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Horoscopes | Weeks of December 21, 2015-January 3, 2016

ARIES (March 21-April 19): You enter the last days of 2015 with a lot of impressive ideas for how to address a protracted stalemate, looming trouble-spot, or messy complication at the heart of some shared responsibility, Aries… though another central player may have a hard time hearing what you've got to say, whether due to a difficult truth they must acknowledge and/or the perceived threat to their position your ingenuity poses. Please feel free to fight back against any relational interferences you encounter, not with a roaring show of ego-dominance but by continuing to reiterate, in increasing amounts of detail, how what you're suggesting will functionally work. You will score the victory—which, in this context, refers specifically to your right to govern the process of putting your own efforts to their most productive use—by outsmarting any adversaries, on the merits of your well-thought-out plan, rather than by cutting 'em down or beating 'em up. Presuming you successfully do so, you must then consciously serve as 'inspirer' and 'vision-holder' for all those employed alongside you in carrying out these critical operations in the weeks (and months?) to come. Did I just parenthetically suggest the decisive deeds could take longer than anticipated and/or hoped for? Gee, I guess I did. This 'fight' is only the beginning. You wanted a bigger slice of authority in this? Your momentous breakthrough is ripe for the taking, over these long months ahead… but not without you getting a lot of dirt on your hands. Please note: This horoscope is good for two weeks. Your next horoscope will be posted on January 4, 2016.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Be sure to spend plenty of loving quality-time with your favorite people as '15 winds down to its close, Taurus. As good queen Venus finishes its final days in your relationship house (the 7th) for a while, it forms agreeable aspects to both Mercury and Jupiter, summoning lively and meaningful conversations… and encouraging you to proactively put forth upbeat visions for how you'd like your joint new-years to unfold together. You could face some annoyance, meanwhile, should you find your need to continuously be on top of certain stubborn chores or obligations in the here-and-now gets in the way of your future-minded resolution-making. There's nothing you can do about the jarring interjection of current reality, alas, so please try not to let that harsh your otherwise optimistic mindset. In fact, prepare yourself now: Life seems to get a whole lot more complicated come the start of 2016, though contending with these intricacies is the unavoidable flipside trade-off for upping the stakes in what you can collaboratively achieve with a partner, lover, and/or investor in tow. That said, you'll likely encounter an increase in interpersonal friction during these first weeks of January, once Mars hits your 7th—another good reason to enjoy your 'loving quality-time' now, before any such relational disturbances kick in. Rather than dread this likelihood, I urge you to see this as a necessary step in your mutual evolution together, as you find new methods for balancing the rhythms and responsibilities under intensifying complication. (Or else you'll find how woefully unprepared one or the other of you is for this sort of team-effort.) Please note: This horoscope is good for two weeks. Your next horoscope will be posted on January 4, 2016.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): The concluding days of this year are tailor-made for 'getting your house in order', Gemini… a directive which applies both literally (in terms of domestic-space deep-cleans) and metaphorically (by clearing up disarrayed projects and paperwork, tackling those blockage-tasks which have been hanging over you too long, and/or arranging your list of most-timely-or-pressing priorities for the first weeks of '16). Believe me, you'll want to spend some of that spare holiday-season time-off handling these sort of concrete items which, once completed, will directly benefit you in feeling more organized, sane, and psychically unburdened. Granted, this mustn't be seen as a substitute for the frolicking and merriment also due you at this moment, but rather as a complement. Devote a few hours to one of your 'house-ordering' assignments; then, celebrate your progress with a spirited evening on the town, some game-play, or an artsy-craftsy pastime. (Don't party so much, however, that you'll be too exhausted for the next day's job.) Without properly honoring both responsibilities and recreational impulses, you're liable to get stuck in fruitless debates with yourself which rob your attention from both. If all goes as I've described, come the new year, you'll be totally ready to begin a phase of ratcheted-up work demands with a relatively clean slate—and, perhaps, to establish or deepen a relationship with someone you'd been making merry with. Please note: This horoscope is good for two weeks. Your next horoscope will be posted on January 4, 2016.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Your end-of-year looks to be a lot of fun, Cancer, provided you're amenable to accepting others' invitations, recommendations, and encouragements to let loose. As long as you situate yourself within social-friendly environments where there's a nice variety of folks to engage with, you're liable to find you are feeling more outwardly chit-chatty, colorfully conversational, and full of festive belly-laughs than you ordinarily might. Let this be a beginning, then, of your more markedly taking the social lead once '16 rolls around. I see you increasingly expressing your desires in the weeks and months ahead, as a way of making increasingly certain you get to spend your precious leisure-hours on the activities and participations which you most enjoy—and with the people who've proven they can give as well as they take, a critical distinction in your continuing efforts toward relational self-empowerment. Be warned, though: In these final days of '15, you might still be wrestling with your inner shit-stirrer… a voice who'd try to convince you not to put yourself out there, but instead to bunker down at home and lob silent anger-bombs at all those other fuckers daring to have a good time. That, of course, is a self-defeating defense mechanism, a misguided way of indulging a particular interpretation of any emotional unrest you're experiencing. In fact, you'd be wiser simply to join the good-timers rather than trying to 'beat' them (with stoic seclusion?) at a game they aren't even playing. You can be moody and yet still choose to socialize; the exposure's likelier to shift your mood than exacerbate it. Please note: This horoscope is good for two weeks. Your next horoscope will be posted on January 4, 2016.

