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Horoscopes | Week of February 19-25, 2007

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Things get easier as your week progresses, Aries, with Venus moving into your sign early Wednesday morning and buffing up your aura with his sparkly goodness. Leading up to that, though, she first squares off against Pluto from your solar 12th… indicating a strong temptation to cause trouble, no matter if it threatens to disrupt your very idea of what's ethically correct. While 'getting caught up in the moment' sounds right up an Arien's alley and perfectly in line with all those descriptions of your sign as impulsive and instinctive and action-oriented… that's no carte-blanche invitation to go against the better judgment of inner conscience, just because you're courageous (or foolhardy?) enough to do it. Venus-Pluto squares are notorious for spawning outbreaks of those love/hate kinds of passions, so the 'trouble' you're courting likely involves lust-infused arguments or antagonistic-seeming flirtations with folks you aren't sure if you desire or despise. Perhaps they'd love to engage you in such unnecessarily complicated nonsense, by obsessing over some silly little detail in something you said—or maybe it's you who's apt to incite a similar flap. In any case, unless you're a glutton for such drama (though I ain't sayin' that's a bad thing!), you might as well rise about it. By this week's end and into the next, plenty of other people will fawn over you… in a much more straightforward fashion, without such ado about nothing.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You may find yourself in an uncomfortable position vis-à-vis your friends, as you try both to connect with them and stay true to your growing need for a bit of pleasurably private retreat. Now, I know you've heard me wax on and on about you Taureans needing to get out and about, rather than hiding your heads ostrich-style under the sofa pillows because it's provides a predictably cushiony place to rest—that's the larger 2-year lesson of Saturn trudging through your solar 4th. But in the short term, your ruler Venus is disappearing behind the 12th-house curtain for a few weeks, which temporarily lets you off this Saturnine hook… granting a more enjoyable, and genuinely nurturing, relation to hanging-out by your lonesome. I'm only officially advocating an escape from public view if you think of it as preparation for a grander 'coming-out' or 'return to society' in mid-March, once Venus returns home to roost and the next solar eclipse flushes your system clean. In terms of your relationships with friends, the discomfort's liable to come when you have to explain yourself—why you won't be available for a short spell, what you hope to accomplish during this 'off' time, and how you promise to reemerge on the other end refreshed, rejuvenated and ready to groove. Without the frank conversations, you're essentially shunning your friends… even if that's not your intention. How else should they see it? Well, however you kindly ask them to. If they're truly good friends, they'll support you. But if they only make you feel more self-conscious, they might not have your back.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): If you find yourself neck-deep in workplace or community drama, take the high road. Your most auspicious options are inextricably tied up with how successfully you can navigate potentially treacherous—and, at the same time, richly promising—personality issues. And whether you stumble or soar, Gemini, has everything to do with your responses and reactions. Difficult people will always exist, in every organization or job or social milieu where teamwork is required. Thus, whatever's happening now is decidedly not hinging upon one particular individual, who you may have singled out (consciously or not) as the evil villain… or, for that matter, the heroic savior divinely selected to vanquish said villain. Such roles are merely projections you have attached to them (even if 'everyone else' agrees with your assessment). If you hope to evade distracting 'us v. them' situations that'll hinder anyone from truly 'winning', then you must seek cooperative solutions that give everybody her due say—despite the fact that such diplomacy on your part might feel a little forced (and could cause you to choke on your own tongue, as you summon the perfunctory politeness required). But once you get past the first few rocky exchanges, and all of you start talking and laughing with each other again, you'll come out smelling sweeter than the rest by far. However, if you insist on being unfair to a certain someone, it will come back to haunt you.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): In reviewing last week's horoscope, I spy a continuance of the strong urge to make your point clear… but I'm not quite as sure it's worth doing whatever it takes. This week, the emotions behind it have heightened, so it's slightly harder to deduce where your moral authority stops and your oversensitive nitpicking begins. That's not to say you don't still have a point worthy of expressing—just that you should be a bit more careful which battles to publicly declare. There are definitely certain crusades (and, yes, I've purposely selected such a loaded word) that are advantageous for you to keep charging ahead on behalf of… especially any of those on the workfront, which demonstrate your sharp reasoning skills by proposing fresh approaches to stale systems that have, as it's said, 'always been that way'. In such circumstances, expect to reap significant rewards by not being a 'yes' man or woman. But when your passion lapses into up-in-arms outrage that actually hinders your ability to get your shit done, well-intended though it may be, you're not fighting a good fight. You're merely distracting yourself… and getting all worked up in the process. If the concerns you're voicing can be adequately addressed by an additional step or some simple change in process, then climb up on the soapbox. If they require lengthier theoretical debates or touchy personal critiques, bite your tongue.

