I’ve been going over the major astrological events of 2014, and boy… what a powerhouse of potential and peril. And furthermore, the first warning shot is fired on New Year’s Day.

January 1st features a New Moon in Capricorn. New Moons are often a good time to plan out what you’re doing and what you want to achieve for the next month, and Capricorn has a reputation for being solid and dependable. This year, with the proper timing and effort, you might be able to extend that spirit throughout the year.

The exact New Moon happens at 6:14 AM on the East Coast/3:14 AM Pacific, so unless you’re partying pretty hard, I’m going to assume you will commence your resolution sometime later in the day. One of the main features of this New Moon is a square between The Sun, Moon, Mercury and Pluto  conjunct in Capricorn to the Mars in Libra-Uranus in Aries opposition.  Normally it’s the Full Moon that has the reputation for causing edginess and discord, but this New Moon could rival that for many of you. A lot of people have a Designated Driver on New Year’s: you might want to consider getting one for your mouth and your temper too. Alcohol, as you may have noticed, doesn’t always help with such things.

Of course, an “edge” can also be a good thing. New Year’s Resolutions can be the sort of thing where one merely pays lip service to the big changes that are needed but never really get addressed. Provided you don’t blow up, this New Moon’s energy could be just what you need to blast through your personal obstacles.

Just as every person has a birth chart based on the moment of birth, in theory so does every action. Picking out the right time and day to start a business or initiate a project is called Electional Astrology. Every time you start something new you can cast a birth chart for it, but it’s probably a good thing you don’t… in theory you could spend half the day in bed waiting for the right moment to commence things, then wait until the next day because the Moon is Void Of Course and thus something could go terribly wrong with breakfast.

Nonetheless, for important projects, it’s often worthwhile to wait until the right time to start things. Since we’re approaching New Year’s Day, and that’s traditionally the day when we all swear to start ____ more or to stop ____, picking the right time to start can improve you chances of success.

I’ll be having a look at your best timing for various common resolutions in a minute, but first, some general conditions:

-None of these are set to commence on exactly January 1st at midnight. Midnight on any day seems like a bad time to start any new venture, but on a day when everyone’s drinking and/or partying, and no one expects to show up the next day for work? Forget that. Starting a new project or breaking a habit is hard enough without having to start in the middle of the night when you’re in the middle of a party.

-To be precise about these things, ideally you should have a look at the transits to your individual birth chart as well as current conditions in their own right. Although I am basing my suggestions on House Placements for my location in New York City, these should apply to you in your local time. When in doubt, go with your gut for the exact timing.

-All of these resolutions are based on the list at USA.gov. Few people realize that one of the primary roles of the US Government is to help you stick to your New Year’s resolutions.  Also, please note none of the following resolutions are listed on the USA.gov web site: making Congress work, stopping all the spying on civilians and allies, ending secret drone attacks, fixing the minimum wage, or arresting the crooks who tanked the economy a few years ago. Thanks for all the help, USA.gov!

So, keeping all that in mind, here are some optimum times for you to start your new habit, new activity, or new life, based on your local time:

SUNRISE – ONE HOUR AFTER SUNRISE: Weight gain, changes to make your work routine happier, or changes to make yourself look better. Jupiter will be strongly aspected in the local 6th House, and Venus will be rising. And yes, I said weight gain.

TWO-FOUR HOURS AFTER SUNRISE: More sex and/or romance in your life. Jupiter moves into your local 5th House, which rules romance. Mars in the local 8th House at that time is usually pretty good for sex. In either case, you may want to recruit someone ahead of time to help with these things, ideally.

MID-DAY: Excellent for making long-term changes to your career and/or the whole issue of “what you’re doing with your life.” Also, not bad for making changes to a long-term relationship… specifically, getting out of one that has outlived its usefulness.

TWO – FOUR HOURS AFTER MID-DAY: Setting educational goals and/or making progress with the daily routines in your life, such as exercise or organization.

SUNSET: Improving a long-term relationship, or finding one.

THREE-FOUR HOURS AFTER SUNSET: Matters related to children or to just “having more fun” in general. Also, getting a grip on either emotional habits or addictions.

There you have it: your New Year’s Day is taken care of, and the rest of your year ought to be just fine. Well, at least that would be the case if it weren’t for the following 364 days…