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Horoscopes | Week of September 23-29, 2013

ARIES (March 21-April 19): I suspect that, on some level, you know exactly what you're doing, Aries, by getting yourself this integrally intertwined with some person (or entity) who's that dissimilar from you in at least one fundamental way. But on the off chance you don't, let me break it down: You're essentially in the process of signing away a certain portion of your independent self-determination, in exchange for something both emotionally risky and powerfully arousing, which you couldn't possibly experience as long as you keep yourself safely self-contained. Your individualistic streak is still not totally sure it wants to go through with this uniting, seeing as any future disengaging moves will likely come with heart-wrenching consequences… and, as such, it may act out a bit (perhaps semi-unconsciously), to test how well the entanglement can weather your feistier side. But just so we're clear, you've already gotten yourself far enough into this that, no matter what happens next, you're bound to experience some encounter with sensitive psychological material, whether yours and/or theirs. Might as well keep seeing where this thing will go next, then… eh?

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Don't spend too much alone-time ruminating on whatever emotional hook has injured your pride or left you feeling unappreciated, Taurus, when all the best astrological effects come through keeping pretty consistent company with others (and/or one certain special 'other'). Even if your mood isn't initially the most warm and friendly, you should still stay in contact with your most treasured companions. And when they ask how you are, please tell them the truth… with the understanding that they'll in fact be able to make you feel better, if you let them give you feedback (and, of course, if you actually let their feedback in). Hold it all inside, however, and you're liable to get madder and madder, privately stewing in your own juices to no productive end. You might even lash out at a housemate or family-member (who may or may not be a legitimate cause of your upset, but who probably doesn't deserve the full extent of this built-up angst), and create an edgy atmosphere in the very place you'd hoped to find respite. Get out of the house, out of your head, and into the loving arms of someone who supports you, even in your grumbliest moments. Magically, the grumbliness should disperse… if, that is, your stubbornness permits.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): I urge you not to squander this week's opportunity to make more, Gemini, of some tangible product or reward, using your initiative and raw labor to directly add to your resource-stores. To do so, though, you'll have to successfully put the kibosh on any renegade desire to situate yourself in the midst of relatively meaningless social intrigue (mainly because it appeals to your people-interests far more than sitting politely in front of that pile of work). You know you actually don't need to involve yourself in all that he-said-she-said noise, right? It can have little-or-nothing to do with you, if you decide you want it that way. But inserting yourself into it, even with insightful observations to offer and/or the best of intentions, will turn you into a principal player. And to what ends, exactly? You'll become an integral part of the story, with your name crossing the lips of anyone who wants to talk about it… so 'hurrah!' for the attention, I guess. Yet, currently, all the benefic astro-influences fall in your work, career and money houses—and merely generating yourself extra-attention amongst somewhat peripheral social-circles doesn't seem to bring you home much real bacon.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Roll with the exuberance, Cancer. Though you may be somewhat serious in your pursuit of certain solidifying symbols which would affirm the value of what you've been working on, this ought not to be used as an excuse to muffle the happy-go-lucky party feel. As soon as annoyance or stress begins to rear its ugly little head, that's your cue to step away from the practical matters for a few… and participate in some sort of ridiculous activity that helps you laugh away the exasperation. Perhaps you need some scratch paper nearby, so you can jot down your latest comical observation or passing thought about 'you know what would be super-fun?' so you can draw upon your scribbles for later inspiration. Whatever's dogging you, find some way to make it into a game, in order to separate yourself from too much fanatical attachment to payoffs… instead willfully taking on a childlike innocence so that you might look at the most obvious or commonplace realities with the novel gaze of someone who's never seen such silly things before. If you've somehow managed to forget that, at the end of the day, we're all playing at this 'grown-up' thing, please find yourself the nearest goofy reminder.

