So here we are at the beginning of another year, and as we all know, this is no ordinary year. There are several major astrological shifts or alignments in 2012, including Neptune's move into its own sign of Pisces and the Venus eclipse of the Sun, both of which I discussed in December's column. Because there is a lot going on this year, it would be beneficial for us to spend some time at the beginning of this first month to consider what we wish to attain.

Your main guide to the way forward is Mars, as he is spending an extra-long time in Virgo, which means that he is directing us to focus our energies on a particular area of life. I see this Mars transit as a call to action. I have tried to include this Mars transit in as many of the forecasts as possible, but in one or two cases, other factors appeared to be more pressing. So look out for a mention of Mars in your forecast and bear in mind that this theme will be relevant until the end of July.

What's interesting about the beginning of this year is the opposition of Saturn and Jupiter. These two planets represent completely opposing forces: contraction and expansion. Saturn seeks to restrain and to make sure everything is as perfect as it can be before proceeding, while Jupiter has a tendency to act on blind faith and take risks and gambles. Jupiter's motto is "you've got to speculate to accumulate" while Saturn's is "better the devil you know." Now obviously when these two oppose each other in the sky, people here on Earth will be feeling an internal dilemma. For many, January will bring about situations in which we have to choose between caution or optimism, fear or faith, and restraint or expansion. That's not to say that we should ignore Saturn's cautionary message, because in some cases, it is wise to err on the side of caution. Certainly as far as Earth is concerned, we need to employ much more of Saturn's restraint and far less of Jupiter's excess. You will have to decide which of these planetary gods you wish to embody in January, but make your choice wisely.