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Horoscopes | Week of July 2-8, 2007

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Impulses need not be indulged to their fullest, the very minute you feel 'em. And true passion doesn't have to knock you on your ass, leaving you unprepared to answer the door or catch the bus, consuming every last ounce of your finite energy. Aries, the temptation to dash off on the next plane out of here (because some awesomely hot beau or belle is waiting in the seat across the aisle with a rose and a naughty smile, because the cultural arts festival in Kuala Lumpur is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and you just can't miss it, because it's more fun to be jet-setting than staying put any day) are raging this week… that's for sure. But if your ruler Mars is to be believed, linking up with your solar 6th, this is more properly a moment of delayed gratification, on behalf of your own far-ranging well-being. The dramatic acts of spontaneity may be more 'exciting'—or are they just easier to deal with, once you reach a certain (uncomfortable) point in your development process and start itching for escape? But for how many years could you keep that up? While the 'heads over heels' feeling (in love, of course, but also in fondness for anything that might sweep you off your feet) is unarguably blissful, it can also leave you wondering which end is up. And sooner or later, you will have to figure that out. Otherwise, when the box proves to be upside-down, all your fragile pieces will fall flat out and smash to smithereens. Remember: Here in the real world, you have bills to pay and pets to feed, responsibilities to meet and your own damn health to maintain. None of these things manage themselves on their own. Instead of falling hard and ending up with cartoon stars dancing and prancing about your forehead, please choose to tumble gently… for your own sake.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): If you feel strongly that you're right, then don't back down. You're in possession of an impressive powerhouse of emotional might… meaning that you won't gain the upper hand by faithfully adhering to a rational set of contentions that could prove statistically sound but put the listener to sleep, but only by shutting off the self-guarding censor mechanism on your mouth and letting your raw psychological experience speak for itself. What you have going for you is that you actually care, while the other person (who might be considered your 'adversary', though realistically is someone you have a deep underlying fondness for) may be resisting merely out of stubbornness. Don't be ashamed of showing your emotions, Taurus. They are a truth that simply cannot be argued with—only respected or tuned out. And when they respond to your free-and-unfettered disclosures one way or the other, you'll have all the answer you need. (We can't overlook the fact, however, that Venus's impending retrograde suggests this answer won't bring these deliberations to any final conclusion within yourself immediately… though it may change the dynamics of the external situation right away.) Whatever the outcome, I want you to be able to walk away proud, with the unambiguous knowledge you spoke bravely from the very pit of your being. Yet, you won't win anybody over by trying to outsmart 'em with fancy words… only by touching their soul with your honest confessions.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Here's a stumper for you. On the one hand, much of what's occupying your psychic energy defies expression through verbal language ('gasp! is such a thing possible?' the Gemini wordsmith wonders)… and in fact, it's probably best for you to learn how to handle such undefinable internal sensations through private means. And yet, on the other, you're in the midst of a marked upswing in social interest that impels you to remain out-and-about, perpetuating (if not overly emphasizing) your tendencies toward chit-chat… though these conversation topics may feel inwardly frustrating, with your understanding that they hardly scratch the surface of what's really going on (if only you knew what that was). Follow me? Thought not. You'll notice the links to your previous two weeks' horoscopes, which is my indicator for you to interpret this week's as a revamped rewrite, touching upon those same issues in a way that attempts to synthesize them into a unified guideline for your current behavior. Not likely. The more I try to string these sticky words together into coherent paths to finding relief, the more my own words start to sound silly to me… just like when you repeat a certain name over and over again, it shows just what gobbledy-gook that combination of syllables really is. No matter how clever you are, there's simply no way to wrap your head around all the strands of everythingness permeating your personhood. The best advice to give is to remain open to accidentally stumbling upon crumbs of outlooks that will help you put perspective on the whirligig of events and influences currently invading your energy field, which are likeliest to come from just hanging with your friends and talking about anything other than what you're 'supposed' to be focused on. It's like the Gemini version of meditation—so much irrelevant noise, enjoyed in the company of folks who have your back, just might crack your awareness wide open. Even if it sounds silly at first, reserve your judgment.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): As your week proceeds, I hope you'll realize more and more clearly that you've received all the information you need (for now, that is). By week's end, no more questions need be asked, nor research be done, in order to support your almost-made decision to go this way or that. The formulae don't amount to much more than you already understand; despite how many additional extraneous terms you tack onto the end of the equation, they'll still ultimately cancel each other out and you're back where you started. When unfiltered data seems to mistakenly slip through your lips, don't you dare attempt to talk yourself out of what you just uttered. There's some real truth for you, with or without the facts to back it up—and it wasn't no damn mistake! If your current day-to-day work situation doesn't leave you feeling fairly compensated for your efforts, figure out why. Maybe you're not in the right place… or maybe you haven't given the other players a chance to right the wrong, by your quietly swallowing whatever treatment you think you're lucky enough to get. You shouldn't be sweating your tail off for peanuts, unless you're a saint. (And if you're a saint, why are reading a damn horoscope? Get your 'readings' straight from the source, your holiness.) If you need encouragement to finally come out with it, when you're silently aware of what you need to do but won't let your mind make itself come around, then please seek out sympathetic friends who will urge you to do the thing that'll make you happy and relieved (rather than 'fine' and dying inside). As this week shifts into next, you'd better be moving your mouth to the tune of your innards.

