Aries (March 20-April 19) — To the extent that you’re a different kind of person, you need different kinds of relationships. In your case now, that translates to something less glamorous than is the current fashion. Rather than being about anything exotic, innovative or digital, you seem to be craving the kind of connection that is only possible to have in a home space. I suggest that, when you’re with a lover or partner, cook your own meals and eat in. Give yourselves time to get to know one another, for the first time or in a new way for this phase of your life. Your astrology describes you seeking intimacy, understanding and a genuine exchange. These values have nothing in common with relationship by SMS or sex by Snapchat. Getting the devices and, indeed, the robot commonly known as the Internet out of your intimate time will feel radical and revolutionary.

Taurus (April 19-May 20) — For all its supposed progress, the world is losing a value on cooperation with one’s neighbors. If it persists, this would be a great loss for humanity, since on our planet nothing happens without mutual enterprise. Take leadership among your friends, colleagues and those you live with, and exploit any opportunity to get people working together. Many hands will make light work, if there is coordination, and you are the organizing intelligence within your immediate sphere of influence. Take this to the social level as well. Many people are slowly going insane from lack of genuine human contact, and from lack of the experience of taking care of one another. You might consider having a small gathering in your home or that of a close friend. I have suggested before that potluck dinners will save the world from its present state of madness and instability. It’s a theory worth testing.

Gemini (May 20-June 21) — You’re more intelligent than you think. If you feel like there is some issue or problem that’s over your head, all you need to do is slow down and tune in. This may relate specifically to a goal you have, one you might think you’re not up to. This insecurity may come back to a single comment some adult made to you as a child. You might also be struggling with an effect of digital life, which is to scramble certain forms of self-awareness. In any situation requiring your ability to think, the first thing to do is to be self-aware. Tune into your body and how you feel. Then start to put things into context. If you feel you don’t understand something, begin to break down just what it is you don’t know. You will figure out that you know more than you think, and you’ll have an inventory of missing information to put the pieces together. This works for any scale of question or problem.

The Beehive Cluster in the constellation Cancer. Image by Tracy Tuttle.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — You must be what you want to become. The world usually gets this one backwards: You become something, and then you get to be it. That might work for holding public office (president, police officer, judge); but for what you’re doing, you do what you do and that makes you what you are. Therefore, stop putting off your most cherished goals for sometime in the future. I am aware of the time crunch that may be affecting your life, seemingly more than those of other people you know. This is mostly an illusion. You can correct this two ways: you don’t need as much leisure time as you think. Artists of any stripe who really do their work are engaged all the time. Stop thinking in terms of time on and time off, and carry a pencil and notebook everywhere. Train your mind to the task for which it’s best suited: total devotion. Second, plenty of time is wasted. Pay attention to where your hours go, and you will use them much more wisely.

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — You don’t need to engage in any debate about morals, especially sexual. In sex, there is just one necessary line of appropriateness, which is of-age consent. Once that’s been taken care of, you are entitled to be who you are, to feel what you feel, and to do what you want to do. So is everyone else. What is so often disguised as morality is like a crepe-paper Halloween costume pulled over a deeper reality: some people want everyone else to have less fun than they do. The very things to avoid are gossip and scandal in any form. Simply do not participate. Walk away or end the discussion. You are the one and only person who must make up your own mind about what is right or wrong for you and for your relationships. This takes less courage than it may seem to at first. You merely need to call things what they are, and remember that nobody is your judge or jury.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — The self-critical nature of your sign hardly allows you a moment to feel as if you’re the flavor of the month, or that you really belong on the planet. This is mostly a head-trip; that is, something in your own mind. Give yourself a break. That should be easy now. You might try asserting yourself — whether creatively or socially. Do something radical, such as get out of the house, have fun, and don’t worry about what people think. It’s never about what they think, anyway: it’s always about what you think. And you have significant influence over that, if not total control. I suggest this now because you’re likely to find the social waters easier to swim, and your creative gifts easier to express. It’s as if a knot is finally coming untangled and giving you some space and freedom to move around. Relax your mind. Take that as a mantra. Tell yourself over and over.

