After one of the most groundbreaking years we’ve experienced in decades, 2021 arrives and kickstarts us into the Age of Aquarius. This is defined by two power player planets — Jupiter, the Planet of Expansion, and Saturn, the Planet of Challenge — leave the practical and conservative sign of Capricorn, where they’ve resided since 2019 and 2017, respectively, and entering airy, unconventional Aquarius for several years. The year 2021 brings unparalleled progress in the fields of humanitarianism, technology, social movements, and raising the collective consciousness. During this new era, we’ll see a rise of people signing up for therapy or mindful meditation, most likely through online services. Many students will continue to choose virtual learning over in-person classes, and we’ll notice that fewer high-school graduates choose to go directly start college — gap years will be on the rise, as well as leaps into entrepreneurship.
With Uranus, the Planet of Surprise, spending another year in the grounded sign of Taurus, and Pluto, the Planet of Transformation, still in Capricorn until 2024, we may collectively experience a tug-of-war between our desires to build a new society with fresh, radical ideals, and the comfort of staying connected to the status quo, holding on to what feels familiar, even if it’s outdated.
Politically, the year begins on an unprecedented note. On January 20, 2021, inauguration day in the United States, Saturn and Neptune form a planetary square to each other, and since Neptune is the Planet of Illusion, we should gear up for the transition into a new presidential era to be a bit nebulous and confusing for many.
Patience will be essential during the first quarter of 2021, as we adjust to the changing cosmic tides. As a collective, accountability will be an essential theme in 2021 — not only holding our elected officials accountable for the change we’d like to see, but holding ourselves accountable for being that change as well. We must remember, however, that the more we try to rush productive change, the longer it takes to arrive.
Our collective efforts at building a better society will make an impact, particularly around March 2021 when Mars, the Planet of Action, enters Gemini, followed by the start of the astrological new year on the 21st. That's when we'll start to see greater momentum in our lives and feel like the year has truly kicked off. Save your resolution-making: The Aries New Moon on April 11 is an ideal time to set intentions for what we’d like the year to feel and look like.
Jupiter briefly shifts out of Aquarius and enters Pisces on May 13 for the first time in 12 years. It stays there until July 28, and this is one of the most beneficial transits of 2021. Since Jupiter feels at home in Pisces, summertime may feel more loving, sensual, and filled with creative possibility for all zodiac signs. Our relationships with ourselves and others will deepen significantly, and there’s likely to be less overt political strife around this time. There will be a larger emphasis on healing through sustainable, holistic means during this transit. On the heels of the first year of the pandemic, chances are, humans will have been making healthier lifestyle decisions and boosting our immune systems through taking better care of our bodies via the food, drinks, and media we choose to consume — and, potentially, getting vaccinated. Around early-October, as Saturn and Pluto end their retrograde, we may start to feel as though we’ve gotten over the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The final quarter of 2021 is likely to be the most exciting for us on a political, financial, and personal level. As both Pluto and Saturn end their retrogrades in early-October (on Oct. 6 and Oct. 11, respectively) we’ll see the return of many themes from summer 2020. But due to the shift Saturn made into Aquarius in December 2020, we’ll find ourselves open to more innovative solutions, which will help us connect with each other in a more universal way, even if it’s still mostly digitally. 2021 is the year where we may make new friends in unforeseen places. Many of the intentions we set around the start of the astrological new year in March 2021 will unfold beautifully by the Full Moon in Aries on October 20, allowing us to enter the final two months of 2021 feeling more liberated and confident in our futures than we did when it began.
You’re one of the wisest zodiac signs as the year begins, Aries, because you learned major lessons regarding patience, perseverance, and trusting oneself in 2020. Keep that same energy as your ruler Mars shifts out of your sign at the start of the year and enters Taurus, activating your sector of security and abundance. Money will be on your mind, and your ability to sustainably attract and maintain it is connected to your ability to have faith in divine timing. Remember — your sense of wealth is connected to your self-esteem, so make sure the rewards you’re seeking this year aren’t just financial, but spiritual too. From February 21 to May 8, Ceres, the asteroid that represents self-care, will be in your sign, amping up your wellness journey. You may commit to a new fitness or health plan. Just focus on feeling good mentally and physically, and make sure you're not overexerting yourself in the process. Your ruler Mars will be in Cancer from April 23 to June 11, encouraging you to slow your roll enough to intuitively tune into your body’s needs. Pace yourself this year, Aries, and you’ll get where you desire sooner than you think. From June 20 to October 18, Jupiter goes retrograde in your sectors of technology and wellness, and this may be an ideal time for you to re-evaluate what you tend to give your time, resources, and attention to. A digital detox or timeline purge may help you weed out distractions and focus on what's most essential, and this will help you close out Q4 with a bang once Jupiter shifts direct. Illustrated by Vero RomeroTaurus April 20 to May 20
Taurus, you’re one of the cosmic favorites in 2021, especially since Mars, the Planet of Action, enters your sign January 6th, imbuing you with a greater sense of passion and commitment to your goals. Uranus, the Planet of Surprise, is also hanging out in your sign until 2026, making you feel more revolutionary, radical, and open to unconventional ways of living and loving. It ends its five-month retrograde on January 6, allowing the first half of 2021 to feel more expansive than previous months had. While you tend to love and seek stability, this isn't necessarily going to be the most predictable year, Taurus. You’ll have to learn to roll with the punches now that power players Saturn and Jupiter are both in the unconventional sign of Aquarius. This may be the year where you let yourself explore paths you previously had deemed unrealistic. After a year like 2020, you now know that nothing's off limits — you just have to give yourself permission to explore. Your birthday season is an ideal time to travel or go on an adventure. There will be a blend of Taurus, Gemini and Scorpio energy in the air around that time, encouraging leaps of faith and greater spontaneity. The Sagittarius lunar eclipse at the end of May lights up your sector of depth and outside resources, and you may have a financial windfall around that time too. Uranus begins its retrograde in your sign August 19, and your annual hibernation period begins. People may think you’re mellowing out, but your brain will still be plotting your next move from behind-the-scenes. You’ll be silently and consistently getting ready for a major reveal by your Lunar Eclipse in Taurus on November 19. Illustrated by Vero RomeroGemini May 21 to June 20
2021 is likely to be a year where you recreate yourself, Gemini. With your ruler Mercury entering Aquarius on January 8, you’ll feel inspired to look for new places to live, new topics to study, and new people to love. Saturn and Jupiter’s presence in your sector of expansion this year may lead to many of your dreams coming true — you just have to take time to decide what those dreams are, and commit to them. The start of the astrological new year on March 21 activates your sector of tech and social networks, so if some of your friendships start shifting around that time, know that it’s okay. You may have outgrown certain connections, and remaining true to your authentic self is key to having a successful year. With Mars, the Planet of Action, in your sign from March 3 to April 23, you’ll feel motivated to kickstart a new chapter in your life, and you'll be able to attract what and who you want with greater ease. On May 26, the first eclipse of the year takes place during Gemini Season. It’s a lunar eclipse in Sagittarius, and it activates your partnership sector. If you have to leave a relationship or a dead-end job around this time, know that it’s for the better. Allow yourself to mourn, especially during Mercury’s retrograde in your sign from May 29 to June 22. You'll have to let go of a lot of dead weight this year, and once you do, you’ll find that much of what you've wanted flows to you consistently. On July 31, the asteroid Ceres enters your sign, and then starts its retrograde on October 8. You’ll be most social and optimistic in August and September, making these prime months to take leaps of faith, travel, and widen your social circle.
