Weekly horoscopes: Personal evolution

Imagine being caught in a body slam between Hulk Hogan and the Rock and you will have some idea of what the impact of this week’s Uranus and Pluto square will feel like. These are two of the most powerful planets in Astrology and they promise to be life-changing in their power and intensity. Who you are at the beginning of this week will be very different from who you will be on July 3. But don’t worry. This is actually a good thing. In fact, it will be both galvanizing and invigorating because the Uranus and Pluto square will push you into the next stage of your personal evolution. Rebirth (like birth) isn’t easy, but what you get on the other side of this is ownership of your life — and it will be ownership on your own terms.

ARIES (March 21 – April 19)

Matters dealing with hearth and home will become hugely important on Wednesday when the sun enters the zodiac sign of Cancer. You could be looking at some pretty big to-dos in your current family make up. Cancer governs the part of your solar chart that rules over matters ranging from welcoming a new face into the fold to deciding on what color to paint the kitchen. Anything pertaining to property values, as well as family legacies, long buried secrets and ancestral lines is described here. If there was ever a time when you were going to find out that you have a long lost Great Uncle Jean-Philippe who has left you his chateau on the French Riviera (or that you are Oprah Winfrey’s illegitimate half sister), it would be now. This is also the part of your solar chart that pertains to your father. You may have to come to his rescue during this time or standing by him could put you at odds with the rest of your family. Finally, this period between now and July 22 would be the optimum time to close on a deal, to settle a longstanding dispute or to sign a contract because the balance is tipped in your favor. This would not be a good time to launch an endeavor because it won’t even get out of the starting gate.

TAURUS (April 20 – May 20)

It may feel like you’re about to get the deal of the century on Wednesday, but you would be well-advised to wait and see how things unfold over the next two weeks before signing. Your ruling planet Venus is still retrograde, which means that a potential partner or client isn’t being upfront about what he is bringing to the table. Now, this isn’t to say this person is trying to pull a fast one. In fact, this person could be absolutely sincere. What the Venus retrograde implies is that there’s a third party that you don’t know about who hasn’t been kept in the loop. This is someone who has veto power and who could very well put the kibosh on your plans. Not only will you find out who this person is between June 21 and June 27, but you should be ready to start again at square one to win him or her over. Meanwhile, you may have to drop what you’re doing and make time for a sibling near the end of the week. Your brother or sister looks like they’re in a pretty rough place and they like need to talk. You have a wonderful way of making the world seem sensible when it appears to be out of balance and there’s bound to be a pearl of wisdom in the advice that you give that you might even consider following yourself.

GEMINI (May 21 – June 21)

You will want to make sure that you have your facts straight when your ruling planet Mercury falls under the exacting gaze of Saturn on June 20. Saturn, the planet of tests, can be a real stickler for details and it will penalize you for the smallest technicality if you aren’t careful. This is why you will want to go over any contract, lease or bill of sale with the intense scrutiny of a Talmudic scholar before agreeing to anything. It’s those little turns of phrases tucked between the lines that could wind up costing you later. It is also why you will want to prep ahead of time before meeting a potential client or date on Thursday or Friday. Even if you think you know your stuff and have your routine down pat, you will still want to rehearse it in front of the bathroom mirror. You have a lot of kookie planetary energy coursing through your horoscope right now and one slip of the tongue or misplaced name would be all it takes to put a chill over your lively get-together. That said, you still have the Sun forming an extraordinary trine to Neptune at the top of your horoscope this weekend. This increases your powers of persuasion and seduction, so even if you do to trip over yourself unintentionally, you’ll still wind up in a friendly lap. People just can’t resist you these days.

CANCER (June 22 – July 22)

You can expect some larger-than-life life changes as Uranus forms a rare square to Pluto this week. The push to strike out in a totally different direction is as strong as the pull to stay put. This kind of energy has been coursing through your horoscope for a while, but this week it will reach an all new intensity. Thankfully, the Sun enters your sign on Wednesday, which means that you will be “in season” (astrologically speaking) and therefore at the peak of your intellectual and emotional powers. This means that you will have the presence of mind and force of personality to harness these energies so that you are directing them and they are not riding roughshod over you. This will shift the balance of power dramatically both at work and in your more intimate relationships. You won’t be hugging the shadows like you used to; in fact, you will have zero tolerance for the type of bullying behavior or outright negligence that you have had to put up with for too long. And if that means a new job or relationship, then so be it. You can expect a lot of emotional wear and tear between now and July 3, but you will also find that adversity introduces you to strengths you never knew you had.

