You will love January. You have lots of opportunities to travel, and with a packed fifth house of true love, you will enjoy romance too – and that is true even if you’ve not been dating. This should be a happy month for you, dear Scorpio, for so many reasons. Be optimistic – finally a month that will have few demands and plenty of pleasures.

First, let’s look at the start of January, which will be strongly influenced by the new moon that occurred just days before the start of the New Year, December 29. That new moon was in Capricorn 8 degrees, and appeared in your third house of short trips. You may be leaving for a business trip, because there is some indication in your chart that you would be seeing a client to generate business. If that is your goal as the month opens, you should do well with Saturn in strong and happy angle to Uranus. You should come home with the order in hand and the deal will be a good one. If you travel for fun, you might want to visit a location with luck or snowy mountains and a historical site or two to visit, as planets in Capricorn suggest this kind of setting.

The third house so strongly lit also rules contracts of all kinds, including leases and other agreements. Verbal agreements also come under the umbrella of your third house, which is so lit up at you enter January. Be careful about agreeing to anything until you have looked at every clause, ideally with your lawyer. Mercury will be retrograde until January 8, a situation that first began on December 19. It is never wise to sign papers while Mercury is retrograde because the deal will likely change after you sign it, and probably not in a way you will like. Mercury rules judgement, perception, thinking, negotiating, and buying / selling, and when Mercury is out of phase, it is easy to make mistakes, to rush, to dismiss or not see clauses that could come back to bite you. Wait until after January 8 to sign.

Even though Mercury will still be retrograde, pay attention to Friday, January 6, when the Sun and your ruler, Pluto, will join forces – this is a powerful aspect. Your words will have weight and purpose on this day, and you will be able to negotiate a great deal.

It is also best to buy all electronic items after Mercury goes direct January 8. Do not run up too close to that date – leave a space of as many days as you can so that you can avoid problems. The product you buy may not bring the pleasure you anticipate it will, or a newer model may come out shortly after, or the model you love may go on sale a week later – there are many reasons to hold back. Don’t buy a car, a computer, a smart phone, a kitchen appliance – anything with moving parts could prove problematic.

If you follow me on Twitter (@astrologyzone), you know that yesterday, just as I was writing Libra for Astrology Zone, I had a sudden accident with my computer, when a man spilled coffee on my keyboard by accident in the coffee shop I was working. I had to buy a new computer laptop instantly yesterday. That was okay to do, because Mercury CAUSED the problem and I was simply responding to it. Mercury had already bitten me hard, and so I had used up the potentially bad aspects of Mercury. I often say, even if Mercury caused the problem, if you can wait, do wait. I couldn’t wait – I had to write January for you!

The full moon of January 12 in Cancer 22 degrees will light your ninth house of distant travel, the media, legal matters, academia (i.e. college or university study or teaching), and international relationships, and matters involving immigration, citizenship, passport, visa, and green card. Something is coming to an end or fulfillment, such as the end of your long trip, where you pack to go home within four days of this full moon. Or, it may be that you finally get your immigration interview, it turns out to be a hard one – be prepared.

This full moon is not all sweetness and light. Uranus and Pluto, lately frequent foes, will arguing again. A legal matter may come up, and you will have to switch all your attention to it quickly. Or, it may be a final contract is delivered to you with several troublesome clauses you did not expect and that need to be discussed with the other party, and the language in them quickly changed. There could be various possibilities to list, but the area that will give you some pause will be found in the list in the previous paragraph. At the same time, it may not have to do with papers you will be pressured to sign, but rather difficulties in travel.

If your birthday falls on November 13, plus or minus four days, you will be most likely to get to a beneficial conclusion, despite the pressures on you. Keep this in mind because you may feel a bit stressed at the start of the full moon, but as you deftly work through the matter, you are able to come to a satisfactory conclusion.

The end of the month will bring another new moon, January 27-28, when you may be thinking of making changes at home. You may move, renovate, make repairs, or ask the painters to come in to paint several rooms. You might declutter closets and give all to charity. You might buy or sell, or rent, or suddenly find you want to have a new roommate. Many fine furniture stores have amazing sales in January, so you may pick up a bargain now for your decorating project.

All month, Mars will light up your house of true love, which is a great tour of Mars that began on December 19. If you are single, you will have all of January to mix and mingle, for you are likely to meet someone special now, or next month, after the solar eclipse of February 26. If you are attached, work won’t get in the way – you will have time to give your attention to each other. In this life, there is no better gift than giving someone your total, undivided attention. You will have the time to give someone you love that gift, and receive it in return. Here are some of the reasons I am so excited about your love life.

Not only will Mars be in your house of true love, but Venus will too. Both planets will be in Pisces, the very best place for these two love birds to be for you. Venus and Mars love to be together, but rarely are, because they have assignments that take them to far flung regions of the sky that aren’t at all close to one another. Now they are together, and these little darling planets will work hard to help you find lasting love and affection.

Venus in Pisces is, according to the ancients, one of the most loving places for Venus to be, as it is considered exalted in that sign. Neptune will be traveling with Venus and Mars too, and Neptune is the higher octave of Venus. Venus wants you to have fun, but Neptune will teach you to love so deeply that you will be willing to sacrifice for your beloved so that person can benefit. Two days when things are likely to well will be January 20 and 21, when the moon glides through Pisces.

After the holidays, you may need a little vacation. The holidays can demand a strenuous effort, but now you are free and clear to do precisely as you please. With planets stacking up in Capricorn, an earth sign that blends well with yours, you may decide to take a weekend drive in the country to a mountainous range covered with snow. Or, you may live near a sunny location, with mountains and a beach – what could be better? You won’t be able to go far, or stay long, but a bit of fresh air and sunshine would do you a world of good in early January.

Mercury started to retrograde last month on December 19 and will continue to be out of phase until January 8. With so much activity in your third house of travel and communication, you may be asked to sign papers, but put off the signing until Mercury goes direct January 8. Deals negotiated with Mercury retrograde often have to be redone later. Mercury also rules commerce, including all buying and selling or things and property, so it would be best to wait to make big purchases, especially those involving electronics, a car, or a mammoth purchase such as a house or condo.

You may travel for work near the full moon January 12, but doing so could prove to be frustrating. If you can delay a distant trip, do, but if you must go, be prepared for problems with the details of an ongoing or recently finished project or with the wording of a legal document that will need to change. Everyone of every sign will find this full moon challenging in different parts of life – yours seem to center on work, co-workers, subordinates, project flow, or a contractual negotiation.

If you need to move house, you will find the right space the very end of January, or if you already found your new home, you may move in at that time. Similarly, if you are renovating or decorating, you will find that your project will move along beautifully and the funds you need to make the improvements will be there for you. This will be the only new moon of the year to brighten your house of home, so this new moon January 27-28 will put home-related plans on the agenda and in motion – expect maximum productivity. If you are not focused on your physical home, you may be thinking about a family member and helping that person in some appreciable way.

All month, romance could be delicious. Action-hero Mars will light your fifth house of true love and combine energies with Neptune on January 1-2, possibly leaving you breathless. If you are single and hoping to have that chance encounter, you have one in early January. With emotions soaring, try hard to keep your feet on the ground while you enjoy the rush. If you sense this is The One, slow things down and savor your early moments together. Things will only get better and better – this could be the lasting partner you’ve long hoped to find. Are you attached? Give one another the gift of your total attention and if possible, at some point in the month go away to enjoy fun together. Enjoyment through children, artistic activities, or your own creative efforts are there for you too, all through January.