The Year 2016

For thousands of years, we have observed cycles: Seasons, lunar revolutions, birth and death. This year we are in a cycle where the planet Saturn is in the zodiac sign Sagittarius from 2015 to 2017. This cycle of Saturn in Sagittarius previously occurred in 1927-29; and 1956-58; and lastly in 1986-88.

The planet Saturn represents discipline, structure, form and the law courts. It tangibly defines our world through dimensions and regulations. It shrinks and solidifies.

The zodiac sign Sagittarius expands and spreads out! It has domain over foreign countries; publishing, TV, radio, and social media; universities, colleges and libraries; medical schools; law-making, jurisprudence and finally, philosophy and religion.

This year with the planet Saturn in the sign of Sagittarius, we will see new, practical applications of our beliefs and ideas, especially related to social media, universities, churches and laws governing medical care plus how we deal with foreigners and immigration.

In previous years, when Saturn was in Sagittarius, radio became regulated for the first time through the FCC, which itself, was also just formed as a governing body; the first television license was issued; sound came to film with The Jazz Singer; the Academy Awards began in 1927; regular TV programming began; and Nintendo introduced the Zelda series. Likewise, this year and next, we will see new regulations to broadband technology and the Internet, as well as television and social media.

Because Sagittarius is the sign of "foreign countries", every 30 years when Saturn is in this sign, we experience breakthrough connections between countries. In 1927, we had the first transatlantic telephone call. In that same year, Charles Lindbergh stunned the world by flying nonstop from New York to Paris. In 1928, the first TV station was started; and soon the first television show was beamed from London to New York.

In 2016, scientific inventions, especially in aviation, will shrink the world. Mergers and legislation about broadband media will take place. Meanwhile, every county suffers from xenophobia because everyone is afraid of what is foreign or strange. (Guard against the common mistake of confusing xenophobia with xenofocaccia, which is a bread some people can't chew.)

This year the biggest change will be to our way of viewing foreigners -- no matter what country we live in. The timing is right for everyone to see that we are all more alike than not. We all want to be happy.

Does Your Past Predict Your Future?

This forecast begins with highlights of your past because if what I say about your past rings true, then you can trust what I say about your future.

Astrology is based on cycles, which is why we can learn from our past. For example, if we look back into the early 90s, we see that around 1992-93, your home life got better. Perhaps you moved into a bigger home, which felt more spacious or luxurious. You might have invested in real estate or bought a new home because whatever you bought then would later bring you increased value. That was also a time when family members were warm and mutually generous. In 1993-94, hopefully, you took a memorable vacation. Others might have expanded their family through birth or adoption because something joyous with children happened in your world.

By 1994, things were looking excellent because wonderful job opportunities were available. This was a time of harvest when you saw the benefits of the previous 14 years now taking fruit. If you were younger, this might have been a time of graduation, marriage or the birth of your first child. However, for most, it marked a time of promotion and acknowledgement of your skills and hard work. Admittedly, some experienced failure because this was a time of harvest, and sometimes the seeds you planted did not sprout. Nevertheless, it was a powerful time!

In 1995, lucky Jupiter was opposite your sign helping you to expand something. This was an excellent time for partnerships. Personally, you had high hopes for achieving something, which is why you wanted to expand your life in some way. Indeed, by 1996, some of you received an inheritance or assistance from others, which might have allowed you to travel in 1997. (You love a change of scenery!) That was a fun year with opportunities to expand your world through further education or taking advantages of opportunities in publishing, the media, medicine and the law. Very soon, your reputation was shining, and you approached the millennium with confidence.

However, 1999 was when you began to dismantle much of what you created since the mid-80s. In the next few years, you would get rid of what was no longer relevant, which meant you said goodbye to people, places and possessions. In 2001, life was good because lucky Jupiter was back in your sign, boosting your confidence and self poise. That was also when you set out on an entirely new path to reinvent yourself in the next seven years. Many of you boosted your earnings in 2002 and by 2003 you were happy. In 2004, you moved to bigger or better digs or expanded your family. By 2005, romance, love affairs, parties, sports and vacations made this a fun-loving time. In 2006, you entered a two-year window of job changes and residential moves. This was also a good year to improve your job and your health. Marriage and partnerships were enhanced in 2007 and by 2008-09, you worked to stabilize your home because you wanted to create a solid anchor for yourself in the world. Around 2009-10, travel opportunities were sweet. You also enhanced your reputation among your peers. Ah yes, you were stylin'!

