You probably know what a Mercury retrograde is, but did you know that other planets turn retrograde, too? This week, it will be Venus, the planet of love and beauty, that will be reversing direction in Gemini, the zodiac sign of the twins. You’ll want to watch out for two-faced friends, backscratching rivals with backstabbing tendencies and duplicitous paramours during this time. You’ll also want to say “no” to Botox and tummy-tucks because cosmetic surgery is never a good idea when the mighty Aphrodite is feeling less than her cosmic best. Thankfully, the retrograde doesn’t last for very long (it ends on June 27), which means that you still have the rest of the summer to get your groove back.
ARIES (March 21- April 19)
This is the first time in weeks that you will be able to look at your bank balance without wincing. Not only have recent austerity measures paid off (thanks to belt-tightening in March and April), but it looks like you will even show a surplus. This puts you in a prime position to pay down your credit cards, to pay back a loan or to look into refinancing. Rates are low and gains are big now that there’s a grand trine in earth. Grand trines in earth are always good news for the economy because earth is the element that rules money in Astrology. You may also be tempted to treat yourself to some retail therapy, but rethink it. Venus, planet of beauty, turns retrograde on Tuesday and then she will be traveling backwards in the sky until June 27. You never want to purchase luxury items during a Venus retrograde because what looks absolutely fabulous in the moment will leave you scratching your head in disbelief later.
TAURUS (April 20 -May 20)
You’re at the peak of your good fortune and popularity this week thanks to the Sun and Jupiter conjunction in Taurus. This is one of the best times of year for you, so you should take full advantage of it. Monday favors bold business maneuvers, so don’t hold back. If anything, your unexpected recklessness will take rivals by surprise and allow you to seal a lucrative deal. Wednesday is perfect for making a play for that person you didn’t think cared because you will soon discover he does. And Friday and Saturday are wonderful for kicking back and enjoying the fruits of your victory with loved ones and friends. The only discordant note will be when you try to wiggle into a favorite pair of jeans. The downside to having Jupiter, the planet of expansion, in your zodiac sign is that he’s hell on the figure. Named after the Greek god of thunder, he’s also the planet of thunder thighs, so it’s time for a diet.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21)
You will be just within reach of realizing your heart’s desire when Venus reverses direction in your sign on May 15. It makes perfect sense that you would want to push ahead no matter what, but you should back off instead. A retrograde planet says that the timing is wrong and given that Venus is named after the Roman goddess of love, she is telling you that the love connection you long to make will have to wait. You need to be prudent, patient and wise because a lot of things that you didn’t know about will come bubbling to the surface on May 20, May 23, June 4 and especially on June 5, which will be very challenging. This will wreak havoc with your head and with your heart, but the end result will be a deeper understanding for a lover or spouse than you ever had before. This sets the stage for a remarkable transformation on July 31.
CANCER (June 22-July 22)
The difficulty with being born under the Mommy sign of the zodiac is that everyone comes to you with their troubles. Whether it’s a scraped knee or a bruised ego, you are the go-to person for comfort and advice. Usually you would be happy to oblige except that it appears as if friends decided to collectively schedule their emotional meltdowns for this week and you have pressing obligations of your own to keep. It won’t be easy taking yourself offline, but you will need to on Monday and Wednesday or you will risk missing a deadline for school or for work that you cannot afford to miss. Friday is also out because you will have to bird-dog developments as they unfold regarding a make or break professional matter. What this means is that you won’t really resurface until the weekend. You may feel guilty and like you should apologize but rest assured that people will be only too happy to wave away your mea culpas in favor of having more time to talk about themselves.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)
You’re not a big risk-taker so you’ll be wondering about what’s gotten into you this week as you feel the itch to make a series of high stakes gambles. Part of this stems from the solar eclipse on May 20th. Solar eclipses are Astrology’s life course correctors and since this one will be taking place in your solar house of hopes and wishes, you will feel like now is the time to pursue your dreams. And you would be right. Sidestep this and you will have to wait another eight years until you are in this kind of an advantageous position again. The other planetary configuration that should give you hope and encouragement this week is the rare grand earth trine that will be illuminating the three corners of your horoscope that relate to money, health and professional accomplishments. This gives you the cosmic green light to charge ahead in these areas on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Seize the day and you will succeed beyond your wildest imaginings.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)
You know that you can be your own worst enemy, but do you know that you can also be your own best friend? You will discover this for yourself on Monday when you finally take yourself off the hook for past missteps and misdemeanors. There is nothing to be gained from punishing yourself for things that people forgot about a long time ago. This leads to another profound realization on Wednesday when you see how pressing your nose to the grindstone is getting you nowhere fast. A rethink in the way that you approach your work will lead you to economize efforts by editing out meaningless details and focusing on two (maybe three) objectives. Finally, you will have an opportunity on Friday to chuck a longstanding obligation. You have been carrying somebody else’s cross for too long and it’s time to pass it back to its rightful owner. This puts you in a prime position to redirect the course of your life and to set off in pursuit of new pastures and promising horizons.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)
