The Emotional Baggage You Need to Leave in 2018, According to Your Sign

2018 was the year of retrogrades—and though 2019 won’t be without them, once Uranus ends its retrograde on January 6, we will be in a new year with all planets moving forward until spring! It’s time to leave 2018 in the past, and with it, some habits that no longer serve us and baggage that we need to learn to let go.

Fire sign Sagittarius is the boisterous, loudmouthed know-it-all-of the zodiac—the sign of more, more, more! Sag is always on the go, which can often mean they don’t leave enough time to sit with their feelings. This year taught Sagittarius that having too much baggage—emotional or otherwise—won’t help you get anywhere fast. So, how do you ditch your baggage, dear centaur? Communicating your feelings is a huge first step. You have too many places to go this year, and it’ll only hurt you if you aren’t honest about where you’re really at or capable of taking on. As you leave 2018 behind you, make sure you slow down and take the time to sit and ask yourself: How do I really feel? This exercise will help you be more grounded in your body in the new year, allowing you to speak from a great place of power about everything—especially your emotions.

Everyone loves and loathes Capricorn’s ability to hunker down and get shit done. Your ruling planet, taskmaster Saturn, has been in your sign through 2018 and will remain there over the next year, teaching you important lessons about maturity, responsibility, and authority. As you leave 2018 behind you, it’s time to let go of the urge to control everything. It’s generally a habit of yours to assume that other people don’t know what they’re doing and that you’re the only one in the room with the experience and wherewithal to get things right. When you approach life this way, you miss out on opportunities to let other people surprise you. In 2019, you’ll find that it’s very helpful to allow others to take the reigns and let them handle tasks so that you can get a much-deserved and necessary break! Taking a break is scary for many Capricorns, but you’ll need to learn how to pace yourself or you won’t get very far in the new year!

As the innovator and alien of the zodiac, it’s unusual for you to be closed-minded about meeting people, Aquarius—however, you can sometimes be a snob! You are loved for your unique perspective, which is sometimes even genius, but knowing better can unhealthily manifest as feeling better than everyone else! 2018 was a year that reminded you that people can be trash. Though you’ve been disappointed by some of your relationships and communities this past year, you have to leave that feeling behind in the new year. 2019 is going to be major for you to build community and network with like-minded people—it’s important that you keep an open mind!

People admire you for your imagination—which is as endless and mystical as the ocean!—but it’s crucial that you get real about things, Pisces. You have a tendency to be evasive or even paranoid, and 2018 brought out the worst of these qualities in you. You need to leave these behaviors in 2018 because next year will ask you to step into the spotlight and leave behind any unfounded ideas you’ve been clinging to. Connect with experts, get the facts, and even—gasp!—grow a spine and ask people for clarity. You yourself may be regarded as an expert in 2019, so it’s of the utmost importance that you know what’s up!

You, dear ram, are the bold and confident soldier of the zodiac, but one of your worst qualities is that you tend to leap without looking. In 2018, you felt more sheepish than your usual head-butting self because you were in your feelings and afraid of the unknown. It’s time to return to your brave self—and to dive into some fun, too—in the upcoming year. Life is all about balance, and for you, Aries, balance means being brave while also being mindful of the consequences of your often impulsive actions. Take a leap of faith—not foolishness—in 2019!

Being lazy is surely one of your worst habits, Taurus, but when you put your mind to something, you get so much done! With 2018 jam-packed with retrogrades, you were revisiting the past, which caused you to fall into your worst spiral: feeling stuck and absolutely immobile. But 2019 is full speed ahead, with no retrogrades as we enter the new year! You work well when you have a plan, so it’s crucial that you hammer together a to-do list for yourself to stay on track in the new year. Make sure to include lounging in lingerie—you deserve a little down time, too!

As a cerebral, mile-a-minute air sign, multitasking is your worst habit, Gemini—it’s almost like you think there are two of you! This year didn’t make it any easier, with plenty of hardships and work sent your way in 2018, but 2019 will bring fantastic relationship opportunities to your life. That’s why it’s of the utmost importance that you learn to ask for help from the wonderful people you partner with—romantically or otherwise—who will surely want to help you grow and succeed. It’s so impressive that you’re capable of managing so many projects at once, but you’re at your best when you’re truly able to focus.

As a sensitive water sign, Cancers are especially skilled at reading a room and others’ emotions. Though this is generally a great quality, the major downside is that you assume that others are equally psychic and able to intuit your needs without you communicating them. This is one of your worst expectations—one that you impose on people over and over—and 2018 made you even whinier in this regard because you felt like you’d been through it all before! You need to state your needs, boundaries, and emotions again and again—why? Because shit happens and life changes! We all need to keep up with each other, and this is made easier when we’re able to express where we’re at. Plenty of changes—especially in your relationships—will come in 2019, so hone your communication skills.

Fire sign Leo is known for being the center of attention! You love being in the spotlight, but that desire was not at all respected by the cosmic weather of 2018. (Sorry, Leo, that’s just how it is sometimes!) While there’s nothing wrong with wanting credit for your work or appreciation for your talents, no one wants to pay attention to you if you’re being a big crybaby about not being the star of every show. In the upcoming year, it’s crucial that you realize that if something doesn’t come your way, it’s not meant to be! 2019 will bring unexpected things your way—which are meant to be—so save your energy for these fated events.

You’re constantly roasted for over-thinking things, Virgo, and being overly critical is one of your worst habits. This year found you especially frustrated by having to go back and correct so many errors, what with the back-to-back planetary retrogrades of 2018! Your discerning eye is something we love about you, but if you ruminate and constantly spiral about how things “could have been better,” it won’t leave anyone happy—including yourself. In 2019, you must find healthy ways to leave work at the office. Spending quality time in your relationships can help, as would enjoying an artistic outlet like dance or music.

Associated with balance, Libra is often considered the sign of relationships…but your relationship with yourself is the most important one of all! Whether you were single, partnered, or somewhere in between, this year taught you how to listen to your own needs. You may be the sign of diplomacy, but it’s time to put your habit of bending over backwards for others in 2018 where it belongs. 2019 will be all about equal give-and-take. Balance, balance, balance, dear Libra! As an intellectual air sign, you can sometimes float out of your body, but now it’s time to ground yourself in the present. You’ll know when things are fair by trusting your gut instinct and listening to your heart.

As an intense water sign, you can be an emotional mess from time to time—but you’re not a dummy, little scorpion! You’re very smart, especially when it comes to cash….usually. You have a tendency to spend too much money when you’re set on proving yourself better than someone else—like trips to the salon for photos to post on social media, or throwing a lavish party specifically to bum someone out by not inviting them. Your willingness to let revenge bankrupt you is a bad habit that you need to leave in 2018. In the upcoming year, you must be generous—if not financially, then at least with your heart. When considering a purchase—or making any move, really—ask whether you’re doing it to bring yourself joy or just doing it to make someone else pay.

What's in the stars for you in December? Read your monthly horoscope here.

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