How to Set Intentions in 2024, According to Your Zodiac Sign

It's the start of a new year, making it the perfect time to take stock of all that you have, acknowledge your growth from the year before, celebrate your wins, understand why you may not have met all of our goals, and set new intentions for yourself.

From TikTok videos to dinner table conversations, the topic on everyone’s lips during the first couple weeks of a new year is manifestation. The idea: focus your thoughts on your desired outcome, and you can turn it into reality. But despite what viral memes and blogs suggest, manifestation isn’t about making a wish and snapping your fingers (or piecing together a pretty vision board). There’s no magic spell to change your life. Getting what you want this year will require shifts in outlook and actions that move you toward your goals — and that’s what manifestation is all about.  

While only you can put in the work to realize your dreams, there are a few different ways that you can announce your intentions to the universe and/or yourself. From creating vision boards, to meditating, to scribbling all your wishes down in a letter, stating what you’re going after — and reminding yourself about it regularly — can help you manifest what you want out of life. 

With so many manifestation techniques, it might be difficult to know where to begin and which is the best practice for you. To help, Refinery29 Somos spoke with Cuban-American astrologer Lisa Stardust who shared the best ways to manifest according to the zodiac. Below, look for your sign and try out the recommended practice to help you attract what you want out of 2024. 

“Arians will be evolving their work and manifesting their work goals this year,” Stardust says. “January 8 and February 12 are times for them to really step into their career goals.”

For this sign, Stardust recommends manifesting by lighting a purple candle (purple is the color of expansion and growth). Since Aries is a fire sign, the blazing candle may evoke a positive mindset. 

“Taureans are really going to be focusing on how they partner and how they love,” Stardust says. “However, the start of this has to do with self-love.”

Stardust recommends manifesting through meditation. Lay down, place a rose quartz crystal on your heart chakra, close your eyes, and “think about how you want to heal your heart.”

“Geminis are the writers of the zodiac,” Stardust says. “They really need to embrace their intuition this year, because they tend to focus more on intellectual pursuits.”

Stardust recommends manifesting by journaling. Through writing, you can heighten your intuition, which will help you find your power (and see that it may lie outside of your intellect).

“Cancers will be focusing on the type of partnerships that they enter into and how they love,” Stardust shares. “The beginning of the year, which is Venus retrograde, is in their seventh house of partnerships; then we also have Mercury, which is going to be in retrograde twice, in their seventh house of partnerships. So this is happening at the beginning of the year and at the end of the year. This really is just about the type of love that you want and who you really want to align yourself with.”

Stardust recommends manifesting with the help of vision boards. Write down words or attributes and put them on the vision board. Making a collage about the people you see yourself being happy around can help you attract this crowd.

“Leos want to rule the world,” Stardust explains. “And what's happening is that the foundation that they have at home is a little bit shaky this year.”

Stardust recommends manifesting through grounding exercises. This can be done by sitting in a chair and connecting your feet to the floor to let go of a lot of the energy and frustrations that you’re feeling. Another method includes embracing the earth by planting or having a flower in your home. 

“It's important for them to realize that they need to be focused on rebuilding and realigning themselves on the inside, not just on the outside,” Stardust adds.

“Virgos are having an interesting year,” Stardust says. “They’re in these sort of intoxicating relationships. It's important for Virgos to really manifest healthier boundaries with people just because Virgos are always giving. They're very patient.”

Stardust notes February 12, April 12, and October 22 as important days for Virgos to manifest boundaries by saying “no.” If it’s difficult, Stardust recommends saying the word aloud to yourself. 

“Creativity is really important, especially on March 12,” Stardust says. “Libras really need to activate the creative side of themselves, and this is about taking chances.”

Stardust recommends manifesting by creating art simply for art's sake. Through creativity, you will feel more confident in what you're putting out into the world.

“Scorpios are going to need to be seen more this year,” Stardust shares. “They need to put themselves out there and regain their confidence.”

Stardust recommends practicing daily affirmations in the mirror. The more you do it, and the more you take it seriously, the more confident you’ll feel putting yourself out there and being seen.

“Saggitarians were all over the place last year,” Stardust says. “When you don't have a schedule or routine, it really affects all areas of your life. And it can also make someone depressed and lethargic. Saggitarians flourish in routines.”

Stardust recommends manifesting through a structured daily routine. This means making and sticking to a schedule, like waking up and going to bed at the same time. “Saggitarians work well with structure, as long as it’s on their own terms,” Stardust adds.

“Capricorns are going to need to manage their money better to manifest more of it,” Stardust shares.

She recommends putting basil in a cup, sheet, or towel and placing it underneath your bed while you sleep. The ideal days to start manifesting coins are March 12 and October 22, according to the astrologer.

“Aquarius is the sign of friends,” Stardust shares. “Last year, they let go of a lot of people who they were close to. They need to meet people who are at their level”

Stardust recommends Aquarians take online classes or hang out with people from work to build a community they connect with and form their “spiritual coven.” This will help them feel like they're part of a group, which will strengthen their connection to the world around them.

“​​Pisces are really going to have to find more balance in their life this year,” Stardust shares. “Pisces live in their own imagination, and they see the world from their perspective.”

Stardust recommends manifesting by practicing balance in actions. For instance, every time you do something, try to do the opposite as well. Stardust says, “for every good that they do, they can do something shady. For everything shady they do, they have to do something good.”

Purchase Lisa Stardust’s Saturn Return Survival Guide where books are sold.