This week is an express bus of energy, driven by a cross between Sandra Bullock and Satan. You'd better hope you’re already on board because this driver does not stop at the designated bus stops, or possibly at all. What better way to kick off action-packed Aries season than at top speed?
With Mars, the planet of action, now in serious Capricorn, your to-do list is long and the items at the top are non-negotiable. Whether you’re trying to stay financially above water, are buried alive in uni work, or accidentally signed on for every volunteer position at your kids’ school, you’ll be running to keep up for at least the next month or so. Luckily, Capricorn is the sign of endurance. Manage your time and energy well and you’ll likely be successful.
The sun enters speedy Aries on Tuesday, making energy management a challenge, though. Aries, the first sign of the Zodiac, symbolises new beginnings and craves instant gratification. One of the three fire signs, Aries acts like a spark, catching onto anything flammable within reach, in the hopes of starting a blaze. Inspired by sunny spring weather, longer days, a more active social life, and the impatience to see 2018 plans bear fruit, you have a surge of energy and the feeling that you can keep this pace up forever.
This Aries season is an especially busy one, so no matter how supercharged you feel, remind yourself to focus on what you really care about. Aries is pure passion, and Mars in Capricorn will only apply itself effectively to goals that will actually pay off. Your head and your heart can achieve a lot this month, but they need to work together (and pace themselves).
Good thing Aries season brings out your challenge-loving side, because Mercury stations retrograde on Thursday. The creeping difficulties you’ve been having with email, traffic, scheduling, annoying accidents, and missed messages blossoms into a full-on garden of miscommunications and mistakes. Like always with Mercury retrograde, it’s the little stuff that counts. As busy as you are right now, take the time to double-check your work and keep an eye out for other people's messes.
Aries
March 21 to April 19
Happy birthday season, Aries!
Your superpowers of speed and decisiveness are on fire this week, as the sun enters your sign. The starting gun went off with a bang on Saturday and as the week goes on, you’ll find your energy increasing — and in need of an outlet. You’ve got more than enough commitments and wild, Aries-worthy plans to satisfy your drive. The challenge, as always, is sticking with one project long enough to see it through, but this birthday season you have a real advantage.
Normally, you’re the top contender for the distraction award. With your ruling planet, Mars, in Capricorn as of the 17th, your own common sense and foresight may surprise you. The grown-up voice in your head has acquired a megaphone, and you can’t help but play out what the long-term results of a given choice will be. With Mars travelling through your 10th house of career, you’ll do best prioritising reputation-enhancing projects that allow you to work independently.
While your focus is strengthened, you are still inclined to go from 100% lazy pyjama-mode to trying to do everything all at once. Your goals are absolutely in reach as long as you get started now and take regular-sized breaks to sleep, eat and chill with your friends.
Illustrated by Abbie Winters.
Taurus
April 20 to May 20
You’re like a boulder, Taurus. (A cute and charming boulder, of course!) Getting yourself to act requires pushing that giant rock of your inertia up a mountainside. It requires toughness, tenacity, and patience; and that’s why you’re the only person who can make yourself do anything. Like a boulder, once you get to the top of the mountain, all you need is one big push. From that point on, you’re unstoppable. Pity the sheep who gets in your path.
This week is your big push, Taurus. The people around you will be scrambling to keep up, stressing over unimportant details and making messes. Meanwhile, you rise above it like a queen. You can be effective at any pace that’s comfortable for you, as long as you’re relentless. If you have a competitive streak, envision yourself stepping over opponents to reach your goals. Otherwise, it’s all about you and what supportive structures in your life you want to build and strengthen.
A key test to your commitments comes on Friday, when your ruling planet, beauty-making Venus, collides with Pluto, the planet of power games. Pluto stokes fear and paranoia, those inner shadows capable of poisoning love and making us greedy. Notice where you feel jealous or possessive. Ask yourself if you’re moving toward what you truly desire.
Illustrated by Abbie Winters.
Gemini
May 21 to June 20
This week will require you to be thoughtful and nimble, careful and quick. Your superpower of multitasking will be your best friend and the Achilles' heel weakness that could make your life hell.
Normally, you have a gift for logic and can hold competing information in your head without breaking a sweat. Mercury, your ruling planet, gave you this talent and it relies on Mercury to work well. As Mercury stations retrograde on the 22nd, those competing bits of information are likely to collide in frustrating ways. The hangout date you made for Friday at 5pm gets reversed in your head with the other date for Saturday at 6pm; the 20 deadlines you agreeably accepted at work get mixed up and your boss is pissed; you butt-dial your mum while you’re having an extremely not family-friendly flirtation with your sweetie. It’s snafu season, Gemini, and you've just gotta roll with it.
Surviving Mercury retrograde means relying on your non-Gemini skills. As a rule, intuition works better than logic during a Mercury retrograde. Your subconscious — the voice that speaks in stomach aches, tingling on the back of your neck, or a vague feeling of unease — is able to assimilate the information your conscious mind overlooks, helping you to drive more safely and avoid signing a lease on a rat-infested apartment. Listen up to those mental undercurrents and you’ll stay on top of this mad March, no sweat.
