Horoscopes | Week of June 3-9, 2013

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Though I have no doubt your active participation in the discovering-and-disseminating of relevant info amongst your matrix of social contacts continues to dominate your attention, Aries, I'd like you to begin considering, alongside this dizzying interactivity, the growing importance of inner harmony. In other words, it's important to your overall well-being to consciously prioritize what you're doing at home, by yourself and/or on your official 'off-hours', to counteract the seemingly ceaseless outside demands on you to be so 'on'. Are you thoroughly savoring that precious domesticity? Are you accepting the loving-kindness available to you from family members who quietly wonder how you keep up such a fevered pace? One single horoscope mention of the value in soothing your inner stressball with emotionally healthful practices is not, of course, enough to make a very noteworthy impact. This is merely the beginning of a lengthier period during which mindfully considering what constitutes a happy home-life will have even greater benefit than such considerations usually do. One place to start: Do you like where you live? Are there improvements you could make that would immediately improve your quality-of-life there? Or where else might you live?

 

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): It's high-time to spend the next several moments appreciatively experiencing all the sociable interaction available to you, Taurus, right here in this immediate neighborly environment you've comfortably ensconced yourself in. No need to strive, no need to look far and wide for the next great stimulating mind-opener… as if to discredit the fact that you've, not entirely accidentally, already surrounded yourself with a roster of wacky figures who hold more than enough ideas and opinions and topics for offhand armchair-punditry to keep you stimulated for a while to come. Should you become too compelled by pushing toward the so-called 'big payoffs'—the ideal relationship, the perfect job, the missing link to feeling as if your life finally has meaning—you will completely miss out on the underlying social-connectedness that cradles you into this already-pretty-ideal-if-not-utterly-perfect milieu of people who, even if they don't know you all that well, actually care. What a wild concept, eh? People who you're already acquainted with, who are already around and available to contentedly piss away a few spare hours in your company, actually caring about you… and actually noticing whether or not you are present. Maybe moment-to-moment satisfaction is a lot closer than you think.

 

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): The good news is that Mars is now firmly in your sign for many weeks to come, Gemini, bestowing upon you an added dose of assertive oom-pah-pah that will help you inform everyone who you encounter exactly what you'd like to get out of the exchange. (Of course, this outward revelation of your desirous drives is also liable to expose the inconstancy of your attentions, meaning any hot-and-cold tendencies will be obviously apparent to those trying to 'get a straight answer' out of you.) Over these weeks ahead, then, it behooves you to make your intentions known, to volunteer yourself for that which interests you, to instigate fun-time trouble-making, and to generally accede to this temporary role as reins-holder. (Meanwhile, trying to play like you haven't a care in the world about how things go, when in fact you do, is a recipe for being called out… from which conflict can then too easily ensure.) The less-good news is that, for just this week ahead, Mars is under a convoluting square to a stationary Neptune-in-your-10th—an astro-indicator of potential problems arising from your misjudging how this newly-assertive edge to your personality might affect bosses, VIPs, mentors, cops, or other folks whose position warrants an added degree of respect and restraint. In those situations, it still pays to be properly deferent. Your delightful mischief can be too easily misread as impropriety or impoliteness.

 

CANCER (June 21-July 22): What's true for you matters, Cancer… even if nobody else can understand (or they're too busy trying to get you to conform to the role they desire to slot you into), even if you can barely articulate it (because the words seem to escape you or maybe sound silly when you start speaking them aloud), and even if all you know for certain is that your intuition is aiming you toward a certain beacon of engaging self-interest (and you aren't even sure what you'll do once you get there). As you continue heading into this juncture of profound (re)discovery of your heart's own most beautiful dreams—a once-in-a-long-while moment in which realizing your own personal dreams is not only more immediately possible, but, in fact, is becoming your single biggest life-priority—you must embody the acknowledgment that this is not to time to play it safe, to kowtow to another's overpowering self-concern, or to compromise any of your efforts to finally go for it. If you aren't willing to gamble your safe situation for a kookier-and-crazier, initially-chaotic-but-ultimately-creatively-fulfilling position atop the throne that's got your name on it, waiting for you to ascend to it now, then when? And if you aren't willing to make certain other people uncomfortable with your sudden (maybe to them, at least) unapologetic stretching for more out of life, then you might as well sign your future over them. Here is your gleaming chance: It doesn't get much more propitious than this.

