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Horoscopes | Week of September 10-16, 2007

ARIES (March 21-April 19): This week in astrology is dominated by Tuesday's (Sep 11) solar eclipse, which, in conjunction with Saturn's recent entry into the same zone, points glaringly toward an area where serious day-to-day work is required of us… so that we may purify our patterns, breaking any detrimental habits that stand in our way of better health and effectiveness, and establishing new ones that promote our practical goals. For you, Aries, all this eclipse action falls in your 6th house, the natural arena for our daily regimen of earthly duties, pressing tasks and physical self-care strategies, only intensifying the clarity of the message: It's time to bury your nose in the mounds of stuff you need to get done, and hop to it, slugger. In short, this is the perfect period for organizing your life… sorting through the crap that no longer boosts your efficiency, scheduling your days for maximum output, establishing a better diet-and-exercise program, and putting excessive leisure pursuits on the backburner 'til the ship is running more smoothly. For this next segment of the trip, you can't insist on the same amount of self-possessed spontaneity, which might otherwise lead you to pick up and dash off whenever the impulse strikes—for what you ignore on behalf of indulgent 'freedom' will come back and haunt you, in stacks and stacks piling up higher and higher. Yet, embrace this challenge, and you'll end each day with a greater sense of accomplishment (and service to something larger than you) than you can currently imagine. You must also factor in the eclipse's opposition to Uranus in your 12th, the looming 'cosmic unknown factor' that is apt to reward you with glimpses of enlightenment (nonconcrete, of course; you can't grab 'em, or hold 'em for more than a second), if you're paying attention… for standing still while you work (instead of rushing through each step with the usual Aries haste) brings its own awarenesses you'd otherwise skip right past. The wild ride of consciousness may be just as exciting as literally moving through space—and you can only get there through discipline in the real world. All the while, you'll need to watch out for the T-square to wily Mars in your 3rd, with its million-and-one appealing distractions from this or that person who wants to pull you into long-winded conversations about nothing or tempt your focus into the latest neighborhood gossip, invite you to two-hour lunches and extra non-sanctioned coffee breaks, to fill your head with any and every possible topic other than what you're supposed to be working on… and sometimes you'll want to tell 'em flatly to shut up (which will only cause more drama in the end), and sometimes you'll want to dive right in and play along (ultimately wasting your time)… and what about all those stacks and stacks piling up higher and higher? Don't expect to resolve the different sides of that argument overnight—with Mars entering the shadow of his upcoming retrograde, this will be an open-ended issue through March '08.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): This week in astrology is dominated by Tuesday's (Sep 11) solar eclipse, which, in conjunction with Saturn's recent entry into the same zone, points glaringly toward an area where serious day-to-day work is required of us… so that we may purify our patterns, breaking any detrimental habits that stand in our way of better health and effectiveness, and establishing new ones that promote our practical goals. For you, Taurus, all this eclipse action falls in your 5th house, as an astrologically royal proclamation that your greatest duty to yourself is to have some friggin' fun already! I know, I know… compared to everyone else's eclipse 'seriousness', that sounds pretty damn easy. Well, guess again—unless you're one of those rare few who doesn't withhold the wacky, wonderful heat of your inner flame because you fear being seen as weird, silly or somehow not lovable enough to come off quite so shamelessly your special self. But since you probably do bear some judgment against that unabashed 'look at me!' quality itching to get out of you, then you've got some work to do in this area. And it requires dedicating a regular slot in your schedule to activities that bring you pure joy, express your creative spark, and don't necessarily serve any other 'purpose' (other than, that is, your heart's highest good). You must also factor in the eclipse's opposition to Uranus in your 11th, with its encouragement to branch out socially… into wild new circles, where you're liable to hook up with the types of folks who'll provide a healthy type of 'peer pressure' (the kind that assures you nothing is off-limits!), for the added confidence that'll motivate you to take more social risks. In the meantime, if you get the hairy eyeball from existing friends or peers who are uncomfortable watching you try on new personas (because of how it'll reflect on them, no doubt), Uranus gives you permission to tell 'em to screw off—and to find replacements who won't hold you to visions of your former self. And you'll need to watch out for the T-square to wily Mars in your 2nd because, in this environment, the drive to get out there is often met by a corollary urge to drop some bucks on the fun-making process… until suddenly you freak out about money, pull the pursestrings way too tight, and the fun draws to a screeching halt. The trick here is to figure out how to keep having fun, though financial burdens may be real, without breaking the bank… and perhaps, at the same time, to push yourself further than what's typically been comfortable in your spending, since the cash is only really worth something when it's used to buy you a slice of life's pleasures. Don't expect to resolve the different sides of that argument overnight—with Mars entering the shadow of his upcoming retrograde, this will be an open-ended issue through March '08.