Horoscopes | Week of June 13-19, 2016

ARIES (March 21-April 19): That threat of inadvertently getting in deeper than you'd meant to (which was last week's horoscope topic) still looms large, Aries. You'll know you're flirting with such trouble if you're overly concerned (or utterly consumed) with probing into someone else's motives, rubbing their nose in their supposed misdoings, and/or trying to get something from them (whether tangible payment or show of passionate interest). During the week ahead, you'll actually help strengthen your position by stepping back from the urgent need to figure 'em out, show 'em up, or win 'em over… and instead dispersing that intense energy across a broader field of less-purposeful social interactions with random characters. There's presently a subtle astrological disconnect between (1) the part of you that wants the deeper, more intense action and (2) the part that would rather enjoy a more casual, spacious respite from said action. The intensity-seeker should be pleased to know, then, this 'action' won't be leaving you behind tomorrow, the next day, or any time soon. Because it's so deep and involved, it'll take weeks more to really resolve. Therefore, let the chiller social-butterfly side have a couple moments to giggle, blather, breathe, and decompress. (Unless, you end up backed into an ethical corner, in which case…)

 

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): At the present moment, it's advantageous to disengage from any relational friction which might've recently arisen, reemerged, and/or intensified, Taurus… not necessarily because the issue between you has been worked out (it probably hasn't), but simply in order to more attentively address certain items of economic opportunity, logistical self-stabilization, and/or real-world accountability. What will currently help solidify your grounding (through meeting financial obligations, procuring objective data, and flatly identifying 'what is') has very little immediate relevance to what's going on with that other person over there, at least in terms of gaining you any more practically useful perspective on your best next-moves. I do, however, recognize the likelihood your involvement with this other person is intricate and/or entangling enough that they may reserve some legitimate right to have 'their say'… which could be why it's perhaps hard not to incessantly engage with them (even when it's relatively fruitless) and just as important to figure out a few basic, unapologetically self-serving action-steps apart from these ongoing interpersonal negotiations. To avoid an unnecessary muddle, first take some time to think about what'll decidedly work for your interests. Then you can reenter the relational realm, better equipped to make any compromises knowingly rather than in a moment of heightened emotion.

 

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Even with these last remaining days of Venus in your sign (it moves into your 2nd on Friday of this week), Gemini, you must be careful not to get yourself into hot water by too freely uttering sentiments you won't be able to totally back up. The easy connectivity and effortless rapport you can presently attain with others could lead you, in a moment of exchanging good vibes, to overstep the appropriate reach of this particular acquaintance… implying a level of ongoing engagement you're unlikely to meet, intimating a fuller fondness than you could've possibly legitimately developed by now, playing to their inaccurate understanding of you, and/or promising something that conflicts with an already-existing relational commitment made to somebody else. Need I spell out the possible problems which could result from such overstatements? Just because your mind will naturally move fast as it proposes well-meaning ways to build upon a social affinity you appreciatively acknowledge, that doesn't mean your mouth ought to move just as quickly in speaking aloud such possibilities. Shouldn't you take a moment or three to consider the longer-range, broader-context consequences of what you're suggesting to this other party? That's what Saturn-in-your-7th is pressing you to do, in hopes of warding off any interpersonal pushback before it ever happens.

 

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Despite the continuing emphasis on this lesser-known 'no fucks to give' side to your personality, Cancer, I advise you to mainly stay out of the fray… at least during a good chunk of this week ahead. Yes, your desires remain emboldened, prodding you to put yourself out there, make your presence known, and strip off that bashful crab's-shell so you can really have some fun. Overall, this is actually a very favorable turn. I'm just trying to buy you a few more moments of preparatory retreat-time… in advance of Venus entering your sign this Friday (Jun 17), an exciting development sure to primp and polish the vibe you're putting forth into the world. From that point, you can happily lean on Venus's 3½-week visit to improve how you are generally received, to increase your appeal and likability, and to soften any sharp edges or aggro attitudes you might be carrying around. Therefore, up until the weekend, it doesn't behoove you to act on any nagging desires, attempt any major moves, or attract much attention to yourself—not when simply waiting until the weekend or beyond will immediately up the likelihood of attaining the results you want. On a similar note, with Mercury in your 12th moving into hard aspects with Saturn, Neptune, and Jupiter, this isn't the time to go on public record with opinions, decisions, or advice. Ride out those thoughts until at least the second half of next week, or even a bit longer… just to be doubly sure of yourself.

