As far back as 2700 years ago, and especially since 1752, most of the Western world has adopted January 1st as the first day of the year, but is this a wise choice? Astrologically, Capricorn is NOT the best place for the Sun to be in. This puts the emphasis on rules, regulations, organization, and control. We want our lives to more creative and spontaneous and this isn't going to happen on a worldly level until we change our New Year to a more compatible sign for the Sun.

Astrologically, the chart for the 1st day of the year sets the tone for that entire year -which is why it's important to start it at an auspicious time. Of course it's not just the Sun that sets the tone, but it is the primary consideration since the Sun rules our year. Jan.1st, which is a Roman invention, does not even consider the solstices or equinoxes which are natural starting and ending points for the path of the Sun. Instead we have chosen the early part of dead winter for such a starting point -which only brings death and pessimism itself.

Who started Jan.1st? According to legend it was King Numa Pompilius(753-673 BC) who succeeded Romulus the founder of Rome in 715BC. Rome was traditionally founded on Apr.21st, 753 BC(also the birthday of Numa). Numa introduced the months of January and February and a leap year into Romulus' ten-month lunar calendar of 304 days to to account for the extra 61 days between December and January. The original Romulus calendar started in March but now it would start in January and be a lunisolar calendar(of 355 days).

Most other nations outside of Roman rule had either lunar or lunisolar calendars whose new years started variously in January, March. April, June, September, and December. China's New Year, for example, always falls between Jan.21 and Feb.20, and this has not changed for at least two millennia. The Indian or Hindu calendar celebrates the New Year at various points in the spring, usually around the spring equinox(late March), and the Jewish or Hebrew calendar always celebrated the New year around the autumnal equinox(late September).

Worldwide adoption of January 1st is only hundreds of years old resulting mostly from the spread of Western culture(colonialism) throughout the world. Great Britain is the key player here. They passed the(New Style) Calendar Act in 1750 establishing January 1(rather than March 25th) as the first day of the new year for the UK and their dominions. Eventually everyone else in the West adopted January 1st for economic as well as political reasons.

The Sun, ruler of Leo is best placed in fire or air making the spring and autumn equinoxes(0°Aries and 0°Libra) compatible starting points for a New Year. The Aries or Mars New Year would encourage life, strength, growth, confidence, and victory. Negatively, it would stimulate war, impatience, and insensitivity. The Libra New Year would stimulate a love of beauty, peace, and harmony, or negatively -complacency, argumentativeness, and superficiality.

Perhaps more ideally, the Leo period itself(Jul.23-Aug.22) or its opposite(Jan.20-Feb.18) would be the best starting point for a New Year. The Sun or Leo New Year would promote love, warmth, leisure, and creativity, but may also encourage dominance or egotism. The Aquarius New Year would stimulate the importance of truth, freedom, and brotherhood, but also chaos and coldness. Gemini would ephasize the importance of knowledge or education and Sagittarius of ethics or spirituality.

Instead we have a Saturn or Capricorn New Year which places importance on worldly or materialistic themes and may be an important reason why this planet is still backward or enslaved. Changing our New Year to a more positive influence won't make all our troubles go away, but it will certainly help.