Forecast

The Week Ahead for Taurus

Monday, 19 August – Sunday, 25 August

It doesn’t always follow that when the planets are in harmony, life is similarly agreeable, but it helps. Instead of battling a head wind, you’ve got the breeze behind you. So, if you’ve been putting off making a move, whether for fear you might fail or it could be the “wrong” time, have no fear, push that boat out. The Sun and Venus enter the area of creativity and pleasure, which may chime with plans you have for a holiday or some other event intended to bring joy to life. There should also be a little more time for romance, so take off your cynical specs and prepare to see a nice little pink glow around life.

Nice.

The Month Ahead for Taurus

August 2019

August begins on an unusual note. You could be in the process of a major life-change or developments you were not anticipating alter your schedule, if not a lot more besides. It is at this time of the year, you begin a new cycle, first and foremost linked to the home, property and the foundations of the future. It is a good time to get rid of the cobwebs and start afresh. It is a good time to strengthen family bonds and settle disagreements. On or near the 15th, a simmering issue could come to the bubble, so set emotions to the side and focus on the practicalities. By contrast, this could turn out to be a deeply moving moment for a relationship.

2019 Overview

There is a misconception that astrologers can see the future as if we were watching scenes playing out on a cinema screen. But it’s not like that. We open our ephemerides (planetary timetable) and take endless notes on when the alignments are at their strongest and what they might mean for this person, that country or this event. Often it can seem as if fate has the upper hand, but although we cannot prevent every event that happens to us we can choose what we do in the wake of it. We have free will.

Not everything is set in stone. Actions have consequences. We make choices.

So, 2019. The last year of the Teenies and the bridge to the Twenties – a decade that will change the world map, whether in terms of the land itself or in geo-political terms. And with a degree of harmony between Saturn, Uranus, Pluto and Neptune in 2019, this has the potential to be a great year. A year in which solutions can be found, or at least worked toward, in some of the most pressing global problems, including those inspired by climate change.

Uranus entered Taurus in mid-May 2018, but then moved back into Aries and will remain there until March of 2019. Uranus is the revolutionary of the planets, the innovator and the iconoclast, so its transit of this Venus-ruled earth sign for the next seven years is going to produce some exciting developments in architecture, technology, engineering, food, the beauty business, farming and agriculture. But we can also expect financial collapses and the destruction of places and buildings of historical significance.

Already in 2018 we witnessed the loss of two iconic museums in Glasgow and Brazil due to fires; and unprecedented hurricanes and typhoons devastated parts of the world from Indonesia to Hawaii. Volcanic eruptions, extreme heat and bush and forest fires look to be on the increase in 2019, a reflection of Jupiter’s transit of the fire sign, Sagittarius.

Jupiter’s passage through Sagittarius, however, will have many positive effects, most notably on the aviation industry, global travel, publishing, education and communication systems. In a Jupiter-in-Sagittarius year, there’s an emphasis on fun and sport. We spend more money, enjoy taking holidays and getting out of our comfort zones. Then again, the last time Jupiter transited Sagittarius was in 2007, and we can all remember what happened when the sub-prime mortgage market collapsed: it was the precipitator to the global recession. And 2020 is looking distinctly troublesome.

Jupiter’s move through Sagittarius chimes with a Three year in numerology and the year of the Earth Pig in Chinese astrology. The number Three is an harmonious number: it promotes optimism and stimulates communications. We stretch our boundaries in a Three year and reach out to people in different countries and embrace different cultures. The year of the Earth Pig is similarly positive. Good luck and good times are to be expected. Then again, like a Jupiter transit, you can have too much of a good thing, and excess can lead to loss of control and ultimately collapse.

Trade is going to be an important issue for 2019. Technically, Jupiter should preside over some monster trade deals, however, this same influence can inspire trade wars, and we can already see this potential developing between the US and China. And regardless how Great Britain and Europe end their relationship, trade will suffer in the wake of it.

Since August 2016 a series of eclipses has occurred in Leo or Aquarius, which is why, if you belong to these two signs you have had such an up and down time of it. This eclipse series has a distinctly royal aura to it, especially regarding the British Crown, being in play during the toppling of the English monarchy in 1669. This time round we have seen the Duke of Edinburgh’s retirement from public life, the birth of a royal prince and the wedding of Harry and Meghan. But with one eclipse yet to come (21 January) there could be much, much more to the royal story before the end of 2019.

In a nutshell, 2019 is a year to make the most of everything we have and everything that comes to us. It is also a year that we should liken to autumn: a beautiful season but one that precedes winter; and in keeping with nature, we should store our resources in preparation for a lean and mean period. It’s not exactly make-hay-while-the-sun-shines; more treasuring those things that are precious to us, including planet Earth, and ensuring they will still be there decades hence. It’s something Saturn in Capricorn would applaud us for.

The Year Ahead for Taurus

General

Uranus returns to your sign in early March all set to open your eyes to new possibilities. Especially if you have an April birthday or you are between 42 and 44 years of age you may already have felt the winds of change a-blowing, and late April, mid-to-end July and late October all offer a break from the past and invite you to take a leap of faith. Saturn continues to help you put in the foundations of new endeavours, and you may well move away from home territory or out of your comfort zone in the process. Long-term plans require tweaking, which is why you should think of this as a year of transition. Travel, education, legal matters, publishing and teaching could all be part of 2019’s narrative, and if ever there was a year to learn a new skill or allow your voice to reach a wider audience it is 2019. Sometimes you get to choose your course; other times the universe does it for you, as it does now.

Love and relationships

2018 was a seminal year for your love life, in most cases in a good way. This year continues to offer you opportunities to meet a partner and to put a relationship onto a lasting footing. However, if you are in that aforementioned age group or have an April birthday, the path to true love has many twists and turns. Love affairs that begin with great promise may sputter out and relationships that have lasted years could suddenly end. In large part this is because you are changing and require different qualities from and experiences with a partner. Mid-May and mid-and-late October are electrically charged, whether they ignite a passion like no other or reduce a relationship to cinders. Remember, you are not directing your course this year: that’s the job of the universe.

Work, life goals and finance

You can make good money in 2019. It is a particularly good year for investments, as long as you take the view that the time of plenty is not going to last forever. Take your gains, collect your winnings, and run! It is also a good year for technology and expanding your IT skills. The lunar eclipse of the 21st January could prompt an unexpected career development and/or change your thinking on your future, as could events on or near 13th February and 15 August. The safe option is probably not as safe as you believe, and the ability to diversify and the preparedness to take a risk are going to help you maintain a steady course in an increasingly topsy-turvy world. With the far horizons area of your horoscope the centre of many of 2019’s most important alignments, international companies and events on the world’s stage could make a difference to your prospects.

CELESTIAL TIP

Release your grip. The more you hang onto things, the more likely they are to disappear. The freer you are the greater your options and your opportunities.

You know the old cliché, the only thing you have to fear is fear itself. And it is oh so true. You can surmount any obstacle in your path, Taurus, but your fear of losing what you have is going to prevent you from making decisions that would change your life for the better. You do not have a choice about certain events that occur in 2019, but you do decide what to do next.

High points: 14 March; 4 May; 24 August; 18 October: 25 December

Low points: 21 January; 22 April; 18 May; 28 October; 23 November