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Horoscopes | Week of November 11-17, 2013

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Though I encourage you to continue addressing your work-related tasks with that extra fine-tuning diligence you're currently able to muster, Aries, this is also an apt week for making a more bold move on the public stage, intended to display your still-developing comfort with self-possessedly taking the reins. While it remains important for you to stay actively engaged in the actual nitty-gritty of getting things done (rather than, say, behaving as if 'all this' is somehow beneath you), you're simultaneously ascending in status to a point where you're becoming your own personal authority, needing to answer to nobody but yourself. Of course, if you still have a real-live boss who perhaps isn't so cool with you operating in such a self-empowered fashion, your freedom to properly assume this rising-star role could be unfortunately hindered by circumstance—the realization of which just might serve to nudge you towards starting to strategize a way-out, if that's your only way forward. With professional opportunity abounding, your personal evolution demands you not pointlessly restrict your own possible success, to sit obediently beneath anyone else's undeserving thumb.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Signal to the universe what you believe is most important, Taurus, by making at least one move this week which unequivocally symbolizes your commitment to that item-of-most-importance—even (or maybe especially) if your inner pragmatist assesses this move as being not entirely practical. To take a stand on conscience, above all other considerations, could feel like a somewhat precarious proposition, I suppose… particularly if you're more accustomed to first conducting lengthy calculations of what you might have to forfeit in assuming such a unilateral stance, and then weighing the benefits of pride-in-your-principles over a more tangible sacrifice. But there's something enigmatically consequential about daring to claim a position of integrity no matter what it might cost you, and allowing any chips to fall where they may. As far as such 'fallen chips' are concerned, what exactly would you be losing if you must compromise your values in order to keep it? Don't worry so much about losses, anyhow. In the very short term, your commitment-symbolizing move also bears the likelihood of opening up some rather interesting conversations.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): It's more pressing (and personally fortuitous) to be unerringly honest and forthright about your present psychological state, Gemini, than to stress yourself out trying to foresee the longer-term ramifications of how your professional situation now appears to be evolving. The 'cold hard facts' of this case are neither as cold nor as hard as they might first seem, should you attempt to decipher these faint phantom-whispers into a comprehensible message or call-to-action. True, there probably is a shift in the winds softly picking up, though there's no drift concrete enough to do anything with. At the same time, however, you are likelier more aware of how you're feeling… and, if you pay a bit more attention, of which activities will cause you to feel more or less of any certain psychic sensation. Later on, you'll be better able to integrate this emotional knowledge with the continuing wind-shifts, once it becomes somewhat clearer to you which direction they'll be starting to blow in gustier earnest. Until then, concentrate on tracing the increases and decreases of certain feelings to their source-actions.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): 'What have I got to lose?' should be your calling-card this week, Cancer, as a number of astro-influences set you up to powerfully alter the swing of a certain relationship… and, even more excitedly, to your most longed-for ends. In other words, simple declarations of exactly what you want from that special someone—especially when you're not shy about demonstrating just how much happiness their amenability will bring you, and how happily you'll return the favor of making this coupling a pleasurable experience for all parties—are especially likely to be met with very satisfying responses. That does require you, however, to be candid and straightforward, allowing your desire to just baldly sit out there for this object-of-your-affection to see, in full light (even though your bashful side might prefer to offer tentative and ambiguous intimations, which could be suddenly pulled back should you doubt someone's mutual interest or if they become spooked). Such directness definitely does qualify as a major risk… but, oooh, just think about the potential reward.

LEO (July 23-August 22): In order to love your life, Leo, you've got to love (or at least find some sizable amount of satisfaction in) what you're spending your time actually doing most days of your life. Too often, though, we gratuitously fuck with ourselves by playing to the false presumption that anything considered 'work' and/or requiring significant effort is an activity to force one's self to drudge through, wishing it to be over already as soon as it's begun and complaining all the while. It doesn't have to be like that, though. Even though it's true we all must carry out initiatives, activities and exercises which aren't necessarily what we'd choose to fill our daily schedules with, we still can derive plenty of fulfillment from the experience: the energizing whir of being productive, the physical gratification of putting the body in motion, the pride of a job well done, the spiritual reward of serving one's earthly duties. Take full stock of this pleasurable purposefulness, as this is a time when the planets indicate you'll really appreciate it. For now, please enjoy these doings; no fantasies of the big 'what else is out there' can adequately compete.

VIRGO (August 23-September 22): All that stuff I've been feeding you over the weeks about keeping conversations open, Virgo, needn't rely upon you foregoing a strong opinion or passionate stake-in-the-matter, as if feigning neutrality or ambivalence is the same thing as continuing to talk. Though the planets indicate that prioritizing lots of social interaction and discussion still benefits you, you're no longer in that prior tight-spot where flatly expressing your ideas or feelings is something to be avoided. In fact, if I haven't made it clear before now, this is a magnificent moment to put it all out there… not necessarily as a maneuver to win converts (though if your brilliant views do prove appealing enough to attract a new devotee or three, please welcome 'em aboard), but for the simple joy of sharing a thing of beauty which you created. This 'look what I can do, ma!' spirit of generous offering also happens to dovetail with last week's goading to be more explicitly pleasure-oriented: Part of your due 'fun' will come in the form of warm-and-fuzzy feedback, as a direct response to your daring to share your creative gifts. You might never even claim this 'creative gift' label until an admirer sets you straight—only after, of course, you've dared to share.

