“One of the reasons I contacted you,” a potential patient proclaimed during our first phone conversation, “is that I read an annual astrological forecast in the newspaper. It said that people with my sun sign were going to have a difficult year. It really put me down”. This woman is super successful, and she referred to one of the most popular newspapers in Israel. It made me furious. Who are you astrologers who write inaccurate predictions that depress people ???

Please don’t get me wrong, I am always for the truth, even when it’s harsh, but the truth is, that an astrological prediction is a very personal thing. There is no such thing as a forecast for all the people who were born in a particular month.

General astrological predictions are based on aspects formed between natal chart’ sun and outer planets. These planets move slowly and stay in one area all year round so they can have the same effect on all people with a certain sun sign. But, even if all people with a certain sun sign will experience a challenging influence this year, many of them might enjoy other beneficial and neutralizing effects, formed between other outer planets and their personal chart. This coming year can actually be an excellent year for them.

Beyond that, if one of the outer planets challenges the sun, it does not mean it will necessarily be a bad year. It means that in certain areas of our lives we will need to reorganize things in a way that will serve us better. It is even possible that if we are already on the right track, the challenging effect will help us flourish.

So please, do not read astrological predictions in the newspaper.