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): This week in astrology is dominated by Tuesday's (Sep 11) solar eclipse, which, in conjunction with Saturn's recent entry into the same zone, points glaringly toward an area where serious day-to-day work is required of us… so that we may purify our patterns, breaking any detrimental habits that stand in our way of better health and effectiveness, and establishing new ones that promote our practical goals. For you, Gemini, all this eclipse action falls in your 4th house, inspiring you (hopefully) to get a grip on whatever demons continue lurking inside your inner chamber of private existence, making a mess of the surroundings by leaking their outdated crap all over certain emotional attitudes about your life they have no authentic business weighing in on. In other words, the self-perpetuating stories and messages you repeat to yourself that don't promote peaceful self-acceptance need to be filed away in their appropriate folders (under, for instance, 'Old Family Damage' or 'Crusty Fears of Repeating Past Mistakes' or 'Habitual Refusal to be Tender with Myself')—then left there to gather dust. And if that requires literally cleaning out closets or moving out altogether, so the place you rest your head at night allows you to deeply relax and let go, so be it. You must also factor in the eclipse's opposition to Uranus in your 10th, your cue to expect the unexpected in your career or outside-world life, as the dramatic ups and downs will continue to keep you on your toes… such that you cannot count on stability in that area to provide the guiding structure to your life. Increasingly, it must come from the inside out. And of course, you'll need to watch out for the T-square to wily Mars in your sign, hinting that you're likely to try worming yourself out of this or that commitment to yourself… with fleeting tales of why a sudden change of heart changes everything, at least for one moment or the next. But can you overrule the spontaneous impulses, urging you to rewrite the rules each time the wind blows a different direction, on behalf of sticking to one version that supports your internal healing? Don't expect to resolve the different sides of that argument overnight—with Mars entering the shadow of his upcoming retrograde, this will be an open-ended issue through March '08.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): This week in astrology is dominated by Tuesday's (Sep 11) solar eclipse, which, in conjunction with Saturn's recent entry into the same zone, points glaringly toward an area where serious day-to-day work is required of us… so that we may purify our patterns, breaking any detrimental habits that stand in our way of better health and effectiveness, and establishing new ones that promote our practical goals. For you, Cancer, all this eclipse action falls in your 3rd house, raising the bar on how you communicate… and not necessarily on the 'big issues' either, but simply in terms of making requisite conversation to connect with the wide mix of characters you encounter on any given day. Because you Cancerians can tend toward a more watery approach toward communication (that is, using lots of non-verbal cues, such as a strong engaged gaze or responsive physical contact), you may often opt to leave out some of the actual words, instead letting these other elements do the talking for you. While that may work fairly well with some people, it's not a very, um, watertight strategy… which is why you need to push past your sensitive exterior (and the precognitive vibes that may get in your way of just coming out and saying it) and start being more direct and precise in your casual exchanges. That means giving more factual information about yourself, whether it's explicitly called for or not—and allowing others the chance to catch passing glances at what's behind your crab-shell. You must also factor in the eclipse's opposition to Uranus in your 9th, outlining an advantageous side-effect of striving for clearer communication: expanded perspective on the routine meat-and-potatoes of life, reaped from participating in more discussion than you usually might, with more different kinds of people. Hearing snippets from others' belief systems can actually create hugely significant shifts in your own thinking, merely from the exposure to a wider range of opinions… none of which you'd ever hear, if you kept your interactions on the level of polite, caring silence. Plus, you'll need to watch out for the T-square to wily Mars in your 12th, with the potential to leave you overthinking how 'well' you did in attempting to bust out from your shyness, and maybe even generating nervous anxiety that keeps you stuck in your head, rather than socially dynamic and interactive. Sure, it might be easier to stay quiet. You won't do anything wrong, thus maintaining your opaque 'acceptability' intact… but what will you miss out on? Don't expect to resolve the different sides of that argument overnight—with Mars entering the shadow of his upcoming retrograde, this will be an open-ended issue through March '08.

