2012 Horoscope: Capricorn (December 22-January 19)

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Should I get (or stay) married? Am I with the right person? Will I have a child? What's my best career move? When will I feel happy again?

"Getting my chart done was like the best therapy session of the year!"
—Pamela Madsen, fertility coach and author of bestselling book Shameless

2012 Challenges:
Career. Work can feel like an uphill battle. Be patient, humble and pay your dues. It will get easier in the fall.

2012 Opportunities:
Romance. Instead of giving your best energy to your job, go have some fun! Dance, sing, do something creative. Let the sparks fly.

Love & Relationships

Have you learned to pick your battles yet, Capricorn? Last June, expansive Jupiter began a yearlong visit to Taurus, your passionate, romantic and (often) dramatic fifth house. Although you’re normally the even-keeled type, your emotional range has had a lot more highs and lows, and this will continue while Jupiter remains in Taurus through June 11, 2012. For some Capricorns, your new open-hearted style marks great progress. You’ve broken out of that stoic, long-suffering martyr mode and started to speak up for yourself. Good for you, Cappy! It’s not your job to carry other people’s burdens on your back.

If you’ve veered into temper tantrums and demands (which you may have at moments), the results may not have been quite so pretty. Sexy fireworks may also have turned into explosive arguments. For the first half of 2012, you’ll definitely want to watch a propensity for fighting and overreacting. One great prevention? Get more physically active. Dancing (even a burlesque, belly dancing or X Factor class), sports, anything that gets you feeling hot and sensual will do wonders for your mood. Better to break a sweat having fun than to sweat the small stuff.

Adding more glamour to your life will also boost romance in 2012. When’s the last time you changed your hairstyle, got highlights, or wore something that wasn’t a sensible gray, black or neutral? Although satin, sequins and bold patterns may not make their way into your closet, you might want to clear some space for shiny and playful new pieces—even if you just start with accessories. Jupiter in the fifth house is pushing you to own your attractiveness, to flirt and to lighten up about love. Even if you’re in a serious relationship, it’s fine—healthy, even—to enjoy a little banter with other people. It’s just an exchange of life-force energy, not cheating!

One thing to know about Jupiter: it rewards you most when you step out of your comfort zone. Single Caps who have a very distinct “type” will want to be more flexible. You might meet someone who doesn’t look like a J. Crew or an Abercrombie & Fitch model, but who, after a date or two, totally steals your heart. If you have rigid rules about where you’ll meet someone, loosen those up, especially when it comes to online dating. Between January and June you could be especially successful on a matchmaking website. Coupled Caps may outgrow a partner in some cases, or you’ll want to reignite the spark by being proactive. Plan some fun dates and activities that push you out of any ruts.

Work & Money
Keep chugging along, Capricorn. Since October 2009, taskmaster Saturn (your ruling planet) has been in Libra, your tenth house of career and success. Saturn is the slow-and-steady personal trainer who challenges you to be your absolute best. In the past two years, you may have lost or left a job, started a business, or gained a position with more responsibility than ever before. Having Saturn in your tenth house isn’t easy, because there’s no cutting corners or skipping steps allowed. There may have been losses or limitations during this cycle. If you’re a business owner, you may have dealt with frustrations like slow growth, a tax audit, or some kind of bureaucratic red tape.

Fortunately, most Capricorns enjoy having the bar raised high, and you’re not a quitter. You love to strive, grow, pay dues and earn things by the sweat of your brow. No handouts or shortcuts for you, thanks! Saturn will be in Libra until October 3, 2012, giving you nine more months to restructure, train, learn lessons and grow into your natural leadership. If you’ve felt frustrated, held back or overlooked for a promotion, Saturn’s departure will be a relief. But don’t miss the lesson, Cap! Perhaps your skills aren’t quite up to par, and you could benefit from taking a class, working with a career coach, or hiring a consultant to help you package yourself in a more marketable way. Maybe you’re just in the wrong field—and it’s time to make a move. Your whole identity is going through a long, slow shift while transformational Pluto visits Capricorn (November 2008-2024). If you’ve shed some layers or lost interest in something you once used to do, don’t hold on just out of fear.

You’ll be ready to take a leap of faith in the second half of 2012. On June 11th, lucky Jupiter begins a yearlong visit to Gemini, your sixth house of health, work and organization. Some incredibly helpful people could come into your life during this cycle. You may decide to become more involved in a job based on service, wellness or the environment, or you could work on a “green” project. This year, a pair of eclipses also falls in Gemini. An eclipse is like a big gust of wind that pushes you off the fence, bringing unexpected events that can change your course quite suddenly. On May 28th, a Gemini solar eclipse will begin a six-month cycle of change in your work life that will culminate at the November 28th lunar eclipse. (This is a trend that started with the December 2010 Gemini lunar eclipse, and has brought change every six months since then.)

Your interest in doing work that makes a difference will grow even more this fall, when your ruler Saturn moves into Scorpio on October 3rd. Saturn will be here until 2015, bringing growth to your eleventh house of groups, social causes and technology. This is a much more comfortable place for you to have Saturn, so expect any lessons to be pretty easy now. You may decide to get involved in a professional networking group, or upgrade to a more sophisticated inner circle. (It’s been said that your net worth is determined by the incomes of your five closest friends!) You may develop an online business or begin using social media to advance your career. Volunteer work or a project that helps humanity will also be a great way to succeed while also giving back.

Health & Wellness

The first half of 2012 is a bit indulgent, while joie-de-vivre Jupiter is in Taurus, your fifth house of pleasure. If foie gras, red wine, ice cream and bread were the four major food groups, you’d be all set. Well, everyone needs a little hedonism now and then, so let yourself enjoy. And if you find that you’re overeating, perhaps it means you’re depriving yourself in other areas. Allow more affection and love into your life. Redecorate a room or buy yourself a “statement bag” you’ve been coveting. It would behoove your worrisome sign to see that the world won’t end just because you splurge a little.

Besides, on June 11th, Jupiter begins a yearlong visit to Gemini, your sixth house of health and fitness. You may suddenly become interested in all things nutritious again. Break out of your workout rut by finding fun new fitness programs—or even better, by exercising outdoors. Hop on a bike, take up rock climbing, or head to that ski lodge over the Christmas holiday. Jupiter loves risks and wide-open spaces, so think beyond your limits and try something new, like a long hike or a kayaking trip. With two eclipses in Gemini (May 28 and November 28), you may get health news or a push to take better care of yourself. Perhaps you’ll just get the impetus to start a new path of wellness.

Your home life is shifting in 2012, too, a trend that started last spring. Changemaker Uranus is in Aries from March 2011-2018, gradually reshaping your domestic life, and making you a bit nomadic! You’re becoming less of the “rock” in your family, and a little more rock ‘n roll. Capricorns are builders who like deep roots, but revolutionary Uranus is supplanting that nesting instinct. Get used to bouncing around, spending less time at home, and maybe even moving this year. With dreamy Neptune moving into Pisces on February 2nd (until 2026), you may choose a more low-key neighborhood, or perhaps even spend the summer at a little seaside retreat. The June 4th Sagittarius lunar eclipse in your twelfth house of closure could make the need for solitude stronger than ever. Do you have someone to forgive, or a piece of your past to release? This eclipse will help you say goodbye and move on to a better chapter.

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