I first met astrologer Susan Miller in 2008. Her daughter, Chrissie, who runs a clothing line called Sophomore, was having a small get-together at her apartment, and Susan took a seat next to me and Parkery Posey (no big deal) on the sofa. I told Susan I was an Aquarius, to which she replied, "Oh, I'm so sorry." At the time, my life was basically awful—it wasn’t a good time for many Aquarians. I was unhappy with my work, I had about $40 in my bank account, and, worst of all, my younger brother tragically passed away the previous month. Susan was sympathetic. Not only did she tell me everything would get better—Jupiter was entering my sign in 2009—but she also gave me her phone number just in case I needed to chat. And that's why everyone loves Susan Miller—because she's real. Her monthly horoscopes read like a letter from a friend, and her fan base rival's that of Justin Bieber—only her fans are probably more obsessed.

As the world's most renowned astrologer, Susan Miller is also the world's busiest. Not only does she run her own website, AstrologyZone, and provide daily e-mail horoscopes, her famously sought-after Year Ahead book—which she personally writes—returned this week after a six-year hiatus. Susan’s web site is reaching record viewership, and having only been on Twitter for six months, she’s just cleared 34,000 followers. She's also launched a print-on-demand, custom-made relationship book for readers called The Two of Us to determine how any two signs work together romantically. There's even a gay edition.

Major news outlets, from CNN to FOX, turned to her to demystify the recent reports of shifting star signs. According to Susan, the procession of the equinox—the technical term to describe the slight shift of constellations—was first discovered in approximately 125 BC by a Greek mathematician, Hipparchus of Nicaea. Susan assured me that there is no change in the zodiac signs. Otherwise I'd be a Capricorn, the sign that's known for putting work before anything else—so unlike me. Susan recently delivered an all-day seminar to a packed room of devoted fans (including Robert Verdi, Paper’s Mickey Boardman, and Elle associate publisher Lori Fromm) where she revealed that nothing in the year ahead will be as bad as it was 2009 and 2010. "The planets were clanging at each other, but they had a purpose: to create a new world order," she said. Susan was able to give me a slice of her busy schedule, where I got the dish on what to expect for 2011.

Why is 2011 going to be better than 2010? Last year was all about reinventing yourself and this year will be all about finding and making the most of new opportunities. While last year you had to search for the gems inside you, this year, you will have some help, and that’s a big change—things will get a wee bit easier. Jupiter, the planet of good fortune, is changing signs three times in 2011. This is extraordinary. You generally have Jupiter in only one sign a given year. On January 22, Jupiter will move from Pisces to Aries, and on June 4 will move into Taurus, to remain there until June 12, 2012. OK, so what does this exactly mean? This means everyone will get a shot at luck this year. A note to Aries: Break out the champagne! You really haven't worn the crown of celestial favorite since 1999---so go ahead, party like it’s 1999! As I said, Jupiter will enter Aries on January 22. What does this mean on a national level for not only Aries but for everyone else? Jupiter in Aries will create entrepreneurial opportunity and allow for funding of new ideas, so this bodes well for both small and large businesses, as we begin to see shoots and leaves spout up. So this year will be totally and completely awesome? Well, almost. We have a lot of eclipses this year. Six in total. Is that good or bad? Eclipses generally bring to light any problems in your life, what's not working and what needs to be fixed. They offer a moment of clarity but sometimes in the most intense way. We had a friendly and exciting eclipse on January 4 and we won't see any more eclipses until summer but be prepared because we have three eclipses in a row this summer: June 1, June 15 and July 1. You rarely see three in a row, which means this is not going to be an easy summer! Wow. So this summer is going to suck. Well not exactly. Eclipses test situations, and they reveal truths. We need these cosmic events because they provide very rapid change and set things back on course. To break it down, the June 1 eclipse in Gemini will be relatively friendly, the June 15, a full moon in Sagittarius will be more mixed (and will be tied to events that happened at the end of 2010, December 21). Two weeks later, an eclipse on July 1 is actually about to be a little scary! (laughing). Let's just say the July 1 eclipse is due to be the most challenging one of the year. Ultimately, this summer could be a workout for many people, simply because we have three eclipses in a row, two weeks apart. Eclipses are the most dramatic tools the universe uses to create quick, sudden change so that we will respond and move forward. It's definitely not a time for vacation! We're going to deal with change and surprises. It'll be demanding. Gemini, Sagittarius, Cancer and Capricorn will be on the vanguard of it all. Does it get better after the summer? Yes. Fortunately, in August, Mercury will be retrograde, which is generally something we roll our eyes at but we'll be so happy to have a boring month after all that eclipse drama! In September, things will begin to look up again. October has a heavy, serious tone because this year, Saturn is still in Libra and will touch many planets in October. November will be quite special—as sweet as the month of May, and although there will an eclipse in Sagittarius November 25, it is generally a positive, helpful one. December is solid, but kind of a wild card, due to the very last eclipse, December 10 in Gemini.

