You’ll want to keep your friends close and your enemies closer this week as Venus - the planet of pledges and promises – gets caught up in the cosmic crosscurrents of Uranus and Pluto. Uranus is the planet of revolution and change in Astrology and Pluto is the planet of ordeals and the transformations that arise from them. When these two energies get triggered then you can expect all kinds of surprise revelations, rude awakenings, and skeletons to come out of the closet to play. You won’t know who to trust and to make matters worse – the people you trust won’t know who to trust either. What you will get on the other side of this (things will settle down after August 20) will be a clear sense of who’s in your corner and who isn’t. This will allow you to separate fair weather friends from the true blue and to maybe even see old “enemies” in a new and favorable light.
ARIES (March 21- April 19)
Technically speaking you weren’t really swindled. At least that’s how a customer service representative, banker, or lawyer will try to explain things on Monday when you discover that you’re being saddled with a bill for a job that was never completed or a penalty fee that you knew nothing about. You’re perfectly within your rights to dispute this (and you should!), but you need to know that it will take longer than you think to resolve. For some reason the bureaucracy that allows someone to slip in and take your money in an instant suddenly moves at a snail’s pace when it comes to trying to recover what was lost. Nevertheless if you go through the proper channels and show all your documentation, you should see things restored to you by about August 30th. Meanwhile Wednesday looks like a high-stress day. You will need to keep a cool head while everyone around you is losing theirs. Avoid getting caught up in the drama at home or at work. You don’t need it now – especially since you’re on the verge of a major breakthrough on Friday. Apparently a boss is rethinking his decision or a potential paramour has decided to side with his feelings for you instead of his absorption with himself. In any case you could wind up getting what you want on the 20th or the 23rd.
TAURUS (April 20 -May 20)
Don’t be so quick to run to a friend’s emotional rescue on August 13 because you’re not getting the full story. There’s more going on than she is talking about and much of what’s been edited out contains some questionable elements. Nevertheless she’s your friend so you aren’t going to abandon her in her moment of need. Lend her an ear – as well as a shoulder to lean on – and you should get to the bottom of what’s amiss by Saturday. On Wednesday you may find yourself wishing that you had someone to talk to about your own troubles. You’re feeling like a deer caught in the headlights as you know that there are certain big decisions you should be making, but don’t really feel like making yet. And this isn’t about you being stubborn. It’s about feeling right about what you’re doing rather than forcing a situation to take place before it’s ready. You know deep down that a major upheaval or change is in the works and it’s the only solution to the problems you face. You also know that you can’t make these changes haphazardly or recklessly. Thankfully the stars will work as a collaborative silent partner over the next seven weeks – through encounters, circumstances, and experiences – to remove the blinders and show you the way out of that corner you feel stuck in.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21)
You’re doing everything you can to tune out the negative and accent the positive. Things have not been going well lately and you’re feeling the stress. On Wednesday you will be asked to explain yourself to a dissatisfied client, supervisor, or bean counter. This will not be a good day and it will take a supreme act of will on your part to hold it all together while this person walks you through criticisms that you are already familiar with. This person isn’t looking for answers, s/he just wants to vent so smile, say yes in all the right places, and bring the meeting to a close as soon as it is politely possible. Believe it or not it’s when the pressure’s on that you are at your most creative and resourceful. This is when you make the mental switch from looking for ways to get around a situation to working with what’s in front of you. This is when you are at your most spontaneous and brilliant. Also remember that Jupiter – the planet of higher purpose – is still traveling through your corner of the sky so on no account should you be talked into giving up a heartfelt cause, project, or struggle. The extraordinary trine between Mercury and Uranus on Saturday is bound to bring some kind of game-changing development that will turn the tide of fortune in your favor.
