I won’t be making any resolutions this New Years Eve. That’s not to say that I won’t be going into 2018 without goals – I absolutely will be – but I’m not blurting them out under the influence at the stroke of midnight on December 31. Who am I kidding? I probably won’t even be awake to see the new year in – that’s way past my bedtime.
The thing is, although there’s something seriously inspiring about a new year – it’s a tad like the ultimate starting over or new beginning…a sunrise on steroids – most resolutions made at this time fail. Depending on what you read, the statistics say anywhere between 92% and 98%, but I doubt the veracity of these numbers. After all, has anyone surveyed you? I didn’t think so. They certainly haven’t surveyed me.
If you do intend to declare a resolution (or three) at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve, you’ll have a better likelihood of success if you’re working with the prevailing energy rather than against it. After all, if the forecast is one of thunderstorms, a blustery southerly change and 90% chance of rain, you’re setting yourself up for failure if you persevere with that beach picnic you had planned. The same applies to the astro weather.
I will, however, be setting goals. I’m the type that needs the structure of a goal in order to achieve anything. These days, though, I use my transit maps and what I know of the prevailing astro weather to do so.
Setting your goals or intentions (call them what you will) using your astrology will help you to make the most of the opportunities coming your way in 2018, deal with the challenges the best you can, and end 2018 with a sense of accomplishment.
Step 1: Review the year just gone
What did you achieve, and, more importantly, what did you learn?
What I achieved
Not nearly as much as I would have liked…
- I finished a new novel, I Want You Back but haven’t yet released it.
- I released Baby It’s You and Wish You Were Here onto ibooks
- I revamped my author website, revamped my astro website
- I had a logo and social media headers designed for my author brand
What I experienced
My word for this year was Adventure – and 2017 was one big one.
Not only did we move – and adventure in itself – but I’ve had a fabulous time exploring our new area…and blogging much of that on the Sunny Coast blog.
In addition:
- I had almost two weeks in Vietnam – in Hanoi, Halong Bay, and Hoi An
- I had an epic day whale watching
- I did a joyflight in an open cockpit bi-plane
- I had a couple of mini-breaks to Melbourne and another to Wellington, New Zealand, plus a few days exploring Bundaberg a few hours north of us
What did I learn?
- That I’m busy, but not necessarily productive. My corporate role involves me being virtually on call. This means that I invest around 30 hours a week while being paid for around 20. I spent way too much time faffing about in the interim.
- I spend a lot of time creating content that is not income producing. Priority needs to be given in 2018 to building content and lists that will produce income.
- I need to completely stop at some point in 2018. Even though I took 2 weeks off in 2017 and went to Vietnam, I had freelance astro commitments and self-imposed book deadlines that meant I was still working. I’m tired. I have a heavy Neptune year ahead, so if I don’t stop of my own accord, Neptune will find a way of stopping me.
- Self-care is an entirely different concept to self–nurturing – something that very quickly can move into self-sabotage or 12th house where you come undone sort of behaviour. Self-care is more tough love – when you do the things you don’t want to do because you know that in the long run, they’ll be better for you. Yes, folks, 2017 was a Saturn square Moon year.
- Even though my husband did go back to work, losing an entire salary for the first 7 months of 2017 proved to me that I can no longer rely on my corporate salary to fund this site or the publishing of my novels – both ventures need to start to pay for themselves or difficult decisions will need to be made.
- I need to focus on finishing some income-producing projects. I have four astro DIY ebooks almost ready for publication – and have not invested the effort required to finish each and get them out there.
Step 2: Map your transits
Not sure how to do this? I’ve written an entire blurb, just for you.
This will help you identify your hot spots and the general feel of the year.
I also do a quick and dirty sketch re the houses that the Sun, Mercury, Venus and Mars are moving through – as these will show you where the spotlight is as well – and could just trigger some of the potential promised by the longer, slower transits.
Knowing what area of life the personal planets are energising will help you put your energy where it will be most effective. Wherever Venus is will be where you should be looking for beauty and pleasure; wherever Mars is will be where you want to focus energy; wherever Mercury is will be where your communication efforts are best maximised; and wherever the Sun is, well that’s where your light is shining.
Step 3: Align your goals with the astro
Compared to the last couple of years my astro map has less Saturn and Uranus and more Pluto and Neptune.
Neptune is my ruling planet, so having it cross my Ascendant is important.
Neptune can also sap ego-centric energy and promote imaginative and sensitive energy. I intend to bring yoga and meditation into my life in 2018 and try and ease back on the general busyness.
