BUMPER PUZZLES AND HOROSCOPES SPECIAL

The Weekly’s astrologist, Lilith Rocha, is here to help you navigate your way through the year ahead as she decodes what’s in store for your astrological sign in 2020. For your monthly horoscope, turn to page 200.

Aries • MAR 21-APR 21

Big picture Powerhouse planets Saturn, Pluto and Jupiter are winding up a cycle in your professional sector and beginning a fresh one, so it’s worth closing the file on roles you’ve outgrown. Your public profile is in the spotlight, with Mars making the last half of 2020 “All About Aries”. Money matters

Rams can be a bit conservative where their security’s concerned, but this year it’s well worth rethinking the way you’ve always handled finances. Uranus, the planet of new technologies, will be in your house of work and earning all year, and innovative changes could get money working for you, rather than the other way round. Connections

The support of colleagues, loved ones and family is more important than ever this year. As you move forward, some friends join you, others organically fade away. Firecracker Mars in Aries for a six-month sojourn increases your ability to contribute in the capacity of courageous, charismatic leader in whatever field you choose. The inner you

Humour is your essential accessory this year. In no way would you want to trivialise all the serious issues the world has to grapple with which could turn the cheeriest Pollyanna into a gloombag, but Aries’ mission is inspiring others. Young people are hungry for vision and alternatives, and your innovative spirit could shine a positive light through 2020 and beyond. Food for thought

“What good is sitting alone in your room? Come hear the music play. Life is a cabaret, old chum, come to the cabaret. Come taste the wine, come hear the band, come blow that horn, start celebrating, right this way, your table’s waiting! What good’s permitting some prophet of doom to wipe every smile away? Life is a cabaret, old chum, so come to the cabaret.” Fred Ebb, Aries songwriter.

Taurus • APR 22-MAY 21

Big picture Your cha-cha with change continues this year as unpredictable planet Uranus in Taurus offers you new options, and Jupiter extends your voyage of discovery, stretching mind, body and spirit via different perspectives, directions and experiences. As you become comfortable tasting flux, freedom and flexibility, developments reveal their positive possibilities with increasing ease and speed. Money matters

Celestial support is plentiful this year for rebooting your money mojo, particularly from April to July, when your patron planet Venus does a four-month remodelling of your wealth and values sector. With career restructuring a fact of life, 2020 brings astral assistance for turning unanticipated disruptions into fruitful opportunities for doing meaningful work that makes a difference. Connections

This year you will explore a world of social alliances, with the reminder that communication is essential to relationships. When you find yourself falling back into your old patterns, doing what you’ve always done, make the commitment to share thoughts and feelings, discuss misunderstandings and negotiate compromises. The inner you

Try this ritual for 2020: settle somewhere quiet. Take deep breaths. Imagine stepping onto a path that winds ahead, disappearing into the horizon. Ask, “What holds me back that I’m unaware of? What do I need for this journey?” Stay open to the first flashes that arrive, then when Uranus presents an opening you’ll be ready to carpe diem. Food for thought

“Together we notice each mountain shadow and each stone on the beach, especially, we notice the beautiful faces and complex natures of each other. We are here to bring to consciousness beauty and power around us and to praise the people here with us. We witness our generation and our times. We watch the weather.” Annie Dillard, Taurean author.

Gemini • MAY 22–JUN 22

Big picture This year sees planetary action in the top half of your chart, giving 2020 social and collective emphasis. When Mars checks in from June to December to jazz up Gemini networks, you’re in your element: disseminating information, cross-pollinating ideas and fine-tuning interactive dynamics. Money matters

Generous Jupiter spends this year in cautious Capricorn, your house of joint holdings, shared business funds and what happens to your money when you’re not around – all solid indications for making a will and appointing power of attorney. If an inheritance or windfall comes you way, curb the urge to splurge; you can be conservative with cash and still enjoy life’s smorgasbord. Connections

The first six weeks of the decade kick off with Mars in full-forward gallop, setting a cracking pace for this year’s potentially sizzling connections. When a mid-year eclipse highlights recurring relationship patterns, follow its prompts to ditch excess emotional baggage so you’re in prime shape to sustain new partnerships that set you up for success. A mentor could have valuable guidance. The inner you

In such an interactive cycle, it’s important to choose quality over quantity and prioritise doing what you love with people you love. The art of mastering this year comes through taking time apart from incessant demands to review and reflect on lessons learned so you don’t have to repeat them. Keep things simple, say, ‘No,’ and read The Joy Of Missing Out by Gemini social commentator Michael Leunig. Food for thought

“Everything in life is art. What you do. How you dress. The way you love and how you talk.

