The end of a retrograde starts a war march by Mars through the social realm of Gemini. Social wars are the stuff of Jane Austen classics and cinematic comedies from “Mean Girls” to “Bridgerton” and beyond. The spotlight centers around school or other structured societies where status maneuvers, though not matters of life or death, certainly can feel like it! On the bright side, it’s a chance to learn where we fit in and what makes us feel important.
ARIES (March 21-April 19). You set the tone and people treat you accordingly. The confident assertions you make now signal to the world that you’re a force to be reckoned with. Later you’ll find it easy to be generous and nurturing because you won’t feel like you have to prove or defend yourself.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20). This is a common problem for many people. We all want to be our best selves, lose the things that bother us about ourselves and shine in the ways we think we could. But it’s hard to do the work of changing, if we even know what that is. This is why models are essential. You’ll seek and find excellent ones this week.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Some memories swagger proudly to mind, others sneak in unwelcome and proceed to do cringe-inducing dances in your psyche. Some memories don’t come back at all. It’s why you make the extra effort this week. You want the things you’re involved in to be extraordinary enough to make the round trip.
CANCER (June 22-July 22). It’s hardly ever the case, but strangely often true this week: Unpreparedness is the key to success. Say yes even if you suspect you’re not ready. It’s amazing what you can come up with on the fly. You can trust yourself to say and do the right thing, so just get in there and start acting and reacting to life.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). No one can prove the demise of the cat was its curiosity. It’s more likely that curiosity is the quality that made the cat king. To watch and learn in stealth — to silently track a subject before the pounce — these are the habits of a fearsome thriver. You’ll use your curiosity well, learning what you need to know to succeed.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). There is no zero-sum game here. You can get all the points you want this week without taking points away from anyone else. You’ll work within a diverse group — the luckiest kind! You can all succeed together, and, because you take the time to understand the strengths of everyone involved, you absolutely will.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Don’t fall prey to the common myth that you need to figure yourself out before you interact effectively with others. The way to figure things out is to interact naturally with others and take both the awkwardness and the wins as good information to grow on. You’ll become masterful because you have the courage not to be.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). You’ll ask yourself a question you already know the answer to and you’ll get a different answer than you had before, proving once again that as humans, we often operate from guesswork, so convincingly we believe it ourselves. This is natural and keeps us moving. Just don’t be afraid to change your mind.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). It’s not always easy to find bright people like you, but it’s worth the effort to try. No one becomes sharper alone. Supporters and competitors, teammates and enemies all help you become your best self. It may surprise you which category people fall into. Bottom line: You can’t go wrong aligning with vibrant minds.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). To overcome the fear of rejection, one must risk the dreaded feeling and accept what comes. It helps to be rejected and it also helps not to be. So there is no downside of taking small, manageable social risks. Practice in low-stakes environments where you will not be judged harshly.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). No one said growth was comfortable, but the discomfort can certainly be managed and paced. You are intrigued this week by the versions of yourself you might become. You’ll be inspired to tinker with your appearance, habits or environment. It’s a wonderful high when you find something that works for you.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Everyone wants to talk to you this week, and you’re not sure you want to hear what they have to say. Your trepidation is well founded. Everything you pay attention to that doesn’t contribute to your purpose is stealing something from you. You’ll get extremely good at guarding your time and directing your efforts.
THIS WEEK’S BIRTHDAYS: This year brings many a wonderful and lucky day in which unexpected and indeed unexplainable things happen. A bright, younger influence comes into your world. Together you’ll investigate new places, eat different kinds of foods and enjoy a relationship that’s free of tired, old rules. You’ll be given a valuable item or job. Try it out to decide if it’s worth the energy of maintenance. There are proud family moments, too. It’s wonderful how you can help someone succeed in the same ways you have.
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