I’m also going to take at least 3 weeks off – from everything – when I travel to France in April.
Your transit map is full of Pluto
Perhaps your transit map is full of Pluto. Whether you’re setting goals or intentions, ensure they are honest, transformative, and eliminate anything that is no longer doing you good.
This is a good year to break down walls, structures and habits, and replace them with something powerful and healing. Remember also the laws of karma – do nothing that harms or impedes the free will of another…you know the rest of that one.
In Pluto years, you must dig deeply into whatever it is that scares you or holds you back, stare it down and either build from it or eliminate it. This is a year for using your power and ambitions wisely and with integrity. Set your goals accordingly.
Your transit map is full of Neptune
If you’re having a Neptune year, you’ll be needing the flexibility to go with the flow and allow your dreams to come rushing through.
Having a set of rigid goals won’t help with that; keeping a dream journal, a vision board, or a desire map – focusing on how you want to feel – might be more up your alley this year.
If you do set goals, ensure that there’s something in there about spirituality and inner peace. Ego driven achievements are not the end point of a Neptune year.
Make a deal with yourself to meditate more, perhaps take up yoga, help out at a charitable institution, selflessly care for another. Neptune transits are long and insidious, so it pays to give yourself up to them rather than waste your energy in trying to understand them.
Your transit map is full of Uranus
Having a Uranus year? Keep your goals individual, innovative and with enough room to move to allow for any unexpected surprises or mind changes.
Focus your aims on your Uranian lesson. What does it mean to be you? Who have you forgotten to be? Where are you compromising or apologising for yourself? Keep your goals authentic, self-centred and future-focused. Uranus transits can be an opportunity to change your look, change your work, think outside the box. The warning is not to do anything purely for the sake of it.
Your transit map is full of Saturn
Regardless of whether you’ve done the goal thing in the past, you should set aside the time to do it now.
Take a realistic approach, keep them measurable, and schedule in time to check in or conduct mini performance reviews. When doing this, concentrate on what you have achieved and resist the urge to beat yourself up on what you haven’t.
This is a mountain climbing year. If you can’t do it physically, do it metaphorically and “kit” yourself out with the tools you need.
Saturn transits are all designed to help you face your fears, so look to your chart and the house position of Saturn as to what your Saturn lesson is.
Saturn transits – even the easy ones – will require effort and discipline, so you may as well get your head and acceptance around that now.
Your transit map is full of Jupiter
Contrary to popular opinion, this is not necessarily a “good” year. It is, however, a year of opportunities.
The thing about opportunities, actually, make that two things about opportunities is:
- You have to recognise them. Opportunities don’t necessarily show up wearing a t-shirt that says “pick me.” They could be hidden, disguised, heavily camouflaged, or arrive at the wrong time. It’s up to you to recognise them (or not), accept the timing (or not), and make the leap of faith (or not).
- Sometimes a door has to close, an ending has to happen, something has to be let go of in order for you to recognise the opportunity for what it is. Trying to keep a closing door open, often means you don’t see another door up the hall. 2016 was full of endings for me, yet as a result of those, other doors are opening.
Instead of goals, you might want to vision board. If you do set goals, make sure that they push your boundaries and comfort zones. Learn something that blows your mind, explore a new religion or philosophy, travel to a different culture and immerse yourself in it.
Jupiter is also about enlightenment and expansion. Think about what Jupiter rules in your chart- this is where you need to be enlightened in order to expand into the world. The area of life Jupiter is transiting is where you need to concentrate the efforts. Ask yourself where you are selling yourself short, and do something about it.
Generally speaking, there will be so much activity happening in this part of life that ignoring it is more difficult than recognizing it!
Jupiter transits will often show where you’ll get lucky. Just remember that often ‘luck’ comes from the hard work you’ve already put in.
If you have plenty of Jupiter in your chart, make whatever targets you set, stretchy. This is the year to push past your own expectations.
Step 4: Make sure your goals are S.M.A.R.T
If you are setting goals, apply the SMART principles:
S Keep them specific
M Make sure that you can measure the outcome
A They should be achievable- with effort. What actions do you need to take?
R Realistic. Yep. Make it so.
T Set a date to achieve or check in on your goals
Step 5: Write them down
Actually, this probably comes before Step 5, but you get the idea.
Step 6: Use the Monthly Lunations to guide you through
If you don’t already, use the monthly new and full Moons to help you focus on particular areas of life. A lunar journal will help you track this and to make life easier, I’ve popped the dates up on this page for you.
Why not try it for yourself and see how you go!