Your smile and personality. What you believe and your dreams. The way you drink your tea. How you decorate your home. Or party. Your grocery list. The food you make. How your writing looks. And the way you feel. Life is art.” Helena Bonham Carter, Gemini actor.

Cancer • JUN 23-JUL 23

Big picture Jupiter in your house of togetherness sprinkles growth powder on relationships, improving communications with nearest, dearest, even those difficult or estranged. And Mars delivering a six-month career push suggests mixing personal and business activities could be one of this year’s most interesting recipes for success. Money matters

With results-driven, achievement oriented Mars spending the last half of 2020 in your professional sector, could it get any better for topping up the Crab coffers? It won’t pay to just kick back and rely on luck, though – make the most of this auspicious planetary kick-start by buffing up your money mastery, perhaps studying a few online market gurus for tips and techniques. Connections

Jupiter’s wisdom, insight and abundance in your relationship corner is one of the finest cycles in over a decade for meeting new love or taking an existing one to new heights. While Cancerians are nurturing, direct and forthright expressions aren’t your style, but sharing your emotions will lead to richer intimacy in the next decade. The inner you

Factoring in balances to this year’s full-on input is crucial. Start thinking disconnects from technology, sabbaticals from socialising, reducing information overload and topping up your favourite soul-nourishing sustenance. Or just doing nothing: sitting still beside water, watching the way it moves, learning further lessons of flow and response. Food for thought

“Don’t wait till the weather’s better or you have more time. If you have a busy life, that’s your path. Practising generosity can transform you at a deeper level because you’re changing an internal habit of holding on into an outer pattern of opening up, letting go – taking a brick out of your habitual backpack.”

Pema Chodron, Cancerian Buddhist teacher.

Leo • JUL 24-AUG 23

Big picture Uranus shaking up your career and public image can be unsettling – then again, it’s an upgrade you don’t have to pay for. If you’re feeling the need for more professional autonomy, this year’s cosmic wind directs your wings towards a better fit. And face it, you’re know you’re going to revel in organising a style refresh, revamped work wardrobe, hot professional profile and personal rebrand. Money matters

Leos are gifted at fixing things, and this year it would be fruitful applying that to your finances. You could begin by looking for ways to reduce overheads and expenditure, broker better deals with service providers and invigorate cash flow by attracting revenue. Note to self: when addressing tricky fiscal issues with others, be gentle. Connections

Letting go of old ideas about what love should look like is your route to making this decade one of your happiest. As your preferences and priorities shift, you might find yourself taking the lead to initiate change in private or professional relationships that aren’t performing to Leo standards – and lifting your game along with them. The inner you

This Cherokee wisdom offers support for the year in store: No matter what happened in the past, what you’re going through now, what diagnosis you’ve been given, how stuck you feel, how much trauma you’ve experienced, remember your natural capacity to heal. Even when you feel alone, trust you are surrounded by ancestors to guide you. Feel them. Ask them to accompany you on your sacred path. Food for thought

“Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening. Fashion changes, but style endures.

Simplicity is the keynote of all true elegance. Elegance is when the inside is as beautiful as the outside.”

Coco Chanel, Leo fashion designer.

Virgo • AUG 24-SEP 23

Big picture The process of renovating your ideas and belief systems about life can be discombobulating. But the rewards and seriously fun part will be the once-in-a-lifetime meeting up this year of exuberant Jupiter, can-do Saturn and transformational Pluto luring your inner entrepreneur off the comfort couch to explore the wilder shores of 2020. Money matters

The driving influence of Mars for six months in your house of jointly held resources could mean more involvement with family or partnership finances this year. Make best use of the red planet’s energy and your own Mercurian preferences by keeping up to date with the latest information, so you know where smart money goes. Connections

There are a thousand reasons to be concerned about the state of the planet and the collective psyche, a thousand more to stay engaged and not isolate, despite escalating pressures. As five planets move through your relationship sector and 2020 brings affectionate connecting, it’s worth reminding others by example that love includes the Earth, its creatures and all its living systems. The inner you

Suffering digital dryness and feeling pixilated is this year’s cue to give your perfectionist persona permission to indulge in a well-earned Venusian pursuit. It might be something simple like embellishing the comfort of your home with fresh flowers, but most importantly of all, your earth-sign soul needs replenishment in the arms of the natural world. Food for thought

“When I’m among the trees … they give off hints of gladness. I’d almost say they save me, and daily. Around me trees stir in their leaves and call out, ‘Stay awhile.’ The light flows from their branches. ‘It’s simple,’ they say, ‘and you have come into the world to do this, to go easy, to be filled with light, and shine’. Mary Oliver, Virgo poet.

