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Horoscopes | Week of November 28-December 4, 2016

ARIES (March 21-April 19): You remain well-positioned to create a memorable impression, Aries, among professional colleagues or mentors, longtime observers who have quietly wondered whether you possess steadfastness to match your passion, and/or audiences eager to catch glimpses of your cumulative impact on this whole affair. As before, the key to securing such good favor comes down to your ability to publicly model even-tempered responses to unexpected turns, and not allowing first-impulse reactions to divert your focus from whatever's the main purpose-in-question. But you can persuasively provide that measured public modeling and still let your fiery side come out to play… as long as it's not rashly aimed at scrambling up the guiding plan that's already been agreed upon, and instead is proactively deployed as an ice-breaking tool, to put you in more direct contact with potential pals, peers, or vital networkers. The dauntless self-starter in you should feel free, therefore, to channel any spontaneous surge of 'do something' initiative towards getting to know people better (in personal or professional contexts), learning more about their worldview (to help you determine if they're genuinely like-minded allies), and proposing collaborative associations (once you have determined they're ally-worthy)… while keeping that wild spontaneity away from the main stage.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): If you're going to challenge the conventional wisdom, resist the governing authority, and/or battle back against institutional limitations, Taurus, please do so with an internally consistent and coherent philosophy to back it up. You're far less likely to emerge victorious if you just attack a particular individual (who may merely be a figure-head rather than some source of true evil), as if their ousting alone might magically fix what's broken about the whole enterprise… when, in fact, it's the enterprise itself which empowered certain people with certain roles that ultimately led to the situation you now take issue with. If you don't address this problem at its ideological roots, you should expect new weeds to start popping back up almost as soon as you've cleared the field of the old ones. As angry or defiant as you may feel, I recommend expressing your opposition with a relatively cool-toned intellect… which demonstrates you've thought through the repercussions of various mentalities, and ended up believing as you do based on the merits of its logic, not due to some emotional outcry. Even better if you can stay super-cool once they start losing their shit: Who's being 'the emotional one', anyway?

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): One way you can help yourself to tolerate the complications, confusions, and/or fears, Gemini, is to keep on loudly beating that drum which promotes a cherished value, defends against what's ethically improper, or opens up an opportunity for folks (including you, perhaps?) to further their knowledge. Though claiming your own immediate advantage probably requires you to stay put rather than dash off with the drumbeat, holding your ground in this singular situation needn't impede you from simultaneously orchestrating the mission behind your next scene-in-development. You should be emphatically orienting yourself in the direction from which future edification, inspiration, and philosophical illumination are most fervently summoning you… an intention-focusing move that signifies you don't see your most growth-fostering future here, doing the same damn things with the same damn people and learning nothing new from it. Your willingness to stand right where you are, while emanating an unflagging confidence in the fact that you know this uncertain spot isn't the end of your story ('exciting developments await!'), shows the other entangled player(s) you're an unflappable force to reckon with.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Though you may presently be embroiled in a serious negotiation, critical power-struggle, or other delicate transaction with the potential to strongly impact your emotional well-being, Cancer, you shouldn't treat the other party as if they're devoid of their own distinct version of humanity, feelings and foibles and all. Should you dehumanize them into some abstract obstacle to navigate or opponent to destroy, you'll be essentially waiving a certain interpersonal advantage you now possess (courtesy of Mercury joining Venus in your 7th) whenever you're intent on establishing a sincere relational connection. For the time being, you have a better-than-usual capacity to get into the other person's head, to understand what's motivating them, to reach out with just the supportive sentiment that's most relevant, and to foster a mutually respectful rapport based on shared interests. (This current relationship-enhancing influence applies across the board, by the way, not just in contentious contexts.) In order to utilize this astrological help, though, you must be willing to thoughtfully consider their stake in this matter… rather than concentrating solely on what you want out of it. As long as their personhood is merely something standing in your way, you're pretty unlikely to form the kind of connection that'll aid you in moving toward any mutual agreement.

