a purpose. You are actually achieving balance and harmony in your life this year.

This article appears in the January 2020 edition of OutSmart magazine.