Horoscopes | Week of May 8-14, 2017

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Beware of expressing yourself with overconfidence, Aries. Even with an astro-backdrop that continues to favor you serving as fearless wielder of stunning observations, fresh opinions, and devil-may-care truth-bombs, you must intently accept—and live by—the absolute awareness that you do not know everything. You don't even know 'everything' related to that thing you know really really well. By wholeheartedly embracing this humbling maxim of reality, you leave yourself room to learn even more about whatever passion, pursuit, or problem you're already super-engaged in investigating. With such an orientation, you'd use your lively interest and provoking tone to prod others into furthering the discussion toward new ground… asking pointed questions and/or playing devil's-advocate in a sincere spirit of curiosity, rather than in an effort to 'win' the debate (to what ends?) and/or shame the other person(s) for their limited understanding. If instead you seek to dominate the discourse or shut it down with some hostilely definitive remark, the 'humbling' may instead be hoisted upon you via an awkward or embarrassing reminder from the universe.

 

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Because you don't operate in a vacuum, Taurus—and because Mercury is still screwing with you from its unstable foothold alongside Uranus in your 12th—please be exceedingly conscientious in considering how any immediately self-profiting and/or independence-minded action you take might rankle your tribemates, community-members, or affiliates. While I'm not suggesting you sacrifice your own interests to preserve goodwill within the group (since, let's be honest, 'goodwill' doesn't pay the bills), you mustn't inadvertently go too far in the other direction either… as if to (conveniently?) forget how any mutual agreements (whether spoken or assumed) or a wider solidarity could be impinged upon by your so unilaterally going your own way. You may not intend to undermine, offend, or mistreat anybody—that's the whole point: protecting yourself from causing unintentional collateral damage—yet it could happen anyway (and 'good intentions' won't undo your lapse). As a result, then, I'd advise thoroughly thinking through all the possible reasons why other players might respond unfavorably to a potential act of self-interest. That's a tall enough order to hopefully prevent short-sighted deeds on your part.

 

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): This could be a treacherous week for you, Gemini, if you permit that temporarily deluded or foolhardy Mars-in-your-1st to incite self-directed actions which dishonor a mentor or authority-figure, betray the appropriate institutional bounds, and/or sabotage your own pursuit of a larger goal. To ward off such impulses, please understand this isn't a very suitable moment for shirking conventional wisdom, straying from your proven allies, or setting off on a solitary course… even as you may be experiencing a boost in personal confidence or enthusiasm, which might convince you now's the time to make your move. In general, yes, this Mars-roused interval (roughly, late April through early June) will help you push past any stuckness, noticeably express your desires, and distinguish yourself from the crowd. This week's Mars-Neptune square, however, impairs your ability to understand the full consequences of any autonomous deeds or self-serving attention-grabs (especially as far as your public reputation or professional footing are concerned) until after it's too late. No major worries, though: If you can slow your roll just a bit, this treacherous influence will pass on by week's-end.

 

CANCER (June 21-July 22): As the ongoing shake-up in your professional (and/or public-sphere) sector progresses further, Cancer, the latest news to come out (another surprise? a further departure? additional details?) will begin pointing the way to a gradual re-stabilizing. While you shouldn't expect this 'beginning' to yield renewed stability right away, your best approach for supportively contributing to its emergence will center on how to ground the changes in your day-to-day work. This isn't the moment to worry about 'what this all means' for you (beyond the immediate sense, that is). Let's allow you the chance to see how it's likely to pan out functionally, before issuing a judgment like that. At the same time, let's also acknowledge the emotional impact of such imminently-irresolvable unknowns: Even if you're amped up about the positive potentials, it's still disconcerting to not know quite how to assert your personal agency in such a dynamically unfolding situation. So don't assert your agency too boldly, not for another few weeks, lest it be unconsciously driven by fear rather than self-determined clarity.

 

LEO (July 23-August 22): What may seem like a fairly unambiguously or non-controversially correct stance to adopt amongst your community or social group, Leo, could become more complicated than you'd anticipated… particularly if you unwittingly (even with the sincerest of intentions) take for granted a presumed commonality with certain parties who, truth be told, see this issue quite differently than you do. While you might share a primary identity, a motivating cause, and/or a fond history together, that doesn't mean there isn't at least one major distinction between you—whether a contrast in family background, economic-class position, psychological imprinting, or other such inherited life-experience—which results in a not-insignificant deviation in your respective outlooks. This needn't be an alienating difference, so long as you neither discount its importance nor attempt to speak on behalf of mutual concerns that perhaps aren't as 'mutual' as you imagine. You should still adopt the stance that's authentically yours, of course. Just do so by speaking only for yourself, while listening respectfully to those who may see it differently due to the life they've led.

 

VIRGO (August 23-September 22): With Mars moving through your 10th these past few weeks, Virgo, I suspect you've been dealing with some ripe shot to demonstrate your gumption, exacerbated friction with a manager or the overall governing structure, and/or generally heightened activity levels in your career zone (or some other outer-community participation). No matter if it's a golden chance or a frustrating challenge, you hold a lot of power to work this to your advantage, based on properly honoring and/or advocating for your own overriding goals—or to cause trouble for yourself, should you feel impelled to take up an unproductive rivalry or fighting stance. The biggest source-culprit behind such troublemaking? A case of mishandled interpersonal behavior, believe it or not. As this 10th-house Mars squares Neptune-in-your-7th this week, you're at risk of miscalculating the outcome of your public actions because you're not seeing another person clearly, unconsciously overlooking their input or stake, muddling your intent in an uncalled-for effort to 'protect' them, and/or venting personal frustrations to the wrong ears. Take extra care, therefore, to glean verifiable information on where someone else stands… so as to prevent needlessly trampling on their toes.