LEO (July 23-August 22): There's a fine line between persuasively encouraging someone to hop on your train, Leo, and needling them to do things your way until they either submit against their wishes or annoyedly push back in refusal. I don't presume to know where exactly that line should be drawn, or on which side of it you're likeliest to end up… only that Mars's continuing occupation of your relationship house (the 7th) indicates you're still bringing a sharper, fiercer assertion of personal will to your one-on-one interactions, which could enable you to successfully convince other people to follow your lead or prod you to keep trying to succeed until you actually piss 'em off. Whichever direction it's going, though, will reveal itself throughout the process of casually discussing options, not just once a decision is called for. In other words, you'll get hints (albeit cursory or indirect) about what another person is thinking or feeling from fairly early on in the conversation… and, as the talking persists, you should see evidence of whether their mind is opening to alternatives or doubling-down on its already-set conclusion, as well as whether they're starting to become irritated with you. It's up to you, then, if you want to keep pursuing your desired outcome based on this evidence. The more genuinely in tune with their subtle cues you are, the less prone you'll be to let the dynamic veer too close to animosity or anger.

VIRGO (August 23-September 22): By concentrating on that which you can directly accomplish with your own efforts, Virgo, you'll be appropriately utilizing the now-advantageous placement of Mars in your 6th to make earthly strides which will provide you an immediate chance to grow your worth or wealth, a solider sense of inner emotional support, and the rightful feeling that you are actively doing something to make your own way. Though the potential rewards from conducting such basic self-sustaining work could easily extend across multiple life-channels (for few activities reinforce the overall well-being of a Virgoan soul more effectively than a job well done), please preserve a relatively modest outward focus. It's not about trying to tackle everything, with some comprehensive strategy that'll require you to manage multiple moving parts all at the same time. The more complex and multi-functional the scope-of-work you charge yourself with, the harder it resultantly becomes to find tasks which can be handled thoroughly without involving other people and/or overlapping considerations. Choose a few items you'll be able to complete all by yourself, then… and, by diligently assigning your attention to these matters, improve your own situation right away.

LIBRA (September 23-October 22): The developing astro-weather's now bringing you a weird mix of influences, Libra… some of which are liable to invigorate your self-assertive drive to claim the particular pleasurable prospects you're hungering for, while others suggest you'd be more content to just keep peacefully to yourself. With that in mind, I can't wholeheartedly advocate for one approach ('go out and grab what you want!') over another ('stay home, zip your lips, and bask in the quiet!') since both urges are actively being stoked by the planet-gods. So, let me slice-and-dice this situation in a way that hopefully provides a little bit more guidance. Whenever you're 'putting yourself out there' and/or 'looking for a good time' (however you wish to apply these descriptions), rely more on your embodied self, rather than a whole bunch of words, to make your intentions known. You're likelier to enjoy yourself if the version of fun is relatively simplifying, cuts through the need for too much conversation (especially the heavy kind), and rouses you to express non-verbal signs of giddiness or glee. However, should more serious topics or concerns present themselves for your engagement or response, I recommend the more introspective approach. Find some time to privately think it all over, so you can attain internal clarity first, before interacting about it.

SCORPIO (October 23-November 21): Turn up your outwardly-expressed charm to its maximum levels, Scorpio, so as to throw folks off the scent of what you're really pushing for, fighting against, or soldiering through. As far as the many friendly faces and familiar characters are concerned, you are in a wonderful mood for finding out all about their latest family trials and triumphs, neighborhood dramas, and friend-group scandals… for offering them just the right engaged responses and engaging questions to keep 'em chit-chatting along… and for allowing them to lose themselves in the pleasant flow of exchange, so that they hopefully forget to inquire too deeply into what's going on with you. That's because we want you to preserve as much discretion as possible, so whatever's been lately weighing on your heart, breathing down your neck, and/or driving you stark fucking raving mad has its ample psychic space to simply exist in your consciousness. Should you be pressured to discuss it, chances are that your efforts to put something into words which hasn't yet solidified will unfortunately misrepresent it, by collapsing its complexities into an oversimplification and/or leaving out a critical dimension. Your current emotional growth will come from not drawing others into the undifferentiated bog before you know what's what.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22-December 21): Coming on the heels of last week's expected putting-forth of your point, Sagittarius, this week looks to involve all the follow-up exchanges essential to answering certain individuals' unresolved questions or concerns, providing just a bit more specialized information to those who desire it, and/or reiterating the core message for consistency's sake. This is the part where you firmly massage your social connections, a knowing wink here and a compelling side-remark there, to ensure the affirmative 'click' is made. Though this interpersonal dance can feel like a playful pursuit or recreation-time release (especially if, as you should, you're behaving naturally), please don't neglect the fact that there's constructive self-securing business you're angling to achieve as you're tangoing through these steps. Meeting your operative goals mustn't come second to 'having a lovely time'. If that goal-oriented outlook is creating a faintly uneasy or dully distressing feeling in the pit of your stomach, however, the problem isn't your approach. It's with the 'goal' itself. Your conscience is telling you something about it may not be quite right. Take a deliberate pause, then, and feel into any discomfort.