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — Aspects around profession, reputation and aspiration are so strong right now, you could make a smashing success of anything. Yet you might feel like this on the outside but less so inwardly. The point of resistance seems to be questioning whether your ideas are good enough. Usually you’re optimistic about your plans and your sense of purpose. If there is a current question, it seems to be lingering around the matter of, “Is this really me?” or, said another way, “Is this how I want to express myself?” On any long-term project or new phase of your life, it helps to keep in mind that there is not always a perfect fit in the early stages. Give yourself the benefit of the doubt. Assume that you’re doing the right thing for yourself (and, it would also seem, your community or surroundings). Then give yourself some time, perhaps a few seasons, to work out the subtle points.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — Mars is about to return to direct motion in your sign. This is a turning point along a specific journey of your life that dates back to early January. That’s approximately when some powerful motivation kicked in and led you to start making decisions. You’ve questioned many of them, and gone through some effort to rethink what didn’t work out the first time. For the next month, Mars will assist you in completing that process of reassessment. If you do this honestly, you’ll notice a few things that will benefit from the power of your choice. You might need to make decisions that seem as if they will reverse or up-end what you’ve already established. This will be worth it. You’re far closer to the beginning of your process than you think. In hindsight, whatever you correct or rework now will blend into your memory of the early beginnings of this new phase of your life.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — Ask yourself for real: how many times have you been overwhelmed by fear, and then had the specific thing you’re afraid of actually happen? Or even something close to it? The answer is probably close to zero. With such an abysmal track record, how is it that fear is taken so seriously? Well, there is certainly an element of long-term conditioning involved. And there is something about where most fear is hooked, which is on a difficult-to-access emotional level. The difficulty is taboo: there’s a kind of imaginary fence around the region where it’s possible to learn something. Anyway, no part of you is off limits to you. You have no classified or top-secret elements of your psyche that you must avoid. And if you’re willing to embrace how you actually feel, and what you really want, you will be more likely to discover the hook where fear seems to get its power over you — and let it go. Consider, though: it all comes back to desire.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — You may be wondering how someone feels about you, or whether they are moved by you, but the real question is how you feel, and whether you are moved. Mars is a planet closely associated with your sign, and it’s been at a standstill for days. This suggests some form of either hesitation or of feeling like you must make what seems like a huge decision. Yet is it really that significant? There is an added factor that’s been popping up to some extent all year long, which is concern over what other people might think — by which I mean friends or associates. Concern over your image is the best way to divert attention from the actual substance of who you are: what you want and what you feel. We live in morally corrupt times when nearly everyone is concerned about maintaining the image of purity. This is merely a trap, and one that you don’t need to fall for.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — In order to find yourself or discover who you are, some element of conflict with others is necessary. At the moment, though, I suggest you not challenge anyone other than yourself. While you’re doing this, pay close attention to your environment. Notice how people are responding to you and to one another. You are in a position to offer leadership, though you must take a psychological approach to the question. In other words, your assignment is to know your needs, intentions and plans, and then figure out for everyone else the most likely ways they can help you get that done. This will take some observation, however; and that will take a little time. Aspects currently developing hint strongly that a delay of a few days, perhaps till later in the week, will serve you — and when the time comes to take action, do it subtly, one step at a time, phasing in your plan gently.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — It is often said that we create our own reality. Yet is that true, as an independent statement? Or is it closer to actuality that we drive our lives in various ways, and are also in a complex relationship with our environment, and with many forces outside of our control? Let’s presume the second one is true. We live in a world of cars, and of roads. To drive the car effectively, it’s necessary to understand the roads. You have a creative opportunity in your hands; something unusual, and something that could truly enhance your life. For this to come to fruition, it will be necessary for you to pay attention to what you’re doing, and to pay even closer attention to your environment. One of the most vital factors of environment is belief. You have your beliefs, and you swim in an ocean of the beliefs of others. Notice how the two interrelate and you will have much more fun.