LEO (July 23-August 22): This week in astrology is dominated by Tuesday's (Sep 11) solar eclipse, which, in conjunction with Saturn's recent entry into the same zone, points glaringly toward an area where serious day-to-day work is required of us… so that we may purify our patterns, breaking any detrimental habits that stand in our way of better health and effectiveness, and establishing new ones that promote our practical goals. For you, Leo, all this eclipse action falls in your 2nd house, challenging you to cut the financial fat and clamp down on your spending power, with the foresight to understand you need a stable foundation before you can build anything enduring that'll protect your personal interests over time. Now that you're beginning to recover from Saturn's long jaunt through Leo (revisit last week's scope for more details), you're also ready to aim an analytic eye on all that you have—not just money, but all your bankable possessions, including skills and traits you could put to work for you on the open market. This is a moment for exercises in practically-minded organization (perhaps with lists, spreadsheets, bar graphs or timecards to account for what's going where), so you're on track to boost the personal fruitfulness of all your energetic and financial expenditures. It'll help get both your feet on firm ground. You must also factor in the eclipse's opposition to Uranus in your 8th, carrying the message that relying on others' resources to float your boat or bail out a sinking ship is not the safest attitude. While there's nothing inherently wrong with joining forces for combined impact, no one interpersonal arrangement should be counted on to be either predictable or solidly to your favor. Therefore, enter into or maintain them with little attachment—you're the only one who can unequivocally take care of your needs. And watch out for the T-square to wily Mars in your 11th, in the form of too many other people's varying outlooks, appealing offers and strongly one-sided suggestions… which, naturally, only serve to further confuse your idea of who's got your back, and what's in it for them. But please don't expect to resolve the different sides of that argument overnight—with Mars entering the shadow of his upcoming retrograde, this will be an open-ended issue through March '08.

VIRGO (August 23-September 22): This week in astrology is dominated by Tuesday's (Sep 11) solar eclipse, which, in conjunction with Saturn's recent entry into the same zone, points glaringly toward an area where serious day-to-day work is required of us… so that we may purify our patterns, breaking any detrimental habits that stand in our way of better health and effectiveness, and establishing new ones that promote our practical goals. For you, Virgo, all this eclipse action falls in your sign, putting you smack-dab in the center of what I'll call an 'overall tightening-up'. As I explained last week, this whole process is only beginning now (with a bang! I might add), and will stretch through 2009, requiring you to become much more conscious of any 'automatic' behaviors you permit to happen by rote repetition. Are your self-containing rules up to date, and in line with your current goals? Is your body responding to its present treatment with wellness? Do you know for certain why you do what you do, in the manner you do it? This eclipse frames an unparalleled opportunity for you to reassert full awareness over the self-control you already practice, to ensure all that effort you put into 'doing a good job' is adding up to the right sum-total. You must also factor in the eclipse's opposition to Uranus in your 7th house, a reminder that you shouldn't attempt to batten anyone else's hatches… but instead, to loosen any grips you purport to hold over others in one-on-one relationships, reflecting the wisdom that the only actions you can truly control are your own. Be brave enough to release your expectations a certain someone will behave this or that way, with confidence that focusing on yourself will make it quite clear whether the existing partnership serves your best interests (or not). And watch out for the T-square to wily Mars in your 10th, stirring up ambivalence about whether what you're doing out there in the world, as a career or in terms of your role in the community, will align with the new 'tightened-up' you. But don't expect to resolve the different sides of that argument overnight—with Mars entering the shadow of his upcoming retrograde, this will be an open-ended issue through March '08.

