Tip-toe into January, dear Libra. It will be a quiet month, for Mercury, the planet of communication and commerce, will be retrograde in Capricorn from January 5 to 25. It will be hard to get answers back from influential clients and bosses on proposals, and overall, key decision makers will be frustratingly hard to reach or indecisive if you do. The message of the universe will be to think back to past activities you have been doing or finished and see if you can find ways to improve what you have already done. It's also a good time to review the methods and approaches you always apply to tasks to see if you have a better way you might try in the future.

It is already too late to outrun Mercury retrograde, so don't rush to sign a contract or dive into vital new endeavors during the first days of January. You already began to feel the slowdown at the end of December. When it comes to shopping, you need to hold off too. You may be dreaming of using the gift certificate to your favorite electronics store that you were given over the holidays, but this is not the time to shop. Sit tight, and buy your computer, iPad, smart phone, large TV screen, Dr. Dre Beats earphones or Apple watch after the gorgeous new moon in electronics-oriented Aquarius next month, February 8. If you have something hugely important to your future on the docket, see if you can wait until Mercury will be back to his former strength to act. By former strength I mean that Mercury will take time to reach the strength and health he had displayed in November and early December, but since then has been huffing and puffing in his slowdown. He won't be back to top speed until February 14-15.

The times that Mercury causes the most miscommunications, mix-ups, forgetfulness, and poor judgment are on the day it turns retrograde and on the day he turns direct. I call those dates the bookend dates. (This month, that's the days that circle January 5 and January 25.) That's why you should not schedule your activities too close to those start and end dates. Those are actually the worst dates, when so many things will go haywire! Mercury acts the wildest on the bookend dates.

If you would like to learn more about Mercury retrograde, go to my homepage on the Internet and find my black homepage www.astrologyzone.com on your computer or tablet (this is not on the app - you would have to go online.) Look under my blue logo to find my essay, in white letters: "All You Need to Know About Mercury Retrograde." I think you will like my comprehensive report that I wrote for you, for you will be able to apply what you learn to all Mercury retrograde periods, now and in the future.

You seem to be very centered on your home this month, thanks to the new moon in Capricorn on January 9 (plus ten days), so you may be in the process of planning to move; or working on de-cluttering your space; or planning to do repairs, clean rugs, upholstery and windows; give a fresh coat of paint to several rooms; or work on a decorating project. Cleaning and repairing are favored, but buying new furniture, appliances, or electronics are not this month, so for those, wait until February. Mercury will be moving through your home sector, so that's where you will feel Mercury's delays, damages, mistakes, and frustrating mix-ups the most.

The reason I am so excited about this new moon for you is that you have one of the best aspects possible in that Jupiter, the giver of gifts and luck, will send a signal to the new moon on January 9. You seem to have a great plan, and although a bit expensive, it will come out well. Improving your space will raise the morale of anyone who might live with you. You might alternatively decide to do lots of entertaining this month in a more relaxed way than you might have done in December, and enjoy every moment of playing host. A friend or family member may use your guestroom, so all in all, January should bring lots of focus on home.

Here is the hard part about this new moon January 9: Uranus in Aries will be in hard angle to this new moon, so you may have problems convincing your spouse or established partner to go along with your plans. Or, it may be that your partner is not well, and you would have to delay all your plans until he or she is better. The fourth house also rules your parents, so instead of focusing on your physical home or other property you may already have, or hope to rent, buy, or sell, you may discover that your partner suddenly does not get along with your family, leaving you to be chief mediator. You have Pluto, a very strong, domineering planet in your home and family sector and volatile and unpredictable Uranus in your partnership / marriage sector, and the two are at odds, with both planets are equally strong. You may have to foster a peacemaking mission between your mate and family, but who is better than a Libra to find harmony when none exists? You can do this, dear Libra.

If what I have described does not turn out to be your situation, you may find that you suddenly have to find a solution for an elderly parent or relative's care, but that your immediate family members seem not to agree about the right course to take, and your idea seems to be criticized. That's all well and good, but you seem to have the final responsibility, so it looks like you should get the final, most heavily weighted vote. If you are not the leader of this committee (so to speak), then you most likely will have to defer to the leader. When the care of a parent or other beloved relative is involved, this can become a very emotional, difficult decision, so of course, you must argue your case most persuasively. This is a new moon, not a full moon, so the situation may linger and take time to sort out. That can be good news - there may not be the pressure to rush to find an answer. Sometimes agreeing to think over everyone's point of view and reconvene later is a good way to proceed.

