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Horoscopes | Week of August 27-September 2, 2007

ARIES (March 21-April 19): When you know, you just know. It washes over you, burning outward in a tingly resonance your body emits when you're 'onto something'… as if you're about to sync up with designs from the universe's grander blueprint, in perfect as-it-should-be-ness, and any decision you make will affirm or ignore such an alignment. A hunch, by definition, is an impression that hits you on the level of intuitive feeling—and as such, hunches don't usually provide much in the way of convenient explanation. Those missing-in-action footnotes to your primary sense, however, have no effect on the profound truth of what's coming through the glimmering clues. This week, Aries, favor your feelings over the logic, the lack of which might actually be viewed as 'lucky'. If you want everything to be as good as it can be, you simply must go with what feels right… and anything less, no matter how many compelling arguments could be bound into a reasonable justification to 'be reasonable', is a wasteful detour. From this position, then, you mustn't be afraid to change your mind from where it's recently been—even for absolutely no clear reason at all—no matter if it disrupts plans already partly made. But since you may, as a result, be asking certain other folks to merely trust you on the basis of feelings only you are directly privy to… well, please go out of your way to be kind to those affected by any changes of heart, rather than quietly disappearing and thus only indirectly making your new direction known to them. If you want them to trust your gut, behave toward them in a trustworthy manner.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Who are the best people in the world for you to associate with, Taurus? Are you pretty sure you know? That would be a fairly mind-boggling achievement, since it's highly unlikely you've met even the tiniest sliver of the world's population… and even the ones you have met you might not have given enough of a shot, as individuals, to be certain they aren't your next best friend or love-of-your-life just waiting for you acknowledgement. So if the current situation with your honey-of-the-moment or one-and-only-B.F.F. doesn't also leave you room for a host of other social commitments, experiments and explorations… well, then, that situation probably needs some examination. No one person should make you choose (or 'innocently' solicit guilt, while tightening their grip on you) between keeping up with all the possibilities of connections still to form, foster or deepen and spending all your time with her/him. And in telling you this, I warn you not to acquit yourself before recognizing where you might stand in your own path to enjoying the acquaintances, alliances and friendships out there for you to grow from. You could be the one who insists on sticking with the same two or three trusted companions… at the expense of everyone else who's dying to get to know you, but may sense a 'hands off' energy emanating from your staunch resistance to dabble where trust has yet to be established. Yet, wow, how you'd benefit from the breaths of fresh air! How you thrive when getting to know someone, once you convince yourself it's worth your effort! How much fun it can be to give strangers or those you barely know the benefit of the doubt, assuming they may actually have something to offer you without the strings of expectation tangling you up! Instead of thinking you know who's best for you, I advise leaving it a perpetually open-ended question—and dedicating yourself to having a good time finding new answers.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Sure, that supremely wild dream of what you really want to do in the world (as opposed to what you may've currently settled for) could seem too impossible to even consider… but isn't that what dreams are all about? There's no feasibility requirement for dreaming, Gemini, in light of how many of the things we take for granted in our ultramodern world began as zany visions somebody never imagined could come to fruition. So though you may have absolutely no clue how you'd ever attain a goal that's so many miles away from anything you're living now, you must start with an optimistic outlook; everything else follows from there. And when it comes to that internal voice who just loves to list off every last thing that could possibly go wrong, dare you attempt to inch (or bound) toward realizing your dream… please do tell him or her to shut the fuck up. That inner critic is just one big party-pooper, with nothing to add to the dreaming process other than a bunch of humbuggery. (Not to mention the fact that it's highly likely this voice sounds suspiciously like a discouraging family member's.) Here's one instance where your clever, fast-acting mind doesn't serve you so well, if it's only serving to conjure up worst-case scenarios and presently unanswerable question marks. How can you reach for the stars, when you're stuck on calculating the distance (in light-years, of course) from your fingertips to the Sun and whether it's conceivable for one person to make such contact? Let's just assume it's all within your grasp… and before you start to say otherwise, leave it at that. Now, spend your week basking in its glow of promise. If you let it sink in and allow yourself to enjoy the feeling, you might just get used to it—and, in the process, ready yourself to find a way (any way at all!) to make it really happen.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): If you want to look for 'em, you'll continue to find fairly superficial excuses for not propelling yourself far far away from the familiar people and places. After all, how is somebody supposed to jet off on a vision quest when there's dry cleaning to be picked up and a battery of calls and emails to be returned? Well, Cancer, you're way less likely to gain any perspectives on Life (and your Reason for Living) by doing the same things with the same folks you did last week and the countless weeks before that. Aren't you tired of being that predictable? Now that we're within the eclipse zone, it's a fantastic moment for devising wild plans and totally-out-there escapades that support the notion of these coming six months being a radically different next chapter in your existence. But it's not about uprooting yourself, just to prove a point to everyone else. It's only worth jumping super-far outside your comfort zone if it also satisfies your personal desires to grow and expand into uncharted territory. Are there looming questions in your head about what else might be out there? Are there chances you want to take, which you'll always wonder about (and potentially regret) if you don't give 'em a shot? When, exactly, do you intend to engage with these big considerations? When will you be 'stable' or 'established' enough? My sincere hope for you is that, six months or a year from now, you'll be able to look back and report, with no lack of certainty: 'I am a bigger, fuller and more knowledgeable person than I was back in August of 2007'—not because any person or situation forced you (through pressure or duress) to stretch, but because you dreamt it up, then chose it to occur.