LIBRA (September 23-October 22): This week in astrology is dominated by Tuesday's (Sep 11) solar eclipse, which, in conjunction with Saturn's recent entry into the same zone, points glaringly toward an area where serious day-to-day work is required of us… so that we may purify our patterns, breaking any detrimental habits that stand in our way of better health and effectiveness, and establishing new ones that promote our practical goals. For you, Libra, all this eclipse action falls in your 12th house, the least practical and manageable place for such an event to hit… and as such, there's not much to 'do' on the real-world level of, say, career-planning or relationship-developing. The 12th house being what it is, the onus is on you to purposely hold your doors of perception wide open, to follow hints or clues of 'spiritual calling' (or some other such irrational leanings or inspirations) to help you gather cosmic feedback on where you might want to head next. With such an earthy eclipse landing in such an enigmatic and elusive house, you'd do yourself a favor by reverentially prioritizing your relation to the unseen elements of your life—through yoga, meditation, prayer, dreamwork, automatic writing, quiet retreat into nature, and other forms of conscious solitude—as a reminder of your indivisible unity with everything in the universe, and your humble role as one grain of sand among the trillion quadrillions. You must also factor in the eclipse's opposition to Uranus in your 6th, with its permission to shake up your regular arrangement of assignments, functions and obligations (as long as it all gets completed, who cares how?), so you have more breathing room to explore your private aspirations… and to peak behind the magic curtain, into the machinations of being. Would you gain more insight from switching to the graveyard shift? swapping responsibilities with a co-worker? working out in the morning instead of the evening? removing wheat or dairy from your diet? hiring a part-time housecleaner? If it buys you more moments for deep introspection, it may be worth considering. And you'll need to watch out for the T-square to wily Mars in your 9th, who may be looking for more dramatic outward events (as opposed to subtle internal evolution of belief systems) and seeks to undermine your essential quiet, in search of some obvious adventure with blatant black-and-white results. On the hunt for a higher perspective, must you board the hot red rocket and soar spectacularly to the heavens… or can you achieve the same thing by staying home, shutting your eyes, breathing deeply, and mind-melding inward to the point of bright light? Don't expect to resolve the different sides of that argument overnight—with Mars entering the shadow of his upcoming retrograde, this will be an open-ended issue through March '08.

SCORPIO (October 23-November 21): This week in astrology is dominated by Tuesday's (Sep 11) solar eclipse, which, in conjunction with Saturn's recent entry into the same zone, points glaringly toward an area where serious day-to-day work is required of us… so that we may purify our patterns, breaking any detrimental habits that stand in our way of better health and effectiveness, and establishing new ones that promote our practical goals. For you, Scorpio, all this eclipse action falls in your 11th house, calling for you to check in on how firm and functional are your current friendships, allegiances, team participations, and general orientation toward those who surround you in your social activities. Should you follow strictly emotional clues about who exactly should serve as your most trusted sidekicks and confidantes because, say, you really want those folks to play a certain role in your life—rather than considering the cold hard facts of what they're actually able to do, and/or the real-world history of how they've actually functioned in a similar capacity—you may find yourself with attractive troublemakers whose sub-par conduct ends up reflecting poorly on you. Remember: You will be judged on the company you keep. Meanwhile, you must also factor in the eclipse's opposition to Uranus in your 5th, encouraging you to be as loose-and-wild in how you put yourself out there as you are careful-and-cautious about who you're out there with. Isn't it easier to simply ensure that your posse is composed of peeps you trust completely, so you don't have to worry about keeping your guard up… instead of fraternizing with anyone and everyone, but having to maintain a certain pose or posture the whole time? Watch out for the T-square to wily Mars in your 8th, though, which dredges up conflicting and variable attitudes about the individuals who trigger your deep stuff the most: You love 'em, you hate 'em. You want to fuck 'em, then get 'em out of your face. You want to go into business together, but aren't sure who'd be in control of what. Don't expect to resolve the different sides of that argument overnight—with Mars entering the shadow of his upcoming retrograde, this will be an open-ended issue through March '08.