Gemini (May 21-June 20) If you could potentially stop someone from hurting themselves, you should feel some obligation to try. Of course, there’s only so much you can do—but that’s no excuse to simply do nothing. Take your friend’s keys away when he tries to leave that party drunk. Perhaps the situation you could prevent this week is less obvious than that, but the basic idea is the same. Your hands may be somewhat tied here, but don’t delude yourself into thinking you’re powerless. Speak up, step up—just don’t stand back and watch. Even if you don’t succeed, at least you won’t have to regret not trying.
Cancer (June 21-July 22) We do a million things that tacitly support stuff we don’t approve of. Buying gas, paying taxes, and numerous other purchases probably end up fueling something you’d rather they didn’t. It’s laudable to attempt to minimize that kind of thing by being conscious of where your money goes and what’s done with it, or making efforts to counterbalance it when you can’t (is there a truly ethical company to buy gasoline from, for example?). But at some point you have to let yourself (and the people you know) off the hook—or drive everyone crazy. Those are your options.
Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) Every time you get burned, extending trust becomes more difficult. But it also becomes more important. Each new person is just as likely (or, yes, unlikely) to deserve your trust as the last, and really shouldn’t be treated as a liar simply because you’ve encountered deceitful people in your past. That’s not to say you should simply blindly trust anyone who comes along. However, being willing to take an educated leap of faith early on will get you burned a few more times, sure—but it will also make you, ultimately, a much happier person.
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)
This week, let intentions count for more than actions. That’s important because some of those actions are likely to majorly piss you off. However, if you consider the excellent (if misguided, foolish, or clumsy) intentions behind the annoying shit that’s happened, you may find yourself feeling touched or affectionate, despite your irritation. That’d be a good thing, because your poor sweet friend really shouldn’t be punished for simply being bad at doing you a good turn. You don’t need to pretend to be thrilled at how things played out—but you ought to be able to appreciate what they were aiming for, no matter how badly they missed the mark.
Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) Although you try very hard to avoid conflict, sometimes it’s simply inevitable. In those situations, you also try very hard to avoid being “the bad guy.” Unfortunately, you can’t always be the good guy. You screw up too. That’s OK. The important thing is to own and accept it, instead of trying to shift the blame or evade the consequences. Dealing with the fallout of poor choices is easy for, say, an Aries, who generally leaps before she looks, or a Scorpio, who’s drawn to dangerous scenarios, so they’ve had a lot of practice. You haven’t. This week, however, you’re about to get a bit more.
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) Call the bluff. If someone’s trying to manipulate you into doing something by making threats or over-the-top entreaties, call them on it. You don’t need to be dramatic about it, but you don’t need to cater to their melodrama, either. Try: “I hope you won’t, but do what you’ve got to do.” Then walk away. That might be a little scary, depending on what they’re saying, but it’s nothing compared to where you might end up if you cave in to their emotional bullying. You need to get to a place where they can deal with you in a reasonable manner, not like a spoiled child—and this is one way to get there.
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Most relationships fail. It’s not you; it’s the nature of the beast. Sure, some people get lucky and score a long-lasting relationship on their first try (but you can bet it’s not as simple and fantastic as it looks from the outside), others require quite a few tries, and some never find it. That’s all OK. So much of love is situation and timing. Try not to let the missed chances and failed romances of your past influence how you feel about yourself today. Not only are you a different person now than you were then, so much of whether or not you succeeded was never up to you, anyway.
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Every time my life feels even just a little bit shitty, I force myself to snap out of feeling sorry for myself by choosing to notice all the good things I’ve got going on—being healthy, living in a time when I can eat better than a king could a couple centuries ago (on a shoestring budget, no less), being able to do lots of stuff that many people in the world will probably never get a chance to, and for just being alive. Get some perspective. Your problems are only a tiny fraction of the big picture, and nowhere near as terrible or insurmountable as you’re making them out to be.
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) Worrying about what other people think of you really should have stopped once you graduated from high school. But sometimes it’s not as easy as that, especially when those people have some power over you or influence on your life, like employers or in-laws. However, remember the most liberating times in your high-school days when you did what felt right no matter what people thought, and to hell with the consequences! Whether or not you ever got to experience that heady freedom then, it’s time to feel it now; just go for it this week.
Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) You may be the most flexible sign in the zodiac (in more ways than one!), but that doesn’t mean you should let anyone steamroll you. It’s easy to get knocked down by a bull-headed Taurus or bowled over by a Leo’s incredible enthusiasm, but sometimes you just need to do what you can to stay on your feet and hold your ground. The first step is to decide to stick to your guns—the second is figuring out, quickly, which direction those guns are pointing. Easier said than done, I know, but it’s good practice for you in general—not all decisions can wait for you to make up your curious but notoriously indecisive mind.
Aries (March 21-April 19) You Rams are usually great at getting what you want, because you’re very clear on just what that is. (Of course, once you get it, you may realize you didn’t actually want it, but that’s another story.) This week, lend your expertise to someone who needs it. I’m not talking about a “how to get what you want” lesson, so much as “how to figure out what you want.” That’s the problem your friend is having. Help them get it sorted. Once they know exactly what they’re looking for, getting it will almost seem like an afterthought.
Taurus (April 20-May 20) Taureans are practical hedonists. Generally you know exactly how to strike the right balance between saving for a rainy day and simply enjoying the pleasures of today. Some in your life, however, are about as far from that wise equilibrium as one can get; some scrimp and save and never indulge themselves, while others live it up today and forget to think about tomorrow. Help these poor souls figure that shit out. The Scrooges need to learn to live, and the party animals must be taught how to plan for the future—and no one is better suited to impart both lessons than you are.
