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Horoscopes | Week of November 19-25, 2007

ARIES (March 21-April 19): When I look at the Venus-Neptune trine transpiring through your 7th and 11th houses, two sectors where it behooves us to seek social concord and compatibility, I'm moved to tell you this… 'Steer away from your usual independent streak, and float effortlessly along with the crowd. It'll make things much easier to simply agree with the majority opinion. Let them decide where to go, who to invite, and what time to show up.' But, Aries, that one aspect isn't the only astro-effect pulling sway over your week, is it? (There's never just one.) So if, instead, the notion of 'floating effortlessly along' seems somewhat uneventfully boring or, alternatively, sounds like a waste of a chance to be brutally honest about the state of your internal affairs… well, then, appeal to the synergistic trio of Mercury, Uranus, and your retrograde-addled ruler Mars, who assuredly know that, to get beyond such supposedly 'pleasant' surface routines, you'd probably do yourself a greater service by uttering the discomfort-laden statement that, though they may fear hearing you say it out loud, is actually the real truth of what's going on. And so, following this line of planetary influence to its logical extreme, everybody becomes somewhat uncomfortable. Yet, you've exchanged super-agreeability for the cathartic airing of not-so-dirty-after-all laundry. You're unsaddled by that secret—and better able to exist in the present, rather than lost in your head, privately rearranging the clumsy words you're too fearful to spit out.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Okay, so you're going to have to deal with people this week… perhaps more than you might prefer, when it could seem far more inviting to close your office, apartment or bedroom door and attend to all the things you have independently decided should warrant your undivided attention. Nice try, Taurus: Life, at least this week, doesn't work quite that way. Knowing that in advance, then, should hopefully provide enough impetus not to get annoyed by the continual 'interruptions' (or are they just chances to connect?)… and instead to view them as potentially quite valuable to where you are in life right now (despite any fantasies you're entertaining to the contrary, that somehow 'if only they'd leave me alone…!'). While it's safe and secure and comfortably predictable inside your safe little box, it ain't gonna cut it—if you intend to move yourself one inch beyond where you've been for a while now. And, as I said, other people are going to insist on interacting with you anyhow. Therefore, roll with it, and use this opportunity to approach that intimidating manager, the shy shopkeeper, your hard-to-reach friend or whoever else you'd usually just as likely try to ignore (because it's easier?)… and tell 'em what you're thinking. The risk is likely to pay off with added respect, a new buddy-buddy rapport, or some other mutual bridge-building sentiment that'll come in handy later.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): The approach to this coming weekend's full moon in your sign, Gemini, is enough to get your multiple personalities wrestling for control. Please build this awareness into your plans for the week, so you don't become single-mindedly fixated on some crazy notion that you overlook the fact another part of you totally sees the other side. At moments where the 'manic high' pulse captures your imagination, you're liable to filter everything you encounter through the lens of this one supreme framework of understanding. This, alas, is a dangerous direction to head. As idealistic and meaningful as your wide-eyed interpretation may be, it can legitimately hold only one piece of the overall reality. And should you go too far down only this one road, you'll later discover what you may have missed (including your own ambivalence)… only to freak out at the risks you took by refusing to carefully examine the whole ball of wax. This is an especially poignant situation to watch for in the workplace, where you'd better make sure your inner angel is running the show, in order to avoid controversy that could follow you long after this full moon wanes to darkness. Though, in any given moment, you might feel completely confident about what you think is best, don't be blinded by it. Leave room for alternatives. But since your inner devil also wants a say in how the week transpires, allow him/her to come out after dark… when you're flirtatiously toying with possible love-connections or merely being an irresistibly bad boy or girl (without committing, of course).

CANCER (June 21-July 22): You thought you explained yourself, detailing just how you feel. They still act like they're confused, like they just don't get it. You're ready to throw your hands up, throw in the towel… or throw the nearest porcelain statue at their head, as if maybe that will finally clue 'em in to the obvious. Control thyself, Cancer. Mars retrograde in your sign continues to be the culprit. And in multi-trine combination with Mercury and Uranus, you could be unusually quick to anger (or at least impatience)—and unable to see where you may have skipped a couple steps in the process of conveying yourself to somebody else. Are you sure you were clear? Are you sure you didn't attempt to emphasize your intensity merely by bugging your eyes out with extra drama or clearing your throat at some covertly meaningful moment, assuming they know you well enough to read volumes of unspoken feeling in the negligible space between the lines? Doesn't that leave way too much room for misinterpretation? Isn't that a bit unfair to expect 'em to 'get it', just like that? Rather than losing your temper at those lowly mortals who claim to need another example or another round of explanation, give 'em the benefit of the doubt… and give 'em more details. What the hell else do you have to do that's so much more important than preserving the sanctity of your close relations? Take a deep breath, and start again—again, if you have to. Practice makes perfect…

