Tag: 2012

  • 2012 for Cancer

    If you managed to handle events of the last year decently, things will seem easy in comparison in 2012. Expect the year to get better as it progresses towards the latter half, says Ganesha. All said and done, you still need to take a good care of yourself, your health and your loved ones. Health will improve this year, thanks to Neptune’s favourable aspect with your sign, yet you can’t afford to be careless. Home, family, love, spirituality, as always, will surely remain at the centre of your universe, yet you may now see yourself trying to enhance your social network too. Travelling to foreign lands and higher education are distinct possibilities. Personal growth, development and creativity will also take centre-stage. Ganesha cautions you against getting complacent in financial and legal matters, though. Family matters may become burdensome. Ganesha advises you to take up a hobby to get a break from your mundane life. Some unique challenges may also be lined up for your sign this year. Express yourself, wherever needed! Any upheaval in your love life will have a positive bearing in the long run.

     

    Home and Family

    Your domestic life is likely to go through a lot of ups and downs in 2012. But don’t let the negativity affect you, if you wish to successfully deal with the challenges. You are not an expressive person and this usually becomes your disadvantage. Your bottled-up emotions can be a lot more destructive than you can imagine. But there’s only so much you can bottle up, and one day your heart may just refuse to contain anything more. Thus, you need to express your emotions in a mature way, without hurting anyone, and perhaps also channelize your negativity in different ways. Try taking up a hobby or sweating it out on the badminton court. Saturn exits your 4th House on October 5, bringing great relief on the home front. The worst will be over by then, and you will make great progress from here on, assures Ganesha.

     

    Love and Social Life

    Last year may have been quite challenging for your love life. If your relationship has survived that, there are strong indications that you will easily sail through the problems, if any, in 2012. Some problems simmering under the surface may come to fore now. Be ready to deal with them upfront, rather than avoiding them. As always, you will remain in love with your home, and your respect for your immediate/ extended family may increase with time. Single crabs may find someone special, and this may finally end their quest for a perfect companion. However, marriage will have to wait, and it’s best to do that; wait and watch, says Ganesha.

     

    Health

    Throughout the year ahead, you will be extremely busy with household work, socialization and career matters. All of that may adversely affect your energy levels. Don’t take you health for granted. Any major health issue is not indicated, yet you cannot afford to become complacent. In fact, make extra efforts to be fit, as a healthy body and mind will guard you against plenty of ailments. Don’t bottle up your emotions; express them candidly as this will help you vent out your feelings. You will feel lighter and relaxed, as a result.

     

    Finance and Career

    In 2012, your earning capacity will be correlated with your energy levels. So improve your health and energy levels in order to improve your finances. From July 23 to August 22, and then again from September 6 to October 3 your money House will be strong – first, because the Sun transits through it, and also because during this period Venus passes through it. These are the two time periods when your earning potential will be at a peak. As for your career, it may not create a definite trend in the coming year. Those of you who were born early in the sign of Cancer would have experienced many career-related upheavals last year, and Ganesha advises you to brace up for more. You may feel disappointed with your current career, and may choose to opt for something that would give you more freedom.

     

    GaneshaSpeaks.com is #1 in India and #3 in horoscope portals on a global level. It offers accurate, reliable and trustworthy services online and on 55181(at premium rates) on all major telecom providers in India. Content syndication for print, TV, online, telecom and apps is one of the major verticals in GaneshaSpeaks.com. For more details dial +91-79-61604100 or send an email to contact@ganeshaspeaks.com.

     

  • 2012 for Leo

    The year 2012 looks set to be another happy one for lions, especially till October. Post that as well, there won’t be much to worry, assures Ganesha. Expect your health and energy levels to peak, making it possible to do so much – all that your fertile imagination may have envisaged. Career success is more or less a surety this year, thanks to the optimistic planet of Jupiter. Your social stars will be brilliant. The success and good times will make you confident, and may spur you into taking financial risks. While being aggressive gives you an edge over others, and often tends to bring better gains, being impatient and hasty may lead you into making faulty decisions, cautions Ganesha. The same goes for your love life. It looks set to be tumultuous in the coming time. You may feel emotionally drained or ready to explode. Slow down and first assess what’s damaging your relationship or domestic bliss. The reason may be a third party altogether! You may feel overburdened with responsibilities, but you need to recognize that there are no free lunches in this world, points out Ganesha.

