Horoscopes | Week of November 2-8, 2009

ARIES (March 21-April 19): We know why it matters to you. Why, however, should it matter to them? This is the question that may be eluding you in your attempt to move ahead, Aries… not necessarily because you haven't thought about it before, but perhaps because they still aren't hearing a clear enough answer to quench their self-involved curiosities and override any concerns they may have about your excessive self-involvement. In actual fact, yours may not be as self-involved an endeavor as they imagine—only, as possible collaborators, they simply haven't been courted with as direct an explanation of how they stand to benefit from joining your efforts. Get inside their psyches, therefore, and gear your pitches for support in terms that speak to their interests. While I may be slightly overdramatizing in my mention of the old adage, 'You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours,' there definitely is something to be said for looking at the situation as such a bald economic exchange. If you're not going to actually pay them for their allegiance with cold hard cash, please be aware they may be looking for some type of concrete compensation from you.

 

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): There's not much you can do about your wider-reaching reputation running away with itself, carrying your public persona into fictional territory that, whether in a flattering or disparaging manner, obscures your real behavior beneath a haze of misperception. Once the image of you becomes more than one step divorced from actual interpersonal contact between you and another individual, you essentially have no control over how the wagging tongues represent you. So despite your understandable discomfort with any fallacious impressions of you being promoted, Taurus, you probably ought not to engage with 'em… especially in terms of trying to shoot them down by directly addressing those characterizations you dislike. First off, you may neither be correctly hearing these rumors nor attributing them to the proper source. (Unconfirmed gossip can be very slippery to grab hold of, after all.) And secondly, you may inadvertently add to the power of any misperception by bringing it up at all, raising doubt according to the 'thou doth protest too much, methinks' logic. Tune out what you think is being spread about you. Instead, concentrate more myopically on making your end of every personal interaction the most genuine and engaged it can be. That way, you're positively impacting your reputation—and counteracting any undeserved press—one perception at a time.

 

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): 'Today offers my only genuine chance to effect positive health, physical and mental and every other kind, in my life. Today, I will choose to remain productive for a chunk of time in the morning and a chunk of time in the afternoon, sandwiched between balanced meals eaten at a reasonable pace, bite by bite, so I have the proper nutrition and even-enough blood-sugar levels to support my productivity. Today, I will consciously opt to enjoy the feeling of challenging myself to work toward resolving whatever problems have kept me in day-to-day chaos, due to not having had the chance (or, more precisely, not having made the time) to sufficiently devote myself to handling it once and for all. Tonight, after I've put in enough effort to feel like I've achieved some progress worth noting (but not so much effort that I'm totally drained and only have energy for a martini and greasy junk-food), I will make a point of expressing gratitude to myself for having made the most of today, as I nestle my head into my pillow at the decently early hour I chose to turn in. That will set me up for awakening well-rested, well-appreciated, and enthusiastic about continuing this trend. If I don't make these conscious choices, today will unfold like so many other days in the life of this Gemini: as a series of madness-inspiring events that spring themselves on me, with no warning, throwing me off my game, leading me to needlessly panic or carelessly forget to eat lunch, recklessly overdose on caffeine or thanklessly rebel against the very stabilizing productivity that would ease my nerves. Today, I will choose to responsibly manage my hours, and I will thrive by doing so. Otherwise, I know all too well, everything will continue to seem like a big ol' mess that keeps on giving…'

 

CANCER (June 21-July 22): While any presumption that you and a certain someone are 'on identical pages' may or may not be 100% accurate, it's still worth proceeding as if it is… at least insofar as it spurs you to take at least one visible step toward them. There is little rewarding purpose, Cancer, to your continuing to entertain the possibilities and potentials in your relationship with You-Know-Who (whether or not 'relationship' is the most fitting term for what's transpired, or not-yet-transpired, between you two) inside your head. For this thing to truly qualify as an interpersonal association, it really ought to be interactive—which means giving the other person free range to react and respond to you, your feelings for them and their feelings for you out in the open, in real time rather than in the idealized imaginative realm of your mind. And which is why I like the idea of you outwardly proceeding according to the belief that you two share a mutual commonality, even if there are actually larger gaps between your truest versions of the story than are immediately apparent. Let believing you're on the same page grant you enough confidence to more comfortably expose yourself. Only then can you find out more about how similarly (or differently) you're each experiencing the situation, once you've given 'em something to agree (or disagree) with.

