Horoscopes | Week of December 12-18, 2005

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Okay, Mr./Ms. Firestarter, let's see what kind of shit-stirring juice you've got in you. Go ahead and adopt the role of instigator… but don't squander the sparks on casual stuff. If I'm going to grant you astrological permission to incite and inflame, then it better be a good one… over something that really matters, that clears the air and advances the situation to a more profoundly honest level. For all you know, your stalemate-breaking act may gain you respect for how willing you are to upset an apple cart, in order to support somebody else's better self-understanding. Or it could get you in a bit of a pickle, if you overbloated the importance of whatever you thought you had to do… and spawned a confrontation that misdirected energy away from more pressing matters, just to let off steam. There's only one way to find out for sure—start it up.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Fashion yourself as a public advocate for fairness and equality. Step up and speak out on behalf of some grievous wrong being committed (perhaps in your workplace), or defend a value you hold close to your heart. A Venus-Chiron conjunction in your 10th will look out for you, as long as the issue around which you're rallying involves acceptance of people as they are, on their own terms and without judgment. It's takes all kinds, after all, to make this beautiful world go 'round. And while you're at it, put that non-judgmental acceptance business to work in your own life, and be kinder to yourself. Not only will more merciful self-treatment serve as a leadership-by-example model, it's also a wonderful way to bring you closer to others on a more personal level. What you accept in yourself is easier both (1) for you to accept in others and (2) for them to accept in you.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): You can't be everywhere at once—granted, if there were someone who could, it would be you, Gemini—and especially not, if you actually hope to get better at what you're doing. What you gain through wide exposure to lots of different practices and interests, you sacrifice in mastery of any single one. For the time being, in order to become healthier and more present in what you're doing, you must find a balanced method for limiting your innate curiosity so it doesn't flow over into non-committalness or frenetic motion (to avoid simply being still). Occasionally wearing your blinders will support you in seeing with greater big-picture comprehension. In other news, watch for reruns, recurrences and/or resolutions from episodes a few weeks back, when temptation may have led you into distracting discussions of what somebody else was or wasn't doing. Now that Mercury is direct again and revisiting the Uranus square, you might (1) find yourself yearning for similar 'make it about someone else' distractions, (2) discover additional facts you didn't know last time you were talking about it, or (3) witness the discussion somehow rippling back to you in a surprising way.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): It's important to appreciate yourself for who you are, as opposed to what you have… especially considering Saturn's 2-year-long transit through your 2nd makes this more a scrimp-'n'-save moment than a loose-'n'-lavish one. Trust me when I direct you, for a second, to dwell on those most frightful financial fears you entertain at low-mood points. Because, Cancer, even in the absolute worst of situations, you must be able to find value in everything that automatically comes with you—the veritable vault of spontaneous greatness that is you, whether you're rich or poor. You will always possess your resourcefulness, your emotional presence, your compassion, and your ability to react with intuitive wisdom in times of need. These merits do not rise and fall with the stock markets' whims, nor do they ever become depleted, no matter how much of them you spend. Even if times get tougher, you'll never be without these most essential starting assets… and that's all you'll need to pull yourself up. Instead of overwhelming yourself by focusing on scary what-if scenarios, just take care of individual duties, dilemmas and challenges as they come. And reinvest the extra energy you save by worrying less into faith in your own abilities to keep you safe, come rain or shine.

LEO (July 23-August 22): Thanks to a pungent Sun-Pluto conjunction in your 5th, Leo, you hold the potential to come off with much added intensity… so much so that, for some, your attempts at direct interaction will be feel too penetrating. Not everybody will want to share that intense space with you. At the same time, this aspect also denotes a tremendous creative opportunity for you—to instill a powerful psychic resonance in your artwork, to engineer a profoundly inspiring experience for the child(ren) in your life, to craft truly meaningful holiday gifts for your loved ones. Even if you don't go the officially 'creative' route with this one, borrow a page from how artist types convey their emotions… through metaphor and imagery and color and inflection, and not by pounding us over the head with too much point-blank confession or excessive narrative. Simply 'sharing of yourself' isn't enough to channel the full weight of this occasion—consciously aim to make the sharing something aesthetically pleasing and immediately relevant to others' lives.

VIRGO (August 23-September 22): It's a week of impressive implications for you, Virgo, gained from intense introspection… helping you get to the root of certain feelings that have been swirling around, undifferentiated, for a while… enabling you to better articulate to yourself what's going on, in a more comprehensive and fully honest fashion than, say, four weeks ago, when you were confronted by how outdated certain of your assumptions are. But, all the while, this time of year brings loads of social commitments, and your attendance and full participation are much desired… so you really mustn't try to weasel out with excuses, or to show up without really 'showing up'. If you actively structure the badly-needed 'me time' into your schedule, you'll be far better equipped to attend and participate in all those gatherings and galas without wishing you were invisible. (You might even have fun.) But if you don't take the introspection when you can get it, you'll find the rest of your time eaten up by that quaint beast we know as resentment.