     

    Home and Family Life

    Possibility of random differences and conflicts arising on the domestic front is high, foretells Ganesha. Home and family have been troublesome areas for your sign for a few years now. Ganesha assures that while you shall be able to handle most of these problems, there may be one or two particular problems, which may turn out to be too complex to deal with. Your beloved may also have a tough time adjusting with your immediate family or family responsibilities. On the other hand, your own family may pose troubles on the same (or some other) account. Heated arguments, family issues and misunderstandings may disturb your peace of mind. It is advisable that you address such situations with immediate effect, and try your best to mend fences before it gets too late.

     

    Love Life

    Your House of love – the 7th House – has been very strong and as a result, your love life looks set to have been a joyful, even if slightly tumultuous, ride in the past few years. This trend may change this year, as a few short-term planets will move into the 7th House, causing some temporary shifts in your love life. Post this phase, your 7th House may also remain empty for some duration. A few short-term planets will move into the House, but, again, for brief durations. This implies that your love life may remain stagnant for the most part of the year. Uranus, your love planet, will spend the year mostly in a square aspect to Pluto. Such a planetary position has the capability to produce fiery results – all of which may not be negative. If you are single, don’t make any hasty decisions, advises Ganesha.

     

    Health

    Your cards indicate that you will be in good shape all through the year. Uranus has been in a favourable aspect with your sign, and this year on February 3 Neptune, too, shall recede from a stressful aspect in your sign. Moreover, your 6th House, the House of health is going to be occupied by favourable planets. Hence, as far as your health is concerned, 2012 shall bear many positive results. However, post October 5, when your health planet Saturn will enter the sign of Scorpio, you will have to be extra careful about your health and energy levels. In case of an illness, try alternative healing therapies rather than following the beaten track, advises Ganesha.

     

    Career and Finance

    You will look to enhance your financial independence and wealth in the year 2012, predicts Ganesha. This drive may make you more fearless, and you may take risks in order to fulfil your ambitions. However, Ganesha advises you to be careful in this regard. All your strategies may not give you expected results. Failure teaches the most important lessons of life, they say. You will make mistakes, but will be quick to learn from them. This and a strict vigil can help you inch closer to success. On the career front, you are likely to excel. Expect promotions, increments and a rise in status. You may also come across some wonderful career opportunities during the year. Give some thought to each of these opportunities, even if you are not looking for a change immediately, advises Ganesha.

     

    GaneshaSpeaks.com is #1 in India and #3 in horoscope portals on a global level. It offers accurate, reliable and trustworthy services online and on 55181(at premium rates) on all major telecom providers in India. Content syndication for print, TV, online, telecom and apps is one of the major verticals in GaneshaSpeaks.com. For more details dial +91-79-61604100 or send an email to contact@ganeshaspeaks.com.

     

  • 2012 for Virgo

    There may have been additions to your life in terms of marriage or subtractions from it in terms of a relationship break-up in the last few years. Challenges were here, there and everywhere for your zodiac sign. The changes lined up for the year 2012 will bring you much-needed respite. Finance, work, health, higher education, foreign travel, career and personal transformation will be in focus this year. You will be conscious about your physical fitness, but don’t over exert yourself, advises Ganesha. Health is still delicate, due to Jupiter’s unfavourable aspect. The same aspect shall be fruitful for your career, though. Your financial position may not be very encouraging. However as the year progresses, expect things to change for the better. Never forget the lessons you’ve learnt in the past; times are changing, and for good. Your love life may continue to go through a testing phase. Look at the positives; the downtime will allow you to assess your needs and mistakes, says Ganesha.

     

    Home and Domestic Life

    Your home and family circumstances must have eased since 2008 when Pluto exited Sagittarius, but for 15 years prior to that things would have been rather depressing, says Ganesha. However, 2012 will be bright and cheerful, but it will not be too eventful. No major changes are foreseen, least of all shifting to another home. You are free to do so if you choose to, but in all likelihood, you won’t be keen on it. Being a stability-loving sign, you shall be more than happy with the status quo. However, the lunar eclipse on June 4 may cause you some temporary stress, bringing to the fore the residue of lingering resentments. This will actually help you in making the final corrections and adjustments in your domestic life, and, thankfully, they will be nowhere near as harsh or distressing as they were before 2008. Your family planet, Jupiter, will remain in Taurus till 11th June, 2012, and this indicates stability which you would rather not disturb, as you have been through too much turbulence already. Jupiter in your 9th House indicates an inclination towards religion, spirituality and advanced studies. Family support also will be more forthcoming, assures Ganesha.

