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Horoscopes | Week of May 28-June 3, 2007

ARIES (March 21-April 19): I'm already giving you a heads-up now, Aries, that next week's horoscope isn't going to be so different from this one. Let's think of these two separate weeks, then, as a single fortnight (gosh, I love that word! we Americans only come across it when reading Victorian novels), okay? Wonderful. So what's the big theme of this fortnight? Here's the best part: It's all about you. In short, these two weeks are your best two weeks in I-don't-know-how-long to make things happen. Your ruler Mars is still at home in your sign… but rather than letting him get away with starting up the blaze and then wandering off to pander to the next spur of spontaneity, he's got the double-bolster of trines to Jupiter (which adds enthusiasm, vision and even more benevolent courage) and Saturn (which stabilizes, secures and strips of excess, in order to deliver endurance). Do you see what I'm gettin' at? You have one of the best possible magic fire triangles (or in proper astro-terms, 'grand fire trines') at your disposal. Please, please, please don't let this special occasion get away from you without making major strides forward. After all, whatever you touch will move effortlessly (and sustainably!) along, as if invisible hands are giving it an enchanted push while, at the same time, holding it safe for good keeping. Don't waste time pausing to explain yourself, unless it's instrumental to your continued momentum that somebody understands. There'll be better moments for exposition later. At this juncture, it's all about operating at full steam ahead. That said, do make sure to get enough rest (though the 'bare minimum', as long as it's healthy, may be enough)—that way, you can get the very most out of your days, and still have enough strength to muster an occasional 'hooray!'

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): These next couple rounds of action are especially hot, and could get heavy… and I must warn you, Taurus, you're in a distinctly detrimental position for snagging a clear triumph (or even knowing what it'd be a triumph over). As I reported at the last New Moon, Mars in your solar 12th doesn't speak of the easiest ability to convey one's will—if anything, it makes you (1) confused about why you want something and/or (2) unsure as to the best way to get it. All of this, mind you, is underscored by compelling emotional impulses to get away from it all… and to lash out, break down, hide your head, run for the hills or check yourself into some more-or-less glamorous form of rehab. (In case I haven't made this clear, let me tell you: These feelings are totally normal and natural.) The main difference between you and many other folks this week, alas, is that they are equally fired up but less ambivalent or irresolute about their desires and methods for satisfying 'em. How annoying is that? If you're attempting to accomplish something at odds with what they're attempting to accomplish, you're the one with the handicap. Ultimately, then, a reiteration of my original endorsement—that you should be looking inward, instead of perturbing yourself with outward observations of everything everyone else is doing—seems the smartest approach. If you retreat a bit from the outside demands (mainly demands on you from them), it'll give your stirred-up insides a chance to settle down. Otherwise, you might accidentally snip at somebody who doesn't really deserve it. And when you're forced to be in social situations, ask lots of questions—then sit back while they talk your ear off.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): This is a week in which you needn't resist the natural flow of doing what you do best—spiritedly mingling among the many bosom buddies you cherish and/or the soon-to-be-pals you'd like to know a bit more about. It's an equivocally people-centered time, with astrology that favors you asserting yourself into the scene… understanding that your instigating presence will rouse others into far livelier conversation and connection than if you weren't there. You're like one of those 'kid wranglers' some nice Jewish parents hire for their children's bar-mitzvahs to keep the gaggle of 13-year-olds entertained, but not out-of-control. You must lead the party brigade into all-out war against taking life too seriously. If you put yourself out there, organizing a fun-filled evening that'll distract the rest of us from our worries (or grabbing the reins of someone else's celebratory vision gone awry), we'll gladly and obediently follow your guidance. You know how best to encourage us to blow off steam. So please accept this task of merrymaking as a duty to your friends, we who direly need the light-hearted play. Rescue us from our fretting by taking our minds off the less upbeat topics. The only thing I'm warning you against, Gemini, is trying to secure any directly practical or useful benefits from the social proceedings other than a good time for you and your peeps. That is, don't start asking for favors, pitching ideas, or pushing yourself into running for the next big gig, just because you've got the head honcho salsa-dancing with a few margaritas in his bloodstream. You'd be lucky if he even remembers the conversation, let alone gives you what you want. Let's be clear: All this pleasure should be purely for pleasure.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Let's revisit the New Moon of two weeks ago, when I urged you to take deliberate advantage of the many small-but-significant chances to drive your career (or community-based) goals ahead. The Full Moon (falling on Thu May 31) is traditionally seen as the glaring moment in the lunar cycle when the New Moon's initiatives reveal some type of 'status report'… which, as a result, may require you to change tactics, switch directions, or otherwise respond to what's come forth. Therefore, if you've been following my guidance and framing your entire lunar month as an opportunity to take on more responsibility on the job, you'll probably see what's been working and what hasn't. And if (gasp!) you haven't spent the past couple weeks hunting for tiny 'x's on an otherwise featureless treasure map to professional gold, well, Cancer, it's not too late to get back on board—if, that is, you look closely at why you weren't on board to begin with. Though in the coming two weeks your approaches may have to be tweaked, please keep your overall umbrella goals squarely in mind. As before, your actions will speak far louder—and much more precisely—than your words. So you can expect to confidently glide by on kind perfunctory remarks and big bright smiles, since, with Venus and Mercury on your side, that'll be all it takes to get 'em agreeing with you. Lest you encounter any wild beasts, simply rely on your unspoken charms to soothe their savage souls. (A knowing glance goes a long way.) Bottom line: Stick with that original New Moon advice for another two weeks, and then see where it gets you.

