Horoscopes | Week of September 4-10, 2017

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Time to get to work, Aries. You've had your fun. You've poured out your heart. You've flirted and frolicked, danced the night away, affirmed who you are and what you cherish in the world. Now that you've hopefully fed your senses and replenished your spirit, you ought to be able to return to the no-shortage of tasks, chores, job responsibilities, and/or duties to your health-and-well-being with a revitalized 'can-do' attitude. These next six weeks or so, as you host your ruler Mars in your solar 6th, promise to be your most tangibly fertile and functional in a long while… provided, of course, you don't rush through critical specifics, indulge frustrations related to anything that needs to be fixed or redone, or neglect to take proper care of your physical body. Admittedly, the first week or two of this ultra-productivity phase is liable to be the hardest, as Mercury's still unwinding itself from a retrograde and you're still reacclimating yourself to this more operational, businesslike mindset. Give yourself a little time to work through any adolescent resistance to returning to the grind—but still return to it nonetheless.

 

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You should be damn glad to hear, Taurus, this will be your first horoscope in a while that doesn't center on you confronting your stirred-up feelings or facing the threat of a possible explosion-of-emotion. Though you may still be maneuvering through some dissatisfaction, heartache, or pain, this week's planetary moves—including Mars getting the heck out of your 4th and heading into your 5th—suggest you could be through the worst of the 'raw' stage. While your recent weeks would've foregrounded your visceral reactions to hurts already suffered or impactful events already set into motion, this next chunk of time is your window for crafting a self-expressive and/or joy-driven response which positively demonstrates what you wish to create more of in your life going forward. Rather than continuing to identify so intensely with that which represents how you were disappointed, discouraged, or done wrong, I'd use this turn-in-the-tides to swivel towards whatever inspires, amuses, or energizes the part of you who still finds trust in the vast goodness of this world, scars and all.

 

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): It's a week of transition for you, Gemini, as your ruler Mercury returns to direct motion… and departs a house where incessant interpersonal contact is fostered (the 3rd), arriving to one, alongside Mars, where inner soul-searching and private emotional self-nurturance are more fittingly called for (the 4th). It's honestly hard for me to imagine you haven't already said more than enough to give any pertinent parties a fair shot at understanding your viewpoint and/or life-circumstances. That doesn't mean you shouldn't say more, but such an impulse would make me wonder why you'd be saying it. Are you sincerely attempting to convey a particular piece of information you previously tried to describe (to no apparent avail, based on their continuing not to 'get' it)? Or are you just wanting to vent your emotions about this whole thing, both for the feeling of release and to demonstrate to them how much you've been affected? This latter motivation is likelier, to be honest, though there's no shame in it. Should that indeed be your case, go for the release in an intimate setting (i.e., only around a true-blue confidante), but skip the urge to prove your seriousness with a more public display.

 

CANCER (June 21-July 22): You'll soon find yourself not quite as able to concentrate so keenly on your practical interests and analyses, Cancer… not with the sudden uptick in conversations begging to be had, messages to deliver, and/or random (or not-so-random) people angling for a few (or more) moments of your time. Please don't let such interjections or interruptions rankle you. The time is correct for allowing increasingly constant social interaction to absorb your attention, and, even if you don't think a particular exchange is offering you much in the way of 'relevant content', you should probably still grant that person the gift of your kind presence for a hot honoring second. In fact, your ability to continue looking out for your own bottom-line—even as the outside world insists on trying to distract you elsewhere—will only be strengthened by your having to persist while also being exposed to other people's comparatively trivial concerns and commentaries. (By the way, you won't help preserve your focus by insinuating to anyone else their concerns or commentaries are 'trivial' compared to yours.)

 

LEO (July 23-August 22): The urgency of developments and/or need for immediate actions which revolve around you, Leo, is beginning to come back down from the recent frenetic highs. Mars leaves your sign this week, as does a newly-direct Mercury, taking you off that hottest of hot-seats… and shifting you into a catch-your-breath position, from which you must now decide how to affirm, adjust, or utterly transform your economic outlook or earthly picture, based on everything's that happened over these past several weeks. Have you been thrown off your game? Have you altered the playing-field so significantly that you'd better check your stock-levels or bank-balances, reconsider your material plans, and/or start working to replenish the stores? Are there also potentially lucrative opportunities (whether obvious or hidden-beneath-the-surface) that have opened up, as a result of what might've first come on as an upset? Venus is still in Leo for another couple weeks, please remember, so you do have a benefic presently working to your advantage. As you slow your roll and lower the intensity of your assertive energy, your requests-for-help and offers-to-participate will be less affronting to those you can fulfill or accept them. Soften your tone, then explore the opportunities.

 

VIRGO (August 23-September 22): It's an astrologically momentous turning-point for you, Virgo, with your ruler Mercury ending its retrograde on Tuesday (Sep 5) so that it'll move back into your sign by week's-end... and Mars also landing in Virgo that same day, ushering in a critical six-week phase of potent self-assertion and get-'er-done initiative. Remember all those horoscopes in which I urged you to hold tight, watch and wait, and prepare yourself for the right time to act? Well, the waiting's now over, and that time has come. This should prove to be one of the most productive intervals of your '17, especially if you've been quietly strategizing and scheming in anticipation of just such an occasion (rather than, say, prematurely lurching ahead and causing fallout effects which then demanded attention). Don't rush to overplay your hand in these first few days, however, as if your recently letting other people take the lead or have their way must be suddenly and totally countered with too hardline an imposition of your agenda. Along with bringing an assertive energy-boost, Mars can also make one blindly self-interested and/or hard to get along with.