     

    Love and Social Life

    Uranus exited your 7th House last year, and as a result, your love life is likely to have become more peaceful. You will be more relaxed, and the aftermath of a strong relationship jolt will, finally and duly, be fading this year. This calmness may appear to be rather strange to you, maybe even dull, but you’ll happily accept it after all these years of turmoil. One thing is sure, that the whole feel will be quite soothing, assures Ganesha. There will be a definite sense of stability and security, so refreshing after instability. In a significant move, Neptune enters your 7th House, which is its own sign and House, a powerful situation for you to be in. It portends very well for love, says Ganesha. A satisfying love life is on the cards now. Lofty as your love ideals are, the presence of Neptune will elevate them even more in the year 2012. Creative interests shall also get a boost in this period, thanks to this aspect. You are also likely to meet dancers, artists, poets, astrologers, etc.

     

    Health

    You have always given utmost importance to your health, and your approach to it has largely been shaped by the presence of Neptune in your 6th House for the last 14 years. You will also realise that love and affection have a direct impact on your well-being, says Ganesha. You may also have explored various spiritual dimensions of healing. However, in 2012 you may not be very mindful of your health, certainly not as careful as before. More so, because Neptune is preparing to leave your 6th House. Nothing to worry, though! This just means that health shall no longer remain at the top of your priority list, and Ganesha sees no great harm in this. If your health is perfectly fine, you may not need an exclusive focus on it. You can concentrate your energies in other areas. Find a hobby, nurture a passion and give some food to your grey cells – after all mental well-being is as important.

     

    Career and Finance

    Your monetary situation has not been very encouraging for the past two years, and there seems no respite in sight, at least for the better part of 2012. However, times are improving with each day, and the nightmare is, more or less, over. You may now be reorganizing your finances, which was actually badly needed, says Ganesha. In 2012, you will need to put on your thinking cap and meticulously plan out your expenses and savings. You have been doing a lot of financial planning during the last two years, but it was more about financial management than actual cash inflow and bank balance. The planetary positions, this year, shall be helping you take better control over your finances. You will now spend money more judiciously, as your parameters of ‘necessity’ may have undergone a change, for good. You will also be able to differentiate between ‘desire’ and ‘need’, and act accordingly. Thus, all in all, Ganesha sees you becoming wiser about money matters.

     

    GaneshaSpeaks.com is #1 in India and #3 in horoscope portals on a global level. It offers accurate, reliable and trustworthy services online and on 55181(at premium rates) on all major telecom providers in India. Content syndication for print, TV, online, telecom and apps is one of the major verticals in GaneshaSpeaks.com. For more details dial +91-79-61604100 or send an email to contact@ganeshaspeaks.com.

     

  • 2012 for Aries

    The overall theme will be of ‘change’. The more ready you will be for it, the better, says Ganesha. Expect things to pick up gradually as the year 2012 progresses. As always, personal freedom will be important to you. But this year, activities related to social welfare, sensual pleasures and communications will come to the fore too. Focus on letting go of the past, getting a strong hold over your finances and sprucing up your act in the personal domain. Physical exercise will, as always, hold a place of pride in your schedule. Remaining active will also help you attain a better life. You may also be travelling a lot in 2012. Post October 2012, once Saturn moves out of Libra, your life will become easier and more comfortable. Matters related to your health, profession and prosperity will get a boost. In the domain of love, disappointments and setbacks may have been the order of the day, especially last year. Things may improve, but be careful before investing your trust and emotions in any casual relationship this year. Ganesha advises you to remain calm and positive. Use any alone time to augment your earning capacity.

     

    Home and Family Life

    Travelling and globetrotting may make you spend a considerable amount of time away from family and home. However, good news is that you may be able to sort out some long-standing family issues this year. Be ready to accept responsibilities, as this will help you avoid problems on the domestic front. Brace up for some changes too, which will, in all likelihood, bear positive long-term results. Uranus in your 1st House may also make you quite restless. Tame the extra energy by being positive and investing some time in your hobbies and tasks allotted by your loved ones. Look to make the best use of the two lunar eclipses in 2012 – 4th June 2012 and 28th November 2012, as Moon will help you sort home matters this year. You will also be motivated to sort out long-standing conflicts and misunderstandings in the family with this trend.

