Horoscopes | Week of October 7-13, 2002

ARIES (March 21-April 19): The genre of reality-TV (which I've already written about, and which I'll likely return to again) has brought to us a new consciousness of the long-term effects of our words. What we inadvertently say in the heat of passion one moment might be on video forever. Someone who we didn't intend to hear us may hear us (and watch us) later, and he may decide to vote us off the island or out of the house based on this one statement. He might overlook our leadership abilities or our game-playing skills, instead fixating on a brief blurted lapse in our judgment that we didn't mean and may not even remember, except for the filmic proof watched by millions of over-invested TV viewers. I raise this new interpersonal phenomenon here, Aries, because you are one of the signs most likely to blow a fuse, excrete some unpleasant comment, and then forget about it. It's an enviable quality that you can vent your anger and let it go, but others can be more sensitive and grudge-prone. For the next few months, you are on the island, in the house, or enclosed by some other "reality" gimmick. I don't suggest you unnaturally withhold your commentary or suppress emotions when they rise. But be prepared to work them all the way through with other people, who may need more time and patience to process. And remember, the cameras catch everything.

 

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): It's not as if, at some point in the near future, you are going to suddenly stop being you. But you are wrapping up a somewhat meandering phase of having unabashedly been you, as if it were a full-time job just, you know, being you. To regulate yourself again, after such deliciously undisciplined priority-one self-expression, you should soon begin to feel new routines setting in. First, this regimentation will help your words, as you find ways to work your recent brazenness into habitual conversations, both with others and with yourself. Then comes the day-by-day pursuit of duty, astonishingly more meaningful than the drudgery you'd imagined a short while earlier. Inevitably, Taureans being who you are, you will grow comfortable with this way of living, eventually—but please give it a couple months.

 

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): I am pleased to report that, in my assessment, you appear to be taking care of business. Well, I'm assuming so because, if you're somehow managing not to, then I can't imagine how you're dealing with the nagging frustrations, grating away at your soul. As I was saying, then, I will just assume you're taking care of business. Since you've got a good momentum going, I recommend that you go against the typical Gemini tide and maintain this same plodding routine for a while longer. Think of it as a new adventure, and maybe that will grant you additional patience. See, by sustaining efforts in this way, you are gaining respect for yourself, both in your own eyes and those of other people. This is going to transform the type of interactions you can have, the power of your words and the thrilling intensity of your partnerships. Meanwhile, you'll be able to have that much more to draw on later, when this "look-I'm-responsible-and-respectable-phase" peters out and you go back to bopping all over the place. It'll buy you more fun, and a bit of slack, later on. For those who are still fighting the need to buckle up and get some work done… well, I'm going to assume that you're just about to start taking care of business, hint, hint. Trust me, it's time.

 

CANCER (June 21-July 22): There are certain (preferred) types of mothers, the ones whose lives are open to their kids as their top priority, who can innately sense when they are needed. Vibrational blips float above and/or beyond time and space, informing them that their mischievous son has left the stove burner on again or their teenage daughter has just been dumped by her first serious boyfriend. Mom shows up at the right time and acts accordingly, often without words. A look (one that says "Don't dare touch the stove again when I'm not around!") or a touch ("There, there, honey, everything will be alright.") convey infinitely more—and they cannot be argued with by stubborn children. As the zodiac's mother figure, Cancer, the rest of us could benefit from some peacemaking reminders, transmitted silently through the ethers using that magical mom-speak of which you are the masters. In fact, not to put the pressure on, but regularly scheduled intervals of this broadcast over the next few weeks could tip the delicate scales more closely toward the "world peace" side.

 

LEO (July 23-August 22): I feel obligated, due to the ongoing success and excitement you've been experiencing (and, geez, am I tired of using such glowing words on you, week after week!), to point out that no one gets to have it all. Every action comes with a consequence, such that, if you eat all the cake, you mustn't expect to have cake left over the next day. I don't feel badly accentuating this fact to you right now, as I am confident that no meager words on my part can inhibit your galloping trip along the path of intense luck and self-fulfillment. Still, I must point out that you may begin to feel a little unsafe in your fast-paced journey toward overwhelming accomplishment. Not "unsafe" in the sense of robbers in your house—rather, unsettled by the quiet moments alone, trying to make emotional sense of where you are, though you are without a map or a clear view of the destination. It's understandable. Don't let that stop your progress, although don't turn a total blind-eye to the underlying effects on your psyche. Continue doing what you're doing while keeping conscious track of which parts of your life equal the emotional core, and promise yourself that you'll come back and pay full attention to them in another few months, during some future lull.

 

VIRGO (August 23-September 22): As a child, you undoubtedly had a self-image of yourself as "the one who… [insert labeling characteristic]." Whatever quality or descriptor you used to categorize (and criticize) yourself, it likely stemmed from some comparison to the other kids, whether they were your siblings or neighborhood children or even imaginary peers. I posit that, from this position as "the one who…," you unconsciously developed your strategies for survival: what you choose to communicate and not communicate, how you go about it, whether you dwell in a situation or depart quickly, noticeably or surreptitiously. At the same time you might be facing limitations to these strategies in your public life or career, you are also engaged in a beautiful spiritual growth process in which you're awakening to a greater view of the universe than you ever thought possible. Before you are able to expand your repertoire of tricks and treats, however, you should spend some serious time acting out your best performance as "the one who…" Enjoy exploring the nuances of this comfortable role, like you would want to appreciate your last few nights in a favorite apartment before moving, since it's in the act of being transformed.