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22-December 21): This week in astrology is dominated by Tuesday's (Sep 11) solar eclipse, which, in conjunction with Saturn's recent entry into the same zone, points glaringly toward an area where serious day-to-day work is required of us… so that we may purify our patterns, breaking any detrimental habits that stand in our way of better health and effectiveness, and establishing new ones that promote our practical goals. For you, Sagittarius, all this eclipse action falls in your 10th house, asking you to examine just how close or far you're presently situated in relation to your longer-term game plan… and if what you've already achieved in the public (i.e., professional) sphere is propelling you in the right direction. If you've sloppily accepted whatever opportunities have just shown up, instead of climbing toward something by design, you may be putting yourself in a position to fuel eventual regret—that is, if there are lofty goals you may find daunting, but which you'll kick yourself every day of your elder years for not at least attempting to meet. And to combat that potential, you just might have to become fussier (or 'more self-disciplined', if you prefer) about what external roles you accept or decline… making choices with better-defined ends in mind. You must also factor in the eclipse's opposition to Uranus in your 4th, impelling you to dash radically away from those internalized familial voices that might undermine you in this task… and toward an inner perspective that values what you seek to achieve in the world. It also means that, if you've been trying to 'hold on' or 'keep it together' in your home-living situation, you should probably quit doing so (and embrace the change that would go along with it) and redirect that disciplining energy to your outer life. Watch out for the T-square to wily Mars in your 7th, making it hard to catch a straight answer on how your current relationship (or relative desire to have one) supports whatever shifts you need to make—or doesn't, as the case may be. But don't expect to resolve the different sides of that argument overnight—with Mars entering the shadow of his upcoming retrograde, this will be an open-ended issue through March '08.

CAPRICORN (December 22-January 19): This week in astrology is dominated by Tuesday's (Sep 11) solar eclipse, which, in conjunction with Saturn's recent entry into the same zone, points glaringly toward an area where serious day-to-day work is required of us… so that we may purify our patterns, breaking any detrimental habits that stand in our way of better health and effectiveness, and establishing new ones that promote our practical goals. For you, Capricorn, all this eclipse action falls in your 9th house, with the intent to open your eyes to the importance of leading a meaningful existence, if you ultimately want to depart this incarnation having stood for something. Do you know what that 'something' is? Do you get enough significant moments away from the mundane to-do list and chore wheels so you can ponder, philosophize and wager tentative answers to those 'big questions' in the sky? Beyond all that you do to maintain a productive, self-sustaining lifestyle… what else do you wonder about? If you think you're doing yourself a favor by putting such grand-scale exploring, journeying and vision-questing out of your head, you've got another thing coming. In fact, you need to consider what out-of-the-ordinary experiences, occasions or topics of study will add an extra dimension of knowledge to your being—if, of course, you care about more than mere sufficiency or the attainment of standards someone else came up with. You must also factor in the eclipse's opposition to Uranus in your 3rd, a further incentive to treat some of the 'smaller stuff' with less ascetic austerity… since, after all, how many daily opportunities do you have to inject small bits of revolutionary friendliness or unexpected social intimacy into otherwise unremarkable exchanges? For goodness sake, take advantage of these minute moments to break out of the 'getting business done' absence of expression. Perhaps even behave with a smidgeon or two of kookiness. Just because it lightens things up. Just because you can. Just because every passing encounter of two or more individuals is a chance for magic. You'll need to watch out for the T-square to wily Mars in your 6th, spawning an alternating sense of (1) additional responsibility weighing on you, which could be interpreted as an excuse to dispense with all such lofty philosophical considerations, and (2) mischievous desire to shirk said responsibility, which isn't necessarily the healthiest path to seeking meaning. Both and neither? Don't expect to resolve the different sides of that argument overnight—with Mars entering the shadow of his upcoming retrograde, this will be an open-ended issue through March '08.

