As the month opens, you'll be very determined to make money. Five heavenly bodies will be crowded into your second house of earned income, including Pluto, Venus, Mercury, Sun, and new moon, January 1, all in Capricorn 11 degrees. With so many planets stacking in one house, it means that other parts of life will be affected by financial considerations. For example, your relationship with your romantic (or business partner) will center on money this month, as will your career choices, social participation, travel plans, and so forth - it all will come back to money this month as a deciding factor.

This behooves you to ask for a raise as soon as you get back to work. You will only get one new moon a year in your earned income sector, so you should use this one. If you say your company does not have money in the budget to give raises, try anyway - you do have an excellent chance of getting approved. If you are self-employed, you can try to edge up your fees and at the same time, look for new clients. Actually, the first two weeks of January would be an ideal time to look for a new client - you are likely to find one or more that will be willing to pay you well for your goods or services.

This new moon is not perfect. It will send a harsh vibration to Mars and Uranus. This configuration says to me that you CAN get your raise. Both those planets are in personal houses ruling fun, romance, interests of children, events of friends, and creative projects, and one of these areas is likely to bring up unanticipated expenses. The house holding Uranus (surprises) is the house of romance and children. The house holding Mars (strife) rules friendships and events. These two planets had a direct opposition on December 24-25, so perhaps you had an inkling of what is going on regarding your personal life and the ramifications on your finances. I will give you some examples now to help you start to think.

If you loaned a large sum of money to a friend, and she promised to pay you back by January, she may now say that she still does not have the money to pay you. With Uranus involved with this new moon, you seem surprised at what you hear, but stay calm. You may be able to work out a payment plan together, which is better than never seeing the money again. Or, if your best friend is having a destination wedding, and you are the best man, you may be horrified by how high the costs of attending this Tuscany-based wedding is going to be (even though you are dying to go). If you are self-employed, you may be working on a creative project that will go into overruns, and the project seems to be taking longer than you expected too (which adds up to more labor costs).

If you are a parent, you may find out your young child's class is having a field trip this month, and you are expected to send a large check next week. The timing is terrible, coming directly after the holidays when credit card statements are arriving. Or it may be that you spent much more on holiday gifts than you thought you did, and now the bill seems to have little claws attached to them and all you can think about is how you want to run away and never be heard from again. (Call your credit card company and tell them what you plan to do - they love to hear from you and will work with you.) These are just a few examples of any number of possible outcomes, but you get the idea.

To be clear, you are not likely to feel all the type of high expenses I listed as examples - just one area will light up, thank goodness - but it may be enough to make you feel jittery. Any unexpected expense may help to fuel your determination to get the money you need, either through getting a raise or by looking for a new position. You have a superb Saturn in elegant angle to the new moon, and because Saturn RULES your second house of earned income, you CAN get the money you need. Your communication style is persuasive, dear Sagittarius, so decide on the best strategy to use to convince VIPs to grant you what you need. Saturn's help can impart a great sense of security.

If you have Aries rising, January will be ideal for finding a new professional career position, or if you have Leo rising, you can find side and freelance assignments this month. Barring these two rising signs, dear Sagittarius, for you, January would be better used to win an approval for a raise to your paycheck. Look to mid-March to win a new career position.

Venus continues to retrograde this month, a holdover from December 21, and will go direct on January 31. During this month, it would not be the best time to spend a large amount on spa treatments - go in February. You can see about hair cuts and trims and touchups to hair color, but do not enact any radical changes to your looks, like going from blonde to raven-haired, or men, to grow or take off a beard. Keep to the status quo. Venus is in Capricorn, which means it is in your house of earned income, so checks may be held up this month - send those who owe you reminder statements early on.

