In this letter, I have written a free essay, below, called An Introduction to 2019 to give you an exciting overview of the coming year. There are lots of new trends that will offer this year a new look and feel, and I knew you would want to be filled in on those interesting details. It certainly will be a more productive year than 2018, and I will show you why in a moment.

Before you read my essay on the Year Ahead 2019 found below, I want you to know I am doing two free events in New York in January and one special keynote at the New Life Expo in Deerfield FL, near Boca Raton, on Saturday, February 2. Please come—I want to meet you!

As a Gemini, you are not considered a materialistic person, but this month, with half the solar system crowded into your eighth house, you seem consumed with money management. You might be thinking about the wisest way to set up a savings or investment plan that will allow you to reach a financial goal by year’s end. If you are getting married, you may be talking about how you both want to handle credit cards and other household finances that will need to be paid in the future. You may also want to decide whether to file your taxes jointly or separately.

You might be reviewing insurance policies for all kinds of contingencies, such as renter or homeowner’s insurance, health insurance, car insurance—there are many kinds you need to be aware of. To help make your decision, you might enlist a financial adviser or insurance broker. While you are reviewing your insurance needs, you might also be looking at those recurring costs on your credit card statements, say for your Internet or TV viewing, that you might not need anymore.

If you have your own business, you might be interested in finding contingency funds to bridge you when others don’t wire promised payment in a timely manner. In those cases, it may be calming to have a line of credit set up that you can pay back once you are sent the money. If you are setting up your own business, you may be asking family for financial help. If you have a large, ongoing business of your own, you may be seeking venture capital or an angel investor, or you might even be setting up an IPO. If you are a writer, you may be seeking funding to make your movie. If you plan to look for money, your timing will be good in early January.

You may be determined to prepare your tax return early this year, an admirable goal, and when you do, keep one thought in mind. You could be audited this year, or next year, and if so, the taxman is likely to include last year. I say this because you now have teacher Saturn in your eighth house of other people’s money. Choose a conservative accountant—someone who is cautious and takes no risks, for the probability of having your return audited now or next year will remain high. Be ready to defend any deductions that you take. Pluto is in your eighth house too, another indication of scrutiny. Astrology shows the influence, but you provide the outcome. If you have followed all the rules, you’ll have no need to be concerned.

The planets that are squeezed into your eighth house of other people’s money are Saturn, Pluto, Mercury, and the Sun, and their energies are set off by a new moon solar eclipse, January 5. It is these planets that are causing you to review your financial needs so closely. The presence of an eclipse suggests that opportunities to generate greater income or cash flow are about to emerge, and that income will likely stem from a new source. It will be up to you to find that area of gain and to negotiate wisely.

You can find excellent books on the art of negotiation, such as this title, Getting to Yes.  If you browse your favorite bookstore or bookseller Internet site, you will find many helpful titles like this one. After you read the advice of these types of books, you will likely feel equipped with all you need to know to create a fair, win-win situation for both sides.

    Capricorn rules bones and teeth, and with five heavenly bodies in that sign, protect your bones and ask your doctor what you can do to keep them strong. Your knees may need special attention, the area of the body Capricorn rules. Capricorn also rules skin, so you may want to make a trip to the dermatologist—a good time to do so.

With Saturn in your eighth house, you need to be careful about not borrowing a penny more than you need this year and next, for Saturn slows everything it touches, so it will likely take longer than you estimate to repay that loan. Saturn will be in your house of other people’s money (including loans) for two more years, until December 2020. This goes for choosing a mortgage, too.

Neptune is in beautiful angle to the planets in your eighth house, so if you are working on the aesthetics of a project—how your website looks, the beauty of an interior decoration assignment, a coffee-table book you may be writing and producing with images, or if you’re working on a theatrical production or art show (as a few examples)—Neptune will make it the best it can be and help you see profits from your efforts.

Finally, with Jupiter in your eighth house, you could win a prize in January, so if your friend asks you to buy a few charity raffle tickets, by all means, say yes. You could win a small prize—or a big one.

Alternatively, having your eighth house, Capricorn, packed with planets might point to a very different influence in January—not about money but rather have you thinking about having a medical procedure. The eighth house is the house of transformation too, the reason surgery comes under this area. The surgeon takes out (or fixes) the part of you that hurts and so transforms you back to health.

Capricorn rules bones and teeth, and with five heavenly bodies in that sign, protect your bones and ask your doctor what you can do to keep them strong. You may be thinking about seeing your dentist or orthopedist, too. Your knees, in particular, may need special attention, the area of the body Capricorn rules. Capricorn also rules skin, so you may want to make a trip to the dermatologist—a good time to do so.

A second eclipse will come by on January 20, as a full moon lunar eclipse in Leo, one degree, and it will light your third house of communication. This will be a difficult moment. Eclipses tend to reveal information suddenly that you have not been privy to previously, and when it comes, it can cause a shock. Uranus will equally be in hard angle to the Sun and full moon, suggesting you will have problems with one of your projects or with a trip. The challenge to the moon suggests you may need to pay a large sum, possibly to a family member or for something involving a child.

This will be the last eclipse in the Leo-Aquarius series, and it seems tied to the last two we had in 2018, on July 27 and August 11. Gemini is talented in communication, so this eclipse may bring a culmination to a project that you have been involved in lately. If you are an author, editor, code writer, proof reader, speaker, or if you work in advertising, publicity, or marketing, this eclipse will speak to you. As said, however, there will be a twist to events at this time that you could never have expected. Thank goodness Gemini is known to be able to come up with a Plan B when necessary—quickly and almost effortlessly.

