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Horoscopes | Week of June 2-8, 2014

ARIES (March 21-April 19): In the stillness of further solitude, the softer (though no less powerful) revelations are able to surface. Only when you are not motivated to do more, to fix or defend or resist a moment's existing reality, can you tap into the currents of meaningful resonance which connect this very moment's perfection with everything else you'll ever witness or experience or become. Bathe yourself in conscious awareness of this perfect unity throughout your week ahead, Aries, rather than add to the alienating illusion of separateness by refusing to accept the here-and-now is anything other than the ideal reflection of all that's come before it. This awareness should also (maybe even especially) apply to your attitudes toward other people, appreciating that they are exactly where they're supposed to be on their journey and, as a result, require no persuading or pitying or pandering to. Let them be them… with a sheer lack of attachment to whether they'll come around, lay off, lighten up, or settle down. All the wisdom properly designated as yours awaits you, in the private appreciation of your own present-time emotional situation and how perfectly it encapsulates where you've most recently been. Once your gaze relaxes, you can spy that whole other layer of invisible strings interconnecting this here-and-now with a perfect future. Bow into them, and the strings will gently pull you forward.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): This is one of those instances, Taurus, in which your moral authority comes on strong as a freight-train. You currently hold an expanded capacity to stand in your truth, come glowing celebration of your impeccable vision or scathing critique of your entrenched closed-mindedness, without buckling under the peer-pressure assessment of your truth's relative popularity. While this is unquestionably an asset (particularly under Venus's presently glorious watch), it also means you'd better be pretty well-versed in the ins-and-outs of this position… and ready to unpack the complexities into more easily digestible talking-points, which could help explain the core issues at stake to those who speak languages radically distinct from theology, philosophy, or theory. The likelihood of your being misperceived is particularly high at the moment, as is an odd mutability in the lines-of-alliance which situate you as 'with' or 'not with' certain individuals you thought you were surer about. Thanks to Venus, you've got heaps of agency in whether any such misperceptions are properly cleared up and/or whether certain wavering alliances are secured or left to wither. How inclined are you to stay with the conversation, to take the time to sufficiently explain yourself (rather than throw up your hands, fuck-it-style)? That'll determine a lot.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): The simultaneously-stationing duo of Mercury and Neptune in money-and-career houses, Gemini, indicates the possible need to switch up whichever transactional strategies you're using to draw attention and/or compensation to your deeds. You won't, however, want to overcorrect by attempting to prove your unwavering commitment or unparalleled suitability with an excessive show of performed seriousness. Should you aim to impress by leaning too far into a (gasp!) dry businesslike persona, there will end up being a unique piece of your individuating character missing from your presentation… at the expense of that elusive quality of relatability which trumps any cold hard facts catalogued in your references, and which is one of your unmistakable strengths. Humanize yourself in whatever professional role you're presently serving or angling to fill. Modestly accept suggestions, but without allowing your openness to redirection to imply any falling-short on your part. Let them see bits of personal vulnerability (which is not the same thing as 'weakness' or 'ineptitude') leak out, alongside your sincere refusal to permit such vulnerabilities to lessen your dedication in any way. Not seeming overly proud or too totally together—yet comfortable with that—is your temporary winning formula.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Under risk of impending Mercury-retrograde hijinks—he flips to backward motion in your sign, Cancer, this coming Saturday (Jun 7)—I urge you treat all your 'certainties' and 'conclusions' as provisional and contingent upon what happens during the remainder of June. As I covered last week, this is especially helpful to remember when it comes to what you're putting out there. It's far easier to change your mind if you haven't publicized what you thought you'd already decided. Therefore, your outward behavior is best funneled into continuing to support whichever friends or colleagues have proven themselves to be 'in it for the long haul'… letting them set the agenda, going along for their adventure, sticking around to carry the extra bags or tidy up the site, happily serving those bonds of allegiance that go decidedly both ways. As far as your own still-uncertain or not-quite-concluded considerations are concerned, let's put it this way: Your intuition really is giving you a good idea of which direction to head right away, but you can't be sure what you'll find when you get there. It could be that magical green door… or merely a clue, instructing you to return to where you just came from… or a fork-in-the-road branching into multiple paths. Take one step at a time, then, so retreat won't be too inconvenient, should it come to that.

