The Element Encyclopedia of Birthdays

With their survival instinct and natural understanding that determination is power, people born on January 3 possess the potential for outstanding success, and they can and do overcome impossible odds. Typically, in their forties, sometimes sooner, they tend to realize that they are at their happiest and best when they connect with their intuition; this enables them to find ways to develop their unique talents and leave their personal stamp on the world.

On the dark side

Stubborn, erratic, controlling

At your best

Charming, controlled, determined

Love Protective of loved ones

People born on January 3 are capable of unconditional love and are drawn to the security, comfort and happiness that family life can bring. Their determination applies to their relationships as well, and they want these to work. They love the routine of family life and are extremely protective of loved ones, sometimes overly protective. The only danger is that they are vulnerable to flattery; if they aren’t getting admiration and respect from their loved ones, they may well try to seek it elsewhere.

Health Set a goal of eating one new fruit and vegetable a week!

An early-to-bed and early-to-rise routine, combined with a healthy, balanced diet rich in a wide variety of fruit and vegetables, and forms of competitive exercise such as swimming or athletics, will keep people born on this day running smoothly. Concerns and anxieties about appearance and/or aging should be managed not by quick fixes such as cosmetic surgery but by regular health check-ups, attention to diet and lifestyle, and a multi-vitamin and mineral supplement. A few drops of the following essential oils on a handkerchief to breathe in will help produce inner security and self-acceptance when anxiety about aging threatens to overwhelm: frankincense, jasmine, sandalwood, and bergamot.

Career Born self-starters

These people have good financial know-how and tend to be able to accumulate plenty of money. They often function better in small rather than large businesses, or when they are self-employed. Music, drama, comedy and media hold their appeal but they are also very good at fighting for humanitarian issues or pushing forward social reforms, so they can also excel in politics, charity work, career counseling and education; perhaps even running for office one day.

Destiny To show others that the impossible can be possible

Once people born on this day have discovered that they can be committed to a cause without losing their identity, their personality is so powerful that they have no trouble influencing others and winning against all the odds. Their destiny is to show others that the impossible is possible and that determination can yield remarkable results.

Power Thought

“The darkest hour is before the dawn and I will come shining through”

January 3

Signs & symbols

Sun sign: Capricorn

Ruling planet: Saturn, the teacher

Symbol: The Horned Goat

Birth date ruler: Jupiter, the philosopher

Tarot card: The Empress (creativity)

Favorable numbers: 3, 4

Lucky days: Saturday and Thursday, especially when these days fall on 3 and 4 of the month

Lucky colors: Dark gray, purple and pale brown

Birthstone: Garnet

4 January the birthday of the eclectic

Your greatest challenge is…

coping with not feeling understood

The way forward is…

to put yourself in the other person’s shoes; slow down and explain your perspective.

You’re drawn to people born on…

October 24 to November 22

You share a love of experimentation and analysis and this can create a bond that is endlessly fascinating to you both.

Luck maker

Determine when patience or persistence is needed

If you truly believe you are right, you will stick to your guns and do what it takes to get what you want.

Those born on January 4 like everything eclectic. In other words, they like to collect, sort and then select only the best, and they use this quick-witted, creative approach in all aspects of their lives. A list of their friends looks like a media mogul’s address book, and their work résumé—with numerous stints in different lines of work—reflects their curious personality and unlimited powers of imagination. To others this may look like an undisciplined and erratic approach, but there is always method in the madness of those born on this day. By learning all that can be learned from a variety of sources, they eventually emerge triumphant with an encyclopedic knowledge of life that appears to serve them well in almost any situation.

Because of their eclectic nature and interest in so many aspects of life, January 4 people tend to be the catalyst that stirs up issues in others and makes them face things that they might rather not face. They are very direct people and any interaction with them has to have meaning and purpose, otherwise they quickly lose interest. Their directness and inability to indulge in chitchat can work against them—as idle conversation is often a means of establishing rapport and common ground with others—but more often than not their ability to sum up a situation and to come straight to the point is welcomed as a breath of fresh air.