Money will again be on your mind again at the full moon, January 15 in Cancer (26 degrees), but this time, you seem to be much happier and calmer, too. Full moons suggest a finish, so by then, you may have decided on how you will come up with the money you need. Also, you may have a big check in hand. At this point you may be focused on insurance, loans, credit cards, or negotiating with your cell phone provider for better rates. The large check you receive may be a bonus, settlement from a divorce, back child support, a royalty, advance, or licensing fee. You may have won money on a game show on TV, or you may get a big payout from your insurance company if you made a claim. You may be filling out your return to get a generous tax refund, or if you don't expect one, you may be pleased with the amount you owe (less than you feared perhaps - I hope so!)

This full moon January 15 will be very friendly, and should make you very happy with news you receive. Again, Saturn will add a feeling of safety and security. If you find you are negotiating company perks at this time, you will do very well - the bundle you settle on should be generous. Try for an excellent health care package, ask for a good amount of vacation time or flex time, or ask for your commission quota to be lowered - you can try! If you would like to work one day a week from home to cut down on commuting, make your case for it, especially if your commute is long.

After being wound up in calculator tape, you will be anxious to breathe fresh air and enjoy a long weekend out of town. It seems very possible! News that you will be leaving may come as early as January 29, when the Sun and Uranus will be sweetly angled to each other.

If you do not hear news on this day, the new moon coming the following day, on January 30 in Aquarius (11 degrees), will start to put events in motion. It appears you won't go far - a longer trip appears to come in February - but nevertheless, this should be fun. This trip will not likely be done for business but rather for romance, so your partner may surprise you with a trip for two in a nearby city in a luxurious hotel. (You seem to be going to a city, as a new moon in Aquarius points to being with many others - a city - not in a rural area.)

You'll be ready to address financial matters as you begin the New Year, thanks to the new moon, January 1. That new moon is not entirely friendly, however, so part of your focus many be to decide who to pay first, and who can wait until other checks arrive. Venus is currently retrograde in your earned income sector, so it is likely that you may have to wait until January 31, the date Venus regulates its orb, for slow payments to arrive.

Holiday gift giving and socializing seems to have made a dent in your financial resources, indicated by the harsh angle of Uranus and Mars. Stay cheerful - if that's the price of being generous, so be it. In the coming six months Jupiter, planet of good fortune, will turn you into a money magnet, so don't fret too much about cash flow now.

You will be finished with your financial talks and actions within days of the full moon, January 15. You will receive a very comforting vibration from Saturn at that time, so if you have worked to streamline your savings and investments, and have reconsidered your evolving needs for insurance, you will see your efforts are paying off. At the full moon you may receive a large chunk of money that will put a big smile on your face.

Mars in Libra will make for a temporarily rocky period in your social life. Friends may criticize the person you are dating, or vice versa - your partner may not like your friends. Your sibling may also be in the mix, adding his or her unsolicited opinion, and that may grate on your nerves. Everyone, it seems, will be on a short fuse, something that you may have seen over the holidays, particularly near December 24-25. Now, in January, so far you may see an improvement in how people around you are behaving to you as well as to each other. Allow everyone space, for to debate other's views would only lead to a hot confrontation.

All of life will become better once the Sun moves into air-sign Aquarius, an air sign that will make your fire element burn more brightly. The new moon in Aquarius on January 30 (11 degrees) will be the second new moon of the month and will give you the opportunity to travel to a city nearby. This should be carefree time, not time to schedule a business trip. You need fun, and this new moon will want to provide it in spades during the ten days that follow that new moon. Whatever you do, you will find fun and surprise, for Uranus, the planet that specializes in all things unexpected, will create a trend will carry you happily into February.

If you were born on December 3, plus or minus five days, this new moon will speak directly to you, although all Sagittarius will be happy with events that get triggered. If you have Sagittarius rising or a natal planet at 11 degrees plus or minus five degrees, you will also feel this new moon in a very positive way.

Travel will be dazzling and spontaneous on January 16 and 29, and may become a trend after a new moon January 30 + two weeks. More travel may come up more spontaneously AFTER the new moon arrives, January 30 plus ten days.