The years 2010-11 were popular. However, this was a time when many of you had increased responsibilities with children. New love affairs at that time would be serious. Lady luck smiled on you in June 2012 when once again, lucky Jupiter returned to your sign to stay for a whole year. This boosted your confidence and made life more joyful. Opportunities for more serious work arrived, which is why you were busting your buns in 2013 to 2015. At times, life felt overwhelming, but you survived. In fact, the most critical thing about last year was your own sense of optimism and belief in yourself. This self-confidence kept you going and made you reach out for the impossible. "I'm not backward about going forward."

Wealth, Career and Reputation

This is an exciting year for Geminis because you are taking your powah! Oh yes. Around the turn of the millennium, you gave up a lot, which meant that around 2001, you started to reinvent yourself. Finally by 2008, you had defined who you were; however, up until this year, you have been trying to show the world what you can do. And it hasn't been easy. So in a way, we can say that for the last 14 years, you have been under the table trying to figure out who you were and what you will do in this life. You need to know this because the year 2016 is a big shift. This year you jump up on top of the table! Ta da! This is a very big difference! This is what I mean when I say this is your year to take your powah!

To be more specific, taking your power means that from here on, for the next seven or eight years, your focus will be more external. You will be more concerned with your outer world, your accomplishments, your reputation, and what it is that you are trying to achieve. This means that in 2016, your ambition will be more aroused. Not only will you take yourself more seriously, those around you will also take you more seriously as well. It also means you're are going to develop a plan of action. And I can tell you this right now - this plan of action will manifest in its glory around 2023. So this is what you're aiming for - external success, and a series of events that will make you proud.

This means, right off the bat, you will throw your weight around more this year because you are taking yourself more seriously. As a result, your coworkers and bosses might respect you more - or they might resent you. Some will respect you more, but there are always those who refuse to acknowledge when someone has grown out of short pants. This will most likely happen in close business relationships, and especially business partnerships. Whatever relationships that you now enjoy, professionally speaking, were obviously established prior to 2016. This means they see you in a certain way and expect you to respond in a certain way, and more than that, they see you in a certain pecking order. But in 2016, you are going to see yourself differently, and you will act differently! Naturally, this will upset the subtle balance of existing relationships with coworkers and bosses. Ya think?

Quite likely, you will demand a better situation in your working environment, your office, your surroundings and your workspace. If self-employed, you might want to buy the premises where you work. You might also want to bring in a family member or be more involved in a family business. But the bottom line will be that you intend to exert more power in your job and in all your professional relationships, and as such, you expect more respect from others. In situations where others fail to give you this respect - you might end the partnership.

Another thing that will be noticeably different in 2016 is that you will work hard - very hard. In fact, you will work so hard you will be bossy about telling others to shape up if they are not working as hard as you are. That's because you intend to throw your energy into whatever you're working at to such a degree that you will put off pleasure for work because you will take pride in what you're doing. The one thing you will demand, however, is credit for what you do. Oh yes! Because you will identify strongly with what you do - you want the recognition, which is why this year you will not be a team player. (Hence, another reason coworkers and bosses might be unhappy or threatened with you.)

Please note: in 2016, it's important for you to get physical exercise so that you can blow off pent-up steam that will build up within you. Establish a program of rigourous physical activity and avoid anything that is not good for your health. This is because you are working hard to establish something that will materialize in five years. By 2023, your success will be obvious.

Therefore, your greatest challenge this year is getting others to recognize that you're not the same person that you've been for the last 14 years. Things have changed. You have more self-respect, more energy and more ambition. If others don't acknowledge this - they're history.

Let's take a look at the year ahead on a month by month basis:

In January, your focus will be on shared property, inheritances, taxes and debt. Relations at work will be warm and friendly.