 

LEO (July 23-August 22): Remember this horoscope from three weeks back, Leo? There's a similar energy to your week ahead, insofar as it'd be more advantageous to stick with the friends, teammates, and/or like-minded peers who share your same values and attitudes than to veer off into a 'nobody understands me, therefore I am an island' mindset. Though it's likely true you are still working through certain strains of emotion that are uniquely yours—and, in their current state of 'still being worked through', not particularly accessible to anyone else's understanding—this ongoing process certainly doesn't demand you so dramatically sequester, seclude, or separate yourself from what everybody else is doing. For this passing moment, your wider social affiliations and the associated activities serve as a pleasant, perspective-bestowing release valve for any inner pressures which have built up (and will continue to build up as long as you stay vacuum-sealed within your recirculating emotion). Listen intently to the tales your comrades and colleagues tell… to get to know them better, to keep your mind off your own all-too-familiar narrative, to sniff out insightful hints which might be applicable to your situation, to draw energy from the collective well. Schedule your grand individuating re-entry splash for mid-July.

 

VIRGO (August 23-September 22): Please don't futz around with hair-splitting details that ultimately don't really matter that much, circuitous conversations seemingly going nowhere fast, or other interpersonal time-sucks, Virgo. Like it or not, you probably will have to circle back around to any such exchanges which still linger in limbo… but not this week, if you know what's good for you. Instead, adopt an ultra-professional tone to your communications (even those which have nothing to do with your actual profession), which would involve diligently noticing whenever a potentially disorienting or disruptive emotional reaction is being triggered in you before it takes over your tongue and interjects itself into the conversation. You may be really disappointed, upset, or pissed-off-as-all-get-out by a situation, a piece of news, or the behavior of a cohort, for instance. Yet, in that moment, it's probably best to reserve any visible clues to your response (as best you can, that is) while you take it all in, digest, and begin to strategize how you'll want to eventually handle it. The same advice also applies to overly eager, exuberant, or ecstatic reactions. A measured show of optimism will serve your short-term interests better than a full-on spectacle. The primary objective of this advice: to practice healthy emotional boundaries in circumstances where 'too many feelings' will prove distracting, and then handling how you feel about it all elsewhere.

 

LIBRA (September 23-October 22): You may indeed hold a decent, thoughtful, equitable attitude toward what's now unfolding, Libra… but it's still on you not to contaminate your argument by too blatantly attempting to spin its applicability to serve your own interests, as if to justify self-concern (which doesn't really need justification) with words intended to make it seem less, well, self-concerned. For the benefit of both these potentially incongruous motives—that is, (1) properly honoring what's philosophically fair and (2) shrewdly looking out for personal gain—it's probably best to distinctly separate your modes of engaging each one. For just this moment, I'd focus more intently on openly promoting principles and doctrines that demonstrate your broad-mindedness, adopting language meant to include folks of various proclivities and subject-positions… and to briefly hold off on pushing your self-serving agenda forward, so as not to confuse anyone about the sincerity of your principled stake. You'll have to dedicate extra amounts of communicative clarity, consistency, and candor to any vision-level messaging, in order to effectively reach the people who most need to hear your rallying-cry, though it's nothing you can't handle. Next workweek, with ruler Venus comfortably in your 10th, you can resume in earnest the practical efforts to bolster your own professional and/or financial standing.

 

SCORPIO (October 23-November 21): Though you may feel pretty sure you already know exactly what you want to get from a certain involvement, I urge you not to assume this is the only desirable resolution, Scorpio. After all, this isn't a particularly straightforward situation (despite how you might wish for it to be that obviously clear-cut)… and, for the immediate time being, you're likelier to gain a fuller awareness of other potentially attractive possibilities by sticking with the negotiations, conversations, explorations, and/or investigations a little while longer. Keep your mind exceptionally open (though not wishful, gullible, or blindly trusting), especially whenever another party is freely riffing off the top of their head (which is only likely to occur if you make it comfortable for them to do so, rather than giving off an intimidating air that'll put 'em on guard). Something they throw out there may, in fact, be the inspiring kernel that awakens your brain into renewed creativity. There could well be an even better scenario than what you've heretofore imagined, giving you more of what you want and/or buying you additional brownie-points in their eyes (an asset, incidentally, that could keep on yielding profit for some time to come). You won't know about it, though, unless you ease up on the insistence things proceed, right now, just as you've thought they should… and leave room to see what else emerges.