LEO (July 23-August 22): While you may indeed 'understand' on the level of unspoken embodied knowing, Leo, I wouldn't go so far as to make an outward claim of understanding. These amorphous mists of truth you now have access to are presently for your use only, providing you a larger spiritual context for what's playing out in front of you, as well as greater compassion for the other players. But your compassion could unfortunately lapse into a tone-deaf drowning-out of their experience, as soon as you begin insinuating your need to be seen as 'understanding'… a move which, kind-hearted though it may feel, can end up making it seem like you're trying to make it about you. The definitive first-person carriage of 'I understand' doesn't leave much room for the possibility of learning about their many sophisticated psychological dimensions which you, in fact, don't—and can't— understand firsthand. Rather than assert your understanding, try reserving any such claim… and instead simply be present in the situation, leaving room to be surprised and educated and enlightened by what you see and hear, instead of overriding their words or filling in the blanks with what you already expected to 'understand'.

VIRGO (August 23-September 22): In service to those with short attention-spans or even shorter memories, Virgo, your role is to ensure the thread of consistency is overtly apparent to all those who might otherwise become dazed by the latest sparkly doodad and forget how they got where they are. At the same time, however, you mustn't assume this role with too much schoolmarmish strictness, as if their wandering eyes or forgetful minds need be corrected with a harsh rap to the knuckles. You can remind without being corrective. You can demonstrate what you're doing, in an open forum where everyone can get a good glimpse, without instructing anybody else to do the same. In fact, you might even go so far as to recommend they talk to other people involved in similar engagements—perhaps those who choose to conduct themselves far differently than you—in order for them, through a close encounter with the glaring contrasts which exist amongst the wider community, to reconnect with your message. Maybe they won't 'reconnect with your message', though. Maybe they'll drift toward the alternative. Don't fight that possibility; willingly invite it. Only through such self-possessed continuance down your road will you end up with the right comrades… and without the wrong ones.

LIBRA (September 23-October 22): Perhaps what's most awkward about the vibe around you during this upcoming week or two, Libra, is the protracted not-knowing. But this unresolved quality to things you're working on, odd as this may sound, is not actually as obvious as one might expect. You might be somewhat unaware of the indecision others are presently nurturing—especially those whose directives are crucial and/or blessings are essential to your ultimate success—because they haven't yet put full voice to their reluctance. Or there may be a 'missing piece' lurking in the background noise, an important consideration not yet included and/or a hoop still to jump through, which hasn't yet emerged into unmistakable awareness. In the days ahead, alas, this curveball is likely to finally materialize in your path… with the potential to cause you a fair degree of irritation and/or confusion. Natural though this reaction may be, please contain it. You cannot yet discern whether this is merely the tip of an iceberg of greater disruption or, in fact, the best thing that could've happened. (It could, of course, be somewhere in between, too.) That's where the 'not-knowing' comes in. If you can just get on board with that now, hopefully it'll inspire you to be less attached to immediate outcomes should you find some 'funny business' being pulled on or near you.

