PREVIOUS THOUGHTS FOR THE DAY December 29 2008 to January 4 2009 Monday December 29 Under the Influence Flu came to the Cainer household over Christmas. One by one, my family went down with the symptoms and retired to their beds. Influenza means ‘under the influence’. It’s an astrological term from the days when people believed such illnesses were caused by planets in unfavourable positions. These days, we make no such claims. Besides which, the phrase can have another meaning. One of my daughters, loudly complaining of aching head and upset stomach was up and about again within hours. It turned out she had only been suffering from the after effects of a night on the town. Tuesday December 30 Resolutions Tomorrow night brings the awkward convergence of an earthly tradition and a cosmic apparition. Normally, New Year's Eves come and go without too much fuss. We celebrate. We sing. We make our resolutions, then we carry on. But what if some heavenly force were secretly listening in to our every vow, offering full celestial support in ensuring those promises were completely carried out? Tomorrow night, Saturn turns stationary. Such conditions favour those who wish to make a decision and 'cast it in concrete' so that it can never be changed. Be very careful not to make a 'negative' resolution. Wednesday December 31 You say you want a resolution... Did you see Venus, delightfully near the Moon last night? There will be a variation on this theme after sunset tonight. It is just as auspicious as it looks, as is the alignment of Jupiter and Mercury, low on the south-western horizon. Less immediately obvious is the fact that Saturn is now in exactly the same part of the zodiac, night after night. It’s rare to have New Year with a stationary Saturn. Resolutions made under this cosmic climate will prove particularly powerful and unnervingly easy to keep! Thursday January 1 Happy New Year! No more negative affirmations Dear Jonathan, Please help all of us still-struggling tobacco addicts - how do we make a positive affirmative promise not to smoke? Laura Dear Laura, Saturn is 'stationary' this New Year, making resolutions far more likely than usual, to 'come good'. It is not a great time for walking away from people or situations you are temporarily tired of as there may be no going back. But whilst a positive affirmation is always better than a negative one (e.g. 'From now, I am a person who lives free from addiction' beats 'No more tobacco'), any vow to quit is positive! Friday January 2 New Year - No Fear! Well? What do you make of it so far? I can't remember a year that was less looked forward to by so many people. The dreaded credit crunch has got us in a spin. That's not our greatest enemy, though. Indeed, as I look at the astrological picture for 2009, it's hard to see what really does threaten us... other, perhaps, than our own perverse fascination with feeling threatened! Saturday January 3 Your Month Ahead 2008 was not an easy year for anyone. Much apprehension accompanies our entry into 2009. We can't take much more of the strife, stress and struggle. Surely we deserve some good news, some hope, some change and some happiness? Well, of course we do. And that's what's on the way. January itself may contain echoes of all that has made the recent past so problematic. But you can't judge a book by its cover and you can't gauge a year by its first few days. Keep your hopes high and you'll yet see plenty of reason to feel cheerful. Sunday January 4 Back to Index   Click here for Jonathan Cainer's Daily Zodiac Forecasts