Risks Worth Taking in 2020, According to Astrology

Download the Astro Guide app by VICE on an iOS device to read daily horoscopes personalized for your sun, moon, and rising signs, and learn how to apply cosmic events to self care, your friendships, and relationships.

Uranus is the planet of invention and surprise, and its placement in our birth charts can show how we take risks and experiment with new ideas and social movements. It’s described as a forward-thinking planet that’s all about rebellion and breaking tradition.

Uranus began its retrograde on June 22 2019 and went direct on January 11, and will retrograde again from August 16 to November 29 this year. (It should be noted that for outer planets like Uranus, the days that their retrogrades begin and end are more meaningful than the period itself.) While Uranus was retrograde for the past six months, previous risks we’ve taken popped up for review, and now that the planet is direct, we are trying new things and breaking out of the norm. Uranus likes to shake the table just for the sake of shaking the table!

Uranus is currently in Taurus, a sign famous for being stubborn: How can Uranus shake things up in a sign that gets moving so slowly? Only time will tell, but we can expect shifts in how we spend money, our understanding of ownership, how we eat and what we consume, how we relax, and how we react to boredom and stimuli. With Uranus in Taurus, if we can overcome our initial resistance to something, there could be practical and innovative solutions. Uranus in Taurus could bring sudden growth spurts or a sudden falling away of something that has felt like a permanent fixture. Anything that is not rooted in a core reality will fall away now, but there is an opportunity to discover what’s truly valuable to us. Uranus can be a frustrating energy because it’s so unpredictable, but we can harness its power when we seek liberation.

Here’s how you’ll be impacted by Uranus this year, and what risks you could take to help take advantage of its energy:

Making progress toward your material goals calls from some financial risks this year, dear Ram. Uranus in Taurus is shaking up your sense of financial stability, but it’s also encouraging you to break out of old boring jobs that don’t promise you much of a future. Alternatively, you could find that your values are drastically shifting. Certain goals, rewards, or even relationships that you spent time and energy seeking out in the past might not feel as sustainable or worth your time. Venus-ruled Taurus is all about the comforts of luxury, abundance, and leisure, but Uranus in Taurus offers a wake-up call. If you’ve been complacent or getting stagnant in your goals—about the things you care about most—life will challenge you to make sacrifices. This is not the year to play it safe. This is the time to go all in and give yourself a real chance to make more money, establish a sustainable business, and walk away from unfulfilling jobs. Consider looking into new ways of making cash that feel unconventional.

You’re breaking new ground when it comes to your identity. This is more than just trying on a new hat. You’re learning how to connect your personal experience with the crowd’s. While Uranus is the planet of rebellion, it also represents a collective consciousness or hive mind. See how you fit in, or how you don’t. You can be taking more risks related to who you surround yourself with, and how you present yourself. It’s more than a phase and it’s deeper than trying out a new piercing or changing hair styles. It’s a state of mind! While you typically play it safe, trusting in tried and true methods, Uranus in your sign encourages you to act out and play around! You are not afraid of lashing out against things that have kept you from expressing your authentic self.

Challenge yourself to learn from your instincts in 2020, Gemini. Get in touch with your inner voice and take a risk at developing your intuition. By sharpening your ability to read the room, you can improve your ability to know what’s just around the corner. You might second guess yourself, but this year you should try to hear your very first impression of something as soon as the idea hits you. These impressions can seem to come from the ether, like you’re pulling electricity out of thin air! Try to know how it feels to tap into the collective unconscious, and roll with it. This is a powerful year for inner, subconscious work; going to therapy may feel like a risk, but it’s one worth taking at this time.

You have a loyal and dedicated base, Cancer; your friends are like your family and you will never leave them! This is very sweet and what makes you such a great friend, but this year you could also benefit from making new friends—open yourself up to new social settings and networks, and you may be surprised by who you meet. Someone knows someone, and can introduce you to the right person who can make all of your dreams come true! Open up your parties to people you wouldn’t usually think of inviting and have fun with the wild cards. Go to events that you might normally stay home from. Strange characters are bound to entertain and excite you!

You are forging an entirely new career path, Leo, doing something that you never expected to be doing, but there you go! You are surprising yourself and everyone around you with your originality and authority. You’re a natural leader, but flowing with the changes along your professional path means having the courage to take risks. Success and popularity typically go hand in hand for you, but Uranus in Taurus is a cosmic encouragement to take a chance on your future, even if not everyone approves. It could mean disappointing someone you look up to at some point or gaining a reputation for the unconventional. The path to your success may or may not lead to popularity, but that’s a risk you’ll need to take if you’re going to be true to yourself.