Libra • SEP 24-OCT 23

Big picture Directed by celestial stage manager Jupiter, the planetary emphasis in your base of operations this year rearranges Libra’s domestic picture. Whether that’s changes in family dynamics or living arrangements, visitors coming to stay or the nuts and bolts of extensions, renovations, upgrading, downsizing, moving, buying or selling, home is your hot spot for 2020. Money matters

While an experimental approach to financial management might seem counter-intuitive in the current economy, it could work well for you this year. Technology is your friend, from budgeting apps that track spending to information about market fluctuations. Not to mention your personal version of the Midas touch: the Libran charm that makes people want you on their team. Connections

The first six months of this year refine your relating style to the ripeness of a vintage vino or fromage, which offsets the dynamic effect of assertive Mars reigniting the sizzle in Libran relationships for the last half of 2020. Yours is a cardinal sign, so others follow your lead as you take a proactive role in this year’s partnerships and group activities. The inner you

Your ideas about what’s meaningful, your purpose and the bigger picture are undergoing a metamorphosis as you question whether beliefs remain relevant in the face of current realities. Curiosity is your key to unlocking the answers, so experiment with variations to routines, try different approaches, visit new places and smile at new faces. Food for thought

“From the hurricane and the great whale’s sounding to the fall of a dry leaf and the gnat’s flight, all is done within the balance of the whole. But we must learn to do what the leaf and the whale and the wind do of their own nature. Learn to keep the balance. Having intelligence, we must not act in ignorance. Having choice, we must not act without responsibility.”

Ursula Le Guin, Libran author.

Scorpio • OCT 24-NOV 22

Big picture Scorpios are the zodiac’s secret agents, and this year’s influx of energy to the inner part of your chart brings results from self-exploration which become evident in the last half of 2020, when wildfire Mars and justiceseeking Jupiter urge you towards a role in the social or professional arena. Whether your words are warm, wise or wild, the power of language is paramount in 2020. Money matters

This year’s stellar patterns suggest taking a look at what drives your spending, saving and investing habits. Don’t be shy about seeking professional advice: an objective party could provide insights into your financial behaviour which improve your relationship with money. Your leadership qualities may be called into play if you’re presented with the choice between integrity and a pay cheque. Connections

The presence of game-changing Uranus in your house of togetherness stresses the necessity for interactions with others on all levels – personal, professional, and problematical. It’s delightfully energising to switch reactions off autopilot and revitalise lacklustre responses, and this year brings no shortage of opportunities to engage in more authentic exchanges. And yes – to some questions, silence can be a perfectly adequate answer. The inner you

This is your kind of investigative, interior year, getting to know you. Whether that’s through work or via study, travel, meditation, a physical or spiritual practice, last year’s chrysalis is melting down and transmuting into your new self: wiser, stronger, confident and compassionate. Food for thought

“Don’t it always seem to go that you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone, They paved paradise, put up a parking lot … We are stardust, we are golden, we are billion year old carbon, and we got to get ourselves back to the garden.” Joni Mitchell, Scorpio singer/songwriter.

Sagittarius • NOV 23-DEC 21

Big picture Welcome to the new decade, Archers. With this year’s astral accent on values, including self-worth, get ready for 2020’s celestial makeover to the newer, truer you. When charismatic Mars charges into your house of romance, entertainment and creativity for the last half of the year, will there be challenges? Yes, of the most vibrant kind. Adventure? Plenty. Satisfaction? Guaranteed. Money matters

Jupiter tours your money zone only every 13 or so years, so does that make it lucky or unlucky? You be the judge of boosts to your cash flow and improved income streams – though this isn’t likely to happen without your engagement. Make a start by examining your behaviours about money, then implementing the necessary changes. Connections

Interactive dance steps for 2020 are varied, especially during the April-to-August visit of affectionate Venus to your partnership department. You’ll arrive at a few crossroads and plenty of pivot points as aspirations in intimate, social, business and creative relationships evolve. It’s worth remembering in the word ‘heart’ is nestled the word ‘ear’, and the art of reaching someone’s heart is to hear them. The inner you

If you’re full with habits no longer serving their purpose, ancient attitudes or dated beliefs, where can all the new experiences clamouring to touch down chez Sagittarius land? It’s time to shed, cull, let go, lighten up and make space for your free spirit to learn new tricks, try things you wouldn’t usually and make outrageous breakthroughs. Food for thought

“About all you can do in life is be who you are. Some people will love you for you. Most will love you for what you can do for them, and some won’t like you at all. I think the reward for conformity is everyone likes you except yourself.” Rita Mae Brown, Sagittarian writer/activist.

