To Be or Not to Be
Two Be’s (and what not to be) for every Astrominal in 2027
To be, or not to be? That is the question. Hamlet asked it about four hundred years ago. If he’d had an Astrominal handy, he could have skipped five acts of worrying.
New Year’s resolutions are fine, but they’re usually about stopping things. No more biscuits. No more screens after bedtime. By the third week of January, most of them have packed a little suitcase and tiptoed out the back door. So for 2027 we’re trying something different. Instead of a list of things not to do, each Astrominal has picked two things to be.
The first Be comes naturally. It’s something they’re already brilliant at, and it’s worth doing even more of. The second one is trickier. It’s the Be that doesn’t come easily and takes a bit of practice. (That’s the one that really counts.)
Find your sign below, find your Be’s, and see how you get on.
Not sure which Astrominal you are? Take the quiz.
Aries: Arri the Rhino
Be brave. Be patient.
21 March – 19 April
Nobody needs to tell Arri to be brave. Arri has never tiptoed anywhere. If there’s a door, Arri goes through it. If there isn’t a door, Arri makes one. Every group needs someone who’ll go first, try the new thing, and put a hand up while everyone else is staring at their shoes.
That’s why the second Be is the tough one. For a rhino built for charging, waiting is torture: waiting your turn, waiting for the cake to cool, waiting for someone to read the instructions before the wardrobe goes up. So in 2027 Arri is going to count to ten before charging at anything. Maybe even twenty. Being brave means going first. Being patient means knowing when going first is a good idea.
Not to be: the one who opens the presents before everyone’s finished singing Happy Birthday.
Taurus: Taur the Bull
Be dependable. Be flexible.
20 April – 20 May
If you need something done properly, and done again next Tuesday at exactly the same time, ask Taur. Taur turns up. Taur keeps promises. Taur has been sitting in the same comfy chair since 2019 and sees no reason to change that. When everything feels rushed, a calm, steady bull is lovely to have around. Taur is the friend who makes everyone breathe out.
The trouble is, the world doesn’t always do what Taur would like. Plans change. Picnics get rained off. Somebody moves the comfy chair. This year Taur’s challenge is to bend a little: try the new café, take a different path home, and find out that change isn’t always a bull in a china shop. Even the strongest oak sways in the wind, and that’s why it’s still standing.
Not to be: the one who orders exactly the same thing at every restaurant. (Well, maybe not every restaurant.)
Gemini: Gem & Eye the Twin Toucans
Be curious. Be present.
21 May – 20 June
Two heads, two beaks, and roughly four hundred questions a minute. Gem & Eye are curiosity with feathers on. Why is the sky blue? How do bees talk to each other? What would happen if you put a trampoline on the roof? They’ll try anything once and most things twice (once each). Life with the twin toucans is never boring, which is exactly how they like it.
The tricky Be is being present. With so many interesting things happening at once, Gem & Eye can be halfway through one conversation and already flying off to the next. In 2027 the twins are practising staying put. That means listening to the end of a story, finishing one thing before starting three more, and noticing that sometimes the most interesting thing in the room is the person right in front of you.
Not to be: the ones who ask you a question and then answer it themselves.
Cancer: Canny the Crab
Be compassionate. Be resilient.
21 June – 22 July
Canny is the Astrominal you want around when things go wrong. Grazed knee? Canny has a plaster. Bad day? Canny has a blanket, a hot chocolate and a listening face. Canny notices when someone’s gone quiet and makes room for them. That big soft heart is Canny’s superpower, and the world could use a lot more of it.
A big soft heart can bruise easily, though, which is why the second Be is resilient. Canny takes things to heart, then hides in that shell for a week. This year Canny is learning that a hard shell isn’t for hiding in. It’s there to protect you while you carry on. Fall down, dust off the sand, try again. Crabs know better than anyone that sometimes the way forward is a little bit sideways.
Not to be: the one who’s still upset about something somebody said in 2024.
Leo: Leo the Lion
Be ambitious. Be humble.
23 July – 22 August
Leo doesn’t do things by halves. Leo does things by wholes, with a spotlight, a drumroll and possibly a small fireworks display. Leo dreams big, aims high and wants to be the very best, and there’s nothing wrong with that. The world needs people who reach for the top shelf. And when Leo wins, everybody gets invited to the party.
Being humble is where it gets difficult. It’s hard to be humble when you’re this magnificent (just ask Leo). But this year Leo is practising sharing the spotlight. That means clapping loudest for someone else’s win, saying “I don’t know” now and then, and remembering that the king of the jungle is only king because of the jungle. Every great lion needs a great pride.
Not to be: the one who checks their reflection in every shop window. (All right, every other shop window.)
Virgo: Virgo the Sheep
Be diligent. Be gentle.
23 August – 22 September
Virgo spots everything: the spelling mistake on the menu, the two socks that are nearly the same colour, the jigsaw piece that’s been under the sofa since March. Shy, quiet and thorough, this little sheep does every job properly, checks it twice, and then checks it once more to be safe. When Virgo’s in charge, things work.
The second Be is being gentle, and it’s mostly about being gentle with Virgo. Nobody is harder on Virgo than Virgo. One tiny mistake can feel like a giant disaster, and trying to make everything perfect can mean never getting it finished. In 2027 Virgo is learning that good enough is sometimes good enough, that a wonky drawing is still a drawing, and that every sheep in the flock gets a bit muddy now and then. That’s what baths are for.
