Horoscopes | Week of March 21-27, 2016

ARIES (March 21-April 19): On a major upside, Aries, you presently ought to find yourself better able than usual to say exactly what's on your mind, with clarity and precision… and in a way that also fairly represents whatever larger purpose, worldview, or action-plan your statement is meant to reflect. This communicative directness can serve you quite well, but only up to a point. For instance, you won't convey your statement more strongly or win over additional converts by repeating yourself. In fact, because of how clearly and precisely you're able to express your ideas right now, they shouldn't need to be reiterated or reemphasized past the initial delivery—and you'll actually start to undermine your own most-masterful messaging by pushing it too insistently. No matter how masterfully your words might string themselves together, you won't effectively communicate without tuning into your audience, playing to their receptivity, and allowing them their due chance to participate with you in a collaborative manner. For the record, their 'participation' doesn't require them to agree with you. Should they see things differently, respect that difference, rather than assuming they 'just don't get it' and insulting their intelligence by trying to 'explain it again'. That's where the self-undermining would begin.

 

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Though it remains relatively ill-advised to make defining statements of any kind, that doesn't mean you can't quietly and unassumingly take care of business while waiting for this limbo-moment to pass you by, Taurus. My general 'mum's the word' recommendation is meant to spare you from impulsive utterances which might, unbeknownst to you in advance, thrust you into the quicksand-like center of extended drama. The less said, the less a chance of somebody pouncing on your words as if they smell blood. Meanwhile, there are plenty of smaller to-do items directly or indirectly related to whatever issue(s) you shouldn't talk about which you can prudently and unobtrusively handle… helping you to clear your head of excessive disarray, to ground yourself in practices of dutiful competence, and to keep yourself out of the potentially troublesome fray. The more earnestly on task you stay, the more likely you won't leave room for mischievous characters to enter your scene. Remember: We are simply trying to minimize the threat of your becoming entangled in a needlessly energy-consuming brouhaha. And if this threat is part of a bigger story, one in which you find you're perpetually tempted to vie for the upper hand with a stubborn match or formidable foe, please understand that your choosing not to engage while your astrology is this precarious may be your shrewdest power-move.

 

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): In the midst of all this performative public posturing and/or jockeying for position among the crowd you associate yourself with, Gemini, don't neglect to properly acknowledge any personal preferences or proclivities which may be just as important to your ultimate happiness (if not more) than scoring a goal or winning anyone else's favor. Though this remains a vital moment for ensuring your voice is heard by those who need to hear it (whether in passionate allegiance or committed opposition to their stance), you probably shouldn't allow such acts of solidarity to drown out your own very particular stake in these matters, though it could complicate your easy ability to take a side or play to the collective wisdom. There's only so much of the goal-oriented, group-minded perspective one can reasonably swallow before a vague sense of discomfort starts to set in, stirred by nagging questions about which distinctive expressions of singular self are being sacrificed on the altar of 'all for one, and one for all'. You could choose not to make a big loud deal about this rising discomfort, out of legitimate respect for your professional role and the momentary good-fortune you wouldn't want to disrupt… and I think that's a valid practical choice. But still you'd better take careful note of whatever consensus party-line or ideological-purity isn't sitting well with you. Know the tradeoffs you're making; you won't be satisfied making 'em indefinitely.

 

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Any suddenly-emerging emotional discontentments, Cancer, are warning you against living too totally in the future. Tomorrow has not yet manifested. Nor, for that matter, are there any guarantees any one of us will make it to tomorrow, let alone that it'll resemble the image of it we're entertaining in our heads. This is not intended to be a disheartening revelation (or anything less than obvious)… and just because tomorrow might not happen exactly as you're imagining it, that's not a reason to let go of your dreams. However, even as the planets rally you to continue working extra-hard on behalf of these future-facing aims—and putting yourself in the center-stage spotlight as you do it, so nobody could possibly mistake who is responsible for all this impressive progress—you must find genuine ways to be happy and peaceful and content right here, in this imperfect present-moment, because your heart's aching for that 'everything's okay' feeling. It simply won't work to your liking to stoically soldier through, nothing immediately available with which to reward yourself, banking all joy on what happens later. Remember those little things you used to derive so much personal, private bliss from? Revisit 'em, and see if they just might still sing to you…

 

