Cover Illustration: Chesca Gamboa/ Tatler Asia

See what 2022 has in store for you with our yearly horoscope by our astrologer, De Rui

The start of the new year coincides with a major shift in the mood music between the past 18 months and the next. On January 19, the Moon’s north and south nodes shift signs from the Gemini-Sagittarius axis to the Taurus-Scorpio axis. Where in the recent past we were called to develop our close-distance contacts, flexible thinking, and adaptability, the themes in the coming period will revolve around perseverance, first-hand sensory knowledge, and greater self-sufficiency.

This year is a time to get one’s own house in order before casting judgment on someone else’s house. We may be reminded that, even as the world becomes increasingly networked and connected, we should always be prepared roll up sleeves and do things for ourselves. Plant some vegetables. Learn how to operate things manually (oh, the horror). As an exercise, think about what you would need if stranded on a deserted island. Remind yourself of the values you would live by if there were no one else to please.

The nature of the Moon’s nodal polarity means there will be an equally strong attachment to our dependencies. On a macro level, globalization over the past decades showed how cooperation and trade between economies can enrich and enhance lives. What we gave up, however, was internal resilience. In the face of unexpected shocks, can each person, family, or nation survive on their own terms? The next 18 months might see events that nudge us to self-strengthen, if not in a material way than definitely in an emotional one. April and early August are especially potent portals, when Saturn (realism and restrictions) and Uranus (innovation and change) come into direct contact with the Moon’s nodes in Taurus and Scorpio.

April’s cosmic energies may be especially palpable, including when Jupiter and Neptune join forces in Pisces mid-month. Occurring once every 12 to 13 years, this merging of energies between the planet of expansion and the planet of spiritual longing can bring high hopes and idealism. Our desire for a better world where we can love our neighbors and join forces to help ease the suffering of others may seem well within reach. This could be a time for great compassion and hope. Neptune, of course, as a symbol of total perfection, can also sometimes bring delusion and confusion. Anything too good to be true—causes, initiatives, people—should be thoroughly vetted. In line with the Taurus qualities we should embody next year: Ask to see it before you believe it.

At the end of August, Mars—the planet of action—moves into Gemini where it will remain until March 2023. Collectively, our goal-oriented energies are somewhat more diffuse and non-committal in Gemini. Within this extra-long timeframe, projects are easier to start than they are to finish. Between the end of October and early January, Mars also moves into its retrograde period, opening up a window for reflection and possibly recalibration of how we pursue our personal agenda. Are we too timid or too overbearing, too dictatorial or too accommodating? During the Mars Retrograde, such second-guessing and hesitation will require us all to factor in extra time for decisions to be made and tasks to get done.

As the world seeks to get past the global pandemic and restore a sense of “normality,” confrontations between the old world-order and new paradigms will continue to grind up against each other. Over next summer, new material realities or situations arising from the physical environment or financial system may emerge, setting up an energetic showdown between Saturn (the past) and Uranus (the future) in the autumn. By the winter of 2022, the picture should be more settled when it comes to the future direction and what building back better actually entails.

Aries

The people and resources available to support you might be holding you back from developing greater self-sufficiency in 2022. Keep an eye out for when the Universe may be nudging you to strengthen your own self—April could be a key month—and be prepared to shake things up in order to reap the rewards.

Between May and October, Jupiter brings its optimism and sense of bounty into your sign, giving an ego boost in particular to those born at the end of March. The autumn and winter are good career months as Mars, which rules your sign, maintains a creatively harmonious position. With love, look for hard lessons followed by pleasant surprises in springtime.

Taurus

You embody the traits that we are collectively being called to learn in 2022. Lead others with your grounded sensibilities and tenacious attitude, particularly at the eclipses in your sign in April and November. Mind-expanding activities—be they studies or travels—can be beneficially undertaken between January and May.

March could present an intense attraction. June could be a key month in terms of love and financial opportunities. Thanks to Venus, your ruling planet, your social charms and popularity will be riding very high then, and this could open some doors. Manage expectations toward the end of the year when your personal effectiveness wanes a bit.

Gemini

The start of the year may be a bit choppy but energies should smooth out for the most part by March. Beware of proposals in April that could lead you down a garden path. The period between May and October is likely when your confidence will shine the brightest. This is the type of cosmic support that can help with securing a promotion or asking someone out.

Similarly, the extra-long time Mars spends in your sign from August until spring 2023 bodes well for both having your way at work (and in the bedroom). Your ruling planet, Mercury, will be in your sign from May to July. Your natural, unpretentious intelligence will come through clearly during that time. 

Cancer

You are very in tune with the main mood music in 2022, capable of building up internal strength and resilience, and even empowering others to do the same. The year begins with January’s Full Moon in your sign, shedding light on the unique contributions that only you can make.

