You're out for a real, honest-to-goodness emotional connection this year. That's first and foremost on your priority list. Fortunately, when it comes to prospective partners, you know what you like and, more importantly, what you don't like -- and during 2008, your perceptive abilities will be especially keen. If you're already attached, your emotions for your partner will deepen considerably as the year progresses, and from Halloween through the start of the New Year, you'll be amazed at how close you two become. There may even be cohabitation or marriage on the agenda as the year draws to a close. If you're without a soul mate as 2008 begins, you'll be especially determined to find one this year, and you won't stop until you do. The actual 'interview' process will be quite streamlined compared to past attempts, thanks to your newfound (and almost psychic) ability to cut to the emotional chase, especially during January and February. When it comes to dating, you'll be able to tell whether you have a future with the person you're sitting across from within five minutes of the moment you say hello, smile your charming smile and unfold your napkin. And don't discount the possibility of 're-interviewing' someone you've already been involved with, by the way -- someone who seems quite different now. (And if it doesn't work out in January, they may ask to try it again in July.) If it's someone new you decide upon, the real fun will begin when you discover that they felt the same immediate connection you did. (You'll know when you meet this person -- they're the one who puts that grin on your face, right from the get-go, whenever they're in the vicinity.) When it comes to career matters, you'll be working hard -- really hard -- but you'll definitely see some serious rewards. The higher-ups in charge of your paycheck and your professional future will toss some 'atta boy/atta girl' sentiments your way during mid-March and late September, followed by the raise, promotion or bonus you've been aiming for. And don't be surprised if you end the year as a highly regarded authority figure yourself!

CAREER: You want to get serious about your work in a new way this year, and you should find myriad opportunities to do just that. It could be that you find a new job that meshes better with your deepest ideals or that you find a way to tweak your current responsibilities in such a way that you get more personal satisfaction from each day's work. The last two months of the year will be all about commitment -- and that's a two-way street. Give a little, get a little. The more you show your bosses you're with them for the long haul, the more latitude you'll get in return. It's entirely possible that you will feel out of place at work as 2008 gets going though. If so, start looking for something new right away -- speed will yield more interesting possibilities for you than thoroughness. Your instincts will be sharp and almost feral as you scent out opportunities that others would miss entirely. You should be able to find something almost perfect by early March. Midsummer might bring an offer from an old employer; don't pass it up without thinking it through all the way. You might be able to get a lot out of a counterproposal, so don't be shy about asking for the Moon. Once you've made up your mind, you'll be able to settle right into your new environment as though you'd been there forever. Through it all, you'll still have the same attitude toward day-to-day stuff: Get it done and forget about it. That's not to say you've got no long-range strategic vision, just that you won't be taking any more work home than you absolutely must. Look for props from above in spring and fall and for upward trends in your career movement all year long. If you play your cards right and feel comfortable in management, you could see a fat promotion come your way just as 2008 wraps up.

LOVE: When you plant a tree, it takes several years before it begins to bear fruit. Harvest season after harvest season passes with no sign of apples. If you've been waiting year after year for the kind of romantic connection you only read about in books, your patience is about to pay off. In other words, when apples finally appear on those boughs, there will be enough for pie -- and applesauce too. When it comes to romantic partners, you've had plenty of time to figure out what you want. In 2008, your ability to discriminate between a bad apple and a good one -- and to tell a delicious varietal from the mealy types you grew up with -- will be especially keen. If you've already settled on someone you'd like to stay with for a long time, this will be the year you explore the permanent motivations and lasting basis for your passion. Parallels between you and your partner will be thrown into sharp relief, and the complementary differences between you two will become visible as well. You might think that finding the rational basis for a mystical connection will kill the romance, but in fact, the opposite will be true. Your emotional connection will deepen as the intellectual and instinctual aspects of your relationship begin to work in tandem. If you haven't yet found a partner at the beginning of 2008, you're in for a very lucky year. However, you can't just expect prospective soul mates to come to you. A determined dating schedule in the winter will yield spectacular results, thanks to your ability to instantly identify the kind of partner who will suit you. It's also possible that someone you've been involved with in the past may ask to rekindle a connection that had fizzled out. Give it a try -- with your practically supernatural discernment, you'll be able to tell quickly whether the person deserves another chance. Once you find someone special, you'll be thrilled to find out that they felt the same visceral connection you did in the first moments of your meeting.