Horoscopes | Week of March 20-26, 2006

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Easy flow for the week ahead, courtesy of your ruler Mars forming agreeable trines to both Venus and Neptune… so please, I ask of you, stay out of your own way by politely playing well with others' ways. Yes, I'm well aware you prefer to separate yourself from the crowd and bound forward of your own accord. (And don't worry… next week's eclipse has plenty of excitement specially designed for you, if you aren't already feeling it.) But under this astro-weather, the better you dissolve into the whole as one more willing participant among many, the farther and more fruitfully you'll ride their wave of unified enthusiasm and enterprise. Affirm every social connection that's kindled, for the first time or all over again, with a kind hello and a few friendly words… just to happily remind 'em you're there. Parties, gatherings and group events are full of particularly fortuitous interactions, so attend—and play your part humbly. If something bugs you, let it go and deal with somebody else instead. There are better moments than this to rock the boat with honest critique. Why jeopardize the flow?

 

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Mars, continuing to jazz up your 2nd house, signifies you've got the mojo to fill your pocketbook with some extra cash… or at least boost your sense of self-worth (and of others' respect), which can later add to your financial health. The trick is to take advantage of Mars's positive aspects to the Venus/Neptune conjunction in your 10th, and offer yourself up in service to those who need another set of hands. Volunteer to ease the boss's burdens by assisting beyond the call of your defined duties. When the power-brokers and stakeholders win, we all win… and then you win some more. Though it might seem counterintuitive to serve yourself by catering to others, that's just how it goes. When you demonstrate a resentment-free inclination to cooperate past what's required of you, they won't quickly forget it. Don't allow tense relationship stuff to block your track to public altruism. If stepping out on behalf of the organization's best benefit means stepping on someone's toes, then they probably shouldn't be standing in the doorway to everyone else's success.

 

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Wherever you're recently been halted in your tracks—due, perhaps, to Mercury-retrograde-related misunderstandings or the inadvertently brash tone pulsing off you, thanks to Mars in your sign—now's a much better moment to proceed. Mercury's heading direct, while Mars is being soothed and softened by a double-trine to Venus and Neptune. Your best bet is the understated back-door approach to conveying your point and articulating what you want. Take the easier, smaller victories where you get 'em. If they still seem to grapple with your overarching understanding of the situation, to misinterpret your rationale behind it or the terminology you use, don't belabor the discord. You can each have your different languages or frameworks and still reach a happy place of agreement. And if the other party happens to believe you two line up in like-mindedness better than you actually do, there's no need to correct them… so long as out-and-out dishonesty isn't required.

 

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Intuitive faculties amp way up this week, Cancer. You know a lot about what's going on with the people around you, without anybody needing to say much of anything. Be forewarned: They aren't necessarily aware of how 'in' their psychic space you are… and for that matter, you might not be either. Except, of course, when a more-abrupt-than-usual change of moods comes over you, dependent upon the company you're keeping and/or the atmosphere in which you find yourself. Ask yourself, 'Is there any reason I should be feeling this way?' And if there isn't, consider this evidence that you're the victim of another's energetic influence. Rather than remaining receptive (and consequently susceptible), tap into your keen awareness of their condition and your innate nurturing abilities to transform the situation to everyone's improved disposition. A compassionate smile and meaningful eye contact go far, as do a kind touch and pleasantly reassuring words. You hold the fantastic healing capacity to shift their moods upward, instead of letting them downshift yours.

 

LEO (July 23-August 22): You are the Sun of the zodiac, Leo… and like the Moon appears so bright and buoyant to us because it reflects the warm solar rays, so too can the folks within the orbit of your energy field use you as beacon and amplifier of their own natural radiance. Your role as inspiring leader and lively instigator can be of tremendous assistance in drawing those you love out of their shells. Lend your inner light to shier friends and teammates whose ideals you believe in, but who seem to lack the oomph to get out there without a firm shove. What's scary to them, you'll make sound like unintimidating fun. Where they hesitate, you'll just keep 'em moving. As you graciously help them to be seen and heard, their gratitude will be almost deafening. And you, too, will get exactly what you want from the exchange—to be appreciated and admired for your inherent goodness.

 

VIRGO (August 23-September 22): What a fantastic climate in which to plan on getting significant chunks of work done, with you flourishing in your natural elements of efficiency and effectiveness. If there's a certain momentous goal you've been striving toward, you can claw yourself two or three steps closer this week… simply by toiling valiantly 'til you're dripping sweat. No need to try drawing notice to yourself, not that it's your style—you'll do so automatically, by displaying that innate work ethic the rest of us admire so greatly. (And that's the kind of attention you want, anyway.) If others are involved in the work and interrupt you to offer hints or suggestions for doing it differently, roll with the punches. There's more than one right answer, and you can easily include their feedback without stopping to bat an eyelash. Those who'd like to pull you away to dilly-dally with their babbling blather, however, should probably be politely put off. For this week, at least, your workaholic tendencies are well worth indulging… at the easy expense of frivolous pleasures or senseless small-talk.

