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Horoscopes | Week of June 15-21, 2009

ARIES (March 21-April 19): I'd be somewhat taken back, Aries, if, this week, you didn't witness some sort of payout (albeit perhaps a modest one) on the investments of personal energy and initiatives you've made over recent weeks or months. Likewise, if you don't see any sign of increasing success—not necessarily the jackpot, but at least some encouraging token of progress—then you are likely suffering from a lack of believing that what you hope to gain is indeed possible for you. If this seemingly unfortunate latter truth is coming to roost, please don't despair. You may be experiencing a definitive turning-point in your self-perception, which is ultimately a good thing if it brings you closer to accepting the reality of who you are… and aren't. Sometimes we strive to achieve goals that are wholly incompatible with what our actual innate strengths are. And when we don't get where we thought we ought to, we must either (1) agree to work more thoroughly on building those strengths through additional training, apprenticeship, experience and self-development, or (2) return to the drawing board and find something better-suited to our true selves. There is no shame in this. My hopes for you, though, are these: You actually are seeing some reassuring signs, though they are no excuse to slack off but rather a reason to strive even harder to build upon them , and not let them be a fluke. Or if my suggestion to 'find something better-suited' actually pisses you off, then GOOD. Let it spur your warrior-spirit to prove me wrong by pumping up your skills and confidence level. Whatever the case, I do see you working harder and, in the process, building yourself up in the process. The specifics are what's up for grabs, based upon what exactly you're working on.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Rather than trying to prove anything (or fight anyone), concentrate solely on representing yourself with the fullest, most precise and expressive honesty… and let everything (and everyone) else arrange itself in relation to what you've put forth. You don't need to bother pushing your opinions or arm-wrestling potential contenders, Taurus, because the astro-atmosphere (still totally Taurean) automatically provides extra 'oomph' to your natural state of affairs. You will make an impression. They will know where you stand, and will unequivocally need to position themselves either in accord or dissent with your stated stance. Ease up on any internal intensification of message your ego is egging on, so hungry to ensure this moment will count (especially considering how many weeks you were loitering in limbo, waiting for an opportunity like this to finally come around) that you come on way too strong and overpower your audience with an uncomfortable desperation. You will not convey confidence by raising your voice, implying that options other than the one you're proposing are stupid or less-than, or hogging the microphone until all parties are too exhausted to contest. Calm reserve, on the other hand, displays you are so faithful you're coming from the right place that you don't have to force it on anyone. Thanks to the planets' present positioning, you're already naturally gravitating toward the leadership role. Nobody wants to hear you declare that now you're here to lead 'em. That's merely annoying overkill, and may undermine your intrinsic authority.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): I'm picking up two equally appropriate lines of action you can proceed down this week, Gemini, based upon your personal mental/emotional state. One option is to put that happy 1st-house Mercury to good use, and spend a good chunk of your energy sauntering and traipsing down the many paths of social intercommunication… but with little real substantive content, other than to check in with the people who cross your mind at any given moment, with a casual hello, and to ask lots of questions about what's going on in their lives. However, trying to touch on the deeper shit that's undoubtedly weighing on one of your multiple minds may be simply too much to handle in conversation at the moment… for any number of reasons, not the least of which is, should you attempt to convey the depth of what you're midway through processing, you might sound a lot more fucked up than you really are, causing your friends and loved ones a great deal of unnecessary concern. The other option, therefore, is to lay low and stick to yourself, instead deploying Mercury for more private purposes—writing melodramatic journal entries, composing lists of pros and cons, sorting through papers or whatever what-not is somehow related to the pickle you find yourself in—all to hopefully help organize your rampantly multi-directional thoughts on the matter. In both scenarios, alas, you'll note I advised nothing whatsoever about pursuing external forward motion. You're still another three weeks or so away from the most ideal moment to consider that, honey.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Presently, whenever you're swept away into the private realm of your own silence, you may be virtually bombarded by advancing walls of broad emotional awareness, granting you deep glimpses into the needy, risky, unbecoming motivations most of us are driven by, just below the surface of our casual agreeability. This is a gift of your intuitive wisdom, Cancer… and as we've already discussed recently, it can also work against you, when it comes to meeting other people where they're at. Rather than quietly acting on instinct and basing your mode of connection on what you're picking up off their unspoken emotions, I instead urge you to spend your week dealing with what's actually on the table. If the information or need hasn't been explicitly communicated to you (in words, not knowing glances or non-verbal transmissions), then treat it as if it doesn't exist. This instructive may inspire you to take up the discussion yourself, to ask them to elaborate on unclear topics or even to tell you what you could do to help out, if you're so inclined. Going through the motions of conversational fact-finding is indeed a great use of your week. Please halt, however, once you've gotten the answer they're willing to give—even if it doesn't go so far in addressing the still-submerged truth you sense is lurking under their phrasing. Your gut-feeling intuitions may be penetrating too far too fast. Proceed no further than where their disclosure comfortably stops; no pushy psychic probing past there.

