A breakthrough into a new year — and a new life cycle — awaits us all this New Year’s Eve. The lunar eclipse on the Cancer/Capricorn axis rockets us into 2010 with an extra boost of decisiveness. Issues surrounding home, family, career, and long-term goals have percolated since June/July, and now they reach a partial turning point.

Lunar eclipses can rip things out of our grasp, or force an ending that opens a whole new byway. Make your New Year’s Eve mantra: Let it go. Releasing your grip on a situation will either make way for a better replacement, or allow it to be healed and returned to you in a purer, transformed state.

As the calendar turns, many of us will battle between head and heart—and the tension will be strong. Our romantic natures yearn for one outcome, while a stern inner voice admonishes us to be “sensible.” Why not have it all? This eclipse arrives to help us integrate mind and spirit, wisdom and wildness, passion and practicality.

Here’s what each sign specifically must learn to balance and integrate:

• Aries, Libra: Career + family, public + private lives
• Taurus, Scorpio: Common sense + higher wisdom; facts + faith
• Gemini, Sagittarius: Physical/material/animal nature + spirituality
• Cancer, Capricorn: Self + others; your needs + a partner’s
• Leo, Aquarius: Giving + receiving; controlling + trusting
• Virgo, Pisces: Love + friendship;  passion + playfulness

As for all the flurry about this being a blue moon? Not such a big deal, actually. (Although it’s cool icebreaker convo for awkward NYE party moments.) A blue moon means there’s a second full moon in the same month. This year, there was a Gemini full moon on December 2nd. Fun trivia, but don’t expect anyone to turn into a werewolf, unless you’ve got a bootleg copy of New Moon in the DVD player.

Singing superstar Carrie Underwood announced her engagement publicly, ushering in news of happier romantic times for Pisces in general.We may see more bling on the ring fingers of Fish-girls in the coming months. The tide has turned…and it’s not a moment too soon.

From September 2005 until October 30, 2009, Pisces endured Saturn’s tour through their house of committed relationships. Saturn, in short, is an ass-kicker. It breaks you down and builds you up like a tough lovin’ personal trainer. Pisces are a notably romantic bunch, but not always known for having the firmest grip on reality. Harsh lessons were learned on the romantic battlefield, especially if denial was at play. Wake-up calls and broken engagements were plentiful for this sign over the past two years. Rihanna and Jennifer Love Hewitt are both Pisces. Need we say more?

The amorous waters are much friendlier in 2010. Saturn has moved on to Libra–a happier position for people born under any sign–and will be stationed there until October 6, 2012. Many Pisces will tie the knot under this cosmic spell or discover their definition of romantic bliss. The world in general is already on soulmate patrol. We’ve noticed lately that a number of relationships have been ending. These relationships were “satisfactory,” or “almost, but not quite The One.” We’ve also seen problems that were swept under the rug, blow up to mammoth proportions, forcing couples to DEAL already!

To our despairing  friends we offer much hope. While Saturn’s lessons may be seem harsh, this planet is only cruel to be kind.  To paraphrase Ms. Underwood…umm, “Saturn, take the wheel?”

An interesting phenomenon happened this year: straight-people couplings went rather out of fashion. Harry Winston rings, Vera Wang gowns, bended-knee proposals…can you say boooooring? On top of that, the tanking economy made lavish weddings downright passe. Publishing giant Conde Nast even folded former cash cows Modern Bride and Elegant Bride magazines. Our own Brides.com column ended, and many of our friends chose quiet City Hall ceremonies over the chapel. Friends in the wedding industry (photographers, planners) reported their slowest years ever.

Why? Jupiter, planet of expansion, spent the year in Aquarius — the postmodern sign of social justice and revolution. Romantic Neptune traveled by its side, opening our minds and hearts to a new kind of love–and making all things traditional seem hopelessly outmoded. Bohemian Aquarius is one of the least conventionally romantic zodiac signs.

