Your Weekly Horoscope: Romance And Brooding Abound With Pluto-Venus Conjunction

Madame Miranda posts are penned by M. Davis-McAfee and based on the motivations behind each star sign, as described on astrology.com, and the positioning of celestial bodies mapped by theplanetstoday.com. While we appreciate the self-reflection that astrology can inspire, our horoscopes are for entertainment purposes only.

Over the past month, Venus has slowly been approaching Pluto. The two celestial opposites will reach full conjunction under Capricorn. This mix of romance, self-esteem, power, and diligence will transform relationships.

Add in a Venus retrograde next Sunday, and it’ll be hard to tell whether or not the changes are good. Luckily, a full moon will usher in this astrological mash-up, offering insight and clarity.

Seeing relationships for what they are is one thing. Acting (or not acting) on it is another entirely. Which will you choose?

Choose Your Sign

Aries

March 20 – April 19

Life and love don’t always go according to plan. The quicker you come to terms with that, the happier you will be, Aries. Whether it’s a relationship, career, or creative output, forcing it will produce stale results.

Because you’ve been burned in the past, you use control and aggression as a defense mechanism. You want things to either go your way or succumb to your will.

But clinging too tightly to imagined scenarios can cause more pain than giving in to the chaos. Things might go better than expected if only you let them.

Taurus

April 19 – May 20

Love has great transformative power, but it’s up to you which direction it goes. Venus, your ruling planet, is slowly inching toward retrograde. Before this happens, it’s important to take stock of the dynamics and quality of your relationships.

All great things take effort, relationships included. You’re feeling less inclined to dig your heels in, which is a good start. But be wary of ignoring your feelings to avoid confrontation.

There is indeed a fine line to walk in this endeavor. Turn to your intuition for guidance. If something doesn’t feel right, then it likely isn’t.

Gemini

May 20 – June 21

When we feel disconnected from our roots, it can manifest as irritation or melancholy. Our connections to our families shape the way we navigate our daily lives. At the end of the week, a full moon will illuminate problem areas within your familial or past connections that need fixing.

We’re often quick to sweep things under the rug with family, but even relatives will notice a lumpy rug. Use the influence of your ruling planet, Mercury, to communicate clearly and effectively.

Confronting family problems is never easy, but your hard work will pay off in the long run.

Cancer

June 21 – July 22

Hang on, Cancer: your inner and outer selves are in opposition this week. You’ve been feeling the urge to explore, learn, and leave no stone unturned. But your outside world doesn’t reflect that, and it’s left you feeling disappointed and detached.

Moreover, you’re normally drawn to routine. So, this new urge to step out of your comfort zone is especially odd. Take time during the full moon at the end of the week to find what your soul needs for nourishment.

Do you need a change in scenery? New information? A new way of thinking? Once you figure it out, you’ll be closer to getting out of this funk.

Leo

July 22 – August 22

It’s hard to be king of the jungle if you burn every tree on your way to the top. Your hard work and intensity have been paying off. But don’t rest easy yet. Somewhere along the search for success, you lost a part of yourself.

Your passion hyper-fixates on its subject to a fault. As a result, you start to betray yourself and others. You betray yourself with impossibly high standards that never allow for rest or failure. These also standards betray others’ by building impenetrable walls around you. Don’t conflate being successful with being whole, Leo.

Virgo

August 22 – September 22

A good work ethic has its merits, but you’re far overdue for a break from the office. Stress from your professional life has left you feeling high-strung and burnt out. A change in routine might reset your emotional and mental well-being.

This doesn’t mean working from home with your nose in a laptop, either. Wherever you can find the time, try to live presently and consciously. Spend time with family, even if there’s just enough time for an after-work dinner and movie.

And if you must, rationalize your relaxation like this: if you never take breaks from work, then your work will inevitably suffer.

Libra

September 22 – October 23

All committed relationships are prone to ups and downs. Right now, you’re swinging relatively low. But you can’t quite put your finger on why. Are you truly unhappy? Or are you just bored?

Your feelings of impulsivity might seem fleeting and light as air, but don’t let them fool you. The way you act on these feelings has the power to alter your relationship completely. That includes wrecking it. Remember, there are more ways to be rebellious than hurting those around you.

As your ruling planet, Venus, approaches retrograde, you’ll need to figure out if this relationship is worth keeping around or if it’s time to move on. You can’t have both.

Scorpio

October 23 – November 22

You’ve been keeping your nose to the grindstone, but now it’s time to look up and assess your work thus far. Sit down and make a plan for your finances and short- and long-term goals. What have you done already, and what still needs doing?

Most importantly, are you forsaking any of your emotional needs in the name of success? Your mental health can stand to benefit from this exercise, too. It can be hard to see the forest through the trees.

But a shift in perspective—and a willingness to change—can help. How good can success really feel if you’re unhappy?

Sagittarius

November 22 – December 21

It can be frustrating when you’re on a roll, and no one can keep up. You’ve been feeling emboldened to turn plans into action. But despite your best efforts, the process seems slow-going—almost stagnant.

Consequently, you’ve been more prone to lashing out. The grandeur of your plans has left you feeling alienated by the mundane. You feel misunderstood, yet you can’t understand why. So, you react emotionally, not logically.

Reacting logically would mean assessing your part in your struggles. Is everyone else not keeping up, or are you purposefully staying out of reach?

Capricorn

December 21 – January 20

Putting others first is noble. Constantly putting others first is a recipe for resentment. While it’s true that hard work often reaps high rewards, it’s also important to save some of those rewards for yourself. Doing so isn’t selfish; it’s necessary.

If you’re working toward a happier life, building grudges isn’t the way to do it. These emotional burdens you place on yourself will only make life harder. It might seem counterintuitive at first but trust your intuition.

Analyze your situation objectively, the way you would for a friend. Try to follow that same advice.

Aquarius

January 20 – February 18

Since summer, you’ve been under the influence of your ruling planet, Uranus, in retrograde. As such, you’ve been in constant battle with your need for independence and a desire for stability. Unfortunately, you can’t have your cake and eat it too, Aquarius.

So, you’ll have to decide which discomfort you can tolerate the best. Is it the discomfort of being alone while enthralled with new, unknown experiences? Or is it the discomfort of routine while enjoying the cozy warmth of familiarity?

Figuring out which you prefer might revive some of that spark you’ve been missing.

Pisces

February 18 – March 20

There’s nothing wrong with seeking emotional comfort, but make sure to keep it rooted in reality. Your ruling planet, Neptune, is flying under your sign. Because of this, you’re more susceptible to escaping into fantasies and nightmares alike.

Virgo, queen of practicality, is in your ruling twelfth house. Use its pragmatic influence to stay grounded in your quest for spiritual healing. A minor setback doesn’t make you or a close relationship a failure.

Keep moving forward and trusting your gut, not your imagination. A prophet and a plain old worrywart are not the same thing.