LEO (July 23-August 22): In Venus's final steps through your dank-and-dirty solar 8th, she forms a square to your 5th-house Pluto… for one more amping-up of your potent seductive appeal. If you aren't already wrapped up in some tawdry psychosexual drama (which is hard for me to imagine), or even if you are, this is a wicked week for drawing at least one more sizzling suitor toward you. Perhaps you're trying to stay on your best behavior… and yet, even still, the air around you is thick with unspoken attractions, uncomfortable awkwardnesses, and impolite ideas. Of course, there's another wholly different possible read on this astro-action—one that's more about sticking up for your pride in an increasingly painful relationship situation, having hit a wall of unpleasant psycho-reality and yearning for a phoenix-like rebirth from the rubble. What links these readings together is their tendency to weave some rather complicated interpersonal scenario for you, Leo. Yet, 'complicated' also equals 'passionate'… especially if one of you is the other's 'forbidden fruit' in some way, or is dying to take a bite of fruit from a different tree (if it hasn't happened already!). But whether this is playing itself to your immediate ecstasy or agony, there's no easy way out. That's why it's so damn enticing—and/or utterly heartbreaking.

VIRGO (August 23-September 22): It's another one of those weeks with the promise to deepen an important relationship in your life… if you're willing to share more of those parts you usually keep private. But if you're not in the mood to invite someone else into your table-for-one inner-processing party, the other person's probably going to get on your last nerve, wondering what's up with you. I sincerely hope, Virgo, that such withholding isn't a conscious tactic to contain power over this special someone. Just so you know, you might indeed win the power struggle (particularly if the other party is one of those overeager types who needs to know everything). Yet such victories are sour, since they come at the expense of togetherness—and nobody will be there to share it with you. On the other hand, confronting your own hesitance to open up is a truly winning strategy… since your secret feelings aren't, in fact, as shameful or silly as you might think. You'll only discover that, however, by letting him/her in… and discovering you're not the only one who feels that way. Suddenly, you aren't as alone as you thought, eh?

LIBRA (September 23-October 22): As the week begins, you might have to staple yourself to your deskchair (and disable your Internet connection), if want to get anything done. Antsy and impatient, you'll already be sensing the astro-tide-shifts of both Mars and Venus moving into more dynamic positions (your solar 5th and 7th, respectively). Hopefully, then, you were able to follow last week's advice to keep the nose grindstone-bound and accomplish a good chunk of your work, so now you won't be forced to fight the wandering-eye syndrome and toil under these tempting-to-slack circumstances. (See, you must listen to your astrobarry—that way, when it's time to play, you'll already have your business taken care of.) Looking ahead, though, you have a magical few weeks in store, if romance is on your mind. But it won't come from merely batting your lashes and playing it so casual you seem not to care. The more bravely and brashly you put yourself out there, the hotter you'll seem. And there's no reason to limit the flirting to late nights in loud clubs or skeezy pick-up joints. Tomorrow's hot date or your next big love could be someone you already see every day.

