This Week's Horoscope

Leo (July 23–Aug. 22)

I've decided to be a Scorpio this year. The timing of my Leo birthday is just way too inconvenient. I can do that. So can you. We're Leos; we're entitled. No one will really be fooled by my astrological switcheroo, of course, but out of love people will probably humor me and play along, and show up to my party in November. They'll cut you some slack, too, regarding any similarly quirky and outlandish decisions you decide to make, so long as there's a strong element of fun involved. Indulge your imaginative whims. Remake reality to suit yourself. There are no rules, so long as no one gets hurt. Self-reinvention is one of your superpowers. You're not only allowed to do it, you're encouraged.

Virgo (Aug. 23–Sept. 22)

You think you know efficiency? You haven't even scratched the surface. You need to take your ideas to a whole new level and think of ways to conserve energy and time and have fun, too. Oh, it's possible. Imagine playground equipment that generates energy as kids play on it. Every pump of the swing or turn of the merry-go-round does us all good. You see where I'm going here? We need more of that kind of creative thinking in the world. Luckily, that's exactly the kind of thinking you're especially good at this week. Wow us.

Libra (Sept. 23–Oct. 22)

Your astrological symbol is the scale. You weigh things. The problem is that when they come out nearly even, you're virtually paralyzed by indecision. Ironically, that means that whichever path or option you choose is as likely to work out as the other. Let me kick you back into action by reminding you of this: There's a third option you've forgotten to consider—running out of time, and missing out on both of the paths you've got before you. That would be unquestionably worse than either, I think you'll agree. Choose, already. It'll be fine.

Scorpio (Oct. 23–Nov. 21)

Some miracles are more inane than inspiring. Sure, it's pretty fantastic when someone's terminal cancer goes away, whether the cause is divine intervention or chemotherapy, but who cares if the Virgin Mary appears on a piece of toast? Lately you've let yourself drift so far into the world of the mundane that you're wowed by the truly mediocre. A cinnamon bun that looked like Mother Teresa (don't they all, though?) would floor you, and that's not good. It's time to reset your perspective. Simple "miracles" like nun-shaped pastries are all well and good; just don't forget to look for truly transcendent ones, too.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22–Dec. 21)

As individuals, we're each becoming more and more powerful, with greater access to information, communication, and resources than most humans have had in the past. With greater power, however, comes greater capacity for harm (or help). Unfortunately, I think most people have a negative impact on the world at large; no one is pure evil, of course, but many people's actions are generally making the world a worse and worse place to live. I believe we also have the power to reverse that trend, but it won't be easy. For everyone who chooses to improve the world, there are 10 who don't bother. It will take every ounce of our conscious choice and commitment to counter that. Are you ready to give that little bit more, to pick up the slack for those who can't be bothered? I hope so. If not you, then who?

Capricorn (Dec. 22–Jan. 19)

Some things you just can't rush, even inside your own head. Even when you know exactly where you'd like to end up, it's hard to just leap to that place. You've got to hit all the milestones along the way, whether your journey is mental, spiritual, or physical. It's good to be ambitious, and to push yourself. But be kind and patient to yourself, too, please. Don't let your keen drive to succeed steer you into a wall. This trip will take some time to complete, especially since there are whole sections of tortuous mountain roads entirely shrouded in fog. Give yourself that time, so that you can arrive, and in one piece.

Aquarius (Jan. 20–Feb. 18)

Some birds have no sense of smell. Even if they had bigger brains, it would still be very hard for them to even conceive of an odor. Similarly, you may be thinking that what you see is what you get, when in reality there are many things going on beneath the surface of what's available to your senses. Luckily, you're a lot smarter than a bird, and you have an imagination that can stretch infinitely far—if you exercise it enough. Since succeeding in the situation before you will mean becoming aware of more than what's immediately apparent, I hope you can be flexible enough to do so.

Pisces (Feb. 19–March 20)

I'm glad that you're done letting people push you around. However, I hope you have enough awareness to be conscious of why they might try. They can't know better than you do about what would make you happy, but that doesn't mean they're entirely clueless, either. Consider what they have to say. Factor it in. Most likely, the best solutions for you are ones that are complicated and allow for the most possibilities, despite your general indecisiveness. Forging a complex reality in which many, many paths are open to you is of course more difficult than just settling for what's right in front of you. Nevertheless, I think you're capable of it, and ought to try.