 

SAGITTARIUS (November 22-December 21): Put your main person(s) on Rebel Watch, Sagittarius, so they've got their eyes fixed pretty constantly on you… and can hopefully keep you from doing anything too reactive, impractical, self-undermining, or (god forbid) dangerous. Sound familiar? I certainly don't mind repeating myself, if I feel it's in your best interests—and I just don't trust what that renegade Mars-retrograde-in-your-12th might spur you to do, in a moment of escapism and/or fed-up-ness. To pull back just a little from painting Mars's current situation as unilaterally bad, it could alternatively be deployed to motivate a deliberate turning-inward of your assertive energies: an invitation to linger in purposeful, spiritually-minded repose (rather than goading your inevitable stampede onward right now). Even still, too much 'turning-inward', without simultaneously anchoring yourself in the real-world, could lead you to extrapolate too extremely upon initially promising insights… and to end up perilously close to drawing (ahem) bizarre or crazy conclusions. If you don't have a 'main person' to keep their eyes on you, then let me recommend you fill your social calendar with lots of one-on-one meetups. Take on the scheduling responsibility for keeping yourself out of trouble, while spreading the benefits of continual relational support across a plethora of multitudinous friends and loved-ones. Too much alone time could be too damn tempting to your inner mischief-maker.

 

CAPRICORN (December 22-January 19): Don't get thrown off your game by political in-fighting, group-dynamic grandstanding, competitive comparisons with those in situations similar to yours, and/or any pressure to choose sides, Capricorn. Feel free, of course, to carefully take note of where you stand, who stands and doesn't stand with you, and how you might later vocally promote, protect, and progress that stance amongst the collective. But this week isn't your shining occasion to deliver such a knockout-punch statement. Rather, your attention would be better aimed toward more modest, self-contained concerns… principally, those which will show concrete gains or progress as a simple factor of you spending a chunk of time working on them, without any further research, specialized expertise, or outside assistance needed. More than anything else, what you really need to bring to the table is a brave willingness to look at the given piece-of-work with fresh eyes—not indulging any emotional habit that instead would lead you to reject promising possibilities before fair consideration, to lazily fall back on past experiences which aren't as immediately relevant as you might argue, or to shut down your creative thinking due to fear of the unknown. In fact, it's the very act of making sincere peace with 'the unknown' that'll help you through any productivity blockages… and allow your methods to evolve.

 

AQUARIUS (January 20-February 18): You won't be able to reach your full career and/or outer-world potential, Aquarius, unless you're having a certain amount of fun in the process of trying. Or put another way, you can't expect to actualize that powerful breakthrough (which, as you well know, has been simmering in some half-finished state for a few months now) if you aren't allowing your creative mind to freely fiddle and riff and play around with possible innovations. Excessive seriousness will not produce the ingenuity you're aspiring to invest in your work… which is something you'll just have to convince your inner control-freak executive to accept, in order to stop 'em from breathing down your neck to 'win that fight!' or 'achieve more!' before you've been able to arrive at the most satisfying vision for doing just that. Re-inspire yourself by directing your visionary feelers to the core of love that underscores why you'd so intently seek to attain this goal—love for the act of creation, love for a particular person or ideal, love for the past, love for the future, love for the moment-by-moment unfolding, love for all of humanity and existence. This is how to connect with the currents of personal passion that, trust me, you'll want saturating your visible efforts. Don't stress too much, then, about whether this week proves especially 'productive'. You'll be in a better mood for that kind of concrete productivity next week.

 

PISCES (February 19-March 20): Quiet contemplation, rest and relaxation, gatherings around the home-hearth, and an intimate focus on quality family time are all more apt suggestions for how to fill your week, Pisces, than your trying to prove a point, further a major life-change, or make any resounding philosophic declarations. There's really no reason to get yourself all worked up about that big issue when, at least for this passing moment, the astrology implies more peaceful and pleasurable possibilities from mindfully choosing to table such debates, discourses, and directional pressures. (Don't worry about losing your passion or momentum; this 'big issue' remains a critical consideration for another couple months.) Not only do you deserve this temporary breather, but you actually also require it… as an integrative influence on you, while you continue the ongoing process of claiming greater authority and accountability in your outside-world role. You've been working pretty hard for a while now—and, if you haven't, you've been facing the harsh consequences head-on (which, naturally, is meant to rouse you into harder-working mode)—and probably need a bit of time to process your results, reactions, and observations away from others' unconsciously intrusive energies. Over this week and the next, if you take ample space and solitude, you're likely to reach an important conclusion about your feeling on all that.