LEO (July 23-August 22): It's better to forge only one solid step forward this week, careerwise or with regards to whatever you're working on in public view, than to skip too many ladder rungs ahead and lose your good grip in a mad rush to the stars. I'm wanting stable growth for you, Leo, not mere flash-in-the-pan success that'll put you on magazine covers one week and in the half-off has-been bin the next. With both Venus and Mars presently speaking the same language, the tongue of Taurus, and trining ever so supportively with Saturn, the phrase 'slow and steady wins the race' has rarely been a more fitting mantra to post at your workstation. Your eagerness to embody the dream right here and right now is admirable, to be sure. But don't forget, dear, that if you're currently working your little heart out toward making the dream a reality, then you're already embodying its basic premise. You're already doing it. The process is part of what you ought to be enjoying, instead of pinning all future satisfaction upon the day the big check or the ultimate promotion arrives… at which point, believe it or not, you might actually pine away for these 'olden days' when you were in the creative thick of things. While you're at it, be aware that a good portion of the pressure to 'make it all happen right now' may be coming from another person—their impatience bearing down on you and/or your hunger to impress 'em with what you can do. If they're really that important, they'll still be around if it takes you longer than expected to hit the big time.

VIRGO (August 23-September 22): I hinted at this last week, Virgo, but I'd like to make it the central point of your horoscope for this week: If there's a part of you that's a bit (or more than a bit) fed up with feeling like somebody else has been setting the agenda for what you ought to be concerning yourself with, I encourage you to position this fed-up-ness in center stage of your consciousness. Let it be fuel for you to redefine the terms of what occupies the bulk of your daily thought processes. Let it motivate you to push the 'reset' button on how you allocate your energies, so you may start from some veritable level of scratch and methodically reorient yourself to what you find important. Maybe you've been so caught up in workplace drama that it's taken over your leisure time, too? Put a stop to that immediately, by replacing those off-the-clock with worries with the activities you consciously decide are most important, meaningful and inspiring to you. Perhaps you're healing from a broken heart, or are presently embroiled in a situation that's still in the process of breaking it? You needn't permit it to take over every moment of your life, particularly if you're aware there's now a gaping hole that needs to be filled with something upbeat and perspective-shifting that'll give you a reason to anticipate a lighter future. Ultimately, this counsel is about boundaries… about encouraging you to make the willful choice, to draw a line around the circumstances that have taken up way too much space recently, penning it safely into a corral it cannot escape from except when you purposely open the gate, and buying you back ample territory to fill with other circumstances you simply like better.

LIBRA (September 23-October 22): 'Hello, Libra. This is your irrational fear talking. I've been forcing you to validate my presence for a while now (essentially since Saturn's been lurking in your solar 12th, which began about a year and a half ago). I may feel like an enemy, but, as an integral part of your (and everybody's) being, I'm actually a friend. I am here to raise uncomfortable sensations to the surface because, once you identify you are scared of something, you (hopefully) will want to delve beneath this surface to discover what exactly you're really afraid of. Here's a hint: It's probably not what your first impulse would tell you. No, fear doesn't behave quite the same way as intuition, which typically functions by proving your initial instinct to often be correct. In fact, fear is often an impediment to such instincts. I am your friend because I hint at the psychological residue, virtually invisible though as hard to remove as dental plaque, that holds you back from being able to follow your instincts… hell, to even hear 'em properly, though they may be yelling insightful messages at you. Ask difficult questions of me, please. That's what friends are for. I promise I will answer them, if you stick close by long enough, and if bravely open your heart to hear my reply. Presently, your instincts are leading you in a certain direction that, probably quite frightfully, goes against the cautionary tales I appear to be feeding your rational mind. Your instincts are onto something. My 'cautionary tales' are more like Zen riddles, designed to make you think. Now deconstruct these stories I, your irrational fear, am spinning. With enough careful (though potentially gut-wrenching) analysis, you will see I'm only here to help you get to the point where you can thank me kindly for the insight, bid me adieu for the next span of time, and continue on your passion-driven way…'

