astrobarry.com the web

Horoscopes | Week of July 20-26, 2015

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Last week's emotional charge bleeds over into this week, Aries… although, now, your ruling daredevil Mars is squaring off against a stationary Uranus, agent of the unexpected and volatile, and potentially prompting you to 'take matters into your own hands' by any means necessary. But similarly to what we discussed two weeks ago, such acts could embroil you even more deeply and/or messily in the very unwieldy dynamics you're, on the contrary, supposedly seeking relief from. That said, it'd be wise to think more pointedly about desired outcomes and results—beyond merely 'lashing out' or 'getting away'—and how to achieve them without unduly creating such upset in others that the resultant fallout competes with your ability to attain said outcomes and results. For instance, an act of carving out greater emotional space for yourself needn't involve uttering unkind statements to those you're trying to take space from; besides, if you do make such statements, you're just going to have to answer to them later (and perhaps, all the while, feel the vibrations of unpleasant reactions contaminating your so-called 'emotional space'). For maximal benefit, utilize these energies to create something satisfyingly distinct for yourself, rather than shitting on the people or situations that aren't working for you (even if they 'deserve' it).

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Some things really are best left unsaid, though it can admittedly be tricky to discern which 'things' those are, Taurus. Under this current astrology—namely, a square between Mars-in-your-3rd and a stationing Uranus-in-your-12th—please be conscious of the likelihood that even your most superficially innocuous or insignificant remark may carry with it a feisty edge, and thus a potential to unleash a stream of cascading reactions (theirs, then yours, then theirs, then yours…) that creates far more turbulence or turmoil than the initiating sentiment could've ever suggested. And all this occurs at the same time you're experiencing an increasing planetary focus on your 4th house, a place where we privately chew on our thoughts, knowing they are still too laden with ultra-personal nuances to be appropriate for public consumption. Therefore, I can't help but conclude that anything but the most essential, urgent, or objectively accurate tidbits of information ought to be held close to your chest… at least during this Mars/Uranus week ahead, when you won't be able to reliably control the tone with which you express them, or to predict how someone else will respond. While you're (hopefully) shrewdly holding your tongue, you might also consider the delicate balance between (1) faithfully following the instinct to put your truths out on the line and (2) quietly looking out for your own peace-of-mind, two priorities which aren't always in alignment with each other. In the weeks to come, these latter peace-of-mind considerations begin to take on a new importance.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): It's your job, Gemini, to ensure your day-to-day existence isn't too chock-full of 'serious business' by continuing to turn the other cheek, investigate another possibility, explore your latest curiosity, and/or reach out to a different cast of characters. There's always an alternative angle from which to look at your life; that's one of the great lessons you Geminis are here to teach us. So please don't resign yourself to any singular reading of what's going on, especially if it's all work-work-work. Snagging some fresh social input is perhaps the most surefire method for helping you look at your current circumstances in a new way… both because, in order to tell your story, you'll have to rearticulate all the developments in language that this new audience will understand and because they'll give you different feedback on your tale than those who have already heard it a few (hundred) times before. (On the flipside, you also mustn't completely ignore the 'serious business' just because such turning-the-other-cheek behaviors will make it incredibly easy to do so.) The people with whom you chit-chat, as part of how you process what's happening and your corresponding feelings about it, should constructively contribute to your awareness, understanding, and/or acceptance. Otherwise, the additional 'information' they provide will only give you more to spin on, fueling your anxiety, indecision, or angst rather than assuaging it.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Beware of rebellious impulses rising up, Cancer, and potentially inspiring you to take unwise risks with your present professional position or community standing, just to prove you can. The instinct to boldly demonstrate what you're capable of doing is not a misguided one in itself. Rather, it's the urge to do so in reaction to a perceived block, institutional impediment, and/or seemingly undeserving person-of-importance that flirts with destabilizing your place-in-the-world in too sudden, speedy, or spectacular a fashion. You could find your inner-rebel being egged on in the course of superficially innocuous small-talk, in fact, while sharing notes and swapping war-stories with allies or acquaintances who've dealt with somewhat similar experiences as yours. But 'somewhat similar' doesn't mean identical… and what worked for them in another place and time (i.e., presumably not while Mars was in their 1st house squaring Uranus) isn't guaranteed to work for you under these currently unpredictable circumstances. Take their conversational offerings more as reassurance that people encounter crossroads such as these all the time, and they make it through 'em to a new-and-improved place on the other side—but not as a failsafe guide to be loyally followed to the letter. Then, return your attention to the practical (and/or specifically financial) matters at hand, which should probably keep you from jumping off any ledges or quitting lucrative gigs without a backup.