Can you describe the two kinds of eclipses? Full moons are always emotional and will end a phase in your life .A full moon eclipse is always a lunar eclipse, and it feels like three full moons in one. We had one December 21, 2010, and the next one is due June 15, so that one will bring heightened emotions, as will the one at year’s end, December 10. The moon in anyone's chart stirs your memories, dreams, hopes and desires, so when you have a lunar eclipse, your feelings and those of others around you, come to the surface. The full moon eclipses are harder to take but it certainly clarifies things. New moons bring opportunities and beginnings, like the one we saw January 4 and the ones we have coming June 1 and November 25. July 1 is a new moon, solar eclipse, too, but the planets will be in very hard aspect, creating sudden situations that will need fixing immediately. There will be an urgency about July 1 that will create tension, but of course, once we respond, we will be in a new place and will feel calmer.

What about the recession? When will that finally end? Saturn, planet of the lessons we learn, and the hard work we need to do, is in the house that rules home and real estate and will be there until October 12, 2012. Saturn is that detail-driven, heavy, kinda grumpy planet that we need to push us if we are to make things happen. My feeling is that recession will last until Saturn leaves Libra on October 5, 2012. Yes, I'm sorry to say it, we're in it for a painful period for a while, so we all need to plan accordingly. Until then, there will simply be a glut in housing inventory, and that will delay our recovery. The United States is a Cancer country, born July 4, 1776 and Saturn is in the house of home. We are paying for errors in judgment by the banks that go back quite far. This does not mean we won’t make progress in 2011—we will, day by day, but it will be gradual. I don't think I like Saturn very much. Well, on a positive note, Saturn makes you commit to big projects and work very hard. He teaches that nothing comes for free, but on the other hand, he also shows us that the things we work hardest for are the very things we feel the most pride in accomplishment. Saturn stays in a sector of your chart approximately two years, and during that time, he will ask to reinvent yourself in some appreciable way. My advice is to try something new to shake things up this year. You need to ask yourself the right questions, for if you find those, others will help you find the right answers. In fact, ask a lot of questions, like a reporter. If you feel stuck, get a sense of what's going on in your particular industry by talking to many people, including your competitors. And we also have Jupiter in Aries to look forward to, right? Yes! Jupiter in Aries says "be competitive, be brave." Don't hide right now. The world needs your ideas so don’t hesitate to share them. The first half of the year will bring to light many edgy ideas. In June, this lucky planet of good fortune will move into Taurus. Taurus is much more conservative sign, so later, in the second half of year, you will become more practical about finding ways to stabilize your new ventures. The first half of year is more about generating ideas and the second half is implementing them in a practical, sensible way. We shouldn’t just wait for things to get better, we have to be part of the process. Do something radical: go back to school or start your own business. The message is clear—try new methods and develop a spirit of adventure. Anything else we can look forward to? I love the first half of the year. I LOVE February. We have stelliums. What's a stellium? A stellium is a crown or group of stars gathering in one sign and that creates a lot of energy and can foster fresh starts too. February, March and April are awesome. Mercury retrogrades in April, so expect it to be slow. But May is deliriously special, one of the best months of the whole year, with November the runner-up month for best. All the planets are getting along. Well, until June, when the eclipses arrive to give us a bit of a kick in the pants. Very cool! And what about love for everyone? Is romance in the air? I'm glad you asked because that brings up Neptune. Neptune is the planet of dreams, vision and inspiration. It's all right-brain communication (painting, gestures, expression on face). In 1998, the Universe assigned Uranus, Neptune, Pluto and Jupiter to create the Internet, and these planets worked on it as a group. Alas, the Internet went public in 1998. When most of the planets went into different signs afterward---Jupiter in 1999, Uranus in 2003, and Pluto in 2008, Neptune hung back, and assured the rest, “I’ll keep an eye on things and tweak the Internet. I am not leaving. Now that the Internet is stable, Neptune will briefly enter Pisces (April 1 to August 1 2011) for the first time since 1847-1962. Neptune will retreat back to Aquarius to tie up loose ends on technical matters (including the Internet), but be back to Pisces on Feb 2012, this time to stay for a staggering fourteen years. Neptune is moving into this, the most sentimental, romantic passionate sign of the zodiac, Pisces, and because Neptune rules Pisces, he will be comfortable there, for it is his home sign. Neptune hasn't been back home since the age of Romanticism. No one alive on this planet has seen Neptune in Pisces! So what does this mean? I see HOPE FOR LOVE. Neptune also rules images, photography and the face, so I believe Skype will become clearer and better quality, as will face-to-face phones. We will also start looking at each other and stop writing so much. Right now there's a whole generation that loves texting but at some point we're going to want to see each other, touch each other and read each others faces in the most loving way again. Neptune in Pisces will be very good for humanity, for it is the best placement for charitable activities and volunteerism but it’s also going to be quite spectacular for the future of love.