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Horoscopes | Week of November 24-30, 2008

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Top 6 reasons to reorient your life toward, first and foremost, those things that promote a sense of growth and learning… that push you into strange new lands and promise wacky mind-blowing experiences for you to partake of and in… and to hell with whatever currently stifling situations are keeping you from that: (6) What is an Aries anyway, if not a pioneer? If you've already 'been there, done that', you will bore yourself to death. (5) 'The unknown' loudly beckons you, whether or not you can hear its seductive whisper over all the annoying folks telling you what they need from you. (4) A tall dark stranger or some other similarly appealing character from a world much different than yours awaits with a message. However will you claim it? By crossing the border into whatever 'much different world' piques your curiosity. (Don't worry, there are multiple strangers with messages, so you won't go to the 'wrong' place—as long as it's somewhere different than here. (3) A free spirit like you can only be a hands-crossed-in-your-lap, dutiful and diligent servant to someone else's vision for only so long. 'What's in it for me?' you might be asking. (2) Thanks to Venus, this is a good moment to explore how adaptable your current professional situation is to your evolving desires to do more or something else. You just might find a win-win solution that gives you greater freedom and still keeps you gainfully taken care of. (1) Life is too short not to chase your compelling curiosities out into this great big crazy world of ours.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Top 6 reasons to leap off the end of the diving board, through the portal to 'The Land of No Return' and into the deep end, where you can no longer pretend to be able to touch the floor, but where life, though messier and less able to control, is totally real: (6) The worries of waiting and anticipating are far more crippling than actually doing the thing you fear to get started. (5) All the familiar doldrum traps on this 'safe' side of the portal will remain mind-numbingly exactly the same as they've been until you cross the threshold. (4) The increasing social pressures from friends, colleagues or like-minded individuals are beginning to become too much to resist. (3) Full disclosure, taking things to the logical extreme, not settling until it's all said and done, and other such 'Land of No Return' strategies will ultimately align you with your highest integrity. (2) Contrary to your reputation as slower than molasses in January, your patience with sitting on your hands has definitely worn very thin. (1) You can't avoid it forever. If you don't willingly step toward it, it will eventually find you—one way or the other.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Top 6 reasons why your astrologer will not instruct you to redirect your thoughts away from your burgeoning or intensifying relationship with a new or new-again partner, a fascinating co-worker or client, or some other person that's clearly grabbed your attention: (6) The dynamic between you two is seriously getting your juices flowing… and the thrill of being excited about something will happily bleed into other areas of your life. (5) Don't you think you owe it to yourself to keep exploring where these feelings might lead? You still don't know, do you? (4) This tantalizing intrigue takes your mind off the persistent chaos that seems to be plaguing your ability to clearly and confidently pursue achievement in your outside-world existence. (Incidentally, this chaos is not a 'plague'; it's a useful exercise in giving up control.) (3) It's better to put all of yourself into an interpersonal situation, with the risk of turmoil and trouble and maybe even an eventual crash-and-burn, than to purposely contain your full feelings into lukewarm 'better safe than sorry' self-protectionism. (2) You're a glutton for drama. And there's nothing wrong with that either. (1) Telling a Gemini not to think about the person s/he is currently trying to impress, woo, figure out, get something from or communicate with is like telling a kid not to play with the toy sitting in front of his face—forget about it.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Top 6 reasons why you'll want to turn your attention to streamlining your day-to-day work, chore and self-care routines over the next few weeks: (6) With the lineup of a new moon, Mercury and Mars in your solar 6th, you currently possess the necessary drive and wherewithal to tackle such organizational projects… whether or not you know it. I'm telling you: You do. (5) Inefficiencies naturally build up in our schedules over time. That's why we all need a periodic rearrangement of the way we get our crap done, to root out the outdated processes that no longer serve our needs. (4) Wasting time on the logistics takes away from how much you can invest in the activities that really matter to you. (3) If you're not making enough time for the simple building-blocks of health, such as ample sleep, balanced meals and regular exercise, you'll pay the price later—and be that much less able to keep up with your other duties, since you'll be lacking vitality or stopping every five minutes to cough or blow your nose. (2) The more you get done now, the more fully you'll get to enjoy the company of those you love during the upcoming holidays. (1) Even though extra effort is required to undertake this streamlining, you'll actually walk away with a boost in your personal energy levels, driven by your excitement at having improved your methods… which in turn will inspire other people, once they'll see what you've accomplished.

LEO (July 23-August 22): Top 6 reasons why it's a virtual necessity, not just for your own sake but for the whole greater good, that you serve as our official ambassador to radical silliness for the entire span of the week: (6) It's that time of year with another holiday party almost every night, and we all know that you're the life of any party. (5) When you are generous and expressive with your life-force energies, your likable vitality is totally contagious. We all light up more when you draw us out. (4) You're really really really really good at being a goofball. Why put that talent to waste? (3) Humor is a fantastic way to help friends and yourself cope with any recent trials and tribulations. If you can't make at least one big fat bordering-on-offensive-but-still-undeniably-loving joke out of it, you're probably taking yourselves too seriously. (2) In case you can't feel it in the air, you're soon likely to find your level of day-to-day responsibilities increasing substantially, or at least changing in dramatic enough a fashion that it'll take extra effort to get yourself up to speed. With that in mind, you've got to squeeze in every drop of fun possible whenever you have the chance. (1) Do I really have to provide you all these reasons, merely to encourage you to have a good time? Thought not.

