Aries (March 20-April 19) — You don’t need to assert your independence or pitch a fit to get what you want. You would go a long way toward your goal by having one, and by being aware of what it is. Then put it into words that you understand, and that another person can understand. Your solar chart suggests you may be inclined to take a less progressive approach such as responding to some situation with a combination of jealousy and thinly veiled aggression. If I may be so bold, you don’t have to fight to be you. If you feel like you do, you might consider the nature of that relationship and whether you belong there. All of this said, intimate partners or female relatives will be more open to what you have to say than you may imagine, so make sure you write the bit about “they won’t care” out of the script. Be fair, speak your mind and see what happens. I suggest you do this well before push comes to shove, and with as little urgency as you can offer your ideas.

 

Taurus (April 19-May 20) — Use your imagination, and at the same time notice when you’re expecting life to live up to your fantasy. I would say that one cancels the other out. Applying imagination is an active process, a sustained creative approach to living; expecting things to be the way you imagine them puts you in a passive role, that of hope and expectation. You need the active approach right now. One reason I say this is because life will offer you so much more when you take control of your creative power and put it to use for yourself. Another is because the kinds of challenges that you’ll be facing over the next week or two will be much more rewarding when you take up your role as director of the movie rather than an actor in it. Be aware that you’re under considerable pressure that you may only be dimly conscious of, and that is unlikely to have a name. Therefore I suggest you give yourself healthy vents and modes of expression that you explore as fully as you can until the Sun enters your sign on April 20. Then, plenty that was hidden will suddenly be apparent.

 

Gemini (May 20-June 21) — You look like you’re ready to play the lottery of life and take a chance that you would never usually dare. It may actually be worth it. You may not feel like you have a choice, or as if you would never forgive yourself if you didn’t take the opportunity. If so, get ready to dive in with total courage. And understand that you are opening yourself up to what looks like total change, renewal, self-reinvention or some vast experiment with your life. One thing I would suggest is that you identify and sort out your values from those of people around you. Know your own motives and know when you’re being influenced by someone else, or particularly by a group. Try to notice whether you’re acting out of fear or desire. In all, the planetary picture is complex, but that may not stop you from making a choice that seems simple and that you feel driven by some mysterious forces to make. And remember there is no predicting the outcome, which seems to be the most vibrant benefit of the experience.

 

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — You may feel like a lot is depending on you right now, and that may be true. I suggest however that you keep your attention on what you’re doing rather than what everyone else is up to. Stay oriented on the purpose you’ve defined for yourself, because if you do, you’re likely to take an enormous stride in the direction of success. You may need to give this some thought, and you may need to figure out a way to insulate yourself from a lot of activity that seems important but which is less meaningful than it appears. Make sure you have time and space to think, to consider what you’re doing, and to make all of your communication meaningful. If you find yourself stressed, slow down a little and rearrange your priorities. When you do there is likely to be one thing that stands out, and that is what to focus on. It looks like something new rather than something you’ve been at for a while, or a whole new approach to something familiar. In any event, your solar chart is vibrating with some unusual success — you just need to be clear-headed enough to notice the opportunity when it arrives.

 

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — Focus your vision. By vision, I mean your visioning process, and keeping your eyes peeled on what is the most significant factor. I know a lot is happening, and there are plenty of distractions in your environment. Think of your vision as a wide-angle lens. You’re going to come in super close and focus a macro kind of shot, yet everything else will still be visible, but blurry. This will help you see your subject in context. That is critical — that you leave what you’re observing in the framework of its environment, rather than “zooming in” on it, taking out everything that’s around it. Note that the momentum of your charts is catapulting you beyond some previous concept, idea, plan or way of doing things. You will land where you are looking, which is why you want to look right at where you’re intending to be, and to keep that set within its environment. Remember that you are part of your environment. Always see yourself in that context as well.

 

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — Observe life with the perspective of a playwright or filmmaker — see the details, see the drama, let your mind engage the beauty and the weirdness — but don’t get wrapped up in it emotionally. Everything that happens to you is creative fodder, the more so if you invite yourself to play with the world. And play is the word, the operative concept and it seems the thing you want to do the very most. Yet this is creative play, and rather than being an idle pastime, it’s the kind of play that influences you and sparks your imagination. As you get drawn in, you may find yourself having an idea that has some real influence, some actual mojo behind it. If you pursue this idea it’s likely to take you on something of a ride, by which I mean an adventure. By the way, your chart is strongly suggesting it’s also a sexual adventure of some kind, and if that is true, I just have two suggestions: have fun, and make sure you take the necessary steps to keep your options open. There will be time for experiences that create lifelong bonds, but so far as I can see, this is not one of them.

