Michelle Williams, a Virgo.
Photo-Illustration: by The Cut; Photo: Getty Images
Early this morning, communication planet Mercury entered conscientious and analytical Virgo, making today — and the next two and a half weeks — a good time to assess your work and your life with a critical (but loving!) eye. There’s no need to settle for “good enough”: If something’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right. In the afternoon, the waxing moon enters optimistic Sagittarius: Let hope, not fear, guide you.
Today brings you a renewed sense of your own powers. While you’re never exactly meek, and you’ve always possessed self-assurance, you’re still only human — you experience hesitation and uncertainty just like anyone else. But now, it’s possible to set aside whatever doubt you’ve been feeling and have faith that you can build exactly the life you want. It isn’t magic: All you need to do is refuse to give up.
There’s a part of you that experiences every joy or heartbreak impossibly deeply, that feels other people’s pain as your own — simply moving through the world can feel unbearably intense. And there’s a different part of you that wants to ignore or disavow this sensitive side, that wishes you didn’t feel quite so much. Today, trying to hide your emotions — from others or yourself — is only going to make you feel irritated and misunderstood. Right now, talking about your vulnerabilities, sensitivities, and emotions will be surprisingly enjoyable and make you stronger, not weaker.
You aren’t afraid to disagree with the people in your life — to you, talking through conflict is part of the fun of relationships. But today, misunderstandings might feel uncharacteristically stressful: maybe it seems like others are approaching you in bad faith, or maybe you’re nervous about the outcome of those conversations. Your first instinct might be to back away — either from the discussion or from the relationship entirely. But you can learn more about yourself from the tough conversations than the lighthearted ones, so dive in.
Between work projects, your social life, and other responsibilities, your days are packed right now. You’re certainly not suffering from boredom; the trouble is filling up your time with activities won’t be fulfilling if they aren’t activities you actually care about. You have lots of emotional energy, and you’ll feel annoyed and resentful if you don’t have anywhere to put it. Whether you’re helping people or tending to your own needs, let your feelings guide you to actions. Don’t just let them stew.
You’re not vain, exactly; you simply understand that the way others see you directly affects how they treat you. Image matters, so you do your best to project one of power or coolness or competence, and to stick to the script. But you’re not a character in a story, you’re a human being — messy and complicated. The best thing you can do today is be honest about what’s going on with you, even if it doesn’t match the idealized version of yourself you carry around in your head. You’re allowed to be contradictory, to surprise even yourself.
People sometimes talk as though structure and routine necessarily inhibit imagination, but you know that isn’t true. Developing good habits and a schedule that genuinely works for you can provide the stability you need to think creatively. You’re not too proud to lean on people more experienced than you for guidance — just make sure you’re not leaning too hard.. Remember, today, that you’re smart and courageous enough to strike out on your own when you’re ready.
Small talk with acquaintances, neighbors, even strangers has the potential today to turn unexpectedly deep. People you barely know might share their secret hopes and dreams with you, or you might feel compelled to suddenly open up. It could feel wonderful to experience these random moments of human connection, and you might find that it’s easier to be honest, especially about difficult topics, with people you don’t know well. Even so, be thoughtful about boundaries — your own and others’ — and remember that when someone is unloading too much on you, you’re allowed to walk away.
It can feel like what you need most, today, is to introduce new elements into your life: new activities, people, stuff. You imagine that it’ll shake you out of the rut you’ve been stuck in, but novelty probably won’t be enough to change your life — at least, not the way you’re hoping. If you’re hungry for something different, it may work better to figure out new ways to alter or repurpose what you already have. The objects and relationships you’ve gotten bored with might still have the capacity to surprise you.
For the most part, you’re good at keeping your own problems in perspective. You understand that you’re not the only person on earth and that other people can’t be expected to care as much as you do. But it’ll probably be harder to keep that kind of distance today. So for now, stop trying to be so objective. It’s okay for your emotions and desires and dreams to matter deeply to you — this is your life, after all.
Your energy levels might be lower than usual today: Basic tasks feel surprisingly draining, and social interactions, even ones you’d normally welcome, seem onerous. It’s easy to take this as an indicator that something deeper is wrong — that you’re approaching burnout or losing your edge, that life has to change — but try not to worry. You’re a person, and it’s only normal to experience ebbs and flows. Take some extra time to rest, if you can; if not, then do your best and trust that your vigor will return soon enough.
If you work hard today, it’s likely to pay off in a serious way, so it’s important to be sure that what you’re working toward is something you actually want. If you’re aiming for it just because you think you’re supposed to, you’ll end up making others happy and yourself miserable. Don’t be afraid to aim high: If you’re keeping your dreams modest in an attempt to be strategic, you’ll only cheat yourself out of what you truly desire. You’re drawing close to your goals — so be careful not to strive for something you don’t truly want, because you just might get it.
For better or for worse, it’s easy to blur the boundaries between personal and professional today. It’s a good thing to care about what you do for a living, just remember that you’re more than just your job. Criticism, conflict, rejection at work — none of this necessarily has anything to do with who you are as a person or what you have to offer in the big picture. There’s a whole world outside your career; don’t lose sight of it.
Buy Claire Comstock-Gay’s book, Madame Clairevoyant’s Guide to the Stars, here.