VIRGO (August 23-September 22): Top 6 reasons you should defend your rights to a home life that suits your wishes, even though it may put you at odds with housemates and/or family members who don't take your particular preferences seriously: (6) You make so many compromises all day long, at work or out-and-about in the crazed world of modern society, you deserve a small sphere that's all your own where you can have things exactly as you like them. (5) Especially right now, you really need a safe space in which to unwind. But if you're spinning on resentments you aren't expressing, you're hardly likely to achieve that relaxed state. (4) Your existing domestic relationships—all your existing relationships, in fact—are under pressure from Uranus to either evolve, so that you gain an increased sense of individual freedom, or fracture. (3) Part of the responsibility of stepping more into your power is to express yourself, whether or not your honest thoughts will be palatable to others. (2) You'll feel good about yourself when you take a stand in support of your personal needs. (1) You're slated for a major upswing in your zone of romance and fun, which opens up into a profound multi-year transformation in how fully you'll allow yourself to enjoy the many pleasures of life. The 'feeling good about yourself' mentioned in the previous item is the perfect foundation from which to bound off into this upswing. Your own good vibes are essential, as like always draws like.

LIBRA (September 23-October 22): Top 6 reasons why, for this week at least, any emotional state you find yourself in may only be relevant until the next conversation you have: (6) Moods cycle much more quickly than we sometimes like to believe, when we're in the act of feeling sorry for ourselves. We may even entertain secret delight for how unsalvageably awful we claim to feel. But have we recently checked in to see if we actually do feel that way still? (5) As mentioned last week, talking to somebody about what's weighing on us often immediately relieves some of the burden. (4) Yet, even if communicating our emotions with others doesn't instantly make us feel better, it still creates a subtle movement of energy within us, leading to unforeseen developments. Social exchanges are interactive beyond our own control, spawning waves of reaction that transcend our humble understanding, while making us acutely aware that we don't exist in a bubble—nor should we strive to. (3) As of this week, Pluto will be a long-term resident of your solar 4th, where you can count on him to dredge up the skeletal remains of your legacy, essentially forcing you to look deeply at where you came from, your parental unit and ancestral roots, your hometown, and other such formative influences on how you take care of yourself. Needless to say, you should be getting into the habit of confiding the results of these personal excavations in friends you can trust. You'll need the interpersonal connection. (2) Who says the next conversation you have has to be about the emotional state you find yourself in? Sometimes, the best mood-shifter is talking about someone else's issues for a while. (1) You'll end up feeling great if, in the act of catching up with this or that pal, you utter the blessed 'words of wisdom' that help them gain a healthier outlook. Your acquaintanceship, it turns out, is a very valuable gift for those of us lucky enough to enjoy it.

SCORPIO (October 23-November 21): Top 6 reasons why the conservative approach, especially involving all financial or business-related matters, is the one you should presently be undertaking: (6) Now that Pluto's finally leaving your 2nd house, you should be very well familiarized with how much and which types of material resources you wish to have at your disposal. And the only way to reliably secure those resources for yourself—and protect them over any span of time—is through careful calculation. Otherwise, money and all that comes with it can too easily slip through anybody's fingertips. (5) You're in a bit of a social contraction period, meaning that some of the allegiances you've counted on may soon prove no longer viable. Taking that into consideration, you'll probably want to remain even more prepared for self-sufficiency than usual. (4) The less ties of dependency that leave you vulnerable to the unreliable whims and predilections of other folks, the more freedom you have to say or do whatever the hell you want—without the fear that you'll shoot yourself in the proverbial foot. (3) Have you been reading the news lately? 'Nuff said. (2) Taking fewer risks with money matters will alleviate some degree of worry, buying you additional energy for more leisure-time risk-taking in other areas such as romance, family, or personal creativity. (1) Not everyone will take as conservative of an approach. And once they gamble themselves to Kingdom Come, the field of opportunities will open up more widely for you… further down the road from here.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22-December 21): Top 6 reasons why, for right now, it's all about you… but why you shouldn't take this planetary indication of necessary self-focus lightly: (6) With both a new moon and a further conjunction of Mercury and Mars in your sign this week, you have a hugely powerful concentration of mental, physical and emotional might at your disposal. These opportunities don't come around every day. This is your best moment all year for setting both short- and long-term goals, as well as the all-important intention to prioritize those things that get you personally enthused. (5) Just because you might be able to arm-wrestle almost anybody into submission, that doesn't mean the immediate victory is what ultimately serves you best. Before trampling others, consider how it might affect your well-being over time. Think strategically. (4) If you enter any negotiations with too uncompromising a mindset, you might miss out on including others' suggestions into a more collaborative result—with greater potential personal benefit for you. If they've got a good idea, why not help put it into action… so you can share in its future fruits? (3) Part of unapologetically embracing this 'me-first' ethos may involve the snipping of strings tying you to one or more characters from your past. While this may be a long time coming, that doesn't necessarily qualify it as a casual act. If you need to do such a thing, do it right. (2) Being really into what you're doing does not make you more important than anyone else. Self-centeredness (putting yourself at the center of your considerations) needn't equate to self-absorption (being so consumed with your own considerations that you neither acknowledge nor respect others'). (1) You've waited around for a while, eagerly anticipating what'll be the best timing for you to strike. It's here now, Sagittarius! Show us what you're made of!

