Weekly horoscopes: Time for a new normal

Mercury comes out of retrograde on Tuesday, August 7, which means that it’s safe to go back in the water.  There are no more glitches, debacles, and accidents waiting to happen lurking in the shallows.  You can trust that the fixtures in your life – like your car, computer, and phone – will go back to behaving themselves again.  Sanity will be restored along with your faith in the IT department at work.  But there’s more to Mercury coming out of retrograde than a return to the status quo.  If anything the misadventures of the past two weeks would have identified the areas of your life where you’ve grown too complacent and lax; areas of your life that you need to change.  One of the plus sides to Mercury retrogrades is that they force us to revisit old assumptions that have outlived their purpose and to make some overdue adjustments in the life plan.  Mercury out of retrograde doesn’t have to mean a return to business as usual.  If anything this is your chance to set up a new normal; one that’s more to your liking.

ARIES (March 21- April 19)

Your need to make a “statement” could get you in a lot of hot water on Monday.  No one is disputing that you have something to say.  What’s in question is the way you want to say it.  There’s a difference between getting something off your chest and working to bring light rather than heat to a troubled situation.  You are in a unique position to set the tone for a discussion that will get pretty intense over the next ten days.  You could pour gasoline on the fire or you can work to identify problems and explore some possible solutions with a minimum of finger pointing.  This would be a good time to remember that it’s always easier to tear down than it is to build.  Challenge yourself to be the constructive voice of criticism and you will make a positive difference for the better.  Meanwhile loved ones will be taking their cue from you on August 7 regarding the introduction of a new member to the family or the return of an estranged relative.  You’re apt to feel put on the spot because everyone knows that you two just don’t click.  Thank heavens you were born under a zodiac sign that knows what it’s like to keep a stiff upper lip when you have to.  Besides if fellow Aries Alec Baldwin can find a way to tap into his kinder, gentler side, so can you.

TAURUS (April 20 -May 20)

This would be a good week to touch base with those close friends you rely on for your day-to-day peace of mind because they’re starting to feel taken for granted.  Now in all fairness you’ve had a lot going on lately and it’s understandable that you’ve been pre-occupied with some weighty matters.  But everyone’s got a limit and it should be clear to you that your conversations have become a bit me-sided lately.  Reverse the trend by asking friends about themselves.  Not only will you get to talk about something other than your own problems for a change, but catching up will reintroduce some levity and humor back into your life.  On Tuesday your ruling planet Venus will enter the zodiac sign of Cancer.  Cancer is the sign of hearth and home and this is where you will be focusing your attention for the next three weeks.  Loved ones have taken a backseat to work lately and there’s one in particular who really needs you by his or her side. This person has been struggling to turn over a new leaf and could use your support and encouragement.  You may feel like you’ve given it, but it’s been in lip service only.  There’s nothing to be gained by withholding approval and everything to be won by showing it.  After all – it wasn’t so long ago when you were looking to someone else for the same thing.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21)

The past two weeks felt like you were taking three steps back for every step forward.  This didn’t sit well with you at first, but if anyone can make a mental adjustment in midstream of consciousness – it’s you.  Thankfully your ruling planet Mercury comes out of retrograde on August 7 which means that you can expect the current of events to flow in your direction again.  But don’t be so quick to write off the recent retrograde as a waste of time and energy.  Certain pieces to an as yet undeciphered puzzle will emerge over the next fourteen days that will prove both timely and useful.  These may be half-remembered snippets of conversation, emails that you glanced over once quickly or an inconsistency that always remained inconsistet despite your best efforts to explain it away.  Mercury was named after the messenger god and he has different ways of getting his point across.  Tune into what he has to say and you will discover a trail of breadcrumbs leading you to the path that you should take.  Meanwhile it’s becoming increasingly apparent that you took a wrong turn in a certain relationship or association.  It’s not too late to go back the way you came and to even part on good terms, but you will need to do this before next Monday.  Wait any longer and things could get messy.