In Hollywood, romance between two vanilla heteros failed to captivate the tabloid-weary eye. The strongest couples seemed to be those who bypassed the whole marriage hoopla, like Brangelina. Nicole Richie and Joel Madden. Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell. With Tiger Woods being the latest “role model” to make a sham of his vows, it all came to seem like a joke.

On the other hand, gay marriage become one of the year’s hottest issues. No surprise. Jupiter broke through our boundaries of what love “should” look like, forcing us to redefine those so-called rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Look who captured our gawker’s gaze in ’09: Newlyweds Ellen and Portia. Train-wreck twosome Lindsay Lohan and Samantha Ronson. A liplock in Marie Claire between bisexual Drew Barrymore and her Whip It co-star Ellen Page. American Idol runner-up Adam Lambert, who capped off the year with a prime time televised same-sex smooch at the AMAs.

Aquarius is a political sign, and the wave rose in this arena, too. Celebs and civilians alike spoke out against Proposition 8, a California amendment that only recognized male-female unions. Beauty contestant Carrie Prejean jeopardized the Miss USA crown with controversial remarks against “opposite marriage.” (Granted, she’s an old-fashioned Taurus whose religious “values” preclude same-sex weddings…but they somehow didn’t rule out making pornographic sex tapes. Ten points to Team Rainbow for that hypocrisy.) Just today, Houston elected its first openly gay mayor, Annise Parker, making it the largest U.S. city ever to do so.

Will the trend continue? Yes…in a different way. On January 17th, 2010, Jupiter moves into romantic Pisces, scattering rose petals and lacy bits over everything again. 2010 will be a decidedly sappy year, making straight and gay folks alike yearn for old-fashioned romance. Fortunately, Jupiter will travel with radical Uranus (ruler of Aquarius) for much of 2009 — keeping the fires of social justice lit. We could all gain equal opportunity to be hopeless fools in love, getting our hearts smashed on the rocks, all sharing the mystical quest to understand the sacred enigma of partnership.

It’s hard out there for a Goat. At least, this month it is. The last few days have brought all manner of miserable headlines for the Capricorn childrenz of the world. Leading the pack, of course, are the Capricorn-Capricorn couple Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegen. Apparently Tiger (or is it Lion? Cheetah?) can’t keeps his nine-irons in his bag: a fifth mistress has stepped forward with more stomach-turning claims.

Following close behind the billy goats gruff…
* Capricorn songwriter Alexa Ray Joel, daughter of Billy Joel, rushed to the hospital on Saturday for an attempted suicide by drug overdose

* Shock-rocker Marilyn Manson, a Capricorn, dropped from his record label.

* Cappy actress Sienna Miller cozies up to her adulterous ex, fellow Capricorn Jude Law (while engaged in ’06, he cheated on her with his children’s nanny)

* Jessica Alba’s husband, Capricorn Cash Warren, allegedly shares a face-mashing kiss with Lindsay Lohan. Why, God, whyyyyyyy?

* The Huffington Post publishes way unflattering pics of anchorwoman Katie Couric “letting loose” on the dance floor. Come to think of it, she’s looking like a tigress herself…

The question begs itself: WTF???? Only the stars can make sense of this one. The Sun is in Sagittarius, which rules Capricorn’s 12th house of hidden enemies, secrets, scandals and addictions. Ever notice how the month before your birthday often sucks? You’re sleepy,  cranky and stuck carrying the world’s crap on your shoulders. You wax nostalgic for the past, and start pining for the ones who knew (and hurt) you when. Karma is a bitch, and like a bad mother-in-law, she often comes to visit when the Sun is in your 12th house. We all get it once a year.

So…paging Capricorns: keep your behavior above-board. With love-planet Venus also in Sagittarius and shocking Uranus in your third house of news and communication, the headlines are only getting nastier. May we suggest making like bears (not Tigers!) and hibernating until the Sun enters Capricorn on December 21st.

