STARGAZING

Shelley von Strunckel, one of the world’s top astrologers, writes a weekly forecast for Friday

Your stars for the week ahead.

LEO JULY 22 – AUGUST 22

Exciting as the current thrilling events are, they’re also creating chaos, for you and others. If anybody complains, first apologise, then explore what’s arisen. While, often, the facts will be clear, in a few they’ll be unfamiliar. Understanding how best to take advantage of these opportunities will take time. The trick is to show interest but ensure whatever you plan is flexible.

VIRGO AUGUST 23 – SEPTEMBER 22

Although the Sun’s move into Virgo will have lifted your spirits and boosted your energy, the clarity you’re seeking about future plans may not come until the New Moon in your sign on September 9. In the meanwhile, declutter your life, your habits and even your thinking. That way, when decision-time comes, you’ll easily recognise what, and who, is worthwhile or will add to your life.

LIBRA SEPTEMBER 23 – OCTOBER 22

Often you’ll use creative thinking to overcome obstacles or, equally, charm your way around difficult people. But the current clash between your ruler Venus and the uncompromising Pluto gives you little choice but to face, and discuss, difficult facts. This won’t be easy but once you’re actually dealing with these it will be such a relief you’ll wonder why you try to avoid such matters.

SCORPIO OCTOBER 23 – NOVEMBER 21

Ordinarily you’d regard things not going according to plan as reason to worry, if not a failure to grasp the nature of situations. But this is about viewing certain matters, business, personal or otherwise, from a completely different angle. Once you’re doing that, you’ll exchange anxieties for an enthusiastic inquisitiveness about what lies ahead of you to learn, and who you might encounter along the way.

SAGITTARIUS NOVEMBER 22 – DECEMBER 20

When things are going wrong, you’ll do what you can but with the awareness that, generally, something amazing will remedy everything. True, often it’s at the last minute. But now you’re being forced to find those solutions yourself. This is a surprise but also exciting, mostly because it gets you thinking about what you’re currently doing, and could do, from an entirely fresh perspective.

CAPRICORN DECEMBER 21 – JANUARY 19

Having been born under perhaps the only sign that worries when things are going too well, ideas or offers as sudden as they are thrilling could worry you. However, they’re as good as they seem. At the same time, you’re facing other, more complex, situations. Here, too, if you can be patient, they’ll work out, if slowly. Challenges? Not until mid-September. Until then, you can relax.

AQUARIUS JANUARY 20 – FEBRUARY 17

Out of character as saying a big yes to sudden ideas or offers seems, once you do a little investigation, you realise these are genuinely worthwhile. If you need a challenge, make an effort to disentangle yourself from recent, more troublesome, arrangements. At the time these seemed a good idea but you’re now realising the sooner you get out, the better.

PISCES FEBRUARY 18 – MARCH 19

Every Full Moon brings feelings to a peak, and kick-starts a new cycle. So by the time of the actual Pisces Full Moon, on Sunday the 26th, you’ll already have explored potential changes, in your world and, equally, your personal life. Urgent as decisions seem, give yourself a gift. Take a relaxed approach to exploring what arises. The more you discover, the clearer your priorities will be.

ARIES MARCH 20 – APRIL 19

Only recently you were battling delays that prevented you from turning good ideas into action and taking already exciting plans further. Since then you’ve realised you were short of facts or, alternatively, the actual situation was unstable. Better yet, having been prevented from committing to existing plans means you’re free to explore this week’s more thrilling ideas and offers.

TAURUS APRIL 20 – MAY 20

Sometimes obstacles are no more than that. However, those you’re currently facing are forcing you to explore certain encounters that, ordinarily, you’d regard as dull. Once, perhaps, that was true. However, shakeups in familiar arrangements have forced several people and, on occasion, certain organisations to reorganise their way of doing things. What you learn could amaze and surprise you.

GEMINI MAY 21 – JUNE 20

Between your ruler Mercury’s retrograde cycle ending on the 19th, and powerful planetary activity triggering breakthroughs, each day offers something new. While, obviously, you must make some form of plans, the trick is to ensure they’re flexible and, even more, to focus not so much on achieving certain goals, but rather on broadening your horizons in terms of people and pursuits.

CANCER JUNE 21 – JULY 21

By no means are you narrow-minded but, also, once somebody or even an organisation has raised questions about being trustworthy, you’ll be hesitant about getting involved. However, with events forcing everybody to conduct a serious review, you’re urged to give those who’ve failed you in the past a chance. At minimum, you’ll learn something but, in fact, you could discover a new ally.