Taurus (April 20–May 20)

Once you’ve seen or heard something, it’s impossible to unsee or unhear it. It’s in your mind forever. This week, you may prefer to work diligently to maintain your blissful ignorance, since knowledge would not change anything for the better, and would make the inside of your head a much less pleasant place to hang out. The stuff you’d learn is truly none of your business, anyway, and you’d be pretty unhappy if someone else went prying into your skeleton closet. Therefore, be careful about which doors you knock on and where you go snooping. You may learn something you’ll wish you’d never known.

Gemini (May 21–June 20)

We all get older. As you age, you’ll hopefully gain an appreciation for those who’ve preceded you through these years. It’s harder (although not impossible) to appreciate older people when you’re in the blush of youth, but as the years contract, I hope you develop such an admiration and learn to express it. Being able to identify with and step into the shoes of people much older than you is an important rite of passage—one that many Geminis make rather late in life. This week, take note of how quickly time actually passes, and remember that all too soon you won’t have to pretend—you will be in their shoes.

Cancer (June 21–July 22)

Don’t take on guilt for something that wasn’t your fault or responsibility, even if someone insists that you do so. Their idiotically misplaced blame should not be your cross to bear, so have the presence of mind and self-confidence to shrug it off. Stay frosty; don’t let yourself get upset, but go ahead and shut them down while you’re at it. It’s already pretty tacky to go around pointing fingers and tattling on people, but when the accusers are blatantly wrong, it’s unconscionable. They need to mind their own business and keep their preposterous suspicions to themselves—and if you don’t tell them to do it, who will?

Leo (July 23–Aug. 22)

Although being absolutely and genuinely you is one of your great strengths, it can also hold you back, as you know. Especially in relationships, which thrive on compromise and sometimes semi-feigned interest in the other’s passions, you need to bend a little and act (as in what actors do). This doesn’t mean you need be truly facetious or lie to someone’s face. If it helps, access the deeper truth that you care about this person, and even though that caring doesn’t actually generate an interest in their stamp collection, you wish it would—so you pretend.

Virgo (Aug. 23–Sept. 22)

Don’t shoot yourself in the foot. You’re in a position to give yourself a serious advantage over the competition—why would you forego that? It’s not cheating to make use of all your strengths and talents; that’s called playing to win. What you’re considering is like taking one of the aces out of your hand in a card game and continuing without it. While I understand that you’re occasionally embarrassed about how fantastic and capable you are, sabotaging yourself is still a pretty dumb thing to do. Play hard or go home. Anything in between is just a waste of everyone’s time.

Libra (Sept. 23–Oct. 22)

Being determined to win the lottery will not make it so. While force of will can accomplish a lot, if wishing yourself into a lucky break like that worked, most of us would be fabulously wealthy. While positive thinking can certainly influence situations in your favor, it will in most cases not yield a winning lottery ticket. That’s not to suggest you should resign yourself to being pessimistic and cynical. Be positive but realistic. Optimism can accomplish amazing things, but only if you’re not too busy being disappointed that it didn’t win you the lottery.

Scorpio (Oct. 23–Nov. 21)

Doing what you were specifically warned or asked not to do has been, more or less, your specialty for many years. However, you can’t pretend that you’ve always been happy with the results. Sometimes boundaries and requests are better off respected and heeded. This, my dear, is one of those times. Back off. This explicit request is one that’s best for you to acknowledge and honor, even though the temptation to cross that line must surely be a powerful one. However, part of your journey is knowing when to rebelliously ignore rules and boundaries, and when to let them stand. This week, show us that you’re finally grasping that concept.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22–Dec. 21)

There’s something about getting naked in the snow or polar-bear swimming that really gets people’s inner fire going. While the mere thought of it makes me want to run to the nearest sauna, I can appreciate the need to sometimes jump-start a process with a kind of shock to the system—something to wake you up. That is precisely what you need this week: something that will powerfully awaken you to what’s going on and enable you to react to it appropriately. Be warned—such awakenings are often unpleasant; however, once woken, people rarely demand that they be allowed to go back to sleep.

Capricorn (Dec. 22–Jan. 19)

Organic architecture is a design philosophy that promotes harmony between structures and the natural world where they’re built—the best of these should add to the beauty and balance of a place, not detract from it. While there’s no need for you live in a hobbit house inside a hill, there are ways for you to adopt this approach in your day-to-day life and the fruition of your goals. Does what you’re creating add to a situation in a way that generates more overall happiness, sustainability, and harmony? If not, it should. It may be time to rethink your methods and intentions.

Aquarius (Jan. 20–Feb. 18)

Life is complicated, and sometimes you get to a point where you can no longer put off an unpleasant and undesirable act you must perform. This is something you can only avoid talking about, thinking about, or doing for so long, and now your grace time has undoubtedly run out. You may have denied the inevitability of what you must do until now, but dragging things on beyond this point would be senseless and perhaps even cruel. You don’t have to feel good about it—but you do have to do it. Don’t put it off another week, or even another day.

Pisces (Feb. 19–March 20)

Don’t be so dramatic. While you’re eager to make a clean break in one part of your life and move on, there’s no need to set the house on fire and burn everything in it as you walk away. Take a vacation from it, instead; I suspect that you’ll see that, after a bit of time, you’ll be able to come back and view things completely differently, perhaps only discarding a box or two instead of reducing the whole thing to charred ash and rubble. This week, if you feel prone to making an overly dramatic gesture, restrain yourself. Walk away until you feel frosty enough to act modestly and rationally.

Aries (March 21–April 19)

I know what you want to get out of this situation—that’s all too clear. What’s not obvious is what you could bring to it. Ask yourself why anyone would pick you, and if your only answer is your powerful desire, you need to look long and hard inside and at the way you’re presenting yourself to the world. Selling yourself may be a bit awkward at first—but sometimes it’s absolutely necessary. In fact, no skill or talent will serve you better this week. Remember, though—while enthusiasm is charming, subtlety will ultimately serve you better.