LEO (July 23-August 22): The revved-up zero-to-sixty-in-six-seconds-flat energy you're presently giving off, Leo, is palpably contagious… to the benefit of all of us now looking to you to help us stop sweatin' the small stuff, get our priorities straight, and have one hell of an awesome time! There's nobody quite like you when you're visibly excited about life. It emanates out your every pore, and we just can't get enough. So, first and foremost, if you've been feeling bummed-out or down-in-the-dumps, please follow your own pleasure-seeking instincts toward something sure to lift your spirits; that way, once they're lifted, you can help lift ours, too. (In fact, the very suggestion of you lifting someone else's spirits will actually help lift yours. Love how that works!) Regardless of whether you're already flying high or still need to goad yourself into such a takeoff, however, a great lesson in all this is that you don't need some wild-and-crazy adventure in some faraway land in order to keep yourself entertained and engaged. There's an entire universe of wonders and marvels right here in your own backyard. You simply must be willing to look right under your nose, instead of too singlemindedly gazing out at the farthest horizon in hopes that's where the good times await you. Don't you trust in your radiant power to create them, out of the many rich scrap-treasures laying around nearby?

 

VIRGO (August 23-September 22): Be mindful that an odd strain of fierce, fiery, self-defensive discourse could curiously spurt from your lips, Virgo, if a part of your inner being feels forsaken or sold short by recent moves you've made to compromise, accommodate, or concede. As the astrology tells it, you're trying to strike the appropriate balance between unapologetic self-interest and honorable interpersonal considerateness—and this is not as easy a piece of personal work as it sounds. Because the pendulum has lately swung back towards relationally-minded concerns, the emboldened emotional-self-care warrior inside of you has its hackles up, ready to defend its right to unequivocally call a shot or two, under the threat (real or perceived) that certain non-negotiable needs are about to negotiated away. Please note: This dialogue is happening between two (or more) sides of yourself, and not necessarily between you and the proverbial 'other person', as it may appear. That's why you must be so mindful about where you might end up directing this volatile fieriness. Rather than 'have it out' with anyone before fully understanding why you're so heated, go to the mat within your own internal dialogue. Then, once you've decided which particularities mustn't be put up for interrelational bargaining (because your emotional health demands it), you can have a more constructive conversation.

 

LIBRA (September 23-October 22): Do what you do so damned well, Libra, and take charge of the conversation without necessarily letting on to the other contributors that that's what you're doing. You presently wield a superb capacity to address another individual in exactly the sort of language most likely to 'speak to them'… as well as the added assertive oomph to quickly and adeptly steer the flow away from any topics you'd prefer to sidestep at this point. I recommend utilizing this temporary rhetorical ease as a means for framing targeted discussions which would provide you a context for disclosing important emotional nuances about your current state to those who you know need to know. In other words, you'd set up a conversational environment in which the critical disclosure just seems to announce itself, as part of the natural unfolding. This is all a roundabout way of working with your strengths, in the process of engaging with a potential struggle—namely, just coming out with whatever you've been feeling, directly enough that you aren't merely implying or intimating but actually saying it. But because the current astrology is so keenly oriented to your getting into the other person's head, this roundabout method isn't so bad at all… as long as, in the end, you're sufficiently forthright in speaking your emotional truth.

 

SCORPIO (October 23-November 21): Keep behaving with dutiful practicality, Scorpio, towards those already-determined items which will continue lining your wallet with dollar-bills and stabilizing your overall footing… but, to truly embrace the mystical wisdom of this special moment, you must also leave an open window for that which hasn't yet been identified, understood, or nailed down into tangible existence. Stay on top of everything that's visible, without fooling yourself into thinking that's all that's presently operating in your life. An ideal way-of-being is a delicate balance between doing and not-doing… between charging forward with goals you've chosen and allowing the psychic space to be surprised by the emergence of some twist-of-fate that gestures elsewhere. You could become totally 'successful' by meeting all of your own preestablished expectations, yet fall regrettably short of your greatest potential, due to tuning out all the fabulous suggestions serendipitously sprinkled across your path by the divine hands of the universe (or whoever's pulling those strings). You can't think of everything. The greatest dreamers aren't responsible for inventing the content of their dreams, just serving as a willing enough vessel that insightful visions happily arrive (because who wants to show up somewhere they're not invited?)… and point them in the direction of the secret treasure-marking flag.