LEO (July 23-August 22): Think energy conservation, Leo, during these madness-making holiday-season days ahead. Though your mind is presumably (or at least hopefully) still attuned to problem-solving, work-planning, and/or chore-organizing, your concentration is apt to become scrambled by what could be legitimately described as 'trifles and trivialities'… whether due to attention-demanding individuals (perhaps a sibling, a neighbor, or a casual pal overstepping the bounds of your acquaintance) insisting you engage them in their meaningless-to-you narratives and/or your own attention-deficit desires to be distracted from too much serious business. Since your short-term ability to boost your skill-level confidence, pad your bank-account, and/or achieve noticeable strides in your workload will depend directly on how thoughtfully you plan your schedule in advance, it really does behoove you to use this time wisely (rather than squander it on inconsequential shit that'll have no impact whatsoever on your relative success in '16)—and if that means deliberately keeping more to yourself than usual, so be it. Don't fear that you'll be 'missing out' on end-of-year revelry by hunkering down, snuggling in, and resting up. Venus moves into the pleasure-palace of your solar 5th on Dec 30, just in time for the New Year's Eve parties and all that jazz. You'll notice an astrological shift back towards more marked social interaction at the time… though, just as '16 is getting going, Mars shifts in your 4th, indicating that you might simultaneously feel a bit of grumpiness or discontentment emanating from your insides. At that point, you should probably be careful not to spoil any fun by impulsively lashing out at the wrong target(s). Please note: This horoscope is good for two weeks. Your next horoscope will be posted on January 4, 2016.

VIRGO (August 23-September 22): Let me continue to encourage you, Virgo, toward unflinching candidness in your externalizations of intention, desire, preference, and interest… especially during this Christmas week, when smooth teamwork between Mercury, Venus, and Jupiter favors you as a robust, influential, voice-carrying presence in nearly every interaction of which you're a part. Admittedly, there's a side of you which doesn't wish to be so frank, mainly out of concern that such unmitigated focus on what you want could imperil a certain work-, finance-, or practicality-related strategy. But this is a tension which, according to the upcoming astrology (including a Mercury retrograde through much of January), you'll be working out for some time. And in order to 'work it out' as thoroughly as you possibly could, it really will help to have as many of those supposedly 'impractical' (though nonetheless powerful) considerations out in the open. What you may not currently know—and what you cannot know until after you've confidently laid your wishes on the table—is how conspicuously one-sided, at least to other listeners' ears, your position sounds. That is not a criticism on my part, just an observation; nor is it necessarily a problem for you, unless you refuse to acknowledge its subjectivity or accept others' feedback. The ensuing conversation will likely extend through the first weeks of '16. Do yourself a favor, then, and don't hold back now. That way, you'll all have plenty to talk about. Please note: This horoscope is good for two weeks. Your next horoscope will be posted on January 4, 2016.

