Horoscopes | Week of November 8-14, 2010

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Have you distilled the source of your discontent to one or two easy-to-encapsulate points of contention? If not, Aries, it's high time you refined those gripes into a coherent argument rather than a disorganized grab-bag of complaints and criticisms. You won't get anywhere without such coherence… even as this is now your best time to strive for a peaceful agreement where before there were merely a lot of crossed signals creating much static. (See also: last week's horoscope.) The emotional nuances have been investigated as fully as they can; each party is now responsible for dealing with those on his/her own. Together, your only genuinely productive step is to mutually decide what to do next. Whatever already happened will not be unwritten. So, if you are never going to be able to let go of the mistrust, you ought to admit that to yourself as soon as possible… and begin the official proceedings to disengage yourself completely. Nothing good will come from remaining in an untrustworthy situation. In all other cases, however, the path forward will come from reaching common ground on those one or two contentious points—and starting with a clean slate on everything else.

 

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): The outgrowth of recent relationship entanglements, for better or worse, has gotten a little out of hand… not that this is necessarily a problem in itself (especially if the outgrowth feels like it's for 'better' rather than 'worse'). But as I mentioned last week, Taurus, one other person or interpersonal situation mustn't be permitted to overshadow everything else—a warning that is especially true, now that Venus is retrograding back into your solar 6th, to remind you how much personal satisfaction you derive from staying productive in those areas of responsibility that fulfill your own self-defined goals. Put this snapshot into a proper realistic perspective. If you like the latest relationship happenings, then start fitting them into a more clearly sustainable slot alongside all the other aspects of life, to prove you're not victim to idealizing what's actually workable. And if you don't like these happs and instead wish to God they'd stop devouring whatever else is in their path… well, the best revenge against someone causing you reckless drama is to remain on track and on task, despite their attempt to derail you.

 

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Actively seek companionship or assistance. Combine your efforts with someone else's. Partnering up is where it's at, Gemini, if you want to increase your momentum and receive better results in the process. It doesn't much matter if we're talking about joining with another individual for personal or professional purposes; both situations are presently favored for collaboration. But whatever you do, please don't insult anybody's intelligence by fronting as if you've got your shit totally together. You'll develop tighter interpersonal coordination by forthrightly confessing to 'em where you're doubting yourself, feeling overwhelmed or underqualified, or hopelessly unsure of how to clean up a mess. Be specific in describing the help you need, and what you will bring to the table as your contribution. No one ought to be able to later legitimately claim they had been misled. Despite the initial discomfort of showing this other person exactly what you've got going on behind the curtain, you'll ultimately enjoy the sense of togetherness that comes from sharing both the burdens and the benefits.

 

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Compelled to scurry away after one too many late-night provocations, boozy slips-of-the-tongue or other supposedly-out-of-character carryings-on? Sure, Cancer, steal yourself a few moments to save face, if you feel it's necessary—though I wouldn't be surprised if you were making a bigger deal of it than anybody else who may've witnessed you letting loose. Bottom line: We want you to be comfortable with all aspects of your character, including those that inspire you to rebel against the sweet shyness we typically associate with you… and if that requires you step back from the action long enough to catch your breath (and observe that no one has turned a cold shoulder on you because you dared to ditch your inhibitions for a spell), step on back. But just so you know: In the end, you're likely to realize (if you're being honest with yourself) how much you enjoyed those very same activities that also had you hiding your face in nervous shame. Now, what can we do to root out that shaming self-talk, so you can ditch the self-conscious nerves in support of more unabashed fun? A good place to start: some wholesome work, as a healthful counterbalance to all the play.

 

LEO (July 23-August 22): It's no longer very possible, if it ever really was at all, to prevent yourself from getting involved. Though prior weeks' astro-missives have encouraged more private relaxation and such, I think you'll find it increasingly dissatisfying to stay cooped up in the house (even in cases where it's probably 'what's best for you'). So at the same time I'm giving you a green-light to reenter the conversation and make a point of making your point, Leo, I also want to gently remind you that you'll also be reintroducing yourself into a still-brewing interpersonal brouhaha (whether over major issues or minor trifles)… which may continue to contribute those same additional stresses to your life that originally left you so in need of a few-weeks' escape. Which is worse: bored antsiness, or overstimulation? Oh, who are we kidding? You crave the overstimulation. Just be aware that every extra offhand comment invites the possibility you'll end up needing to 'talk it out'.

 

VIRGO (August 23-September 22): Reattune more inwardly. (1) Enough outside input for the time being, combined with (2) a need for more private consideration and (3) certain self-preservation instincts instinctively kicking in, is a formula for taking care of your own business… and letting the other noise die down. You know it's time for a periodic reset, Virgo, when you start to feel like there are too many stray factors competing for your attention. Reduce the competition by shutting the door and handling what's already made its way through. How the heck are you to adeptly prioritize, if you aren't working with a relatively finite list of options demanding prioritization? You don't necessarily owe anybody an explanation either (unless, of course, they cannot attend to pressing business of their own without a response from you, in which case avoiding them would be trés rude). I don't see why you couldn't turn your phone off, log out of Facebook or put an auto-respond on your email, and just spend a few days catching up with all the variables that have run away with themselves.