LEO (July 23-August 22): What an extraordinary moment for philosophical reflection, Leo… with no pressure whatsoever to form conclusions. If anything, it's the conclusions already formed that might need revisiting… not because you've been 'wrong' about anything, but more that you've grown (or are in the midst of doing so) and need a larger conceptual container to hold the 'you' you're becoming. I'm hoping what's now being made abundantly clear is how little advance knowledge—and thus overall strategic control—you actually have in how your life's turning out. More humbling still, you must admit you haven't necessarily understood who your best romantic match might be, what professional path you 'should' be traversing or, consequently, what it's all supposed to mean… that is, until it happens and you can discern, from experience, the fleeting lessons from the enduring commitments. You've got to kiss a lot of frogs before finding a prince. You've got to build a repertoire of jobs you loved, hated, tolerated, stumbled through and strived to succeed at, in order to build a resumé (whether a literal piece of high-quality paper or a data-store in your annals of earned wisdom). Be open to all that you haven't yet exposed yourself to, not because I can give you specific details on what you will gain from the exposure… but rather so you can look back over your years on this planet and know you gave it the old college try, never passing up interesting opportunities due to fear of failure, embarrassment or existential ego-crisis.

VIRGO (August 23-September 22): Guard against pandering to those trains of thought that cast you as the 'odd man out'… not because there isn't anything to the belief that you're 'different than the rest' (aren't we all?), but due to the sense of alienation that such ideas will fuel. Under these emotionally inflaming skies, including a Full Moon in your super-subjective solar 4th, this isn't the best time to fixate on such self-estranging stories. Otherwise, outwardly expressed anger could come on too quickly to manage responsibly. But if you turn your sights toward the esteemed catalogue of glass-half-full tales told from the flip-side perspective, you'll remind yourself how much more you share in common with the others than it might seem in the fired-up moment. I don't expect you to discard any sincere concerns that may underlie your feelings of disenchantmant or divergence, Virgo, simply to halfheartedly embrace some feelgood bullshit that doesn't get at the real blood-and-guts—I just don't recommend focusing on 'em this week, when you're under the effects of Mars & Co. No matter how far to the edges of the outskirts of the group wisdom you imagine yourself to be (could be true, could be an exaggeration: who's to know right now?), there's always also some basis for finding common ground… even if it's at the very lowest level of 'we're all human beings'. You'll avoid needless hassles by sticking to this mindset, taking note of where you veer from the majority opinion but not loudly lashing out about it. Save your counterarguments for a later time (maybe even next week) when you might successfully launch a 'surgical strike'… with such precision that no collateral damage occurs at all, and your attack can stay unquestionably on point.