     

    Love and Social Life

    Saturn, the disciplinarian, has been in your 7th House for quite some time now. This shall continue to be the case till October 2012. Your love life may continue to remain dull, and your eternal quest for freedom may affect your intimate relations. However, you can mend broken hearts by expressing your emotions, and putting in more efforts to revive a stale relationship. Delay important decisions, especially if they are related to a relationship, a new affair or marriage. Single rams may get attracted to somebody older and more influential, and their relationship could be a sort of career move. Whatever it may be, Ganesha advises you to take your time in these matters. On the social front though, things may seriously hot up; casual friendships, flings etc are possible

     

    Health

    The planetary positions suggest that throughout the year ahead, especially from January to June, you will be focused on your physical fitness and overall health. An exercise regime and other activities will help you remain in good shape and will help you enhance your appearance and self-esteem. Although you may be trying hard to maintain your health, your energy and enthusiasm level may take a beating, mostly owing to stress, overwork and relationship issues. Take it easy, advises Ganesha. And, avoid shoving the issues under the carpet. Face them, and you will feel much relaxed. Avoid unnecessary risks in sports and games.

     

    Career and Finance

    A substantial increase in the value of your assets is likely this year. Jupiter will be in your money House until 11th June 2012. By then, you will have achieved a lot of your financial goals, foretells Ganesha. You need to be clear about what money means to you, and how you want to get it. This is because Jupiter, the planet of philosophy and religion, is associated with wealth this year. Therefore you should have your own philosophy about financial matters in order not to make mistakes. If what you think and perceive is not right, it may negatively affect your ability to earn. Ganesha also advises you to sort out your love-related issues, as this aspect of your life tends to greatly affect your ability to earn. The more stable you are in your personal and love life, the more stable your financial status will be.

     

    GaneshaSpeaks.com is #1 in India and #3 in horoscope portals on a global level. It offers accurate, reliable and trustworthy services online and on 55181(at premium rates) on all major telecom providers in India. Content syndication for print, TV, online, telecom and apps is one of the major verticals in GaneshaSpeaks.com. For more details dial +91-79-61604100 or send an email to contact@ganeshaspeaks.com.

     

  • The world according to JWT, in 2012

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    Ad hotshop JWT feels that in 2012, the economy will push brands into opening up more entry points for cost-sensitive consumers as the “new normal” becomes a prolonged normal in the developed world while at the same time, tough times will generate an unprecedented entrepreneurialism, with the so-called Lost Generation of youth becoming a uniquely resourceful group that creates their own opportunity. The above findings and plenty more, are the result of their annual forecasting exercise – the seventh in the series – of key trends that will drive or significantly impact consumer mindset and behaviour in the year 2012.

     

    JWT’s ’10 Trends for 2012′ is the result of quantitative, qualitative and desk research conducted throughout the year for the report. It includes inputs from nearly 70 JWT planners across more than two dozen markets and interviews with experts and influencers across sectors including technology, luxury, social responsibility and academia.

     

    “With our annual trends forecast, we aim to bring the outside in-to help inspire ideas beyond brand, category and consumer conventions-and to identify emerging opportunities so they can be leveraged for business gain,” remarked Ann Mack, director of trendspotting for JWT. “Trends, like any complex and dynamic human phenomenon, are not preordained-once they are spotted, they can be shaped.”

     

    Previous trends that have been forecasted over the past years include: “De-Teching” in 2011 (more people logging off, at least temporarily, to get a break from technology); “Location-Based Everything” in 2010 (the explosion of location-based or -aware services that leverage data from mobile phones); The Small Movement” in 2009 (the shift away from “bigger is better” in everything from homes to cars to mobile technology); and “Radical Transparency” in 2008 (the “nothing to hide” ethos seen in some online behaviours).

     

    The top 10 trends that have been predicted for 2012 are as follows:

     

    1. Navigating the New Normal

    As the new normal becomes a prolonged normal in the hampered developed world, more brands in more categories will open up entry points for extremely cost-sensitive consumers. Marketers will find new opportunities in creating stripped-down offerings, smaller sizes and otherwise more accessible products and services.

     

    Example: In the US, Heinz is introducing several reduced sizes at a suggested retail price of 99 cents, including a 10-ounce ketchup pouch and a 9-ounce yellow mustard, as well as mini Worcestershire and Heinz 57 sauces.

