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Horoscopes | Week of November 17-23, 2014

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Though you're probably not done asserting the terms of an agreement, holding an important emotional boundary, and/or reaching a deeper level of acceptance regarding any recent splits or status-changes, you are quickly becoming much better able to clearly see beyond here, Aries. Even as the inevitable headaches associated with towing a hard-line may still throb, you can elicit much anticipatory joy by, all the while, aiming your heart toward that freer-and-more-fulfilling future which will only exist as a result of painstakingly pulling this off. Part of the paradigm-shift that's now occurring is a move away from interpreting this situation as a personality power-struggle or a standoff between two entities… and toward understanding it as a broader, less-directly-interpersonal question of what you value (or don't value) as a critically important consideration in defining a life you're proud to lead. This change-in-thinking helps take the focus off of them—and redirects it squarely onto you (who, incidentally, is the only person you have any power over anyhow). As a result, all the unpleasant reactions their actions and attitudes might stir in you would be productively supplanted by your own eager anglings to get on with the journey already. What a mood-elevator, eh?!? But let's end where we began, just to punctuate your persisting duty: You've still got to stick with this protracted process, if you intend to ultimately move forward cleanly.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): The relational pulse between you and a certain someone has essentially reached its 'new normal' over these past few weeks, Taurus: It's either more solid than ever, based on how you two are able to meet challenges and/or handle important business together… or it's seriously showing its limitations, whether as a call to invest more work in this coupling (if, of course, both parties are intent on preserving it) or as a wall which seems, at this point, pretty immovable. (And lest you assert that no present interpersonal situation in your life has hit such a progress-marker, let's just say this applies more generally to your own attitude toward the compromise-vs.-firmness tradeoff in relationships.) As of now, therefore, you ought to start officially proceeding onward according to this updated relational-reality: Where it's functioning well, you might want to find a future-minded commitment or goal you two can enthusiastically share, so as to promote a further development that'll bring more mutual joy. And where it's not, you probably should move into the undeniably muddled matter of what to do next (which might also involve how the hell to get out of here). In the process, though, don't forget to consider how such an onward-ho alignment will likely impact your position among common friends and/or communities you participate in.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Ah, the soaring support and stimulating synergy of simple companionship, Gemini. No need to look very far for comfort and joy: Right across the table from where you now are, metaphorically speaking, sits at least one of your all-time favorite people. It's understandable if you recently slipped into taking them for granted, considering all the hard work that's been expected of you while on the clock and all the demon-slaying you've had to handle during your off-hours. I wish I could tell you all that demanding responsibility is over, done with, and decidedly put to bed… though you and I both know that's just not true. But pause for a second, and look up from what you're doing. Just the sight of that inspiring individual can put a smile on your face, even if you'll be back to grimacing under the pressure of hard-labor in mere moments. Dare you argue there isn't anybody for you to smile at, I'll bat the birdie right back across the net at you: Venus is in your 7th right now, and the world is full of people waiting to grin at and wink at, chat with and listen to, flirt at and play with… YOU! For reals, though. There's presently no shortage of interpersonal happinesses to bask in. The only thing holding you back from total immersion in the pure delight of relationality is time. Enjoy those few spare moments to their utmost with somebody else, and then get back to the grind.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): You might be surprised to hear, Cancer, your most surefire method for alleviating any angst recently stirred up by being at odds with a certain someone is to lose yourself in work. Believe it or not, great satisfaction and cheer can be presently be found through busying yourself, investing good old-fashioned effort into concrete tasks and health-supporting habits. For one thing, you can't underestimate the simple power of motion: When you're psychologically 'stuck' somewhere, the sheer act of productively moving your body directly fosters the movement of thoughts, feelings, and energetic blocks along with it. (On the other hand, when you stay put in a tightly-coiled ball, you're not likely to experience much psychic transformation.) Physical exercise, for instance, could be a godsend at the moment, helping you to release whatever's pent up without projecting it into an interpersonal spat. Likewise, tackling a piece-of-work or household-project that undeniably needs to be dealt with (and which may have been subtly weighing on you in its glaring incompleteness) might provide that sense of accomplishment you haven't yet been able to attain in that certain standoff. After all, what better way to counteract the frustration of an unresolved situation involving someone else than to throw yourself into items you can resolve without anyone else's involvement?