LIBRA (September 23-October 22): During these final couple weeks of hosting Mars in your sign, Libra, I'd advise utilizing the last throes of its resultant energy-boost on items of wholly personal importance. That is, maintaining a relatively independent attitude (I know, harder than it sounds during the season of smothering holidaytime togetherness) is likely to provide you a more satisfying atmosphere than forcing yourself into obligatory social positions, and then wondering whether to hold your tongue (to keep everyone else happy?) or express your true feelings (for that momentary sense of relief, followed by wondering whether you really should've done that). Rather than you focusing on showy customs to fete the impending year ahead, I instead suggest you more intently concentrate on putting this past year to bed… reflecting back on what you've learned about your inner makeup in recent months, about what brings you great satisfaction, and what causes you nagging irritation or searing hurt, for no 'reason' other than the cumulative impact of your own unique psychological history. The outward goals, earnest resolutions, and forward-thinking pledges are far less important, at the current moment, than accepting fuller ownership over what makes you tick from within: no disavowals, no apologies, no shame. Even if you spend the entire first half of 2016 simply expanding into this roomier psychic domain, noticing how differently your efforts and expressions feel when not compressed by ill-fitting expectations-of-self, that'd be cool. Your 'new year' really gets going in September. Please note: This horoscope is good for two weeks. Your next horoscope will be posted on January 4, 2016.

SCORPIO (October 23-November 21): Throughout pretty much the remainder of '15, Scorpio, you've still got both Venus in your 1st (until Dec 30) and Mars in your 12th… which means you should probably concentrate on gliding through the holidays, as more 'participant' than 'leader' in whatever bevy of social activities presents itself (saying 'yes' more often than 'no'), without trying to make much of anything significant happen. Even with Venus's benefic influence, however, you may still end up at communicative odds with someone, in situations where you're trying to say the polite or appropriate thing while harboring secret animosities, you'd meant to keep it light but were sideswiped by a surprise attack, and/or you attempt to talk through an issue yet get little outward engagement from the other person (though suspect, of course, they're quietly plotting an antagonistic response). Such potential frictions are courtesy of a square between Mercury and Mars (exact Dec 29), an aspect known for breeding contentious exchanges… and which remains in effect into the first week of January, when it forms again, as a result of Mercury turning retrograde (on Jan 5). Only difference is, by that time, Mars will be in your 1st, giving you a much abler capacity to plainly assert yourself. Therefore, any unaired grievances, suspicious insinuations, and/or veiled threats would be best cleared up then… with the understanding that it might take more than a single earnest conversation before everyone's come clean. Please note: This horoscope is good for two weeks. Your next horoscope will be posted on January 4, 2016.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22-December 21): Bearing in mind the financial plan for 2016 you presumably made (or at least began working on) per last week's recommendation, Sagittarius, there's really not much else on the productive front you need to concern yourself with for the remainder of '15. Continue putting the finishing touches on those calculations, while allowing yourself to optimistically envision your career (and/or outside-world position) growing in those very calculated directions best suited to meeting your economic aims. Please be aware, alas, that the clearer you get with how to meet your self-defined objectives, the likelier you are to notice you've fallen out of step with certain peers or colleagues who are less realistic, practically grounded, or financially secure. While I don't suggest immediately taking any proactive steps to address this noticeable divergence, you certainly can—and should—speak up in protest should some standing ally expect you to invest energy in a group-effort which doesn't serve your personal interests, or otherwise tow a party-line that could limit your potential income or market-share. As this year seeps into the next, you'll welcome the combination of blessed aura-fluffer Venus headed into your sign (as of Dec 30) and action-taker Mars slipping behind the veil of your 12th (from Jan 3 on): a strong astro-endorsement of your doing a lot of smiling and exuding charm and collecting others' good-favor, but not much else. In the weeks ahead, as you settle into an unwavering commitment to strengthen your own earthly standing in the world, you'll receive ever-more-glaring glimpses of who genuinely supports you in becoming your strongest self—and who's a (not-so-)secret adversary. Please note: This horoscope is good for two weeks. Your next horoscope will be posted on January 4, 2016.