LEO (July 23-August 22): The cheap and convenient choice would be to keep your distance and stay 'safe', right? Who really needs to flirt with the explosive disorder that might gush forth, should you decide to riskily bite the bullet and get even further entangled in a definitely-not-casual (maybe even steamy) situation with You-Know-Who? Obviously, Leo, need isn't the issue. Your want, however, may not give much of a crap for 'neat' or 'easy'… and thus demands of you a veritable disregard for the mythic gusts of fire or six-headed monsters that might escape their cell, should you opt to truly open that can of worms wide. Come on, we all know how life only gets really exciting when you position yourself on the edge. You may be pretty sure of what'll happen if you hold all your limbs close to your body, without protruding too scandalously into anybody else's personal space, and make no false moves—things will continue in a fairly predictable (if not passionless) direction. The ginormous dangling what-if, however, comes from holding your breath and diving in deep… with awareness that, though the subsequent unfolding could well blow up in your face, it could also end up being pure and total bliss, far more intense and amazing than anything you could've hoped for. But it's a gamble, no doubt about it. And so what if you end up making a big fat mess. At some eventual point, you'll end up okay—so long as you promise to do whatever cleanup proves necessary. That said, perhaps it's time to go for the all-out experience.

VIRGO (August 23-September 22): There's absolutely no doubt about it, Virgo: You're in the midst of turbulent times, and they're not over yet. Luckily, they promise great progress—if you can weather the storm and visualize a radically new future, as well as embracing the required work necessary to make it happen. And it's all kicking up in a big way now… as Saturn moves into your sign at the very end of the week (to stay through the end of 2009) and a solar eclipse hits Virgo in a couple weeks (Sep 11). Just for this week, though, I want you to do your best to release all preconceived notions about the individual(s) with which you share your most significant one-on-one relationship(s). Forget everything about how you expect them to behave in any given situation. Let them off the hook for both the little crap and the big shit they've dragged you into over the past months or years. And dispense with those all-encompassing fantasies you entertain about what you two mean to each other… and how you're sure to be at each other's sides from here to eternity. All this is to enable you to encounter this person with fresh eyes… suspending that which you think you know about 'em, so you can actually meet 'em in the here and now with your most present-and-aware emotional engagement possible. I know it's hard to write off history or halt the judgments being waged over another predictable response on their part. But can you try your best to experience this week from that context… as just this week? If you succeed, you'll probably surprise yourself with what you discover about how the relationship isn't… not as you remembered, not as you expected, maybe not exactly as you want it or perhaps not as far off as you'd imagined. To truly ride the waves of change, you must be prepared to proceed without a certain someone along for the ride… or to realize that this someone isn't who you thought they were, which makes them that much better a companion.