LEO (July 23-August 22): While I'm sure you've heard a thing or two about humility, since you Leos are constantly being taken out to the shed for thinking too highly of yourselves or making it 'all about you'. But rather than follow that same tired thinking (which, incidentally, is a rather simplistically inaccurate description of your Sun-sign, don'tcha think?), I'm going to put a different twist on it. Being humble does not mean pretending you don't bear a certain power over others, whether you've chosen it or not… because let's be honest, Leo is the sign of royalty, where the Sun is at its absolute finest. You get your bad rep because a Leo Sun is the purest form of conscious Self there is—you are who you are, and simply want to be recognized as such. Well, this week, with a Venus-Pluto trine in your 1st and 5th houses, that power would be more aptly characterized as 'superpower'… which sort of brings to mind (again) your horoscope from two weeks ago. And with such an increase in power comes great responsibility, as I hinted at in last week's scope. I don't think I'm unnecessarily pumping your ego by reporting that you are in a tremendously advantageous position, in terms of being able to magnetically lure particular individuals toward you… and to charmingly goad them to do just what you want. But in the end, that position serves both of you the best when you're an encouraging influence, supporting the ones you love or admire in doing exactly what they most want to do—and receiving their genuine gratitude and generosity in return. What kind of royal would you like to be, Leo, since God or the karmic lineage of succession or the random quirk of birthdayhood has, for some reason or another, bestowed the privilege upon you? Will you be the benevolent leader who brings out the highest qualities in his/her subjects, for the good of the whole motherland, and in exchange are granted their undying loyalty… a lifelong honor you both deserve and openly cherish? Or are you simply going to administer crushing tax policies and tithing demands, spreading inconvenience and hardship (or maybe just quietly-borne sacrifice) so that your personal coffers continue to puff to their gills with gold coins, gestures of feigned love and forced physical service, and hollow congratulations? Remember: You're in charge of the land, and you're the one who will live with the products of the policies you've set forth.

VIRGO (August 23-September 22): I was about to launch into the usual sort of horoscope I'd compose for your current astro-situation, which consists of a highly subjective (maybe even emotionally confounding) trine between Venus and Pluto in your 12th and 4th… and it would start with something like, 'Let go. Keep to yourself. Pick "inner peace" over anything and everything else.' And if you want to adopt that strategy, Virgo, then be my guest. It will serve you well, since feeling good inside is far more important than putting on a happy face for other people. So if you're in the mood to shut off the phone and draw the curtains, don't think twice about it. But snarling itself into that keep-to-yourself vibe is a more outward-seeking Mars in your 9th, possibly more drawn to making a point than to missing the chance by staying mum. If you give him his due expression, then, you'll still be under the highly subjective influence… and, at the same time, feel driven to unload your philosophic leanings (at someone, even), so the gush of emotional passion will end up conveying a significant meaning to this episode of your life. Would you be less likely to put it out there, if I told you this might well be a last breath of 'the old you'… in advance of a plenty interesting few weeks ahead that'll flip you this way and that, but leave you in a different place than you currently are? For some of you, it'll probably inspire the external involvements. For others, it will make sense to steal this quiet week just for yourself. Pick at your discretion.

