Inner Space
By Eric Francis
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19)
Is there a room in your house suitable as a movie theater? I think there is, even if it’s a modest digital theater. This is the year of the Aquarius Odeon, to which the whole neighborhood can be invited regularly. It’s the spirit that counts more than anything, and the quality of what you present – make it weird, intellectual, retro and neo all at once. Given that your whole life has taken on this cinematic quality, Hollywood is the perfect decorating theme. This will help keep the dramas where they belong, on the screen rather than acted out in real life – unless you’ve been planning to audition for something, which I do recommend.
Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)
Weird has been your middle name for a couple of years now, and you love it. You have the license to invent whatever you want and call it beautiful; if Andy Warhol got away with it, so can you. The essence is experimentation, fast changes and keeping what works. Going international would spark your imagination, and for some reason, African comes to mind. Dark colors, reds and browns – or pure white, not the usual blues and purples you’ve always loved so much. Keep it deep, and remember that all wealth comes from the Earth.
You’re not the type to collect stuff, or even be particularly interested in it; but suddenly the material world means a lot more to you: material as in the textures of fabrics and colors of cloth that come to life in your fingers. This developing inner sensitivity seems to have become a passion, as if you’re seeing dark reds and browns for the first time in your life. Or like you never noticed the luxury of mahogany. Or food that you cook at home all afternoon. Will you ever go back to glass and chrome? Or Chinese take away? Let’s not ask.
Taurus (April 19-May 20)
Most of your renovation and redecoration is going to be psychological, so we might ask what constitutes the design equivalent of therapy. The answer starts with art, which needs to reflect the inner landscapes that have become so familiar recently. Choose pieces that represent who you are becoming, and images that depict feelings or settings you would like to make real. You’ve worked out your stuff’ enough to be feeling an unusual degree of dedication, passion and spiritual fire rising up. Keep it in sight, and look at it often.
Gemini (May 20-June 21)
For Gemini, the emphasis this year is on water, and a little goes a long way. You don’t want too much; it’s possible to use water for inspiration, or to drown emotionally. Balance is key. An aquarium would make a great addition to your home (invest in the best lighting you can get, so the plants will thrive), which will remind you of what the world of feelings is really about. At the same time, you need to add something fiery; if you have a fireplace, use it more, or experiment with lighting that touches hot colors, such as yellow and orange.
Cancer (June 21-July 22)
Since everything in your life this year seems to center on a new or renewed relationship, you might want to prepare your home for that. Notice carefully how you use space. Open the way for what you want to become real, or for the changes you want to see happen. Clear closets. Work with the intention of creating a turning point. Notice how you relate to the past: to old objects, for example, many of which you may want to let go. But the very oldest ones, authentic antiques, you need to keep, acquire and understand.
Leo (July 22-Aug. 23)
Bigger may seem like better, but I suggest you go for qualitative improvements in all areas, particularly on the deepest levels (foundations, long-term repairs and anything that increases the value of your home). The result will be that you’ll feel safer, love your home more, and profit in the long-run. Once that’s done, add a touch of true excess. You might want to have the finest in-home bar in the neighborhood (with some imported exotic libations), and for sure the most lavish bedroom. These will feel all the sweeter as certain long-awaited career developments make it all possible.
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22)
You may wake up one morning and decide you want everything to change all at once, and be seized with the urge to hire a full-size wrecking ball. Let it pass, and start small, with the hand-held model. Or the most powerful decorating tool of all, namely trash bags. You know there is one indispensable change you need to make, probably involving your main living area. Clear it out; start entirely from scratch; brighten it up with gusto. You need it to seem a little larger than life, or at least larger than it used to be – because that’s exactly what you are, too.
You don’t often let on how exotic and interesting your real aesthetics are, but I suggest you not hide this particular fact now. Your image as Miss Tasteful needs some serious tarnishing as you show your true colors, which you’ll only find in a custom mix. Speaking of: this is THE year to pursue your dream of some kind of creative pursuit. The room to develop is an art studio, but please, not in the basement. You need northern light, room for your head, and plenty of space for your mind. If you knock down some walls in the process of doing this project, that would be an appropriate metaphor of self-discovery.
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22)
Jupiter has come to your sign, and that’s another way of saying ‘on the move’. What would be the perfect mode of travel where you would feel at home all the time? I don’t think you’re the motor home type, but if you are, buy the best. No matter what, there is some equivalent of carrying your home on your back. It would certainly be a fun experiment to live part of the year onboard a ship. Wherever you are, there are certain comforts of home you can fit in a suitcase, so that even a hotel in a remote part of the world feels like your space.
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22)
Ideally, every Sagittarian home would come with an airport and observatory. You may not have enough land for the airstrip, but you need to turn your eyes skyward and your ears toward the cosmos. Using cosmic imagery (easily available online) as artwork would certainly be inspiring, including a ceiling mural. Its deeply personal meaning will gradually dawn on you as the year progresses. And even if you don’t want to go for the telescope, get some big binoculars. On those precious clear winter nights, you will not believe your eyes – or the changes these visions inspire.
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20)
Your life is centered in the kitchen this year. Think of the place where you prepare food as a temple that must be maintained every day as a devotional ritual. But you need to figure out how to turn this into a party, so get the largest kitchen table you can fit inside the door. Meanwhile, the ‘work is play’ theme is spray-painted all over your charts, and your office needs to be the other most alive place, be it in your house or at work. Think like a child, paint it bright colors, and fill it with your favorite toys. Many hands make light work; keep it social.
