Collapse needs you to dance. Community needs you to dance. Anxiety needs you to dance. Hope needs you to dance. Stress needs you to dance. Earth needs you to dance. Stars and Sky need you to dance. This New Year needs you (please) to dance.
Nicola van Straaten
artist, dancer and consulting astrologer
Aries: Listen to Aries by Gorillaz (feat. Peter Hook and Georgia). Let your head catch the beat as you look from side to side, remembering the value of multiple perspectives. Accept that sometimes false starts are part of the journey. It’s okay to feel like you’re falling. Let your body embrace the frustration, stops and stutters that might make January feel tense and uncomfortable. February will feel more easeful, but your year really begins in March. Until then, steer clear of unnecessary conflicts if you can, especially if they come from emotional defensiveness. Punch the air instead.
Taurus: Back in 2018, Uranus moved into your sign — bringing a long series of surprising and revolutionary shifts into your sense of self. Now, this slow-moving but radically weird planet is gradually preparing to leave Taurus, so lay your sweet body beneath some kind of strange light installation and listen to the song Uranus by Sleeping At Last. As you float, let your thoughts drift over the last seven years or so. Make a little gesture for each thing you want to let go of and as you do so, give a little thank you to the universe for what this past chapter has opened up for you. Cry as much as you need to.
Gemini: If you don’t already know the song Gemini by Princess Nokia, give it a listen. Let the steady groove create a kind of anchor as you enter into a moment of pure self-adoration. Even if you don’t identify with the song, figure out a way to indulge in self-love. Despite the wild-madness of this far-too-fast-world, you are in a moment where you have real access to repair and resilience. Keep your shoulders in regular motion so they stay responsive and agile to all that they carry. You can trust yourself to ride this storm.
Cancer: Have you ever considered the lyrics of Life on Mars by David Bowie? Deciphering this song and wailing alongside Bowie may be a supportive container for you as the year begins. Consciously or not, I think you are extra sensitive to the devastating repercussions of the various explosive displays of machismo in our current moment. Permit yourself to grieve. Usual tactics of self-care and protection may not be working, so use this time to experiment with different forms of support. Moving much (much) slower than usual is a good starting place.
Leo: In a very casual way I want to tell you that Pluto has entered your opposing sign of Aquarius and will be there for the next twenty years or so. Don’t stress. All this means is that you have two decades to transform your relationship to power (yay!). Take your time. The spiky energy of the last few months is starting to soften. Use the strangeness of our current world to contemplate your experiences with various kinds of power. Get weird, vocalize, pulsate and feel into your solar plexus with Pluto by Björk. Let your body’s response to this song tell you something of your own power and how you want to wield it.
Virgo: I hope you know that Beyoncé is a Virgo and she’s proud of it. However you feel about Beyoncé, I invite you to give her song Virgo’s Groove a listen, and luxuriate in the erotic rhythm of your own physicality. Remember, Virgo is an earth sign — don’t overlook how important embodied knowing is for you. The start of the year is a great time to get serious about how earthly pleasures sustain your fire and help you see the light in yourself and others. Whatever new years resolution you have, make sure love is a central part of the new structures you want to manifest.
Libra: Try to consciously breathe for the whole of January. The bossy and emotionally demanding energy will ease off as February comes to an end. It’s okay to have periods in your life where absolutely everything is annoying, just don’t become a victim of it. Try to lean into your own back, feel the presence of your spine. Find a melancholic moment to listen to Libra by Mary Lou Williams. Consider all the different complexities and contradictions about yourself, as you come up with lyrics for this brief ode to your beautiful sign. The end of February marks a halfway point in the journey of you accessing more of yourself.
Scorpio: Whatever the weather, try to go for long walks around your neighborhood if you can. Listen to Scorpio by hoodie x james K. Permit yourself to brood over big changes in your relationships and how these changes have illuminated more insights into your own mode and way of being. Now is not necessarily the time to charge ahead with new projects, but rather look back on how you normally charge. What do you want to change about the way you move forward in life? Remember you are made to flow, however fast, however slow. Remember poetry also belongs to you.
Sagittarius: As you continue to dance between hope and despair, play the song Sagittarius by Purient as loudly as you can. If you can, find someone to dance with, then let the song remind you of another song — maybe build a playlist together — follow the links. Relationships, however challenging, are truly your balm right now, they are your guides and gurus. Remember that you can have it all, but not all at once. Practice taking things in bite-sized pieces.
Capricorn: Bathe yourself in endless cups of empathy and patience during the opening months of 2025. You may encounter an usual amount of conflicts happening in your personal life during this time, so keep an eye on your temper. Instead, reflect on how volatile emotions can be very effective ways to uncover uncomfortable but useful information. Maybe see what happens if you gently abandon a project. Listen to Capricorn by Vampire Weekend as you consider the benefits of being a cuspy human, one who knows how to occupy more than one world.
Aquarius: It could be that you’re tired, but ready. Ready for what? You both know and don’t know and that’s cool. You feel the future like it’s already here, because it is. It’s okay not to have words and it’s okay to be scared. Just remember to be willing to be surprised and stay humble. Listen to the song Aquarius by ELOI while you get dressed and imagine you are readying yourself for an initiation. Every day is a kind of initiation during these months and we are all very excited for the person you will be at the end of it.
Pisces: Slide into 2025 by creating a cuddled nest of protective vibes, while you listen to Pisces Problems by TYSON. Lay as low as you need to, like — literally. Seek out the floor if you can, make it soft to cushion the hard edges of our times. Perhaps invite a special someone to lay low with you — or not. It’s a good season to get almost brutally realistic about your values when it comes to intimacy. But don’t rush to any hard conclusions, rather replenish your waters by moving extra slow.
For more information about my astrology work, visit www.nicolavanstraaten.com/astrology