Aries:

You may be tempted to fall back into old relationship patterns while the South Node of the Moon is in your 5th House of Love and Romance, through July 26. Additionally, sensual Venus extends her stay in your sign due to a retrograde phase on March 6–April 17. During this time, you may reignite a flame with an old lover or turn up the heat on a current relationship. Venus enters impetuous Aries on February 22, slips back into compassionate Pisces from April 11 through April 24, and then remains in your sign until June 6, increasing your chances of finding love. Your key planet, Mars, intensifies your drive for pleasure as he moves through your sign on April 22–May 31. On October 16, Mars reenergizes playful Leo and your 5th House of Love, where he remains through the end of the year.

Taurus:

You can expect a mature, realistic and responsible approach to love with serious Saturn in your 5th House of Romance through late October. You will benefit by making a concerted effort to enhance your image, but that doesn’t come from hard work alone. Having fun gives you a glow that makes you instantly more attractive. Taking time to play is essential for creating space in your heart to give and receive the pleasure you desire. Joy is part of your job now and needs to be on your schedule. Commit to activities that help you feel young, enthusiastic and expressive. These traits are necessities, not luxuries, if love is to blossom in your life. The downside of Saturn in this part of your chart can be feelings of isolation or emotional fatigue that tempt you to give up on love. Happily, spontaneous Uranus’s oppositions to Saturn on February 5 and September 15 should break you out of any funk. Venus’s retrograde period of March 6–April 17 is a critical time to reexamine core patterns in matters of love, partnership and self-worth. Her passage through the haze of your 12th House of Secrets can stir up feelings that you’ve kept hidden even from yourself. Discovering these needs can challenge you to approach intimacy in new and different ways.

Gemini:

The distinction between friends and lovers may be tested early this year, for sweet Venus in impulsive Aries spends most of February, March, April and May in your 11th House of Groups and Friends. Threats to your emotional well-being can provoke powerful interactions with others during these months, creating crucial relationship turning points when Venus squares intense Pluto on February 5, April 5 and May 2. Romance may come more easily as Venus moves through your sign on July 6–August 1, but her opposition to Pluto on August 2—as with her squares earlier in the year—can once again bring up difficult issues. Serious Saturn enters Libra and your 5th House of Romance on October 30, where it remains for a couple of years. Settling down into practical and enduring relationships will become top priority.

Cancer:

Hopeful Jupiter in unconventional Aquarius occupies your 8th House of Deep Sharing to transform the nature of your relationships. Your boundaries may be stretched by unusual individuals or novel approaches to intimacy. Let your mind lead your heart—it takes imagination to absorb all the gifts that partnership can bring you this year. Common ideals and spiritual interests can bring you to a higher level of understanding with a mate by reinforcing your connection with a higher purpose. Jupiter’s conjunctions with Neptune on May 27, July 10 and December 21 offer moments of sublime delight, romantic fantasy and blind faith, allowing you to overlook down-to-earth matters necessary to sustain a long-term partnership. The Lunar Eclipse in practical Capricorn on July 7 in your 7th House of Others will, however, temporarily bring you back to reality. Love is a wonderful thing, but you need plans and commitment to assure its longevity. If you’re single, this event marks a period when a clear sense of purpose, self-respect and a willingness to talk frankly about your needs enables you to come out of your shell and pursue your desires more directly.

Leo:

Although the Jupiter-Chiron-Neptune super-conjunction falls in your 7th House of Partnerships, placing an idealistic and hopeful spin on all your relationships, it is generous Jupiter that rules your 5th House of Love. Accordingly, its conjunctions to Chiron and Neptune in May, July and December are opportunities to heal old emotional wounds. Forgiving and forgetting are in theory simple concepts whose reality is complicated and sometimes painful, yet someone may come into your life during these periods to help you along. Additionally, the love planet Venus extends her stay in spontaneous Aries for most of February, March, April and May--activating your 9th House of Adventure. Romance is more than just having a good time; it must also widen your horizons and open your mind to exciting new possibilities beyond your wildest imagination.

Virgo:

Make yourself the top priority in relationships this year: Responsible Saturn in your 1st House of Self through October 29 puts the focus on your needs, desires and well-being. Rather than making service to others the keystone of partnerships, pull back to a place of greater self-interest; this will give you the time, energy and inclination to maximize your own strengths. Loving Venus goes retrograde in your 8th House of Intimacy on March 6 and turns direct in your 7th House of Partnerships on April 17—a period to reevaluate and, perhaps, alter your expectations of relationship and your commitments to others. If you're not satisfied with what you have, renegotiations are appropriate. A Capricorn Lunar Eclipse in your 5th House of Romance on July 7 is another potential turning point in matters of the heart, showing you that a current plan isn't working or that the burdens of responsibility you're carrying are too heavy. Don't be afraid to change course if you aren't headed in the right direction.