 

SAGITTARIUS (November 22-December 21): What do your people—your teammates, your group of pals, your community of colleagues—think about what you've lately been up to, Sagittarius? It would be totally understandable if you've been too busy to stop and check in with them… though it's quite likely that, considering your presently high profile, they have certainly noticed your dynamic goings-on. As you continue playing host to the most personally energizing, activating, self-affirming astrology of all the zodiac signs (can't you tell the momentum's unquestionably on your side?), you're also consequently in the most potentially self-referential, ego-blinding, my-way-or-the-highway subject-position of anybody. Great for driving your aims and agendas ahead, in just the manner you'd most prefer, your stylistic marks all over every last inch. Not as great, alas, for working with people toward common goals, compromising on vision, or blending styles into an amalgamation of vantage-points. For the record, I'm not suggesting you should collaborate, compromise, or blend… merely to take the attitudinal temperature of those friends or allies likely to hold a relevant opinion on your latest moves. You're so caught up in what you're doing (and rightfully so), I wouldn't want you to accidentally create distance from folks you mistakenly assume have remained right by your side. If you're veering apart, you ought to know that fact—before it's too late to close the gap, should you wish to.

 

CAPRICORN (December 22-January 19): 'Protecting your reputation' isn't always a very noble pursuit, especially when the maneuvers it necessitates demand you to be secretive, sneaky, and/or otherwise less-than-authentic. Yet, these days, Capricorn, as you remain under destabilizing astro-influences which draw out more impulsive feeling-based responses than you usually express, it isn't a bad idea to ponder the possible longer-term reputational consequences before speaking off the cuff. To be fair, you may be totally justified in whatever irked, unruly, and/or antagonistic response you feel, given whatever thoughtless behavior or offensive platform someone else has thrust into your sphere-of-consciousness. It is not your response itself which must be reined in—in fact, this can prove a very revealing moment for you, in terms of cutting through your normally-unflappable posture and confronting emotions you'd previously sought to avoid—but how you express it which requires added uprightness. Recall last week's advice? It remains in effect. Don't trust others' capacity to properly interpret your remarks as you intend, particularly if you're hot-under-the-collar or overconfident. Or is it possible you aren't completely noticing the conflicting intentions in your presentation? No need to figure that one out. Just play every note with reputational self-protectiveness.

 

AQUARIUS (January 20-February 18): While it is exceedingly important you remain very much present in the here-and-now, Aquarius, you are allowed to let your heart roam a bit ahead into the future, especially if you need that occasional prophetic glimpse to keep your life-enthusiasms up. There are currently lots of characters to talk to, catch up with, sound off against, entertain, question, and stay current with… more than enough immediate social engagement to absorb your outwardly-visible attention, without any reason for you to start going into what else is on your mind. Don't overcomplicate these situations by getting too abstract, proposing alternate scenarios altogether foreign from what's imminently happening, philosophizing, proselytizing, or pushing the envelope into topics where your companions would be expected to take sides or explain beliefs. For the moment, while your circumstances are full of folks demanding you interact with them or desperately in need of your time, quietly cherish those special personal pleasures you intend to explore more fully later,. Maybe that inner renewal of perspective—you will have awesome adventures! your eyes will be opened in ways you cannot imagine!—is even sufficiently refreshing to help you better tolerate those certain individuals who are grating on your every nerve. That's why it's not worth 'getting into it' with them, especially over actual issues.

 

PISCES (February 19-March 20): Don't rush to an oversimplifying agreement or conclusion, Pisces… even if it might feel instantly relieving to resolve a matter which would otherwise dangle in the indeterminate ethers between you and the other party, elusively threatening to perpetuate a certain uncertainty. You're likelier to get a more fulfilling conclusion—with greater evolutionary promise, in terms of presenting you opportunities to meticulously hash out all the little-but-critical details in active relational partnership—by acknowledging your wish for 'everyone to win' in this situation. With Venus in your sign, chances are that whatever developments occur now will work to your advantage. But whether the 'advantage' is an easy out or short-term perk, or whether it's a long-view setup for much larger returns later (beyond, even, this particular circumstantial context), depends on the visionary magnitude and brave boldness of whatever lead you take. You're directly facing a crossroads in the pursuit of your worldly aspirations: How far do you want to go with this? The bigger the goal, the more plucky stamina you'll need—and the more skillfully you must work with other people, neither bossing 'em around nor bending to their will.