Cancer (June 21-July 22)
Forget about what’s “appropriate” for a minute. There are lines and then there are lines. In order to properly live, you’re inevitably going to cross some of them. (If you don’t, your life will be dull and pointless.) Your job is to figure out which are important for you to preserve, and which should simply be discarded, and to hell with anyone who gives a shit about it. That, my dear, is this week’s task, and it’s not even half as easy as it sounds. Some of those boundaries you want to cross are likely to be fiercely guarded—so be prepared to face some opposition. Stay strong, and don’t back down.
Leo (July 23-Aug. 22)
Your ego has gotten you into (perhaps embarrassing) trouble before, so when you take offense at something, there’s a part of you that gets a little worried, too. Is this just another case of overly prickly Leonine pride? Or do you have just cause to take affront? There’s no way to tell except by enlisting a reasonably impartial, preferably non-melodramatic third party to clue you in (someone who loves drama is going to want you to go there no matter what). Find someone levelheaded and logical if you can, and then, regardless of how you feel, do what they say—or you’ll regret it later.
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)
Improving your mate can be very hard to resist, but please try. You may have only the best intentions, but your reminders, advice, and counsel can all too easily cross over into nagging—and that’s no fun for anyone, including you. Of course, everyone has things they can and should work on—what you can improve upon is letting others have their faults and flaws and simply getting the hell over it. That’s not to mean you should let everything slide, of course—but until you can let most things slide, no one’s going to be that happy, especially not you.
Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)
Let’s just be real here: Your expectations are probably too high. You may think you could do or be more if you were wearing another’s shoes, but that’s probably not particularly realistic; when you’re disappointed, you’re best off keeping it to yourself. If someone’s behavior or performance is truly sub-par, rest assured they’ll hear about it from someone else. You get to be supportive, encouraging, and non-critical, which—let’s face it—is a whole lot more fun, anyway. Let your job be about being happy with what you’ve got this week, instead of wanting more. Know what the best part is? Try to be happy and content, and you will be.
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)
People live in denial and delusion all the time, and it’s not always your duty to wake them up or clue them in. When it becomes your job is when you’re the one enabling them to live in their persistent fantasy, and you just don’t want to anymore. Bursting bubbles is no fun, but sometimes it’s necessary. This week, you may have to have one of those awful sit-down chats where you slap someone awake to the reality of the situation, a reality they’ve tried very hard not to notice or acknowledge. However, if you don’t, you’ll be the one trying to escape your reality pretty soon.
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)
You already know that not every “problem” needs solving—particularly not the ones that are pretty much unsolvable. However, some people have yet to learn this valuable lesson, and feel compelled to go about on some mad crusade to right all the world’s wrongs and correct everyone’s shortcomings. Help these guys out—not by supporting their campaign, but by pointing out just how foolish and foolhardy it is. “Pick your battles” is a concept that has yet to dawn on these poor souls; perhaps this week you could gently, but firmly and persistently, introduce it to one or two of them?
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)
The question this week isn’t about whether someone deserves your help, or if you’re obligated to offer it, but is actually much simpler: Can you help? If you can, you should. Sometimes these things are much more complex, but right now forget all the ramifications and just focus on the matter at hand. Someone’s in need. If you can give them a hand in some way, please do. You may reconsider your decision or even withdraw your aid if you want, next week or next year, but right now, it’s a simple question with a yes-or-no answer.
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)
Imagine that while standing on a balcony, you saw someone walking below, not paying attention, and thus in danger of falling into an open manhole. Hopefully, you’d feel some obligation to call out to this total stranger to try to prevent this accident from happening. I bring up this implausible scenario because this week you may have the advantage of perspective in a certain situation, giving you more insight than someone else involved, someone who may be walking into similarly painful or disastrous circumstances unawares. You might not want to get involved, but how will you feel when they suffer because you were too chicken or apathetic to holler a simple warning?
Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)
Believe it or not, Pisces are generally luckier in love than most other signs. However, you do occasionally find yourself with an abundance of affection and no one to shower it upon. You could, of course, desperately get out there and try to find someone who’s receptive to all this adoration and attention you have to offer, but chances are that’s going to prove fruitless, annoying, or ultimately disappointing. Seek an alternative: Get a pet, or better yet, lavish all that love upon yourself. This is easier said than done—but it’s this week’s challenge.