February is your month to travel! Seek sunny climes or the moody, brooding Pacific. Do whatever you can to expand your horizons. If you can't travel then take a course, learn a language, meet people from other backgrounds. It can also be a pleasant experience to be a tourist in your own city. (Stay in a hotel and see the sights.)

In March, you will be high viz. to others, especially people in authority. They will admire you, which is why you will be asked to take on increased responsibilities. March is also a lovely time for travel for pleasure.

April is a popular month for you. Enjoy meeting characters and unusual types. However, patience with partners and close friends will be tested. Might this be jealousy?

In May, you are working hard, but your impulse is to lie low and stay under the radar. This is not surprising because some of you will be having secret love affairs and clandestine activities. (Geminis can be fickle; not you, of course.)

Naturally, June is your month, dear Gemini! It's your turn to recharge your batteries for the rest of the year. It's also a great time to attract opportunities and important people to you.

In July, money, cash flow, earnings plus major purchases will be a strong focus for you. And yes, you're still working hard.

August is a busy month with short trips, errands, conversations with everyone, especially siblings and relatives. The pace of your days will accelerate as you push yourself to embrace all these activities.

September will be a time of family get-togethers, as well as home repairs. Not only will you want to cocoon at home, you will want to secure your home in a practical, solid way at this time.

October is a playful month and the perfect time for a vacation. Romance, love affairs and parties will flourish! Woo hoo!

In November, you have your nose to the grindstone working hard. You will set your sights high because you want to accomplish a lot. Nevertheless, opportunities to play and take vacations seem to continue to arise in your world. Yes, work hard and party hard!

December simply confirms that you are now in party mode (again?) and you intend to stay this way. It's another great month for vacations, romance, fun diversions, sports events and the enjoyment of children.

Love, Partnerships and Friends

One of the most significant areas in your life that will be impacted in 2016 will be partnerships, marriage and close friendships. This is because in the next three years, you will undergo a planetary transit that has not occurred since 1986-1988. Specifically, I'm talking about the fact that Saturn will oppose your sign for the first time in 30 years. This means that Saturn will travel through your 7th House of Marriage, Partnerships and close friendships. This journey will make you redefine who you are in your own terms.

This year you are taking your power. Right? You are claiming it for the first time since the 80s, and for many - this is something new. This means that your existing friendships, relationships and partnerships must undergo a change. Factoid. These relationships have to make adjustments because they cannot continue as they were. Why? Because you will not continue as you were!

As mentioned above, in the career section, you have been on a journey since 2001 of reinventing yourself and finding your place in the world both professionally and socially. In that time, it's been as if you were "under the table". But this year you jump on top of the table, turning your attention more to your external world and what you want to achieve. By doing so, you will change the balance of all your existing relationships. This does not mean that you're saying, "Hey - no more Mr. Nice Guy." It does not mean this at all. Please, let's be clear about this. But it does mean that you will feel more confident in demanding respect for your wishes and needs.

Furthermore, your wishes and needs are changing! This is why relationships that are problematic will face even greater problems. And relationships that are just more trouble than they are worth - will end. Therefore, in the next three years, marital breakups, partnerships and close friendships are more likely than ever to split. But this does not have to happen. It will only happen if people refuse to grow and respect each other's wants and needs. Even the best relationships will have to confront its flaws and make compassionate, intelligent adjustments.

In particular, Geminis have to guard against the "grass is greener" syndrome, which can really get them by the throat. Oh yeah. Actually, everyone is inclined to believe the grass is greener in your neighbour's yard. But Geminis are more susceptible to this than others. Geminis have to be aware of the value of contentment because the confounding truth is - the grass IS greener! In other words, there is no end to better because there will always be someone richer, taller, more beautiful, smarter, more successful - the list is endless. Yes, we are all frail mortals grappling on this darkling plain. So this is a rather sober prediction for 2016. It means that if you value your friendships, if you value your partnerships, then you have to treat others as you wish they would treat you. 2016 will be litmus test for many relationships.

Home and Family

The most dramatic change that the year 2016 will bring to your life will relate to home and family. This is because the planet lucky, moneybags Jupiter will be travelling through the very bottom of your chart, which is the part that relates to home, family and real estate. Jupiter has a quality of augmenting and magnifying things. It is the planet of increase and sometimes excess. It is often associated with wealth and it is also associated with joy. (For example Jupiter is also called Jove, hence the term jovial.) The influence of this planet in this part of your chart will be wonderful and pleasant for anything connected with your home and family.