CANCER (June 22-July 22)

Venus enters your zodiac sign on Tuesday, August 7 and she will be there through September 6.  This makes you flavor of the month so you can expect to turn heads and capture hearts as you find yourself transformed into the favorite figment of everyone’s romantic imagination.  This will be a different type of role for you because you’re used to a more low-key approach to love.  Unfortunately hugging the shadows is not Venus’s style.  Venus is a tricky planetary energy because you don’t really own her.  Named after the Roman goddess of love and beauty, it’s Venus’s job to attract, hook, and then reel in.  But it’s always a bit of a fishing expedition with Venus because you’re just as likely to land a prize catch as you are to snag a boot.  Venus is all about pairing up, but she doesn’t really much care who you wind up with as long as you become a couple. This is why you will want to make sure that you’re finding the right match – especially on August 9th, 13th, and 15th.  You will need to be honest with yourself about what you want and what you feel because you will be more clear-headed than your paramour will be.  You always want to be careful what you wish for with Venus, because you will undoubtedly get it.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)

Life returns to normal when Mercury comes out of retrograde on Tuesday August 7th.  This is when you can breathe a long sigh of relief and treat yourself to a shot of Patrón.  Mercury retrogrades are Astrology’s gremlins.  The planet reverses direction three times a year and when it does you can expect all kinds of trouble with auto transmission, computer malfunction, and people hacking into your Facebook account.  Usually Mercury retrograde doesn’t affect you all that much except that this time it turned retrograde in your zodiac sign.  This would have turned you into a walking talking Mercury retrograde magnet with breakdowns, glitches and mini-fiascos dogging you for the past two weeks.  Thankfully all of that is over and you can look forward to smooth sailing – that is after you explain to friends that it wasn’t you emailing them asking for money because you were stranded in some airport halfway around the world. Meanwhile you will want to pay close attention to what transpires at work on Thursday.   Somebody’s loss could prove to be your gain, but how you handle this highly sensitive matter will determine whether people see you as deserving or calculating.  Don’t be grabby because you’ll never live it down.  Channel your inner Best Actress Oscar winner instead.   Approach the moment humbly and with an air of disbelief and people will applaud your triumph

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

One of the difficulties with being born under such a shrewd sign is that you can be too clever for your own good.  A perennial student of human behavior, you know people better than they know themselves.  You know what to say to win them over and you know what not to say to keep them thinking the best of you.  Nobody could ever accuse you of lying any more than they could accuse you of disclosing the entire truth either.  Deciding for people what they should – or should not – know isn’t always easy.  In fact it can get quite stressful which is why a not-so-accidental trip up on the 7th could turn out to be a blessing in disguise.  These sorts of unconscious slips are pretty typical of Mercury coming out of retrograde – especially when Mercury is coming out of retrograde in that part of your solar chart that pertains to self-undoing.  But not all self-sabotage is self-destructive.  Sometimes it’s the only way we have of alerting loved ones and friends to the fact that we need to talk.  You’re not the touchy-feely type, but that doesn’t mean that you couldn’t use some TLC.  Reach out to the people in your life and let them be there for you for a change.  Less self-editing and more communicating would do you a world of good right now.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

Your Ruling Planet Venus will be at the zenith of your horoscope from August 7th through September 6th.  This will exert an almost gravitational pull on potential customers, clients, and employers by bringing them into your social and/or professional orbit.  Don’t be surprised to learn over the next few weeks that a friend of a friend happens to know the head of that company you’ve been wanting to interview at or that a satisfied customer has been both singing – and tweeting – your praises.  Venus at the zenith of your horoscope is also auspicious for making a sales pitch, asking for a promotion, or securing funding because you will get it either just before Labor Day Weekend or right after.  Moreover it’s the women in high places – not the men – who will be opening doors for you.  Even if you’re meeting with a man, chances are that it will be his wife, girlfriend, or personal assistant who will have final say about whether you’re green-lighted or not.  The next few weeks are favorable for partnerships and collaborations.  You will be amazed by what people bring to the table – especially with ideas and contacts.  And finally: don’t forget about Mom.  She’s probably been trying to fix you up with someone for years, but you might want to give a listen because the planets show that she may have gotten it right this time.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

Mercury finally comes out of retrograde on Tuesday August 7th.  This is your cosmic cue to move forward with any kind of application, interview, or negotiation that you’ve got in the works.  Even if you tried before and got nowhere, it would still be a good idea to make a follow-up phone call this week.  Doors that were once closed often spring open again when Mercury resumes direction in the sky.  You may also want to think about swallowing your pride and contacting an estranged loved on Thursday August 9th.  Exchanges got a bit heated near the end of June and you both probably said some things that you regretted at the time.  This doesn’t mean that you two have to be best friends, but you would probably be better off trying to work out some kind of truce since it looks like you are going to be a part of each other’s lives.  Mars will be entering Scorpio on August 23rd followed by Saturn in early October so whatever you can do to make things right with the people in your life whom you aren’t on the best of terms with would be prudent.  This would help to offset some of the challenging influences that Saturn in Scorpio will bring.  Who knows?  You may come to discover that an enemy is really a friend.  Stranger things have happened.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