(AstroTwins’ note: We got a flood of reader responses to our recent post “Are Scorpio men notorious cheaters?” which prompted us to go there again.)

Oh, Tiger Woods. You were such an upstanding guy, a role model and a multiculti trailblazer. You had the honorable traits that make us love Capricorn men. And now, you ruined it all sneaking around on your wife. We just wanna shake you.

Astrologers normally depict Capricorn men as heroic husbands and fathers, the zodiac’s man among men. Unknown to many, this clean-cut sign can also have a dark side. Capricorn is ruled by Saturn, the planet of repression and challenges. There’s more behind the million-dollar smiles, the strong jaws, and the striking masculinity that makes women weak-kneed. Many Capricorn men are tortured souls who harbor strange fetishes or even lead a secret double life.

In fairness, there are many Caps who have dealt with their issues (or don’t have any), and they make devoted husbands and fathers. To these Goats we say, “Go forth and build your white picket fences! Spread your seed and multiply.” We ain’t talking ’bout you here, so don’t freak. We implore you, teach your signmates to fly right.

The guilty Goats of whom we speak are those who offer a ring when they really want a fling. Bound by duty, tradition and parent-pleasing pressure, they get hitched as fast a possible and create the picture-perfect family. Then, they do their dirty deeds on the side. Ugh!

But…why? Here are a few of our theories:

Trophy time. Capricorn is the sign of achievement, and these boys love a trophy. Unfortunately, many fall prey to “bottomless pit syndrome.” Like Tiger Woods, they foolishly believe that the grass is greener on the other side of the fairway. They’re addicted to striving and competing, and can’t retire their lady-hunting ways. Even after marrying the “perfect” woman, they go after the young, naive or worshipful mistress.

• Addiction to longing. Capricorns want what they can’t have. This melancholy sign loves to stew in nostalgia. “She was the one who got away…” or “There will never be another one like her…” Of course, should this fantasy woman become a real romantic prospect, Cap-boy’s interest suddenly evaporates.

• Rebels without a clue. This world-weary sign feels the weight of duty on their shoulders. Family becomes a tiresome obligation from which the Goat must escape. Where better than the arms of a skankalicious mistress? Plus, this sign is born with inbred Catholic guilt, regardless of religion. Sin-and-repent. Rinse. Repeat. The Capricorn man gets a kinky thrill at defying the very morals and values he pretends to uphold.

• Closet kink. Some Caps need to act out kinky fantasies they’d never dare try at home with the wifey (we’ve heard it all, from cross-dressing to women’s shoe fetishes to dominatrix dungeons and “golden showers”).

• Sabotage. Another group of Caps suffers from a terminal case of pessimism/fatalism mixed with low self-esteem. This caustic combo leads them to screw up every good thing that comes into their lives.

And it ain’t just Tiger Woods tainting the good Goat name among celebs. Consider these famous Capricorn fellows as well:

* Jude Law: After divorcing Sadie Frost (with whom he has 3 children) on the grounds of his “unreasonable behavior,” he got engaged to Sienna Miller. Younger woman: check! Hot actress: check! Mission accomplished. Deploy…sabotage! Jude was caught in bed fooling around with his children’s nanny, Daisy Wright, ending the engagement.

* Nicolas Cage: Elvis-obsessed Cage completed his trophy collection with a marriage to Lisa-Marie Presley. After a mere 108 days, Cage filed for divorce out of the blue. He later married Alice Kim, a 20-year-old cocktail waitress half his age.

* R. Kelly: At 26, he illegally married 15-year-old R&B artist Aaliyah. Since then, he’s been accused of inappropriate relationships with other minors. Creeeepy.

* Mel Gibson: Days after his wife of 29 years filed for divorce, the father of 7 and controversial actor was romantically linked to Oksana Grigorieva, a Russian musician 14 years his junior. He denied an affair, but Oksie sure got pregnant fast.

We’re just sayin’!