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Horoscopes | Week of October 13-19, 2008

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Early in the week, as a full moon in your sign shines its light into your heart, you should pay great respect to what your internal instincts tell you about that certain You-Know-Who. In a mere instant, you may experience, from the tips of your toes to the tippy-top of your head, a rather unambiguous sense of 'eureka!' about what's right for you vis-à-vis this relationship. Or perhaps the awareness sneaks up on you bit by bit, though, once it's acknowledged, your truth will be no less self-evident. And if you bravely listen to your intuition, you will decidedly know whether this person's values ultimately line up with yours (even if you still have stubborn differences to somehow bridge)—or if you're fruitlessly attempting to force a square peg in a round hole. The 'work' is only worth your while, of course, in the first scenario. In the latter, on the other hand, you're just postponing the inevitable. So which is it, you ask? Aries, I just told you: You are already sitting on that knowledge, as crystal-clear as it's going to get… and the only one in possession of the right answer is you. (That's also why you shouldn't get all caught up in 'all the right things' they may be telling you. Someone else's words only go so far… and they're far less reliable than your own instinct.)

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Increasingly so over the coming weeks, you're on track to greater dissatisfaction with any shallow or one-dimensional responses to questions or issues you know are far more involved than they're letting on. So why settle for such pat tidiness, when you're looking to understand more of the back-story, the underlying tangles and/or the seemingly insurmountable difficulties? You need the feelings behind the facts, even if they're not pretty—or you won't really get it, Taurus. And that, therefore, puts you in the uncomfortable (but necessary) role of inquisitor in those exchanges where you sense you're hearing an abridged version of the truth. What's your other choice? Being left with unconfirmed hunches that'll too easily degenerate into paranoia, if you don't just ask? Your best bet is to subtly chip away at their too-perfect tales by posing small fact-based questions that demonstrate you're paying attention to the details. When you hit on something not quite right, you'll know it—by the obvious squirming in their seat that your pointed investigation causes. Once you're on the scent, keep on chippin' away with small inquiries or suggestions. But do not (I repeat: do not) lose your cool, by blatantly launching into accusations or judgments based on still-shaky evidence. It'll be too simple for them to reclaim the moral superiority for themselves (and make you look hysterical). With enough patience and restraint, you can lead 'em right into willingly offering the deeper revelations, comments and confessions themselves… and it won't be because you bullied 'em.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): It might've taken until just this week, Gemini, for the person(s) you're hoping to impress or woo to have finally caught your drift. And with Mercury retrograde these past few weeks, you probably didn't—that is, couldn't—do a very thorough job of clarifying any misconceptions they perhaps held of you. (In fact, each of your 'clarifications' likely helped contribute to painting an even more confusing picture for them.) Yet, by mid-week, Mercury will return to direct motion… and often, it is around the time of the station (in this case: Tue, Wed and Thu) that we magically receive or discover the missing piece of information that resolves a lingering question mark. That said, in terms of determining this certain somebody's intentions toward you (and whether your attempts at winning 'em over were successful), you could very well get the answer you've been waiting for. But if you were given an answer you didn't exactly like (either this week or within these last few), it wouldn't hurt to ask again sometime over the weekend, after Venus has moved into your solar 7th (midday Sat). Refashion your proposal, casually (but directly) pointing out exactly what they stand to gain. If you can avoid overt pushiness, you just might change their mind.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): The resolution must come from within. No valiant savior or divine wisdom will drop from the rafters, wielding the secret key that 'makes everything better'. The sole determining factor should be how it feels in your gut—and no one but you has any insight into what's going on in there. If you're waiting on some bit of 'unfinished business' to complete itself, I hope you recognize you can't prolong the inevitable action forever. If the 'missing piece' you supposedly require for peace-of-mind doesn't show up this week, it probably won't… or at least you should proceed as if it never will. Otherwise, you're merely putting your life on hold for a possibility that may or may not materialize. Don't spend too long lamenting any dashed expectations, though, Cancer. The current astro-scene definitely favors on-the-spot improvisation, with faith that you already possess everything you need to move ahead (even though it may go against what your fears are reporting). As Mercury returns to direct motion midweek, any last-minute fixes you come up will likely end up working out better anyhow. All it takes to move ahead is the inner determination that you should. Without that, alas, you're putting your destiny too squarely in others' hands.

