Monday Morning Horoscope for July 31, 2017

Aries (March 20-April 19) — In times of high pressure, chaos or confusion, it’s not easy to pull back and celebrate life in a meaningful way. Yet that is exactly what you’re being called upon to do, or rather being given the opportunity to do. Mars and the Sun continue to streak across the sky in Leo, which is the most creative, sexy and adventurous angle of your solar chart. Yet to use your creativity is a conscious act. It doesn’t just happen. People are more typically conditioned to squander their talent, passion and curiosity. If astrology means anything, you are being encouraged, guided and boldly invited to stretch your boundaries and do something genuinely meaningful with your abundant energy. If you’re doing this well, it’ll feel a little daring, like you’re pushing a boundary or violating a taboo. Creativity requires courage, and by all rights you would have that in abundance right now.

Taurus (April 19-May 20) — To some extent, everyone is programmed to be a ‘good boy’ or a ‘good girl’. Often this means kissing up to seemingly powerful people and various parent-figures, and worrying about petty transgressions. What typically happens, though, is that people become frustrated with the rules, and either simmer in that frustration or become rebellious and go a little crazy. It’s vitally important that you see this pressure to be ‘good’ for what it is. Who exactly are you trying to please? And what little games do you play, in order to maintain your image? When you take responsibility for your choices, for your successes and failures and indeed for your entire existence, you don’t need to prove anything to anyone. Once you step outside of that box, you may feel vulnerable, though that’s confirmation that you’re going in the right direction. Your sense of security must come from within you.

Gemini (May 20-June 21) — Venus traveling through your sign the past few weeks has served to remind you of another kind of intelligence. It’s the type that computers will never know, because they can only simulate feeling. You are human, and you can feel. You may be discovering that feeling is different from emoting. To feel is to be receptive; to emote is to be in output mode, which is somewhat less subtle. Now Venus is about to change signs and enter Cancer. This will enhance your sensitivity even more; and it suggests that your ability to feel, to sense and to perceive through your senses is a vitally necessary part of your guidance system. Therefore, slow down and pay attention to what your body is telling you. Take possession and ownership of how you respond to what you experience. Notice your senses, and notice the mind that’s behind them, receiving the information from your environment.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — You have some excellent motivational power to improve your lot in life financially. You won’t need to push as hard as you usually do, or think you do. As one born under the Sun or rising sign Cancer, a measure of financial security is your birthright. Yet by your choices, you can enhance this quality, or diminish it. You can resist, with emotions like guilt, or the sense that you don’t deserve to have a good life; or you can stay positive, use your talents and spot your opportunities. Right now, the one thing you don’t have to do is maintain your momentum and monitor your direction of movement. Guide yourself gently; there’s considerable propulsion moving you forward, and small adjustments count for a lot. Look at where you are now, consider your direction of movement, and determine if you’re heading someplace you want to be. Your end goal is not money — it is contentment.

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — The spotlight is on Leo now, with Mars and the Sun streaking across the sky, and two eclipses soon to arrive between today and Aug. 21. This means your life is in transition; and if that is true, then it’s essential that you stay in contact with what you want. Mars, the planet of desire, will help you focus your goals, and erase any guilt or apprehension you may be feeling about being authentically bold. To live the way you want requires courage, on several different levels. Most people are easily given to living with difficult situations rather than taking the chance of changing them. Yet because you have so much energy (Mars and the Sun are both hot and fiery), it’s essential to dial in the power of Saturn. This is about discipline, careful timing and using structure to your advantage. Incremental changes are the right changes, at least for now.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — The truly extraordinary astrology in Virgo, at the moment, is a conjunction of your ruling planet Mercury, and the distinctly Virgoan asteroid Vesta. Though Vesta is a fire goddess, she’s really about containing and directing the use of energy and intention for creative and productive purposes. True intelligence might use thought, but ultimately it comes from somewhere beyond ordinary thought. The way to access true intelligence is to step aside and let it flow through you. This takes some discipline, though you can save yourself effort by asking inwardly for what you need. You can also help yourself by considering what you know, in your heart and soul, and working with that. Remember that actual knowledge will never be contaminated by fear. If you’re feeling fear, ask inwardly for that to be removed. In the words of one of the great sages, “You will be told everything you need to know.”