LEO (July 23-August 22): So, have you been loving the energy-boost you've received over this past month or so, courtesy of Mars residing in your sign, Leo? I sure hope you have relished deploying this Martian verve toward whatever life-zone(s) needed a forceful un-sticking… and, excitingly, you're still got this gusto goin' on through the middle of October! Though it's probably felt like a lot of previous months' 'lost time' has been begging you to now thoroughly compensate for it, I also encourage you not to exhaust yourself—emotionally more than physically—by staying in too constant of an outward-facing orientation. Even a Leo (often seen, whether accurately or so, as a quintessential extrovert) needs its behind-closed-doors, away-from-the-watchful-eyes down time in order to recharge your glow. And now, with a 4th-house Venus squaring off against Mars, there's an extra-inviting call toward the relief of domestic cocooning… delicately alternated, of course, with continuing forward activity out there in the world. If you don't purposely steal a bit of additional home-sanctuary respite, you'll not only be missing out on what promises to be quite a pleasurable experience—you'll also exude a jagged-edge energy of annoyedness, resentment or stress, directly due to an unconscious awareness of the readily-available home-based pleasures you've chosen to miss out on.

VIRGO (August 23-September 22): Please ground yourself in person, Virgo, with the other people you remain in ongoing dialogue with… and please refrain, therefore, from letting your restless mind dissociate from the proceedings, in order to futilely work overtime crunching data that's, as of yet, still incomplete. Your need to surreptitiously self-segregate (to fiendishly clutch a reassuring identity as 'master' or some other control-role?) will only breed a countervailing tension with your co-participants, as they sense your partial absence-of-consciousness at the conference-table and wonder where you've gone off to. Exuding a vibe that you're somehow separate will ultimately give you what you want, but not in a very personally advantageous manner: They will separate themselves from you, too, choosing to leave you out of certain assignment-designation conversations, due to their (understandable) assumption that you don't want to participate in the agreed-upon fashion… and maybe even talking a bit of snide gossipy shit about you, based on exaggerated interpretations of your aloof social distantness. Don't give 'em the chance to talk behind your back; stay present and interpersonally engaged.

LIBRA (September 23-October 22): Don't expect everyone on your team or in your social scene to be happily over-the-moon in support of your latest unfolding success, Libra. Being exceptional enough to earn recognition and reward means that you somehow stand out from the crowd… with the potential to frustrate those particular colleagues who haven't demonstrated their exceptional qualities quite as markedly recently. But their frustration, though it may likely manifest in a manner that impacts you, isn't actually your problem—and certainly not a legitimate reason to deflect the personal benefits you're due to enjoy, as the deserved results of your hard work, out of guilt for rising to the top. I suspect you'll have to learn to live with certain people projecting their dissatisfaction onto you, perhaps even outright not liking you, due to you having favorably differentiated yourself as a rather remarkable individual. Situational social-discord could temporarily linger, through snarky side-comments, acts-of-willful-avoidance, and/or full-on being called out. Handle it as you will, but please, whatever you do, refuse to apologize for striving to be your best.

SCORPIO (October 23-November 21): With fabulosity-emissary Venus still in your sign, Scorpio, many things are continue to flow quite swimmingly for you. Optimistic attitude, with an eager eye toward what the future promises… the right words showing up at the right moment, allowing you to express the romantic notions that hopscotch through your heart… you know, that sort of stuff. In fact, because so much is flowing this smoothly, I've got to warn you against falling prey to accidental overconfidence—particularly in the workplace (and/or other public-participation contexts), where your dauntless get-up-and-go has the heightened potential to create waves with any sensitive higher-ups, who may feel your self-possessed show of initiative is akin to a stomp on their toes. And though it's always wise to consider the feelings of those you're working with/under, I suspect you'll also experience a resistance to slowing your flow, just to deferentially cater to a hierarchical system (or, specifically, its figurehead) which, to your thinking, merely interrupts a smoother ascent to higher heights. There's no clear answer for where exactly to strike this balance between self-assertion and due respect… only that egos (yours and theirs) are obviously at stake.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22-December 21): You will just have to believe me, Sagittarius, when I tell you your gratification will come later… and hopefully that will be enough to prevent you from forcing a needless debate, out of a desperate attempt to get some satisfying release by making too sharp a principled point about something you could've just let slide. 'Making a point' will only push others' hands, prematurely delivering you from the annoying (though presently advantageous) place of not-knowing, and into a situation where lines must be drawn and sides taken. Though that might well leave you feeling like, 'well, at least something's finally moving,' I'm not sure such movement, for its own sake alone, is necessarily a positive in this case. The disquiet of staying put, on the other hand, will probably cause those unsettled (and, quite likely, somewhat muddled) feelings already there to intensify in potency… rising to such an uncomfortable pitch that, at last, they could yield you some more conclusive insight. To rush forward, because you can't bear the discomfort, may grant momentary pleasure—but without any guarantee your hasty moral stance actually lines up with how you really feel.

