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Horoscopes | Week of November 6-12, 2006

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Your present experience, which could alternately be conceived of as torture or ecstasy, represents what's broadly known as being 'in the eye of the storm'. That means you could find it extremely difficult to determine which way is up, as your feet feverishly fly past your face, over and around again… though you can be quite sure, thanks to the fact that the house is shaking and the noise has grown intense, something's definitely happening. The fuller brunt of what originally began stirring your passions a few weeks ago is showing its truer colors, though whether this should have you grinning from ear to ear or running for the hills depends on where you've found yourself. Regardless of specifics, you're now firmly entangled in irrevocable dealings with a certain other person—someone who you feel quite strongly about, one way or the other—and your fates, at least for the next couple weeks, are irreversibly tied together. You couldn't simply 'get out', with no significantly adverse consequences, even if you tried. You've got to see it through to its logical end, which isn't likely to present itself this week. What this week does have going for it, however, is a booster-shot of rabble-rousing, stalemate-busting force… a courage serum that, if swallowed without resistance, will spur you to put it all out there, in order to either move the interpersonal arrangement to the next level (especially with regards to money or intimacy) or hasten its smoldering decline. You might as well take your magic medicine and comply with its metamorphic side effects. Otherwise, the other person will consume their recommended dose and yours … and come at you twice as fiercely.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Pick your person or people, and spend the week participating in activities or entertaining notions that nurture the connection you share. Don't sacrifice another set of too-long workdays to the higher cause, forgetting to touch both feet down in the grounding presence of your favorite relationship(s). And don't encourage yourself to take up so much emotional elbow-room that there's no free space for your partner, pal or some pretty-faced possibility to squeeze into your life. With all the personal planets crammed into your 7th house, you mustn't isolate or insist unnecessarily on independence. This is the moment in which to define yourself according to whom you hang near, swap advice and strategize with, giggle at and grope and generally adore. If you opt to adopt no companions during this time, then you're sending the universe a message: 'I have no intention to align myself in union with another. Leave me alone.' The universe tends to fulfill these intentions, too… and then you have no legitimate reason to blame your loneliness on some unlovability (a big nose, a fat stomach, an ornery personality or sexual hangup) you imagine you possess. You've got to put yourself out there if you wants friends, lovers or a lifelong spouse… and if you already 'have' what you want, you mustn't take it for granted by assuming it'll sustain without ongoing upkeep. According to the astrology, your 'right now' is all about relationships—how you behave in them, or how your behavior keeps you from them.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): If anybody is a master of artful asides and mischievous miscellany, that insatiable curiosity-seeker is you, Gemini. Hey, it keeps life interesting, right? Well, contrary to your usual mode of being, the planets and I would love to see you using your week to stay squarely on task… and to wield your influential nature in helping everybody else stay on task, too. That's not to say there won't be plenty of temptation, buzzing and spinning and flashing from the periphery in hopes of capturing some of your attention—namely, in the form of too-good-to-be-that-good possibilities for glamour and excitement, which promise rescue from the mundane day-in-day-out and the here-and-now. Don't let your eyeballs get so big, as you're courted by the seductive sights and sounds of this promising 'something else', that you lose your place in the column of actually important items you must attend to. You shouldn't be seeking remove from the mundane. In fact, you'll serve your own best interests by swimming in its details: tackling, ordering, organizing, striving, sweating, completing. Every errand and exercise will reap more-fertile-than-usual results, through a mix of cathartic efficiency and a sheer increase in physical energy. Once you get going, it'll probably even seem like fun, for who doesn't enjoy observing immediate payoffs from one's efforts? And once you're having fun, it won't be difficult to get others on board with your house cleanup, office revamp, garden project or body detox. Then, the industriousness just continues feeding itself.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Life has lately become as energizing and exhilarating as you've made it… which hopefully, considering last week's advice, is quite the rip-roarin' good time. The merriment is on track to continue, too, as the flurry of 5th-house planets tantalizes you into flirting with the world… drawing out from you a childlike innocence that is unafraid to appear wacky or weird, too rapt in pleasure and play to bother with bashful self-consciousness. Still, there is a marked difference between (1) creating a playroom for the inner child to romp around in safely and (2) playing the child so convincingly that a self-willed naiveté gets you into trouble. Remind yourself how you might instruct a youngster to moderate his exchanges with strangers—be cordial, but don't give away too many intimate details, and don't accept a candy bar or a ride in the snazzy Cadillac. Then, take some inspiration from these cautions… not to snap a damper on the party, but merely to reacquaint yourself with where your interpersonal boundaries lie (and where they should remain, to preserve your safety). Though you are an adult and can therefore legitimately tighten the buffer zone to within a very close distance, you mustn't dissolve it completely. Contrary to appearances, you do not share the same unspoken ground rules with others who might jump into your game with you. Be aware they may be playing for more serious stakes. I cannot urge you strongly enough (as I have over recent weeks) to let loose and allow a love for life to provide ample motivation for every activity that pulls you in. Just don't be reckless, overly romantic, or plain stupid.