CANCER (June 22-July 22)
Astrological forecasts are like the weather. Sometimes the planets promise clear skies and sometimes they portend stormy clouds. You will have a major storm front rolling through your horoscope from Monday August 13th through Friday August 17th. Simply put – somebody who is very important to your future will not be coming through in the way that you expect. It’s a let down, but not in a “gee that’s too bad” disappointing way. It’s more like a let down in a potentially expensive or emotionally costly sort of way. Either this person promised more than he could deliver or a last minute case of cold feet will drive him from the scene. In any case you will be left to your own devices on Thursday. Thankfully you were born under one of the most adaptable and resilient signs of the zodiac. If anyone can roll with the punches, it’s you. Yet there is an important lesson to be learned from this and that’s to start taking people at their word. As a Cancer you will always side with nurture over nature. You believe that people can blossom if given the proper love, support, and encouragement. And that’s true some of the time, but not all of the time. Next time when someone says that they don’t think they’re up to the task at hand do yourself a favor – and believe them.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)
Do not rush in where angels fear to tread. This will be easier said than done as you will be drawn into all kinds of dramas on Monday and Wednesday. These are the days when you will be flooded with requests for help and pleas to intervene. But don’t. The planets show that you are being asked to come in at the tail end of a situation that is already past the point of no return. It is completely unsalvageable and needs to unravel and fall apart. This won’t be easy to watch because you care about the people involved, but it’s time to accept the fact that they made these beds and now must now sleep in them. Thankfully things will start looking up on Thursday when there is a New Moon in your zodiac sign. New Moons signal fresh starts and this is when you will experience a boost in spirits, confidence, and approval ratings. It’s been a while since you felt valued and cherished so let yourself soak in the love and adulation. You will also have command of the bully pulpit at work so Thursday and Friday would be the perfect days to introduce and then implement a plan of action. Not only will you enjoy a groundswell of support, but you can rely on the stunning endorsement of an influential boss or client.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)
Wait for it. Every fiber of your being will urge you to act and to act quickly on Monday and Tuesday, but you need to wait and see how things will shake out. Many promises and pledges will be upended early in the week due to the Moon occulting Venus. This is a treacherous planetary aspect and it will take everyone by surprise – including those who thought they were in on the secret. The result will be mayhem and confusion and a lot of wild finger pointing. Keep a low profile because – as any market trader will tell you – there’s opportunity in the chaos. In fact you could see a love interest come rushing into your arms by end of the business day Wednesday or a client you’ve been wooing may elect to transfer their business to you. It will be enormously gratifying, but don’t assume it’s in the bag. If anything your prize catch could wind up in somebody else’s talons on August 24th. This is when the person your love interest was dating or the company that your new client was doing business with will accuse you of deception and double-dealing. Obviously it’s not true but be ready for this person to fight hard to regain what they lost. The onus will be on you to keep things above board while your competition gets down and dirty.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)
This will be a rough week for someone who means a lot to you. This could be someone you’re secretly crushing on or it could be someone in a position of authority over you. Simply put this person was enamored with somebody else and it looks like this somebody else will break his heart on Monday by leaving. Obviously this is wonderful news for you – especially when you’re the one he comes to for comfort and consolation on Wednesday – but you need to be careful about how to proceed from here. It’s true that your rival is gone. And it’s true that you are the next runner-up, but do you really want to risk your best chance at happiness on a rebound relationship? This is why you’ll want to keep things friendly, but detached for the next few weeks. Encourage him to date or to organize a search committee if this is a work situation. It may feel like you’re taking unnecessary risks, but it’s actually the opposite. You know that he wants you and you want him to choose you for you and not because you’re the easy answer for filling a void. Trust in time- and the sustaining powers of the New Moon/Saturn sextile on Friday August 17 – and you will get what you seek on September 13.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)
You aren’t going to get what you want right now so quit while you’re ahead. Not only are you in the weakest possible bargaining position, but you could also alienate the very person you’re trying to win over by pushing the envelope. You don’t want him to sit there looking at you icily while your envelope disappears over the side of the table and flutters to the floor. That would not be the desirable outcome for something you worked hard for. Now it’s very easy to take all of this personally, but the simple truth is that none of what’s happening this week has anything to do with you. Indeed the Moon and Venus occultation on Monday points to a behind-the-scenes fiasco which means that the reason you’re getting stonewalled is because people are preoccupied with other matters. Leave it alone and try your luck again in October. You’ll make more headway then. Meanwhile you will hear news on Thursday or Friday that will make you want to thank your lucky stars. Things didn’t turn out well for that seller who snubbed you or that rival who beat you out for a coveted spot earlier this year. Business went belly up and this person lost a lot. This will remind you that there really is such a thing as karma and that everything comes out in the wash eventually.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)