SCORPIO (October 23-November 21): Be unreservedly with those key figures in your life who inspire you to rise to your best self, Scorpio. But do not withhold from them those lesser-formed, lower-vibration parts of yourself which you fear might disappoint them. Who could genuinely love a Scorpio like you, yet wish to cavort only with your most polite or palatable pieces? Doesn't that defeat the whole purpose of selecting you over anybody else as a desired companion? It is through the act of unashamedly acknowledging your darker sides—of inviting your demons to the party, engaging them in conversation, asking for their feedback, delicately questioning the kneejerk behaviors they sometimes rouse—that you do become your best self, not by denying their existence to those who supposedly know you well while desperately trying to cram their back into the hiding-place under the bed. It's not especially worth the effort to spend much time with anyone other than those valued few, the ones whose questions you answer with unabashed honesty, who you really can tell anything to. Dare you claim there aren't any such figures in your life, then please challenge yourself to select one or two promising candidates… and begin sharing more of yourself with them. Though there's no guarantee they'll instantly welcome the increased intimacy (or even if they're the right candidates), you've got to start somewhere.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22-December 21): When I tell you to please not worry for the moment about anybody else's relationship to, perception of, and/or problems with what you're presently occupied with, Sagittarius, that isn't because you won't have to deal with their point-of-view or attitude at some point. It's simply due to the present-time advantages that are yours for the taking, particularly in the daily-work and personal-finances sector, if you don temporary blinders and stubbornly fix all your attentions to making concrete progress. I strongly recommend giving yourself a finite, attainable goal for the week ahead—maybe even divvying up the tasks on a day-by-day workplan schedule—and then making the completion of this goal (hopefully no later than the end of next week) your number-one priority. This will not only provide a highly structured order to your week (don't worry, I'm not suggesting every week should be so orderly), but it'll give you both a simplifying purpose and a sincerely excellent excuse for postponing any interactions which might feed the 'worry' I told you not to harbor for the moment. If somebody won't take no for an answer, try offering to put a date with them on the calendar right away… for a meeting a couple weeks from now. Your work ought to come first.

CAPRICORN (December 22-January 19): Though you may believe you're communicating your intentions towards another person (whether romantic, professional, friend-like, or just plain no-strings-attached sexual) with impeccable clarity, Capricorn, I wouldn't be surprised if you end up having to repeat yourself at least once (if not multiple times) within these few weeks ahead. Mercury is slowing to a standstill, and retrograding in your 7th (the one-on-one relationship house) this week… which means that (1) the attitudes you express to one another could seem to wobble or waver based on mood-shifts, (2) the words one of you say may not be the words the other hears, and/or (3) one of you might change your mind about the other, due to the interjection of a third party and/or important new information arising. Just accept this interval of interpersonal variability as unavoidable, and you ought to be able to weather its corresponding mischief without too many headaches. But to do that will require you not to extrapolate any longer-term vision from what transpires during a single conversation… and to treat each encounter as if the ground-rules must be explicitly reconfirmed again, not with impatient gall but with the exceptional diligence of not assuming anything based on past exchanges.

AQUARIUS (January 20-February 18): Throughout this relatively independent and self-contained week of yours, Aquarius, the thoughts you entertain and/or the provisional decisions you flirt with need not be run past anybody else for approval. Rather than concern yourself with what might be your most-ideologically-sound or likeliest-to-prove-widely-popular option, you really only need to consider the results you'd get. This current spot, kicking off a near-monthlong Mercury retrograde (which begins in your solar 6th), is ideal for feeling out which components of your day-to-day work and/or health habits are obstructing your fuller potential—based on what your gut-instincts tell you about your natural energetic cadences. Obviously, nobody else can answer such questions for you. In fact, their so-called 'educated' advice isn't sure to apply to you; what helps to nurture and support one person's bodily-productivity rhythms could prove fruitless, possibly even detrimental, to another's well-being. Discovering experientially how you function best has nothing to with accepting or rejecting agendas, aligning with the cool kids or drinking anybody's kool-aid. That's why it's best conducted as a solo experimental exploration.

PISCES (February 19-March 20): The trouble with that certain purity-of-personality which you Pisceans carry with you, particularly during a week like this with Mercury switching to retrograde motion? You don't always know exactly what you're saying—or what it's likely to sound like to outside listeners—because you're already immersed in the act of speaking from your heart. The true language of the heart doesn't come ready-made with concisely-matching words which guarantee the feelings will be transmitted in the spirit intended, as feelings are non-verbal until that fateful moment when we try to describe them, their full perfection inevitably doomed to fall somewhat short in the translation. And then, of course, the other person will listen to our words through the filter of their own expectations, assumptions, fears, and/or traumas… making it unfortunately too likely they'll hear something else we weren't saying, at least not consciously. This horoscope may sound like we're talking mainly about serious exchanges with palpable emotional content, but it actually threatens to apply in nearly every communicative situation in which you're expressing yourself this week, Pisces. But the rightful approach really mustn't be a 'contamination' of pure heart-speech (which is something to value highly); rather, just be prepared for such scenarios, so you can patiently hold space for their mishearings long enough so they can ultimately hear your heart.