Your special 2020 horoscope: Get ready for a year of groundbreaking change

Here we are again peering into another year and wondering what will come in this new decade. Twenty years have elapsed since the much-heralded entry into this new millennium. So much has changed.

Where should we begin to look at 2020? Perhaps with Mercury retrogrades. You probably regard them with dread. Essentially, though, they're positive transition points - like roundabouts for redirecting your life. They last about three weeks and occur once every four months, so we have three coming up in 2020: Feb 16 to March 9, June 17 to July 12, and October 13 to November 3. Mark them in your calendar. 

Mercury, known as Hermes in ancient Greece, was described by Homer as the Master of Strategy. In addition, he was known for his mischievous antics, which explains the unpredictable quality of events surrounding Mercury retrograde periods. These are times when we can correct errors and square circles. Hermes waves his wand in ancient myths and leads us along the path to victory and success.

A momentous conjunction in Capricorn takes place between Saturn and Pluto on January 12. This happens about once every 34 years. This cycle corresponds with dramatic events in human history. The effect has been building up in intensity over the past year. January brings the crescendo that will lead us into 2020.   

Help is on the way with the good news that faster-moving Jupiter, aka Zeus, will catch up to Saturn and Pluto. Jupiter will cozy up to Pluto on April 4, June 30 and November 12. Jupiter brings wisdom, illumination and greater understanding. Secrets will be revealed. Truth will prevail. 

The biggest and grandest alignment comes on December 21, when Jupiter joins Saturn in what's referred to as the great conjunction. It comes at the end of the year, but it will influence the whole year from start to finish. That's how powerful it is. These grand conjunctions come every 20 years, but this meeting has extra gravitas. It marks the end of a 200-year cycle of unions in earth signs that's brought the age of materialism, banking, capitalism and corporations.

December 2020 kicks off a new 200-year cycle of unions in air signs. What that will bring isn't entirely clear yet, but early indications are that thought, philosophy and truth will prevail. This is going to be a big shift. 

How about eclipses in 2020? Well, there will be four lunar eclipses all year, but none are total. They're known as penumbral eclipses, which makes it highly unlikely that there will be any detectable change in brightness. 

There are just two big powerful solar eclipses in 2020. The first is an annular eclipse in Cancer that will fall on the summer solstice of June 21. It will stretch from East Africa across to India and China. Annular eclipses are when the Moon cover's the Sun's center, leaving the Sun's visible outer edges to form a "ring of fire" or around the Moon. 

The second solar eclipse in Sagittarius on December 14 is total. It starts in the mid-Pacific, crosses over Chile and Argentina and ends over the Atlantic, west of Namibia. Solar eclipses are important exclamation marks in our lives. It's going to be a big year. 

There is a Latin quote: Astro inclinant, sed non obligant; "The stars incline us, they do not bind us". It's another way of saying that it's our choice how to react and create our futures with our thoughts and predispositions.

It would be a mistake to think that astrology is fatalistic. Our fate is not fixed. It's a moving target. 

It's up to us to find our own individual way of connecting to the Universe and making the most of planetary cycles. May 2020 deliver the fulfilment of your greatest hopes, dreams and aspirations.

Here is your 2020 horoscope for the year ahead:  

Aries

You've got good reasons for doing what you're doing, even if you fear you're on the wrong track. A higher force is walking ahead and holding a lantern to illuminate your path. Rest assured, a period of suffering is over. The Jupiter-Saturn conjunction will give you a broader perspective on your own potential and how to harness your talents. As the year unfolds, you'll find yourself feeling happier and more assured that the choices you make are the right ones. The key to your success is your deepening connection to your inner creative source. You're being led into a lifestyle for which you have always yearned. 

Taurus

We're all trapped by time or the lack of it, but let's not get melodramatic. True, time is flowing like a raging river, but you'll find ways of slowing down the pace and enjoying the quality of the moment. The Jupiter-Saturn conjunction will teach you the positive side of stress. It will stimulate innovation, ingenuity and a sense of purpose. You'll turn negatives into positives as you carve out the future according to your dreams. Try not to rule anything out or limit yourself. The world is your oyster. You won't have to strive very hard to find the hope and happiness you seek. They're already deep within you and looking for a way to draw your attention.  

Gemini

That little demon called creativity wants to get out of prison and find the light of day. It's been festering long enough in the dark recesses of your unconscious. It's time to let it out. The Jupiter-Saturn conjunction will nurture the blossoming of your confidence and empower your talents and capabilities. Impediments and encumbrances that have hitherto held you back will be cleared away. Life needn't be complicated. Keep it simple. You don't need to read a thousand books or travel to far off exotic destinations, although there's certainly nothing wrong with that. Your inner source of wisdom will guide you all the way. It will push you into action.