AQUARIUS (January 20-February 18): This week in astrology is dominated by Tuesday's (Sep 11) solar eclipse, which, in conjunction with Saturn's recent entry into the same zone, points glaringly toward an area where serious day-to-day work is required of us… so that we may purify our patterns, breaking any detrimental habits that stand in our way of better health and effectiveness, and establishing new ones that promote our practical goals. For you, Aquarius, all this eclipse action falls in your 8th house, basically begging you to confront the complex interpersonal dynamics in your trickiest relationships, rather than playing like everything's all casual because it's easier not to acknowledge the emotional risks. Wherever there are undercurrents of difficult-to-discuss feelings—the heightened intensity of sexual involvement (mutual or one-sided, 'on the table' or still in the 'maybe' stage), the intermingling of financial interests, or any intimate revelations about which we may be bashful or ashamed or fearful of vulnerability—this is exactly where you need to be earnest about clear boundaries and realistic expectations. Though these are dicey issues to touch, what's at stake is your potential (yours and the other person's) for achieving a powerful mutual synergy… or becoming powerfully hurt. You must also factor in the eclipse's opposition to Uranus in your 2nd, with the realization that you must give up the hope of maintaining a stable conception of where you materially stand on your own (see also: this horoscope from two weeks back), due to how inextricably tied to dealings with others your current earning potential truly is. To gain the big prizes (monetary and interpersonal ones), there's no escaping the innate gamble that comes from giving up one of the reins and keeping only the other one for yourself. And watch out for the T-square to wily Mars in your 5th, which threatens your ability to appease the pride-driven desire to act out all goofy, just so you can prove you're a free individual and that you can do whatever you want whenever you want it. But with what consequences? Don't expect to resolve the different sides of that argument overnight—with Mars entering the shadow of his upcoming retrograde, this will be an open-ended issue through March '08.

PISCES (February 19-March 20): This week in astrology is dominated by Tuesday's (Sep 11) solar eclipse, which, in conjunction with Saturn's recent entry into the same zone, points glaringly toward an area where serious day-to-day work is required of us… so that we may purify our patterns, breaking any detrimental habits that stand in our way of better health and effectiveness, and establishing new ones that promote our practical goals. For you, Pisces, all this eclipse action falls in your 7th house, the official domain of relationships, and begs of you to be strong and steady in holding both you and the other person to appropriate interpersonal standards in all your exchanges. That means just saying 'no' to any overly dramatic gestures and reactions (on either the perpetrating or receiving ends) that rank the supposed sanctity of the union above the mental, physical or emotional health of either of you (a la 'love is all that matters' or 'I see the best in him/her' or similar such codependent nonsense). You must each be whole as individuals first, or the coupling rests on dysfunction. And the eclipse asks you to be unflinchingly real with yourself about the role any given relationship has in your life… about which specific talents and qualities particular people possess, and where they fall short. You must also factor in the eclipse's opposition to Uranus, continuing its long-term travels through your sign, emphasizing how important your personal independence and freedom are to whatever relationship arrangement you find yourself in (or craving). One thing I know for sure: The right companion(s) for you will encourage you to risk any and every status quo, in order to expose yourself to boundless possibilities—and keep that 'alive' feeling oscillating excitedly in your midsection. And you'll need to watch out for the T-square to wily Mars in your 4th, with its potentially destabilizing messages from family members who may have mixed emotions about your attempts to change and evolve (for their own selfish reasons), or from the ghosts of integrally influential figures who've wheedled their way into your subconscious. Needless to say, plan on some rather schizophrenic internal responses, which could put you in different mindsets any given day. Should you, or shouldn't you, continue to pursue 'the road less traveled' as you'd most desire? You can't expect to resolve the different sides of that argument overnight—with Mars entering the shadow of his upcoming retrograde, this will be an open-ended issue through March '08.