You were born under the cheerleader sign of the zodiac. Spirited and enthusiastic, you’d rather accent the positive than dwell on the dreary. You know that things will only turn out for the best if you believe in the best which is why you’re so focused on remaining upbeat. You’re unapologetic about your love for rose-colored glasses and even collect them in a wide variety of styles and looks. This is good because you will need all of the positive reinforcement you can get on Wednesday when pledges are broken, promises are abandoned, and the people who said that they would be there for you suddenly disappear. Venus is the planet of agreements in Astrology and when she runs afoul of Uranus and Pluto (like she will on Wednesday) then you expect things to unravel and to unravel quickly. Thankfully Friday’s New Moon sextile to Saturn and Mars shows that you’re in good hands. Translation? Let fair weather friends fly the coop because they were never in your corner to begin with. You will find quick replacements on August 17, August 20, and August 29 and these replacements will be better than what you had before. In fact it’s such a higher class of character that when your ex friends try to work their way back into your good graces on the 30th you can smile sweetly and tell them to go f**k themselves.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)
You may find yourself in the wrong corner of a three-way triangle on August 15. You could be drawing heat from your lover’s Ex or your boss’s favoritism towards you at work could make you the object of others’ ire. There is also the distinct possibility (although impossibly modest you would find it hard to believe) that you are the prize that two rival interests have set their sights upon and that they won’t stop until one of them wins. In any case you should brace yourself for the passion and the fury that only a Mars/Saturn conjunction can bring. The good thing about this is that you will be the winner no matter what takes place on Wednesday because Saturn is your Ruling Planet and Saturn is at its most powerful in Libra. The end result will be a stronger claim on your relationship (you might even get a marriage proposal out of this), a promotion at work, or a spike in status or pay. You will also need to remember that you are on people’s radar in both good and not-so-good ways. What’s good is that people will regard you with respect and admiration. What’s not-so-good is that you will also be the object of jealousy and spite. How you handle your newfound success and prestige will be very important – as any Hollywood celebrity can tell you.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)
It can be dispiriting to be within hair’s breadth of your goal only to see it snatched out of your grasp at the last possible instant. Most people would throw up their hands in frustration and defeat, but not you. First of all you’ve been through this too many times before. And secondly? You know that the time has come to move forward with a project, business, or bold career move and you will not allow for what takes place on Monday and Wednesday to derail your progress. One of the plus sides to being born under a fixed sign (the other fixed signs in Astrology are Taurus, Leo, and Scorpio) is that you will not yield the field. You will stand your ground no matter what and it’s your refusal to budge that will wind up getting a superior to take a second look or a client to rethink pulling out. Sometimes it pays to be audacious and the New Moon in fearless Leo on Friday shows that your audacity will pay off in spades on August 20 and August 29. Not only will you seal the deal and turn the tables over the next two weeks, but your actions will set in motion a series of game-changing developments that will move you from the bottom of the pile to the top of the heap in early October.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)
Something that you foretold will come to pass – and in the most unexpected way! – on Monday. Now this isn’t exactly a huge surprise because you were born under the most psychic sign of the zodiac, but it will put you in the awkward situation of having to explain yourself. Do you adopt a “don’t look at me I’m just the messenger” attitude or do you offer wise counsel and guidance to those taken unawares? What you will come to appreciate over the next few weeks is that you have a lot to give. Not only are you prescient, but you have a deep well of wisdom and compassion to draw from. You could turn this into a life calling or a vocation if you want but that decision will be up to you. Meanwhile you will wake up to a firestorm of controversy on Wednesday when you discover that you were quoted out of context and that that misinterpretation is swiftly taking on a life of its own. It’s to be expected when there is so much posting, Pinteresting, tweeting, and texting going on. However trying to salvage the situation could prove to be more challenging than you expect – especially when people you don’t even know start to weigh in with their opinions. This may be one of those times when the less said, the better until the furor passes.