 

LIBRA (September 23-October 22): For Librans this week, I'm getting an image of you patrolling around a big old house with lots of rooms. It's somewhat dark, and though the electricity works, you are also carrying a flashlight with you to make sure you can see clearly into all the nooks and crannies. There are young children playing hide-and-seek in this big old house, and you are rooting them out, slowly but surely, one by one, until they are all seated together in the downstairs parlor. They have brought their little toys and treasures with them from their hiding places. As you stand in front of the group, you have a comprehensive view of all the kids and their belongings, lined up for your examination. This vision corresponds to you nearing the end of a process of dragging out all the parts of your personality from the deepest recesses, getting them together all in one place, and taking stock. You'd better appreciate the full set of what you have to work with; taking a comprehensive view like this, it's hard to deny its grandeur. In the next phase, you will organize the parts into a unified battalion (a peaceful one, that is), ranking the troops in a more accurate order of importance, and then proceed in formation. You'll get where you're going faster, and with less self-imposed confusion.

 

SCORPIO (October 23-November 21): Excuse me, but I think there's a wine stain or some inkspot on your shirt sleeve. Oh, wait… no, that's just your heart, which, in a rare Scorpio move, you are wearing there, removed from its usual casing of smoke and mirrors. Your heart's beating a little more quickly and intently because, as you're wandering through the wide open spaces without armor, it reflects the titillating excitement of exposure you feel. Not surprisingly, the sensation is a lot like fear. For a detective like you, it's an interesting new strategy—rather than seductively sleuthing around for morsels of knowledge about others, you offer up yours and they, in turn, follow suit. They like and trust you more. You learn things you never would have thought you'd find out. And then you… well, what do you do? To some degree, this is uncharted territory. (That's why that excitement / fear / heart-beating keeps doing its thing.) I say, in one way or another, continue the leadership-by-example model—and then admit you don't know which direction you're going.

 

SAGITTARIUS (November 22-December 21): Here we go again with all that "profound change and transformation" hoo-haw I've been feeding you. But I really don't want you to forget that it's happening, as people tend to do when the effects are so subtle and long-ranging. And you Sags can be so flippant with your words to symbolize that you don't have time for certain things, when in fact you are arbitrarily dedicating your time to other things that are of no greater importance. Though I sense that your important relationships can feel somewhat stifling and/or frustrating lately, I feel like now is a time to dwell a bit longer in the discomfort. Relying on those who know you well (the goods and the bads) will help you counteract that delightful sensation of shooting off your mouth—a favorite pastime—because, at this current time, you are likely to reveal more about yourself to others through these statements than you might consciously know. And imagine how embarrassing if, in social situations, casual acquaintances were more privy to those deep changes going on inside you than you are. You don't know your current self as well as you think. Let your partners help you keep from giving away too much. Let them be the ones you embarrass yourself in front of.

 

CAPRICORN (December 22-January 19): I know, it can sometimes be de-motivating, having the capacity to be so perfect at almost anything you want to do (yes, I'm buttering you up), bringing potential projects to mental completion without ever actually getting started. Why bother? It's quite a dangerous trap, getting stuck in problem-solving mode before you've even gotten far enough to find out if there are any problems. And, honestly, it's a little bit selfish. I don't know whether, in your careful deconstructions of my recent words, you've detected any recurring nudges toward helping other people fulfill their visions or investing your strategic savvy in social causes and global concerns. Outside the sphere of your self-enclosed, self-sufficient head, no one will know how far short of perfection your actions will fall, should you choose to act on their behalf. Nor will they care. Those ideals are yours alone. Others will be happy with, say, 50% or 60% of your potential because, well, it's better than you sitting around, using your grand strategic visions as an excuse to mask your fears. Now get going; we need you.

 

AQUARIUS (January 20-February 18):
There was an old woman who lived in a shoe.
She had so many children, she didn't know what to do.
She dedicated her life to helping them all
but sometimes just wished she could work at the mall.
Her commitments were huge and often felt daunting,
but her "egoless" ego enjoyed all the flaunting.
Soon, all that pressure was leaving her drained,
though that duty to help at all costs was ingrained.
Then she realized that saving the world was no race
and chipped away toward her calling at a much slower pace
and, working part-time at the mall as a brace,
balanced her life more, with wisdom and grace.

 

PISCES (February 19-March 20): So what's up with these ongoing rumors that Pisceans are [choose one] misunderstood / misrepresented / picked on / called on the carpet for their crap / underappreciated by us astrologers? I understand where this could be coming from, as your special brand of combined intelligence and compassion is self-admittedly challenging to hail in writing, without making you sound spacey, overemotional or just plain strange. Well, guess whose responsibility it is to make sure that these inherently dissatisfying written character-sketches of the Piscean experiences aren't the only representations floating out there? Yours. (And I'm not just passing the buck, either.) The best chance we all have of getting to understand, share and benefit from the wisdom that is a Pisces is through you inviting us into your private world—one by one would probably be easier than all of us at once—and letting us experience that overwhelming richness that is sometimes too much even for you. (Maybe part of what you share is the burden.) Of course, the other option is that one of you step forward and try to write a definitive account that captures all those uncapturables. Any takers? Email it to me and I'll be happy to quote you on it.