Overview

After witnessing a couple of nasty power struggles lately, it is only natural for you to see a great deal of appeal in the idea of stepping into the background for a while and letting others fight it out. It's going to get cutthroat in a competitive situation, and you should think long and hard about whether you want to get in there and get yourself caught up in all of the conflict. Is it worth it to you? You can still affect the situation without being the big boss.

You're not so set in your ways that you can't consider new options, and right now you find that things are much better than you had realized in that regard. It's a great time to make 180-degree turns.

Just because it seems like someone's waving a red cape doesn't mean you have to go running after them. Know when your buttons are being pushed as the week begins, and modulate your responses in a mature way. Circumstances are more on your side around Wednesday and Thursday, and friendships (and any potential romances!) offer especially sweet rewards. Just feeling understood and accepted feels great. You'll be all set to enjoy some more adventurous stuff starting Friday and over the weekend, so plan accordingly. (And -- hint, hint -- Sunday looks romantic!)

This is sure shaping up to be your month on the 1st. You've got a ton of energy, a ton of ideas, a ton of pizzazz and that extra dash of magic that makes everything sparkle. Socialize, socialize, socialize on the 5th and 6th. The more you put yourself out there, the more good news and happy developments you're going to get back in return. Beauty, blossoms, sweet caresses -- all thishe (and more) is in store for you on the 9th and 10th. And it's not even Valentine's Day yet! Speaking of the 14th, you could experience some pretty deep, passionate emotions over that sushi dinner. Try to go with it, without necessarily giving in to a full-blown emotional outburst (unless you just really need to, of course). By the 19th, you need to hit the gym! Yep, getting grounded will be the very best possible way to handle things today. Your friends would love it if you take the initiative to get together on the 22nd, 23rd or 24th. Thanks to the leap year, you get an extra day of spectacular on the 27th, 28th and 29th.

Year 2012 Overview

With lucky Jupiter continuing to bless your stars, you can definitely expect to have the Midas touch in 2012, Taurus. Take advantage of your cosmic carte blanche during the first half of the year and get yourself firmly on the map. The first six months of the year are part of an ongoing personal renovation project before generous Jupiter leaves your stars. Not that you'll be losing much once the planet of fortune and fame moves into your neighboring sign and starts to bless your money sector. On the contrary - as soon as Jupiter moves into Gemini in June, your luck continues to build while grounding you in positive energy. The second half of the year will bring you great financial prosperity and opportunities to expand your talents.

You certainly won't starve for love, lust and creativity in 2012. Mars, the planet of action, will heat up your romance sector for the first half of the year. The first four months of 2012 could bring the return of old flames. Use Mars's first quarter retrograde phase to wrap up old creative and romantic business. Having both Mars and Jupiter working hard on your behalf for the first six months of the year is a glorious predicament, indeed. Between mid-May and late June, your ruling planet, Venus, will turn retrograde, so mark that period on your calendar as a reminder to slow down, reflect and re-evaluate your relationship priorities. In fact, this would be an ideal time to take a hiatus from responsibilities in favor of completely relaxing and immersing yourself in beauty.

Money and finance take center stage for most of the year as you experience several gains and losses. The key to your sanity will be to ride the wave of unpredictability and, in the end, trust that you'll still come out ahead. Pay special attention to your finances around the major eclipse points in May, June and December. Watch for new money-making opportunities around your birthday. It's just in time, because you may very well need to pad your piggy bank for some unexpected expenditures in June and July.

Daily Flirt:

Good energy is crackling through your brain right now, and you might find it a lot easier to figure stuff out -- even when you don't have all the info. Talk things over with people who know the score.

Daily Couples:

When making your plans for this evening, stick with someplace you already know you like. You'll want to concentrate on enjoying your sweetie's company, and not be distracted by a weird scene.

Daily Singles:

If only people could say what they mean. The failure of others to communicate properly could put you in a serious pickle. So don't take anything at face value. It's better to reaffirm and clarify statements two maybe even three times before you act.

A new hire may completely change the way you think about your industry. It could be a crazy couple of days as you get used to different ideas and new ways of tackling problems. Keep your mind sharp and active.