CAPRICORN (December 22-January 19): Hopefully, simply knowing in advance that your 2016 will open with Mercury going retrograde in your sign, Capricorn, is enough to adjust your expectations away from any idealized prospects of a new-year's 'fresh start'. If anything, that first week-or-so of January is due to be more about you demonstrating your competent solidity-of-self under the high-likelihood of facing annoying do-overs, temporarily inconclusive results, and/or an irksome agitator or two disrupting the group-flow. To, therefore, best prepare for whatever less-than-fresh irritations might imminently arise, you'd do best to preemptively rally your own enthusiasms for a much-bigger-picture visionary overview of what all of '16 might promise… readying yourself for a relatively unimpressive takeoff straight out of the gate, intentionally reserving the strength you might otherwise scatter if unconstructively expressing frustration at any immediate circumstances, letting any blustery bossy-types or loose-cannon colleagues momentarily act out (and, just maybe, exhaust themselves in the process), thinking a couple steps ahead. All the while, I suggest you deliberately surround yourself with friends who hold compatible life-values, peers who similarly think with keen strategic foresight, and anyone else whose company doesn't bring discomfort or stress. Their reassuring presence, companionship, and loyalty will serve as a reminder of who your 'kind of people' are… which should come in pretty handy early in January, when you'll probably have to deal with someone who decidedly isn't. Please note: This horoscope is good for two weeks. Your next horoscope will be posted on January 4, 2016.

AQUARIUS (January 20-February 18): Cruise through the remainder of your year on the positive defining power of your existing reputation, Aquarius, rather than saying too much of anything which might cause folks to want a debate. In other words, is it that important to restate a position everyone already knows you hold, just to demonstrate your commitment as a 'warrior of justice'? You won't weaken your dedication to the overriding issue with a conscious decision to simply listen, watch, take note, and maybe even learn from others batting around their ideas… especially at a moment like this, when Mercury is in your 12th, squaring Mars, and preparing to turn retrograde during the first week of '16. Being truly committed to the cause-at-hand—and not merely to attracting attention to yourself for being knowledgeable, educated, articulate, or morally superior—also means knowing when not to speak up, due to a specific context-based likelihood that your intended message will miss its mark, confuse the terms of argument, or maybe even work against your cause. There is great potency in reserving energy for use at the proper time. Once we're into the new year, you still won't be in the best spot for clear connected communication for another few weeks. However, with Mars hitting your 10th (on Jan 3), you'll be super-ready to decisively launch into an ambitious climb on the career/community front… a chance to show the world just what you can achieve over the next several months. Please note: This horoscope is good for two weeks. Your next horoscope will be posted on January 4, 2016.

PISCES (February 19-March 20): Keep yourself accordingly allied and aligned with those people who really get where you're coming from, Pisces… folks who share with you certain central values and/or a stake in some collective vision, and whose comradeship isn't dependent on you 'going along' with behaviors or beliefs you find problematic or distasteful. Through these last days of '15, your astrology is quite socially favorable, particularly amongst any companions or communities who fuel your worldview enthusiasms. Please gratefully revel in their company, knowing you can safely let your hair down around these proven pals, without necessarily having to defend a passionate opinion. That said, there could be a certain individual who threatens your enjoyment of this happy camaraderie, somebody who might deliberately seek to disrupt the overall social flow (with inappropriate remarks meant to denigrate another's character?) and/or strong-arm you into foregoing the togetherness fun-time so you can pay more attention to them (a well-laid guilt-trip perhaps?). Should you face such a person, do your very best to respond in a tone that matches the comfortable matter-of-factness which permeates the group you're part of, rather than dropping to this person's level of low-down manipulation or malice. Meanwhile, on a separate note, your 2016 opens on a professional (or public-sector) high-note, with Venus atop your solar chart in the 10th: Allow yourself to be proudly recognized for your accomplishments, without unconsciously deflecting the praise in a way that betrays your purposefulness. Please note: This horoscope is good for two weeks. Your next horoscope will be posted on January 4, 2016.