Although these people do know how to have fun—especially when they are young—they don’t tend to be diverted by the trivial for long. In their thirties and beyond they prefer to exert their considerable energies and talents on a variety of projects to give them fulfillment; these are the years when their potential for professional success comes to the fore. Those born on this day really do need to concentrate their energies on finding a line of work that indulges their need for change but also allows them to be the creative, spontaneous and innovative person they were born to be.

On the dark side

Cold, controlling, intolerant

At your best

Independent, imaginative, methodical

Love Effortlessly attract admirers

With their quick wit and encyclopedic knowledge, January 4 people naturally attract friends and admirers. Their changeable nature can sometimes make it hard for loved ones to keep up or know where they are coming from, and—until they find someone who is equally vibrant and experimental—their relationships can be a bit hit and miss. Their directness can be off-putting but underneath there lies a sensitive and caring person.

Health The mind-body link

The need of those born on this day for experimentation means that getting into a healthy lifestyle routine is not always easy to achieve. Over-reliance on caffeine and/or mood-changing drugs to feed their over-active mind is also a danger. It is extremely important for them to understand that a healthy body equals a healthy mind and for their minds to work at an optimum level they need to take care of themselves by eating sensibly, getting enough sleep and taking regular exercise. Meditation will be particularly beneficial. Ginger essential oils are known to clear the head and improve memory, so if they have a load of work or study in front of them, a ginger-scented aromatic candle is a good choice.

Career Born motivators

It is vital for these people to choose a career that gives them plenty of variety, such as those within the media or travel industries. Their love of knowledge and great communication skills suggests that they can also make great motivators and teachers, as well as scientists, lawyers, researchers, writers, statesmen or stateswomen, journalists and inventors. Whatever career they choose, their ability to inform and inspire others has the potential to bring them great success and respect from their colleagues.

Destiny To inform and inspire others

The life path of people born on this day is to gather knowledge and to put all that knowledge to positive use. They can do this by showing the world ways to reconcile the practical with the idealistic. Through their help and creativity, visions of a better world can be realized. Their destiny is to inform and inspire.

Power Thought

“Today, I Will stick to my guns”

January 4

Signs & symbols

Sun sign: Capricorn

Ruling planet: Saturn, the teacher

Symbol: The Horned Goat

Birth date ruler: Uranus, the visionary

Tarot card: The Emperor (authority)

Favorable numbers: 4, 5

Lucky days: Saturday and Sunday, especially when these days fall on 4 and 5 of the month

Lucky colors: Gray, blue, silver, cognac brown

Birthstone: Garnet

5 January the birthday of resilience

Your greatest challenge is…

understanding what you want from life

The way forward is…

to try new things to find out what gets you really excited.

You’re drawn to people born on…

August 24 to September 23

You share a love of communication and your mutual understanding can create an unbreakable bond of trust and loyalty.

Luck maker

Set the right level of positivity

For enthusiasm to be effective, sometimes it has to be low key; people need to feel motivated by you, not cornered or smothered.

Those born on January 5 have a great deal of emotional resilience, possessing the ability to recover quickly from setbacks and difficult situations. They can do this because, unlike other less resilient souls, they have the remarkable ability to leave the past where it belongs—in the past. They also have an understanding that loss and disappointment are part of life’s journey, and this understanding means they are often wise beyond their years.

Their leadership qualities are strong and they are capable of great dedication and personal sacrifice. They are the resourceful, centered person to whom people turn in a crisis and they thrive on this kind of dynamic. The only danger is that January 5 people can get easily bored when there is no crisis.

Although people born on this day can bounce back from disaster, this doesn’t mean to say they are thick skinned. They can appear emotionally aloof at times but more often than not this hides a deeply sensitive and empathetic nature that is simply afraid to reveal or give of itself unconditionally. If they do open up it is only to the most trusted and valued of friends and loved ones.

Their resilient approach to life wins people born on this day many admirers, but taken to extremes it can also make them unrealistically optimistic. They need to avoid becoming so upbeat in their approach that they ignore the motives and minimize the concerns of people around them.