LEO (July 23-August 22): Reach out to any pals or peers you suspect may be feeling slighted by you… though, between us, this is not the same thing as admitting you did something 'wrong'. We're talking about their emotions, Leo, not whether they've got their facts straight. Left to their devices to extrapolate upon the 'significance' of your absence or perceived negligence (though there may not be any) into wondering whether you care about 'em at all (and I presume you do?), their insecurities may run wild with unflattering projections onto you. But the moment you get back in touch, reflecting your obvious value for, and interest in, the relationship, their trifling worries will likely dissolve into nothingness… replaced by their warm sentiment of gratitude for the joy they feel knowing you value, and have interest in, them. Even if you're initially greeted with a noticeable chill (as if they've decided to punish you for your supposed prior offenses), your best bet is to pretend you don't notice it—and keep on lavishing them with your sincerest love unless the ice melts. I highly doubt that, when directly confronted with your warmth, someone who you'd think of as a friend would be able to freeze you out for too long. All that should be required is a few moments of your undivided attention, and their hurt feelings will vanish. Don't forget to explicitly tell 'em how much you care.

VIRGO (August 23-September 22): This is another week in which it overwhelmingly benefits you to adopt a conservative observer's approach, watching and waiting as folks all around you act out in strange and unprecedented manners. But 'conservative' doesn't necessarily imply you should be completely risk-averse, Virgo. In this case, it's more about taking chances that circumstantially present themselves, not specifically due to any initial instigating action on your part… rather than, say, insistently intending to jumpstart this or that endeavor with too much self-starting. That said, you just might find someone else's absent-minded approach or careless carriage indirectly leads to you snagging a fantastic deal or golden opportunity—simply because you were paying attention, ready to pounce on the ball as soon as another person's fumble or some odd technical foul puts it back in play. Of course, such a development might not happen. That's the whole point: not expecting to encounter a lucrative possibility you must jump on, but staying prepared for action if (and only if) one should appear. And for the record, please don't feel guilty if someone else's loss is your gain. The only thing that's 'personal' about it is you personally looking out for yourself.

LIBRA (September 23-October 22): These past few weeks of Mercury's retrograde in your sign have been neither bad dream nor fully-realized fantasy, but merely a reality check. Whether your everyday interactions proved hairier than you might've imagined or smoother than expected, I suspect they highlighted the latent dangers in assuming your clever ability to anticipate others' responses—and thus to mold the overall exchange toward a manner that you ultimately 'manage'—will function predictably in every situation. Obviously, Libra, there are limits to how far your keen people skills can carry you… before, that is, you have to leave the determination of whether your natural charms will (or won't) work on any particular person up to chance. (In other words: You may be good, but nobody's good enough to circumvent chance.) But what you might sacrifice in terms of perceived control, you'll hopefully more than make up for by embracing the inevitable freedom that comes from not scrambling to stay two steps ahead of anybody else. If you know your anticipatory 'people-pleasing' isn't likely to work as reliably (which remains the case this week, as Mercury stands still), then there's no need to bother. Indeed, your week will flow nicely along, as long as you don't stress when your plans get knocked off-course. Why stress? It's out of your hands anyway, right?

