In ELLE’s new column, Ask the AstroTwins, our resident astrologers take on your burning questions about the cosmos. Suffice it to say, 2024 was intense. As we near 2025, the AstroTwins share what we can look forward to in the year ahead. And, most importantly, they answer: How will things be different?
It’s true: 2024 was yet another unpredictable year in this strange, unprecedented decade. While 2025 may still be a mystery, we do predict that the mood will be decidedly calmer.
For one thing, 2024 was a Dragon year on the lunar calendar—a frenetic, flamboyant, and fiery cycle that comes around every 12 years. The Dragon is associated with combative Mars and trailblazing Aries in the Western zodiac. There’s a whole lot of novelty and excitement during Dragon years, but they can also become so extra that everyone winds up feeling burned out by the end.
Fortunately, the sensual, sophisticated Snake takes the helm in 2025. This cycle begins with the Lunar New Year on January 29, slowing down the pace of life considerably. In the Western zodiac, the Snake corresponds to peaceful Venus and earthy, grounded Taurus. After a year of warrior Mars energy waging battle on our psyches, it will be a huge relief to have Venus, the planet of beauty, harmony, and love in charge. Exhale.
Evolve, too! Just as the transformative snake sheds its old skin, 2025 is a year where you can let go of outworn practices. With the Snake corresponding to rooted Taurus in the Western zodiac, the metamorphosis may involve taking better care of the Earth. In addition to laying down our swords after a Dragon year, we may also want to give up more single-use plastics and fast fashion fixes.
Numerology also plays a part in the incoming energetic shift: 2024 was an 8 Universal Year (2+0+2+4=8), while 2025 will be a 9 Universal Year (2+0+2+5=9). The 8 Year themes are strikingly similar to the Dragon’s vibe, with a huge focus on money, power, and authority.
Get ready for a more soulful groove as of January 1. The 9 Year is all about compassion, release, and humanitarian love—pretty similar to the Snake, in fact. This is the final chapter in numerology’s nine-year cycle, making 2025 feel like a giant cosmic cleanse. 2026 starts it all over again with a 1 Universal Year. What loose ends do you need to tie up in order to prepare for that fresh start? Let go, and let it flow.
Speaking of flow, on January 11, the fateful North Node heads into dreamy, healing Pisces for the first time since mid-2007. Meanwhile, the karmic South Node will flow into Virgo, the sign of wellness and service. The lunar nodes aren’t planets, but rather two points in the sky that are associated with our collective destiny. This 18-month cycle, which lasts until July 26, 2026, could bring a return to Piscean compassion and empathy—along with a Virgoan push for natural healing.
It’s worth noting that since July 17, 2023, (and until Jan. 11, 2025), the North Node was planted in Mars-ruled Aries, the sign of war, and the South Node was tucked into Venus-ruled Libra, the sign of peace. That’s yet another reason 2024 brought so many disruptive clashes! As Pisces and Virgo, two of the most healing signs, take command of the collective consciousness in 2025, there’s hope that love will conquer hate.
One more thing! Three of the slow-moving outer planets are doing an interesting dance in the year ahead. Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune will leap forward into new signs for part of the year, then swing back into zodiac signs that they’ve been in for three, seven, and 14 years respectively. In our 2025 Horoscope book, we’ve dubbed 2025, “The Year of the Divine Pendulum,” because this back and forth could make you feel like you’re teetering between two realities.
How to counter the cognitive dissonance? Center yourself regularly with exercise, nutritious eating, and periodic alone time. But no isolating, please. Opt for more IRL time with friends and less screen time alone in your bedroom. AI can’t replace the warmth of a genuine connection. As you detox from the scroll (or dial it back considerably), tap into the imagination-boosting powers of the Pisces north node, the spiritual energy of the 9 Universal Year, and the artistry of the Snake. Creativity might just replace your favorite influencer as your new form of catharsis—or turn you into a creative influencer yourself.
Pre-order The AstroTwins 2025 Horoscope now.