Illustrated by Vero RomeroCancer June 21 to July 22
The end of last year brought a series of intense eclipses, Cancer. The energy of 2021 encourages you to mellow out and take a breather as you adjust to a more free-flowing reality during the Age of Aquarius. Use the first five months of the year to build your nest egg with both Jupiter and Saturn in Aquarius activating your sector of depth, wealth, and mergers. You may win a lawsuit or an inheritance around this time, or suddenly forge a long-term partnership that has the potential to reap great rewards. Once Mars enters your sign from April 23 to June 11, you’ll feel more sensual and romantic, and you’ll also feel a desire to remain close to home. Just make sure you don’t lean too much into hermit mode as summertime approaches. June 10's New Moon Solar Eclipse in Gemini activates your sector of spirituality and healing, so you may decide to go on a mindful meditation retreat or begin a yoga certification around this time. You're feeling an urge to heal inside and out, and to extend those healing powers to those around you. Use your annual New Moon on July 9 to think of ways to boost your self-esteem over the course of the next six months. The last half of 2021 is likely to be filled with opportunities for you to put yourself out there more consistently and be celebrated for your talents. Scorpio Season is likely to be the most tantalizing of all the seasons for you, as your sector of fate, fun and adventure is lit up, and you may find yourself falling in love with a person, a craft, or yourself. Keep that same energy as the year closes out, Cancer. Illustrated by Vero RomeroLeo July 23 to August 22
In 2021 you’ll be focused on creating balance, harmony, and sustainable adventure in your partnerships, Leo, be they romantic, professional, platonic, or a blend of them all. During Aquarius Season from January 19 to February 18, the Sun, Saturn, and Jupiter stay in your partnership sector. You may pour your heart out to someone regarding your desire to connect with them. Interestingly enough, the more passionate and authentic you are about your desires, the more likely you are to get what you want. So avoid the urge to tame your needs or dim your shine just because you’re sometimes seen as intimidating. This is the year to let yourself fully glow (especially around your annual Leo Full Moon on January 28), and those who are meant to shine with you will gravitate towards you. During Mars’ transit in Cancer from April 23 to June 11, you may go into your annual hermit mode as you choose to recreate yourself by becoming aware of inner securities or trauma that you’d like to heal. Then once Mars shifts into your sign from June 11 to July 29, you’ll be the center of attention, making it an ideal time to ask for a raise, get married, or dive into creative self-expression. Saturn and Jupiter’s retrograde in Aquarius on May 23 and June 20, respectively, may lead to you taking a step back from your social circles and learning how to feel fulfilled on your own, which can feel empowering, yet at times lonely or isolating. Luckily you’ll come alive in Q4 once Pluto ends its retrograde in Capricorn on October 6, significantly easing the pressure you placed on yourself professionally and health-wise. You’ll end the year in a more hopeful and daring state of mind, saying yes to more adventures, more flirtations, and more soul-stirring passions. It’s what you deserve!
