Horoscope

Aquarius (Jan. 20–Feb. 18)

I'm always amazed at how sex-phobic (and, of course, sex-obsessed) our culture is. Certain people make a fuss over anything provocative; even an accidentally exposed breast can be major drama. Violence, on the other hand, rarely generates such commotion. I think it's sad that some people would rather see two people kill each than get it on (especially if those people are different races or the same gender). You ultrarational, progressive Aquarians are supposed to be the ones helping move our society along in the right direction. Have you been doing your part? If not, you'll get your chance to nudge us in the right direction this week. Don't miss it.

Pisces (Feb. 19–March 20)

I'm not a very organized person; when I clean my apartment, I simply gather armloads of things from the floor, stuff them in the closet, and slam the door shut. To find one of those items later, half the closet's contents have to come out so I can get to the one I want. Your minds work similarly. I've watched Pisceans work their way toward an idea, taking so many detours and side trips and tripping over so many non sequiturs that it's a wonder they get to where they're going at all (often, they don't). Total reorganization is too much to ask, regarding my closet or your head. But imposing some orderliness, on both, might be a good idea.

Aries (March 21–April 19)

I just described, above, the Piscean brain as a cluttered closet. Yours, on the other hand, is often like an indoor shooting range: a simple, spare space with a target straight ahead, and the means to reach it. Naturally, having that much focus is often extremely useful; occasionally, however, blinders that block out everything but your goal are actually the opposite of helpful because you miss out on extremely important and relevant information. That's what's happening this week. Although your objective is in plain sight, there are plenty of things that could potentially trip you up along the way, and will, unless you learn to see the (admittedly confusing) big picture.

Taurus (April 20–May 20)

If you see someone crying on the train, go ask them what's wrong. If a stranger smiles at you, don't be so suspicious as to not smile back. Treating people like friends—or at the very least, potential friends—is totally the way to go this week. That's right, it's time to exercise your trust, which, like a muscle, has been slowly atrophying. If you don't give it a workout now, soon you won't be able to use it at all. A trustless life is not a very satisfying one. Avoid that sorry fate by having trust in others before you know they deserve it, and giving total strangers a chance to trust in you.

Gemini (May 21–June 20)

Why is youthfulness inherently beautiful? Is it programmed into our genes? Why don't we, instead, revere and lust after the signs of a life well-lived? Shouldn't wrinkles and scars be sexy? I guess for many people they are, of course, but as a whole our culture is fairly youth-obsessed. You've done plenty of drooling over sexy bodies and pretty faces of late. This week, though, give face time to some of the people whose beauty is more internal than external. You'll get more out of it than the six-pack-abs crowd could ever give you.

Cancer (June 21–July 22)

When considering a mate, chemistry is far more important than looks, status, location, or timing—especially for you Cancers. You're wonderful, but let's face it—you're also occasionally a handful. You need someone who can not only handle that but actually enjoy or love it. Of course, no one out there wants to completely prop you up emotionally, so if you can't yet handle it all on your own, don't bother looking for someone to do so for you. But there are plenty of people who'd love to come along for the ride. Find one of them, instead of trying to convince whoever's nearby that they'd love it, too (because they probably won't).

Leo (July 23–Aug. 22)

I like that you think you deserve the best. You do. But so does everyone else, when it comes right down to it. Your confidence is powerful, but it shouldn't substitute for actual worth, especially when trying to capture someone's attention or affection. You do have a heck of a lot going for you, but because you're lazy, you depend a little too heavily on just your natural radiance and poise. This week, dust off some of your metaphorical trophies, and show whomever you're trying to impress that there's some substance behind all that shine.

Virgo (Aug. 23–Sept. 22)

I wish that we could mix and match our characteristics, or even share them with others, sort of like Mr. Potato Head. You, for instance, could unscrew your phenomenal work ethic and lend it to someone else for a while. A few of your friends could make good use of it. While they were transcending their laziness, you could borrow a willingness to luxuriate in pleasure and luxury, which is certainly something I wish you would try out a little more often. Most people who work as hard as you do also play hard, but you just forget that part of the equation most of the time. This week, won't you remember it and make good on it?