LEO (July 23 – August 22)

You are standing at a crossroads where you have to choose between what feels familiar and what is completely unknown. The familiar are all of those responsibilities and obligations that fill up your day-to-day life. These are the things that you tell yourself you have to do in order to make people happy and to make ends meet. The unknown? Well, that’s the part of yourself that dreams of something better — that feels like you aren’t living up to your true potential. The stronger pull is to the future as you will see for yourself on Thursday and Friday. This is when you will feel like you have to pull up stakes and move on to something else — even if you don’t have a clear idea of what that something else is supposed to be. But is this really what the Stars are asking? Do you really have to walk out on everything that you’ve built for yourself? Hardly. A painter can have the most artistic vision in the world, but it doesn’t mean anything if he or she doesn’t break out the paint, pick up a paintbrush and start to work on an empty canvas. The same can be said for your talents, skills and abilities. You have everything you need to create and shape the life that you want if you would only recognize what you have in the here and now. Don’t look for greener pastures somewhere else when everything you need is right at your fingertips.

VIRGO (August 23 – September 22)

Compare where you were a year ago to where you are now and you will be astonished (if not completely blown away) by how much your life has changed for the better. But, just because your physical circumstances have improved, it doesn’t mean that your sense of self worth has and this is what you need to address this week. Cinderella can go to the ball, win the prince’s heart and become the queen of the realm — but what’s to stop her from rolling up her sleeves and cleaning out the fireplace the next day? Force of habit is a powerful thing and it can keep you hooked into a routine mindset that life is all work and no play unless you make a point of enjoying the fruits of your labors. Schedule an impromptu spa day on Thursday or Friday and treat yourself to something luxuriously self-indulgent. You need to get used to the idea of appreciating your good fortune and celebrating it in your life. That’s the best way to keep good fortune around. Ignore your good fortune — or treat it like it doesn’t matter — and it will wither on the vine. Meanwhile, a loved one will surprise you by acting in a way that is generous and noble. You always knew that he had the potential to be this better person, so it will be nice to see that he actually can be.

LIBRA (September 23 – October 22)

If Saturn, the planet of tests, has taught you anything over the past two years, it’s that you are only as good as your partnership. And this is not a co-dependency thing; it’s a finding the right match sort of thing, which is what Saturn in Libra is all about. If someone is bringing you down, then this person will always bring you down — and if you choose to be around that energy, then you have no one but yourself to blame. However, if someone is an upper, then you know that it’s because this person brings out the best in you. It’s also important to remember that you bring out the best in this person as well. This is the best partnership imaginable because it’s based on an active and fulfilling creative collaboration. You will need to keep this distinction in mind because there will be a lot unexpected developments over the next two weeks that will be changing the rules. Changes in your partner’s career may force him to be away for an extended period of time or he may be asked to move and you would have to go with him. This would be extremely wonderful if you are on the same page — not so good if you’re not.

SCORPIO (October 23 – November 21)

It won’t be easy watching a loved one or a close friend pay the price for a fiasco of his own making. Maybe it’s a money matter he never resolved, a health issue that was ignored or a stubborn refusal to take a certain situation seriously. In any case, you have warned this person numerous times about what would happen and now the chickens are coming home to roost. Actually, it looks like a generation or two of chickens will be coming home to roost. The situation is salvageable, but it will take longer to clean up than you think. Part of it is because this person is in deeper than he knows and part of it is because he still isn’t taking responsibility for what he’s done. This will test your patience and your friendship, but you were born under a sign who does not leave her friends in the lurch. In fact, a Scorpio is one of the truest friends that one could ever hope to have because you will stand by those you care about through hell or high water. Of course, there will be a major “I told you so” lecture yet to come, but there will be plenty of time for that in the future after you have saved this person from himself.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 – December 21)

