SUNDAY 23 | OCTOBER 2016 Time for decisive change
YOUR HOROSCOPE FOR THE WEEK BEGINNING
This week begins with the Sun and Mercury entering Scorpio, as they move towards a conjunction on Thursday. We also find several faster moving inner planets making significant aspects to slower moving outer ones. Venus squares Neptune, on its way to becoming conjunct with Saturn next weekend. And Mars squares Uranus, for the last time in their current two-year cycle. In the run up to the New Moon, it suggests that now’s the time for a decisive change.
ARIES March 21-April 20
Education is only exciting when there’s a hunger for knowledge, a thirst for discovery and an appetite for enlightenment. None of us likes studying boring or irrelevant subjects. And when we’re keen enough, we’ll plough through tedious textbooks and eagerly attend soporific speakers. This week, as Mars links to Uranus in your sign, your eyes are on a prize that can only be reached if you make changes to your approach. But, with the approaching Venus-Saturn conjunction to energise you, you’ll easily master a daunting subject. The discoveries you make now hold the secrets to success. IN YOUR LOVE LIFE: Sometimes just as we approach success, we decide it isn’t for us. The bonds you forge this week are worth sticking with.
TAURUS April 21-May 21
What do you picture when you imagine yourself relaxing? You might see a luxurious bath, with candles glowing. Perhaps there’s even a screen, propped up on the loo seat, streaming an episode of the latest box set. And, no doubt, in this scenario, you’re alone. No one is demanding your attention. This week, though, since the planets are inviting you to shift your focus towards others, you might find yourself jumping into a quick shower! Though it won’t be a tranquil time, it will certainly be inspiring. Enjoy the socialising and busyness. The time for bubble baths will come later. IN YOUR LOVE LIFE: With the Sun and Mercury focused on your opposite sign, try giving more of yourself; someone will yet return that favour.
GEMINI May 22-June 22
When did you last look behind your fridge? What’s hiding beneath the sofa cushions? Of course — you’re a Gemini! In your unceasing quest to be busy, there’s a high probability that these areas are more spick and span than they are in other people’s homes. But we all have things that we ‘see’ but don’t notice, and we all participate in arrangements without asking ourselves, ‘Why am I doing this?’ With the Sun and Mercury conjunct, and a disruptive Mars-Uranus alignment, these matters require consideration. If something doesn’t feel quite right, listen to your heart. IN YOUR LOVE LIFE: Something seems too good to be true. But sometimes things fall into place. This will take you where you want to go.
CANCER June 23-July 23
Many great artists were born in your sign. Rembrandt is one. Gustav Mahler another. Traditional astrology often associates Pisces with soulful imagination, and Libra with love of the aesthetic. But, as a Cancerian, you’ve got a golden expressive asset up your sleeve: your heart. It’s at the centre of all you say and do. This week, you could feel frustrated, as others seem unable to take necessary action. Rather than feeling frustrated, try to summon your kindness and positivity. If you can find an innovative way to express yourself, you can yet be the motivating force for meaningful change.
IN YOUR LOVE LIFE: Keep your secrets. But, with the New Moon in Scorpio, don’t disguise your emotional response to a sensitive situation.
LEO July 24-August 23
When our vehicles are muddy, there’s the car wash. When our clothes get grubby, there’s the washing machine. But where do we take our memories when they’re sullied? Must we just leave them in their corrupted, confused state? We tell ourselves stories about our histories, and we repeat them so often that we begin to believe they’re objective facts — the only accurate version of events. But, as the Sun conjuncts Mercury this week, you can revisit a part of your past. Once you see it differently, you’ll be able to implement changes and unlock the potential of your future. IN YOUR LOVE LIFE: Here’s your moment to move a page from the drawer marked Regret into a folder labelled Opportunity. Grab this chance.
LIBRA September 24-October 23
In an ideal world, we’d do everything at the right moment and have access to every resource that we require. But we do not live in a utopia. We have to make the most of what we’ve got, and do our best in imperfect conditions, even if we long for things to be different. But, as the Sun and Mercury leave your sign only to converge, maybe there’s something ideal about the way in which things are not perfect. This week, as energetic Mars squares the planet of surprise and innovation, in your opposite sign, what seems like a drawback may turn out to be a delightful asset. IN YOUR LOVE LIFE: Break away from someone’s old perceptions of you. Communicate your most fundamental values. Listen to your heart.