LIBRA (September 23-October 22): One of the most critical and personally significant things you can do this week, Libra, involves uttering a resolute no to others' attempts to get you to do what they want, when, in fact, you'd much rather stay home. You can read this advice on a fairly circumscribed level, deploying it simply to ward off the undue (and, frankly, disruptive) influence of certain individuals, at a time during which private self-nurturing respite is clearly favored. (Wouldn't surprise me, by the way, if those you say no to are rather taken aback by your refusal to fulfill the expected role of going-along-with-their-flow. Good to keep 'em on their toes.) But you can also broaden the scope of this horoscope… extending it beyond the relatively modest cause of preserving a bit of fleeting peace-and-quiet, into larger questions about how real-or-imagined 'other people' have colonized your internal landscape, in a conscious-or-not effort to strong-arm you into following their agenda. From that context, the 'no' you'd utter would carry that much more life-claiming significance—and feel that much more triumphantly liberating to recite.

SCORPIO (October 23-November 21): Keep an exceptionally wide focus, Scorpio, in order to stay enthusiastic about what's next headed down your pipeline (whatever the fuck it might be). If you get too myopic and start fussing about this or that headache, which is probably part-and-parcel of your slate of everyday responsibilities (and therefore not as big a deal as your inner-whiner might like to make it), you will be tempted to behave in a rebellious manner that would likely annoy the shit out of those around you. However, simply by pulling yourself momentarily away from the offending item and shifting your perspective to this wider reality, you'll hopefully realize pretty quickly that there's actually nothing to rebel against. What you're up to right now, which would threaten to drive you crazy if that's all you were ever going to be up to from right now into eternity, is not all that's in store for you. And once you remember this, like everything, is just a fleeting moment in time, it should become much easier not only to grin and bear it, but to actually enjoy the company you're keeping whilst moving through this once-in-a-lifetime moment. As with everything, it'll never be quite like this again.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22-December 21): For the time being, Sagittarius, if you wish to align yourself with this financially lucrative astro-environment I described last week, you should probably resist any urges to act in an outrageous fashion (no matter how well-meaning your intent), just out of supposed 'fun'. I would instead recommend adopting your longer-view economic status as your number-one concern at the moment… and as responsible steward of the purse-strings, you'll have to reel in whatever playful tendencies might give anybody even loosely affiliated with your work-and-money life the idea you don't take life seriously enough. I understand your idealistic side probably doesn't want to believe there are certain folks who are so uptight as to bristle or balk at a bit of innocent irreverence (since, at the end of the day, you know quite well that none of us should take ourselves too seriously); yet, not only do they exist, but they look like everyone else. A colleague's friendly appearance may belie the fact there's a retaliatory curmudgeon lurking underneath. Keep your game-face on, please.

CAPRICORN (December 22-January 19): Don't explain where your head's at with rhetorical constructs that too closely mirror how you think and/or situate you at the center of everything, Capricorn… not, that is, if this is more than a mere vanity-production and you actually want other people to gain something from what you're sharing with them. Your ideas have far too great a potential to positively impact a far larger group of folks than just you-yourself-and-you for you to limit their reach by communicating them in potentially alienating language, with big words or cumbersome jargon and no apparent interest in translating the terms so laypeople can easily grasp your message. Instead of engineering an elaborate multi-layered presentation at your drawing-board and then taking it on the road, I recommend beginning with a sincere meditation on who your audience is—their relative level of experience or education, their starting-point interest, their cultural background, how they might differ from you in advantage or political perspective, etc.—and, from there, just speaking to them from your heart-center, soul to soul. What you might lose in precision or complexity-of-concept (which matters more to you than anyone else anyhow), you'll far surpass by harnessing the power of connection.

AQUARIUS (January 20-February 18): Even as you (presumably) say and do 'all the right things' in your outside-world life, Aquarius, perhaps you also suspect the real action—you know, the fledgling buddings that will eventually blossom into your much-transformed next-chapter existence—is invisibly percolating behind the proverbial scenes, asking you to both (1) unconditionally believe in its vital existence and (2) bide your time until the stage when these sprouts have finally grown durable enough to risk showing themselves, which, frankly, isn't tomorrow or the next day. Though you may be quietly hatching future visions markedly divergent from your current state-of-affairs, this is not knowledge presently suited for public consumption. Admirably maintain your duty-bound accountability in the position you're now in, contentedly carrying out the work that's expected of you (if only because you're content with your growing ability to see beyond this 'now') while holding all your other cards pretty close to your chest. Loose lips won't sink any ships, but they'll needlessly create turbulent waters.

PISCES (February 19-March 20): This is one of those oddly mystical weeks, Pisces, during which you may find yourself acting as a channel for 'higher wisdom' or other esoteric material to flow through you, in direct benefit (albeit potentially cryptic in language or content) to others—if, that is, you can get out of your own head (where preoccupations with whether or not you're on your own rightful path can run inefficiently rampant) and be radically present with whoever's sharing your space at that given moment. As such, upholding an especially conscious attunement to your inseparable union with the greater collective whole (as opposed to fixating on self-centered concerns) will serve to feed the ease with which you bring the information forward. However, don't strain yourself trying to be the wise prophet (as this might only fuel a high-horse self-importance which unfortunately gets in the way of the actual wisdom). Just naturally connect with people, and tell them what feels like it needs to be said. Of course, be forewarned some folks may not like what you say… though that doesn't change the truth of their needing to hear it, does it?