Libra:

You may need to revisit your past if you wish to move into your future, because two eclipses activate your 5th House of Romance early in the year. First, a wild Aquarius New Moon Eclipse joined by joyful Jupiter on January 26 foreshadows success in love. You must, however, be respectful of boundaries, or a wonderful opportunity could fall apart very quickly. Then a bold Leo Full Moon Eclipse opposed by wounded Chiron and spiritual Neptune on February 9 helps you move beyond your fears -- if you're willing to forgive someone in your past. Your dreams of ideal love feel close, yet you could waste energy chasing unrealizable fantasies as Jupiter, Chiron and Neptune dance around one another in your 5th House all year. A little common sense will go a long way when this cosmic super-conjunction is most active in May, July and December.

Scorpio:

There's definitely magic in the world of love for you this year: Jupiter and Neptune, the co-rulers of your 5th House of Romance, nuzzle up to each other on May 27, July 10 and December 21. Their conjunctions with Chiron the Wounded Healer should help you mend a broken heart and free yourself for richer romantic experiences. Inventive Uranus is already in the 5th House, so breaking new ground is an effective counterforce to your instinctive patterns of holding on to the past. Spontaneous self-expression shatters shyness and habits rooted in your need to remain in control. Love is not something to master now, but an experience of pure discovery able to surprise you with delight when you least expect it. Regression in relationships is possible when Venus, the ruler of your 7th House of Partnerships, is retrograde March 6 - April 18. Yet this return to old issues may well incite you to make changes rather than remain in your rut.

Sagittarius:

Vivacious Venus turns retrograde this year on March 6, setting the tone for your relationships. This shift in the planet of love's direction—while always important—is especially significant now because it occurs in your 5th House of Romance, suggesting a major reevaluation of your heart's desires and the best strategy to attain them. Rein in your impulses, even if it seems to take some of the fun out of life. What may be enjoyable in the moment might not produce the enduring satisfaction you seek. When Venus turns direct on April 18, you may have resolved a critical issue, freeing you to move in a more rewarding direction. An innovative approach to partnership opens the door for you to enjoy greater intimacy without feeling smothered thanks to a Solar Eclipse on July 21. This critical event in touchy Cancer falls in your 8th House of Deep Sharing, which usually indicates separation. Surprising Uranus makes a creative trine to the eclipse, however, reviving a fading relationship or revealing ways for you to make new connections where closeness and freedom can coexist.

Capricorn:

Impulsively jumping into a new relationship isn't your usual style, but this isn't a typical year when it comes to matters of the heart. You're inclined to express your feelings without considering their impact as sensual Venus spends most of February–May in spontaneous Aries. Nevertheless, you'd be wise to monitor your involvement so you don't jeopardize your stability, especially as Venus retrogrades through your 4th House of Security from March 3 through April 17. Make the most of Venus's harmonious trines to indulgent Jupiter on July 26 and October 28 by revealing your romantic desires selectively, leaving others more likely to respond with enthusiasm.

Aquarius:

You naturally expect more from your relationships this year: A growing awareness of your own potential arouses your desire for a partner equally interested in seeking more from life. Visionary Jupiter in your sign indicates that you're unwilling to settle for less than what you want. Additionally, serious Saturn in your 8th House of Intimacy until October 29 reflects the need to restructure your most important relationships. The limitations of others may force you to talk about making fundamental changes if you and a partner hope to remain close. If he or she is willing to work with you, there's no limit to how far you can go together. However, a lack of effort will lead to stagnation and a loss of trust that can permanently undermine your bond. A Lunar Eclipse in expressive Leo on February 9 falls in your 7th House of Relationships. Expect powerful longings to connect with someone new or to go farther with a current mate. Yet dreamy Neptune's opposition to the eclipse indicates that you may be projecting fantasies, so double-check your assumptions before you make any dramatic moves.

Pisces:

Dutiful Saturn in your 7th House of Others suggests that you might be pressured to make a commitment to someone, but this isn't a smart idea if you're harboring doubts. The Saturn-Uranus oppositions on February 5 and September 15 can push a relationship to its breaking point unless you're willing to address your need for freedom within the established boundaries. Your desires are stronger than usual when sensual Venus is in your sign January 3–February 2 and again April 11–24. You could reunite with an old love or revitalize a current partnership during the love planet's retrograde March 6–April 17. She visits your 5th House of Romance on July 31–August 26, followed by Mars on August 25 - October 16, increasing your chances to get involved with someone special. Eclipses on July 7, July 21 and December 31 activate your love houses, bringing into the open issues that can stress an unhappy relationship -- or solidify a good one.