 

LEO (July 23-August 22): When it comes to your expectations about a certain person who's gotten super-up-close-and-personal or otherwise under-your-skin, please keep your wishful thinking in check, Leo. You are especially susceptible to unconsciously looking beyond significant differences between the two of you—particularly with regards to how you each think about a tricky issue, such as money or sexuality or what 'commitment' means—and presuming a congruence that may not exist quite as neatly as you imagine. The worst-case expressions of such a scenario might lead you to be overly generous with your resources or energies, only to later suffer from an ego-jarring disappointment that leaves you feeling foolish for having put yourself on the line so freely. Yet, there are much-better-case possibilities as well… such as the likelihood of improving your practice of discerning between (1) a genuinely consequential connection with someone and (2) the illusion that such a connection implies you two share similar outlooks on any number of complicating areas. While we may all be alike on the level of emotion, we vary greatly when it comes to the mental scripts and stories we use to make sense of the world. Appreciate the emotional, but not at the expense of practically protecting the day-to-day lifestyle plan you've dedicated yourself to.

 

VIRGO (August 23-September 22): It's another one of those weeks when softening your stance toward certain individuals (or, perhaps, one very central individual) is a far better strategy for keeping things flowing than, say, getting flustered and flummoxed by this or that detail not getting taken care of as promptly or proficiently as you might've liked. You're likely in a relational situation where the other person needs a bit of compassion, especially with regards to their inability (whether from a lacking in practical skill or due to a psychological knot that requires some untangling) to embody the role you'd like to see them in. But fostering compassion does not necessarily mean covering for them (otherwise known as fatiguing your own faculties by working overtime to compensate for their limitations, all the while silently grumbling about how you must do everything yourself)—on the contrary, that actually implies a tone of superiority on your part, as if you feel so sorry for them that you need to rescue them from the hole they dug themselves into. Rather, simply realize that being fully present in conversation with them, meeting them where they in fact are right now, listening to what they need, supporting them in feeling part of a team, and offering to help do it with them… those are more your tactics to adopt. Doing it together is a far different experience than doing it without them, for them, and/or 'better than' them.

 

LIBRA (September 23-October 22): A lasting advantage must be collected bit by bit, one day at a time. One lump sum of supposed good luck can be so ravishing to the system (despite its initial glories), it blows out our receptors, leaving us unable to regain a steady rhythm because the dramatic contrast is nearly impossible to integrate so quickly. That's why, Libra, I advise you to begin adjusting your day-to-day work cadences enough to allow for unobtrusive, slithery openings for growth—or, put another way, opportunities for you to be of even greater service to some earthly duty or ideal—to seep into your routine. This could likely involve heeding the gut-instinct pull to certain mentors or respected elders who you might learn from, types of responsibilities to extend your role into, and/or new contexts in which to put your earned expertise into practice. Take note: The pull may 'make no sense', but its promise of personally meaningful edification is vibrationally unmistakable. To be able to freely follow such a pull (one which will only get stronger in the weeks to come), however, you might need to disentangle from a familial pressure or some other legacy-related guilt, in order to assume this fortuitous honor that's uniquely yours.

 

SCORPIO (October 23-November 21): Where in the world are the rising tides of change going to carry you on your next adventure? Accepting the truth of your being, Scorpio, entails acknowledging your soul-need for periodic life-overhauls which, yes, create a lot of stormy perturbations in their wake… but which also, of course, ensure that you are absolutely making the most of your brief time here in this singular incarnation. You're at the dawn of an approaching influx of soul-searching contemplations, arriving at just the right moment to tap into your readiness for another something new: a new location to explore, a new set of ideas to sink your teeth into, a new cast of characters to perform your magical feats alongside, a new scenic hike toward that great goldmine-in-the-hills to set off on. Doesn't that sound exciting? As growth-inspiring a personal opportunity as this next adventure may indeed promise, there's also no denying that, to get from here to there, you'll probably need to deal with at least one very awkward exchange (if not, more likely, several) with someone apt to be displeased by how it'll affect them. No matter what you end up doing, I advise you to begin tackling such looming exchanges as quickly as possible. When the other person tries to characterize it as an interpersonal issue, keep rightfully reframing it as being about your own ongoing—and independent—evolution.

