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Horoscopes | Week of September 3-9, 2007

ARIES (March 21-April 19): I want you to see options, Aries. Of course, you have the non-negotiable tasks and responsibilities to get through in any given week… and the onus on you to be diligent about getting to all of 'em is only increasing, with Saturn to spend the next two-plus years in your solar 6th. But beyond that, how you spend your fun time (you are leaving time for fun, aren't you?) is up to you. And not only how you spend it, but with whom. Your leisure moments are too precious not to feel leisurely—especially when there are so many options for activities to participate in (or avoid at all costs) and people's company to enjoy (or avoid at all costs). For instance, a day in the park is no 'walk-in-the-park' if you must cram your picnic into some overly crowded sliver of half-dead lawn… or if you argue with your companion the whole time. And you don't want a fellow pleasure-seeker (or so she claims to be) to poop on your party because the good times aren't exactly how she anticipated they'd unfold (and thus not 'good' enough), leaving you to babysit a gripe-filled grumpy-pants instead of actually getting to enjoy yourself. Dare a friend's rash actions surprise you this week, revealing another side to her personality that isn't so flattering, you've got to conclude, 'Guess I didn't know her as well as I'd thought.' Which isn't such a horrible conclusion—when you consider how many other options you have for folks to socialize with. This is simply a chance to reaffirm what you find most valuable in a happy-go-lucky partner-in-crime… and what is just unacceptable, if you're looking to have some fun.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): The time for shielding yourself from the world, whether in healthfully private self-reconnection or pure escapist hiding-out, is drawing to a close, Taurus. As your ruler Venus finally turns direct again, while Saturn finally moves out of your quiet-inner-realm 4th house, you should now feel like your emotional foundation has been properly strengthened (and any rotting bricks excised) so you can emerge back into the public eye, stronger and more secure than ever. More than anything, I sincerely hope you have spent these recent weeks and months getting more closely in touch with what moves you (as opposed to what others expect of you, or what you think you should care about). Armed with that personal knowledge, you can then go on to view life as more than just 'making do', 'getting by' or 'keeping it together'. Rather, it's an opportunity to bring joy, pleasure and contentment to your heart—though that may well occur through methods and choices other people just cannot (or will not allow themselves to) understand. What's most important to you? What makes you feel loved and loving? How do you show care to yourself? Nobody should answer these questions for you—and no one but you can confirm you're headed for the right things first. You can't keep your priority list an internal document forever, since it deeply affects how you choose to express your energies outwardly. So, it's the moment to become your own Number One in the external sphere… and if, in the process, you must make self-centered choices that certain other crotchety individuals don't like, that's absolutely their problem.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): You're Trouble with a capital 'T' this week, Gemini, which frankly is quite a delightfully devilish role to be playing. (Sounds like fun to me, at least.) You pretty much get to stir up innocent mischief where- and whenever you feel like folks need it the most… and as long as you don't hurt anyone in the process, you'll emerge scot-free. Mars is still cruising through your sign, delivering you an extra dose of wherewithal and chutzpah to go on and push that cherry-red plastic button labeled 'Do Not Press. What are they going to do about it, anyway… especially if you give 'em an affectionate slap-on-the-back, heartily laugh it off, and skitter away to the next potential razzing ground? Keep everything quick as lightning, so there isn't enough time for your so-called 'victims' to decide to be upset about your game-playing. (Think about babies who trip over their own wobbly legs, pick themselves back up with nary a scratch… and then look around to see who's watching with overprotective eyes before deciding to cry, for maximum manipulated sympathy. That's how the poorer sports behave.) You'll help maintain a most amenable tone to your hijacks, as long as you remember your intentions are to steer their minds away from needlessly dreary worries (as opposed to actually wanting to cause harm)—because if you have any underlying vengefulness or envy lurking around, it's likely to seep out, with unfavorable results. Therefore, don't target anyone you have unresolved business with. And for goodness sake, don't go too far in the workplace… and end up risking your job over a little 'harmless' (or is it?) needling.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): As any good fan of reality TV competitions knows, sometimes the best strategy (especially in the earlier half-to-three-quarters of the game) is to let the louder, prouder and fussier players distract the target away from your back, allowing 'em to pick each other off while you fly under the radar all the way to the end. (Disclaimer: I adore Big Brother, the American version of which is much different than other countries' shows.) From the outside, it may appear that such 'floaters' aren't actually doing anything to further the game's narrative development or to secure their own spot… but that's a very misleading perception indeed. In fact, it's a real skill to be able to flow along with the dramatic peaks and valleys other people are leading us into and through—without making glaring grabs for control, out of fear or impatience, or blatantly passing judgment on those in apparent (but perhaps not actual) power. And it's the kind of ability you, Cancer, are rather well-suited for, with your watery nature already accustomed to valiantly riding the waves like a bobbing buoy in deep ocean. Now, not only are the folks around you apt to be freaking out right now as this eclipse season smacks 'em with the fact of their ultimate lack of control… but, at the same time, your own life's adventures may appear to be pulling you in a direction other than where you'd expected to be heading. First, step back, and permit the wailing whiners to 'pick each other off' (however that metaphor might apply in the particular instance), without you buying into their drama and drowning yourself on their sinking ships. Then, as far as your own surprises may go, don't resist the process. Groove with it, best as you can. So what if you won't know what to do when you get there, wherever 'there' is? You'll have a blast making it up as you go along—and you just might be the last one standing, if you adopt this responsive 'floating' strategy, with a big fat check or trophy in your hand.