LIBRA (September 23-October 22): You're up against an old-and-outdated clump of irrational beliefs that, if permitted to reign supreme, will sap the go-getter initiative right out of you… simply out of an inaccurate perception that you're bound to disappoint yourself, falling short of what your confident side knows is possible because some shoe always inevitably drops. Don't engage in an internal debate over such pessimistic notions, Libra. Before you even start trying to rationalize, all upbeat and self-motivational (e.g., 'I just know I can do it')… stop the mental back-and-forth, get up off your duff, and move your body. Sitting still will only breed more of the negative thinking, while physical activity will ensure your energies are circulating—and thus likelier to shift you past the fear-filled blockages. Whether it's a strenuous workout or a top-to-bottom housecleaning, remaining in motion also keeps you feeling productive… and that's kind of what you need right now. Sometimes in life, we get to points when we're not exactly sure where it's all leading, which can do a real number on our desire to fight the good fight. That, of course, is exactly when we need to stick with the day-in-day-out activities (rather than succumb to the dregs of 'why bother?'), with trust that sustaining the usual diligent attention to our responsibilities will eventually reap us greater clarity about their ultimate purpose. Otherwise, the doubts lead to the escapist behaviors… which lead to digging ourselves a deeper hole, from which we'll only have to climb back out later, which will simply mean more work. Aargh! So why feed the circular-logic lack of logic, from a purely internal and subjective stance? You'll help yourself out far more by staying healthy and active, getting your shit done without exactly understanding why, and postponing the existential wonderings for some other time.

SCORPIO (October 23-November 21): Are you, by any chance, looking to have some real fun? Then please, you mustn't stress about what other people think. You will lose no ground, nor any bit of respect in their eyes, if they catch you blowin' off steam in your fullest silliness (wacky outfit and all)… or if you reveal more of yourself more freely than you'd perhaps intended. There's something inherently unlikable when folks pick up that you're already censoring yourself before you've said or done anything, as if you somehow don't trust them to embrace your uniqueness without gearing it especially to your perception of their expectations. That whole previous sentence is too crammed with potential posturing to sound like much of a good time. Trying to woo a hot guy or girl? Do everyone a favor, and stop trying so hard. The more quickly you relax, the easier it'll be for all parties to decide if you actually like each other (as opposed to merely being good at adhering to the proper courtship rituals). It's a far more powerful position to dash the concern for whether your spontaneous behavior will 'fit in' with those you seek to impress… instead fearlessly leaving your freely-expressed selfhood out on the shelf, to be picked up or left put on its own merits. Anything else, meanwhile, already feels like too much work to bother with—when all I thought we were trying to do was get you to have some fun. Don't you have enough work to do at work? On your off-time, drop all sense of duty to some image that isn't entirely accurate anyhow… and just give yourself a break. Goof the fuck around, Scorpio.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22-December 21): You may indeed be 'taking the world by storm', or basking in some other version of external excitement where what other people watch you do adds to your public esteem… but that is not all there is. It can be so very easy to roll with the punches of events, movin' and groovin' with whatever new developments show up as a result of the previous ones—and never stop to ponder whether such activity actually soothes your spirit, with some inner sense of contentment, or if you're merely following along with what shows up by default. This week, check in with yourself about just how happy the latest news update about the state of your life actually makes (or doesn't make) you. Is this the kind of person you want to be? If you're relatively pleased, then spend a few minutes down on your knees (or in your preferred posture of humility) thanking existence for blessing you with the opportunity to become involved in what moves you. But if you're not, consider how this chasm between self-conception and real-world reality was created… and I'll bet, if you're being honest, you'll stumble upon some obvious or less-obvious connection to where you came from. After all, if it weren't for your childhood experiences, you wouldn't have become the person you are—and you also probably wouldn't have internalized whatever self-deflating messages you were taught, which indoctrinated you to not expect much from that person you call 'me'. Don't get pissed off at the family members or caretakers who sold you short. Instead, honor them for what they did give you… which was clearly enough to lead you to this questioning point. Squeeze in a visit, or at least a phone call, as a gesture of respect to your roots, no matter how far short of 'ideal' the experience was. Maybe even cry a private sentimental tear. All of this, to remember that true success is gauged by how it feels in your heart, when nobody else is around, and you're left to be silently self-satisfied for jobs well done.

