Willow Smith, a Scorpio.
Photo-Illustration: by The Cut; Photo: Getty Images
Life’s been unusually stressful lately, but today brings some added support from the Scorpio sun and Saturn. Together, these planets boost your persistence, determination, and self-confidence, reminding you that in a chaotic world, you can still rely on yourself. No matter what anyone else does, or what happens next, trust that you won’t give up.
When something isn’t working for you, you aren’t one to quietly endure it: You’d rather fight to get what you need. But even you can’t control everything — some situations genuinely are out of your hands, and all you can do is learn to live with them. Today, your challenge is to work on stepping back from the problems that aren’t your responsibility, that you don’t have the necessary skills or wisdom to fix. Put your energy into the things you can do well: your efforts are needed there.
Sometimes you wish you weren’t quite so loyal. If you were quicker to walk away from imperfect jobs and frustrating relationships, maybe you’d have more time and energy for other, more rewarding endeavors. Plus, everyone around you seems to value flashiness and novelty more than quiet determination. Today, though, your commitment might finally be rewarded. Maybe you’ll get some recognition, or maybe you’ll finally see the results you’ve been pushing for. Either way, take note: Your stubborn resolve was worth it all along.
You might not consider yourself much of an authority, even on the subjects you know most about. Instead, you see yourself more as a student, constantly learning. On the one hand, your humility is admirable — on the other, you’re probably selling yourself short. You know so much, and the people around you would benefit if you shared it with them. Today, keep learning and asking questions, but don’t be afraid to step into a role of authority.
In stressful situations and confrontations, your first instinct is sometimes to retreat. Maybe you literally walk away, maybe you simply decline to join the fray,, pretending — maybe even to yourself — that you have no control over the outcome anyway. Today, though, it’s time to be honest with yourself: You have a lot more influence than you realize, so stay engaged. Just because you aren’t all-powerful doesn’t mean you should give up on asserting yourself at all.
Some days, your self-confidence is unshakeable, but on other days, you can see all of your shortcomings in excruciating detail. You’re aware of all the times you’ve disappointed yourself, all the ways you’re weak or careless or mean. On these days, you tend to be unforgiving, imagining that your ruthlessness will push you to become “better.” But shaming rarely works, so today, show yourself a bit more compassion. You don’t have to be perfect, you just have to keep steadily evolving.
In relationships, we all have to put in some effort to love and understand and occasionally forgive one another. But it’s important to remind yourself that it shouldn’t all feel like work — and what work there is shouldn’t all fall on your shoulders. Today, check in with yourself to make sure you don’t feel taken advantage of. You should feel respected, and your commitment should be reciprocated. If you feel like something’s been off-kilter, it’s a good time to speak up.
Lately, it’s been easy to make all your decisions from a place of anxiety. You’re not foolish for doing so — there’s plenty worth being afraid of. But when you continually make choices out of fear, eventually you’ll look around you and find that your life has become small and uninspiring. So today, be real about the problems you face, but don’t let them block out everything else there is. Act based on a realistic assessment of the situation — but also out of a stubborn hope that things can get better.
You know that people can be intensely judgmental — you’ve heard the way your friends sometimes talk about others who aren’t in the room. And while you try not to let your own fear of judgment hold you back, you can’t always help it.. Today, your challenge is to push back and live your life on your terms. You’ll probably find that the less you let anyone’s criticism bother you, and the more you move without shame, the better you’ll be received anyway.
Try to avoid getting too stressed out about any single decision today. It’s easy to convince yourself that any one challenge is the one that will make or break you, that if you miss an opportunity, you’ve ruined all others. But ultimately, dedication over the long haul counts for more than any one action you take (or fail to take). Do the best you can, with the understanding that you’ll fall short sometimes. You’ll get more chances to make things right, as long as you keep showing up.
These days, it might feel like everyone’s constantly saying no to you — rejecting your suggestions, telling you to try again next time. The disappointment adds up, and at a certain point, you start to wonder whether you might be better off just giving up. But while sometimes quitting is the right move, the best thing you can do today is persevere and keep at it — you’re quietly making progress, and before long it’ll show.
You have your limits, just like everyone. You can only squeeze so much productivity out of any given day, can only work so much before your body and mind demand rest. But there’s a part of you that feels guilty about this, imagining that while limitations apply to other people, you should somehow be better. Today, though, try to accept that you’re only human — no better or worse than everyone else. Holding yourself to unrealistic standards won’t make you any faster or more productive, it’ll only make you tired.
You don’t always notice growth while it’s happening; the changes from one day to the next are so small. But then you come across a challenge that once could have stopped you in your tracks and navigate it with ease. Or you boldly face down somebody who used to intimidate you, or you solve a puzzle that’s long stumped you. Today, it might become apparent just how much stronger and wiser you’ve been getting. And if you encounter a problem that still gives you pause, have faith that in time, you’ll figure out this one too.
Buy Claire Comstock-Gay’s book, Madame Clairevoyant’s Guide to the Stars, here.