 

SAGITTARIUS (November 22-December 21): Look, Sagittarius, I'm the first one to advocate for not making things harder on ourselves than they need to be. But that said, there are also certain circumstances in which we find ourselves which really are that complex and multidimensional… and which, therefore, require a bit more emotional patience and perseverance to adequately make sense of, and successfully move through, without hastily cutting off the conversation and/or carrying out the old 'cut and run' routine. It seems you're presently in just such a spot, one where you might attempt to win a battle and/or free yourself of aggravation by claiming the other party is 'making too much of it', presumably proving your righteousness by oversimplifying the terms of a disagreement. Or maybe you're uncomfortable with the whirligig of conflicting feelings that have been stirred up inside you, and you aren't quite sure how to articulate these intricacies in a clear fashion (so instead you outwardly disavow one emotional thread or another, for communicative ease)? Don't oversimplify. Don't reduce the complexity. And don't hurry through. You will miss out on an instructive process of psychological sophistication if you cut everything off too quickly. Stay with the awkwardness.

 

CAPRICORN (December 22-January 19): As I first mentioned last week, you're now entering a much sweeter spot in your interpersonal-relationship zone, Capricorn, courtesy of planets (for now, Mercury and Venus) starting to arrive in your 7th house. This is, therefore, the ideal moment to show your caring-and-nurturing side to the individual(s) who matters most, offering small thoughtful gestures that express how much you emotionally value their supportive companionship. And as you are doing so, if you are also open to revealing what you desire from them, you should expect to receive similarly sweetened responses that reflect the mutuality of this caring regard. Yet, nothing these days seems to be as simple as we might wish, particularly for the sign (meaning: you) who has Pluto as a long-term resident. Because these 7th-house planets oppose Pluto-in-your-1st, you must remain on guard that your 'caring-and-nurturing' gestures not be offered with hidden self-serving motives attached, that you not attempt to show concern in corrective or controlling ways, and that, above all else, you not proceed presumptuously in relationships. In other words, be damned sure the other person actually wants care in the form you're offering. Listen to what they tell you about themselves and their needs, and if you are confused, ask for clarity. Such interpersonal humility will go very very far in helping you reap the potential goodies from these astro-transits.

 

AQUARIUS (January 20-February 18): Just because it's work, that needn't suggest it's supposed to hurt. Sure, a decent amount of productive self-exertion can exhaust one's energies, Aquarius… but any protracted experience of pain is a clear indicator that some gear or lever in your mechanism simply isn't functioning properly. Presuming you are astute enough to be able to distinguish between (1) the self-indulgent inner-voice that lets out a childish whine whenever you push yourself to up your game, improve your efficiency, and/or push through whatever blocks have stalled your progress and (2) the self-protective inner-voice that emits an existential 'ow!' because you're pushing yourself to toil in ways that unhealthily tax your bodily system, don't honor your unique gifts, and/or provide no new developmental challenges to learn from… well, your next steps involve (1) giving the former inner-voice an encouraging pep-talk (rather than one more self-critical beatdown) about what can be presently gained, in terms of self-worth, by earnestly trying harder while (2) listening to the guidance the latter inner-voice is attempting to offer, through its identifying symptoms of something in your daily relationship to work that desperately needs fixing. Working smarter can mean working harder and, at the same time, less painfully.

 

PISCES (February 19-March 20): Your fun, your way… and no bones about it, Pisces. Without even bothering to think too much about how you want things to go, you ought to be able to fairly easily follow your bliss—at least in terms of knowing what it is, since blissful feelings are fairly easy to identify (while, conversely, unblissfulness is just as obvious a sensation, and just as obviously something to avoid). Sure, the manner in which I'm communicating this guidance makes it sound easy enough… and, to a certain extent, that's exactly my point. If you are presently struggling to savor the many opportunities for experiencing the things that immediately bring you pleasure, you're allowing needlessly convoluting worries to block the simplicity of this straightforward equation. My guess? You are too concerned with other people (whether a certain individual or 'other people' at large): what they will think about what you want to do, whether it pleases them too, if you should instead be catering to their whims, so on and so forth. Already in the act of entertaining such concerns, however, you've drifted into the miasma of your mind… and away from the unmistakable emotional awareness of what does, and doesn't, quality as enjoyable to you, no matter what anyone else feels about it.