 

LEO (July 23-August 22): Following the full moon that opens the week (on Mon Nov 2), I suggest you permit your souped-up Marsy energy to wane along with the second half of this lunar cycle… and encourage yourself to ease down until the next new moon (on Mon Nov 16). In your last two horoscopes (found here and here), I have not been shy with my concerns you'll burn yourself out too quickly, if you don't restrain the pace with which you're trying to pull off miracles. Don't get me wrong, Leo: These 'miracles' are actually closer to attainable than they've been in a long long while, if ever—as long as you're realistic about both the timeline and the need to sustain your efforts over its entire duration. For these current couple of weeks, then, you ought to pull back on how hungrily you're pursuing your self-identified goals… and divert some of your spunk toward your partner, your closest friend, or the pal who could obviously use a supportive sidekick or encouraging companion on their latest venture. And I wouldn't wait around for them to ask you either, as it's quite likely you've recently been giving off a totally-wrapped-up-in-something vibe. Start by asking interested questions that get 'em talking about their present progress, and follow up with suggestions about how you might add a special sprinkling of Leo love to the pot, just because you want to help. Their juicy gratitude will serve to refill your cup.

 

VIRGO (August 23-September 22): In not-altogether-atypical Virgoan fashion, you're currently susceptible to having rather unrealistic expectations of what a certain responsibility will entail. Neptune's present stationing in your solar 6th hints at the possibility of you overextending—and maybe even overexhausting—yourself on a task, project or process that'll likely require a much greater expenditure of energy than you originally reckon. And working under this notion that, though you may have initially underestimated how difficult or time-consuming this is proving to be, you've still got to see it through (since you are a most dutiful, diligent Virgo), you end up putting way more into overcompensating for your short-sighted vision than is good for you… ultimately leaving you way worse off for wear. Please nip such a scenario in the bud before it has a chance to happen: Run your plans past someone else who's also relatively knowledgeable in the relevant areas, and ask if they think you've got an accurate perspective. This advice revisits last week's horoscope, in which I urged you to make yourself accountable to another person… only in this version, the main goal of this self-enforced accountability is to save you a major headache. Just because you're sometimes willing to run yourself ragged, simply in order to report you've completely taken care of the given matter, that doesn't mean it's a healthy behavior (or sustainable lifestyle) for you to embrace.

 

LIBRA (September 23-October 22): Though you may find yourself dedicating much of your mind-power to brainstorming practical ideas to fill your wallet or otherwise steady your situation, please don't neglect to notice the other realizations that float into your head during the process. Even as you're hunting for sensible down-to-earth approaches to follow, your creative imagination is apt to go beyond that call of duty… and to unveil previously suppressed hints of what really gets your juices flowing. If, for the sake of argument, we could temporarily suspend your pressing functional concerns so that money was not an issue (wishful thinking, no question about it), it would be this other thing you'd surely love to throw your whole self into. Any sharp moves, however, and you'll scare away this delicate whisper of awakening you'd likely never come to through conscious thought. Yet, there it is, an illuminating glimpse into the more romantic aspirations of your unique personal being. While you have every pragmatic reason to dismiss such faint hopes as hopelessly unrealistic folly, Libra, don't let 'em fade away that easily. Sure, you do have other things to worry about right now, which require the bulk of your attentions. But find a special place for faithfully storing this other core of future inspiration. Later on down the road, this fledgling desire may develop into a primary motivating factor.

 

SCORPIO (October 23-November 21): Move through the bulk of your week under surreptitious cover of the thick dark… and when Venus at last reaches your sign, beginning midday Saturday (Nov 7), you can freely reemerge with contenting recognition that the glaring light will only hit you from your best angles. By no means, however, does this indicate you flashing your rawest parts to any- and everybody who happens to pass. On the contrary, Scorpio: You give face most tantalizingly when you purposely hold back some, casting the air of mystery that draws the flocks of fascinated (if not also somewhat intimidated) fans to you. But there is a subtle difference between (1) instinctively masking the sensitive parts of yourself behind impenetrable walls, in order to shield those inner vulnerabilities from exposure and (2) deliberately concealing one layer of personality behind another, to tempt interested parties into scratching beneath your surface to discover more. While the former behavior is more about self-protection, the latter is really a device of seduction intended to eventually draw them in, rather than freeze them out. For these upcoming three more weeks of Venus in Scorpio, you'll possess great seductive powers. Of course, being the Scorpio you are, you won't have to do much to put 'em to good use—other than remaining intensely aware of that special glint in your eye, which lets the world know you've got a lot going on inside, should anyone care to delve deeper.