LEO (July 23-August 22): A brilliant idea, an admirable goal, and gobs of enthusiasm are excellent raw-materials for conceptualizing a meaningful life-departure, Leo. But at this stage in the game, they just aren't enough to guarantee you'll have the necessary resources to sustain yourself once you've departed more than a few steps down this valiant path. With Venus flipping to retrograde motion in your solar 2nd this week, the imperative declaration 'show me the money!' comes to mind—and plans, promises, shows of good faith, and/or initial deposits do not qualify as cold hard cash in your hand. Venus retrogrades call into question the appropriate worth of things we value… and because this one gets its start in your 2nd, the house of money you earn for yourself, I'm compelled to warn you against making any financial agreements or other practical-resource commitments at the moment. The short-sighted belief that you're being shrewd about such possibilities flies in the face of the upcoming astrology, which instead suggests there may in fact be more and/or better opportunities presenting themselves during the weeks ahead, and/or other not-directly-related reasons why you might wish to leave your options open. Please see this caution, therefore, not as 'bad news' in the slightest. You needn't settle into anything at this moment when 'settling' would be rather untimely.

VIRGO (August 23-September 22): Don't get ahead of yourself, Virgo. As I described last week, though benefic Venus is now shining favorable rays down on your sign, it's also (1) turning retrograde this weekend (on Sat Jul 25) and (2) retreating back into your 12th later next week. On the upside, you're likely receiving hopeful signs, encouraging results, positive interpersonal attention, and/or other hints that indicate your life-circumstances are starting to look up. These are not mirages, for the record. Good stuff is headed down your pipeline, it's true. But at the same time, these are not reliable or solid manifestations either. As such, you mustn't make any sudden moves or sharp turns in response to what you're now seeing. You're presently in no position to accurately determine which qualifying questions to ask or to assess what the evidence proves (or doesn't prove), not with your ruling data-cruncher Mercury slipping into the cryptic crypt of your 12th (along with the Sun and, soon, Venus again). More specifically, do not bust up any existing alliances or needlessly disturb the group dynamic among your friend-circle, team, or community, based upon some newly-developing opportunity that represents 'freedom from all this' to you. That moment isn't here quite yet. Instead, bank these small-but-still-forming promises of future awesomeness, and allow yourself to begin getting really excited about what's to come… without making any false starts.

LIBRA (September 23-October 22): Though there's probably plenty of external activity, in your career-zone and/or among key relationships, presently dominating your attention, Libra, please don't neglect to aim some awareness to a subtler spiritual (for lack of a better term) and/or consciousness-level readjustment just beginning to unfold for you. All that external activity necessarily implicates other people's participations, whether as supporters or saboteurs, and situates you in a spot where you may too often feel you're responding or reacting to, rumbling with or riffing off of someone else. In fact, this week's astrology holds a real possibility of inciting you to outwardly resist unfair leadership or wrongful regulation, to bust through your polite polish and surprise a certain someone with a sharp statement of self-interest, and/or to abruptly flip the tables by shirking a partner's or friend's expectations. While you are certainly free to assert yourself in such ways, if you feel you have no better choice for effecting necessary change, a more contemplative mindset might reveal there are other options: Any driving discontent could be addressed, over a longer-term basis, by adjusting which 'external activity' you expose yourself to—and, consequently, which other people you surround yourself with. Dealing with this particular set of outer circumstances and central characters may not shift your position as significantly or enduringly as you might hope, if you continue finding yourself in such circumstances with such characters… as if your own perspectives weren't unconsciously re-creating these conditions again and again, until you look at them differently.

SCORPIO (October 23-November 21): Do not, for a single minute, fool yourself into believing you're somehow being crafty or covert at the moment, Scorpio. Though you may ordinarily be quite skilled at flying under the radar when you wish to, this strongly 10th-house-dominant interval is not any ordinary time. Your behavior is conspicuous. Your voice carries. You cannot expect to pull a fast one over on anybody, as they'll see you—and your commanding purpose—coming a mile away. This inescapable obviousness might take some getting used to, but at least it ought to keep you honest. What it may also mean, over the course of these next many weeks, is that you could likely be gaining and/or losing a few key comrades or teammates (or at least reaffirming your awareness of who's on your side, and who isn't)… though it remains to be seen which players you'd actually want to gravitate closer or drift away. If all goes well, you needn't worry so much about identifying who's who: You just be your best and most-accountable self, while continuing the hard work of claiming your greatness on the world-stage and/or adjusting your current career trajectory so your growth-potential isn't limited by external forces. Those who support this bigger, better, older, wiser version of you will naturally be attracted to you; those who have a problem with it (for envious, competitive, judgmental, and/or petty reasons) will let their displeasure be known. You needn't force these dual processes one way or another. After all, everyone'll witness plenty of your prominently public performance to decide for themselves.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22-December 21): Insinuating that the other person is making things harder for the both of you than they need be, and/or that you're the easygoing, fun-loving one (who doesn't quite understand what their problem is!), is actually a pretty aggressive move, Sagittarius, even if you've got a smile plastered on your face and your casual nothing-sticks-to-me shoulder-shrug down pat. If you find yourself in such an interpersonal situation where there's enough complexity to the dynamic between you that someone is experiencing difficulty in navigating it (even if that 'someone' isn't you), then you are hardly innocent of contributing your share to it. To try to wash your hands of any responsibility for their unnerved, befuddled, or bat-shit-crazy responses would be disingenuous. Did you see no red-flags back in an earlier moment? Did you not choose to involve yourself, likely with an understanding that they handle things differently than you do? Are you not poking or provoking them whenever you behave as if working through the more challenging steps of this process are somehow a waste of your precious time? I'm not asking you to take on any more of this than is legitimately yours, but instead to simply realize that your rapidly-approaching future success does depend on getting some of these 'smaller' (ahem) details ironed out honorably and impeccably. A earnest pause here, mustering patience for all concerned parties, will help keep your conscience clean.