LEO (July 23-August 22): Well, it's an exciting week in Leo-land, don'tcha know… because (1) Venus transforms back to her normal direct-motion self in your sign and, even more importantly, (2) Saturn finally leaves Leo. [Narrator pauses for squeals of relief and thanks from the Peanut Gallery.] You can determine just how much maturity you've gained from the Saturn experience by how confidently you can now declare who you are—and, notably, who you aren't. If he did his job to the fullest, Saturn in Leo should've stripped you, inch by painstaking inch, of all vestiges of ego-bloat that might drive you to represent yourself as more than or different from your actual, real-life, when-the-cameras-are-off-and-nobody's-watching self. Yes, it hurt. Yes, it humbled. And no, the bold and brash and dynamic and exquisitely loving you (who had to be temporarily lost or misplaced, in order to be wholly appreciated) isn't gone forever after all. Bit by bit, your bright lights are returning from their recent dimness to full splendor. Yay! Yay! Yay! And as for the Venus retrograde biz wrapping up, right at this pivotal time… let's just say that, if you've been torturously caught between two mindsets, this week's turnaround should bring you some much-sought clarity, with more truths about each of the possibilities coming to the surface. After that, you should know what has to be done—but that doesn't make it any easier. Yet, if you want to prove to Saturn that you know who you are (and who you aren't), you really have little choice but to do the right thing for you.

VIRGO (August 23-September 22): From here on out, you'd better get serious. As of this past weekend, Saturn is officially in your sign… and he's shown up to whip you into shape, teach you a couple lessons about respect for limitations, and provide some overall structure to your life. As a Virgo, my guess is that you're not totally unwilling to play along with tough-guy Saturn's rules and regulations—after all, among the signs, you are sort of renowned for coloring inside the lines and putting every last puzzle piece in its proper place. But the looming question Saturn is forcing into your face: Do your already-existing guidelines for how things 'should' and 'shouldn't' function actually support you in becoming all you want to be… or do they hold you back, by compelling you to stick to the same-old-and-predictable routine (partly inherited from familial and societal messages, partly created as a way to shield yourself from dangerous unknowns) and thus crystallize your behavior into automaton-like repetitions, more compulsive than productive? Obviously, this is a huge compound question here, which you are not expected to answer overnight (maybe that's why Saturn will stay in Virgo for more than two years). However, I do want you already starting to think about it deeply, in light of next week's solar eclipse also in Virgo. This is a super-powerful few weeks for you, during which the choices you make are set to have a huge impact on how the many months ahead will unfold. Making smart decisions on fundamental daily-life matters now will set you up for a fantastic next chapter of life. Yet, opting to stick to familiar patterns that repeat the same or similar mistakes you've made for a while will soon start to sting you even worse than they already have. So, how do you want it? One thing's for sure with Saturn—he ensures you'll reap what you sow, without exception.