 

SAGITTARIUS (November 22-December 21): Impatience is not a good enough excuse for thrusting yourself into the limelight before the timing is right. While you're obviously anticipating your rapidly-approaching opportunity to give it your best shot, for now it's more like you're in the holding-tank, awaiting your turn in line alongside all the other eager auditioners who also hope to wow the judges. And at this stage, Sagittarius, it's wiser to befriend your so-called competition than to attempt to psych 'em out with a brash show of über-assuredness. Not only will such maneuvers lower your profile (still a smart strategy three weeks later), you'll also gather some useful data on the mental and emotional states of other key characters on the field. With the current emphasis on your solar 12th, this is a good time to watch the others play out their underlying agendas and motivations—without letting on that you're as quietly, astutely observant as you are. About two weeks from now, you can start emitting more provocative chirps of bravado, having sufficiently taken the temperature of your surroundings to guarantee your remarks hit 'em where it counts. And by the very tail end of November, you'll (hopefully) have adeptly positioned yourself as a major contender.

 

CAPRICORN (December 22-January 19): As much as the money is a significant galvanizing purpose for reaching so far in life, it mustn't be the only one, right? I hope it isn't, Capricorn, because your finances continue to be in a very elusive circumstance that makes it frustratingly hard to wrap your management-minded tentacles around… and there's little you can do about that. Bluntly put, these are unsure times for a vast majority of us. But I'm definitely not telling you your economic situation is a bad one—merely excessively susceptible to confusing or illogical turns that have the potential to generate panic if you aren't able to look at it all in a broader context. If you are working toward a goal that's important to you for reasons other than just monetary security, you may have to strive to remember those other reasons when the bank balance is looking bleak. In the depth of such nervousness, you'll need to dig deep to appreciate the other types of 'wealth'—such as self-confidence, experience, camaraderie or creative fulfillment—your present position affords. And the more you align yourself with gratitude for that wealth, believe it or not, the more quickly and easily the cash-dollars will follow. Constant worrying about every thin dime, however, will merely beget more of the same: worry.

 

AQUARIUS (January 20-February 18): You're under the effect of indistinct (but no less potentially profound) serendipitous planetary influences, which dare you to glance far off to one side of what's been (perhaps prematurely) labeled as 'the main road'… where a chance encounter or mystical inner-voice message or prophetic vision holds the possibility of changing your life (for the better!) by introducing you to a new orientation for understanding your journey. Sound exciting, Aquarius? Well, I don't want to burst the bubble, but such serendipity will probably not make itself known so dramatically as a burning bush or a fireworks-upon-first-meeting experience. On the contrary, in fact: You might not even know something life-changing is going on at all. And there is a strong likelihood of you missing the opportunity altogether—if, that is, you get so caught up in the whirlwind of an interpersonal situation that you never have a chance to wander off the path, alone, with an unoccupied-enough mind to allow a twist of fate to enter your consciousness and make an impact. In other words, if you're too busy fighting somebody or fighting 'em off, worrying too much about what they're doing or whether what you're doing will upset or disappoint them, you won't be open to divine hands touching you, handing you a gift or redirecting your attention.

 

PISCES (February 19-March 20): Whatever the week's sensitivities may be, Pisces, they ought not be viewed as annoying inconveniences that inhibit your ability to get your shit done… but rather clues to what your innate eye for compassion is telling you are intolerable conditions you've having trouble accepting as they are. But whereas such feelings of disappointment in what society, your workplace and/or your circle of associates has allowed to occur do surely bear the capacity to deflate your spirits, allow me to suggest there's also another response you might consider: committing yourself to doing something to improve these dissatisfying circumstances. It's far too easy for a Piscean to find something to feel genuine melancholy or regret about, since none of us have to look too far for one more example of injustice running slipshod over good people. It becomes another situation altogether once an individual, such as yourself, decides to take matters into his/her own hands and work to change that which is open to adaptation. When your emotions build with discontentment toward a shared value or attitude that's casting a long shadow over your (and/or your pals or colleagues') impetus to continue functioning at your full capabilities, let it be a call to action—and not another excuse to melodramatically lament the state of the world.