CAPRICORN (December 22-January 19): Top 6 reasons why you might as well continue hovering beneath the radar, buying yourself a veritable mini-hibernation from the harsh elements out there: (6) All of us have our moments when we need a private respite or escape. Astrologically, that's often indicated by planets moving into the 12th. Right now, you've got a lot of 12th-house activity, which is instructing you to slip away for a spell. (5) Are you suddenly feeling clearer and surer about what the 'right' answer must be, thus inspiring you to take action on this newfound clarity quickly, before you have a chance to change your mind? Be suspicious of yourself, very suspicious. All this 12th-house energy is making you anything but clear. (4) Stationing Uranus in your 3rd makes you peculiarly prone to communicating yourself in a way that others may find abrupt, shocking or otherwise unorthodox. Knowing that, then, you have no compelling reason to try communicating something important—unless you really want to cause friction. Don't bother. Doesn't 'under the radar' sound so much more pleasant and easy-going? (3) There are at least two or three spirit guides, guardian angels, interdimensional beings, totem animals, dead ancestors or other figures from the ethers and/or your imagination (does it matter which?) who'd like a few moments of your attention. All you've got to do is sit quietly, shut your mind up, and ask for them to contact you. Then, listen to what they have to say. (2) Welcome Pluto back to your sign for a virtual eternity. Trust me, you're going to have plenty of stuff to deal with over the next many years. Start gearing up privately now. (1) If you can get away with a few moments off the clock and away from obvious notice (and indeed you can), then why not?

AQUARIUS (January 20-February 18): Top 6 reasons why it's probably better to join 'em, instead of trying to beat 'em: (6) As an Aquarian, you should be well aware that there's strength in both numbers and diversity among those 'numbers'. You needn't indulge the part of you that imagines it's you against the world, when you're presently surrounded by oodles of folks who'd consider you 'one of them'… if only you're open to it. (5) Joining requires less of an expenditure of energy than resisting. And at this point, unless this is a live-or-die battle (and are you 110% sure of that?), you should reserve all the energy you can. (4) Perhaps there are issues closer to home (for instance, in your own bank account) that you'd be wiser to focus on? (3) The quicker you accept the reality that certain social trends (within your particular milieu or in the culture at large) don't appear to be going your way for the time being, the sooner you can realize your anger, disappointment and/or other related feelings. (2) With Pluto's re-entry into your solar 12th (for the next decade-and-a-half!), the deepest question is evolving into: Must you always be mentally angling to figure out who's right or wrong, what improvements need be made, and whichever other puzzles need to be solved—or can you also diligently observe your own internal dynamics that lead to such cerebral restlessness? (1) As I told you last week, you need to relax a bit. 'Dissolving into the crowd' is a healthy Aquarian way of relaxing your sense of personal responsibility.

PISCES (February 19-March 20): Top 6 reasons to go all out in pursuing your career ambitions right now, no matter what the news is reporting about economic woes and job losses: (6) If you're sitting around waiting for the perfect economic climate or your dream job to present itself, I hope you've got a comfortable chair. Don't you know you've got to make it happen yourself with your own initiative? (5) Your goals are right under your nose, staring straight back at you, wondering to themselves, 'What's taking you so damn long to come claim us as yours?' Like staying in a lukewarm romance that doesn't seem to be going anywhere, you're not doing yourself any favors staying strung along by aspirations you only half-heartedly care to satisfy. Put yourself 'in it to win it', or finally let it rest in peace. (4) With Uranus stationing to direct motion in your sign this week, you're once again being exposed to the possibility of a sudden dramatic turn-around. Knowing this in advance, perhaps you can make this Uranus station work for you—and make the sudden dramatic turn-around yourself, rather than being a passive participant. (3) An 11th-house Venus, playing nicely with both Saturn and Uranus, indicates there are presently friends and/or people in your network who will eagerly help you take the next step. (Remember this horoscope?) Don't squander the goodwill coming at you from key teammates and colleagues. (2) On the same token, countless folks who you know and don't know will also, directly and indirectly, reap lots of goodies from you accomplishing your desired success. Fulfilling—or not fulfilling—your calling impacts more than just you, after all. (1) If not now, when?