Illustrated by Vero RomeroVirgo August 23 to September 22
You’ll appear to be flying under the radar in 2021, Virgo, but you’ll actually be the one calling the shots — just the way you like it. As your planetary ruler Mercury enters innovative Aquarius on January 8, the way you think about your goals will feel more unconventional and progressive. Perhaps you’ve noticed a feeling of stagnation in recent months, and you know it’s time to take greater leaps of faith in the direction of your inner child’s dreams. This is the year to do it, and the Leo Full Moon on January 28 can lead to you receiving the confidence needed to initiate dramatic change. But hold your horses during Mercury’s first retrograde, from January 30 to February 20. Use the period before the astrological new year on March 21 to re-evaluate, re-organize, review and release what’s no longer efficient in all areas of your life. Around the Scorpio Full Moon on April 26, you may be celebrated at work or reach a creative milestone that helps amp up your momentum as we near the midway point of the year. Jupiter’s brief shift into Pisces from May 13 to July 28 can lead to you falling in love, or deepening a soulful connection with someone who sees you in ways you’ve never been seen before. The most transformative period of the year may arrive around November 24, once Mercury enters Sagittarius during eclipse season. You may travel somewhere new and discover a hidden hobby or secret talent, so use this as motivation to make this a year where you set yourself free of self-imposed limitations. Illustrated by Vero RomeroLibra September 23 to October 22
Saturn and Jupiter’s shift into Aquarius as 2021 begins lightens up our collective energy, Libra. For you, this year is about exploration of self and exploration of others, in ways that feel both fresh and familiar. With Jupiter and Saturn activating your sectors of fate, true love, and adventure, your inner child wants to take the lead in 2021. Explore various creative activities that they’d love to partake in. Whether that means signing up for an improv class, taking an online painting workshop, getting back into modeling or photography, or starting an online blog, the more you let your creative juices flow, the more expansive this year will be for you, particularly around the Leo Full Moon on January 28. You may make a digital splash around this time that will have a lasting influence — maybe you’ll go viral or connect with a mentor who helps guide you throughout the year. Two months later, your annual Libra Full Moon helps you resolve a six-month hang-up regarding your personal self-esteem. You may feel like a chapter has been closed, and a part of you has been reborn. Grudges may be released around this time, allowing you to open yourself up to new connections. Jupiter’s shift into Pisces from May 13 to July 28 activates your wellness sector, and you may decide to invest in therapy, acupuncture, or consistent full-body massages as a way to prioritize bliss and holistic healing. This gears you up for a rejuvenating birthday season and annual New Moon on October 6, the same day Pluto, the Planet of Transformation, goes direct in your domesticity sector. You may find yourself wanting to stay close to home during the final stretch of 2021, so take time to redecorate, renovate, and add special touches to your home base so it can feel like a comforting haven, no matter what may be happening externally. Illustrated by Vero RomeroScorpio October 23 to November 21
What would you do if you stopped overanalyzing everything and lived in the moment, Scorpio? That’s the main question you’ll seek to answer this 2021, and you’ll make an adventure out of getting to the bottom of it. With your ruler Mars entering Taurus as the year begins, and Uranus, the Planet of Surprise, ending its five-month retrograde in your partnership sector, you’ll realize that even though you can be an independent, self-sufficient being, you don’t always want to be. You may forge or deepen a connection — either platonic, romantic, or a blend of both — in January and February 2021 that plays a lasting role throughout the year. The key to it being sustainable is to release the need to control every bit of it, and have fun watching it all unfold. Once the astrological new year begins on March 21, your sector of health and wellness will be activated, and you may feel like you’re ready to create goals that you’ll commit to in terms of your mental and physical health. This may be the point in time where you boss up in every area of your life and get to work on projects you previously procrastinated on. The Scorpio Full Moon on April 26 can lead to an intention you set around your birthday last year manifesting, and your whole life could change for the better around this time. Use Mars’ transit in Cancer from April 23 to June 11 to explore your relationship with your spirituality and deepen your connection to home. In late-August, Uranus’ retrograde can lead to sudden endings in essential partnerships, or it may have you re-evaluating your priorities. Once Mars enters your sign from October 30 to December 13, you’ll feel a greater sense of clarity and deepened ambition, allowing your dreams to flow to and through you with ease. You’ll end the year feeling like you’re living the ultimate dream.
Illustrated by Vero RomeroSagittarius November 22 to December 21
With your ruler Jupiter shifting into Aquarius this year, Sagittarius, you’ll find yourself thinking of deeply progressive and revolutionary ideas, and it’ll be challenging to turn your mind off, particularly as the year begins. The Capricorn New Moon on January 13 activates your sector of abundance and security, and this encourages you to commit to glowing up financially in the next six months. It’d be a great time to work with a financial advisor and take a look at your spending. What can you do to simplify, re-evaluate, and better strategize so that you can build a nest egg for rainier days? While Mars, the Planet of Action, is in Gemini from March 3 to April 23, you may find that you naturally connect with people on similar missions as you, who can help you reach your goals with greater efficiency. You’re likely to have many adventures and exciting discussions around this time, but you’ll have to avoid getting sidetracked or easily distracted in the process. Pluto’s five-month retrograde in Capricorn begins April 27, and you’ll find yourself undergoing an inner transformation regarding what your values are, as well as your relationship to wealth. You may start exploring minimalism around this time, as you realize that you don’t need as many material items as you once sought out. June 10 brings a Gemini Solar Eclipse and potent new moon in your partnership sector. A relationship or creative collab that begins now could meet outstanding success by year’s end. Once Venus enters your sign October 7, all eyes will be on you, allowing you to attract love, money and success with greater ease. This energy will multiply around the total Solar Eclipse New Moon in your sign December 4. Suddenly, your path may feel more clear than it had all year, and if you’ve taken time to create a stable foundation for yourself in the months prior to this eclipse, you’ll end the year feeling like nothing is beyond your reach.
Illustrated by Vero RomeroCapricorn December 22 to January 19
This year, you’re granted a major cosmic breather, Capricorn, and you truly deserve it. It may feel weird at first, because after several years of constantly grinding due to Jupiter’s, Saturn’s, and Pluto’s lingering presence in your sign, you’re finally being gifted the opportunity to just mellow out and bask in your rewards. And yes, major rewards are on their way to you this year. With the Aquarius Age now in full effect, your sector of abundance, money, and security is activated, and you’ll notice that you have to work less to increase your income. You may decide to explore entrepreneurship in 2021, and it’s likely that you’ll find success in running an online business and coming up with ways of making passive income, by working smarter and not harder. Use your annual Capricorn New Moon on January 13 to set specific intentions about what you'd like to manifest for yourself within the next six months. Re-read these intentions up until the Leo Full Moon on January 28, and you’ll already start to see paths being paved for them to become a reality. Once Pluto begins its retrograde in your sign on April 27, you may feel the need to retreat from the social sphere and become more psychologically attuned with your own self. Two months later, the Full Moon in your sign on June 24 brings a pause to your hermit stage, and can also lead to you receiving financial rewards and professional accolades for the work you’ve done since 2021 began. Take a breather between then and the Fall 2021 to reflect on all that you’ve already accomplished instead of immediately putting pressure on yourself to do even more. From October 6 onwards, Pluto will shift direct in your sign, giving you the green light to end the year in the most extravagant way possible. Treat yourself like your ultimate best friend this year, and watch how the Universe continues to show you how worthy you are of an abundant life.
