Photo-Illustration: by The Cut; Photo: Getty Images
The sun and Mercury align in fair-minded Libra this afternoon, and, as the powerful sun joins forces with the planet of thought and communication, you can expect new insights to come your way. The problems you’ve been mulling over might prove not to be so intractable after all: You’ll be surprised what becomes possible with a little creativity and a willingness to compromise.
In theory, you recognize that it can be valuable to seek guidance from others. In practice, though, it often feels like more trouble than it’s worth: Sometimes they give you advice based on their goals and experiences, not yours, and sometimes they tell you things you’d prefer not to hear. Today, though, if you’re facing a problem or a big decision, make a point of consulting those you trust. Maybe they’ll help you to look at the issue in a new light, or maybe they’ll confirm that you were right — either way, you’ll benefit.
All of people’s shortcomings and contradictions may become incredibly apparent today. You can see clearly the traits and bad habits that are holding your friends back, and if they would only listen to you, you think, they could transform their lives. But be careful how you express yourself: You may be objectively right, but that doesn’t mean people have to listen. It’s not your job to fix everyone else’s lives for them, and sometimes, the best thing you can do is be kind.
Lately, it feels more important than ever not to waste your time or energy: You have limited quantities of both, and you don’t want to spend them on work that doesn’t matter or people you don’t genuinely care about. The trouble is that it can be difficult to distinguish what truly matters. So today, put the question out of your head entirely. Give yourself permission to work on projects that are just for fun, to spend time with people only because they make you laugh. Later, you may discover that those seemingly unproductive moments brought you closer to your goals after all.
It’s easy to get caught in the grip of nostalgia, so you make a conscious effort not to remain stuck in the past and instead to keep moving forward. Today, though, you might find that it’s impossible to do that: Memories keep popping up and long-buried feelings keep distracting you from your work. The more you try to ignore them, the more they’ll quietly eat away at you. But if you take the time to process them, you might finally find the insight or closure you’ve needed all this time.
Your schedule might be unusually busy today, filled not only with errands that need your attention but also with social obligations. Everywhere you go, there’s someone with a question to ask, a story to tell, a piece of gossip to share. No individual interaction is likely to be life-changing, but each little piece will add up to something greater. You don’t need to know what it all means yet; just keep your eyes open and stay curious about the world around you.
Your worldview seems simple, even self-explanatory, to you: You spend a lot of time interrogating your own assumptions and refining your principles. But today, other people might challenge you to explain yourself. Try not to take this as a personal affront, and see it instead as an opportunity. While you might spend a lot of time thinking through your values, it’s rarer that you get to talk them through with others: Don’t miss out on the chance to share them.
It can take you a long time to decide what you think about an issue (or a person). Some people mistake this as a sign of insecurity, but really, you simply need time to process information thoroughly and on your own terms. Once you do come to a decision, you can trust that it’s a solid one. And today, you might finally find the clarity to make a call on something you’ve been deliberating. Your position might be the popular one, or it might be out of step with some of the people around you; either way, it’s yours.
You pride yourself on your ability to keep secrets — the ones other people share with you but also your own. If there’s something you don’t want others knowing about yourself, you’re not likely to spill it in a moment of weakness; you know how to keep quiet when it counts. Sometimes, though, this works against you. It makes it harder to connect with others, and it means you tend to carry an impossibly heavy load. Today, it could be time to open up to someone you trust: They can probably tell you’re holding something back.
Most of the time, you’re confident in who you are. You know, at least on an intellectual level, that your imperfections are simply part of what makes you you. Sometimes, though, you look at the people around you and wish you could blend in a bit better, that the skills that seem to come easily to your friends came as easily to you. Today, remember that you have skills no one else does, too. Focus on doing the work or making the art or rendering the ideas that nobody could but you.
The smarter and more competent you demonstrate yourself to be, the more work tends to land on your plate. Others recognize that if they want something to get done, you’re the right person to ask. But while it can initially be flattering, even exciting, it also distracts from your own personal goals. Today, make sure you haven’t gotten bogged down in busywork and other people’s dreams. Reserve some of your time and energy for the projects that matter to you.
You’ve been learning a lot about yourself and what you need to be happy. Every experience that makes you feel excited and alive — or, conversely, that leaves you feeling stressed or bored — is a data point. Looking at them all together should reveal useful insights about what you can do to live a happy and meaningful life, but so far, the bigger picture has eluded you. Today, though, the answers you’ve been seeking could snap into focus. The challenge now is to stop thinking and act.
It’s easy for you to read too deeply into interactions, to think there’s something serious brewing beneath the surface when in reality, the other person’s just hungry or tired or distracted. Trying to read someone’s mind is almost never as effective as simply asking them how they are. Today, though, trust your instincts. If something seems out of balance, it probably is. If you’re picking up on a weird vibe, it’s worth digging deeper. Intuition alone might not give you the full picture, but it can tell you where to look.
Buy Claire Comstock-Gay’s book, Madame Clairevoyant’s Guide to the Stars, here.