Gemini (May 21-June 20)Beliefs change. What you believed in as a child probably doesn’t hold much weight for you now. Hell, what you believed in last year might no longer ring quite as true. Of course, if you’re flip-flopping all over the place and espousing different ideas about life every other day, no one’s likely to take you particularly seriously. But if you’ve changed your mind after careful reflection and inquiry, that’s commendable. Own it. Those with open minds may very well come around to your new point of view, or at least accept and tolerate it. Those who don’t—well, they can just suck it, can’t they? Cancer (June 21-July 22)Small deceptions are sometimes necessary to support a greater truth. You can hope and strive for 100 percent transparency regarding everything you do and feel, but sometimes that’s more trouble than it’s worth. Does your partner really need to know about that work crush (that you’ll never act on)? It’ll just make them pointlessly insecure or jealous. In this example, the deeper truth is that you want to be with your partner, regardless of how cute you find someone else. Stick to that, even if it means glossing over some of the actual details.Leo (July 23-Aug. 22)When someone calls you out on a mistake you’ve made, sometimes your first instinct is to lash out defensively or evade the blame somehow. Of course, upon further reflection, you often realize that they were right, even if you managed to get out of it. Try to be open-minded this week when offered a critique. It’s not an attempt to tear you down or belittle you, but actually to help you or otherwise improve a situation. Try to accept it with good grace, regardless of what you’re feeling inside. You may feel irked no matter what. Hide it—for now, at least. If you’re still vexed a week from now, speak up then.  Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)While you may be justified in pointing out hypocrisy anywhere you find it, doing so doesn’t make you particularly fun to be around. The fact is, almost everyone falls short of their (and your) ideal, and if you insist on spelling it out each time you observe it, you’ll only alienate or offend people. Your intentions are good, but your actions and words will generally vex rather than improve people, as you imagine. Biting your tongue this week will earn you more friends than your best-intentioned criticisms. Maybe “improving” people is more important to you than having friends—but that’s your call.Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)People love who (and what) they love, and there’s not much you can say or do about it. This is particularly confounding when you don’t understand their choices, and horrifying when those choices are quite clearly bad for them (when someone opts to stay with a chronically abusive spouse, for instance). As confusing and upsetting as this surely is, your own role in the situation is actually quite simple. You have two choices: accept it, or walk away. If you choose to leave in protest of their decisions, you’re also free to burn bridges by offering your uncensored opinion of those choices—but if you choose to stay, you’re probably best off biting your tongue. Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)As it turns out, your help may not always be desired. However, when someone else’s well-being is at stake, your conscience should compel you to try to help anyway. You must be prepared to be told to piss off and mind your own business. It’ll happen. But not offering aid because you fear being rejected is just silly. This is about what’s best for the situation, not for your ego. The right thing to do is step up and accept the consequences from there, whatever they are. You know and believe this, too. This week, be sure to act on that belief.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)Being forced to abide by someone else’s antiquated or backwards standards has to be incredibly galling. However, this is a pick-your-battles scenario. Is this one really worth fighting? It might be, but be sure before you go in guns blazing. This could be a Thunderdome (“Two men enter, one man leaves!”)-level duel, so unless you’re really prepared to see it through to its dramatic (perhaps tragic) conclusion, you may simply want to keep quiet and just get through it, as annoying and frustrating as that probably is. Live to fight another day, if you will. Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)Repeatedly testing boundaries is what some people do. They can’t help it. They’re told no, but like a naughty child they’re compelled to keep trying anyway. Perhaps it’s kind of a game for them. Of course, it’s exhausting and annoying for you, but unfortunately right now there’s no easy way to end it without going nuclear (to the worst-case, last-resort scenario). That’s always an option, but it has consequences all its own. Since a less-extreme solution might work in a week or three, perhaps just grit your teeth and bear it until then? Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)Here’s the cliché: Give a man a fish, he eats for a day; teach him to fish, he eats for a lifetime. Obviously, the latter scenario is preferable for all concerned. However, you may be balking at this situation for whatever reason—perhaps you don’t think someone is capable of or interested in “learning to fish.” Or they’re just not worth the time to you. However, even if you look at this from a purely selfish standpoint, trying to impart some self-sufficiency is still the way to go. Just suck it up and give it a go. Trust me on this. Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)Friends keep secrets. But some secrets are heavy burdens to bear; it’s not fair to ask someone else to carry them for long. An example of something like this is the revelation that you’ve been cheating on your spouse. Suddenly you’ve entangled your friend in a mess and forced them to potentially lie to someone else they may consider a friend. Think before you share this stuff. If you’re prepared to put it all out in the open soon, and this is just the first step, that’s great. But don’t expect someone else to hold up half the weight of a lie you’re telling for more than a very short time. Aries (March 21-April 19)How many times in your life has someone forced you to try something new, so you could discover you actually liked it? Didn’t you regret, afterward, how long you dragged your feet, put up walls, and made excuses? Hopefully you were at least mature enough to realize and admit you were silly for having done these things. But then you went ahead and did it again, didn’t you? When’s that going to stop? Sure, some things you’re certain you’ll never like, and you may even be right. Try them anyway. The worst thing that can happen is an unpleasant moment confirming your suspicions. The best is that you could discover a new love.Taurus (April 20-May 20)If you’re a serious tally-keeper, you probably know that the favor being asked of you this week carries no obligation. The favor-asker may even already “owe” you. Do it anyway. This isn’t about counting pennies and keeping tabs on who’s done what for whom. Look at the bigger picture and remember there may be things happening “off the books,” i.e., unnoticed by you. Even if that’s not the case, keeping the peace and making people happy is absolutely worth the hassle of doing the favor without complaint. You’ll probably never be able to call in this “debt,” but you will be repaid one way or another—even if you never quite know how. That ought to be good enough.sign.language.astrology@gmail.com