LIBRA (September 23-October 22): Lead them out of unfriendly territory, or lead them into battle: Which is it going to be, Libra? Because, let me tell you, with that 7th-house Mars receiving more and more heavy-duty backup assistance from Jupiter and Saturn, your asserted intent is a powerful precedent-setter in your primary one-on-one relationship(s). So whether you choose to concentrate on the negatives (or continue to closely associate with the wrong kinds of people for you) will make a huge difference in the tone of your exchanges. Are you in the mood to beat your head against the wall trying to get the other person to understand (or, even worse, to change), or would you like to actually enjoy your encounters by steering them to places most likely to give you pleasure (or least likely to harbor headaches)? Of course, straddling this very tension I'm describing sometimes works to one's advantage… namely, in relationships not yet formed (or, God forbid, over-ripened to putrescence) but still in the 'speculative' stage. In this context, that potentially pesky Mars can help you flirtatiously poke at the object of your possible desire in a more outright manner—which makes it easier to get what you want from it, or could lead to hastier clues hinting at rejection. Yet, because you haven't gone too far down a path with said person, there's no need to get serious in this pre-clarity 'poking' phase. You can happily dive into the playful world of seductive socializing, and ride the line of 'maybe/maybe not' to your heart's content. And to conclude on a wholly divergent note, though the relationship zone may have you hunting for the thrills, don't overlook the career sector. The week's smoothest, easiest successes are likeliest to be professional ones. Once the workday is over, you'll have plenty of time to frolic and flitter… or, if you're so inclined, to fish for a fight.

SCORPIO (October 23-November 21): I suppose it could be rather dangerous to kick off a Scorpio horoscope with talk of being unabashedly self-serving. There are already plenty of folks out there who generally assume the worst of you (sometimes they even email me their unfiltered anti-Scorpio repugnance), and we might hardly expect them to understand my intent in granting you even more of an excuse to look out for your own interests. Don't mistake this paragraph, however, as an engraved invitation to gratify your every appetite… as if instantaneously securing just what you want right now is sincerely what best 'serves' your self. No way, Jose. In fact, if you really want to take good care of yourself by securing the solidest footing possible, upon which you can build whatever towering future most appeals to you, you may have to hold off on fun… in favor of hunkering down into financial stability. In other words, this is an amazing time to work extra-hard on projects or proposals that will directly benefit your bank account. And if it's not cold hard cash that will bolster your sense of sound self-confidence, then look toward concrete skills you might learn or refine so you can add them to your repertoire of handsomely compensated-for tricks. Whatever it'll take to make that next big wad of dough or chunk of social capital yours, start doing it. But be aware that, in order to reap the maximum gain from this astro-occasion, you must squash the urge for immediate excitement and postpone all expensive adventures until later. What thrills you today might actually work against you a few exits down the freeway. For the next couple weeks, you mustn't assume a tiny indulgence here and there won't make an impact. Now, 'self-serving' isn't as much fun as it initially sounded, is it?

SAGITTARIUS (November 22-December 21): You're smack dab among the glaring targets caught in the line of fire… which, first and foremost, make it virtually impossible for you to blend, non-descript and such, into any environment you find yourself. This is hardly a new development this week, as any diligent follower of these-here Sagittarian 'scopes can attest. Since March, as one planet after another has moved through Aries and, thus, your solar 5th—Venus, the Sun, Mercury, and now Mars—you've been repeatedly thrust into attention-grabbing situations, through the simple act of living your life openly and without apology. (See also: 'Fireball'.) By now, I hope you're resigned to forgetting about attempts to keep a low profile or conceal your true desires. And you've certainly been subjected to enough recent admonitions about waiting to get your point across, moving on when you rub somebody wrong, and sidestepping direct confrontation, haven't you? Well, finally, the astro-outlook is looking like the right weather to be flashy and forward. No toning it down, no circumventing the naysayers, and no flowery disclaimers necessary. Ask for what you want, and declare what you believe. Over this week and the next, you have the capacity to expose anything and everything on your mind to the testing-grounds of others' opinions… the good, the bad, and the ugly. Put it all out there, knowing that some reactions might not be pretty or pleasant (not that this fact is likely to stop you) but all reactions are useful to you. When you're super-direct like I'm recommending, you will get your answers straight away. So come out with your comments, campaigns and come-ons. For these coming couple weeks, 'shameless' is your key to all the action.

