Pisces (Feb. 19–March 20)

Screw saving the best for last. Right now go for best first, then second or third best later, if you’re still hungry for more. Don’t get to the best course of the meal already too full to properly enjoy it. There are times for frugality, and certainly sometimes it’s important to make sure you have an appropriately tempting carrot dangling at the end of the stick to keep you motivated, but right now it’s about indulging yourself and making sure you don’t miss out on the best life has to offer. If that means you must forgo some of its lesser pleasures, so be it. Its chief delights are so good that you won’t really mind, I promise.

Aries (March 21–April 19)

Fill a need. If you want to make money or be needed, you must find a way to provide real value. There is no getting rich quick, not in this economy. But a truly good deal will still find buyers. You’re frequently likely to get distracted by the gaudy promises of something that’s too good to be true. None of that stuff is going to get you where you want to go—the only thing that will is hard work and persistence. It’s a much longer path than you’d prefer, but—unlike the rest of them—at least it’s pointed in the right direction.

Taurus (April 20–May 20)

Someone asked you for advice about something. You told them not to do it, but now they’re going ahead with it anyway. I know that bruises your ego somewhat, but don’t let that make you do something stupid, like subtly or secretly sabotaging their efforts, just so you can be right. You probably are right, but let that go. It’d be petty and childish to do otherwise. In fact, if you’re feeling kind, generous, or enlightened enough, you should consider actually helping them succeed. Your aid could make all the difference, and demonstrate that you’re not too stubborn to prove yourself wrong.

Gemini (May 21–June 20)

You want to pretend it’s not fear keeping you from fulfilling this particular aspect of your potential, that there are legitimate logistical barriers between you and it. There are, but they’re ridiculously surmountable; using them as excuses is almost embarrassing. I know you’re anxious, because this particular obstacle course lies almost entirely outside your comfort zone, and you’re so loath to fail that you’d almost rather not try than risk it. That’s all OK. Own your concerns, but don’t try to make it seem as if this is an impossible task just so you don’t have to try tackling it. It may be really difficult, but you can’t go wrong by giving it a go—certainly not as wrong as giving up before you’ve begun.

Cancer (June 21–July 22)

A lie of omission is still a lie. In fact, in some ways it’s more devious and insidious than a bald, ugly untruth, because it requires good people to ferret out the real story from the half-story you’re telling them. Just be real. Be honest. There’s no real reason not to be in this case, since the people you’re keeping things from would react maturely and compassionately to whatever you’re hiding. Quit the junior-high-worthy games. Operate under the assumption that people will figure things out regardless, and you’ll just come off shady if you don’t disclose and own them from the get-go.

Leo (July 23–Aug. 22)

Which do you like more: playing or winning? Your natural and understandable inclination is to play your best and hardest 100% of the time. Unfortunately in this particular scenario, that means you win every time—which is no fun for anyone else. People won’t stick around very long. It’s a drag to play and lose every time, even if the winner is sweet and magnanimous (which, admit it, you’re not always). I know you’re almost philosophically incapable of throwing even the occasional game, but you might want to consider it—since the alternative is not playing at all.

Virgo (Aug. 23–Sept. 22)

You’ve always fancied yourself the noble hero, a legend in your own time. So how is it that you’ve ended up cast in the role of the troll under the bridge? Could it be that every troll is someone just like you? Whether you get stuck here, forever demanding a troll-toll from hapless passersby, or this turns out to be only a temporary avocation, I hope you’ll consider the innocuous route that got you here, and consequently see the trolls you encounter in the future in an entirely different light. They may deserve more of the benefit of the doubt than you’ve generally given them.

Libra (Sept. 23–Oct. 22)

Living green (trying not to have a negative environmental impact) is an ideal most of us simply can’t meet. We have bad habits, and breaking them intelligently is difficult and expensive. However, I think it’s important to aim for lofty goals that we may or may not yet be able to realize fully. Just heading in that direction is a good idea—it’ll develop your willpower and resourcefulness, and perhaps even make your life richer and more satisfying, if you’re lucky. The wrong thing to do would be to say, “I’ll never get to the end of this particular road, so why bother walking it at all?” Your assessment may be right—you might never achieve this goal. But your conclusion is wrong. In the trying, you’ll become a better person.

Scorpio (Oct. 23–Nov. 21)

If you went away to college, you probably remember that heady feeling of nearly limitless potential. Since no one knew you, you were free to reinvent yourself from the ground up. No one had to know you were geeky and awkward or boring and popular in high school. You could be anyone you wanted to be, and try on new ways of interacting with people unburdened by your history. Rarely in life do we get that kind of luxury, but something like it (although probably to a lesser degree) is available to you now. Wouldn’t you like to take advantage of it?

Sagittarius (Nov. 22–Dec. 21)

This isn’t a fairy tale. Anyway, I’m guessing most princes(ses) would rather not marry the royal bores they’re betrothed to. Since you don’t have a king and queen arranging your marriage, I’d suggest you stop holding out for the imaginary prince(ss) you’ve been waiting for. S/he’s never coming. That doesn’t mean you have to settle for the next ogre you meet, but…maybe the one after that? At least be open to the possibility, and perceptive enough to see the real beauty (and long-term compatibility) that may not be apparent at first (or even second) glance.

Capricorn (Dec. 22–Jan. 19)

The first thing you do when someone is injured is basic emergency stuff: stop the bleeding, immobilize the injury, and so on. Later, though, you make sure it’s properly taken care of; you stitch up wounds and set limbs. It’d be unthinkable to neglect that stuff. Why then have you aborted this process concerning your emotions? You applied pressure and kept your broken heart from being life-threatening, but you didn’t do much of anything to really fix it up afterward. It’s basically being held together by a rubber band and a Band-Aid, and not fit for anything more challenging than a slow walk around the mall, certainly not the roller-coaster ride of a love affair. This week, take the first steps to really patch up that beat-up thing, so that maybe soon you’ll actually be able to use it for something truly challenging and fun.

Aquarius (Jan. 20–Feb. 18)

Sometimes there’s no real point in trying to postpone the inevitable. Might as well get it over with, right? In this case, however, you may have good reason to try some delaying tactics. Push this thing off long enough and you might discover it’s no longer as inevitable as you thought it was, or as awful. I don’t think it’s a good habit to get into, but in this particular case see what you can do to defer the natural consequences of recent events. Things change. If you’re lucky—and good enough at putting them off—you may never have to deal with them at all.