Illustrated by Abbie Winters.
Cancer
June 21 to July 22
The new moon on the 17th launched you into two months of solid action, Cancer. You’ve recovered from late winter’s slowdowns and are at the peak of your game. Mars is on the opposite side of the chart from your sun, bringing out your hunger to win and enlarging your natural reserves of anger. Your anger is no joke — to you least of all. While you may enjoy unloading it in the moment through yelling, fighting, or the subtle art of manipulation, it sucks to feel like you can’t control yourself.
Fortunately, the next several weeks provide your inner tiger with ample creative outlets. When a person or situation pisses you off, treat the anger like an energy bonus. Where do you want to channel the steam that's shooting out of your ears? Mars has an affinity with physical activity, so think of what you can do with your body: clean your house, take your dog for a run, help your toddler burn out her endless energy so you can sleep, or pull a double shift. Mars also likes a good challenge, so tackle your responsibilities by starting with the most intimidating and important task.
Illustrated by Abbie Winters.
Leo
July 23 to August 22
Your confidence is dampened this week, thanks to a meetup between your ruling planet (the sun) and Chiron, the wounded healer. Chiron likes to bring out insecurities and old hurts so that you can see them for what they are (and maybe even heal them). The sun connecting to Chiron puts your inner 13-year-old in a starring role. Whatever embarrassed you about yourself in secondary school, wherever you felt you didn’t measure up, comes back to haunt you this week, making you crave others’ approval. This kind of self-doubt is a vicious cycle. The more you’re worried about how you come across, the more others distance themselves from you, making you hungrier than ever for their attention.
Tell those secondary school habits to talk to the hand, because you’ve got bigger fish to fry, queen. Stroke the ego of your 13-year-old self by celebrating how adorably awkward and obnoxious you were back then. Flaunt your ridiculousness to entertain yourself, first and foremost. Turn the transit into a game you can win, by giving yourself plenty of applause just for being you.
Meanwhile, your grown-up self has business to attend to, especially at work and on your physical health. Because you’re slightly over-sensitised, do what you can to take others’ attention off your actions. One trick that is as fun as it is effective is to work on projects as a group. Shining your generous light on others’ talents — say, by pointing out to others what a big contribution your shy cubicle-mate made — will build better friendships and make you like yourself more.
Illustrated by Abbie Winters.
Virgo
August 23 to September 22
As you well know, Virgo, your plans don’t always go smoothly. Running into problems is a sign you’re working hard and taking on interesting challenges. The next several weeks will require you to progress steadily on your goals and deadlines. There will be time to address the inevitable setbacks, but you can’t afford to waste it by worrying, blaming others, or beating yourself up.
Logical Mercury, your ruling planet, stations retrograde on Thursday. As you’ve likely grudgingly had to admit over the years, Mercury retrograde effects are real — and they get to you (and Geminis) more than anyone else. In general, you can reason your way through the stickiest of situations, including getting yourself out of trouble before you get nailed. Mercury retrograde overloads your brain with too much information and too little perspective. For that reason, it’s a bad, bad idea to cut corners or play the system (at least until May). No matter how clever you think you’re being, you’ll flub a crucial piece of data, or fail to notice someone peeping over your shoulder.
The same goes for even your most above-board behaviour. Mistakes will be made, Virgo. Knowing that, let yourself off the perfectionist hook on the first pass. Write the email before editing it; teach the class and then go back the next day to fill in the crucial lesson you forgot. Because misunderstandings are all but unavoidable, forgive yourself, your co-workers, and partner in advance. You can’t avoid the errors but you can teach yourself to address them in a healthier way.
Illustrated by Abbie Winters.
Libra
September 23 to October 22
On behalf of the universe, I apologise, Libra. The next month or so will be low on Netflix binges, dance nights, and those heart-to-hearts you thrive on. It’s truly unfair. And yet, Aries deserves its (incomprehensible) season as much as you deserve yours.
On Thursday, the sun in the sky slips into Aries, the sign directly across the Zodiac from yours. This yearly transit emphasises the benefits of working with others, and even adapting yourself to work in your co-pilot’s style. It’s true that you won’t have as much leisure time as you’d like with your favourite people, but you can still enjoy their company. Over the next four weeks, collaboration gets you farther than going solo. Take any slowdowns or setbacks as a distress signal from your other half. Whether it’s your assigned collaborator on a project, your shift-mate, best friend or spouse, they either need you to support them or try adopting their approach.
On Friday, your ruling planet, rational Venus, gets knocked around by Pluto, the planet that rules your deepest fears. Check your self-interest, especially where you feel you’re the victim of injustice. You may be factually correct, but if you’re ignoring your own power in the situation, you’ll never be able to carve a healthier path. Jealousy, possessiveness, paranoia, and the terror of abandonment are all signs you need a more reliable form of emotional security, like self-love and self-trust.
Illustrated by Abbie Winters.