Your faith is restored (along with your credibility) when someone you refused to give up on comes through with flying colors on Tuesday.  This is someone that a lot of people had questions about and his/her track record didn’t help much.  You took a lot of aggravation in recent weeks from skeptical loved ones and critical friends, so it will feel good to be vindicated.  You’re often the first to recognize people’s hidden potential and you know from experience what a difference it makes to have someone in your corner rooting for you.  Your power of belief will always inspire others to do their best, so let this serve as a reminder to continue standing by the underdogs and people’s whose lives are works-in-progress.  You really are their strongest champion.  On a different note you can expect to hear good news about money on Thursday.  This is when your loan application will be approved or when you can expect to receive financial aid.  Thursday could also be the day when you recoup something that was lost thanks to Neptune’s restorative powers.  For instance a lien might be removed, your credit score is good again, or a contested piece of property reverts back to you.  It took a while to get back up on the horse finance-wise, but now it looks like you’re in the saddle and ready to ride.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

Venus can be a bit of a mixed blessing when she’s traveling through your opposite zodiac sign.  Named after the Roman Goddess of love and beauty, it’s Venus’s job to hook people’s interests and to reel them in.  And this could be extremely effective when it comes to dealing with love and money matters on Tuesday and Thursday because you will have an almost hypnotic hold on a potential paramour or a deep pockets client.  It would be a good idea to schedule a first date or a business meeting on these days if possible because you will be positively irresistible.  Nobody will be able to deny you anything.  But you should keep in mind that Venus can also attract the wrong kind of attention when she’s traveling through this part of the sky which is why you will need to be careful.  Your powers of discrimination won’t be as sharp as they should be and you could find yourself drawn into situations where someone thinks you’re interested (when you’re not) or where they think that you really mean yes when you said no.  You will want to be wary about this – especially on the weekend when the Moon will occult Jupiter.  Don’t be afraid to get blunt – or even rude – if you have to.  Sometimes that’s what it takes to get your message across.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

Partners and associates are being unusually self-absorbed and demanding, but the real question is: why are you being so accommodating?  It’s not like you to be so wishy-washy, however it makes sense when you remember the time of year.  Being a winter child you are “out of season” during the summer months when you tend to feel lethargic, listless, slow moving and slow thinking.  You are also susceptible to summer colds because your immune system is lower during this time.  Long story short?  This isn’t you at your razor sharp best which is why it’s never a good idea to make any big life decisions between June and October.  Thankfully you will start to feel less dazed and confused when Mercury comes out of retrograde on August 7.  You’ll be back on-line and operating with all four bars.  This will help you to focus on what’s actually being said and to pull up mental files when you need them.  You won’t be so willing to take others’ word for things or to question your own judgment.  Mercury out of retrograde will also bring to an end those hidden costs that have been playing pin-the-bill-on-the-Aquarius for the past three weeks.  Not only will you be more scrupulous, but you may even uncover wording in a receipt or bill of sale that will allow you to reverse some of the charges.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)

Where would we be without infatuation?  If you didn’t believe that the man you’re falling for is the love of your life or that the song you’re writing will go platinum one day – then why bother?  Falling in love is one of the most creative things that you can do.  We wouldn’t have steamy romances, beloved children, great works of art or closets lined with fabulous shoes without it.  You have to believe that this time is “it” or you will never be able to conceive of life as being anything different than what you see in front of you.  Accept things at face value and you will repeat the same old, same old.  Find the soul in the mate or the art in your life and you will unlock a world of possibilities. The Venus/Neptune trine on Thursday will cast a spell on you.  Well-meaning friends will try to talk you out of this, but tell them you’re a big girl and that you can take care of yourself.  You’re no stranger to disappointment.  You know from experience that broken hearts mend and there’s always another dream if the one you’re banking on fails to materialize.  But what you don’t always get to enjoy is the wonderful sensation that anything’s possible.  Let yourself believe this week.  Neptune’s in your sign after all, and miracles have been known to happen.