SCORPIO (October 23-November 21): If you genuinely want to figure out what's up with You-Know-Who—the lover or fling, co-worker or colleague, best friend or most hated adversary, whose presence is virtually monopolizing your attention as of late—don't take your own word for it. I avidly advise you seek the opinions of other folks who either know this person fairly well, though hold less of an emotional charge toward 'em than you obviously do, or who know you fairly well and have met this person for long enough to gauge an impression of how their personality matches up (or doesn't) with yours. Without the stabilizing force of outside perspective from the network of peeps who've got your back, you may have a hard time seeing anything other than the stubborn judgment (whether stubbornly positive, negative or otherwise complex) you've already formed of You-Know-Who. You do want to know, a bit more securely than you already do, precisely what kind of tree you're presently barking up, don't you, Scorpio? You are willing to listen to the helpful observations of pals who only want what's best for you, right? I'm definitely not telling you that, should you be exposed to someone else's vastly different perception of the person you can't get out of your head, you ought to change your perception. I'm just kindly suggesting you remain open to further facts and feelings regarding You-Know-Who coming to light. It's ultimately your decision how to act towards 'em. But trust me, in this interpersonal situation, ignorance is most certainly not bliss.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22-December 21): For the first time in what may seem like forever, Sagittarius, you're likely to receive some form of actual recognition for how hard you've been working—or, as the case may be, how hard you're not working, though it's hard for me to imagine you've been defiantly ducking your last couple weeks' of horoscopic advice (refresh here and here). Let's assume, then, you've taken my recent words seriously and have willingly accepted the fact that this may be your best month all year to get some mad work accomplished. Thanks to a conjunction of Venus and Mars, this week could be the one during which you make a significant breakthrough… so you no longer feel so 'behind' and, instead, can take great personal satisfaction in knowing you've dug yourself out of a hole. The key to success, to be clear, is to let each day build upon the day before, in a gradual and steady climb upward. Rather than looking straight up toward seemingly unreachable heights, it is enough to make small bits of progress each day, along with holding tight to the commitment to yourself to do it all over again tomorrow. The habit, the pattern, the repetition: these will actually bring much joy for the time being. And just like the lifeguard at the pool notices the lone lap-swimmer who shows up, without fail, day in and day out and, soon enough, is gliding effortlessly through a full mile of strokes, so too will those who stand to observe your diligent behaviors start to take crucial note of how regularly, and without fanfare, you are chipping away at the ol' ice-block. Alternately, they will also notice, via your huffing-and-puffing and grumbling-and-groaning, if you are majorly out of shape and practice, indicating, unfortunately, you aren't to be trusted with managing your own discipline.

CAPRICORN (December 22-January 19): This would be an appropriate (and quite fine) time to publicly endorse a belief system you feel strongly about, to stand firm on an issue that represents an ethical sticking-point for you, or to otherwise refuse to bow to any external pressures to 'simmer down' or 'stop being so difficult' when you sense your integrity is at stake. Having just recently emerged from a sort of hibernation, your stores of self-confidence should be running deeper and stronger and fiercer than a mere month or two ago… and whereas before you might've saved yourself the breath, you now realize your level-headed staunchness seems to be in great demand by those who see you as an example to look up to. Don't try to convince yourself your opinions on the matter aren't that important, Capricorn, because they are. Because we all know you as somebody who generally picks your outward battles wisely (as opposed to the inward ones you fight with yourself seemingly indiscriminately, but that's another story), we will sit up straight in our chairs and pay sincere heed to whatever you've got to say, should you decide to bother outlining why the point in question is not really so grey at all, but rather starkly black and white… at least as far as you are concerned. That little addendum to the previous sentence, by the way, makes all the difference between whether you come off shrilly preachy or merely secure in your self-knowledge. As I said, you are already an example to us—and we ought not be pushed into thinking of you as such. Give your character more credit than that.

AQUARIUS (January 20-February 18): I think of you Aquarian lads and lasses as, generally speaking, having fairly good interpersonal boundaries. Aquarius is an air sign, known more for its intellectual appreciation of the colorful rainbow of humanity from a cool distance rather than up-close-and-personal, touchy-feely emotional intimacy. But right now, in an unusual contrast to your ordinary alignment, you are essentially an open receiver for picking up other people's psychic truths—and trivia—and less able than usual to draw a clear dividing line between what's your 'stuff' and what's theirs. Two weeks ago, I mentioned you might want to spend an increased amount of time at home… and this advice still rings true, largely because having ample opportunity to recharge alone, away from the uncontrollable influence of etheric flotsam and jetsam that wants to attach to your aura and have you feeling feelings that rightfully belong to somebody else, will help you not become unnecessarily overwhelmed, fatigued or moody. The literal locale where you can close (and lock) the door behind you, wrap yourself in comfy pajamas and cuddly blankets, and tune out the madness certain individuals (whether friends or virtual strangers) are projecting onto you, is the surest place for you to reestablish boundaries (literally) that you may not succeed in maintaining when you don't have control over your environment.

PISCES (February 19-March 20): The false glamorization of any 'me against the world' mindsets must be nipped in the bud, Pisces. While you are unquestionably your own special and unique individual in this universe, with nobody else like you and therefore nobody who can 'truly understand', you are also just like the rest of us in this regard. We are all, to a certain existentialist degree, all by ourselves. And yet, the reason we continue to reach out—in both casual contact and meaningful commitment—to other souls floating out there in their own unquenchable isolation is in order to share the experience, thus bringing camaraderie to the table. Otherwise, as I'm sure you're all too well aware, we merely lament this unresolvable state of affairs until we're blue in the face and the heart, doing nothing especially worthwhile with our days other than feeling bad about being alive. Ewww! Even as I wrote that, I felt an uncomfortable sensation in the pit of my stomach. That is not why we are here on this earth together, forced into close proximity with a bunch of folks who chose to incarnate into these bodies at this time to learn from each other. Please be sure your internal orientation toward everything—and everyone—else out there is one of curiosity, rather than annoyance or discontent. The whole point of life is to interact with others. Stay in constant contact. Oh, yeah, by the way: It's fun!