This year, learn something totally new, dear Virgo! Try to challenge yourself with new books and research topics, and question yourself and the things you’ve learned in school. You are questioning your mission statement and figuring out the direction you’re headed. It may seem disorganized, but you can probably figure out a system to organize the knowledge. Take a risk and publish something, like a zine or album of your music—you have talent to share, and though sharing it can make you feel vulnerable, this is an amazing year to spread the message about your work. Take an unexpected trip—thrilling and unexpected opportunities arrive when you break out of your usual routine this year.

Uranus in Taurus is shaking up your financial life, Libra. It’s easy to know what you have, but the cards in someone else’s hands are hard to see! Uranus is the planet of the unexpected, and since it’s in the sector of your chart that is obscured or hard to see, it’s really hard to predict exactly what’s going to happen this year. When the sun and Uranus meet at the end of April, the radical wildcard in your life becomes a little clearer and you gain a better understanding of how to manage it. But for now it can feel like the ball is in someone else’s court and you have to accept that there are things outside of your control. Once you have confidence in your ability to support yourself, then you can take risks that feel surprisingly liberating. A big risk you can take all year round is asking other people for help.

You are taking risks in your relationships, Scorpio. Interdependence is key! While you are a very loyal sign, you might find that you need more space between you and others right now. This doesn’t mean you don’t care for them—on the contrary it shows that there is trust and reliability. You can experiment with new forms of partnerships, trying new things when it comes to how you shape your relationships as a whole. You want to both be doing your own thing—not one person fully relying on the other—so you can both come out stronger and more stable! This might not be something you’re totally used to, but a less conventional approach to partnerships is something you’re exploring and taking risks with.

You are taking risks with your lifestyle now, opening yourself up to experimental beauty regimens, diets, and scheduled routines. Anything that seems new and cutting edge might appeal to you, but of course you’re skeptical. You will find what works for you! You can pick up and put down new habits, especially if you connect with a group or collective that can make your vision of the future something that you work toward little by little each day. You’re trying new approaches to taking care of your chores and taking risks with your work so that you can find a new way to squeeze in some time to chill.

Your social circumstances are changing erratically, dear Capricorn. Who you might be interested in dating and the friends you pass the time with can also be unpredictable. You’re the type of person who keeps friends around for a long time, but you’re more open to taking risks with your crew these days. You’re also taking creative risks this year! You might have liked one genre of music before, but your tastes are changing as you find new modes of self-expression and creative freedom. This is also a time for sexual freedom and getting to know more about what you like, and the social forces that shape these desires! Sexual politics are definitely of interest to you this year, and though earth signs like things that are tried and true, you may be interested in trying something new, too!

As your ruling planet Uranus occupies the sector of your chart that rules home and hearth this year, changes on the domestic front can shake up your ability to feel completely settled down. Take a risk with buying portable furniture or maybe renting an apartment that’s already furnished. Try to make moving easy for yourself by packing light. If you’re certain you’ll stay put, work the energy by bringing in an unusual or unexpected upgrade to your home! Your family life is sure to get some shake-ups this year too, and this is a powerful time to break free from the past, from traditions, and from emotional patterns that no longer work for you.

You don’t need to go far to make wild discoveries this year, Pisces. Uranus in Taurus encourages you to wander into new local scenes, strike up conversations with people even your quirky Pisces-self has reservations about, and raise radical discussions within your community. Instead of strolling through your usual haunts and sticking to your favorite hangout spots, you’re invited to take new routes and see new people and places. The risk is that you could get a little lost and may feel intimidated, but the more you indulge in the adventure of novelty, the more you’ll learn and appreciate your surroundings. Your local isn’t the only comfort zone you’re encouraged to step out of: Breaking out of old thought patterns and finding refreshing ways to express yourself are also things to aspire to this year. Of course, that means risking being wrong or saying something that not everyone will agree with. Give yourself permission to take that risk, even if it means making a strong impression that you’re worried will come across as too bold. Have courage to speak your mind and see things in a new light. Growth requires change.

Want these horoscopes sent straight to your inbox? Click here to sign up for the newsletter.