Illustrated by Vero RomeroAquarius January 20 to February 18
When I tell you 2021 is your year, Aquarius, I really mean it. It’s not every year that both Jupiter and Saturn align in the same sign — and that’s what’s happening this year. We’ve entered the Age of Aquarius, and you are therefore a symbol of this cosmic change of tides. Your ability to transmit energies is otherworldly, so don’t be surprised if parts of 2021 feel a bit trippy, as though you can think of one thing that you’d like one minute, and then manifest it the next. Use these manifestation powers wisely, especially when the year begins. Your modern ruler Uranus ends its five-month retrograde in Taurus on January 14, and for the following seven months you’ll be thinking of what home means to you, as well as the long-term legacy you’d like to leave on the world. With Mercury being retrograde for most of your birthday season, you’ll feel compelled to tie up loose ends during the first quarter of 2021. Mid-June, Mars, the Planet of Action, shifts into Leo for six weeks, activating your partnership sector. Things could get steamy with a new or ongoing connection around this time, and you’ll find yourself saying yes to unexpected rendezvous or opportunities to make beautiful art (and love) with people who understand the expansiveness of your mind. Saturn will be retrograde in your sign from May 23 to October 10, and that may be a period of time where you question your “why” and your life journey, releasing all that no longer resonates with who you’re growing into. Once Jupiter joins Saturn direct in your sign on October 18, however, expect to have flashes of insight regarding what’s next for you. As the year winds down, what you’ve asked and wished will become ready for you to claim. Be prepared to receive your blessings.
Illustrated by Vero RomeroPisces February 19 to March 20
What if you could have everything you dreamt of, Pisces? What if you could believe in an existence that’s consistently fulfilling, dreamy, and fantasy-like? You’ll get a taste of this reality this year, with Jupiter briefly entering your sign for the first time in 12 years, from May 13 to July 28. When Jupiter is in your sign, life looks out for you a bit more than most, and you’re likely to feel luckier and more abundant than you had in previous years. But just because there’s abundance, doesn’t mean it’s easy to manage. So before Jupiter leaves Aquarius in mid-May, create a strategy for what you’ll do when everything you’ve asked for starts to fall into your lap, as if by magic. Once Jupiter shifts into your sign, spread the wealth that you receive to others; the more you give, the more comes back to you. Donating to charitable causes, rooting for the underdog, and shedding light on neglected social causes will come naturally to you during this transit — the key, however, is to make sure your own cup is full before trying to fix or save others. April 11 brings the Aries New Moon in your security sector, and you may notice a boost in your income around then, as well as your self-confidence. Set intentions to shoot your shot more consistently, and go after dream gigs or relationships that previously seemed intimidating. During your rulers Jupiter’s and Neptune’s retrogrades during the second half of the year, you’ll have a chance to reflect, and may find that you’ve outgrown friendships, places, or career paths — and that's okay. Once Neptune shifts direct in your sign on December 1, in the midst of eclipse season, you’ll feel like a caterpillar that’s transformed into a brilliant butterfly, and you’ll start to align yourself with more of the people and journeys you’d like to consistently experience. Jupiter will officially re-enter your sign for 13 months on December 28, meaning that as the year ends, your cosmic glow-up is just beginning. Remember those dreams you had at the start of the year? They’ll now become your reality. Illustrated by Vero Romero
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Sex in 2021 will hit different now that we’re officially in the Age of Aquarius. Things are about to get groovy, baby. Aquarius energy is all about doing things our own unique way, so all zodiac signs will notice that 2021 is a year that encourages us to explore our sexual kinks and unorthodox desires. It’s likely that we’ll be seeking out sexual mates who aren’t afraid of exploration, and who don’t mind a bit of roughness around the edges. Transparency and honest communication will feel sexy AF with key power planets in Air signs, so while last year we may have found that our sex lives weren’t as consistently poppin’ as they could’ve been, this year our levels of sexual satisfaction are directly correlated to our ability to directly and openly ask for what we want. The flow of communication is improving, and bomb sex will feel more accessible.
Uranus, the Planet of Surprise, ends its five-month retrograde and stations direct in Taurus on January 14, and Mars, the Planet of Action, which also rules sex and attraction, will also be in sensual Taurus for six weeks starting January 6. The sex we have as the year kicks off will feel physical intensity. We’ll want to feel consumed, but not controlled, by our partners. Having sex outdoors or in the middle of baking a cake will feel equally stimulating to us, and the more surprising the positions, the better. Once the astrological new year officially kicks off during Aries Season March 21, we’ll find that our horniness levels and sexual stamina rapidly increase. We’ll be more focused on having sex just for the experience rather than make a huge deal out of what it all “means”. But by the Scorpio Full Moon one month later, on April 26, we’ll feel quite differently and will be craving soul-stirring mergers with beings that leave us panting with desire. Sex may feel extra mystical around this time, and we’ll have to be quite careful about using protection, because Scorpio rules reproduction and that full moon can lead to an uptick in pregnancies.
During retrograde season in the summer of 2021, sex with an ex is quite likely, and the more we try to resist it, the stronger the urge becomes. Unfinished business could lead to a climax of sexual tension combusting during Mars’ transit in Cancer from April 23 to June 11 — fertility is also at its peak when Mars is in Cancer, so take care if you’re not yet ready to expand the fam. Jupiter’s retrograde in Pisces, then Aquarius, from June 20 to October 18 is ideal for exploring tantric sex and exploring more elaborate foreplay rituals with ourselves and our lover(s). Be inspired by erotic films, exchange sexual imagery with each other’s consent, and slow down when lovemaking in order to tap into more existential realms of sex.
Life will feel super dreamy this summer due to Neptune’s retrograde in Pisces influencing us to think less and feel more. We may let our bodies and souls be our principal guides when it comes to who we have sex with, and if we’re in a committed relationship, making love will feel like a deeply intoxicating way to get to know more of each other through becoming intertwined, in every sense. Scorpio Season 2021 is one for the books. With Mars, the Planet of Action, in Scorpio starting October 30, followed by a sensual Scorpio New Moon on November 4, we’ll collectively be feeling more mysterious, daring, and naughty as the year rounds out, and this encourages us to experiment and go deeper, harder, and further than usual, on both a sexual and soulful level. If we end the year having manifested a threesome or vivid BDSM fantasy, we can chalk it up to the freaky Taurus Lunar Eclipse on November 19, completely amping up our sexual stamina as the year ends.