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — The sign Libra is associated with the planet Venus. Over the past few days, Venus (now in Gemini) has made a series of aspects to planets in Sagittarius, which may have felt like an emotionally rough patch or, better said, a challenging few days spiritually. It would seem like you’ve been pushed by some unseen force to ask some deep questions. You’ve had to reckon with your need to address the future honestly and consciously. You may be entirely off the wavelength of your friends or partners, wondering how they can occupy themselves with such superficial things when truly profound issues are calling for your full attention. The thing to remember is that your soul’s path, and your priorities, cannot be compared to those of any other person. You are not dependent on them, their ideas or their goals. To say this even more directly, your relationship to the universe is yours exclusively.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — The Moon is in your sign at the moment, which is helping cool off the extra-hot astrology influencing your life at the moment. That’s what you need — any way you can get it. Soak your body in water; drink a lot of water; and get some relief from the heat. Most important, maintain cordial and respectful dialog with anyone with whom you’re in some kind of authority relationship, no matter which way the lines of authority may run. That’s the place where things can most quickly get away from you, though there’s no need for that to happen. You possess the foresight and the intelligence to move things in a positive direction. Yet there’s one essential ingredient: having an idea just what direction that is. If you refuse to let yourself be guided by ambition or the need for power, you will have better information to work with. You have all the influence you need. Now, you must use it wisely.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — You will need to make decisions this week where you do something challenging for our world: set aside any self-interest. That does not mean harming yourself. To the contrary, something is clearly unacceptable if anyone is damaged in a transaction. Setting aside self-interest is something different. Being willing to pay a cost, or expend political capital to get the right outcome, is different. This requires a rare form of objectivity, which will mean considering the interests of everyone who is involved. You will need to account for who is the weaker party. You will need to be alert to anyone taking advantage of anyone else. You are in a position to stand guard over an important situation and ensure that truth and justice prevail. This has nothing to do with your personal success. Of course, being in a position to do the right thing is a direct result of what you have accomplished, and a big part of why you went to all that trouble.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — Your charts describe you being driven by passion you cannot understand or contain. They might be describing sexual or emotional involvement with another person, or potentially a business arrangement. It might even be both at once, which would call for extra-special care. In essence, you must sort yourself out of the situation. The risk you may be running is being so overly involved that you cannot distinguish your needs and interests from those of someone else. If the relationship is mutually profitable and the vibes are positive, that’s an excellent sign, though it would still be advisable to have an exit strategy if you need it. The energy will continue to build until the Full Moon eclipse on Aug. 7, at which time you will be able to see your own interests clearly. But really, you want to figure out what they are long before then. And to do that, you will need to get some emotional distance, slow down, and actually think clear thoughts.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — Mars and the Sun are moving through your opposite sign Leo. If your sign is Aquarius, or if that’s your rising sign or your Moon sign, that translates to intense: fast activity, unexpected developments, and people showing up in your life, potentially with an aggressive feeling. Under these conditions, there’s just one thing you must do: take care of yourself. Remove any unnecessary activity from your schedule, with an actual understanding of the concept of “necessary.” That means a radical form of prioritizing, with no guilt whatsoever about decisions you make. You need to take care of providing for yourself all the most basic nutrients, which includes recreational time and downtime. However, you don’t need mindless diversion or entertainment, or anything even vaguely reckless. One of the most significant projects of your life right now is purging old and useless tendencies that have not served you, and replacing them with what supports your best interests.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — The essence of your life must be balance. That’s not easy in the times we’re living in; some would say it’s impossible. It may be challenging, but it’s certainly within your power to get a handle on your affairs. Much of what I’ve suggested for Aquarius applies to you: particularly the need for prioritization and conscious self-care. You need to know when you must “shed load.” That’s a term used by people who manage the power grid. If there’s a demand for energy that’s outstripping the grid’s ability to provide it, turning off one neighborhood can save the entire East Coast from going down. Right now, err on the side of saving your energy rather than expending it. Do those things that are genuinely important, and make sure you stop taking on new projects and commitments. Use the month of August to complete what you’ve begun, and to do so with care for the utmost attention to detail. Your energy allocation must include what feeds your soul as a Pisces: introspection is vital. Then there’s art or music (whether you create or experience these things). Take your time, which means living one day at a time.