 

LIBRA (September 23-October 22): Take some time to expose your children to stimulation that's far outside their ordinary experiences. There are so many other cultures, pastimes, interests, art forms, ways of being… and it's always enjoyable to revel in that sense of awe you only get from stepping beyond the frame of the predictable and the expected, to gaze with wonder at how other folks see the world and interact with it. What? You don't have children? Well, can you borrow some (with the parents' permissions, of course)… or at least hang out where you're likely to find 'em, and pretend to be one? Maybe cordon off an afternoon, so you can spend a few hours acting like a kid. Head down to that local attraction you never visit but usually leave for the tourists, and play tourist for the day. The absolute best possible option, of course, is to arrange a brief getaway to some destination that draws out your most youthful side. You'll be amazed at what your eyes can lead you to, when they're not stuck behind the limiting lenses of stodgy adulthood.

 

SCORPIO (October 23-November 21): Haven't you noticed? The passion you seek is waiting right on your doorstep, in a wicker basket with a note attached: 'Please take care of my lusty soul, but start by making me feel safe. Share a surprising truth from your secret inner world, and I'll give myself to you. Then we'll make glorious love together, all day and night.' You can take the sexual reading if you'd like, which highlights the erogenous link between the heart and the genitals—that is, for a mind-blowing connection, hit the G-spot of mutual vulnerability. Or perhaps the love-making is less about carnal grunts and groans, and more about cementing a bond of intimacy and trust with an important friend or a possible business associate. To foster a prime environment for meaningful companionship or profitable joint ventures, give 'em a prolonged look into that which you usually keep to yourself. The planets will look out for your safety, as you risk comfort for something bigger and better. Trying to keep secrets this week, meanwhile, holds the most dire threat for nasty (though short-lived) conflict… since they'll be pretty adept at sniffing out whatever you're trying to hide. And when they find it, it'll erode what trust you currently have.

 

SAGITTARIUS (November 22-December 21): You will not compromise your integrity, if you adapt your approach enough so that you touch more people's lives than usual this week. They don't have to 'get' you completely, in order to get a small taste of your fervor and fire. The connections you make are far more important than the content of what's being shared between you. Don't jump down their throats over a remark that could be offensive to you—if you read into it with enough insistence. Be generous in your assumptions, when you know their intent isn't malicious. Grant people the innate limitations and blindspots in their lived experience (we've all got 'em), and suspend any condescending know-it-all-ness on your part. To truly appreciate an individual, it must be on his or her own terms… and not against your oft-uncompromising standards. In every person, there's a piece to which you can relate—no matter how miniscule. Challenge yourself to find that piece in everyone you meet this week, and you'll all enjoy yourselves more than anyone might expect. Strange bedfellows could prove to be some of your favorite folks.

 

CAPRICORN (December 22-January 19): The rewards are in humbly, faithfully and busily laboring toward fulfillment of your assigned tasks. No, I'm serious, Capricorn… this isn't just some mumbo-jumbo rhetoric I'm spewing out my third eye. Because Venus and Neptune are conjunct in your house of financial blessings, I have faith that the only thing blocking you from the hidden cave of treasures is an optical-illusion curtain of enchanted steam. Too bad you can't see past it. But the power of belief, always a loyal ally, takes on even greater importance as the master of all gains financial and self-esteem-related. As Theodor Herzl famously said, 'If you will it, it is no dream.' Thus, if I were you this week, I'd will it into being. Of course, the opposite reaction also has its force… and doubts, unfortunately, will go far in stealing the thunder from an otherwise overflowingly profitable potential. When there's a moment of fearing for your security and worth, return to work on some small but useful job—something that'll show the magical Powers-That-Be you're committed to pushing past psychological hesitations and doing what needs to get done. Such actions imply you'll play along anyway, despite any inner questioning on your part … under the assumption that this lapse in belief is a momentary one. And that's the best stance to hold.

 

AQUARIUS (January 20-February 18): Do not pause for more than a minute or two at a time, Aquarius, to fuel any misgivings inside your secluded cell of self-reflection. Such behavior should be considered, quite simply, as wasted opportunity. Haven't you had enough self-imposed isolation over the past six months to satisfy all the pondering you needed to do? You couldn't possibly squeeze out any additional brilliance by defaulting to private edification. Keep stepping out and speaking up, even when you haven't figured out an exact agenda ahead of time. The Venus/Neptune conjunction in your sign casts a glamorously appealing shine over all you do, so, whether they actually know you or not, they'll gaze at your with an adoration of familiarity. And Mars helps out by sustaining your energy for mingling with all the parties present… and establishing enough of a personalized rapport to give them each the impression you're speaking the same language. In fact, you may have no clue what they're talking about, but that really doesn't matter. Smile and nod, and they'll happily hop aboard your bandwagon.

 

PISCES (February 19-March 20): I strongly encourage you to maneuver a higher union with the truths you already possess inside you—even as you might claim to be 'confused' and/or 'unsure of how to proceed'. Those description originate from your mental self, enough of a smarty-pants to often serve you well, to be sure… but who sometimes gets her/his ideas of how you're feeling from an archive of beliefs about how you should feel. On the other hand, your unfiltered and untranslated feelings, which course throughout your body (not just in the region above your neck), know much more about the current scene—and never kowtow to self-limiting judgments or expectations. They're pure information about how you instinctively react to certain stimuli. Your brain may rebelliously flap and flail and attempt to convince you why what you know will never work, or will cause too many complications. But still, you know what you know. And such undiluted full-body wisdom mustn't be ignored (no matter the immediate fallout), or else you're indirectly informing the source of your intuitive faculties that you don't care about their messages. And if you don't care to follow your intuition, then you're inviting it to shut up and shut down.