LEO (July 23-August 22): If you need to literally sequester yourself from the stresses of nonessential interpersonal contact, just to hold back from ensnaring others into your internal pandemonium… then, it might indeed be worth the momentary time-out. Since the roster of personal planets moving closely together dove into your 4th house a couple weeks back, the faucet of private sensitivities has gushed forth a steady stream of its wet wonders—good for cleansing the soul, not as good at sustaining a front of 'rational' behavior. By no means, Leo, need you succumb to the pressures of rationality. Indeed, in your own home, you may enjoy complete indulgence in whatever ups and downs are yanking you along with 'em… and as long as the folks you live with have been given clear guidance on how best to support you, there's no conflict. But when you go picking fights with folks, escaping your own life through fantasies of togetherness or otherwise hunting for their affirmation, it'll become an exercise in misdirected attention. Your current emotional climate has far less to do with this other person than you might think. You'll be wasting your time—and theirs—by seeking to work out issues between the two of you (which you're essentially creating to find something to 'work out'). You don't have to be in any particular mood, good or bad, in order to hang with your peeps. But if you can't own the crap that's yours without dragging faultless spectators into it, then you're best left to cry and scream it out on your own.

VIRGO (August 23-September 22): I grew up a proverbial Jim Henson child, raised on the '70s stylings of The Muppet Show, where greats like Rich Little and Sandy Duncan cavorted, vaudeville-like, with a bunch of cute puppets. Up above the stage, in exclusive box-seats, sat Statler and Waldorf, two grumpy old men who always had an unflattering quip or two of commentary to offer on the show's proceedings. They were clever, yet critical… but somehow always retained an endearing air that prevented their put-downs from actually upsetting anybody or spoiling the good time. You, Virgo, are the Statler-and-Waldorf of the week, which grants you a broad creative license to remark, loudly and with comic irreverence, on what's going on around you—more so, perhaps, than you ordinarily would. Let's be honest, it's not as if you don't always notice plenty of details that'd be perfect fodder for funny one-liners. Now is just a better-than-ever time to actually voice what you observe… to try out your impromptu stand-up routine, both to crack people up and to give your wit a workout. Plus, just as every good comedian earns her laughs by speaking forbidden truths in a tightly controlled context, you too can get stuff off your chest without ruffling others' feathers. Trust your trademark precision to help you say only enough to make your point. Then laugh up any momentarily awkward pauses. Keep the conversation (and the chuckles) rolling, and you'll be helping everyone (yourself included) relax. Maybe they'll even learn a little something from what you've been seeing but they haven't—until you wryly pointed it out.

LIBRA (September 23-October 22): Be wise, strong and, above all else, self-protective. But in order to do so, you may be forced to uncharacteristically freeze out all popular opinion and finalize every decision as if in a self-enclosed bubble. Likewise, you might also need to ignore your own creeping desire to hop aboard the party bus or the love train, since stability (rather than instant satisfaction) is where your focus should rest. Gobs of newness have already shown up, and you're still trying to regain your bearings in the midst of it all. Don't add to the confusion by leaning in another new direction, opening more gates and increasing the number of variables. Instead, embrace the opposite approach—hunker down, dig in deeper, count and recount what's banked, and check the roof and walls for holes. Fortify your current stance (or the parts of it you're sure you want to keep) for dear life, and refuse to let go. This tenacity may not be the trait you're best known for, but that doesn't mean you aren't capable of it… when it really matters. Under this multi-Scorpio atmosphere, things can be riskier than they appear, and only after somebody's sweet-talked himself into your vault might you discover the important papers and priceless collectibles are missing. If you must uphold extra suspicion, just to be sure, don't get down on yourself. If you're hesitant to obey others' directives, applaud your independent thinking. Give it another week or so before easing up on the tight fist and returning to normal levels of trust.

SCORPIO (October 23-November 21): Yet again, I return you to the horoscope from two weeks back, in which I first declared you the one who can't be stopped, due to the unprecedented pileup of planets in your sign. You're still that one, Scorpio, and I suppose the concept of 'being in power' requires very little clarification, other than last week's cue to make sure you use this special privilege toward something that matters. Now, then, I'll do my best to help by pointing out possible pitfalls that could trip you up, if you're not careful. (1) Don't neglect to consciously claim the unusual amount of authority, ardor and appeal you're currently wielding. If you don't stay aware of it, you're liable to forget the imbalance between you and the other person… and inadvertently harm them, as a bodybuilder might accidentally crush a child's hand when shaking it. (2) Don't try to hide what you're doing. Along with the increased force comes a decrease in your ability to escape detection. 'Sly' isn't so sly at the moment. (3) Don't attempt to compensate for an elusive emotional hunger by insisting on 'getting your own way' in unrelated situations. No matter how much you win, score or secure, your feelings are a wholly different case. They cannot be threatened into submission or placated with success in the material world. This is one thing your power position doesn't give you power over. (4) As I told you before, don't fool yourself into forgetting that certain power structures—the law, the corporate flow of command, the parent-child relationship—cannot be overthrown, regardless of what you've currently got going for you. Why fight against a machine that'll ultimately reduce you back down to modest size, when you can strive for more manageable victories?