SCORPIO (October 23-November 21): Don't waste one inch of any low profile you've somehow managed to maintain, in spite of the fact that ultimate-fighter Mars is presently yours for the using. Let the innocent chaps and chicks out there underestimate you, instead of foolishly flaunting your firepower like a sharp-shooting showoff spinning pistols at a Wild West show. You and I both know (whether or not anyone else does) that you're sitting on a ton of potent willful assertiveness, which you likely haven't fully deployed to your desired ends… at least not yet. Good, Scorpio. Take advantage of those instances where you've still been able to avoid attracting too much suspicion. The cover of your seeming inconspicuousness (where it's still in place) will allow to make a few strategic moves toward your goals—without being detected. And what's wrong with that? There's no compelling need to show all your cards right at this moment. The one or two things you're not saying just might make all the difference… and they, meanwhile, probably haven't got a clue.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22-December 21): Just as you might've been reaching a benchmark of stir-crazy restlessness (after reading enough horoscopes like the last one, encouraging you not to do or say much at all), the universe is throwing you a planetary bone. By week's end, Venus moves into your sign (to stay through Nov 12), giving you a fairly easy chance to receive kudos and kindness—without your having to actually exert any effort to earn it. That's right, Sagittarius, I threw in that last bit as a link to the string of 'don't do much at all' urgings that, frankly, is still in effect for a while longer. 'What's up with that?' Well, though Venus's good graces will now be at your disposal, Mars remains in retreat mode in your solar 12th for another few weeks. Mars is, after all, the one who allows us to effectively direct our will toward what we want… and when temporarily 'indisposed' in the 12th-house's mystical dewy world, he's never quite sure if he's aiming his spear in the right direction (or if what he's aiming at even really exists). Whereas this might've been increasingly frustrating recently, while Venus was also in the 12th and Mercury remained retrograde, you'll hopefully become more at peace with this current limbo as this week moves into next. And why not? Once Venus is in your sign (by midday Saturday), your spare remarks and broad smiles will reap much more favorable returns than you've seen in a while. So continue saying little and grinning a lot.

CAPRICORN (December 22-January 19): As Mercury returns to direct motion and certain career- or community-related 'wrinkles' begin to iron themselves out, you could find this ironing-out process leads to an unforeseen shift in priorities or plans. Try not to throw a fit, Capricorn, as part (or all) of this apparent 'shift' may be more a matter of rhetoric than actual focus. And even if it does prove to logistically affect the role you're supposed to fulfill—if, for example, a goal you've been working toward is suddenly scrapped on behalf of 'going in a different direction'—you're simply going to have to cope with it. (It would be a mistake, however, to assume all your efforts up to this point have been for naught. I have a funny feeling that, despite the way things currently seem to be headed, your accomplishments will ultimately prove to matter.) The most likely explanation for this drift, whether 'real' or rhetorical, is that somebody in a position of power simply changed their mind. (Why? Did they receive new information? Did they suddenly wake up and pay attention? Did the wind blow from the east instead of the south, causing a spur-of-the-whim reversal?) If that is indeed the case, well, all the more reason to shrug off any perturbation. There's nothing you can do right this moment. Wait it out, silently repeating to yourself, 'It's really not that big a deal…'

AQUARIUS (January 20-February 18): You won't get nearly as far as you'd like, as long as you position yourself as the 'lone voice of reason' among people who may lack the same level of passion or urgency toward whatever's got you charged up. You're not really as self-important as thinking you know more than everyone else, are you, Aquarius? Thought not. That's why you'll do better at making an actual difference in the hearts of minds of others, if you share the soapbox with a few like-minded allies who can put a slightly different spin on the same basic ideas. As you well know (when you're not feeling threatened by the need to ease up on the control), the details don't matter nearly as much as the main point. And with the Sun illuminating Neptune's continued presence in your sign by trine, it's clearly not the time for personal pride to get in the way of the principles at stake. So forget about what you fear might spontaneously pour out your peers' mouths, as they take the stage with a freer-and-looser attitude than you might naturally exude. They will say it their way… and not only should you refrain from censoring or otherwise corralling their presentation, you should be quite grateful you needn't bear the responsibility all alone.

PISCES (February 19-March 20): Here's your chance to evaluate whether Mercury's retrograde through your solar 8th, the house of juicy entanglements, has brought you any newfound clarity you didn't have a month ago. Reread this horoscope from three weeks back, when Mercury was just beginning his retrograde (and both Venus and Mars also occupied the 8th). Check in with yourself on where you now stand, in contrast to where you were with the same circumstance back then. I presume recent events may indeed have turned that prior perspective upside-down… but you might not notice how far you've come (or, on the other hand, how little you've budged) over that time, without consciously considering the matter. What have you learned since then, Pisces? After all, if we can find one clear and obvious advantage to loitering in challenging interpersonal situations that require so much of our psychic energy, it's that they provide the sorts of experiential lessons unavailable to us through self-help books or friends' attempts at advice. Have you figured out the lesson in this one yet? Because, if you're merely repeating lessons you already know, or if you're not coming out the other side of this latest rigamarole with greater insight into yourself… you're just wasting time.