Much of what you’ve been fantasizing sexually about is coming to life in 2021, Aries, so prepare for what you’ve asked for. You better start stretching now, babe. On January 6, your ruler Mars shifts out of your sign and enters Taurus, activating your sector of security and abundance. You’ll notice a dramatic shift from the rougher, more spontaneous sex sessions you experienced while Mars was in your sign during the last 6 months of 2020 to the slower, more sensual and practical sex you may have during Mars’ six-week stay in Taurus. Once your birthday season begins on March 20, you’ll want to be treated like the center of attention, particularly in the bedroom. Birthday sex will feel sublime, especially once Venus shifts into its home sign of Taurus on April 14, increasing your self-confidence. Eclipse sex will also feel thrilling for you around May 26, when the Sagittarius Lunar Eclipse activates your expansion sector. You may have sex abroad or hook up with someone from a foreign country — ooh la la. Once Neptune, the Planet of Fantasy, begins its five-month retrograde in Pisces on June 25, your spirituality sector will be activated, allowing you to seek sultrier foreplay methods and less verbal communication with your sexual partner(s). You may decide to explore tantric sex during the last half of 2021, and that’ll take your sexual experiences to completely new heights. ILLUSTRATED BY ADA BUCHHOLCTaurus April 20 to May 20
What if you could have all the orgasms you’ve ever wanted, and it all came to you with ease, Taurus? You may experience something quite similar from January 6 to March 3, when Mars, the Planet of Action and Sex, spends time in your sign, along with Uranus, the Planet of Surprise. You’ll feel much more in tune with your body as the year begins, and you’ll seek out sexual experiences with partners who view and treat your body as the ultimate wonderland. Allow yourself to be more selfish between January and your birthday season — say no to so-so sexual encounters and yes to the soul-stirring, magnetically enticing ones that leave you dripping in sweat and sure of where you stand. The Solar Eclipse in Gemini June 10 activates your security sector and may lead to single Taureans connecting sexually with more than one lover — perhaps even more than one at a time! Nothing’s off limits during eclipse season, so this summer may have you in the naughtiest sexual scenario you’ve experienced in a while. And just wait to see how much orgasmic sex you're able to manifest by the lunar eclipse in your sign November 19. It'll feel like six months worth of pent-up fantasies are finally getting their chances to come true — and you’ll notice that admirers or current lovers can’t get their minds, hands, and mouths off of you! Indulge in consecutive end-of-year fireworks, Taurus. Let the explosions begin. ILLUSTRATED BY ADA BUCHHOLCGemini May 21 to June 20
Gemini, this is the year where you may seek to widen the net when it comes to who you have sex with, how often you have sex, and where you have sex. With both Jupiter and Saturn placed in Aquarius, your sector of expansion and adventure is activated most of this year, and you won’t be able to tolerate boring or predictable sexual experiences. You’re seeking novelty, and you’ll particularly be sexually activated by partners with whom you have an intellectual connection. A sapiosexual at heart, it won’t matter if you’re surrounded with alluring sexual prospects if there’s no depth beneath their physical appearance. During Venus’ transit in Cancer from June 2 to June 27, you may find yourself drawn to tantric sex, the type that leaves you in tears. It’ll feel weird for you to feel so sensitive when connecting with someone sexually, but it’ll feel weird in a good way. From September 27 to October 18, your ruler Mercury will be experiencing its second retrograde of the year, in the sign of Libra. You may find yourself sexually indecisive, unsure of whether to call it quits in a situationship or sexual entanglements, or to keep exploring. You’ll have until the lunar eclipse in Sag on November 19 to get your mind and body aligned — the sex you have around then will feel explosively hot, and it may be connected to who you were sexually involved with six months prior. ILLUSTRATED BY ADA BUCHHOLCCancer June 21 to July 22
What would it look like for you to consistently feel sexually and emotionally satisfied, Cancer? To you, sex and emotions are interconnected, and you’re not afraid to own up to that. You know that the right lover isn’t afraid of your intensity, but rather turned on by it. And with Mars, the Planet of Action and Sex, in Taurus as the year begins, your sector of networks is activated, allowing you to connect specifically with the type of lover(s) who’s ready to fulfil your every need — and vice versa. Aquarius Season and the Leo Full Moon on January 28 may position single Cancerians to connect digitally with someone that sparks a strong sexual connection, almost in an inexplicable way. As a Cancer, when you feel a certain synergy with someone sexually, you’re able to unleash an extremely naughty, wildly uninhibited side of you, and that’s what may happen this year, particularly when Mars spends six weeks in your sign from April 23 to June 11. You may have the best sex of the year during that transit — but you have to get out of your own head and be fully present with the experiences that you manifest. If you’re already in a committed partnership, sex will feel more soulful, magnetic, and dreamy around the Capricorn Full Moon on June 24, and during Capricorn Season six months later. Use retrograde season’s energy this summer to become aware of what’s been missing in your sex life, that way once Saturn and Jupiter shift direct in your sector of merging in October, you’ll be able to show yourself, and your partner(s) exactly what it takes to make you climax time and time again. ILLUSTRATED BY ADA BUCHHOLCLeo July 23 to August 22
The Age of Aquarius is going to help you step into your sexual prowess like none other, Leo. With your partnership sector activated by Saturn and Jupiter’s shift into Aquarius, you’ll be attracting attention from potential, past, and current suitors left and right. You’ll be seeking quality over quantity though, particularly around the Full Moon in your sign on January 28. If a relationship ends around that time, you might spend a few weeks mourning the sex you had, but a part of you will feel relieved because it’ll allow you to experience 2021 with a greater spirit of sexual exploration. Mars’s transit in Gemini from March 3 to April 23 may be the most sexually adventurous period for you — outdoors sex, sex with more than one person, and roleplaying may all be part of your main go-to’s. If you’re already boo’d up, you’ll particularly enjoy taking on new roles in bed and trying out positions you hadn’t previously considered. You’re opening up sexually this year, Leo, and during Saturn’s retrograde from May 23 to October 10, you’ll be in the mood to let your lover(s) be in charge and tell you what to do, which will feel like a surprisingly pleasant change of pace for all parties involved. ILLUSTRATED BY ADA BUCHHOLCVirgo August 23 to September 22
