Mercury returned direct last week, casting us in a two-week-long post-retrograde shadow. This retroshade period brings its fair share of red flags, but this week’s real star is a Venus and Mars conjunction.
This week, the planets of love and war fly side-by-side in the 4th House of Home and Past. Mars’ assertive influence will affect our love lives, finances, and egos. Thanks to its spot in the 4th House, this energy shift will likely hit us right in the core.
Of course, not every sign will feel this planetary mash-up as much as others. How will your sign fare this week?
Aries
March 20 – April 19
When we become detached from ourselves, it can get easier to separate from others. While some might retreat inwards, you prefer to push away outwardly. You’re easily bored, so sulking in silence is pretty out of the question.
It’s easier to pick up on these negative cues in romantic relationships. Their effects are far more subtle in platonic and professional ones. Regardless of the environment, though, you tend to lash out. Ultimately, this is a defense mechanism to protect your ego from pain.
Recenter yourself with meditation, physical movement, or both. Your relationships will only continue to suffer if you don’t find a way to return to your roots.
Taurus
April 19 – May 20
One downside of being a homebody is staying in a cramped comfort zone. You take great care in crafting a life and environment that’s pleasing, recharging, and cozy. Once you get a good groove going, you prefer to stay put. Why waste a good thing when you have it, right?
However, it’d be wise to pose another question: what good things are you missing right now? Comfort is great, but you make little progress there. The real change happens in the rocky in-betweens, from growth spurt to growth spurt.
Stepping into the unknown is undoubtedly scary. Still, the stagnancy of staying exactly the same should scare you even more.
Gemini
May 20 – June 21
An unexpected visitor—a person, place, or memory—from the past has left you feeling topsy-turvy. Suddenly, you’re unsure of your life’s path. You’ve begun second-guessing your decisions and, in a larger sense, yourself.
As a social creature, you thrive in group settings. Spend time with family or old friends this week. Revisiting memories and deep bonds will help you regain clarity. They might not be able to answer all of your questions, but they can at least get you in the right mindset.
Your ability to adapt is admirable. But be careful not to forget who you really are, not just the “you” you present to the public.
Cancer
June 21 – July 22
Strained relationships or finances are putting a strain on your home life. Despite your best efforts, you seem to be revisiting conflict at every turn. Your potential fixes fall flat, and you’re left feeling unresolved.
However, it’s worth wondering whether you’ve really exhausted all your options. Or do you keep sidestepping the real solution because you’re not ready to swallow it? There’s a good chance you already know what it would take to reach a resolution.
You might be moody, but you’re not helpless. You have the power to enact the change you want in your life, but it takes some discomfort to get there. Can you handle it?
Leo
July 22 – August 22
Your heart is bigger than most, but so is your ego. Unfortunately, the two are seldom on the same page. Things that once came naturally to you—romance, creativity, charisma—are becoming harder to find. You see it all around you. Yet, you can’t find that same spark within.
Welcome to being a supporting character. Sometimes, the roles we play are purely supplemental. There’s something to be said about this shift in perspective. Rather than making you big, you become part of something bigger.
Sulking in the shadows has never been your style, so don’t bother. Instead, seek out ways to help others achieve that same inner glow you rock so effortlessly.
Virgo
August 22 – September 22
Be wary of misplaced frustration, Virgo. You’ve been burying yourself in your work to avoid problems at home or within yourself. But these issues are still there long after your shift and to-do lists are done. So, why do you keep pretending they won’t be?
Intuition has many layers, and a different part of ourselves fuels each one. Your ego is trying to convince you that the problem is external and out of your hands. But your heart and mind both know there’s a little more to it than that.
You’re finding excuses to escape, but from what? There’s greater peace to be had once you find out.
Libra
September 22 – October 23
If you want to see change, then you’ll have to be the one to start. You’re constantly torn between how life should be and what it really is. Rather than wallow, consider how you could help yourself. Whether in love or your career, it always takes two to tango.
Thanks to Mars flying in conjunction with your ruling planet, Venus, you might be feeling more contentious than usual. But playing offense and defense is a waste of time. Fixing this dilemma will take vulnerability, curiosity, and no ego.
The stars will challenge you to find a better balance at the end of the week. Will you rise to the occasion?
Scorpio
October 23 – November 22
Being your own worst enemy comes far too naturally to you. Indeed, you manage to self-sabotage and deflect before you’re consciously aware of doing it. This is definitely a defense mechanism, but it’s one that you can’t quite shake.
When we cling so tightly to the negative, positives can seem overwhelming. Reveling in joy seems more superficial than, say, basking in disdain. As a result, you create self-perpetuating cycles. You live life with a negative perspective, and in turn, life is negative.
Focus on what you’re grateful for this week, and watch as those storm clouds following you around magically disappear.
Sagittarius
November 22 – December 21
When nothing goes right, try going left. You’ve tried to put your eggs into a romance basket. Then when that didn’t work, you tried friendships and hobbies. Still, you’re finding yourself unfulfilled and unmotivated—two concepts that are fairly foreign to you.
Indeed, the answers you seek are at the end of a path you have yet to take. Navigating this path requires patience and persistence. You might not succeed the first time, as is usually the case with you. In fact, it’s far more likely you’ll only succeed after failing multiple times.
Don’t let a week of scattered misses distract you from a lifetime of bullseyes.
Capricorn
December 21 – January 20
There’s no denying that you thrive under pressure, Cap. Your default mode is “stressed,” and frankly, it helps you get shit done 99% of the time. While the other one percent can be, well, stressful, is it really so bad to lean into your natural tendencies?
You might find greater peace if you stop trying to push against what comes naturally to you. This isn’t a suggestion to never relax again, ever. Rather, this is an invitation to create situations that utilize your natural skillset.
Finding a healthy outlet for your desire to plan, execute, and analyze could keep you feeling more free than frazzled.
Aquarius
January 20 – February 18
While other signs are struggling under the Venus-Mars conjunction, you love it. You’ve been feeling bold and energetic in your relationships. Forging newer, deeper bonds does take work. But this type of challenge thrills, not exhausts, you.
Because you’re not just learning about your partner. You’re also learning about yourself. And since no one is quite like you, Aquarius, it’s been a fun discovery process. Even the snags you’ve been facing feel more like opportunities than roadblocks.
Continue riding this optimistic wave, but pay attention to your surroundings. Make sure you don’t start to conflate your partner’s identity with your own.
Pisces
February 18 – March 20
Daydreams are nice, but we tend to move slower within them. Navigating life with rose-colored glasses makes it difficult to read directional signs clearly. We move toward red flags and away from progress. Only if we’re lucky does it ever work the other way around.
You risk missing out on greatness with your daydreams. After all, what good are new perspectives when you’re content in dreamland? Resist the urge to stay comfy and venture outside of your comfort zone.
As the Sun inches closer to your sign to usher in Pisces season, you’ll become more aware of your inner wants and wishes. Whatever you do, don’t ignore them.
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