 

LIBRA (September 23-October 22): Please take your foot off the gas sometime this week, Libra, and allow your vehicle to cruise into a different, less outwardly effortful gear. Over the coming weeks, I suspect you'll find plenty of culminating circumstances which demand your prompt attention, but through private activity rather than too much involvement with others. Venus is still in your 11th for another couple weeks, hopefully making it easy to keep your social relations happily in place while you disappear from active participation in any and all externalized drama. But it's your 12th house taking on increasing emphasis, a sign that you're now being asked to wrap up ongoing efforts or projects (whether altogether or just the latest phase), digest those extra-large bites of life still moving through your system, grieve whatever hasn't worked or was necessarily left behind… and prepare yourself for a next stage that's less 'exploring your options' and more 'show me the money'. That's a lot to deal with on the spiritual-perspective or life-meaning level. Don't forget to tend to your earthly needs (e.g., eating, paying bills, etc.) all the while.

 

SCORPIO (October 23-November 21): As you punctuate, clarify, or amend the point you've been trying to make in your career zone and/or within full view of some very important or influential people, Scorpio, I suggest using your relative agreement with—or marked difference from—the other relevant players and their accepted wisdom to further illustrate your stance. Either your teammates are onto something solid, have thoroughly thought these details through, and are faithfully working toward the same vision that you are… or you feel they're missing the boat on certain critical specifics, or else haven't otherwise proven to be the type of allies you can depend on to cover your back while you're furthering the collective agenda, and thus the divergent insights or action-plans you hold will distinguish you from an unremarkable crowd. Whatever your case, vocally position yourself in your most authentic spot among the other social forces at play, rather than proceeding as if in a bubble. As you consider your rightful place in this group, though, don't forget to also factor in what you really enjoy doing.

 

SAGITTARIUS (November 22-December 21): The spotlight now calls, Sagittarius… which means, because of how important this oncoming moment is to your grander aspirations and how attentively the public will soon be watching you, it's probably wise to dial down some of the recent excitability and start becoming a bit more deliberate, controlled, and precise. You've just received a pretty sizable download of inspiration, idealism, and/or insight (didn't you notice? or were you too busy debating or defending?). And now you're charged with doing something constructive with it, to demonstrate your passions aren't merely abstract but can serve as fuel for you actualizing concrete progress in the real world. But 'constructing' something solidly enough that it's built to last isn't a simple matter of amassing passions into a huge heap and calling it a day. Engineering such an impressive feat requires handling a lot of little details just so, without losing your cool whenever one doesn't instantly or easily slip into place (because, fuck, that's life). Get quiet with yourself, and make sure your heart is really in this. If it is, bravely go forth with patient care. If it isn't, that's okay, too.

 

CAPRICORN (December 22-January 19): This week brings reminders of the tension, Capricorn, between (1) staying earnestly open-minded, respectful, and sympathetic in your interpersonal dealings and (2) holding a strict-and-scrupulous boundary about certain principles and ethics, so as not to give anyone the perception of 'getting a pass' from you on problematic attitudes or behaviors. Perhaps you're jumping to the conclusion that I'm about to nudge you towards the former of these poles, endorsing unreserved kindness and live-and-let-live neutrality over pushing back at anyone with your unwavering belief. Wrong. Of course you know I'll advocate for treating others respectfully (provided you're receiving the same treatment and aren't under threat) whenever possible. But such basic respect hardly demands you remain open to remarks you find repellent, or even especially sympathetic to someone's perceived plight if it's predicated on a one-sidedness blind to the parallel sufferings their subjective viewpoint enables. No need to be cruel or unfeeling, in order to stand up for a cherished value in the face of possibly-unconscious emotional manipulation.

 

AQUARIUS (January 20-February 18): You're plainly reaching the 'no going back from here' verge of reckoning, Aquarius. The backs-and-forths in your ideas about, conversations with, and/or feelings toward a certain someone (or other people in general) are presently cohering into a more-fully-formed stance… which, though it may still hold some mixed emotions or complex conundrums, indicates you've become ready to promote and/or defend your interests within this collaborative muddle. The time for batting ideas around together has now given way to, sorry to say, a call to fight for your fair stake—even if this 'fight' will cut into the most sensitive spots of this relationship, cause distress on one side or the other, and leave you with increasingly fewer options for a mutually satisfying resolution. To do this right, you must do this all the way. Yet, in light of the potential sensitivities and distresses, it also behooves you to proceed carefully, taking one well-thought-out step at a time… and a recovery pause after each and every development that causes you an emotional reaction. Otherwise, you could be too easily lured away from your thoughtful stance, and into a befuddling sinkhole.

 

PISCES (February 19-March 20): Expect any lurking tensions or as-yet-unexpressed relational gripes to start rising to the surface, Pisces, as Mars moves into your 7th (along with a newly-direct Mercury) this week. This astrological transition points to an increasing need for taking interpersonal action… in some way that clearly demonstrates what you desire, pushes back against the other party's dominance, and/or expresses your discontent with the status-quo dynamic. Though you're likely to experience growing irritation with certain individuals you may feel are overlooking your interests, drowning out your voice, or asserting too much influence over your decision-making, I'd caution you not to come on too fast-and-strong with any finger-pointing 'you you you' accusations. They may indeed be guilty of some imposition or intrusion, but you may have also played your role in setting them up to do so… whether through your gradual allowance or avoidance, by not having been direct enough about your needs, and/or because you didn't fully realize what had been happening until now. I tell you all this not to reassign blame or discourage you from taking the essential action, but merely to help you engineer your best forward-facing tactic.