 

LIBRA (September 23-October 22): This is a week in which your intellectual imagination may be reaching a new apex of brilliance, Libra… but, at the same time, these latest-and-greatest understandings could be somewhat less concretely workable or realistic than they might first seem. Don't take that as bad news, please, just a helpful warning against taking abrupt action or suddenly setting off on a major course-rerouting. Your latest ideas may, in fact, be that great—they just need a bit more diligent vetting and refining before they'll be ready to roll out as the miraculous guiding-light of your ongoing efforts. In particular, I see you spending some time in open-ended, non-defensive, factfinding conversation with other players in the field, allowing them to ask questions and poke holes and propose alternatives. If the process feels a little rough to the experiential touch, try reminding yourself any critical friction from others is meant to slough off the parts of your rationale that aren't solid enough to withstand the elements of nature. You are reaching a new apex of brilliance; to make the absolute most of it, you must let others help show you how to best actualize it with maximal operative effectiveness.

 

SCORPIO (October 23-November 21): Sensitivities will be running high during a week featuring a full moon in your sign (on Wed May 10), Scorpio… leaving you likelier than usual to get mired in an immersive tangle of come-ons, knockdowns, push-and-pulls, and/or other psychological response-instincts, some of which originate from you and some which more rightly belong to someone else, though I wouldn't bet on being able to properly distinguish which are whose. That last bit describes what could pose you the most trouble: allowing yourself to become so consumed by the psychically interpenetrating back-and-forth with another party (or entity) that you temporarily forget what you want out of the situation. Actually, let me amend that: You could easily forget what it was you would want, if you weren't so 'in it' with this other person (but because you are, your own distinct desires may be clouded by the unrelenting relationality). The simplest remedy for such a dilemma is, of course, to separate yourself from the engagement enough so that you can look at it from the outside, as an individual rather than a co-participant. Admittedly, that might be the last thing you feel like doing…

 

SAGITTARIUS (November 22-December 21): Don't let yourself get too distracted by what someone else is up to, Sagittarius. Whether you're yearning for more doting attention from them or you're hellbent on kicking their ass, you may be overestimating the extent to which their presence is currently contributing to your emotional state. In other words, the preoccupying interest or urge-to-tussle could be something of a red herring: Though it may be genuine in itself, it's also likely to become more exaggerated under the week's astrology, as it diverts your energy away from your own inner landscape and toward an easier-to-grapple-with target outside yourself. (That's why I don't recommend seeking guidance on your desired action from friends either; still outside you.) What if you momentarily stepped back from any impulse toward interpersonal engagement… and instead spent your energy on private self-reflection, to help you identify exactly what under-the-surface emotional need of yours is being imprecisely consumed by this relational situation? To take a pause this week, even if you later proceed just as you'd wanted, will improve your aim.

 

CAPRICORN (December 22-January 19): I hope you realize I unequivocally stand in support of your freedom to set the course for your own most self-nurturing path, Capricorn, just as I talked about last week. I want to loudly reiterate that sentiment before I again point out how this rationale doesn't necessarily (in fact, can't) apply to your outward behavior insofar as it impacts others. This important distinction is liable to come into play in the week ahead, during this time when you hold an enhanced capacity to accomplish a shitload of concrete work (and potentially gain recognition or a leg-up in your grand-scheme aspirations). In this particular context, you don't have the luxury of toiling away in relative independence, plowing through the tons in whatever manner you most prefer. Others get their say, too, if they're duly involved with the process or the end-result. You mustn't skip this step of discussing pertinent details with such players. Not only are you likely to rile those who you left out (in a semi-conscious desire for uncompromised freedom?), but you might discover your diligent efforts were incomplete, misguided, or wasteful… all because you didn't check in first.

 

AQUARIUS (January 20-February 18): Just because you're so fucking ready to finally get on with whatever's most compelling to you right now, that's no excuse to proceed with flagrant impracticality, Aquarius. The astrology at the moment is dangerously tempting you to forego proper consideration of economic costs, functional constraints, and/or other potential reality-check buzzkills… all out of a frenetic impatience for 'the fun stuff' you've been holding out for over these past weeks or months. Don't get too far ahead of yourself, please. These near-irresistible interests and undertakings are 'getting on' with themselves, as you well know whenever you pause to ponder everything that's happened since '17 began. But if you don't linger long enough to regain a practically-minded perspective, and instead find yourself overcome with the type of nervous excitement that sometimes causes us to do nearly anything to immediately release the built-up energy in the general direction of our heart's-desire, you're liable to overshoot your mark… by forgetting about a presently-pressing duty, not preparing for the next-steps, and/or spending too much damn money too quickly.

 

PISCES (February 19-March 20): Be cautious about diving into any highly emotionally-charged squabbles or spats, Pisces, particularly if they involve a family member and/or somebody you live with. It's not that you'd necessarily be lacking a legitimate reason for your upset (are you? you tell me). Rather, I'm concerned your feelings about the immediately triggering incident will be disproportionate to the actual offense… because, of course, it's serving as a trigger for far deeper, more involved and/or longer-endured hurt that's been buried in you. To be clear, any heightened feelings themselves are not improper or indecent; they simply exist as they are. But since their force is being fueled by more than just the present circumstances-at-hand, your expression of them (especially if directed at a person you're fairly intimate with) could unfortunately go way out of circumstantial bounds, if you aren't paying close self-centering attention. Don't shoot yourself in the foot. Behaviors driven purely by a moment's flared emotions could set you up for later regret and/or get you further into the very morass that's so triggering. Think endgame, not rash-response.