Aries (March 20-April 19) — Avoid verbal confrontations this week, as Mars faces off with Saturn. Even logic is unlikely to be persuasive, as anyone you want to convince of something is likely to be coming from a place of intellectual or religious authority, unconcerned about the annoying facts. Since this may be one of those scenarios where the truth seems irrelevant, and where things could easily get out of hand, you might take a different approach. Perhaps focus on your own mental and emotional process. You seem to be stuck on an issue, which feels like a point of integrity; for example, you want to do the right thing, and you have to be strong. You might feel like it’s appropriate to deny yourself something, though it’s worth questioning whether you’ve got another motive, or are just being stubborn. For maximum results, focus your self-inquiry on the emotional level: what you feel rather than what you think.

Taurus (April 19-May 20) — You may find yourself mystified by your own thoughts and feelings this week, as if you’ve suddenly become another person. Your chart looks like you’ve suddenly decided to allow yourself to want all the things you’ve forbidden yourself, and committed to nothing short of total personal revolution. Actually, what you learn over the next few days could be enough to liberate you from certain self-concepts that have become far too restrictive. There’s nothing so radical about this; you’ve needed to loosen up your rules of personal conduct for a while. You’re unlikely to become an anarchist or run naked through the streets. You are indeed more likely to state openly what you want, and to indulge some desires that you’ve been keeping on hold for a while. As the Rocky Horror Picture Show so eloquently puts it, “Don’t dream it, be it.”

Gemini (May 20-June 21) — There’s a theory of personality that says the only way we learn who we are is through conflict. Mostly that means the social bump and grind that comes from asserting who you are and what you want. Currently society is set on hair-trigger when it comes to expressing any desire that can’t be fulfilled by shoving a credit card into a chip reader. Yet you seem determined to express what you want, and since that’s the case, be prepared to ruffle a few feathers and get the chickens squawking. Whether you get what you want or not, what you learn will provide you with some valuable information about yourself. And please, don’t let anyone’s response wear down your self-confidence. Rather, be emboldened. There’s plenty of room for you on the planet. Everyone can squish over a little.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — You may be wondering what’s irritating you, or why you’re so nervous. You may also be feeling like finally your fears are not just under control but have been rendered irrelevant by the self-confidence that you can handle anything. Yet be aware you may be feeling a mix of both emotions, as if you’re walking between two worlds. Whatever you have going on, remember that tracking your state of mind will be essential to your success. That means understanding your feelings and your motives, in a way that’s not usually done. Humans rarely care to understand why they might be feeling something (as if the question is impossible to answer), and just about everyone feels that whatever motive they have, it must be pure. You, however, need the details. That means observing yourself carefully, and taking action only when you have an actual grasp on why you’re doing so.

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — Be mindful of engaging in public controversies this week. Before you weigh in, you’d be wise to assess the energy you would expend, and the potential damage to your reputation. If you’re going to speak up about something, you might start behind the scenes, asking people what they’re thinking, and engaging them in a dialog. One potential risk is that you don’t know where the loudest voices in the room are actually coming from. The thing to look for is financial motivation, particularly as it might impact you. While you’re at it, make sure you account for your own motives where money is concerned, and decide how that would look, were it to enter the discussion. The overall planetary setup is calling for everyone to have a little more integrity. Don’t get any mud on your clothes.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — You have options, or at least an out; that’s the important thing to remember. It’ll be easy to forget, and you would benefit from continual mindfulness of your many possible choices. As for the scenario: Mars, slowly making its way across the career and reputation angle of your solar chart, describes you aspiring to some of your most cherished goals, and in a good position to take charge of things. Yet it looks like you might encounter some resistance any way you turn. That calls for taking careful steps, and understanding where people are coming from, as best as you can discern that. Make sure you set aside personal aspirations or your drive for success, for the moment, and understand what people mean when they speak. And if they have not said much, ask them what’s going on.

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — This will be an interesting week in your intimate relationships, and you can have fun with that. The thing not to expect is everyone acting in the same old fashion as usual, which is boring anyway. Your solar chart looks like you and a partner are taking a ride on an atomic collider, the better to see what new elements you can form. Through the week, the planetary pattern describes the potential to expand the discussion of relationships to include any and all possibilities. Yes, this is a rare, momentary opening that might allow into your awareness ideas that are usually too controversial or frightening to consider. You have nothing to lose by having any conversation that comes up — especially if you or someone you love feels backed into a corner. Just try to come out of the corner first, make tea, and sit down at the kitchen table.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — This looks like the week when you can settle a long discussion that has veered into finances, agreements and sexual tendencies — and there is a possibility for things to get out of hand. The first question to ask yourself is, do you value your current situation, and if so, why? If you say you love, what exactly do you love? If you’re in a relationship where you share a home and finances, what is the common ground between you? If you find yourself coming up short, you might set aside the prior discussion and begin with that point. If you can identify values that you share with your partners, or organizations you’re involved with, then work from those values as the reality you share. Harmonious relationships, even between very different people, must be rooted in common ground.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — This is the week to practice not taking things personally. That’s much, much easier said than done, but consider this: that which is not meant for you is not personal. Just because something seems directed at you does not make it personal. Thankfully you have the Sagittarian power to stand back and let the sparks fly all around you. If you stay primarily in observer mode, you will learn much about people’s true colors, and what they’re made of on the inside. If you find yourself in a discussion with an intimate partner, do your best to be soft, flexible and open-minded, and actually listen until you have an idea how they perceive reality, including how they perceive you. Do your best not to act in a way that’s parental, officious or pompous. Assume, for the moment, that they’re right.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — Events this week will help you discover, and challenge, your hidden beliefs. It’s good to know what those are; if you have some concept of reality that’s running your show, it’s best to be able to state it out loud, though that’s pretty unusual. You might discover, though, that people are holding you accountable for ideas you didn’t even know you had. Before you agree or disagree with anyone’s position, check in and see if that belief or value actually exists. This will take some self-awareness, which is what your life is all about these days. Your environment will provide clues. Make sure you take a wide view of the world around you, and see what you observe in its many contexts. Said another way, look around at the world and withhold judgment long enough to see the diversity of viewpoints — and figure out what you really believe.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — Any truly creative process must in some way challenge prevailing public opinion. Otherwise, what’s so creative about it? Seen on an individual level, when you come up with an idea — something happening a lot lately — you must, in that process, challenge something within yourself. Take up that approach boldly. Notice where your newer ideas seem to conflict with your older ones; then notice the way that you challenge the dominant view of the people around you. There’s only so much you’re capable of conforming to the views of others, though if you’re going to break consensus, it helps to do so in an intelligent and thoughtful way. What you may need is time in the privacy of your own room, studio or mind, or writing in a café you don’t usually frequent, where you can say, think and feel anything you want — without regard for the responses that others might have.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — The intensity of this week’s planetary setup could have you feeling like you’re under some unusual pressure, though most of it is coming from inside you. You’ve been in building mode all year, with Saturn moving across the top of your solar chart, making aspects to Chiron in your sign. Everything you accomplish in the outer world is connected to some growth experience in your inner reality. Every time you make a self-discovery, you seem to connect that to something you want to do or express in the world around you. It’s just that at the moment, with Mars and the Sun moving through an ultra-sensitive angle of your chart, you’re feeling restless. You’re probably also feeling confined by what you’re doing. Mars is urging you to bust out in some way. So find a creative way to do that, preferably with a physical component; it just has to be something more interesting than the gym.