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Horoscopes | Week of March 6-12, 2006

ARIES (March 21-April 19): A Mars-Uranus square always bears the likelihood of springing surprises on us… and this week's case, the unforeseen is apt to appear in the form of odd reactions and disruptive disruptions in what would otherwise be purely uneventful, run-of-the-mill interactions. The troublemaking element may seem to hold little direct relevance to anything you're doing—because Uranus is a long-term lingerer in your 12th, home of the unseen and invisible—but you have more to do with it than you think. Sooner than you might realize, an eclipse in your sign approaches (Mar 29), and you're emitting the vigorous vibration of somebody chomping at the bit to rattle and ruffle stuff up… somebody who's already stepped out of safety-land and started to stand out. It's only natural, then, you'll attract situations to assist you in the rattling and ruffling—though it could deliver short-lived chaos. Don't lament such happenings, but embrace them as additional kicks in the cosmic pants. And don't you dare claim you've got nothing to do with this chain of events, just because it's your unconscious (or semi-conscious) self acting out.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): On the table before you is a choice to make, Taurus—whether to embrace the gleaming reputation awaiting you in the public eye, now that Venus is gracing the apex of your solar chart. But in order to glean its fullest advantage, the choice must also be made to whip your emotionally-hungry inner voice into shape… refusing to allow it to perform overly dramatic (and somewhat exaggeratory) renditions of why you aren't worthy. The comfort and familiarity of this same old story, which plainly doesn't fit your current circumstance as neatly as it once did, is perhaps more seductive (or addictive) than proudly assuming a greater sense of authority out in the world. So, yes, the path to growth and achievement of your desired prominence also has a bit of an emotional chill to it… a toughen-up-and-accept-your-glory that's ultimately good and right, but can leave you temporarily cold. (Key word: temporarily.) Mustn't you do what you've got to do?

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): The generic spiritually-inclined, self-help, New Age philosophy toward finding your highest calling (or professional destiny or rightful throne) is usually an animated encouragement to be yourself, follow your passion, embody that which only you can uniquely provide, etcetera… advice which is easy enough to understand intellectually, but significantly harder to feel, and especially difficult to live. (All those irksome concerns like financial security, peer expectation, self-identity or a need for familiar structure tend to get tangled in.) When we cannot summon it in ourselves to live the dream of freedom and instead try to squelch the liberating pressure, outside occurrences occur to push us along. Watch your week for these instances, big or small, that administer such a push. You might not find the initial direction you've being pushed particularly enjoyable—or maybe you won't even understand it—but resistance is futile. Clues to the most fortuitous readjustments will be found in that which doesn't run smoothly or according to plan.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): In the midst of an otherwise terribly expansive moment of re-envisioning everything you could possibly do, see and be, a Venus/Saturn opposition across your 8th/2nd axis delivers a moderately sobering reality check about the current limits of what you've got. Saturn in the 2nd seems to be telling you that, at least in its present form, it's just doesn't feel like it's enough to cover the cost of your big dreams. (Unless, that is, you've worked diligently for years, with these specific 'big dreams' as a primary focus.) Maybe, though, it's because you're not supposed to try to do it all on your own. The Venus-in-the-8th factor favors your solicitation of help—psychological support, monetary support, literal physical assistance—to boost your shot of getting what you want and to enhance your intimacy with those you invite into your inner sanctum (mess, madness and all). Sure, it may not feel particularly pleasant on the emotional level to share your crunch with others, as it's liable to raise the awkward issue of shame in the process. But do I really need to tell you that seeking help will indeed help… because I'm sure you already know that?

LEO (July 23-August 22): We've all got both the carefree child and the responsible adult inside us, and they've each got their own distinct type of pleasures they seek. The carefree child identifies an object of desire—a food, a toy, attention from a certain person—and reaches out to grasp it… and, if blocked, will keep trying whichever various approaches are immediately available, until the desire is gratified. The responsible adult, meanwhile, identifies what's the right thing for her/him—not objectively 'right' (what's that mean, anyway?), but in support of fuller, more profound, longer-lasting satisfaction—which sometimes necessitates going without the immediate gratification. This is a week for adult pleasures (and, sure, read into the double meaning, if it's appropriate) rather than childish ones… meaning you may have to give up, or give of yourself, rather than aiming purely to get, in order to receive that which is most suitable for the adult version of you. This adult, eager to shine, is quite serious about displaying wisdom. Please please the adult.

VIRGO (August 23-September 22): Keep your eye on the work at hand, and act in the fullest integrity possible toward what you believe is best for the job, the reputation of the organization, and your role in it. If personality clashes arise a natural side-effect of advocating a certain outlook or methodology, welcome it to play out. If you truly are invested in what's best for the business (and its ethical allegiances), then you won't mind mulling over others' viewpoints… and either fighting or deferring, as appropriate to the end goal. Think of any conflict as a passing stage of 'working out the kinks.' And if your own strange shifts of mood, irrational emotionally-driven behaviors, or urges to escape the collaborative process for the safety of 'one voice/one answer' crop up, acknowledge them for what they say about you in a broader sense. Listen to the internal truth… then return back to work. Even if you're not giddy or slap-happy about it, at least you'll hold the quiet contentment of remaining on task, regardless of circumstance.

