By Amanda Painter

This may not be a week known for celebratory fireworks displays, but you’ll want to watch for the metaphorical kind. Mars in Gemini opposite Saturn in Sagittarius, which was exact yesterday (2:55 am EDT / 6:55 UTC), speaks of confrontation and even conflict. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Rotating fireworks in a wheel formation in the Netherlands, New Year, 2014. Photo by Peter van der Sluijs/Wikimedia Commons.

A little friction is often necessary in life. Sure, it’s uncomfortable. It can feel like heat, and “hot under the collar” is a term for losing one’s temper for a good reason. Enough friction can start a fire.

Yet the tension we often feel with interpersonal friction can actually push us toward a more honest resolution in a situation. After all, if you hold back your true feelings and thoughts because you’re afraid of upsetting others, how can true negotiation happen? Either you don’t get anywhere near what you want or need, or else you use manipulative tactics to get there.

Perhaps more importantly, how can anyone get to know, respect and appreciate the ‘real you’ if you keep hiding yourself away? Yet that question points to the heart of the matter: so many people fear that ‘who they really are’ is someone nobody could love — because they themselves are unable to see their own inherent worth, and aren’t even sure who they are. A little conflict can give you the opportunity to stand up for what you believe in; if you’re not sure who you are, that pressure can help you figure it out.

At the same time, notice when you’re arguing with someone who’s incapable of changing their opinion. Saturn in Sagittarius can be dogmatic that way; sometimes you have to learn to pick your battles.

However you handle what you meet this week, the sky is also cautioning that you be truthful. The Gemini Sun is approaching its square to Neptune in Pisces (exact Sunday, June 4 — but Neptune casts a wide orb of influence). Along the way, the Sun will also square Nessus — the ‘buck stops here’ centaur.

What exactly needs to stop? Eric’s suggestion is that it’s the pervasive habit of casual lying. It’s popular to take the whole ‘two sides of the story’ theme that Gemini represents and spin that into the idea that there’s no such thing as truth. Yes, everyone has their own personal perspective. But at a certain level there are basic facts that must be agreed upon: either Flynn and Trump (and whoever else) accepted money from Russian sources or not; either you dinged that other person’s car in the parking lot or not; either you followed through on the task you said you’d do or not.

It’s one thing not to be sure who you are; everyone is discovering that as they go. It’s another thing to deny clear facts or your real motivations.

Same with pretending that persistent emotions and desires don’t exist or mean nothing. That just causes another source of tension and restlessness — but one that’s contained wholly within you.

Speaking of which: this week Venus moves through the Uranus-Eris conjunction, first contacting Eris (exact today — Tuesday) and then Uranus (exact Saturday, June 3). This is the astrological picture of restlessness, particularly where love and relationships are concerned — so be real about it.

That doesn’t mean you need to throw out the baby with the proverbial bathwater or instigate a war to get the love you need. But it does suggest listening to any urge to shake things up, try something new, loosen what has gotten rigid or routine, or express that emotion or desire that feels too ‘out there’.

In the name of honesty and figuring out who you are, you could do a lot worse. You might even be relieved by the results.