     

    2. Live a Little

    Faced with constant reminders about what to do (exercise more, eat better) and what not to do (smoke, overspend), and fatigued from several years of austerity, consumers will look for ways to live a little without giving up a lot. People have been exercising more self-control, and increasingly they are looking to let loose once in a while: indulging in sinful things, splurging on treats and escaping from today’s many worries.

     

    Example: Whiskey in South Africa, premium beer in the U.K and cheap eclairs in India are small indulgences that consumers with little to spend are enjoying.

     

    3. Generation Go

    While twenty-somethings in the developed world feel they’ve been dealt an unfair deck, many are finding opportunity in economic adversity. Out of continued joblessness or discontent with the status quo will spring an unprecedented entrepreneurial mindset, enabled by technology that obliterates traditional barriers to entry. A so-called Lost Generation will transform itself into a uniquely resourceful cohort.

     

    Example: More than half of Millenials in the US agreed that if they lose or have trouble finding a job, they’ll start their own business, according to a JWT survey, up from 25 percent in 2009.

     

    4. The Rise of Shared Value

    Rather than simply doling out checks to good causes, some corporations are starting to shift their business models, integrating social issues into their core strategies. The aim is to create shared value, a concept that reflects the growing belief that generating a profit and achieving social progress are not mutually exclusive goals.

     

    Example: Philips is partnering with the Dutch government in a bid to provide affordable, sustainable energy solutions to some 10 million people across 10 sub-Saharan African nations by 2015.

     

    5. Food as the New Eco-Issue

    The environmental impact of our food choices will become a more prominent concern as stakeholders-brands, governments and activist organizations-drive awareness around the issue and rethink what food is sold and how it’s made. As more regions battle with food shortages and/or spiking costs, smarter practices around food will join the stable of green “best practices”.

     

    Example: U.K. supermarket Sainsbury’s featured a summer promotion in 2011 offering customers who asked for cod, haddock, salmon, tuna and prawns an alternative, more sustainable species such as herring or mackerel for free.

     

    6. Marriage Optional

    A growing cohort of women is taking an alternate life route, one that doesn’t include marriage as an essential checkpoint. Both in the West, where this trend is building, and in the East, where it’s gaining momentum, “happily ever after” is being redefined as a household of one, cohabiting or single motherhood.

     

    Example: In 2010, a third of Japanese women entering their 30s were single, while 37 percent of all Taiwanese women 30-34 were single.

     

    7. Reengineering Randomness

    As our individual worlds become more personalized and niche-and the types of content, experiences and people we are exposed to become narrower-greater emphasis will be placed on reintroducing randomness, discovery, inspiration and different points of view into our worlds.

     

    Example: Airtime, due to launch at the end of 2011, is being touted as a random real-time video chat platform where strangers will be “smashed together”.

     

    8. Screened Interactions

    More flat surfaces are becoming screens, and more screens are becoming interactive. Increasingly, we’ll be touching them, gesturing at them and talking to them – and becoming accustomed to doing so as part of our everyday behaviours. This is opening up novel opportunities to inform, engage and motivate consumers.

     

    Example: In New York, a restaurant at high-end department store Barney’s features 30 individual screens in a large communal table that’s covered in glass; diners can digitally order their meal, then browse the store’s catalogue while eating.

     

    9. Celebrating Ageing

    Popular perceptions of ageing are changing, with people of all ages taking a more positive view of growing older. And as demographic and cultural changes, along with medical advances, help to shift attitudes, we’ll redefine when “old age” occurs and what the term means.

     

    Example: To appeal to Gen Xers and Boomers, Polish beer brand Zywiec launched a campaign with the tagline “The best is ahead of you”. Commercials showed older male celebrities including actors, a boxer and a cartoonist, speaking about their lives, offering insights and advice.

     

    10. Objectifying Objects

    As objects get replaced by digital/virtual counterparts, people are fetishiZing the physical and the tactile. As a result, we will see more “motivational objects”, items that accompany digital property to increase perceived value, and digital tools that enable creation of physical things.

     

    Example: Sincerely’s Postagram app allows vacationers and others to turn snapshots into snail-mailed postcards. Similarly, Postcard on the Run reminds potential users that for recipients, a physical card is “a real keepsake they can hold close to their heart, put up on the fridge or display at work”.