Scorpio
October 23 to November 21
With the movement of your co-ruler, Mars, into Capricorn on the 17th, you’re strategising with an eye toward the future. You’re better able than usual to set aside your immediate feelings and especially any urges toward self-sabotage. Whether your goals are to see personal growth, get a fatter bank account, make progress in your career, create a gut-wrenching work of art, or reach a new level of trust in your relationships, you’re playing nine moves ahead for the next two months.
Not that it’s about winning, of course, but you do have the advantage. Your natural intuition is a reliable compass during Mercury retrograde and unlike the rest of the human species, you know how to direct the raw impulses of Aries season toward what matters most.
On Friday, beautiful Venus collides with your planetary ruler, Pluto. Pluto rules the inner underworld — your deepest insights and darkest fears. When it bumps into Venus, planet of money and love, your fear of losing control surges to the surface. Notice, but be sceptical of, feelings of jealousy, rage, possessiveness, and icy anger. You are a powerful person, but these emotions point to buried insecurities. Delve into the murk within to discover your hidden weakness. Remember, deep connection, personal power, and emotional challenge are your true rewards. Let go of whatever inside you is preventing you from accessing them.
Illustrated by Abbie Winters.
Sagittarius
November 22 to December 21
On Tuesday, the sun enters Aries, one of your sign’s closest relatives. As it does every year, the sun in the sky forms a friendly connection to the sun in your birth chart, setting the stage for a period of stable growth and learning.
Your wholehearted approach starts big, gorgeous blazes with the spark of Aries season, especially with Mars in Capricorn helping to keep you focused. There will be a temptation to bite off more than you can chew by gambling too much time, energy, or money on future outcomes that may not amount to much. As Mercury stations retrograde on Thursday, amp up your vetting process for new dates, new friends, new jobs, and new all-consuming projects. Mercury retrograde’s classic miscommunications and delays can make anyone a little frazzled. That’s not a good state of mind for making decisions, as you’ll tend to leap to all-or-nothing conclusions, either getting overexcited or writing off what could be an awesome opportunity.
When your head is clear, you have stellar insight into how the future of a relationship or project will unfold, and whether a situation is worthy of your passion and intelligence. Find quiet moments for your big decisions and move full-speed ahead on what you know is working.
Illustrated by Abbie Winters.
Capricorn
December 22 to January 19
If you answered last week’s call for thoughtful planning, you’re ready for the challenges and opportunities on offer. On Saturday, Mars entered your sign, speeding up the pace of your life considerably, filling your schedule and injecting you with the energy, determination, and competitive drive to keep up.
Your inner stability gives you an advantage during this trigger-happy Aries season. Because of the incoming Mercury retrograde, quick reactions lead to mistakes and accidents right now. For the next several months, a thorough and strategic approach comes naturally to you and you should have good instincts about how to pace yourself. With Mars passing over your sun, you may find yourself getting angrier than usual and less able to control your outbursts. The anger likely comes from the feeling of not being fully in control of your own actions. When work and relationships get frustrating, as they inevitably do under Mercury retrograde, avoid pointless drama by pouring your feelings into a creative, self-willed goal that you can control.
Lean on your own patience to remember that what you seek is coming, you just have to put in the work.
Illustrated by Abbie Winters.
Aquarius
January 20 to February 18
As the sun enters Aries, it moves out of your second house of money and self-worth and into your third house of communication and writing. Your focus shifts from increasing your bank account balance (or spending its contents) to the minutiae of your social life. All those near-invisible interactions — the old guy you met in line at the DMV, the intriguing cat lady who always waves from across the street, the annoying texts from your big sister — become of central interest. Because you’re taking more time and paying more attention to those small conversations, there’s less time in the day for everything else.
Managing your attention could be a real challenge during the next several weeks. There’s a ton going on and your tendency is to gather as much information as possible before getting down to work or taking advantage of the new beginnings of Aries season. That would be a serious mistake, though, Aquarius. This is one of the most active times of the year. Whatever you put energy into now will bear real results. Let the fire under your butt singe you enough to get out there and take an exciting risk. And once you’ve made a choice, hold yourself to it so you can really enjoy the results when they come.
Illustrated by Abbie Winters.
Pisces
February 19 to March 20
Pisces season comes to a close on Tuesday, when the sun enters Aries. Hopefully, the return of the sun to its birth position in your chart has left you centred and at peace in yourself.
Aries season can feel alarmingly noisy after the Piscean dream-time. If you take in too much of others’ anxiety or sink into an Aries-esque phase of self-absorption, you’ll lose that carefully cultivated peace. The good news is you can always find your way back to centre.
This week, hold onto your vision of what you want to cultivate, whether it’s increased compassion, a more passionate love life, or making yourself and your talents more visible to others. Rather than losing yourself in activity until you’re sucked dry, take regular breaks to breathe and clear out the stress. Every time you reconnect with your source, you come back to your tasks with more energy and focus. The key word here is moderation. A gentle, steady rhythm will make tasks that seem overwhelming as manageable as crossing a line off a list.
Illustrated by Abbie Winters.Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
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