Horoscope: Monday, Jan 5

Jupiter at odds with Pluto, planet of power, means you must be ready for upheavals of one kind or another, especially on the work front where employers and colleagues are likely to rub you up the wrong way. Whatever the provocation, strive to stay calm.

There's a conflicting push-pull aspect at play that may leave you feeling a bit unsure of how to proceed, Taurus. On the one hand, you feel like you want to plan and get your emotions stabilized so you can function at full capacity. On the other hand, there may be something pulling you into the clouds. This is your heart talking. Listen to it and find a compromise between the two energies.

You have been rather self-absorbed of late, which isn’t like you at all, but in a matter of days the gloom will lift and you will be ready to engage with life again. But don’t go from one extreme to the other and do ten times too much.

Sometimes life gets a bit too much, even for a Gemini, and if that is how you feel at the moment then you need to take a break. There is no point pushing yourself harder as the point of diminishing returns has been reached. Be kind to yourself.

A fantastic Venus-Jupiter union tomorrow will boost your confidence no end. Whatever it is you want most out of life you can and you must go all out to get it now. If you think big and act big then big rewards will soon be yours.

If you want to be productive and show how capable a Cancer you can be then try doing something a little bit different. If you go over the same old ground in the same old way you will simply get the same old results and that won’t impress anyone.

If you have not yet made changes to your working routine they will be forced on you over the coming week. The full moon on Thursday, in particular, will put you under pressure but that’s okay – because that’s when you do your very best work.

You're looking good and your social skills are at their peak, Virgo. Therefore, social events and group activities that you might attend today could well be the most satisfying and beneficial you've known in a long time. People you meet should be impressed with you, and you could make a lot of new friends. If you aren't romantically involved now, a new love could come your way.

You may be reluctant to come down hard on someone who has been taking liberties but you must. If you let them get away with this kind of anti-social behavior they will take it as a sign that they can do as they please. Don’t let that happen.

You may not be pleased that someone is maybe a bit more vocal than necessary in their criticism of you but nevertheless what they say has relevance, so listen and learn to do better next time. But no, you don’t have to thank them.

Your engine may sputter this morning as your gears begin to turn, Scorpio. It could be that you're working out something important in you mind that's helping clarify your emotions. The answer you seek is probably nothing like the one you'll find. By the time night comes, you'll have everything figured out. All the answers you need will be right there in front of you.

If someone tries to provoke you today you must not rise to the bait. The only reason they are being so disagreeable is because they want you to overreact and make yourself look bad in the eyes of people in authority. You’re too smart for that.

Information coming your way today might be unreliable, Capricorn. It could be hard for you to take a solid hold on the messages you get. Keep in mind that there are important answers waiting to be heard. These answers will come to you when you least expect them. Keep your mind open to new possibilities and the path will open up and become clear. Don't compromise your consciousness with abusive substances.

Someone you meet over the next few days could be of enormous benefit to you, so it’s important that you make them feel welcome. First impressions may not be that great but give it time – they will grow on you as the week progresses.

Mercury, planet of communication and the mind, joins the Sun in the most dynamic area of your chart today, making it easy for you to justify, to others and to yourself, what you have chosen to do. Now all you have to do is get on and do it.

You may not have time to think about what you are doing but you must do it anyway. Your instincts will guide you if you let them and if others try to stop you that’s a sure sign you are on the right track. So keep going.

A week or so from now you will find that your responsibilities get a bit heavier, so make sure you get plenty of rest between now and then. Have fun too but don’t burn the candle at both ends or you may risk burning yourself out.