LEO (July 23-August 22): You may be quite heartened to hear, Leo, that though I still don't endorse any attempts to shirk the continuing call for your responsible attention to duty, you'll now get to balance all this hard work with a whole lot more fun. So, even if you can't yet stop what you're doing nor leave where you are, you most certainly can make the delicious most of all those remaining hours when you're not diligently meeting your obligations. Your current Venus-in-the-5th transit is one of my personal favorites, mainly because it increases your ability to attract both pleasurable experiences and the type of personally-appealing individuals you'd most enjoy sharing those experiences with. And this power-of-attraction feeds itself, too: The more fun you have, the more fun-loving a vibe you'll exude… and, quite logically, the more fun-lovers you'll draw into your sphere-of-fun. (As per usual, I feel compelled to throw in a little caution: A moment's chemistry between you and a certain admirer may feel so strong, one or the other of you is driven to conveniently ignore an important reason why you're not a lasting fit.) To that end, I wouldn't recommend discussing whatever practical and/or emotional stresses might be on your shoulders, not during the whole-lot-more-fun portions of your time. Work hard and play hard, yes, but never the twain shall meet.

VIRGO (August 23-September 22): While there's still quite a bit of social interactivity requiring your ongoing input, Virgo—that is, if you're devotedly pursuing the eventual satisfaction of your desires, as we talked about last week—there's also another, more intimately personal level on which you're liable to gain a 'second wind' by concentrating on what you're doing at home, after that day's demanding exchanges are successfully completed. You may have little wiggle-room to excuse yourself, even for a passing few moments, from any conversation where the ultimate outcome matters to you. Without a doubt, staying at your communicative best is a lot of work. So, for the time being, look for the pleasure in less public contexts, in your precious alone-time… from devouring a juicy novel or cooking a favorite meal, sprucing up a favorite space, snuggling on the sofa with your sweetie-pie (whether a loving partner or a cuddly pet), and truly letting go of the outside demands once the front door's shut and the blinds drawn. Even if you're mostly having fun with the out-and-about gallivanting around, you still need ample amounts of this quiet self-nurturing recharge. One caution: Don't spend all this precious at-home time serving other people's needs. That'll defeat the whole point.

LIBRA (September 23-October 22): Here's the good news, Libra: Though your mind may be justifiably fixed on more serious matters, that's no reason to keep your body hidden away in seclusion, separated from any social influence who might possibly lift your spirits just by exposing you to other stuff to think and talk about. The immediate benefits you'll reap from casual socializing, with no explicit 'purpose' beyond chitting-and-chatting with folks you may or may not know very well, will be far greater than you might imagine. (My one caveat: Don't get so into the role of social-butterfly that you end up late to the job, behind on your work, or too quick to make indulgent exceptions to your bodily-health regimen.) Will the giggles and gossip-sessions magically assuage that inner itch of irritating emotion, as if deeper discontentment can be solved with shallower shit-shooting? Unlikely. However, being more decidedly out-and-about for purposes of leisure interactivity will remind you of everything else that's simultaneously happening all the while you're immersed in what may feel like a whole-world-encompassing circumstance, but is really only one among many. Tales of others' dramas, in other words, should help you realize that yours need not consume everything. Plus, just the basic exposure to outside stimuli can work wonders in moving energy which would otherwise stay stagnant.

SCORPIO (October 23-November 21): Building for the future! Bottling or canning these potent juices so you have some for later! Taking the lessons in stride (and leaving the disappointments and resentments behind)! Claiming all the good and the bad you see right here before you, Scorpio, and accepting it for what it is! You've made it through much of this Saturn-storm's worst already (though you could likely get caught in a couple major cloudbursts over the next month, and/or again mid-next-year)… and it's a good moment for reaffirming the success of what's survived, assessing the scope of any reparable damage, and conclusively grieving what didn't make it. Practical questions about what now to feed, to foster, to strengthen—and which resources must be deployed, protected, or set aside, in the process of doing so—are readying themselves to be addressed. Yet, if you want to produce effective, working answers, you have no choice but to start where you are… to unflinchingly survey every inch of this landscape, to give yourself a critical look at what's what, and to process through any resistance to accepting the truth. Skip this step, though, and what you build next will sit on faulty ground. And just because we're talking material pragmatics, that doesn't mean you ought to entirely discount what you wish to be true, even if it clashes with the cold hard facts. Preserve the dreams, please oh please, but don't bank on their existence quite yet.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22-December 21): This first full week of having Venus in your sign—capped off with a new moon in the very first degree of Sagittarius over the coming weekend (on Sat Nov 22)—should feel like quite a marked shift, both with the welcome addition of a happy-go-lucky spring-in-your-step and hopefully the appearance of some favorable returns from actions you set into motion during these previous few months. Venus often makes my job easier, since her presence allows me to present rather appealing advice, focused on generally enjoying a lovelier reception from the world-at-large (and/or certain individuals whose attention you'd like to attract) and an increased likelihood of interactions going the way you wish them to. As such, Sagittarius, you'd be silly not to consciously use these three-and-a-half weeks ahead to your desired advantage. I, of course, also have a warning to offer (because, well, that's what I do): Due to Venus-and-co.'s squares to Neptune-in-your-4th, I worry that you might indiscriminately accept everything seemingly 'positive' that's coming your way… whether or not receiving it might be somewhat out-of-alignment with what you really-deeply-and-truly crave, and/or somehow immerses you in emotionally muddy waters. Simultaneous to experiencing this refreshing astro-shift, you're also bringing an old cycle of psychically-draining interdependence to its end. Do you want to reopen that door to some other psychic-drain, right at such a critical leaving-it-behind moment?