LIBRA (September 23-October 22): It wouldn't be a bad idea, Libra, to go on and allow yourself to get wrapped up in your pals' crazy lives and kooky dramas this week. Your close chums probably need your feedback more than you realize… and in the meantime, it'll beckon your mind away from any residual ire still being held toward that certain someone in your life (you know, that situation I warned you about two weeks back). If you're continuing to struggle with releasing the negative attitude—and I'm not saying you don't have every right to be upset, though I don't know for sure (not being personally privy to what goes on behind your closed doors)—might I suggest considering what other crap from the past you're lugging along and conflating with it. The frustrations could stem from much much earlier dissatisfaction or damage, which is being triggered by an eerie familiarity with the current player in your stymieing circumstance. All that this awareness is apt to do now is give you a reason not to take the present-day specifics quite so seriously as all that really matters… but isn't that enough? Instead of spinning your wheels, redirect those gyrations toward your friends, who will benefit much more directly from your 'tough love' than the one individual you'd really love to be tough with. (Like, brass-knuckles tough.) Listen to your friends' tales of turmoil for a good long while, perhaps even longer than your usual patience might hold out. Then, let 'em know what you really think about what you've heard. Even if you momentarily ruffle feathers, you're being a supportive comrade by voicing honest feedback.

SCORPIO (October 23-November 21): Just shut up and collect your prize package. A good rehash of last week's scope might be enough. And yet, I really and truly want to reiterate what a shame it would be, Scorpio, to risk your shot at further publicly evidenced heights… just because a certain someone is rubbing you wrong. In the heat of this maddening moment (that's Mars in your 7th who's responsible, FYI), you may easily overlook all 'shades of grey'—in order to see every scene in technicolor red. This fury may be somewhat out of context, seeing as it's been heavily determined by a stance on your part, vis-à-vis the presumed allies and enemies, that's rather outdated. You may no longer belong to the very group you imagine, with your brave embrace and defiant attitude, you're speaking on behalf of. You've moved on… without exactly 'moving on'. Know what I'm saying? Therefore, no matter how legit your gripes with this other person (or gaggle of people) may be, it's all rather irrelevant… in the sense, that is, of you needing to concentrate on everything's that ahead of you, not what's already been signed and sealed. If your hands are full of old crap, what are you going to use to pick up the treasures scattered liberally around the field you're just now beginning to enter? You'll have to drop that shit, in order to free yourself up to gather the goodies. Don't worry about who won or lost the battle you've left behind. The best victory of all will be to rise above—and soar into successes wholly unrelated to that last state of affairs in which you were embroiled.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22-December 21): As you know, there's nothing worse than a Sagittarian who's bored with life. Even more so than for the other signs, boredom will sap you of vitality… making every day drag on longer and heavier than it should. But there are different methods for tackling the 'boredom' issue—especially when you ask yourself the question of whether you're trying to quench the apathy (1) just for the immediate time-being or (2) in a lasting way. In fact, what works well for this purpose in the short-term may actually work against it in the long-term. How's that? Well, every quick fix may go far enough to ease that case of the fidgets for another couple weeks or months… while the baseline issue of what really and truly stimulates your need for activity and adventure never gets addressed. I'm immediately reminded of the old cliché of teaching someone how to fish, rather than slapping a plate of fried cod in front of 'im and stuffing 'im full until the next hunger pang reasserts control. It just postpones the inevitable need to address the hunger—or the boredom—on a daily basis. This is not just a matter of 'internal satisfaction' (which some pragmatists will poo-poo as a self-indulgence none of us are actually entitled to); this is also crucial to maintaining physical health, as you Sagittarians need to discharge that freedom-lovin' spirit or risk trapping it in your bodies. I've told you already: This is a big year for you to reconnect (or reaffirm your connection) with the idea you're on some fantastic voyage, going someplace above and beyond where you've been all your life up 'til now. However, if you rush to the docks to catch the first ship out, without making sure you're headed to a destination that won't bore you to tears after the first few days of honeymoon excitement wear off, you could spend all the rest of your days hopping schooners to far-off corners of the globe… and still never feel like you 'got' there.