Now let's talk about money. Over the last seven weeks, Mars has been in Libra (November 12 to leave January 3). Having had Mars in your sign is always a big advantage, so during those weeks you may have planted one or more important seeds for your future. You were very busy, but now you will need to sit back and wait for those seedlings to grow in your garden. Mars in your second house (where it is now, in Scorpio) will now force your expenses up. You might assume the higher-than-usual spending I see in your chart has to do with holiday shopping (with bills arriving now), but that's not what is indicated in your chart. You seem to be spending more in January than you ever did in December, possibly on a social event, party, wedding of a friend (or similar celebration), or paying for a sublime vacation.

Your expenses will calm down after March 5, when Mars leaves Scorpio. If you have no plans to spend any money on upcoming events, then you might want to take a conservative approach until you have a lay of the land. Hopefully, this expensive trend that I see may not apply to you (due to something in your natal chart that I cannot see from here), so you have no concerns at all.

The first will be January 12 when Venus, your ruler, now in Sagittarius, will receive a shower of pixie dust from Uranus, planet of surprise. Venus is currently in your third house, so you may travel at this time, or you may get good news about a writing, speaking, or telecommunications project you've been working on lately. If you have a sister or brother, your sibling may be in the family news, when something lucky happens to make your sibling smile.

A note about your sister or brother: January 12 will be a good day for your sibling, but overall, it appears your relative has been facing some hard challenges lately. You may want to check in to find out what's up, for it seems your sibling would appreciate the support.

Your gold-star day will be January 13, when the Sun and good fortune Jupiter will collaborate to help you find success on the home front. What a wonderful day to get a generous bid on your property (if you are the seller) or to have the seller agree to your second bid if you are the buyer. Mercury is still retrograde, which is why I feel you may get a second chance to bid on a house you love - and possibly win the bid. I do see you having enormous luck when it comes to family, home, and real estate. You may want to look at vacation homes on this day instead.

Now let's turn to the fun of the month! On January 23, the full moon, falling on a Saturday, seems to bring you an A-list event that you are looking forward to attending. Lots of people will be in attendance, so you will be rubbing shoulders with many happy people. The full moon will appear in the luxurious, royal sign of Leo, so this will be a "must" to attend. No expense will be spared, and you will be pampered from the moment you walk into the sumptuous surroundings. Guests will be beautifully dressed, so start getting your wardrobe ready. The food will be first-rate, there will be flowers everywhere, and the conversation will be warm and engaging. Mars will be in hard angle to this full moon, so you may experience the expense I see coming up - perhaps you will want to bring a lavish gift. Some expenses are worth the price - this one seems to fit that description!

If your birthday falls on September 25 plus or minus five degrees, you will benefit the most from the full moon of January 23. If you have Libra rising in an early degree, near 3 degrees, or the moon or natal planet in an early degree of Libra, Aquarius, or Gemini, or Leo, Aries, or Sagittarius (plus or minus four degrees of 3 degrees) then you, too, will have something special to look forward to at this time.

When it comes to love and romance, if you are single, February will be a hugely important month for you to step out and meet new people. If you are attached, February holds so many goodies to cuddle up closer to your partner and enjoy the bond you have built.

But what about January, you might ask? Venus, your ruler, will be in very compatible Sagittarius, a place Venus took up last month on December, to stay until January 23. That's likely to be the best time to book your social calendar and go out to see and be seen. As said, January 12 could be outstanding. If you want to give a party at home, Saturday, January 2, would be best, and if you don't get invited to a party January 23 (I can't imagine why not, but if that happens?), that's your day to give one of your own.

I want to remind you to see my 30-minute TV show on the Internet that is on top of this page (look for my large logo and see the words The Show with an arrow to click). In my January TV forecast, I give you a general peek of the Year Ahead 2016. You can always see my show free, with global access, any time that is convenient to you. Go to this link: http://bit.ly/1eTnXol

For a different, big, detailed forecast in video, done by sign, each one lasting 22 minutes for each sign, go to www.Healthwire.FM, and buy the high-quality films I did in collaboration with Deepak Chopra and Martine Dubin, Chairman, CEO, and Executive Producer of www.Healthwire.FM. This TV show with a digital-platform has beautiful visual production values. The cost to you will be one dollar US ($1.00) and you will own the show, to view as many times as you like. I suggest you get one for your Sun sign, and one for your rising sign too. You can buy the entire bundle of 12 signs for $9.99 to share with family. Go to http://healthwire.fm/healthwire.php

Or, go to www.Healthwire.FM and look at the menu that says "Choose Your Shows" - mine comes up first. It was an honor to work with Deepak Chopra's team on this project, and until now this show that I did in early December has been a total secret!