Although they should keep their options open and stay flexible, people born on this day are at their best when they have a plan of action. They have a tendency to avoid responsibility and commitment in their teens and twenties, but until they choose a path, they will never feel truly fulfilled. By their early forties, often somewhat sooner, they have usually learned to rein in their curiosity and their love of adventure and travel, choosing a path or a purpose that allows them to concentrate on and express their extraordinary potential for bringing out the best in other people.

On the dark side

Over-confident, superficial, unreliable

At your best

Powerful, expressive, spiritual

Love Head first

People born on January 5 are attracted by intelligence and they find verbal banter extremely seductive. Understanding and communication in a relationship are of crucial importance to them. If they feel they can’t be completely open or understood they are unlikely to commit to a relationship. This isn’t to say, however, that they don’t appreciate the physical side of relationships as they have a healthy sexual appetite; it is simply that for them love, like sex, starts in the head.

Health Athletes should take good care of themselves.

Because of their emotional resilience, people born on this day recover well from injuries, illnesses and accidents. They should not, however, take their physical and emotional strength for granted; like everyone else, they need to make sure they eat well and get plenty of exercise. They need to pay particular attention to their health in midlife and beyond, when they are most likely to run the risk of neglecting their personal needs for a relationship, work or cause. To help themselves stay vibrant, and full of life, burning grapefruit, lemon-, orange- and rose-scented candles may well do the trick.

Career Born mediators

These people need to work in a harmonious environment and they thrive in positions in which they can be a mediator or communicator or where they are needed to put a positive spin on things. Advertising, politics and law could appeal but they may also find great satisfaction in careers that involve service or sharing feelings and experiences with others such as teaching, medicine, entertainment, counseling and psychology.

Destiny To be the rock when others are floundering

Once they have learned balance and the ability to listen sensitively to others, the life path of those born on this day is to inspire and motivate others with their resilient approach to life. Their destiny is to be the person to whom people turn in a crisis, the rock when others are floundering.

Power Thought

“It is OK to find ou t who I am and explore who other people are too”

January 5

Signs & symbols

Sun sign: Capricorn

Ruling planet: Saturn, the teacher

Symbol: The Horned Goat

Birth date ruler: Mercury, the communicator

Tarot card: The Hierophant (guidance)

Favorable numbers: 5, 6

Lucky days: Saturday and Wednesday, especially when these days fall on 5 and 6 of the month

Lucky colors: Gray, blue, green, pale rose

Birthstone: Garnet

6 January the birthday of the philosopher

Your greatest challenge is…

to avoid feeling burdened down with responsibilities at work

The way forward is…

to devote as much time to your personal life as to achieving your ideological objectives.

You’re drawn to people born on…

April 21 to May 21

You share a passion for harmony, beauty and love; this will keep the relationship or friendship balanced and nourishing.

Luck maker

Listen first, talk second

Everyone wants to be understood and the key to understanding is to listen. To get people on your side, listen to other points of view before giving your own.

People born on January 6 are forever looking beneath the surface for meaning and significance in events. They always try to see the spark of goodness in others but this spiritual, philosophical approach to life can mean that other people often dismiss them as childlike or naïive, in the process underestimating their tremendous energy and intelligence.

Although philosophical in their thinking, January 6 people are extremely ambitious and goal orientated, tending eventually to get what they want in life. Willing to work hard and dedicate themselves to their goals, those born on this day can overcome their natural shyness, introspection and gentleness when they are called to defend their convictions and their ideals. However, because they trust their instincts so much and believe that everything that happens to them has significance, there is a danger of them always rejecting alternative viewpoints and being labeled unrealistic, unreasonable and stubborn at times. The tendency to expect others to think like them can prove too challenging for those who are not as philosophically minded.

Despite their stubborn streak and outspokenness, January 6 people also have a tender side to them that can be easily hurt when their input isn’t valued or people don’t take them seriously. They may deal with their hurt by rebelling against authority or indulging in irresponsible behavior, but later in life, around the age of forty-five, they learn that, although cathartic, constant rebellion can never be the whole answer. It is important for them to find a place to express their wild side, but sport or work or study is often their savior because it provides the boundaries and calls upon the discipline they need to help them handle their emotions and channel their energies.