You really need to believe in what you do for a living. If you believe in what you do, then you will always go the distance because your enthusiasm and passion will push you to do your very best. You will eat, breathe and sleep your career because it’s more than a paycheck — it’s a calling. If you don’t believe in what you do, then your job performance will be spiritless and lackluster and it doesn’t matter how much money you make or how prestigious your job title is. That get up and go that you need in the morning just won’t be there. This week’s Uranus/Pluto square symbolizes your moment of truth. If you love what you do for a living, then developments this week will take you to a new and exciting level where you can really showcase your talents and abilities and garner the recognition that you deserve. If you don’t love what you do, then it will be abundantly clear that you need to make other plans. It will simply be impossible for you to go through the motions any longer. This will become abundantly clear on June 24, June 25 and June 29. Have faith in yourself and aim high. You were born under the sign of the archer and you will hit the mark if you believe in what you do. Settling for anything less just won’t be tenable.

CAPRICORN (December 22 – January 19)

You may think you know the way that life works, but you will see many of those expectations turned upside down this week as Uranus, the planet of unexpected twists, forms a square to Pluto. This won’t be an easy thing to wrap your mind around. You have seen too many things that you pinned your hopes on go belly up over the past three years that Pluto has been in Capricorn. You have learned to curb your enthusiasm, to rein in your ambitions and to color safely inside the lines. This has led you to adopt a bunker mentality. However, Uranus is the planet of revolution and change. It’s Uranus’ job to kick over the game board and to send all the pieces flying. But Uranus doesn’t do this to traumatize you. Uranus does this to wake you up and to spur you on to become the person that you are meant to be. You were born under the sign of the mountain goat. You don’t belong holed up in the bottom of the basement somewhere surrounded by canned foods and bottled water and waiting for the end. You need to be out there scaling the ladder of success to new and dizzying heights. Uranus is just the planet to give you that swift kick in the tuckus you need to get on out there and do it — no ifs, ands or buts.

AQUARIUS (January 20 – February 18)

Aquarians’ big guilty secret is that they hate change. In fact, Aquarians will go out of their way to avoid it if they can. Aquarians are often portrayed as Astrology’s revolutionaries and rabble-rousers — rebels who are eternally in search of the next lost cause. Ironically, nothing could be further from the truth. Aquarians tend to put the needs of the many above the bellyaching of the few and they are more likely to side with the status quo. What gives Aquarians their reputation for being wild and crazy and electrifying is that they are lightning rods for controversy. Aquarians don’t mean to be controversial. They just have this uncanny knack for being in the right place at the right time for the next big upset that hits like a bolt out of the blue and promises to redefine the way that things are done from that moment on. Brace yourself because you will find yourself back in the thick of a fight that you didn’t go looking for on June 24. Part of you will want to sidestep it while another side of you will recognize the need to break with convention and to establish a new way of doing things. Not exactly what you planned to do with your summer, but what can you say? It’s clear that the time has come for change and that you will be the agent for it.

PISCES (February 19 – March 20)

It’s time for you to get back in touch with your heart’s desire and to make it a priority. It isn’t easy being born under the zodiac sign of unconditional love. You can be so empathetic and deeply feeling for the souls around you that you lose sight of what matters most to you. Everyone comes before you or a loved one. You will constantly make time for someone in need — who often happens to be a new acquaintance, a veritable stranger — rather than to spend time with a loved one. This inability to prioritize is the reason why so many Pisceans feel lost at sea. It’s almost impossible to say that one person’s feelings matter to you more than somebody else’s. Indeed, just the thought of it fills you with guilt and remorse. However, you will need to make a certain someone feel like he matters on June 20 and June 21 or you will risk losing him. He has been more than patient with your collection of emotional strays and he has been there for you at times when you needed him to be. Don’t prove the adage true of how everyone in town has shoes except for the shoemaker’s children. Sometimes, it’s the people who are closest to us that we take for granted until they up and leave. There’s still time to turn this around by showing a loved one some love.