Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)Unless you’re especially enlightened, letting yourself trust others gets harder every time your trust is broken. That, of course, is hardly fair to the new people in your life, since they have nothing to do with those who deceived you. But fairness is irrelevant. Your heart’s a muscle (both literally and figuratively), and the only way it can become strong and flexible enough to recover fully from a beating is practice and intention. You need to force yourself to trust anyway, despite your trepidation. Yes, you’ll probably get burned again, but that’s better than rejecting someone who’s worthy of your trust because you were too scared to offer it.Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)Paying tribute to someone’s past, for helping shape them into the person you love, is a sweet thing to do, especially if the experiences that built their character were painful or difficult. However, no one wants to dwell overmuch on their traumatic history. I think almost anyone would appreciate your acceptance and recognition, but also be relieved when you return to the present moment, so don’t linger. What you want to convey is that the past matters—but not nearly as much as the present moment. And for that, a very brief visit will do.  Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)Life goes on. Things never really end until you die, even if you think of them as finished. What’s actually happened is that they’ve changed. If you can learn to view them as different (perhaps in dramatic, fundamental ways) from what they were, rather than simply over, you may realize that there’s stuff worth salvaging or recycling from those past chapters which would significantly add to the quality of your life or overall happiness. That’s not to say every closed chapter should be revisited—some aren’t worth dusting off and resurrecting, at this point. But the last couple, at least, you should consider.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)Bullies don’t just disappear once they graduate from high school. Some grow up and evolve, but others learn how to disguise their bullying in ever more devious and subtle ways. That doesn’t change what it is, though. Sometimes, as when they’ve acquired real authority (becoming a cop, for example), you may have to bite your tongue and take it, to some extent. However, that’s not the case here. You must reject their shitty power play by calling it what it is. It may not be quite so simple, but just like in elementary school, standing up to a bully is the best way to negate their power (or at least the first step). Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)People want what they want and you can’t change that. You can get those who care about you to pretend to want stuff they don’t, in order to please you, or do stuff they’re not crazy about. Be careful how far you push this, though. This is a slippery slope into Resentmentville, and you really don’t want to go there. Every relationship has obligations. However, for the happiness and longevity of yours, you should be extremely picky about when and how you call in this type of favor. Chill out and fly solo when necessary, so that when you come back to the nest, it’s not empty. Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)Everyone has flaws. Ideally you’d find someone (or several someones) whose flaws don’t bother you all that much, but it’s pretty unlikely. Learning to live with and actually love someone despite their shortcomings is part of how you’ll get them to do the same for you (because you, my dear, are no exception!). This week, consider all the sterling qualities possessed by those around you, even if they’ve recently been eclipsed by a few glaring faults. I think, if you’re fair and considerate about it, you’ll discover that all the good stuff far outweighs the bad—and living with the whole package may be a better deal than you thought at first.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)It sucks when someone else makes a mess and then leaves you to clean it up, especially without asking if that’s OK (probably because they know it’s not). Instead of harping on the injustice of it all, which will only piss you off more and get you exactly nowhere, I suggest rolling up your sleeves and fixing this disaster as soon as humanly possible. Yes, it’ll suck, but the sooner you can get it out of your sight, the sooner you’ll be able to move on to fun stuff and forget about all this—something that’s simply impossible until it’s gone. Aries (March 21-April 19)When people make it needlessly difficult for you to do a good deed, I can understand your temptation to just say “Forget it” and walk away. Since these knuckleheads (who may after all only be doing their [lame] jobs) aren’t the ones who’ll suffer without your aid, I hope you push through your frustration and jump through their stupid hoops. Feel free, however, to let all involved know what a pain in the ass it is, and how putting up barriers to altruism isn’t particularly smart. I doubt they’ll respond well to you, so don’t expect it to change anything now. However, they may just reconsider how they address future do-gooders—and then you’ll have done two good deeds.Taurus (April 20-May 20)It’s nice to give someone a warning about a mistake they’re making (or about to), but don’t be too shocked if you discover they’re fully aware of the situation, and making their choices with eyes wide open. People are occasionally self-destructive, addicted to risk, or willfully naive, and in all these cases your intervention, while possibly appreciated, isn’t likely to change their behavior right now. Don’t take it personally. Even though it’s hard for you to understand their decisions, it’s also not your call—the only thing you get to decide is whether or not you’ll stick around. The rest is purely their business. Gemini (May 21-June 20)Normally, when you have a problem with someone, I’d suggest going directly to them first, even if it’s harder or more awkward. However, when someone’s grip on rationality and reason isn’t particularly secure, you may have no choice but to go over their head with your difficulties, so they can be addressed without putting a target on your back. Don’t take this cowardly back route unless you’re quite certain it’s necessary, though. However, if you have ample evidence that any attempt at a logical discussion will only make things worse, then do what you’ve got to do.Cancer (June 21-July 22)I can understand how you might envy one of those people who’s able to keep calm, cool, and collected in the midst of circumstances that would have you hysterical, in tears, or pulling your hair (or all three). Having such powerful emotions can be a pain in the ass. I don’t think finding ways to suppress or ignore them is the answer, though—remember, they’re a source of strength, beauty, and compassion for you, even if they also screw up situations, embarrass you, or simply make things awkward. Every Crab must find his or her own way to navigate life with these massive feelings—without denying or hiding them. This is a never-ending process—but you should have ample opportunity to make significant strides towards a more balanced place this week. Leo (July 23-Aug. 22)Sure, trusting your gut has totally screwed you over or gotten you into trouble in the past. Your instincts are just plain wrong, on occasion. But try to remember how second-guessing them has gotten you into many more scrapes and scuffles than trusting them ever could. Yes, your intuition will be completely off-base on occasion. It happens. Throwing out such a powerful tool because of a couple of errors would be incredibly foolish, though, especially this week. Trust your gut no matter what. And as for the screw-ups? Simply write them off as par for the course. sign.language.astrology@gmail.com