SCORPIO (October 23-November 21): Before you go gettin' up in anyone-and-everyone-else's grill about your great new idea, your great new loverboy or -girl, or just how generally great you are… get back into your own kitchen and keep tinkering with the recipe. Don't, however, misinterpret my tellin'-it-like-it-is first sentence to mean that you're off-base about all that 'greatness'—hells no, you and all you've got going on may really be that great. And still, Scorpio, there are a handful of ways it could all be even better… with some more private soul-searching, as well as several hours of good old-fashioned sweat-and-tears (the enjoyable kind, of course, since you should be happy to pour effort into what's a genuine expression of you). While you may be quite enthused about the latest developments (and rightfully so), that's no reason to be uppity and snottily self-important about it. Just as your confidence level soars, so too will other people's interests in you—not only the ones you want, but the wannabes and hangers-on, too. Be kind and generous to all of 'em, even if you're not into what they're hawking. (Remember 'you reap what you sow'?) Treat everybody how you'd want to be treated. Then, quit hyping how much greatness is all around you, and return to making more of it.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22-December 21): Your social activity levels are picking up again, Sagittarius, so if you haven't been able to squeeze in some satisfying inner-peace moments recently, I'd suggest doing so as early in your week as possible. As the week progresses and dynamic-duo Venus and Mars both drift into your more extroverted zones, you won't have as many chances for quiet, relaxing alone-time. While lots of fun is due you in this oncoming phase, you won't be able to appreciate it as much if you bear residual resentment from not having recently had a break. That resentment, incidentally, would likely be aimed outward—at other people who dare to 'steal your focus', when in fact they merely want to play with you. Whether you see these social offers as pesky inconveniences or pleasurable chances to lighten up and let loose has everything to do with whether you've had your sufficient chill-out or not. Therefore, kick off your week with a totally delightful, I'm-all-I-need at-home evening, in which you get to do all those things you're not apt to do in front of anyone else. That way, you'll refresh your spirit enough to be up for anything your pals suggest. Then, when you end up talking about someone else's little crap for a while, it'll feel like a welcome relief from your own stuff—not a nagging distraction.

CAPRICORN (December 22-January 19): There's a higher-than-usual chance for your casual conversations to, quickly and unexpectedly, turn heavy… as an innocent remark or barely-observable reaction is taken to mean something entirely different. (You could find yourself in either role: the knee-jerk reactor, or the one reacted to.) Whatever the topic, it'll become so touchy because there may be a smidgeon of uncomfortable truth in there somewhere. Unless you're up for trudging through mud that gets stickier the further in you get—and which may not lead you to an immediate resolution, as Mercury is retrograde in Pisces—then it might be wiser to wrap up such discussions as quickly as possible, rather than attempting to explain yourself. Better yet, you might want to keep yourself quiet altogether… reserving your energies for more clear-cut uses that'll deliver you direct benefits. It's okay to withdraw a bit, in order to keep yourself focused on practical items that suit your own needs, rather than getting too tangled up in tongue-twisting transmission errors. Talk, in this context, is cheap for a reason.

AQUARIUS (January 20-February 18): Ordinarily, I don't feel I need to school my ultra-fair Aquarians on the need to look out for their common man-and-woman. It's sort of ingrained in your galactic-federation DNA to appreciate the value of all beings for their rainbow of fruit flavors. So as long as the increased intensity of your abundance-seeking vibrations are tuned to the appropriate 'all-for-one-and-one-for-all' frequency, then you can assume an influx of bankable goodies is already on its way to you—to all of you, that is. If you take charge, bravely leading your gaggle of peers and pals where no one has gone before… you'll be pleasantly amazed to see them follow right along. Everyone wins when you're courageous—on everyone's behalf. However, dare you become momentarily money-hungry or power-crazed and forget your cosmic commitment to bettering the lot of the whole, you won't get much further than your own vanity mirror, where the only treasure greeting you is your own self-serving, shit-eating grin. That's right, Aquarius… push to the front of the crowd with a 'me-first' attitude, and they'll push you right back to the middle section, just to reiterate the point that you're no better than anyone else. Your tremendous wealth (whether material, social or spiritual) can only come alongside others' increasing worth, never at the expense of it.

PISCES (February 19-March 20): Right now, Pisces, your etheric aura (or the invisible energy-field part of your body that extends outward into space) is acting as a super-powerful magnet, mysteriously drawing to you whatever luck you've convinced yourself you deserve… and naturally, you can see how this might pan out in any number of ways. Trust me, I'm not spewing new-age bullshit that condescendingly purports to preach how every bad thing in your life is totally your fault (which is an insufficiently simplistic read, though there may be kernels of such truth speckled around in there). But I must encourage you not to fear any seemingly larger-than-life bosses, parents or authority figures who appear, from your subjective vantage-point, to be breathing down your neck. You're more capable of influencing that dynamic than you may imagine, and have no reason to tolerate situations that leave you feeling uncomfortable. Instead of continuing (consciously or not) to fuel the brewing clash by thinking pessimistic thoughts, muttering under your breath or quivering in your boots, try a totally different mindset. Kill 'em with kindness… and a deep faith that your loving intentions (or at least as much true compassion as you can muster) will conquer all the grody vibes. Then, you'll have done your part to attract much more positive outcomes to your life… while the other person, if he/she was in fact 'breathing down your neck', is left to do the squirming.