Virgo, sex with you during the first seven months of 2021 will have an otherworldly effect, and that’s largely due to Neptune being direct in Pisces and activating your partnership sector. You’ll be in the mood to have sex with people who are in tune with their spiritual paths — one night stands or hit-it-and-quit-it booty calls won’t work out for you, at least not long-term. You’ll experience the best sex with partners who are in it for real and who make it clear to you that they are. With Venus’ presence in Capricorn from January 8 to February 1, you may start off the year attracting or deepening that type of energy, but watch out for Mercury’s retrograde beginning on January 30 — it can lead to you getting caught up in a sexual entanglement or two. The Scorpio Full Moon on April 26 activates your communication sector, and suddenly all your suppressed sexual fantasies will be spilling out for your lover(s) to hear, and perhaps even witness. Your levels of horniness will be unsurpassed during that time, so plan accordingly, and do what you gotta do to make sure sexual exploration is as much of a priority, if not more, than your usual work duties. People often underestimate the depths of your sexual intensity, but once Virgo Season strikes on
August 22, your current or potential lovers) will see a side of you that leaves them shook and deeply sexually activated. You’ll feel like a sexual superstar, and that’s exactly what you are. ILLUSTRATED BY ADA BUCHHOLCLibra September 23 to October 22
With Chiron, the asteroid that represents our inner wounds, starting the year direct in Aries, you’ll feel more bold and direct when it comes to sex in 2021, Libra, because you won’t be overthinking every part of it. Jupiter and Saturn’s shift into Aquarius activates your sector of fun, fate, and true love for several years, which means you’ll be in the mood to view sex as the ultimate adventure — you may be drawn to connecting sexually with fellow Air sign lovers, particularly during Aquarius Season and the Leo Full Moon January 28. When your ruler Venus enters Gemini May 8, single Libras may want to have sex with more than one person at once, and coupled Libras may be open to discussing polyamory or open relationships, as long as there’s transparency and honesty with all parties. During Jupiter’s retrograde in Aquarius, which occurs from July 28 to October 18, someone from your past may re-emerge and you may have fantastic sex — just make sure you’re both being clear about what your intentions are from the start, or else things could get messy, and not just sexually speaking. By the time the Taurus Lunar Eclipse strikes during Scorpio Season on November 19, much of your perspective around sex and intimacy will have shifted, and you could find yourself sexually merging with partners you previously would’ve never considered. ILLUSTRATED BY ADA BUCHHOLCScorpio October 23 to November 21
They say sex and Scorpio is synonymous. But do they truly know why? 2021 is the year where many Scorpios will be the embodiment of sex itself. With Mars, your ruling planet, entering Taurus at the start of the year, your partnership sector is activated, allowing you to get clear about what you want from sex, and making it easy to release what you don’t. Use the Scorpio Full Moon on April 26 to partake in energy cleansing rituals where you clearly let yourself, your partner(s) and the Universe know what sexual patterns you’re ready to release. You’ll notice that space is immediately cleared out and your sex life starts to improve dramatically as we approach the Lunar Eclipse in Sag on May 26. If you’re in a committed partnership, you may notice that this summer you’ll feel less sexually guarded and more open to exploring kinks that you and your lover(s) may have been craving for a while. Then once Scorpio Season begins, the levels of sexual vibrations that will course through you will feel intoxicating to current, past, and potential sexual partners, so you’ll have to be aware of where you direct your sexual energy — you may find yourself overwhelmed with options! No matter what, this is the year where you know you can always choose yourself. Your relationship with self-pleasure will deepen considerably, particularly by the time the Taurus Lunar Eclipse strikes November 19. The more familiar you are with your own body and what turns you on, the easier it is for you to attract and maintain connections with lovers who are equally as committed and serious about you and your sexual, and emotional needs. The best of all worlds. ILLUSTRATED BY ADA BUCHHOLCSagittarius November 22 to December 21
Now that your ruler Jupiter has shifted into Aquarius, the success of your sex life is directly connected to your ability to let down your guard and let your inner freak fly, Sagittarius. You may have played it safe sexually for most of last year when Jupiter was in Capricorn, but now you’re craving to connect with people who don’t mind exploring weirder, less conventional sexual experiences. If you want your toes tickled with a feather or your butt smacked with whipped cream, all you gotta do is ask, especially around the Gemini New Moon on June 11 which activates your partnership sector for the second half of 2021. If you're single, you’ll be in the mood to explore several lovers this year and you may find it hard to pick just one. The exception may occur around November 5, when Venus spends an extended stay in Capricorn and activates your security sector. You may end the year feeling more sexually selective than usual, and if you’re in a friends-with-benefit dynamic it may either end or evolve into something more exclusive. If you’re boo’d up, exploration and innovation may be your main sexual themes this year, but know that Mercury’s retrograde in Gemini from May 29 to June 22 may slow down your sexual stamina for a bit — enjoy the slower pace of lovemaking with bae, and laugh through the occasional hiccups that may occur in the bedroom. ILLUSTRATED BY ADA BUCHHOLCCapricorn December 22 to January 19
Gone are the days of putting off sex because you’re too busy at work, or alternatively, using sex solely as a stress reliever in between long bouts of work, Capricorn. With your ruler Saturn and Jupiter, the Planet of Abundance, having transitioned into Aquarius as the year began, you’ll feel more light-hearted as a lover, and this will be evident in your sex life. Suddenly you’ll seek connections with people who just want to laugh and try out new kinks without judgment. The Leo Full Moon on January 28 is likely to be one of the most sexually awakening and liberating experiences you’ve had in years — even if it’s mostly composed of digital exchanges and dirty sexts. During Mars’ transit through Cancer from April 23 to June 11, you’ll feel more sensitive when having sex, and this can make you more selective about who you indulge in sexual adventures with. Your annual Capricorn Full Moon on June 24 may lead to you having a sexual breakthrough and experiencing a level of pleasure you had previously denied yourself — perhaps investing in new sex toys for yourself and/or your partner(s) can contribute to this deepened sensation of sexual bliss. Once your ruler Saturn shifts retrograde from May 23 to October 10, you’ll be in more of a hibernation mode, which means Netflix and chill may be more of the go-to move for you and your boo(s). ILLUSTRATED BY ADA BUCHHOLCAquarius January 20 to February 18