SAGITTARIUS (November 22-December 21): So close, you can taste it… yet so inaccessible, it's apt to be driving you absolutely bonkers. What is 'it'? Nothing less than the next stage in your journey of self-discovery, with a whole set of never-before-seen experiences that push your comfort level in exactly the fashion you Sagittarians like best—with a fair share of risk, stimulating the need to embrace a new batch of ideas foreign to everything you've known up until now, and not much that classifies as boring. If you like what you hear (and I'm betting you do), then just hang tight… and pay very close attention to the parts of your recent existence that you've secretly sought escape from. These are your first inklings of what's about to unfold, which, if you play your cards right, will be born from actively battling against whatever dissatisfaction has been slowly cropping up. But if you hope to undergo the forthcoming 'Sagittarius renaissance' from a creative, rather than a reactionary, outpost, then you mustn't build your newfangled life upon what you don't want. Makes sense, right? Therefore, I challenge you to vent these burgeoning frustrations with how things are in a ceremony wholly separate from the practice of dreaming about what'll come next. (And incidentally, you've got a lot of dreaming still to do.) Put the old business to bed, in advance of letting in the fresh stuff. Otherwise, the incompleteness of this current ending will carry remnants into your future… and threaten you with the same damn annoyances you'd like to do away with. Wrestle those traces of demons into defeat. The prize at stake? A clean slate.

CAPRICORN (December 22-January 19): To make the most of this highly community-oriented moment, Capricorn, you'll want to reach out to the folks around you—your best friends, your support group (whether it's an 'official' one or not), the organizations or teams in which you participate—to hear how other like-minded individuals are handling their current life situations. Consider this an exercise in stimulating dialogue (perhaps less threatening than, say, seeking assistance), so that you all can swap success stories or commiserate over challenges. You might wonder, 'What for?'—especially if things are going relatively well, or if you've got it together enough to put forth the appearance of such wellness. But it's less about what particular kernel of wisdom or concrete result you may get from it, and more for the sake of social connection in itself. Click back to your horoscope from two weeks ago, in which I rhapsodized on the value of friendships, due to an amassing of planetary bustle in your 11th house… one which continues to bear its influence, and which is best utilized by being around lots of other people. Exposure to a proliferation of opinions other than yours and that of your important someone (your spouse? a family member or business partner?) will help alleviate the 'tunnel vision' that comes with too intimate a focus. And besides, you have a rather unsound habit of creating generalizing fantasies about what 'reasonable people' (i.e., society, the public, the proverbial 'they') think… then extrapolating how those accepted ideas proscribe appropriate and inappropriate behaviors. Instead of giving your mind free rein to decide public reaction, why not consult with actual people?

AQUARIUS (January 20-February 18): The dominant action in your life continues to manifest in the public sphere, with the big career breaks and the enhanced reputation and the ongoing opportunity to further your grand contribution to the world. Out there, where everybody can see you, the rallying cry is 'full steam ahead'. But how, you might speculate, might this affect the other parts of your life? For starters, when it comes to your financial life, the trine from your 10th to Uranus in the 2nd favors taking a bit of risk… if it's an integral part of following your professional passions. Sometimes you've got to spend in the short term to earn further down the road, and it'd be a shame if you watched satisfaction pass you by, due to fears about money. As far as your one-on-one relationships are concerned, the onus is on you to keep the boat steady… to reaffirm your important bonds remain as important as ever, whether anything else big is going on for you or not. This is part of Saturn's perpetual lesson, as he hovers in your 7th—to be your honest-to-goodness authentic self in relationships, no matter how the larger society perceives you (or how many flattering kudos head your direction from people who respect you, but hardly know you). And with Neptune squaring off the career boon from your 1st, it's most important to remember that you're profoundly unclear about how these latest developments will ultimately contribute to molding Who You Are, on the level of conscious identity. You're too in-the-middle-of-it to possess much lucidity on the matter… and, by the way, it doesn't really matter. Just accept the newfound recognition with humble charm, and worry about what it all means at a later point.

PISCES (February 19-March 20): The prolonged planetary attention to your 9th house is primarily intended to get you thinking big, Pisces… to snap you out of viewing life from the limited spectrum of the same old day-to-day details, deadlocks and drudgeries. If all these planets could agree on a single statement to speak, they'd want you to know: There's so much more. But then, they'd leave it there for you to interpret as you will, since it's your journey to undertake… and your navigational skills to deploy in deciding which turns to make and which destinations to stop at. And just so you're aware, if you're exploring properly, you can't possibly know what you're liable to find until you're faced with it. You cannot read labels on a map to determine what you've discovered, a secret gate to heaven or a convincing plastic replica. Whatever it is, though, it'll be something you haven't seen before. It'll get you thinking about where you've been, and where you might want to go. And it'll jettison you out of the predictable and into a vastly larger field of experiences, giving you a chance to reinvent yourself (again) based upon new preferences and criteria. Still, you can also choose not to go anywhere. Chances are, you know exactly what to expect if you stay put: More of the same, with the unsatisfying parts growing increasingly less satisfying. Take off. Think big. Don't look back.