Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)Even if you find yourself in a position where you could plausibly blame someone else for your mistakes or poor choices, should you? You might even be able to convince yourself that it was their fault, if you try hard enough, but what, then, will keep you from repeating those mistakes? Owning your own faults and missteps is something you must learn to do to grow and evolve as a person. Don’t shove responsibility off on someone else just because you can. That’s a child’s ploy. Be an adult and do what you need to do to become a better, smarter, and stronger person: Own your screw-ups.Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)Closing the door on something bad is easy. Shutting out something that’s good in so many ways (but “wrong” in some fundamental way) is so much more difficult that you may find yourself trying to find reasons not to do it. But you know you’re at an impasse here, and prolonging this in any way will not only draw out the pain, but keep you from searching for (and hopefully finding) something that would be much more “right” for you, going forward. End this, now, firmly, so you can actually move on. Feel free to check behind this door in a year or three, to see if anything’s changed, but for right now, make sure it’s triple-locked and soundproofed. Aries (March 21-April 19)People can apply very real emotions to really silly things. Don’t let the ferocity of their passion or anger disguise the fact that what they’re attaching it to is petty, ridiculous, unrealistic, or all three. You’re naturally inclined to sympathy for those in the grip of powerful feelings, so resisting getting swept up in the tide of their emotions may prove difficult. Focusing on what they’re getting so worked up about will help. Cut through the flurry of emotion and get to the heart of the matter. An unclouded perspective may reveal that this is actually a relatively simple problem to solve. Will you provide that, please?

Taurus (April 20-May 20)Bigotry is never acceptable, even if it’s “funny.” Hatred can be wrapped up in very real, hard-to-resist humor—but it’s still a form of hatred. That doesn’t mean you need to become the PC police, but you can steer clear of that kind of thing without making a stink. Because your opinion matters, your lack of involvement will make a bigger, more effective statement than any kind of issue you might raise about it. This one’s easy: When someone says something offensive, do something about it if you feel called to; otherwise just walk away. Weaker minds might just laugh along—you shouldn’t. Gemini (May 21-June 20)Unrealistic expectations may be the name of the game right now. They’re all totally understandable, but that doesn’t make them any easier to live up to. This isn’t something that’s likely to be easily resolvable by just you, since at least some of those outlandish ideas are yours. When you’re in the thick of things, sometimes it’s hard to tell just what’s possible and what may simply be asking too much. Therefore it’s time to invite along a third party who can give everyone involved a realistic, grounded perspective, and allow the compromise that will ultimately save the day.Cancer (June 21-July 22)Laughing off a faux pas is generally the best way to move on from it. If someone’s had the good grace to address your gaffe with humor, blush and let it go, even though you’ll probably be sorely tempted to bring it up again (and possibly again and again) to reinforce just how sorry you are. Don’t do that. It’s over. Mentioning it again won’t accomplish anything except make it a bigger deal than it was, and make everyone (including you) more uncomfortable, not less. You might not be able to let it go in your head, and may keep kicking yourself for a long time to come—just, in the meantime, shut up about it. Leo (July 23-Aug. 22)Things change, and sometimes a new idea can capture your imagination and convince you to take a new path in life. Of course, those who might be affected (family, friends, lovers) might not quite be on board, or could be actively resistant. That doesn’t mean you should give up; persistence and patience are very useful here. However, pushing too hard too quickly will almost certainly get you the answer you least want. Be willing to take a more roundabout route to your destination, and longer to get there than you’d planned. If you insist on sticking with the exact agenda you have in mind, you’ll probably be making this trip solo.Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)Virgos are more prone to guilt than other signs, especially about stuff that you actually aren’t responsible for, or weren’t in a position to do much about. Consequently you end up doing self-enforced penance for shit that wasn’t really your responsibility. I wish I could tell you to just “quit doing that,” but I know it’s not that easy; this is often a lifelong habit. Hopefully I can at least convince you to go a little easier on yourself. Make your punishments less harsh and your responsibilities easier to bear. You deserve that. Ask anyone. Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)No matter how entertaining he or she might be, when someone talks at you instead of with you, it’s draining and not fun. Especially for you Libras, for whom balance is so important, an unbalanced conversation (especially one that’s habitually out of whack) will just leave a sour taste in your mouth. You’ve got some really cool shit to say, too. This particular monologist may not be willing or able to hear it, so if, after you’ve tried your best (and failed) to get a few words in edgewise, go find someone more willing to share the spotlight.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)The things that annoy you the most about someone at first can become the things you love the most later. People’s supposedly “negative” qualities can sometimes be more attractive (to the right people) than their positive ones. They’re more memorable and interesting because of them. Acquiring a taste for someone’s supposed flaws is a powerful thing. Once you’ve learned how to love an extreme flavor, it often becomes one of your favorite things to eat. Make sense? If so, don’t be afraid to show at least glimpses of some of your supposedly less-appealing quirks. They might be just the thing to whet someone’s appetite—for you. Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)Our animal natures incline us to violence when disagreements arise. Our conscious minds, however, recognize that there are usually better ways to resolve conflict. Sagittarians are unique in the power of your primal side and the razor-keen focus of your conscious mind. When these two aspects of yourself get into an epic clash, it can really mess you up, often leading to paralyzed inaction. Since such a battle may be looming, make up your mind now which one you’ll probably go with, in the event of a draw—so you don’t end up picking neither and doing nothing.Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)Telling a Capricorn not to plan ahead is like telling a Cancer not to worry. It’s a built-in quality that’s hard to unlearn—and because (unlike Cancerian worrying) there’s tremendous benefit to planning for your future (both near and distant), you probably have little incentive to do so. However, the problem with plans is they can completely eclipse what’s actually happening in the moment—which might be better than your established agenda. Here’s the trick: Go ahead and plan, since you can’t stop yourself anyway. Then let go of your attachment to said plan; be astute and flexible enough to recognize if something better’s happening (or could be), and go with that instead.sign.language.astrology@gmail.com