While sex may not necessarily be the first thing on your mind as 2021 begins, you’ll find that there will be plenty of opportunities to indulge in it this year, Aquarius — it’s up to you to decide how much, and with whom, you’ll partake. With Jupiter and Saturn both settling in your sign for the first time in decades, you’ll be seeking a fresh start sexually, so if you’ve been with a consistent sexual partner they’ll have to either be as adventurous as you are or the connection may fizzle out. The Leo Full Moon on January 28 can lead to orgasmic make-up, or break-up sex that leaves you both shook. Then while Venus transits your sign from February 1 to March 21, you may be more in your typical sapiosexual phase. Even if you have sexy contenders with whom you could connect, if they’re not lighting you up intellectually first, the sparks won’t last for long. Mars’s transit in Leo from June 11 to July 29 could bring out a more fiery and unpredictable side to you in bed, and you may be in the mood for slightly dangerous liaisons. Integrating games like Truth or Dare or Never Have I Ever into your bedroom rendezvous could lead to some unforgettable, and hilarious, sexual experiences as you enter the last half of the year. You come alive in Q4 when Saturn shifts direct in your sign on October 10, followed by Jupiter on October 18. If you had taken a break from sex during retrograde season, you’ll find yourself more turned on and sure of what and who you want during the final three months of the year, and that means you may have a non-stop rodeo, filled with the type of sexual ecstasy you’ve been craving. ILLUSTRATED BY ADA BUCHHOLCPisces February 19 to March 20
Having sex when Jupiter is spending time in your sign hits different, Pisces. And in 2021, the Planet of Luck is here, so get ready for your sexual glow-up. The year begins with both Jupiter and Saturn in Aquarius, activating your sector of spirituality and healing. You’ll only want to have sex with people who aren’t afraid of your intensity and intuitiveness — but you may also find yourself being contradictory, and craving both intimacy and solitude. Mercury will be retrograde during most of your solar return, and a lover or sexual partner who once left you weak at the knees may resurface. You may have soul-stirring sex around then that leaves you both wondering why you ever stopped having it in the first place. Jupiter’s retrograde in your sign from June 20 to July 28 can feel trippy for you sexually speaking, especially if you’re merging with someone from your past who knows how to turn you on physically, but with whom there may be unfinished business emotionally. As much as you may want to use sex as a healing bridge, there may be moments when you also withdraw from sexual intimacy this year in order to deepen your connection with yourself and be true to your own needs. Neptune begins its five-month retrograde in your sign on June 25, and that’s when you’ll start to slow your roll sexually, and spend the last half of 2021 weeding out long-term sexual connections from the ones who may have been more of a temporary experience. You’re not settling for anything less than sex that leaves you breathless and makes you feel seen, valued and prioritized — that’s what you’ll manifest by the time the Taurus Lunar Eclipse strikes November 19.ILLUSTRATED BY ADA BUCHHOLC
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Historically, some of themost influential membersof royalty,politicians, and public figures used professional astrologers as waysto predict what was to come. Planetary transits and alignments have guided humans through revolutions of the past — and they’re guiding us through the one we’re experiencing as this new decade unfolds.
As an evolutionary astrologer who believes in the power of using astrology as a way to manifest and co-create our future realities, I’ve written the following piece from a futuristic lens, looking back on a time when we leaned into the help we were being offered by cosmic forces. As writer and activist adrienne maree brown oncestated, “Social justice work is science fiction. We are imagining a world free of injustice, a world that doesn’t yet exist.” My hope is that this piece, influenced by the regenerative energy of the recent Solar Eclipse New Moon in Cancer, will help us collectively visualize the new world we’re birthing into existence.
The year was 2032. Jupiter, the Planet of Expansion, was in its final months in Capricorn, getting ready to shift into Aquarius. It was retrograde season, and my 7-year-old niece Efua, a fellow astrology enthusiast, was sitting next to me at the kitchen table. We were chopping up plantains for a midday snack when she pulled out a school notebook and asked me to tell her about what life was like in the previous decade, the 2020s.
“Where do I begin?” I playfully asked, before starting at the only logical place: Jupiter’s previous shift into Capricorn — the one that occurred 13 years earlier, on December 2, 2019.
Jupiter represents luck, abundance, growth, and prosperity, I reminded Efua. The planet could feel awkward when placed in serious and practical Capricorn, as if it couldn’t move as quickly as it wanted. Of course, at the start of 2020, that was a feeling familiar to Black and brown abolitionists, change-makers, educators, and revolutionaries, who were exasperated. At times, they wondered if the dismantling of oppressive systems in America and around the world would ever occur.
They wouldn’t have to wait much longer. In January 2020, a Full Moon Lunar Eclipse was a harbinger of change. Eclipses open people’s eyes. January’s, along with several other major eclipses that occurred in the first half of the year, helped expose the deeply rotten roots of racist, oppressive, and genocidal colonial nations. This activated a phenomenon that I called the 2020 Ascension. More people began to awaken and understand that the fight against racism isn’t a Black issue, but a human one.
Stepping back a little, I told Efua how, in 2018, Uranus, the Planet of Revolution and Surprise, had shifted in steadfast Taurus for the first time in 84 years. That had created a revolutionary rumble that reverberated through all aspects of society. Uranus was also one of the only generational planets transiting direct during the start of the 2020 global uprisings, which accelerated the process of revolution.
“What about Mars?” my genius niece interjected. “That’s the planet astrologers encourage us to look at for individual and collective revolution.”
“That’s right,” I responded, nerding out. The Planet of Action had been in Pisces during the start of the global uprising against the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and the thousands of Black and brown beings, and humans of all races, who were being systematically targeted and killed around the globe, I told Efua. While stationed in the empathetic sign — from May 13 to June 29, 2020 — Mars demanded: “Open your heart enough to feel something for your fellow human.”