Following June’s Cancer New Moon, take some time to explore themes around family and what it means to nurture or be nurtured. July and August is a key portal in terms of earthly events that might, once again, reshape reality as we know it—you should be able to roll with the new developments better than others. April and December offer possibilities for romance.

Leo

Next year’s push-pull dynamic between self-reliance and cooperation will feel more real to you, especially those born in mid-August. February’s Full Moon in your sign can deliver realizations about what makes you a true original. March brings opportunities to heal old wounds. By the end of the summer and early fall, it can be greatly rewarding to pay things forward and help others express their own creativity.

The period from May through October could be wonderful for travel or new studies. In the autumn and winter, you are more likely to win battles while others struggle with the energies of Mars. Sexual relationships can also be more fulfilling, too, as the year winds down. In terms of romance, July and October offer fertile ground for true love to blossom.

Virgo

The major gears that are shifting in January should be a welcome change for you after 2021. Lessons from the year’s lunar and solar eclipses—in April, May, October, and November—can be easier for you to grasp and less likely to create frictions in your life. Energies in February and March may offer the conditions for intense, ardent love to ignite.

If so, it will be okay to go with the flow and see where things lead. Take more precautions around the Mercury Retrograde in May, whereas Mercury’s retrograde in September could be less problematic for you. October is a good time to offer your helpful feedback and mentorship to others.

 

Libra

World events of the coming year might be more confusing for you than for others. Keep in mind the ultimate lessons of self-determination and self-reliance, which may not be obvious just looking at the face of things. Mentally prepare for a lack of clarity or illusory effects in the spring, as well as major changes in the summer, and you will be well ahead of the game.

March could offer marriage-related sweetness and support, and July is an especially potent time when it comes to your communication and being able to channel deeper creative talents. As with your fellow Air signs Gemini and Aquarius, you will fare better with winning battles and having things your way toward the end of the year.

Scorpio

The May lunar eclipse and October solar eclipse in your sign indicate the important role your qualities are playing in the coming months. Collectively mankind is grappling with how far they can immerse in other people, groups, or entities before having to reassert themselves, which you are already an expert in. Transformation is your middle name.

Achieving some ideal may be closer at hand than ever in the springtime, and as long as you perform all the due diligence, dreams really do come true for you. Travel or new studies are better undertaken before the summer or at the end of the year. As with Virgo, you could have some passionate experiences in February or March, which could spark creative impulses within. 

Sagittarius

After the first half January, the pressures from world events over the past 18 months begin to ease for you. The March and April period opens up a helpful portal for working on marriage-related stability. It may require some thinking outside of the box. April and May as well as August are resonant months where you may feel more supported by friends and colleagues.

As with Libra, developments or upheavals in the news over the summer may prove difficult to grapple with. Keep in mind the big-picture lessons of self-reliance and determination, which may not be obvious, and you will make the most of any situation. The months from May through October is auspicious for travel or expansions of the mind through studies.

Capricorn

The year begins with Venus in your sign, boosting your popularity and social life.  Through the winter and spring, Jupiter moves into harmonious contact, supporting your confidence, sense of humor, and appetite for taking calculated risks. March could bring an object of your affection—whether person or thing—that creates the opportunity for such risk-taking or adventure. The confusion that descends on others at key points in the spring and summer of 2022 is likely to bypass you. Your sign, in particular, remains in harmonious contact with Uranus, the archetype for the emergent future, even as it encounters friction with Saturn, representing tradition and the weight of the past. This year you will be able to roll with any punches. 

Aquarius

Saturn continues its journey through your sign all year long. Representing structure and tradition, it forms part of an alignment in April that could indicate making important marriage-related efforts or working on a long-term partnership. The springtime in general may fall on the angsty side. By May, Jupiter is will be sending positive vibes for your optimism and self-confidence. June and July could bring resonant friends, colleagues, or associates. Events mid-summer involving Uranus may reinforce lessons in self-sufficiency, although it may not be entirely obvious at that time. In the second half of the year, you along with your fellow Air signs Libra and Gemini will find it easier to achieve your objectives.

Pisces

Much of the planetary action in 2022 is happening in your sign, indicating that compassion and spiritual longing are about to become a main theme. April’s Jupiter-Neptune merger is likely to affect you in a bigger way so be on the lookout for illusion and delusion, in addition to having more hope and more love in the world. You will also be very attuned to the lessons in self-reliance and renewed sense of personal values that we will be collectively learning. July and December offer some opportunities for deep emotional bonding and intimacy. Next autumn and winter are not the best for career productivity but your sense of humor and confidence will get a boost in November and December.

About our astrologer

De Rui is a Hong Kong-based Western astrologer and the founder of Chart Life, a personalised astrology service for those who want specific insights for love, business and personal growth. She cautions that while the Sun sign is important, it's not the only relevant factor in our birth charts. Always look at your whole chart, or contact a professional for assistance. De Rui is a member of the UK-based Faculty of Astrological Studies, and is a graduate of Harvard University.  

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