CAPRICORN (December 22-January 19): While it's likelier than usual a certain someone will get your goat this week, Capricorn, possibly hitting a sensitive nerve that causes you to reactively jerk or lurch or lash out at 'em, I encourage you to stop short of turning an irritable moment or passing squabble into a teachable illustration of some greater issue or principle. You may legitimately see a larger philosophic disagreement or lapse-in-integrity at play here… but to articulate your observations in such terms at this time will, regrettably, come off more like a sanctimonious power-trip than genuinely productive feedback. In fact, over the Venus-retrograde weeks ahead, you're apt to discover facets of your own attitudes and response-patterns which could probably use a little (or more than a little) tuning-up… a psychological-fitness practice that can only be carried out through continued interpersonal engagement, on the contested ground, until the deeper-triggering gold has been struck. And you don't know exactly what you're going to find there. Thus, to prematurely argue for your higher, better, and/or more evolved understanding of this situation is to risk implicating yourself, too, in your own judgments. What might later emerge in the process could actually mark you as a hypocrite, if you aren't presently aware of every last cranny of your hungers, your hurts, and your motivations. Stay with these emerging developments, while quietly studying their wider applicability—and, a few months from now, you will be able to philosophize about the relevant principles more believably.

AQUARIUS (January 20-February 18): Even as you continue diligently managing your day-to-day responsibilities (per last week's horoscope), to uphold your outer-world position and/or demonstrate you won't be rattled by this or that hiccup, please take careful notice of the small-but-illuminating details of how any critical, complicated, and/or confusing interpersonal interactions go down, Aquarius. Though there's no need to distinctly stake out your own position vis-à-vis any other party in such dynamics, it does behoove you to pay meticulous attention to the tonal strategies they adopt, the words they use, and/or the territory to which they're laying claim. Without their consciously recognizing it, they're essentially handing you the decoder ring which cracks open the case of their supposedly-sly motives… an edge which you can deploy to your definite advantage in this cat-and-mouse game, but only if you resist any immediate impulse to talk it out, work it out, or have it out. With Venus retrograding in your 8th, this current relational cadence—which, by outward appearances, may seem to place you at a disadvantage and, therefore, might rouse you to defensive action too hastily—is due to flip on its ear. For now, your job is to carefully collect all the tidbits of subtle-but-significant information they're inadvertently spilling, keeping score for a later time when you can paint them a much clearer picture with all the dots you've connected.

PISCES (February 19-March 20): As Venus slows to a retrograde on the cusp of your relationship house (the 7th), Pisces, please be on the lookout for strange shifts in any significant interpersonal dynamic… whether it be a change-of-heart, a reversal-of-type, an eye-opening epiphany, a startlingly powerful attraction, a falling-out-of-love, and/or a sudden awareness of this other side to someone's personality, which either makes you like them a whole lot more or call the whole thing into question. At the same time, this isn't an ideal influence under which to make dramatic life-altering choices, especially if they'd require you to abruptly uproot your solid footing or disturb your capacity to maintain consistent workday rhythms. To put this into perspective, you're only at the beginning of several-weeks' worth of rascally relational hijinks—which includes next month's arrival of fortuitous growth-inspirer Jupiter to your 7th—intended to spur reexaminations, reevaluations, reaffirmations and/or revisions in who you're allying yourself with. It's best to let more of these developments play themselves out before taking any actions, since you can't presently be sure whether any new coupling prospects are all they appear to be, or if any now-palpable discontent is resolvable or a signal that it's time to move on. For now, I'd instead be looking at the relevant practicalities: If you do make a big change, which mundane matters or material concerns will need to be handled? These are adjustments you could start working towards immediately… with positive impact on how your life is functionally organized, regardless of what you end up doing with regards to any certain someone.