Cancer

Change is coming in this great year ahead. And to be clear, it's going to be positive change. Your anxiety, however, is inclining you to think that you're desperately hanging on to a flimsy hope. A deeply rooted negative voice has a persuasive charm. The Jupiter-Saturn conjunction will expose that negative voice and put an end to it. You'll gradually come to understand that you're doing everything in the best possible manner with the best possible intentions. You'll right wrongs and prove points as your personal power grows. Happiness will come by looking forward and not looking back.

Leo

Time flies when you're having fun, but you may have found it's been moving rather slowly of late. Problems have been dampening the fun quotient. The Jupiter-Saturn conjunction promises to rid you of a long-standing problem that will make the needle in your fun meter move sharply higher. Don't look at what could go wrong. Celebrate what's going so well. Ingenious ways of implementing your best and brightest ideas will come to your attention. Have faith in your growing connection to your intuition. Great forces are at work. Powerful energies are being stirred up. The fire of determination is burning in your heart. 

Virgo

Go ahead and pinch yourself. Celestial indications herald peace coming to a particularly stormy sector of your life. One particular matter is making you feel so confused and torn, that you'd happily settle for knowing how to make it not get any worse. You must aim higher. Your head is full of visions and your heart is full of hopes. The Jupiter-Saturn conjunction will bring the concrete and material support for these. You will be passionately motivated and attract genuine opportunities. A deepening emotional bond with someone will have a profound impact on your heart. The time has come to fulfill your true destiny. 

Libra

You've done your best to avoid the morass of entanglements and imbroglios that life has tossed your way. People seem to always misconstrue your words and actions. Every time you think you can see an upside in this pattern, the downside brings it all crashing in on you. The Jupiter-Saturn conjunction will guide you out of this quandary by teaching you how protect your boundaries so ill-intentioned people can't get through. The insights you gain will benefit you for the rest of your life. Don't underestimate your own strength or the affection accorded you by a certain special someone. Be thankful for all that is good.

Scorpio

Practical considerations abd burdensome responsibilities have been limiting your creative desires and needs. All those years of striving to pay bills, finding a secure job and putting the needs of others above yours have left you feeling depleted. You've been trying to find the balance between parsimony and profligacy. The Jupiter-Saturn conjunction brings good news. You'll be playing by a new set of rules that emphasize the need to follow your heart and get on with fulfilling what you came into this world to do. Things are due to work out well in this new chapter in your life. You'll be astounded by the amount of support that rallies to your side. 

Sagittarius

The stars wish to assure you that you won't be let down in this new wondrous year ahead. Your biggest concerns are not as serious as you might suspect. Reach into your inner own well of experience and draw up all that you're happy about. Despite all you may resent or regret, life is a gift and each moment is to be treasured. The Jupiter-Saturn conjunction will impress upon you the high level of your good fortune. Unbeknownst to your conscious mind, cosmic forces are working underfoot in a most mysterious way to bring your greatest dreams into fruition. In the end, everything is going to work out just fine. 

Capricorn

You've been steeling yourself for a tough time but if such a thing is coming, it's got a long way to go before it reaches you. Trouble, it seems, is tracking you down - but there is way of escaping such a fate. The Jupiter-Saturn conjunction will reveal what it is about you that has attracted problems in the past. It will instruct you on how to keep them at bay. A new mood of optimism will allow you to see events from an upbeat perspective and allow you to grow in every positive sense. Magical possibilities are arising in your world. Seek them out and your life will fill with hope and happiness. 

Aquarius

You're in an excellent position to achieve the success you so richly deserve. If you're wondering how good your life can get, the Jupiter-Saturn conjunction will give you a definitive answer. By carefully vetting and scrutinizing the thousands of thoughts that flow through your mind each day, you'll become skilled at weeding out the ones that elicit fear and foreboding. This is a time of positive potential. There's no other way to see it. A subtle but profound change is taking place within you. Prepare for a whirlwind journey of discovery toward prosperity, happiness and healing. If you approach your plans and resolutions with enthusiasm, they'll materialize in reality. 

Pisces

There's so much you can do to triumph in your quest for fulfilment. Whatever you think about how last year went, you can be sure that 2020 will be better. Prepare to outstrip your expectations by trusting and believing in your ability to overcome any challenge. The Jupiter-Saturn conjunction will turn fierce dragons into playful dolphins. Nothing is so tough that it can't be conquered. It's hard to stand back and see yourself objectively. It will help to be as clear as you can about what you want to achieve and feel proud of what you are achieving. The future awaits you with open arms. You'll make magic happen as you learn how to draw on your deepest inner wisdom.