LIBRA (September 23-October 22): Sometimes, the joy we take in purely and discriminatingly presenting ourselves to the world, proud in exactly who we are right in this moment, is a slightly bittersweet joy. To say yes to 'me' with uncompromising specificity is also often a manner of saying no to those interpersonal participations incompatible with how we see ourselves. Certain friends or companions, favorite hangouts, memberships in political or social networks may prove, at some point, to no longer fit us. And to excise them from our lives, whether by passively letting them slip away or actively snipping a cord, brings a combination of grief and relief. It's perfectly understandable if this instant of standing in total majesty—without crutches or costumes or masks with fat fake smiles—feels euphoric, solemn and sad all at once. To greet a tomorrow markedly distinct from today is also to bid adieu to a yesterday both cozy and stifling.

SCORPIO (October 23-November 21): If you know what's good for them, you won't let 'em get away with the neat-and-tidy, overly intellectualized accounts of how they feel and why they did what they did. If it stinks of incomplete disclosures and unexpressed (perhaps even unconscious) complications, then there's got to be something else there—otherwise, you wouldn't be able to smell it. The nose always knows. You'll quickly unsettle the tidiness with one or two sharp statements of observation or penetratingly pointed questions. But then what? Surely, you've got to stick around long enough to help clean up this disarray, which you didn't necessarily create but certainly helped to uncover. And maybe, in the end, you do know what's good for them… but not the whole story of what's good for you. You may indeed possess a clear channel to your inner truth, but you also must expose yourself to the outside perspective… to understand more of where it's coming from, and to fill in the much-needed real-life details.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22-December 21): Go ahead, lash out. I'm not going to stop you, and neither will anybody else. Every legitimate bash or blow against a person who tells two (or more) tales that don't add up to a single believable story is one more strike toward your emotional freedom… freedom from all the inconsistencies in people from your past that drove you crazy in the quest for unsullied understanding. A smack on somebody's knuckles isn't enough of an effort, though—just a doorway to the real work. The true cost of freedom is seeing yourself in both sides of the external situation… in your own internal conflict between simultaneously held feelings that supposedly contradict each other. Freedom is accepting that multiple paradoxical emotions may all be true, and simply cannot be reduced to an intelligible conclusion. They are what they are—in you, and/or in someone else. Would you smack 'em, then, until they choose one truth and dismiss the other as untrue (when it isn't)… or are you revving yourself up for the most ultimately exhilarating solution, which is that all of the above is true?

CAPRICORN (December 22-January 19): Keep your own best intentions in mind, with a close firm confidence in your take on matters, to proceed along your most rational and rewarding approach… even if it looks nutty or screwy to outside eyes. As a long-range, purpose-for-everything, strategic thinker, Capricorn, you see more than a pile of dried beans in your hand. You behold the seeds of a magic stalk, which can support your weight just fine as you climb its branches to future grandeur. Everything you need, you've already got—at least enough of it to qualify as a substantial start toward getting more. Obviously, it's always a boon to receive genuinely kind-hearted assistance… and usually a challenge for you to graciously accept it. This week, alas, ostensibly helpful exchanges will hit their limits and should be drawn to a hasty close whenever the suggestions offered imply that you don't know what's best for your own bottom line. There's more to the story, involving the complicated emotional history of whoever's supposing to help, which could take up a lot of your attention. You're free to go there with them at your discretion. But know that it'll only prove valuable to you for what you'll give, not necessarily what you'll immediately get. You're also encouraged to refrain, if you so please.

AQUARIUS (January 20-February 18): Mars and Venus have rapidly gone from being a thorn in your deep-seated emotional side and an elusive promiser of good things to come, respectively, to becoming your two best friends, Aquarius… and, my, what a wacky about-face in consciousness that just a few astrologically-dynamic weeks make. Out of the blue, you are now the sign to watch, as you possess both the extra-frenzied self-assurance to flash to the world and the allure to pull in what's due you from your diligence. Enjoy, but don't simply toss aside all that you've grappled with over recent months. You've got a new lease on life, but you're still the same person. And 'relationships' is still the issue that'll keep you grounded—whether through a partner's poignantly realistic take on you or, if you're without a mate, through the awareness of whatever reason you've chosen (consciously or not) to be alone. Even as the universe appears to support the claim that it's all about you and 'your time to shine', your relationship or lack thereof reminds you there are also other people's considerations to consider.

PISCES (February 19-March 20): The big prize dangling in front of your face this week revolves around the rebellious craving to smash apart old patterns that back you into an outdated corner of who you once were. Looking for possible culprits? Try the likeliest place—parents, those who remind you of your parents, and/or those who never before reminded you of your parents until that spontaneous moment of clarity, when you half-watched and half-participated in an episodic rerun (familiar dynamics, new players). Listen, Pisces: You're bringing that crap with you into the present. You can also choose to leave it behind and move on without it. Pack it in a suitcase with a note attached, explaining what you're letting go and what you will no longer tolerate. Then, set it down and walk away. Stand up for your feelings, instead of persistently worrying so much about theirs. Your antiquated explanations for why life is as it is don't work. And admitting you don't yet know the amended story is an invitation for a new narrator to enter the action… and to help you start reexplaining yourself.