To begin with, from an economic point of view, this will be the best year for you to buy real estate since 2004. And you won't have another year that is as good as 2016 until 2027. That means in a 24 year stretch - this is the best year for you to benefit from anything related to real estate. Obviously, it will behoove you to buy a new home or your first home or a better home because it will benefit you now and in the future in practical and financial ways. But it will also benefit you to invest in real estate, even if you don't live in that home. And if you cannot buy a home, or choose not to do so, then any money that you invest in your current home will ultimately benefit you in the long run and bring you a financial profit.

Therefore, if you were thinking of making improvements to your home or renovations - by all means, do so. And if none of the above is possible and you are renting without the opportunity to invest in real estate, then you will still enjoy your home more because you will either move to a bigger home that is more luxurious and spacious, or you will buy something for your home that makes you feel richer. In other words, whatever happens - you will feel more fortunate about where you live.

This beneficial influence to your home also extends to your family. In terms of augmenting or increasing in size - yes, your family might increase in size through marriage, birth or adoption. In some way, it will be literally enlarged. Family relationships will also improve because family members will be more caring, loving and more mutually generous to each other. So this is an enormous win-win situation for you!

It often seems that all good things come with a caveat; and indeed, there is a slight warning with this benefit of Jupiter. Although it can bring you a chance for growth and expanded opportunities, it will also test your self discipline. Jupiter can tempt you to squander a valuable resource. You might party too much, spend too much, work too little, play so hard that you forget to take care of business. In fact, it can indicate difficulties with the law, which is something to be aware of.

Nevertheless, your family will be your source of solace this year. They will be willing to help you. They will benefit you in some way. In addition, you will have the choice of either cocooning at home and enjoying your home or going out and socializing - the choice is open for you. Some years it is not this way. We are either bound to our home or frantically busy. But this year, you have a choice. Basically, the year 2016 is the time for you to put down roots, if you are ever going to do this. Security is a practical, real need - and this is the time for you to make it a reality.

A Sneak Peek Beyond

If we peek into the future, we see you taking a fabulous vacation in 2017. Not only is this a great year to take one or more vacations, it's also a great year for love, romance, sports, the arts and the enjoyment of children. Yahoo!! After all that partying, your attention gets more serious in 2018 because this is your turn to improve your job or get a better job. It's important to know this because if you are discouraged where you are working at that time - go for a different job and you will get it! In fact, this will pave the way for you to enjoy improved partnerships and relationships in 2019. Incidentally, 2019 is a great year to get married!

By 2021, you're travelling and expanding your world. However, this is also an excellent time to go back to school or get further training or education to prepare you for a lovely career peak that takes place in 2023. Now you are proud of yourself! This is also a very popular year for you, which is no wonder because success is so sexy, isn't it?

By 2024, lucky Jupiter returns to your sign again boosting your confidence and attracting all kinds of good fortune and favourable circumstances to you. Meanwhile your career still looks fabulous! Oh my.

Your Gemini Mantra for 2016

"I am putting down roots to embrace home and family."

Mercury Retrograde in 2016

Expect delays, lost items and confused communications! Best to finish things, not begin them. These are poor times to buy cars, trucks, bikes, computers, printers and phones.

Dates below are actual retrograde dates and buffer dates. Why? Mercury slows down before it goes retrograde and then it needs to catch up to where it was at when it first went retrograde. Use buffer times to avoid big purchases like cars.

Actual Mercury Retrograde Dates	Buffered Dates (I use this one)
January 5 - January 25	January 1 - February 14
April 28 - May 22	April 19 - June 8
August 30 - September 22	August 18 - October 6
December 19 - January 8	December 11 - January 28

Lucky Days for 2016

• January 19, 20
• February 15, 16
• March 14, 15
• April 10, 11
• May 7, 8
• June 4, 5
• July 1, 2, 28, 29, 30
• August 25, 26
• September 21, 22
• October 18, 19
• November 15, 16
• December 12, 13