 

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — I can only imagine what it feels like to be you right now, and when I do, my imagination goes a bit wild. Then again, I’m not a Libra and you may be feeling overwhelmed by the various surges, pulses and astonishing variety of experiences that life is offering you. One message that you may be getting is, there’s no point living like it’s 1994 or 2004 or for that matter April 2014. If your chart is pointing you overwhelmingly to one idea, it’s about the present catching up with you, all at once, in a big way. Wherever you’ve been, whatever frame of mind you’ve been trying to contain the experiences that are coming your way in, everything will be a lot easier when you experience now as if it’s now. It’s difficult to describe the incredible weight that humanity bears trying to force the present moment into its prejudices about the past (but we can see some of that pain dramatized in politics and what families put themselves through). Nobody needs that, even if they have not figured it out. You have better things to do with your time and vital force — a lot better.

 

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — Your situation is not as complicated as it seems. I know, it does seem complicated, but actually it’s your emotional state that’s the thing creating the interference. Like, what is the source of all this worry, and why are you so convinced that it’s actually an accurate response to the world? It’s true that your ruling planet Mars is stirring the pot, provoking you and agitating your anger (subtle though it may be) and possibly keeping you up at night, even though there’s unlikely to be a serious or even moderately serious issue. It’s true that Saturn is in your sign, close to your Sun, and may be weighing on you with a sense of responsibility or the weight of the world. Listen to me. Relax. Cheer up. Wake up. Get outside your house and out of your head. You live in a much bigger world than you think, and the people who live here love you more than you care to admit. Yes, this is a moment of growing up, and settling some long unresolved psychological business. It’s also potentially one of the boldest times of your life. Don’t miss it.

 

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — Remember how sensitive you are, which is another word for how vulnerable. One corner of your astrology describes this vividly — a healing process designed to address some emotional pain that you’ve wanted to let go of forever. While healing is always assured, the path is not always direct, and you now have the opportunity to actually focus on what has been difficult to resolve. Another corner of your chart has you bouncing off the walls with ideas and plans and crackling with energy. It looks like you’re ready for action. Now, without real awareness of your needs as opposed to your desires, you could find yourself in a tight spot. So I suggest that the first thing you do is honor your vulnerable side first. That may mean being a little less spontaneous than you like to be. Then once you’ve done that, you can make choices for the adventures you want that are based on (for example) who among your friends is actually sensitive to you. That is the main thing you need, in a friend, love or traveling companion of any form: someone who can feel you.

 

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — If I have not said it lately, I suggest you set any major career plans aside. You do need to work, so work well, and focus on developing trusting relationships with your colleagues and people in positions of authority. You will in the near future be counting on that trust. That is more than enough emphasis on your career. In fact, it’s exactly the emphasis that your chart is calling for: on real people, and real situations, right now. What you need to know about these situations is that the actual content is not restricted to work but rather is deeply intertwined with your integrity as a person, which is why it’s such a productive time to hang out there. As for everything else: your charts are describing an emotional state that’s all about asserting your independence. Here is a clue — you don’t need to assert it from anyone else; you only need to refine your thinking and step out of the limited concepts of a ‘self’ that have kept you trapped in the past. One theme of this inner discussion involves not needing to be so cocooned. You don’t need to hide your real personality three layers back from the world. When you introduce yourself to someone, let them meet you, right then and there.

 

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — I suggest you not assert your leadership or your authority until you’re absolutely clear that you have a vision to back it up. Yes this is a time in your life when you are being called upon to step up as someone who takes responsibility for something larger than yourself. Yet it’s also a time when you’re attempting to clarify your agenda and your priorities, and this is not proving to be easy. Your process of clarification seems to be intertwined with a relationship with someone you consider a little daunting or who seems to have a parental role in your life. That’s part of the psychology you’re working out. So the second phase of authority is really getting a handle on your inner parent. This seems to be a sticking point, and it comes back to the vision discussion. I’ll phrase this as a question — are you meeting any inner resistance when you expand your concept of your life? Does it feel like old resistance, and does that feel like it has someone’s personality on it? Effective leadership really does involve profound psychological clarity. It’s worth it.

 

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — Love and money — these are things that people seek out astrology for the most often, and the subjects your solar chart is speaking about the most clearly right now. Both share a common root, which is the esteem and respect that you have for yourself. True, it’s eminently possible to hate oneself to fortune and an abundance of attention, but that’s not what you want. Love says: recognize who you are, and do not doubt it. Embrace who you are and share that with the world. Make every statement in the affirmative and attract a cosmic reflection or counterpart you recognize. Money is saying something similar, though the commentary is about recognizing the illumination and inventiveness you can bring to the subject. Your solar chart is gleaming with the notion that your ideas are what is of value. Yet for that to manifest as prosperity, you must trust yourself and your ideas, and you certainly have the strength and clarity to do that. In three words, the common threads are self-respect, intelligence and trust.