Serena Williams, a Libra.
Photo-Illustration: by The Cut; Photo: Getty Images
Today’s last quarter moon in Cancer asks you to adapt to change in the world around you. It sounds simple, but it takes wisdom to accept that the world isn’t the same as it once was and courage to imagine a future that diverges from the one you had always dreamed of. The harder you cling to the old reality, the more stress and tension you’ll feel — but if you have faith that a meaningful life is still possible, you just might be proven right.
You could find yourself feeling strangely unsettled today. Problems you thought you’d solved might reappear; insecurities you thought you’d moved past might creep back in. It’s easy to take this as a sign of failure, but that’s not the case at all. Progress doesn’t happen in a linear fashion; the most important questions in life tend to pop up again and again, in different forms, and each time they do, you’re more insightful and experienced than you were before.
Time and time again, you’ve proven that you can push through the most punishing conditions, take on the toughest projects and see them through, stand up to intimidating people. The bigger the challenge, the more you dig in your heels. Today, though, the smallest disagreements could get under your skin; the most minor roadblocks could make you feel like giving up. Get some rest, but don’t back down: You could be on the verge of a breakthrough.
While some people find change innately stressful, you welcome it. You like trying new things and meeting new people; if they keep you on your toes, so much the better — you won’t get bored. But it’s important to feel that you have at least some choice in the matter: Changes that feel completely outside your control can get to be too much, even for you. Don’t be surprised if what you need most today is reassurance that the ground is solid beneath your feet. Lean on the people you trust, and they’ll offer the stability you need.
Between your work, your relationships, and your own emotional needs, you’ve felt pulled in too many different directions lately, and the strain of juggling it all is beginning to wear you down. Today, the best thing you can do is admit to yourself that there’s no way to give everyone what they want. Give yourself permission to say “no.” Set your priorities and stick to them. You’ll disappoint some people, maybe, and that isn’t the end of the world.
You come across as confident and completely sure of who you are. In reality, though, you’re your own harshest critic, and today especially, you’re zooming in on all of your flaws, real and imagined. If there’s something you genuinely want to change, this is a good time to address it. But if you’re just beating yourself up for being a human being — someone who does their best but sometimes makes mistakes — then your challenge now is to treat yourself with more compassion.
You may feel a bit out of place socially today. It isn’t that anything is wrong, necessarily, only that you’re not quite sure where you fit in. It might be tempting to retreat from other people altogether for now, to cancel plans and turn down invitations, but isolating yourself now will only make you feel worse later on. Instead of turning away from the awkwardness of human interaction, lean into it. The only way to find a place where you belong is to get out there, talk to people, and slowly build connections.
You might discover, today, that others — even those closest to you — see you very differently than you see yourself. On the one hand, this could be a good thing: All those insecurities and anxieties buzzing around in your head don’t even register for them. On the other hand, it could be deeply frustrating: You’re fascinating and contradictory, and if others can’t see that, are they really seeing you at all? If you feel misunderstood, now is the time to make your voice heard.
When you resolve to change your life, there will always be bumps in the road. Sometimes, it’s because you’re getting in your own way; today, it’s more likely to be that others are poking holes in your plans. Listen to the criticism when it’s offered in good faith, and ignore it if it’s rooted in unkindness — either way, don’t take it as a sign that you’re on the wrong path. No journey comes without its challenges; what matters now is how you deal with them.
For the most part, you try to take life as it comes. Today, though, you might feel unbearably dissatisfied. From your job to your neighborhood to your relationships, everything just seems dull. You want more: You see people living lives that look so much richer and more interesting than yours, and it’s hard to stop jealousy from creeping in. Pay attention to these feelings, but don’t act on them yet. Others’ lives may not be as thrilling as they seem from the outside — and with a fresh perspective, you may find new appreciation for the mundane.
All kinds of close relationships go through tumultuous periods: times when your goals or moods or communication styles simply don’t seem to line up. With a little care and attention, you can prevent things from getting too tense (most of the time, anyway). Today, despite your best efforts, you might find that you and someone important to you keep stepping on each other’s toes. The important thing is to avoid writing that person off: If you can work this out now, you’ll grow closer than before.
The more consistent your daily habits, the more likely they are to be disrupted today. Additional work could land in your lap, friends might extend last-minute invitations that interrupt your flow, or your own mind could simply struggle to get into the rhythm. The more rigidly you try to stick to the plan, the worse things are likely to go for you, so be prepared to make some adjustments or even let certain tasks go entirely. If you’re willing to make a change or two to the routine, you’ll be glad you did.
Normally, you don’t have any trouble tapping in to your imagination. You have a talent for expressing yourself and coming up with creative solutions. Today, however, you might feel uncharacteristically blocked. Your thoughts are jumbled, and your words don’t come out the way you intended. Don’t get discouraged: This is all a part of the process. You may have to work a little harder to land on the results you hoped for, but you’ll get there in the end.
Buy Claire Comstock-Gay’s book, Madame Clairevoyant’s Guide to the Stars, here.