LIBRA (September 23-October 22): Even more than usual, Libra, you possess a certain extra 'something'… an 'of-the-people' magnetism that can easily work to your advantage, as long as you constantly remind yourself you're 'just like everybody else'. You're 'one of them'. 'No different than the guy on the street or the girl on the bus.' I'm purposely overusing the 'quote marks' to demonstrate (crudely, I must admit) that these descriptions are merely labels, never quite getting to the essence of a person but merely convenient for classifying folks as 'in' or 'out'. And the labels in this horoscope are all about 'in'—that is, acting to include you within any grouping that also includes someone else. No matter that they are unkempt and smelly, overly made up and drenched in flashy jewelry, fundamentalists of other religions, speaking in strange tongues or making crazy eyes, mind-numbingly boring, politically outrageous, or currently dating your ex. You're part of their group. Bear that in mind, and you'll be amazed at what uncommon kindness may be swapped among you and your odd bedfellows.

SCORPIO (October 23-November 21): Come on, tell the truth about money. This is between you and yourself, Scorpio. No one else has to know. Money is more important to you than you've been wanting to admit. You want it more badly than is comfortable… because, at the same time, you know it's not the solution to any of your problems. But, damn, it's awesome, money is. And how much do you currently have at your disposal? (Not 'on paper only', not 'including' or 'not including' this, that or the other, either. For real.) It's probably a lot more or a lot less than others would suspect. Of course, it's none of their business. Still, it's interesting to ponder how easily you're willing to ignore the truth about what you've got or haven't got, substituting this knowledge with powerful ideas about what you once had, what you think you ought to have, or what you wish you were about to get, and projecting this substitute-for-truth outward for others to see. You aren't in true control of your faculties in life, if you don't know what you've got. You're living blindly, and unconsciously inviting some sideswiping serpent to sting your ass and leave you in the red. I'm not asking you to do anything other than get real with yourself about money. Why's that so friggin' annoying?

SAGITTARIUS (November 22-December 21): Wow, Sagittarius, what a force you are to be reckoned with this week. (I, for one, wouldn't want to be on your bad side!) Go on, here's your chance for a release… say what needs to be said, and clear it off your chest. Please, though, be extremely mindful of the unspoken power dynamics and differentials swirling around those with whom you launch the confrontations. You're a helluva lot stronger, clearer and more menacing than you give yourself credit for… and those who are unprepared for your outpouring (which to you may be 'venting', but to them is more like 'wrath') could get unintentionally damaged in the process. Be honest with yourself—if somebody seems like an easy target, there's no need to smash them over the head with what can be put more gently. And in instances where you're feeling disempowered or at some disadvantage, watch that you not translate this subordinate sensation into meanness. Don't get me wrong, though. Let it out, and don't mince words. Just try to hold back on unnecessary muscle and disrespectful tone.

CAPRICORN (December 22-January 19): Take one more gander at last week's visualization exercise to create abundance… because, if you bothered to participate (and even if you didn't), you may already be beginning to see it pay off. I caution you against oversimplifying the situation and assuming all your prior concerns have been magically taken care of. While money-honey Venus is moving into your 2nd house of material assets, she is soon to be switching gears into retrograde motion and heading back to Capricorn to attend to some unfinished business. Before the abundance mindset can take full hold in your consciousness, you must spend the next several weeks reevaluating what you'd spend it on, if you were to get all the cash you wanted. In other words, ask yourself what's really worth something, for money at its best is a currency we trade for belongings and experiences that enrich our lives. (And put yourself in check whenever you're defining 'worth' against what somebody else has. This is not about them.) For now, rely more heavily on the currency of friendships, alliances and networks, instead of prematurely investing in your own 'done-and-spoken-for' (only, not really) self-sufficiency. Follow them along alternate, non-cash-based routes to belongings and experiences that will, in the short term, definitely enrich your life.

AQUARIUS (January 20-February 18): For the first week in a long time, Aquarius, I have unambiguously good news to share with you, on the occasion of Venus and Chiron coming together in your sign. (Chiron, incidentally, will now remain in Aquarius through 2010 as an ambassador of things to come. Read more about it here.) Fantastic stuff is in store for those who wear their imperfections on their sleeve as a shimmering badge of courage, instead of pretending these past few months have been a carefree walk-in-the-park. Please, for the love of humanity, feel free to share some of what's been weighing you down. You'd be surprised how surprised others will be to hear of your private turmoil, considering they see you as a beacon of light in a mad mad world. It's that very chaos that makes you a beacon—because you are just like them, just as messy and maniacal. And though you hold such tremendous visionary knowledge of the vast beyond, far past most other mortal beings… you're still a mortal being, still lacking that impeccable ability to live every moment in alignment with what you know. (That's why you're here, in this dingy little corner of the universe we like to call Earth.) As things continue to become incrementally more straightforward and understandable, there's still more of the unknown to be expected, with Venus soon heading retrograde (Dec 24-Feb 3), back out of your sign and back into the perpetually perplexing 12th house. Though challenges and confusions will still abound, the situation is much improved over recent weeks.

PISCES (February 19-March 20): Your fierce side is likely to get another vigorous workout this week, Pisces… but instead of warning you against letting it out to those in power (like I did a month ago), I say to go for it and turn the tables in the situation. It's time to assume your own direct connection to personal power, rather than trying not to be that squeaky wheel—and then, after holding it in for a while, squeaking anyhow, only more shrilly and scarily. You wouldn't hold it back unless you thought it was somehow bad… but guess what, it's not. All you've got is your will, and if you don't express it, it turns in on you in self-torturous immobility. Be careful what you say you want—you just might get it, and then be faced with how to incorporate blatant self-empowerment into your daily routine. You'll get used to the influence, though, if you keep telling yourself that it's the natural flow of life to want what you want. But there's no life in perpetual self-effacement. Better to up-end everything than to remain docilely deadened.


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