CAPRICORN (December 22-January 19): That comfy-cozy 'everything's peachy-keen' mask is showing its fissures this week, Cap… and while some folks may buy the routine that nothing makes its way to your hard center, I definitely don't. Contrary to popular opinion, Capricorns are some of the most emotional souls around. But 'emotion' doesn't have to be of the naggingly annoying 'sad' or 'mad' variety. Its flipside is unbridled enthusiasm or, for lack of a better word, passion (to be honest, sometimes I tire of using that term in my scopes)—the genuine caring from deep within about something, which makes you behave with more extravagant and embellished gestures because, on some level, you just can't (or don't want to) control yourself. Now, control is one of the Capricorn's favorite games to play (and that's because you're so damn good at it). Yet, whatever you may gain in withholding impulsive tendencies to achieve goals at some later greater date, you also lose the generous invitation to others that comes from dropping the constructed calm and revealing uncompromised gusto. For instance, you can be quite a captivating provocateur—when you're in the right mood. And if you're feeling a bit more naughty right about now, you don't need to deny those sizzlin' vibes building up between you and a certain Mr. or Ms. Sweet-Talker. After all, if you're both willing and available, there's no reason to cut it short. That might not be the specific situation in which you find yourself… but there may be some other context in which it's high time to suck up any fear and dive in headfirst. By this point, aren't you due for some wild times? Or you can stay safely indoors, hermit act intact, and flaunt that you haven't tempted fate to lose you any ground… yet nor have you gained yourself any. Just stayed put, as is.

AQUARIUS (January 20-February 18): Real measurable growth in your primary one-on-one relationship(s) will likeliest come by taking a step back and looking at the dynamic between you two from the eyes of an intellectually detached observer. And while you are usually the perfect candidate for 'intellectually detached observer', unfortunately that's not the case when you're this close (i.e., totally and completely involved) to what's being observed. At the same time, you're embroiled in a war with yourself about whether to (1) stay put and bear with it or (2) screw it all by refusing to defuse your frothing explosiveness and letting the pieces fall where they may. (See also: last week.) This is, in fact, a wholly internal conflict… though it's easy-as-pie to project one of those sides outward and making your honey or best pal either (1) the restrictive killjoy or (2) the overexcited lunatic. The painful truth is that you probably would've reached this same point in the relationship no matter who was on the other end of it… though, admittedly, the eventual outcome depends on the other person, too. That's why you need to get a different view (perhaps a long-distance call or IM session with a faraway friend is 'detached' enough… or maybe a therapist?), so that you can mitigate your automatic reactions with theoretical imaginings about what 'a typical couple' might go through in a similar situation. The types of thoughts this path will lead to involve contemplating whether you two 'make sense' in each other's world, as opposed to merely dancing well together in the 'initial-heat' phase. Of course, opposites will always attract—but there's a big difference between physical attraction and actually compatibility.

PISCES (February 19-March 20): With major planetary action in both your 'diligent work' and 'lightweight social' zones, you just might have to cram your schedule fuller than usual, in order to get around to everything. If there were any question about it, though, that's good, my dear Pisces. Don't we all know that 'busier' usually means 'happier', since it gives you less of a chance to sit around looking for reasons to mope? Let's start with the work front: You mustn't give any less than 100%, only because the return on your energy investment will be very high this week, with a Venus/Pluto trine in your two work houses. Simply by putting in your all, you'll be uttering quite a powerful statement to the Powers that Be (whether literal superiors on the job or the gods-and-goddesses in the sky) that you're worthy of more responsibilities and rewards. Your efforts will speak for themselves. Meanwhile, once the workday is done, you also mustn't sacrifice your hearty helping of fun. By getting out and about with friends (and friends-not-yet-met), you'll pull yourself out of the single-minded focus on one single individual, who may or may not warrant all that attention from you. This week isn't about figuring out what's going on in your relationship or lack thereof… but rather just blowing off steam with people whose company you can enjoy in an uncomplicated manner. With all this stuff on your plate, once you start dragging, just grab another coffee (or your less-intense natural stimulant of choice)… and keep up the fevered pace.