LIBRA (September 23-October 22): This entire Venus retrograde period, which draws to a close this week, has been all about determining and/or confirming your appropriate role in relation to the friends, acquaintances, near-strangers, sworn enemies, community allies, ideological adversaries, organizational peers and societal niches that surround, encompass and/or reject you. Have you gained some insight in this area over the past month and a half, Libra? By now, I'd truly like to believe, for your own highest sake, that the answer is yes. You can only get so far in occupying the social position you seek—so you may feel total confidence in those you associate with, helping you build a dream or solidify an identity or blow off steam in a safe setting—without having the right people alongside you. And likewise, you won't get very far at all if you're keeping rotten eggs, fair-weather fakers and out-and-out users around your hangout zone, as they will seriously drag you down when others judge you for the company you're keeping. You mustn't get pushed into playing along with (and right into) other people's agendas, if it just feels all wrong inside. Your personal integrity is all you've got… and it's not worth gambling your honor, simply to fit in, when you'll only grow more disappointed with yourself over time. In a lucky-disguised-as-treacherous turn of events this week, however, you won't be able to prevent your real feelings and beliefs from erupting out your mouth—which means that, if you really piss some folks off and risk your ability to appear as 'one of them' because you let your uncensored truth get the best of you, it's actually for the best. If you can't stand for your own principles, even accidentally, then you have no sure footing at all.

SCORPIO (October 23-November 21): Afraid of those risky exchanges? Thought not. Be mindful, Scorpio, that so many of the rest of us are. We're terrified of the awkward denseness in the air, the tensed-up torsos and nervous stomachs, the spirals of fire burning in that zone beneath the navel. Do we perceive what we think we perceive? Will our voices rise in pressure, passion, or poisonous pique? Do you want to scream and lash out at us, or rip our clothes off to quench that carnal curiosity in a wicked way only you know best? And the feedback you're about to offer us on our behavior… will it be painful to hear, offered in healing or harm, and will we be allowed to respond? These are types of thoughts (among others, of course) that run through our minds when we confront an obviously observant, mindful and deliberate Scorpio who doesn't reveal what's going on underneath—and naturally, it can make us both nervous and titillated. You, alas, aren't quite so bugged by it, since you are pulling the strings from behind your silent, severe gaze. Don't leave us hanging in anxiety. Take that one especially bold step, whatever it may be, that's been lurking on the tips of your toes and tongue. Let us in, however risky it may be. If you want us to be involved, you'll have to tip your hat (and the balance of power) to include us in your internal imaginings. We'll play together, fight it out, hump like bunnies, or sit in our swamp of issues to wade uncomfortably through… and end up clearer with each other, heard, purged, relieved and recharged. It'll never be the same again. That's a good thing, right?

SAGITTARIUS (November 22-December 21): The surer you become about your perspectives, the likelier you are to disrupt the nonchalant status-quo in a particular important relationship. It's completely natural to move toward differentiating yourself as an individual, once you establish what that means for you… with obvious ramifications for any interpersonal situation where you're supposed to compromise your individuality for the good of the unit. Just stay aware of this dynamic, Sagittarius, so you can pick and choose how you go about attaining your independence—what degree of separation you seek, what manner you discuss how it's going to happen, what feelings for the other person you must factor in—instead of letting the need for personal space sneak up on you until it explodes messily, your off-the-cuff words and actions cutting 'em deep into the bone. You're wielding a whole lot of strength this week, more than perhaps you know… which could make even the most innocent suggestions or offhand cracks sound downright threatening. But with a dose of care and caution, that same strength can result in getting you exactly the shift in interpersonal dynamics that you're seeking—minus the hurt feelings. Especially watch your mouth on the job, where it's never a good idea to come off aggressive toward the boss. In all interactions, focus on what you want out of it… not the frustration that might overshadow, due to the fact you don't have what you want quite yet. Concise, on-point, and kind will get you there.