LEO (July 23-August 22): Ask any spiritual adviser, and she'll tell you that we hold far less control over the situations in our life than the industrial-capitalist mindset has indoctrinated us into believing. And that's even more so the case this week, Leo, as you might find yourself being batted around between agitated (or outright insane) individuals, lame-duck enterprises and/or outrageous situations… none of which are agitated (or insane), lame-duck and/or outrageous as a real result of anything you are doing or have done. You're just innocently caught in the crossfire. But everyone knows how you Leos sometimes serve as a lightning-rod for other people's unresolved internal conflicts, dearths of self-worth and/or envies of another individual's seemingly-more-exciting cosmic path. (In other words, they blame you for what they don't like in themselves. Unfair, I know… but what are you supposed to do about it, anyway?) In the midst of this all, you'll prevail by keeping a light-hearted attitude—even when difficult situations linger on your front lawn, without any obvious solution, as they wait for you to 'do something about it'. It doesn't mean you're doing anything wrong (e.g., 'Why are you acting so casual about it? Don't you fucking care?), if you decide not to freak out along with the rest of 'em. Tantrums won't fix anything. Besides, isn't it better if at least one person accepts reality with a jaunty smile, laughing off the frustrations since what are you supposed to do about, anyway?

VIRGO (August 23-September 22): Your best weapon—not that you need a 'weapon', though Mars is currently a major player—is a cool, composed and altogether consistent tone to all your interactions. Perpetuate that, Virgo, and it buys you vast liberties to keep on talkin' past the point you'd ordinarily stop (though, of course, continuing to silently form judgments and opinions)… and all to see how irked or itchy they become, when you pose delicate questions or make (supposedly) innocuous remarks that dare them to respond. Planetary anarchist Uranus is hanging temporarily motionless in your relationship zone (the solar 7th), upping the potential that your other half (your main dude or chick, your closest comrade, your professional partner) will defy all assumptions and pull some stunt straight outta left field. But when he/she does do something totally off the wall, you must withstand the allure of carrying on like a crazy man or woman. There's no better counterpoint to someone else's Uranus-inspired unpredictability than your own version of the same… and nothing will throw 'em off more than an unexpectedly emotionally blasé response, coupled with a even-keeled interest in rationally pressing points or inquiring into motivations, perhaps even beyond comfortable limits. Give a laid back reaction, no matter what's thrown at you, but with no lack of words. And if your easygoing-yet-talkative manner actually upsets the other person, well, there's your proof he/she was hoping to annoy you.

LIBRA (September 23-October 22): Do us all a favor—and yourself most of all, Libra—and ride Venus's convivial tailwinds through your entire week, without even bothering to pick up an oar to risk the chance you'll strain an elbow with extraneous physical effort. There's a magical breeze blowing through your town, carrying a special brand of faerie dust that only works on you Libran children… which makes this an ideal time for wishing upon a star, with the expectation of actually getting good results. Love? Money? Recognition? Respect? Envision yourself already possessing that which you want to draw into your life, while suspending all doubts such a magnificent triumph is possible. Of course, it's possible! (Duh?!?) Should you opt against spending your time casting spells for future satisfaction and happiness (e.g., Ms. Humbug Cynic muttering, 'Satisfaction? Happiness? As if. Pass the remote, and grab me another Diet Mountain Dew…'), then at least protect yourself against the less-transcendent undertow of other people panicking about how certain items are going to get accomplished. This panic is contagious, and if you're not careful, before you know it, you'll be crawling around the office on your hands and knees, hunting for the missing contract that's been sitting on your boss's desk the whole time, or worrying about how the latest insurance payment is going to be made (when, might I remind you, you instead could be creating a future in which this payment (and the next) is already made). Don't dis Venus by refusing to grab her hand and jump through the looking glass with her. Allow her to enchant you, as well she should.

