Connie Britton, a Pisces.
Photo-Illustration: by The Cut; Getty Images
The first quarter-moon in Gemini brings a bit of tension to the day, particularly in the late morning. Other people might impede your progress, or you could find that it’s your own bad habits that stand in your way. It can be tempting to just give up — or, at least, temper your ambition — but keep going. On the other side of today’s frustrations, you’ll find fresh clarity and motivation, but you have to endure some discomfort to get there.
It’s often the most unexpected chances that end up changing your life for the better, so you do your best to stay open to every experience that comes your way — even if they don’t totally align with your goals. But you can get yourself into trouble this way: You end up overbooking yourself, or getting caught up in dramas you don’t really care about. Today, try not to worry so much about potentially missing out, and make a point of saying no sometimes.
Sometimes, what’s best for you is also what’s best for everyone else around you, and you can fight for what you want without feeling selfish. Other times, though, your own needs and those of your loved ones seem to diverge, and you fear that you’ll have to choose between the two. Today, though, don’t be so quick to assume that you’ll have to sacrifice something. If you think creatively, you’ll find an alternative path forward that works for everyone.
Lately, you’ve been frustrated by all the unwritten rules you’re expected to follow. While you understand that you have to share this world with other people, that doesn’t mean you’re happy about all of the social norms and expectations that govern your life. If you’re starting to feel trapped, remember that you don’t have to listen — plenty of people don’t. There might be consequences, but sometimes those consequences are worth the freedom you get in return. Your challenge today is to figure out which are worth following, however begrudgingly, and which you can break.
If you come up against a roadblock today, you might be quick to see it as a sign that you took a wrong turn somewhere. If you were on the right path, you imagine, things would be going more smoothly than this. But remember that it isn’t a bad thing to be challenged. When everything comes easily to you, it’s probably because you’re not really trying. Don’t shy away from a healthy level of difficulty: If anything, it’s a sign that you’re pursuing goals you genuinely care about.
You’re excellent at building close loving relationships, but you’re also good at maintaining your boundaries. Today, though, you might inadvertently let them slide: It’s easy right now to let other people influence your thinking, to let your friends’ moods dictate your own. If someone you love is agitated, you might be inclined to match their energy, even if that isn’t helpful for either one of you. The answer isn’t to try to shut out your friends’ feelings, but to be intentional about staying in touch with your own.
There are plenty of people who think that it’s a waste of your time to focus on your relationships. They tell you that you should be devoted to advancing in your career and making money, or that you should sacrifice your social life in order to devote more time to worthy causes. Sometimes, you might even start to wonder whether they’re right. But today, try to put all of that out of your head. If you prioritize building genuine connections with the people around you, you won’t regret it.
You want others to see you as capable and smart — so you tend to avoid new hobbies or activities. You worry you’ll seem clueless and that your friends will lose all respect for you. But really, nobody expects you to be good at everything on your first try — and even if they did, that’s their problem. Today, try to worry less about how you appear to others and more about whether your life is fulfilling as is. Don’t let your fear of looking silly prevent you from learning new things and having interesting experiences.
Conflict is a natural part of any relationship. Sometimes, it’s clear that somebody has acted selfishly or carelessly, but just as often, nobody’s at fault. You and your friends can’t be perfectly synced up all the time, and misunderstandings happen when your moods or your schedules are out of alignment. Today, especially, you might feel disconnected from the people you love. Your impulse might be to jump straight to panic mode, but if your connection has been solid until now, then operate from the assumption that you’ll get back to normal soon.
In general, you appreciate it when your friends give you advice. You may not follow it, but the more information and perspectives you can take into account when making an important decision, the better. Today, though, it might be tough: Everyone’s opinions seem to directly contradict one another, and you can’t figure out how to go about untangling the mess. It might be best to put off making a final call for now, if possible — sometimes, it’s only once you stop rushing yourself that clarity begins to emerge.
When you’re struggling to make sense of the big picture, or when you’re unsure how to move forward, it can be tempting to nitpick the little details. Harping on the small stuff gives you a sense of control, making it feel like you’re making progress. But while getting the details right matters sometimes, it can also just be a way to tell yourself you’re being useful while you avoid the larger, more pressing questions. Today, avoid getting bogged down in minor issues, and stay focused on your goals.
You aren’t the sort of person to be swept away by optics — the people you tend to be drawn to have deep, complex ways of thinking, robust personal philosophies, something meaningful to say. But nobody, not even you, is totally immune to the power of beauty, however superficial, and today you might feel pulled toward people or things for no deeper reason than their loveliness. There’s nothing wrong with this — it’s possible to stick to your values while giving yourself permission to appreciate the world’s beauty, too.
Your life is full of people who love you and want the best for you — but sometimes, their care feels less like support for you and your choices and more like pressure to act or think the way they think is right. As much as you want to make the people in your life happy and be everything they want you to be, lately the weight of their expectations feels like more than you can bear. So today, remember that you don’t live solely to please others, and you’re allowed to disappoint them if that’s what it takes to do right by yourself.
Buy Claire Comstock-Gay’s book, Madame Clairevoyant’s Guide to the Stars, here.