CAPRICORN (December 22-January 19): Everyone's standing around holding hands, maybe even singing an earnest round of 'Kumbaya' or participating in another one of those group-building exercises… and yet nobody seems to notice (or at least outwardly acknowledge) that sign with the big arrow pointing to that bright red button, which reads, 'Warning: Do Not Push'. Except, of course, you, my dear Capricorn, who not only notices the button but is eerily compelled to actually push it, in flagrant betrayal of your stereotypical prudence in such matters. Is it that you think this is a set-up… that someone has planted this temptation as a test of everyone's presumably weak-willed character, and you have no intention of falling for their trick? Will you take sadistic pleasure in watching the others freak out, showing their truest colors only when leaked bits of Pandora's normally-boxed-up mischief leave them feeling threatened and thus defensive? Or can you just not get a handle on your own curiosity and, despite the potential fallout, aren't able to leave well enough alone? Please be aware of the painful disruption to the collective's relative calm you could create, if you carelessly (or maliciously?) push that button. You might really want to see what happens when it's pushed… but then again, you can't un-push it once the damage is done.

AQUARIUS (January 20-February 18): It's quite possible your otherwise-stellar opportunity to score another modest career victory will be jeopardized by a rough-spot in a certain relationship, Aquarius… whether it's an ambitious colleague or adversary on the job whose presence brings out your competitive side (and thus distracts you from the actual work at hand), or whether it's someone from your personal life whose increasingly insistent need to engage is sucking up more energy than you'd perhaps prefer. It's just as possible, incidentally, that actively addressing and working through this relational rough-spot—though it might necessitate the airing of unpleasant feelings left over from a prior incident one or the other of you remains unresolved about—is in fact the very key to clinching the victory, if any lingering disconnect between you has unfortunately gotten in the way of other progress. Whatever the specifics, it seems you cannot fully collect on the week's professional promise without also dealing with this issue… though, at the same time, if you spend all your effort on the interpersonal stuff, you won't get much concrete work done. Do both, then, but with hyper-conscious time-management balance.

PISCES (February 19-March 20): That pristine creative vision of yours is, this week, on a collision course with your pressing need to deal with certain right-here-right-now practical details, Pisces… and you mustn't permit one or the other to either dominate your attention or fall by the wayside. You will have to momentarily step down from the esteemed Idea Incubation Platform and return to the mundane plane, to dirty your hands with the real-world nitty-gritty in that old familiar fashion, even while, at the same time, you're slowly figuring out how to handle all this far differently at some later point. In other words, you're presently straddling life-methodologies, with one foot planted firmly in this present-moment (which is, in some ways, still an inherited relic of 'how things have always been done') and the other eagerly thrusting itself into a brave new future. You really don't want to stay where you are indefinitely, nor are you fully ready to leap all the way forward. Therefore, the urgency with which this real-world shit needs to get done threatens to stir in you an irritating impatience (which must be kept in check, please) or a pessimistic lowering of future expectations (which would be a hasty overreaction to being caught 'in-between' and, thus, a grave tactical error). Don't fall for the discouraging bait. Teeter and/or totter, but don't fall down.