SCORPIO (October 23-November 21): Masked crusader, what's at the root of your crusade? If you can articulate it in a punchy 100-words-or-less synopsis, without glaring internal contradictions or obviously embarrassing blind-spots… then, get out your sword and shield, and fight for the cause! Abiding by last week's precepts (i.e., staying close to your 'guiding philosophical laws') would've given you a helpful head-start on this campaign, setting you on a path to sorting the distraction of momentary (and passing) feelings from the beacon of your life's overarching foundation of virtue. The purpose, in other words, is to confirm that your present actions are ultimately aligned with your defining beliefs—rather than mere attempts to assert short-sighted dominance, power or revenge. Once you've established that's indeed the case, however, I encourage you to become loud, proud and impossible to ignore. It's obvious that the tides are naturally turning, putting you in a better tactical position to demand certain standards from the people and institutions you must contend with. That's why the clearer you are about what exactly you're demanding, why you're demanding it and how it'll affect you on a long-term basis, the likelier it'll be that you emerge victorious. Don't overlook the importance of showing proper gratitude, though. As things continue to look up (providing a very useful self-confidence hike, eh?), make sure to be humbly thankful, in order to keep your luck improving.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22-December 21): I wanted to start out this week's Sagittarian love-letter with the reassurance that 'no one is blaming you' (for whatever it is one might get blamed for)… but, alas, I'm not confident that such a reassurance would be 100% true. See, there's a heightened possibility that, this week, you will get blamed for something, whether or not it's a just assignment or not. In one of those enigmatic 'energetic' curiosities, you're currently serving as a sort of repository for the unsettled emotions gurgling forth from certain individuals close to you… and it's quite likely they will, blindly perhaps, attempt to draw you in to a passion-play of jagged words and hurt feelings, against a backdrop of ancient history that you may barely remember (for it (1) was so terribly long ago, (2) didn't have the same effect on you as it had on them, and/or (3) never really happened that way). Please be understanding if your partner or lover, best friend or family member acts all bizarre (and, after all, isn't Thanksgiving the official American occasion for such carryings-on?). Even though their screwy behavior will have its effect on you, please remind yourself they're not just doing it to get a rise out of you. This is a peak into their tempestuous internal landscape you're glimpsing. Show compassion for the inner turmoil of this person you care for (though they may act like a pain in the ass this week) by not taking it personally.

CAPRICORN (December 22-January 19): Why get caught in awkward and/or unpleasant 'who said what?' squabbles? You're kidding yourself, Capricorn, if you think it's merely about some small contentious item of fact that you're attempting to straighten out. If there's discord in the air, it's a matter of Mars's nuisance of a retrograde continuing to rile up your 7th house, where one-on-one associations are made blissful, bothersome or just plain boring. But don't let petty personal spats—and yes, it is personal—stop you from enjoying the promising professional (or public-world) perks headed your way, thanks to a Venus-Neptune trine across your solar 10th and 2nd. The quickest way to cut the discord off? Let somebody else (without the same personal investment) step in and break the stalemate. Whether you 'win' or 'lose' (or more precisely, whether or not the idea or opinion you're standing behind emerges as the most workable and widely beneficial), go along with what this outside-third-(and-fourth-and-fifth-)party perspective provides the both of you. That way, it's no longer personal. And while I'm at it, I must also make the case for you allowing this certain other person to change his/her mind on the issue… just as you secured yourself that same liberty per last week's horoscope. (It operates both ways, of course.) Whatever the case, if you can't look beyond what that particular person is up to (and why do you care so much?), you'll miss your own chance for some effortless success—because, in the end, you picked the interpersonal drama instead.

AQUARIUS (January 20-February 18): Please try to set aside, for the time being, all your identity-making efforts, a la 'I want everybody to see me this way' or 'I should be that kind of unique individual' or 'I must insinuate myself into that other social milieu'. If instead you dutifully agree to fulfill the role in which you presently find yourself (by choice or by chance), you can work miracles on the earthly plane. And by 'earthly plane' miracles, I'm referring to the practical, here-and-now, nuts-and-bolts improvements that will mellow your real-world machinations—streamlining work processes, attaining objective benchmarks, advancing the financial indicators. Don't overanalyze, from the conceptual vantage-point, the perplexing sophistications of what it all symbolizes about you as a person. That's already inviting too much speculation… and removes you from being present. In fact, spur-of-the-moment decisions are likeliest to hold your key to an unforeseen financial bounty. But should you disappear into your head for yet another round of mental masturbation, you'll possibly let a good deal slip away from you. You won't be able to describe exactly why it's so good, either, so forget about finagling this wild-card into the set-in-stone five-year plan. Trust your sixth sense on this one, and act on the spot. Do what's best for whatever individual detail is in front of you, and this whole complex web of intermeshed particulars will ultimately benefit—but not accordingly to some carefully engineered schema.

PISCES (February 19-March 20): A person can only 'hold tight' for so long… and then, at some crucial point, you simply must release all that pent-up-ness in one fashion or another, or an internal organ might rupture from the withheld pressure. A funny thought, though, in light of last week's scope, where I counseled you against pushing still-open-ended scenarios toward a premature (and thus dissatisfying) conclusion. Notice, however, I'm not telling you to unwisely force all parties—meaning you and the other individual(s) involved—to discuss, dicker or debate the intricate ambiguities until a final answer is recorded in the official annals for all to reference indefinitely. It's not about reaching some collective result. This is for you alone, Pisces… for the pure energetic discharge itself, so you don't go on swallowing your true feelings ('who wants to make a federal issue out of it?' you might tell yourself, in deciding to 'just suck it up' again), to the detriment of your overall psychic health. Nobody may choose to do anything in response to whatever you put on the table. But as I said, that's not the point. You'll experience deep relief (after the first couple strained minutes pass) by spelling it out. And since you're not necessarily 'getting anywhere' by dropping hints or tiptoeing around pink elephants, you might as well quit skimming the sidelines—and, in the process, up the stakes.