Another astrological event that contributed to the revolutionary spirit of 2020: The asteroid Chiron was in courageous and determined Aries from 2018 to 2026. Chiron represents our inner wounds, so this movement slowly but insistently encouraged us to express and heal centuries of trauma and oppression that disproportionately affected Black and brown communities all over the world.
Her wise brown eyes brimming with deeper comprehension, Efua looked at the astrological calendar that hangs in my kitchen, and noted that Saturn, the Planet of Challenge and Responsibility, had entered Aquarius on March 21, 2020.
“Precisely,” I said: Right around then, COVID-19 and heightened policing began spreading throughout the United States and around the globe. But Aquarius has strong associations with rebellion, revolution, and disrupting the status quo. Saturn’s transit through Aquarius from 2020 to 2023 (with a brief journey back into Capricorn from July 1 to December 17, 2020) sparked one of the biggest changes in collective consciousness known to humankind. The Water Bearer sign is also closely linked to technology, which makes sense, since social media played a major role in the transmitting of information, no matter how uncomfortable.
“Did you notice certain signs more at the forefront of the revolution than others?” Efua inquired, as she poured us some fresh mango juice.
“That’s a great question,” I told her, recalling how I’d called Water signs — Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces — The Creators of the revolution. Their deep sensitivity and vulnerability allowed them to find ways to express their pain, rage, passions, and desires for justice through their art. Sticking to regular restorative practices was essential for all signs during the 2020 Ascension, but particularly for Water Signs, who wanted to heal everyone’s pain or trauma — to the point where they’d take on other people’s burdens. But Water signs serve as a mirror, and when they focused on their inner healing, they taught others how to heal too.
The Fire signs were The Disruptors. Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius actively engaged in physical protests and demonstrations, or wrote viral tweets to spread awareness, I told Efua. Not all Fire Signs felt called to be leaders — but their action-oriented drive encouraged them to make their voices heard in some shape or form. Many of these skymates were the influencers of the zodiac, reminding us all to keep going even if the battle seemed endless. It’s due to the optimism and candor of Fire Signs that the momentum was so strong. That was particularly true during the last half of 2020, when Mars, the Planet of Action, spent six months in fiery Aries. This transit was a game-changer, encouraging all skymates to no longer ignore what obviously needed to be faced on a personal and collective level.
The Earth signs — Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn — were The Regenerators of the movement, I explained to my niece. They’d been the ones to encourage their fellow humans to start gardening or learning about herbalism; to teach skymates how to ground themselves through yoga and meditation; and to help us consider living in a communal setting rather than stubbornly holding onto individual consumerism. This shift in consciousness led by Earth signs not only helped heal Mama Earth, but it also helped heal our minds and souls, as we collectively shifted from a scarcity-based mindset to an abundant one.
“Air signs, like Aquarius Angela Davis, were at the forefront of the social change movement,” I told her. Geminis’, Libras’, and Aquarians’ airy nature allowed them to view change as being as natural a part of life as breathing, and this helped them influence their communities to shake up the status quo. These brilliant communicators were the ones creating and sharing petitions, crowdfunding, and demanding transparency and accountability from local governments and police departments. Saturn’s presence in Aquarius at the start of the decade placed Air signs in a prime position to lead with intention.
Based on this description, I asked Efua what she would call the Air signs of the 2020s.
She paused for a few seconds, and then exclaimed, “The Change-Makers!” with excitement and pride.
“I love that,” I responded, laughing at her enthusiasm. I explained to her that Air signs’ main challenge was to take the revolution one step at a time. At times, their desire for change made them impatient and easily distracted. Ultimately, though, all the signs had to work together to balance out each others’ strengths during this revolution.
“They probably used their birth charts as a tool for better understanding their roles in the movement, huh?” Efua asked. “Our birth charts are literally a secret weapon.”
I smiled, my niece providing living proof of how much astrology really took off in the 2020s, as more skymates sought spiritual insights regarding the revolution they felt happening in the world, and within their own selves.
“Exactly,” I responded. “The more humans took time to get to know their selves, and studied the diverse range of astrological placements that existed in their birth charts, the greater empathy they were able to cultivate for their fellow human being. Knowledge of self, healing of self, and forgiveness of self, was key to our great awakening.”
We still have work to do in the 2030s and beyond, I stressed to my niece. But the 2020s paved the path for our continued battle.
It was during this decade, I told her, that Black people in particular learned that the fight for justice was not theirs alone to bear. Expansive Jupiter’s shift into revolutionary, social Aquarius in December 2020 activated a period of profound awakening within humanity, one that helped us understand why the 2020 decade had started off so wildly and knocked everyone off their feet. Humans of all races continued to fight for our global liberation from a capitalist and greedy model of living, to a deeply sustainable, equitable, and Indigenous-centered reality. And this all came to be with the help of astrology gently, and sometimes quite aggressively, guiding humanity to the other side. Nothing was ever the same in that post-eclipse 2020 world.
I ended my history lesson by explaining to Efua that once Jupiter entered Aquarius 12 years ago, at the end of 2020, it marked the end of an era as we knew it. The five groundbreaking and eye-opening eclipses that took place from June to December 2020 sparked a massive decolonization and unlearning movement, teaching us that questioning what we’ve been taught to be true is an essential part of the revolution. So is rest, and so is laughter. We had to allow ourselves to laugh at hilarious and poignant Twitter memes, while actively seeking out educational resources and donating to our local mutual funds. Activism in the 2020s had to be continuous and tangible.
By the time my trip down memory lane had ended, Efua had already gobbled up half of the plantains I had fried, and her notebook was filled with notes, underlines, highlights, and exclamation points. I smiled, satisfied that I was able to help her immortalize a part of the 2020 Ascension that I know influenced the course of humanity forever.
We’re made of stardust for a reason, and the key to our liberation has always existed within us. May we continue to activate our ascension by using astrology and activism in tandem, as we co-create a vibrant new reality.
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