 

LIBRA (September 23-October 22): Measured pleasantries can amount to more than a cursory grin here or there, if played wisely. Casual exchanges can lead to much-more-than-casual consequences… as long as you make it seem like you held nothing but the most casual motivations the entire time (rather than a much-more-than-casual interest in what they can do for you). This reemphasis on last week's horoscope, Libra, ought to inspire your inner diplomat to extend non-descript olive branches or steathily persuasive invitations to folks who, as you see it, decidedly belong in your circle of acquaintances. You may have little more than the vaguest sense of uncanny affinity with a pal's pal or a near-stranger, though that is a sufficient intuitive signal to get that person on your side. Why worry why? Include them on the holiday-festivities list, and you might be quite pleased to see the favor returned—and further doors opened up to you, simply due to your willingness to play by the rules of polite engagement. This is an ideal moment for taking the lead in mending fences with siblings, cousins or neighbors who have previously caused minor or major headaches. It's about keeping all the lines of communication clear, out of respect both for who you know and for who they know, too.

 

SCORPIO (October 23-November 21): Just do you, boo, and don't push it on anyone. The lightest grip is all you need to stay upright; anything firmer will stir the opposite reaction into being, pulling back against your clutch. Speak about facts, while letting others draw their own conclusions. Even if you sense they're wrong, a direct confrontation won't reveal the errors in their thinking. Repeat the facts, then release. Protect yourself from becoming a victim of the collateral damage from somebody mistaking your enthusiasm for a know-it-all attitude. You may indeed 'know it all' in this case, but they don't need to know that. This will not be your last chance to chime in. Trust that this issue will cycle around again, in similar but slightly progressed form, at a time when your input will have a greater positive effect. Right now, cards held closer to the chest will safeguard you from an unnecessary loss or backwards-step. Your worst enemy is the not-altogether-rational temptation to defend your honor when, in fact, it's not actually in doubt… and which instead only serves to foster such doubt.

 

SAGITTARIUS (November 22-December 21): Before I grant you my full blessing to be the week's shit-stirrer or loudmouth provocateur—and oh yes, Sagittarius, you will be receiving that blessing—I just need us to get clear on what's the most fruitful purpose for such activity. Above all else, you should think about which attitudes and actions will best strengthen your affiliation with those individuals, organizations and/or ideas that align with your beliefs about healthy community-building. In other words, you want to be sure that your provocations bring you closer to those who share a certain like-mindedness… that your envelope-pushing behavior is likely to generate cheers, rather than jeers, from the right people. At the same time, you needn't worry about offending folks who'd probably consider themselves adversaries of a sort, especially if they knew how you really felt. Lest they mistakenly assume you're on their side, go ahead and let them know you adamantly disagree. Unceremoniously shoot holes in their unsubstantial story. Deconstruct their supposed moral righteousness. Slice through their propagandist messaging. Anyone within earshot should know who you're standing with and not with. And as long as you're proceeding with such conscious purpose, you've got my blessing.

 

CAPRICORN (December 22-January 19): Are the walls really closing in on you, Capricorn? Hard to tell exactly. But no matter, since whether this is a real threat or merely an optical illusion, your best approach remains the same—push your arms outward, standing still, and take faith in your strength to resist the impending doom (or your irrational fear of it). The next several moves are likeliest to be made by those folks with more trigger-happy fingers… those who do not possess the same stoic solidity of character you do, a quality that prevents you from reacting too hastily to changes in circumstance which could have longer-reaching ramifications… those who are compelled more by a fiery drive to uphold their apparent ego-dominance than by pragmatic goal-oriented purposes. Let them do their thing. You, meanwhile, ought to continue quietly bearing the weight of public opinion atop your shoulders, refusing to grimace in case there might be cameras around. Hold steady, biding time. The odds are with you, as long as you don't get spooked by peripheral glimpses of others' unbridled craziness… and, distracted by this phantom concern, lose your leverage.

 

AQUARIUS (January 20-February 18): The collective onus to 'do the right thing' has somehow landed back on your lap. And though you're obviously not the only person around who is capable of holding the firm moral line against the encroachment of slippery loophole-exploiting, Aquarius, for some cosmic reason, circumstances demand that you, yet again, serve as said enforcer. As it is presently to both your personal and team advantage to keep things moving forward despite any sideline snarls, there's no need to risk your feedback being ignored or downplayed in importance by delivering it too softly or unobtrusively. I encourage blunt statements that directly call out the questionable behavior. Notice: You're to focus on calling out the behavior, not the person behind it. This isn't a personal matter so much as an issue of 'best practices' consistency. Dare you let it become about personalities, you're liable to wander into the same dubious moral ground you're being charged with shielding the whole group from.

 

PISCES (February 19-March 20): Sometimes, the only effective method for conveying your point to a strong and stubborn (or painfully narcissistic) person is with seemingly harsh clarity… in flatly-stated absolutes, leaving no opening for discussing further possibilities… uttered aloud in public, maybe in front of witnesses who can verify you said what you said and/or discourage the other party from using dirty tactics under their watchful eyes. Of course, Pisces, I'd understand if you weren't quite up for that line of attack (or, perhaps more correctly, 'line of defense') because you fear your level of resolve hasn't reached that pivotal point yet. On the other hand, the very act of deploying such an unambiguous stance, and doing so openly for all the world to hear, will surely embolden you. We often need to speak things into being, letting the words lead us into a deeper commitment to our intentions, and an audience's presence holding us accountable for following through on it. As for any concerns about your 'being mean' by adopting such a potentially stinging tone? You've got it flipped around funny: You wouldn't need to be so harshly direct if they hadn't been unkindly steamrolling you in the first place.