CAPRICORN (December 22-January 19): Think of your next few steps, Capricorn, as 'continuing along' or 'following through' or 'finishing what you started'. By that, I mean you ought to feel pretty confident that you've already thought out the ins and outs and ups and downs of what you're presently doing… and it would be a misstep to modify your existing judgments based on any first-reaction responses you're receiving (or not receiving) or early results starting to trickle in (or not trickle in). While there remain plenty more actions for you to take, in the act of continuing or following-through or finishing-up—since, trust me, you'll really want to exploit these next couple weeks to the fullest, while Mars is still exalted in your sign—you have no goals to rethink, strategies to tweak, or conversations yet to have. (Sure, you may need to reiterate to certain peers what you already said, just to demonstrate your intentness, but that's not a new conversation.) The Sun and Venus have moved into your 12th, suggesting that, even in the midst of ongoing industrious activity, a part of you is simultaneously slipping into temporary retreat. You don't yet know what the actual enduring responses and results are going to look like; therefore, there's a larger 'wait-and-see' lurking behind what probably appears to the outside-world to be your ceaseless pushing-ahead. Look for traces of peace and happiness in this 'wait-and-see', when you're by yourself, away from view, lost in wonder, pre-verbally communicating with prophetic visions. Outwardly, keep doing what you've been doing, no sudden turns, no distracting discussions.

AQUARIUS (January 20-February 18): The turn in this week's astro-weather likeliest to bring you a sense of optimism and/or relief, Aquarius, is the gratifying reminder that you are not alone in this. Whether the now-unfolding events will (re)connect you with comrades who believe just as strongly and/or share a stake in this collective matter, (re)situate your perspective within a larger social-whole, or simply (re)expose you to the simple pleasures in surrounding yourself with friends, the fact of your integral belonging to something far greater than you is the important message to take away. It's an especially timely message, too, because, as an individual, you're still relegated to this irksome spot of relative impotence. Even if you're totally over your official worldly responsibilities, you are hardly in the position to imminently walk away. (No, really: You're not.) And though you might think you're ready to get your next thing up and running, or at least somewhat underway, you presently lack the tangible initiative to successfully spark it up (not without, that is, risking the ignition of a fire that could burn out of control). So, that leaves you very little to actually do, at least for the moment, which might psyche you up. Enter pals, peers, and/or people-with-purpose: In the short term, you'll enjoy yourself a whole lot more if you go along with what they're excited about, riding the coattails of their zeal to an improved state-of-mind.

PISCES (February 19-March 20): Your public profile's presently being upped in esteem, Pisces, now that Venus is aiming her incredibly-flattering spotlight right atop you from the 10th-house. This week, along with the two which follow, is an excellent time to revel in the professional (and/or other outer-world-community) rewards you've earned yourself over recent months… and to explore what other possibilities might exist on the other side of any doors which are now opened to you. That said, you're still under significant Saturn pressure not to concede your stance on matters of integrity or principle. And this is exceedingly important to remember in light of any potential opportunities which may materialize thanks to Venus-in-your-10th, due to her squaring off with Neptune-in-your-1st... an aspect indicating you could appear, to those in power who'd be wielding such opportunities, to be someone other than who you actually are. While there are certainly advantages to catering to their idealizing-and-ingratiating perceptions despite their imprecision, those advantages will stop abruptly short the moment you agree to join forces with them on the wrong side of what you believe is right. For the record, refusing to acknowledge a possible divergence of ethics and/or shying away from conversations which would clarify everyone's positions will not save you. It really is worth altogether jeopardizing this potential shot, to confidently ensure you're not signing away your soul for money, power, or renown.