Your ruling planet Venus turns retrograde on Tuesday which means that you’ll want to keep your friends close, but your enemies closer for the next six weeks. A retrograde refers to a backwards motion and it can symbolize a sudden reversal or turnaround in the planet’s energies. Normally, the planet of love and beauty in Astrology, Venus, becomes the planet of acrimony and bad hair days when she’s retrograde, so you’ll want to keep tabs on your frenemies, that mean girl clique at work and reckless hairdressers who want you to test drive a “new” look at your expense. Not a good idea. You will also want to avoid being left alone in the same room with your girlfriends’ husbands or boyfriends. And it doesn’t even matter if you’ve known them for years. Guys always want to make a play during times like these and you don’t want to be a part of any bad scene. Venus will come out of retrograde on June 27th.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)
You’ll like knowing that you still have what it takes when you catch someone checking you out on Monday. It’s just the ego boost you need, given what you’ve had to contend with lately. We all cycle through times when we are up or down in our appeal ratings so it will be nice to know that your star is definitely on the rise. This will be on full view this Wednesday when a higher up comes looking for you to talk about a project or enterprise. This will be weird because you thought that you were already signed on for this. However, you will discover that you weren’t. In fact a co-worker or supervisor who promised to champion you was actually withholding your name instead. It’s an awkward situation and one that will require the sort of shrewd maneuvering that Scorpios are famous for. Be subtle about the way you proceed with this — especially when word gets out next Monday.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)
Get ready for a crazy about-face in your love life when Venus turns retrograde in your partner sign on Wednesday. This could bring an unexpected separation if you’re in a relationship. Your other half could be called away suddenly (to take care of a family matter for instance) or an argument could escalate into the sort of fight that leads to staying at a friend’s for a few weeks. If so, then this would be a good time to remember what the poet Kahlil Gibran once said was the secret to a relationship’s success: You have to allow for some separateness in your togetherness. In other words, time apart is good for the heart. However, if you’re single, then this Venus retrograde will bring someone new into your life. Now, you may think that this person is fly-by-night, but the upcoming alignment of planets in Gemini says differently. In fact, you may discover that someone who said that he was just passing through will wind up settling down and staying a while after June 6.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)
You were born under a sign that needs to see tangible results by the end of the day. They don’t have to be substantial to be substantive; they just have to be there. Your insistence on always having something concrete to show for your efforts can strike co-workers and customers as demanding and hard-nosed, but there’s no denying that this bottom-line thinking is responsible for your success. This is something that will be abundantly clear on Monday and Wednesday when you pull off yet another extraordinary coup at work. In fact gains could be more than you expected given the prominent influence of Pluto, the planet of wealth. Pluto is also the planet of hidden agendas, so you’ll want to be unwavering on your rule about being paid up front or not beginning work until there is a contract in place. A very desirable client is going to try to get you to make an exception by offering a verbal (rather than a written) agreement. Don’t be seduced into changing your policy or you will have reason to regret it next week.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)
Problems that bedeviled you at the start of the year are becoming more manageable. Part of this is due to a better grasp of your circumstances and part of this is thanks to the mental acuity that this week’s Mercury/Pluto trine will bring. A Mercury/Pluto trine intensifies your critical faculties to that you’re able to zero in on what’s important and prioritize accordingly. It also allows you to make decisions that don’t come easily. You won’t think twice about pulling the plug on a dead end obligation (Monday) and dumping a routine that no longer serves you (Wednesday). The Mercury/Pluto trine will also give you a nose for bargains so if there was ever a good day to hit the sales racks then Friday would be it. Meanwhile, you should make plans to revisit a matter that became hopelessly entangled near the end of February. You will find that what was impossible then will be infinitely doable this weekend.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)
You’re not one to turn to others in your moment of need. It’s usually the other way around. However, the Mars/Pluto trine on Wednesday shows that there’s no shame in asking for a helping hand — especially given how many times you’ve been there for people in the past. What you will also gain from this experience are valuable insights and guidance on how to better manage your resources. This will do a lot to change your perspective on what you bring to the table — which is a lot. Indeed much of what you yearn for — like financial security and peace of mind — could be yours if you would only learn to play to your strengths rather than fixate on your weaknesses. You are more formidable than you give yourself credit for. Meanwhile, the solar eclipse in Gemini on May 20 shows that it’s time to part company with someone who has become more of a burden than a boon. This person is bleeding you dry — both emotionally and financially.
