Horoscope: Thursday, Jan 1

Too much indulging may leave you with a headache or stomachache to the point where you may want to spend most of today sleeping. The stress of this condition could cause you to snap at family members, but remember that they weren't the ones who chose to overindulge. Chill out, get some rest, and regain your strength. You'll be back in the real world soon enough.

Your confidence is sky high at the moment and will remain way up there in the stratosphere for several days to come. Don’t waste your time on petty tasks. Delegate as much as you can and save your energy for the things that really matter.

You may be desperate to get to the top but ambition alone won’t be enough to bring happiness – you need to pursue something that you feel is worthy of your time and energy. What that something might be will be a little clearer today.

You won’t be in the mood to try too hard today but that’s okay. People you live and work with will be happy to do things for you, so long as you remember to ask. They can’t read your mind (and you wouldn’t want them to!).

No matter how tempting an offer may seem today, be it financial or romantic in nature, you need to think about it for a while. According to the planets there may be more going on beneath the surface than other parties are willing to admit.

You may think that who you know and what you know will protect you but that is not an invitation to take foolish risks. The planets warn that even if you are the type of Cancer with a really tough outer shell you still have limits. Stay within them.

Just because you disagree with someone does not mean you cannot work with them. Even if your viewpoints are at opposite ends of the spectrum there are still ways you can help each other. Make like you’re the two halves of a single whole.

You cannot force people to think and act like you, so don’t waste time trying. If you are heavy-handed in the way you interact with others today they will dig in their heels and refuse to co-operate, even in areas where you generally agree with each other.

You must, repeat must, have a clear idea of what it is you want from life and how you intend to get it. Today’s link between Mercury, your ruler, and Saturn, will focus your thoughts so you don’t keep thinking in circles or going off at a tangent.

Be careful that you aren't acting in a way that you dislike in others, Virgo. You could find that you're slowly taking on the traits of the people you despise. Lighten up a bit and put a smile on your face. If you continue to see the negative side of everything, it's likely that other people will only see the negative side of you.

The demands of colleagues and employers may be getting a bit much for you. If that’s the case then you need to be brave and let them know that enough is enough. You’re not some kind of machine they can just switch on and off at will.

Forget about the past and focus only on the future. What’s done is done and cannot be undone, so get rid of any negative thoughts and feelings you may have and start a new life for yourself right now. Each day can be a new beginning.

Today you might read a book on exercise or nutrition that seems a bit unsettling, Scorpio. According to the book, you're doing everything wrong! Remember that what the author is probably outlining is a certain practice that worked for him or her. Everyone is different. Don't change your habits for practices that don't feel right. Consult a professional if you're still concerned. Such a person is more than capable of discerning what's right for you.

You should find it easier to be happy now that the Sun is transiting the most sociable angle of your chart. Meet up with people who share your positive outlook on life and do some fun things together – so long as they don’t exhaust you!

Money worries continue to unsettle you but the planets suggest that a week or so from now your financial problems will be resolved. One of the more outgoing and adventurous times of the year will begin very soon, so start smiling again.

You are not really as conservative in your thinking as you sometimes make out and over the next two or three days you will get the opportunity to surprise people by the radical nature of your ideas. They must, of course, be practical too.

You need a challenge that will bring out the best in you and what happens over the next few days will test you in ways you had not expected. You cannot help but succeed, so long as you have learned from recent mistakes. So, have you?

Your luck will change for the better when Venus, planet of emotional and material values, moves into your fellow Air sign of Libra on the 6th. Between now and them you should sit back and take things easy while you plan a new adventure.

Mars in your birth sign makes you hugely ambitious and what you do today and over the weekend will amaze even those who thought they knew you well. Seize the initiative and make sure the world knows you are a force to be reckoned with.

What you need to remember today is that if a job is worth doing it is worth getting paid for. Others will only try to cheat you if they believe that you won’t make a fuss about it. Make sure they know you are not such an easy touch.

So many of the things you have been worrying about are not worth the time or the effort and once you understand that you will find it much easier to focus on what is genuinely important. You are on the cusp of a brand new adventure.