VIRGO August 24-September 23
Research shows that the human brain doesn’t need to have all the letters in a word, in the right order, to be able to read it. As such, if I were to slip into writing this foeracst wtih the mddlie letters jumbled up, in some of the words, you mihgt not even notice. Except, of course, that you’re a Virgo and you’d instantly recognise that there was something wrong that needed sorting out! This week, life encourages you to think differently about how you express yourself. You might be surprised at how a small change behind the scenes could impact on the message you wish to share. IN YOUR LOVE LIFE: Is this you? ‘I’m trying hard not to give away my feelings, but this is what they are.’ Open up — and claim your reward.
SCORPIO October 24-November 22
Are you being the best version of yourself that you can be? Are you acting naturally or trying to disguise yourself as something you’re not? Actually, if you’re a little reticent about wearing your heart on your sleeve — that’s probably just you acting naturally! As we enter the time of year that you were born in, try to make yourself feel at home. You don’t have to bare your soul to every Tom, Dick or Harriet, but neither should you pretend to be someone you are not. The changes you’re encouraged to make this week might not make you different, but they can make things better. IN YOUR LOVE LIFE: Mars, squaring Uranus, reminds you that you should live for the moment. There’s a gift coming for your emotional life.
SAGITTARIUS November 23-December 21
With Mars and Neptune in an interesting relationship, if this week were music, it would be emanating from a parked car, pounding out teeth-rattling bass. It would be so intrusive, you'd probably march towards the source, determined that it should be turned down. But on approaching, as you heard more, you'd catch the melody. And – despite yourself — your toes would be a-tapping! With Venus, in your sign, squaring Neptune, before conjuncting Saturn at the New Moon next weekend, this week sings a new song for you! It could have you dancing in the street! IN YOUR LOVE LIFE: Do you sometimes pretend nothing can touch you? If you want the love you merit, you’ll have to admit you want it!
ICAPRICORN December 22-January 20
recently read a feature about a scientist who has grown miniature human brains in petri dishes. They’re not capable of thinking or feeling, but they provide invaluable insight into the behaviour of neurones. Perhaps this is just the first step? Maybe, one day, if we get a bit fed up with ourselves, we’ll be able to swap our brains for a new one! Though you might feel desperate to break with the past this week, you’ll have to do it using the same brilliant brain you’ve been blessed with since birth. You’ve already got the tools to make the difference. Now use them. IN YOUR LOVE LIFE: Sweet or sour? Separately, extreme; together, ideal. Venus conjuncts your ruler; let your heart savour different tastes.
AQUARIUS January 21-February 19
The world places great emphasis on the concept of ‘winning and losing’. I blame the deification of sport! Athletes striving for an extra nanosecond off their speed, or an additional fraction on their goal-to-game ratio, inspire us to go for glory. We watch with bated breath as they struggle to earn coveted medals. All that pressure, and potential for disappointment. So, what kind of success do you now seek? Do you really need to beat anyone to achieve it? This week, there’s a competitive Mars-Uranus link in the lead up to a powerful Venus-Saturn conjunction. It suggests that your greatest victories will result from a team effort. IN YOUR LOVE LIFE: Is someone holding and restricting you. Don’t fly off in your own direction; negotiate a softer approach.
PISCES February 20-March 20
My toddler constantly gives me pep-talks without even realising it. Today he emphatically told me it’s ‘YESterday, not NOsterday!’. Well today I’m going to try to pass that message along in, slightly embarrassingly, a less pithy way than my two-year-old. Think of your future now as toMOREow not toLESSow. You’re being encouraged to assess life in an innovative way. And you may be tempted to eschew personal gains to benefit the right people for the right reasons. Yet what you will achieve from these new adventures will be far more rewarding than what you have to sacrifice. IN YOUR LOVE LIFE: As Mercury trines your ruler, and Venus and Saturn become conjunct, here comes a more meaningful future!