At the end of the day, even when criticized or rejected, the idealism and honesty of people born on January 6 never fails to shine through. Once they find what they should devote their life to, their determination and ability to impart their ideals in an inspirational way will attract both admirers and considerable success their way.

On the dark side

Naïve, unrealistic, unrenasonable

At your best

Idealistic, philosophical, understanding

Love In love with love

Relationships have a powerful, overwhelming effect on people born on January 6 and they run the risk of getting lost in them. Sometimes they can give the impression that they are more in love with the idea of love than with the person themselves; it is important for them to learn to take in a relationship as well as give. Having a wide circle of intelligent friends can stop them becoming overly dependent on a partner.

Health Ease up on yourself

Those born on this day need to make sure that their passion for ideals and for others does not make them neglect their own health and well-being. They need to eat healthily and get plenty of sleep so that they can tackle life’s challenges with their irresistible energy. At some point in their life they might suffer from some kind of skin problem, but this usually clears up when attention is paid to diet and lifestyle. There is a danger that they can get caught up by overly strict or demanding diet or lifestyle changes recommended by charismatic gurus, such as diets that eliminate food groups or overdose on protein. They need to remember that the key to a healthy diet, as well as to a healthy life, is balance. Sociable forms of exercise such as dancing and aerobics are recommended, and a few drops of lemon essential oil on their pillow or bedclothes at night will help them go to sleep and wake up refreshed.

Career Born visionaries

In work, as in life, these people have a vision; if they can’t communicate it effectively in their profession, they may decide to go it alone, either by setting up their own business or by becoming self-employed. They make ideal therapists, doctors, counselors, engineers, architects, property developers, computer programmers, psychologists or alternative health practitioners. They may also be drawn toward religion or spirituality.

Destiny Help others learn about themselves

The life task of people born on this day is to spread the message that it is possible to unite opposites, the positive and the negative, the idealistic with the practical, the spiritual and the mundane. Their destiny is to help others deal with their fears and uncertainties, and discover their own truth.

Power Thought

“I help others by listening to them”

January 6

Signs & symbols

Sun sign: Capricorn

Ruling planet: Saturn, the teacher

Symbol: The Horned Goat

Birth date ruler: Venus, the lover

Tarot card: The Lovers (choices)

Favorable numbers: 6, 7

Lucky days: Saturday and Friday, especially when these days fall on 6 and 7 of the month

Lucky colors: Black, blue, green, pink

Birthstone: Garnet

7 January the birthday of the practical dreamer

Your greatest challenge is…

to stop worrying about what people might think

The way forward is…

to realize that what others think is their concern, not yours.

You’re drawn to people born on…

February 20 to March 20

You share an intuitive knowledge of the present and a tolerance for the past, making this a loving and creative relationship.

Luck maker

Hang out with happy people

Seek the company of people who make you feel good about yourself, not people who drag you down.

Although those born on January 7 give the impression of being serious and intense, they are irresistibly drawn to anything different, strange and unfamiliar. They have a strong sense of duty and responsibility but secretly dream of living an unconventional life in which they can follow their own rules.

Mentally those born on this day are both logical and intuitive, which makes them unique. They are artists with a scientific mind or scientists with an intuitive flair. They have the instinctive gift of being able to sense the moods of other people and, despite their apparent distance from a situation, they can often understand more about what is going on around them than anyone else. Their nature is also highly sensitive. They find it hard to switch off from the suffering and injustices of the world; as a result, they may frequently become involved in charity work or generously give their time for the benefit of others. Because they can tune in so quickly to what is going on around them, they are always in danger of absorbing negativity from others. Seeking out situations and people that are positive and steady, and avoiding the negative, are therefore important.

January 7 people are dreamers but they rarely let themselves get carried away. As a result, their occasional tendency to drift off into a world of their own can make them feel lonely and cut off from everything and everyone around them. They often have a real sense of connection with the natural world and an extraordinary imagination. Fascination with the mystical, with unexplained phenomena and the afterlife is common, especially after the age of forty-four, sometimes sooner, although fear of being criticized or thought "weird" may prevent them from pursuing their interests.