CAPRICORN (December 22-January 19): When it comes to the idea of other people, Capricorn, your eyes may be bigger than your stomach. In other words, though you may feel drawn to seek out companionship, there's a chance you'll bite off more than you can chew—and find it somewhat difficult to digest it all. Blame the week's Full Moon (in your lost-without-a-map solar 12th) if you're left feeling all out of sorts, for no clear earthly reason. But for that reason alone, your pride might prevent you from being wholly comfortable wearing your messyish moods on your sleeve. With mercy for this unselected predicament of yours, grant yourself the liberty to scram from certain social commitments, if indeed you'd rather be alone. Or better yet, be discriminating in who you choose to hang with, so you're still able to satisfy the urge for interpersonal contact. Hang quietly with your tightest homey(s), and air your upsets in your most trustworthy of relationships. It's totally kosher if your expulsions make absolutely no sense. After all, you're not trying to explain some intricate engineering concept, fundamental to making a rocket soar or an artificial limb function properly—you're simply releasing a valve and letting out emotions. And judging from the astrological blueprint, this moment is merely a passing blip on the radar. Nothing to solve; rather only to witness. Brood alone, or vent to a close friend… but do what you can to avoid extraneous exchanges of obligatory face-time.

AQUARIUS (January 20-February 18): 'Nose to the grindstone' doesn't always entail sitting at a desk by your lonesome, struggling to fit the right numbers into those tiny spreadsheet boxes. Sometimes, the duty you're supposed to be fulfilling seems almost too easy or enjoyable to be considered 'staying on task'. But that, alas, mustn't mislead you into thinking it's any less pressing of a responsibility. This week's needs, Aquarius, should have you getting back in contact, or connecting for the very first time, with all the casual chums and community comrades who you'll want to include as part of your team—and to that extent, your most important job may necessitate inordinate oodles of socializing, though it's not the only work you've got to do. Remember, though: This palling-around ain't purely for pleasure… and you shouldn't treat it with such carefree indelicacy. If you rightfully recognize that your sociable efforts are also an attempt to solidify alliances and solicit assistance (whether formally or not-quite-so), then you'll want to do your best to keep all the exchanges fluffy and bright. Steer clear of tight spots where you'll be pressed to voice a potentially controversial opinion… and when listening to others' suggestions, take 'em in with enthusiastic non-commitment. Who needs the headache of serious debate? If you hear something you don't like, you can quietly shift that person's categorization from 'true blue' to 'with a grain of a salt'—and they don't even need to know it's happened.

PISCES (February 19-March 20): With Venus in your solar 5th, we have every reason to believe you're due for some sentimental fun… activities and encounters that touch your soul, with emotion rather than words or concepts, and remind you why it's so exciting to be alive right now. Among other things, the 5th house symbolizes our first tumble into love—the childlike giggles, the suspension of 'survival-' or 'achievement-time' in favor of an exhilarating Now, and that self-renewing reflection from seeing yourself through the eyes of somebody else delighting at your own goodness. Mmmmmm. But if this all sounds just a bit too good to be true, then you're onto something, Pisces. While what I've described is part of the influence on your week (and if it's not specifically about love, it could also come out in an enhanced ability to spot and savor any pleasures), it's not the whole kit-'n'-caboodle. If something doesn't feel quite right, it's probably a nagging sense that you mustn't dip too dramatically into these wonderful waters… or you might miss a practical requirement or professional prospect necessary to chugging away toward your goals. (You didn't think I'd let you off that easy, did you?) Don't compromise this cherished vision for too much amusement. This is not time to settle for the backseat again, or to procrastinate in the false assumption that this can always wait. If astrology can teach you anything, it's that timing definitely matters. Sure, have a little fun. Flirt some. Fall farther into la-la-land… but not too far, not right now. The fiery fabulosity in your functional work zones is just too fantastic to permit to pass you by.