Capricorn • DEC 22-JAN 20

Big picture No one has to tell you anything worth doing is worth doing right, especially with evolutionary Jupiter, ethical Saturn and powerful Pluto – planets of progress, responsibility and rebirth – super-charging your sign for 2020. This is one of your all-time good fortune years, Capricorns, bringing fulfilment, recognition and personal growth. Money matters

Generous Jupiter spending this year in your sign favours bold ventures. Also in Capricorn, Saturn loves practical strategies, action plans, spreadsheets and timelines. With these two heavenly heavyweights adding clout to your efforts, 2020 taps the green light for exploring new ways to have fun doing what you love and making it pay. Connections

Peace, like most things, begins at home, with the way we interact. If a deja vu issue of trust or loyalty keeps repeating, can it be talked through? The greatest distance between people is the chasm created by misunderstandings, so clear communication is this year’s cosmic channel to successful connection. Which isn’t as simple as it sounds and needs commitment. The inner you

Take time aside to write down firstly the most important things you have to contribute, secondly what’s worth spending time and energy on. What’s meaningful to you and what could benefit the community. Decide what you’ll do less of, where you can delegate and how to eliminate draining obligations so you can give back. Food for thought

“In place of weapons, use your mind, your heart, your sense of humour, every faculty available to you. Action is the antidote to despair. I have hope in people, in individuals. Because you don’t know what’s going to rise from the ruins. Someone had to change the world and I was the one for the job.”

Joan Baez, Capricorn singer/activist.

Aquarius • JAN 21-FEB 19

Big picture

With its planetary accent on regrouping and evolution, this soul-replenishing year winds up a cycle of completion to make way for more of what you want. This suggests you’ll be reviewing, reflecting, reassessing and resetting before life at the end of 2020 looks different from its beginning – and feels more satisfying. Money matters

Planetary placements recommend a conservative approach to this year’s fluctuating variations. If you’re caught in currency and workplace restructuring, consider consulting an economics expert, professional cash manager or an online advisory site with free tips on cutting and pruning, savvy ways to save and general fiscal fitness. Connections

Mars is busy in your community and networks, so if you aren’t already involved, volunteering could appeal this year. Small groups or one-on-one contact where you can connect (put phones away) will be most effective. Make dates to meet friends you never seem to have time for, sharing simple pleasures that needn’t cost a bomb. The inner you

As preferences shift, some things you used to love may lose their lustre. You might find yourself enjoying quiet time, or the company of close friends. Mini-retreats or getaways, spiritual practice, walking in nature, artistic pursuits such as writing, painting or singing are all supportive soul vitamins for navigating this year’s waves of change. Food for thought

“In shamanic societies, if you came to a medicine person complaining of being disheartened or depressed, they’d ask: When did you stop dancing? Stop singing? Stop being enchanted by stories? Stop being comforted by the sweet territory of silence? Art isn’t just ornamental. It’s a path in itself, a way out of the predictable and conventional, a map to self-discovery.” Gabrielle Roth, Aquarian dancer.

Pisces • FEB 20-MAR 20

Big picture

The trio of outer planets gathering in your sector of tech-oriented friendships and online communities make this a primo networking year. The most significant influence is Jupiter, who passes this way only every dozen years, opening doors and opportunities through group associations and organisations. This is not a year to disappear or watch Netflix – best invite the crowd around. Money matters

January to June favours a go-with-theflow approach of reviewing economic options and planning strategies. From mid-year onwards under-earning and overpaying fade when take-charge Mars issues a call for the last half of 2020, boosting your confidence and drive for bolder money moves. Crowd-sourcing initiatives, anyone? Connections

Ready to say no to energy-drainers? You’re going to need extra time for conferences, events and groups which could fling open doors of opportunity pleasurable and profitable for Pisceans. Does this mean mixing love and money, business and fun? It’s sounding like a plan. The inner you

The escalating crescendo of stressful planetary events combined with so much buzz in your personal world needs the counterbalance of silent time alone this year to recharge your energy batteries so you can continue sharing your special gifts. When your intuition says, “Enough!” it’s time to turn off the technology, pull the plug on everything, draw a veil of unavailability and avoid burnout. Food for thought

“I’d tell myself to listen to my heart. Listen to that voice that says, ‘Mmm, I don’t think so.’ Because when you override that, you override who you are. Be aware of your inner voice and follow it, even though it will tell you the most uncomfortable path to choose.” Pisces actor Glenn

Close, when asked to give advice to a younger self. AWW