CAPRICORN (December 22-January 19): By the time this coming weekend rolls around, you should finally begin to have the words to confidently describe what's recently been swirling around your head, Capricorn. The more tongue-tying transits are now giving way to an auspicious opening for freer self-expression… though you need not air every last sentiment of defiance, disaffection, or dissent, just because it might feel good to let it all out. Just because you can identify yourself as an independent agent of radical self-interest, that doesn't mean your on-the-ground interests will actually be well-served by thumbing your nose at your designated opponents. While some of the 'graceful-and-gracious reservedness' I endorsed last week is due to loosen up between this week and next, it remains vital to your continuing professional and/or public-world ascent to not distract attention away from the high-quality of your visible work, with inessential statements of personal belief or intent. Of course, if your own integrity is insistently nudging you to speak up, I won't convince you otherwise… but merely encourage you to, as swiftly and skillfully as possible, pivot back towards a dutiful embrace of 'the business-at-hand' whenever there's an opportunity to showcase your unwavering competence.

AQUARIUS (January 20-February 18): Keep quietly advancing yourself toward the gleaming beams radiating off that golden vision you've crafted for your future, Aquarius… saving the attention-grabbing declarations and congratulatory fanfare for some later moment. Though I'm typically a fan of allowing ourselves to be fruitfully swayed a bit off our predetermined course by the glory of others' serendipitous commentary, I see your present spot as benefitting from you holding to a certain tunnel-vision focus, at least for now. Lest you worry your latest surge of autonomy-endorsing audacity is a risk to your usual approach of thoughtfully-consulting-with-a-chorus-of-sensible-voices, please let me remind you how long you've been composedly sitting on the inceptive streaks of this vision… all this while looking at its different angles, poking holes in its most fantastical elements, batting around the potentials in this or that casual conversation, unobtrusively observing the scene and gathering lots of pertinent information. In other words, you've already done a lot of the backstage vetting. Now you're just being left to your own devices to carry out the steps of what you've been continuously devising over many months (or years). Trust that those closest to you will say something if you're going horribly wrong. Otherwise, please proceed, with unassuming daring.

PISCES (February 19-March 20): Assert all your current moves, Pisces, in that alternate-universe backroom laboratory chamber where a spirited tug on the invisible cord-to-the-cosmos, a few ritualistic sprinkles of magic-wish powder, and a concentrated stream of heartfelt devotional practice can, believe it or not, effectively put a whole set of concurrent evolutionary ripples into action—and nobody other than you has to know anything of such metaphysical magnitude has occurred. Mars-in-your-12th is now being beautifully supported by Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranus, which grants you an uncommon capacity to conjure real progress… using untraditional, non-linear, otherworldly means, in service to preparatory energy-work (e.g, neutralizing any negative self-talk, introducing self-actualizing mantras, agreeing to take the leap-of-faith, deciding not to fold in the face of challenge, clearing the psychic air), in advance of Mars entering your sign three weeks from now. On the other hand, attempting to move things noticeably forward on the earthly plane now doesn't promise very reliable results. As far as the world can see, then, you'll just be hanging out with your crew, unremarkably, eliciting little distinctive notice. Behind the scenes, however, you'll be casting some pretty potent sorcery.