CAPRICORN (December 22-January 19): Unburden yourself already, Capricorn. After enduring quite a bit of rather serious business, you've earned the right to let that crap go. No, wait… let's put it another way: The most important responsibility you have to yourself right now is to handle each micro-sized exchange as its own isolated incident, with the relative lightness-of-heart that such an attitude warrants, rather than allowing each moment to pile up on top of the last so that it all starts to feel like too much. Let's just say: No big problems this week. With only a very few exceptions, they can wait for at least another week—or, rather, the sense that they are really that big may be temporarily suspended. Challenging questions will surely arise, as they tend to do on a regular basis… and you should respond to them, for the time being, with outright silliness. You can gather the mounds of paperwork into a neat pile, so it won't appear so untamed when you finally get to it later. Then, set it aside, and grab that flashy trashy magazine or goofy comic book, kick your feet up on the coffee table, and chill out. Or you might consider catching up with friends or acquaintances you've recently slipped out of touch with—that is, as long as you don't bring along the guilt-ridden baggage of 'I'm so sorry I haven't called' or 'You must think I'm such a rotten friend.' Please start from the assumption that anyone will be simply glad to hear from you. Period. And after every instance of feeling like you just said the most inappropriate, impolite, thoughtless, self-concerned and/or just plain dumb thing… oh, gosh, Capricorn, give yourself some breathing room, skip right past the internally-crafted awkwardness, and continue that conversation or the next one.

AQUARIUS (January 20-February 18): Even if you were to check your account balance every hour on the hour, you still wouldn't be able to garner a terribly precise figure that represents what you actually have. Any official bank statement won't include all the non-liquid and/or non-monetary assets you possess, which certainly qualify as important elements to your overall 'wealth'—the sentimental treasures and family heirlooms, the inalienable qualities of your personality, your ultimate earning potential. Likewise, such calculations are bound to leave out forgettable debts and liabilities, both of the type you'd like to forget about (pockmarks on your credit from yesteryear's mistakes, perhaps?) and those little surprises that haven't happened yet but surely will, as soon as you think you've got it all under control (the leaky water heater, the car's engine problem, the unforeseen medical bills). In other words, Aquarius, you should realize that material security and clarity is currently in short supply for you… not that you won't have enough, as much as you won't necessarily have the peace of mind that comes from all the numbers balancing in neat columns. It's both more complicated than that right now and unavoidably up in the air. And that's due in part to the complexities you're confronting in a certain partnerhood situation, where mixing business and a personal relationship makes things trickier to keep straight. But while it's fruitless to try getting too firm a handle on some of the practical details, you can (and probably should) turn your close attention to being upfront and crystal-clear about any concerns you have about the partnership. If your bond is sincere and mutually beneficial, the other party should be able to deal with some honest feedback about roles, boundaries, and any funny feelings that may be lurking inside. If the conversation bombs, however, understand it as a clue to what might be unfixable—and start preparing to branch out on your own, should it prove to become necessary to your own bottom-line stability.

PISCES (February 19-March 20): Oceansful of higher consciousness and compassion are liable to flood your quarters this week, Pisces… potentially topped off with droplets of self-destructive behaviors, should you find yourself unwilling to bear the full brunt of becoming way more emotionally aware of all the consequences stemming from all the decisions everyone's ever made. Write it all off to the lunar eclipse in your sign on Tuesday (Aug 28), which connects long-ago and just-the-other-day historical events with a present-moment coming-to-terms that threatens to show you just how interconnectedness it all always is. Of course, you don't have to take the self-destructive route to muting the sensation, usually entailing a (somewhat melodramatic, if you ask me) throwing of yourself into some savior-like relationship, substance, or fantasyland… instead of, say, simply sitting in the feeling and observing it, motionless. Sure, this week promises enough ups and downs (turbulence likely generating from within) to make you a bit seasick, if you're not careful. But what may ultimately prove to be the most surprising is your sudden change of heart toward a certain key somebody in your life. You might be left wondering, 'Did I actually feel that way about her/him all along, but just couldn't handle the truth?' That doesn't matter as much as making sure you realize: It's time to handle it now. Admit your real feelings about that person, then make the necessary adjustments.