CAPRICORN (December 22-January 19): You Capricorns rarely strike the rest of us as dumb. Sure, there are plenty of other accusatory labels we might get away with throwing at you, should we feel perturbed and seek to knock you down a peg… but 'dumb' really isn't one that rings very true. Still, could you find any presently relevant examples in which you've lately 'played dumb', in the sense of feigning an easy-going reaction or opinion on some matter, when in fact you care quite a bit about it and/or may not exactly agree with someone else's wisdom on the issue? I bet you can… and I also bet you've convinced yourself it's far simpler to withhold your real thoughts, so as not to rock the boat or engage in a draining confrontation. Alas, in the long run, it's not simpler—it's anything but. Besides, it's the complicated (and complicating) man or woman you really are, beneath the supposed aggravation-alleviating façade of 'sure, whatever', that is so irresistible to us. We don't actually want you to clench your jaw, grit your teeth, and bear it (though, admittedly, when you do speak out, we might have a momentarily pained expression on our faces). We genuinely need you to quit all manner of 'playing dumb' and tell us what you really think… with full knowledge that we might not like it, since it might force us to return to the drawing board or admit there's an unbridgeable impasse between us. It's better to have it on the table than concealed behind the glassy look that develops in your eyes when you're trying not to reveal your potentially unsettling feedback. And if you've got to sell yourself short to sustain a certain someone's attentions or good favor, you'll eventually get bored with that routine—and thus will save yourself the time and effort by cutting to the chase now. Pleasant appearances only get us so far. Your fully disclosed truth, however, gets us all a bit farther.

AQUARIUS (January 20-February 18): With Venus returning to direct motion in your relationship house (the 7th) this week, I'd expect you to be feeling much surer about who means what to you—or doesn't mean quite what you thought, as the case may be—and what you'd like to do about it. Romantic considerations are taking on emphasized importance right now, Aquarius, such that certain self-imposed obstacles or the reluctance to contend with how you really feel have been largely sorted out, and it's time to take whatever that next step is. No matter how you choose to proceed, if nothing else, you've got to break the stalemate… and move things forward, in one direction or another. If there's a Mr. or Ms. Something Happening Between Us in your life, chances are that he or she has been waiting for a green light (or some other universally understood signal) from you, letting him/her know what you want. This next week or two would be the ideal moment to release the emergency brake, allowing the vehicle carrying both of you to zoom away, unfettered, toward an exciting yet still-undiscovered destination—or to halt the drifting meander dead in its tracks, put you both out of your misery (or acute inertia), and move along individually. Or if you're not quite ready to express your desire externally, figure it out once and for all inside your head at least (and get ready to say it aloud within the month). And for the single-and-looking among you, it's also about time to let go of the fears keeping you from showing your hand… which means being upfront about what you are looking for, as opposed to following along with whatever happens to show up, confident in the knowledge that the right people will respond well (and the others can just fuck off).

PISCES (February 19-March 20): As I see it, Pisceans typically hate endings. The finality of them goes against everything the hopeless romantic inside the Pisces aches to believe about what's possible… and so you're generally more apt to hold onto the connection, betting the fleeting moments of time against a hopeful possibility all parties involved will finally (finally!) become those fully-realized versions of themselves you know lurk in there somewhere. That wistful idealism nestled in your heart is a beautiful thing, no question there. But it is just that: Idealism, which isn't always the most sustainable lifestyle choice, especially at moments when you're attempting to bound from one branch of being to the next, and hope alone won't feed-clothe-and-house you along the way. I'm not saying you have to gather up all your belongings, walk through that door and toss your housekey into the sacred river, as you cross the only bridge out of town. Yet, you must at least consider the scenario of drawing a certain fruitless exchange of energies to a final close. If the idea of you leaving is never on the table, then there are really no consequences for actions, behaviors or dynamics that might otherwise qualify as 'intolerable', since you're making the implicit statement you will tolerate anything. The journey to where you might dream of getting stretches perpetually onward in a cruel dot-dot-dot, circling like drunken ball-game attendees hunting for their silver Hondas in a parking lot that holds thousands of similarly silver imports. Where did you park? Will you recognize the car when you see it? Are you tired of hunting?