If you don't know your rising sign, start the year off right by ordering a color illustrated book, perfect bound, called My Personal Horoscope that I will write custom for you. This 65+ page book is made possible by print-on-demand technology. It will take a little over two weeks to receive your copy, and it will cost US $55.00 plus shipping. You need only do your natal chart once, for your chart will never change. This is a wonderful keepsake. I offer several versions (such as one for babies, couples, and so forth), but I urge you to choose the book for your own natal adult horoscope chart, with the yellow and deep blue-purple cover.

When you order, you will need to supply your precise time of birth to the minute, your day, month, year, and city of birth. If you don't know the precise time of your birth, I can't be as accurate, and the rising sign cannot be calculated. In that case I default your time of birth to sunrise, and doing that, you will know where all your other planets were on the day you were born. Knowing those will be valuable to you too.

Check to see if your mother had a baby book where she may have recorded the time of your birth. Also check the Hall of Records or Bureau of Vital Statistics where birth records are stored by your municipality. You need the handwritten birth certificate, not the computer copy - if it costs five dollars in the US, it's the wrong certificate. It should cost a bit more and each state sets its own price. You will be glad you had your natal chart done, for you will always get more out of my monthly free reports on Astrology Zone if you do. You'll know so much more about your nature, your talents, and how you love to be loved! For more information, go to www.SusanMillerMyPersonalHoroscope.com

Home will be where the action will be this month if you take advantage of the four friendly heavenly bodies crowded into your living space sector. If you need to move or renovate, or simply de-clutter as a New Year's resolution, act now, just after the new moon, January 9. You will have your best chance in 2016 to look at your options and get results. Pluto, Mercury, Sun, and new moon, January 9, will stack up in your home and family house giving, lots of push to your plan.

Uranus will act up at this time however, so you may have to strongly persuade your partner to agree to the plan you have in mind. Or, it may be that suddenly your partner will not feel well and you may have to temporarily table your home-related plan until that situation improves. If you are in charge of the care of a parent, this new moon can help you find the right options to help your parent be more comfortable.

It appears you may have a large undertaking as a plan, such as to buy a house, redo your basement, put up a wall, or bolster the structure of the house in some way. The house may be showing its age, so it would be the right time to schedule repairs. If you are working on a fixer-upper, that too would be indicated here, and as soon as Mercury moves direct, things will proceed smoothly again, although before January 25 you may have glitches, so keep an eye on workmen's progress on a daily basis. If your contractor requests approval for more funds, get the overage in writing. You have Mars moving through your second house of savings, so you appear to be spending quite a bit, and you may feel that cash flow is tight for you this month. Your high expenses will continue until March 5, and then simmer down.

Keep in mind that Mercury will be retrograde January 5 to January 25 in your home sector, so January will not be a good time to make final legal agreements or expensive purchases. You can do all your research now and have talks, but announce your final (most costly) choices later, after Mercury goes direct. Doing repairs, cleaning, painting, and de-cluttering will all be favorable activities in January. However, don't buy any electronics, nor appliances, a car, or any machine with moving parts (like a vacuum cleaner) until Mercury normalizes its orbit. You can collect estimates and look at real estate, but you should not sign any papers until after January 25. Jupiter will be beautifully oriented to the new moon of January 9, indicating your project should proceed well, with January 13 a great day to browse for home-related items (not electronics) that you may need. You can buy clothing or home accessories, for example, but hold on to your receipts, should you need to make an exchange.

Keep an eye on your sister or brother this month who may be facing a difficult life challenge and who will appreciate your support. Saturn will be orbiting very close to Venus this month, and because Venus is your ruler, your sibling's conditions may be serious or the matter facing your sibling may take a long time to resolve.

When it comes to romance, your best part of the month will arrive early, while Venus tours Sagittarius, a constellation it entered on December 30 and will remain until January 22. Yet Saturn's presence so close to Venus means that if you are single, you are more determined than ever to build a relationship that can stand the test of time. Telling a series of potential romantic partners your life story can get tiresome after a while. A serious attitude toward love is the first step toward the next chapter of your life.

If you are attached, you will find taking a short trip overnight will draw you closer, especially if you go over a weekend of January 23-24. If you have children, see if grandma will babysit so the two of you can have quality private time together. If you hope to conceive, you appear ready to do so - February would be your best time to try in all of 2016. If you have a child (or more than one), you are doing a good job at parenting - you love your children and wow, do they know it!