Looking at the stars for the new year

Astrologer Rod Suskin will guide you into the new year.

Last year may have been good for some but disastrous for others against a backdrop of what could be called a political soapie.

So, what do the stars say about how 2018 will play out?

Astrologer and radio personality Rod Suskin will kick-start you into the year with some helping armament in Your Stars: What to Expect in 2018.

The book provides a monthly look ahead for each of the 12 signs of the zodiac. There is a general overview of the themes of the month, as well as an in-depth look at what’s happening on the personal front.

The predictions focus on helping you understand the main monthly issues while providing a strategy of being conscious of pitfalls so you can decide how you want to deal with that information.

It also includes a glimpse into the performance of various national sports teams and social and political forecasts.

In the 1990s, Rod predicted the 9/11 Twin Towers attacks and in South Africa he predicted the exact date for the 1994 democratic elections, the premature end of Thabo Mbeki’s second term and Zuma’s shock cabinet reshuffle in March 2017.

Good news for 2018 is that he predicts that we could get rid of this warlike warrior Aries, Zuma during the early part of the year, around March.

So how does he do it? “By looking at the stars that were their mnemonics, a way of encoding ourselves and a way of time,” he said at a book launch in Gardens.

He is disparaging of those who believe astrology is un-Christian, saying it is mentioned in Genesis, “The sun, moon and stars are there to show us what we can do for ourselves as consciously and responsibly as we can so that we can choose how to deal with the hectic times we find ourselves in.

“Astrology has been developed in order to find some kind of pattern in the chaotic nature of life and, through knowing that pattern, being able to find some order, meaning and predictability in it,” says Rod.

He dismisses people who believe they are born on the cusp – that is the few days at the start or end of a sign – saying it is important to know the time, date and place of birth. Additional information such as your ascendant, sun and moon sign, are also helpful and of course adding environment and genes into the mix will add to your individuality.

Rod says many people use astrology in hiring for jobs or dating. In older times they used the astrological sign of their children when deciding which child to send to school – they had many children and life expectancy was not as long as today.

Here’s a taste of what’s in store for 2018:

Aries

The way to get wealthy this year is to invest in people and to concentrate on your significant relationships.

Taurus

By facing some things you have been avoiding your personal life will get on track.

Gemini

Be fair while also ensuring that you get to pursue your own goals and get the rewards which are due to you.

Cancer

Get back to basics, money and material security, and rely on yourself which will allow others to safely rely on you.

Leo

Be part of a team, find ways to connect more fully with the people and community around you, starting with your own family.

Virgo

Get back to basics, start again, keep it simple.

Libra

Think about what’s best for you. Say what you want and you’ll get it.

Scorpio

Lay low but stay in the know and concentrate on what needs to be done.

This is not a year for leadership or dominance but rather lessons in humility.

Sagittarius

Focus on your relationships and the people in them. Be in a giving mode but without coming off second best or in the role of servant.

Capricorn

Work on getting your power back with the help of your closest loved ones. Balancing your needs against theirs is the challenge.

Aquarius

Try new things, new places, and pay attention to what becomes possible through befriending people who in the past you might have thought too different from yourself.

Pisces

You have the chance to achieve some of your greatest accomplishments. It’s a time of really hard work but the end result is even greater.

General in January

There is the potential for escalation into real problems for the ruling party and rifts begin to widen. An opposition party gets a boost when a prominent person declares support. In sport, matches played on home grounds will have the best hope for success.

As for the author, Rod is a Capricorn, born on January 1. He says he had one rule – no Sagittarians – a rule he didn’t keep to and married one.

He has been married for 20 years.