ARIES: 20 March – 18 April

What does the year ahead hold for Aries ladies?

By Shelley von Strunckel  

Finance, Work and Achievements

One of your greatest strengths, as an Aries, is your ability to respond swiftly to changes, whether it's in your own life or the wider world. While some are debating what's wise or struggling to achieve an accord with others, you'll act decisively. Yet during the year of 2009 you'll need to work more closely with others - some of whom take a very long time to make decisions - and you will, therefore, need to be flexible and uncharacteristically tolerant. When it comes to money matters, in fact, you won't just need to be patient with others, you may want to wait until the beginning of June, when your ruler, Mars, actually moves into the financial angle of your chart, to make pivotal decisions. It remains there until July 12th. During this period you'll clarify your position and put new plans in place. Similarly, when it comes to the goals you set for yourself and your career, if you work, you'll want to remain flexible, simply because eclipses during the month of July and in December will shift the circumstances you're dealing with, your long range potential and your priorities. Be prepared to move as times change, and you could turn the reversals of the year before into something extraordinarily positive in your own life.

Health and Wellbeing

Being ruled by the energetic Mars you've endless stamina. Or so it would appear. But even you are sometimes vulnerable. You occasionally overdo things, but won't admit it to yourself until you're completely exhausted. Or you'll have so much on your mind that it's stress that gets to you. Consequently, during the year of 2009, you'll realise that even you must look after yourself. You must think carefully about what you take on, and the pace at which you tackle obligations, particularly new ones. With the precise and conscientious Saturn accenting your health and wellbeing until late in the year, you'll both pay closer attention to your diet - what you eat and what you don't - and to such things as exercise. But perhaps the most important thing you'll attend to is that stress that's almost become an everyday part of your life. This stress is partly about not having enough rest. Of at least as much importance is your tendency to think over time. Focus during the year of 2009 on learning how to balance what you eat and how wisely you use energy and you'll not only benefit during the year itself, you'll benefit in the future as well.

Love and Close Relationships

The year of 2009 promises to bring powerful shifts in this area of your life, although it may not be until the end of the year that you fully recognise the impact of these. During the early part of the year, you, and everyone around you will be focused on a variety of challenges, some practical or involving finances, others domestic. Because of this, you could actually ignore important elements of intimate relationships, at home and with family, or involving close friendships or those with colleagues. You'll assume that because others are aware of this pressure, they'll understand. By and large, that's true. Yet by October, when your ruler, Mars, moves to accent those close relationships, previously unspoken tensions will begin to come to a head. Deal with them by discussing issues then, and all will be well. Ignore them and when the practical Saturn moves to accent partnerships, during the year's final two months, you'll be forced to acknowledge the time has come to devote serious effort to talking things through. On one hand, this involves eliminating any problems in cases where relationships have reached a turning point. On the other, you could choose this as the ideal time to formalise what could be happy and lasting relationships.

Mind, Body, Spirit

For you, Aries, inspiration comes in a variety of forms but, most of all, it comes from taking action, sometimes on your own but, as often, taking action with others. If you can manage to set aside time regularly, every week perhaps, to do something with those whose attitude or philosophy lifts your spirits, then you'll refuel what might be termed your inspiration tank. This will allow you to deal with the ups and downs of this unsettling year and will create habits that remind you that while being alive is a skill, living a life you love is far more important.