Not to be: the one who re-folds the towels after someone else has already folded them.
Libra: Libby the Flamingo
Be considerate. Be decisive.
23 September – 22 October
Libby is the most polite bird in the flock. Libby always says please and thank you, and always makes sure everyone gets an equal slice of cake (measured with a ruler, if necessary). When two friends fall out, Libby is the one standing gracefully in the middle on one leg, helping them make up. Fairness and kindness come as naturally to Libby as being pink.
Being decisive is the hard one. Ask Libby to choose between strawberry and chocolate and you could be there till Thursday. Wanting everyone to be happy can mean never quite making a choice. This year Libby is practising picking a side, saying what Libby really thinks, and finding out that friends stay friends anyway. Balance doesn’t mean never leaning. Even a flamingo has to put the other foot down sometimes.
Not to be: the one still reading the menu while everyone else has finished pudding.
Scorpio: Score the Lobster-Scorpion
Be true. Be forgiving.
23 October – 21 November
Score is the friend you want in your corner. Loyal right to the very end, Score will stick by you through thick, thin and everything in between. Diving helmet on and wellies laced, she goes where others won’t: dark caves, deep water, the very bottom of the toy box. When Score decides something matters, nothing on land or sea will stop her.
But Score has a secret: she keeps score. Every little wrong gets written down and filed in a very large, claw-shaped cabinet. This year’s tricky Be is being forgiving. That means letting go of the small stuff, wiping the scoreboard clean, and giving people a second chance. It might be the bravest thing she’s ever done. (She’s added it to her list, and she’s keeping count of how often she manages it.)
Not to be: the one who remembers exactly who ate the last biscuit in 2023.
Sagittarius: Sagg the Zebra
Be adventurous. Be reliable.
22 November – 21 December
Sagg has a map, a compass and no intention of using either. Sagg wants to see what’s over the next hill, and the hill after that, and the one after that. Every day is an adventure, and every adventure is an excuse for another one. With a laugh as big as the savannah, Sagg is sure there’s no such thing as too far.
Being reliable is the stripe that doesn’t come naturally. When a new adventure is always calling, it’s easy to forget you promised to help with the washing-up, or to set off for the jungle while everyone’s waiting for you at the cinema. In 2027 Sagg is practising turning up when promised and finishing what gets started. Adventure is wonderful. Adventure with friends who know you’ll actually show up is even better.
Not to be: the one who says “back in five minutes” and comes home three weeks later with a suntan.
Capricorn: Cap the Goat
Be disciplined. Be still.
22 December – 19 January
Cap climbs mountains: real ones, imaginary ones, and the pile of homework on the kitchen table. It doesn’t matter which, because Cap always gets to the top. Steady hoof after steady hoof, Cap sets a goal and keeps going until it’s done. If there’s no path, Cap builds one. Rain, wind, wobbly rocks… the knitted jumper stays on and the boots keep climbing.
The hardest Be for Cap is being still. There’s always another peak, another target, another job. Sitting down and doing nothing feels like falling behind. This year Cap is learning that resting is part of the climb, and that the view from the top is only worth it if you stop and look at it. Pull up a rock. Loosen the laces. Watch the sunset.
Not to be: the one who packs homework for the holidays.
Aquarius: Aqua the Pelican
Be innovative. Be empathetic.
20 January – 18 February
Aqua thinks in ways nobody else does. Ask her a question and you’ll get an answer you never saw coming, then a better one, and then an invention that solves a problem you didn’t know you had. Aqua doesn’t follow trends. She starts them, gets bored, and moves on before everyone else has caught up.
Being empathetic is the stretch. Aqua’s head is so full of ideas that she sometimes forgets other people are full of feelings. A friend might not want a clever solution. They might just want a hug and somebody to say, “That sounds rubbish.” This year Aqua is practising putting the big ideas down for a minute, asking “How are you feeling?” and really listening to the answer. That pouch can carry a lot of water. It can carry a few feelings too.
Not to be: the one explaining how rainbows work while everyone else is just enjoying the rainbow.
Pisces: Pike the Fish
Be creative. Be honest.
19 February – 20 March
Pike lives half in the real world and half in a much more colourful one. She paints, she daydreams, and she makes up stories about the shapes in the clouds. Pike notices the little things, like the way light wobbles under water or how quiet the sea goes before a storm, and she’s brilliant at helping everyone else slow down and notice them too. A swim with Pike is like a deep breath.
Being honest is the hard one. Pike hates upsetting anyone, so sometimes she says “It’s fine” when it isn’t, or swims off rather than saying what’s wrong. In 2027 Pike is practising saying the true thing, kindly: “That hurt my feelings” or “I’d rather not.” Being honest doesn’t make waves after all. It just makes things clearer, like the water once the sand settles.
Not to be: the one who swims away from a hard conversation and ends up in a different ocean.
And three Be’s for everyone
Be kind. Be grateful. Be yourself.
Twenty-four Be’s is a lot to remember, so if you only take a few into 2027, make it these.
Be kind, because it costs nothing and comes back double. Be grateful, because there’s always something to say thank you for, even on a soggy Tuesday. And be yourself, because every Astrominal is different, and that’s the whole point. A team of twelve Arris would charge straight off a cliff. A team of twelve Virgos would still be checking the map. The mix is what makes the magic.
So, to be or not to be? Easy. Be.
Happy New Year from all twelve of us.