If your birthday falls on May 22, you might actually benefit from this eclipse. The same is true if you have Gemini rising one degree (plus four degrees or minus one degree), and if so, you are in the path of this eclipse, but it seems to benefit you. So much depends on where the other planets in your chart are situated in relation to this eclipse.

Keep in mind that some full moon eclipse messages are delivered a month to the day early (December 20, last month), or arrive one month to the day later (that will happen February 20). Most eclipses deliver news directly on the day, in this case, January 20, plus or minus four days.

Mars, the energy planet, will be touring your friendship sector (eleventh house) all month, indicating you will get to mix and mingle with your friends this month, something you’ve not had time to do lately. Friends will be highly supportive and may be the source of good advice.

This same lunar eclipse might bring up news about your sister or brother. Gemini rules siblings, and most Gemini have either a close relationship with their sibling or a very complex one, where they are not close. If your ability in writing, speaking, or editing are not highlighted at this eclipse, then you may see a development in your relationship with a sibling or cousin, but if so, there seems to be emotional drama surrounding this relationship, so tread carefully. The good thing about full moon eclipses, like the one January 20 in Leo, will be that you will have to make quick decisions and move on—you won’t have a choice. There is no way you will be able to reverse news to go back to earlier days, so accept it, deal with it, and move forward.

Your very best day to have dinner with one or more friends after work for amazing fun will be Friday, January 18, when Venus and Mars align magnificently in a sparkling way. Or, if you have someone special in your life, this could be a very romantic date night.

A few days later, on Tuesday, January 22, we have an exceedingly rare and special day for attached Gemini the world over. On this day, Jupiter, giver of gifts and luck, will align with Venus, a once-a-year event. This will be the first time in 12 years that these two love birds will meet in Sagittarius and light your seventh house of marriage. If you are married, you must celebrate your love on this wondrous day with a dinner at a special occasion restaurant. If you are single and dating seriously, and both of you have passionate feelings for each other, you are likely to grow even closer—in fact, an engagement might result on January 22. There is no doubt that attached couples will do best on this glorious evening.

Finally, we have another dazzling day, Friday, January 25 when Mars and Jupiter align, and again, this is another rare aspect. Mars rules action, and Jupiter rules profit and growth, so on this day, your actions can lead to success. Mars is in Aries, your friendship sector and Jupiter is in Sagittarius, your committed love, marriage, and partnership house, so collaborative efforts of all kinds will do well on this day. A friend may make an introduction for you to someone new to date—the chemistry is likely to be spot on. See what happens on this glorious day!

As you begin January, you’re determined to build savings, lower debt, and get yourself on the road to wealth. You have a stunning number of planets in your eighth house of other people’s money—Pluto, Saturn, your ruler, Mercury, plus the Sun and moon, all in practical, objective Capricorn. To make this crown of stars even more important, the new moon is also a solar eclipse, opening a path of opportunity after it appears on January 5.

Saturn will be conjunct the Sun and moon, so you will be fiercely determined to do well and make progress, especially financially. Your focus will be serious, steady, practical, and realistic. Uranus will be in lovely angle to the Sun and new moon, so you can see a sudden, unexpected breakthrough. Mars will be in hard angle to your ruler, Mercury, however, so you will face some obstacle or hard truth. However, even if you are confronted with a financial dilemma, the solar eclipse will be beautifully aligned with Neptune, the planet of creativity and inspiration, giving you a remarkable amount of ingenuity.

Neptune is based in your tenth house of fame and honors, so it seems assured that your profile will rise and many will see your face. You can advance your authority and garner respect in your field. At the same time, at the start of the month, Venus, in the last degrees of Scorpio, will brighten your house of work projects, so the work you are doing will be well received by peers and higher-ups alike.

The last eclipse in a series of eclipses in Leo and Aquarius will appear as a full moon, lunar eclipse on January 20. News will most likely concern a writing or speaking assignment, and it appears to be coming to its culmination. You need to brace for an unexpected twist, for Uranus will challenge the full moon, and that could trigger an expense or loss. (Keep track of your expenses and your personal items, including your wallet.) Uranus will challenge the Sun and Mercury, your ruler, too, and will likely again bring news about a writing or speaking assignment, a contract, or someone you work closely with and depend upon. News will come suddenly and be completely unexpected and not welcome, so you will need to come up with a solution—fast.

If a communications project (including PR, marketing, sales, app development, coding, and other communications projects) goes well, you may instead have difficulties on a short trip. It would be wise to delay any trips for several weeks, even short ones, to see clients. Alternatively, your attention may be drawn to a sibling who may need your help. This eclipse will bring outstanding help from a close partner in love or business, thanks to an exceedingly rare aspect, Jupiter conjunct Venus, to peak January 22.

Because eclipses repeat every 19 years, The January 20 eclipse will be similar to the one you had on January 20, 2000. If you can recall what happened back then, you may get a clue of the type of discussions that will come up now. After this eclipse, January 20, you will find peace—there will be no more surprises in store for you in this part of your life.

Despite all the commotion this month, on Friday, January 25, Mars and Jupiter will be in elegant sync, making for a heavenly romantic or social evening with friends. The transiting moon will be in Libra, a sweet spot for you too, so by all means create a special event for that evening. Go to a party, or spend time with the one you love.