Perhaps St. Patrick’s Day was intended to be a way of salvaging the horrible reputation of the Ides of March, considering that’s when treachery put an end to Caesar. Maybe everything does get easier with green beer and a lucky shamrock. But it’s better to recognize that we create our own luck, and then celebrate it with pub crawls and whatnot.
The square off between smart Mercury and wise Saturn on Monday can help with that. It’s a good planetary lineup for detail-oriented tasks like seeking new opportunities, scheduling important meetings, and writing killer résumés and cover letters. It’s also a good time for clarifying muddled issues of the heart. If your desires with a significant other have not been clear, then the top of the week is the time to be as sharp as you can be, by setting boundaries and negotiating what you both want.
As if to balance out the tight tiff with Saturn, Mercury then confronts generous Jupiter on Tuesday. He makes the case for why we all should have more in life. Don’t lose the clarity gained from Saturn — or the brevity for that matter. You could end up overstating or exaggerating what you want and what’s going on, losing instead of lucking out.
Once the triumphant sun ventures into Aries and spring begins on Saturday, we’re also bound to feel like we can go beyond the darkness of winter (and the Ides of March) toward better times and climes.
The planetary weather report: Use these guidelines to unlock the stars, not to be locked down by them.
The half-moon rising on Tuesday night is a clear signal that the intentions and initiatives you hatched last week need to see more air and light. Get out of your head and trust that the cosmos can meet you more than halfway.
Read on for your sign’s Sky Code.
Pisces (February 19 to March 20)
You might oscillate between feeling super-sharp about details and overwhelmed by not knowing where to focus. The one thing that you can’t afford to become is anxious and defensive about that, though. You might sound like a drunken person who insists they’re still sober six drinks deep. Harness the ebb and flow between these extremes, like we normally shift our eyesight. When you lose track of something, own it and move on. When you nail something, step back and turn toward your bigger goal.
Aries (March 21 to April 19)
You’re not usually in the habit of explaining yourself, and that might be a good quality to keep now, even if you’re squarely in the wrong. That doesn’t mean you can’t or shouldn’t apologize. Just keep your confessions direct. Too many words can get in the way when time might repair feelings better and faster. This goes for instructions and pieces of advice you give to others, too. Keeping it simple will help to curb stupid mistakes, wounded egos, and confusion.
Taurus (April 20 to May 20)
Stress at work might have you on your last good nerve. At the top of the week, you have to be careful not to take it out on colleagues or clients. What could help to reduce the pressure is reordering your to-do list. You likely can consolidate duties or push some deadlines. Fight the feeling of having to do it all, because now isn’t the time. Leave the weekend mostly unscheduled, if possible, to curl up with your significant other or throw back some brews with your buds.
Gemini (May 21 to June 20)
You can give more shape to work ideas that you floated around last week. Be gentle and cautious, because they’re still likely in their formative stages. If you share them with folks you don’t trust completely, then you could receive negative feedback that might leave you more discouraged than energized. Some dreams have to simmer like a good stew to find their kick. Keep your own counsel, if you can, and nurture your inspiration by taking in something creative, like an art show, play, or juicy novel.
Cancer (June 21 to July 21)
Don’t let changes to your routines throw you off your A-game. Practice and training make perfect because knowing something well enough to do it in your sleep frees up your mind to improvise and stay flexible. Trust your gut and body. If you sense that things could go awry with your workflow, don’t just hope for the best. Stay calm, take precautions, and then tackle each issue individually without thinking that you can take on every worst-case scenario at once. You know best what you can or can’t handle on the fly.
Leo (July 22 to August 21)
Harnessing your creativity can lead to your own pot of gold. It might require picking up new skills and shelling out more money to make it happen. However, if that’s what you have to do to get or stay on top, then do it — temporary discomfort and ego crashes be damned! If you have trouble figuring out how you’d like to take your talents to the next level, talk it out with a mentor or friend. You don’t have to sort it all out alone.
Virgo (August 22 to September 21)
It takes more than just strength and compassion to “be there” for people. It requires wisdom and that means being selective. If you find you’re dropping more balls at work or home this week than a middle-school basketball game, then that’s a clear sign that you’ve not been picky enough — with your priorities, time, or people. It’s not too late to set things right. It might be painful at first, though. Once everything’s back in check, you’ll find more joy and energy to support those who need and deserve it.
Libra (September 22 to October 21)
Any mechanic’s job is made easier by using the right wrench for the task at hand. You’ll have to discover a similar thing with life, though you’re inclined to think that you need more options than you actually do. Most likely, the solution for your problem will be counterintuitive and that’s exactly why you might initially misjudge or overthink it. If you stay calm and keep your plan simple, you’ll work out an issue that’s been a thorn in your side for a while.
Scorpio (October 22 to November 21)
Analyzing your dissatisfactions — with finances, friends, or lovers — is perhaps good for assessing your current life situation. However, doing that is a poor motivator for changing your life. The best place to start is with your own relationship to pleasure. As Madonna once said, “Poor is the man [sic] whose pleasure depends on the permission of another.” Whose permission have you been waiting for and not gotten? Perhaps you’ve distanced yourself too far from what pleases you and there’s no one to blame for that except yourself.
Sagittarius (November 22 to December 21)
You might push back against someone’s criticism of you or your work with atypical braggadocio. You certainly will fail at changing minds, but you also might be ignoring a truth embedded in the critique. At first, you might have trouble sussing out fact from fiction. However, it’s likely that you’ve skipped something basic to focus on a lofty idea or feedback that strokes your ego. If you’re willing to return to the drawing board, you’ll probably find where you veered off track easily.
Capricorn (December 22 to January 20)
Don’t be sour if things you’ve shared from the heart recently haven’t been rightly appreciated. It’s more on them than you if someone can’t take your overtures of openness seriously. Real intimacy takes two, and you’ve likely done all you can do. The other benefit of this vulnerability is that you improve your communication skills, in general, and especially with those that you’re tied to emotionally. If you get better with sailing through rough patches with those closest to you, you’ll certainly be more adroit at handling clients, customers, and colleagues with lower emotional stakes.
Aquarius (January 21 to February 18)
You’re often there for others in need, but you might have to closely evaluate that this week. A friend might be truly stuck in a bad habit, rather than in as much need as she says. You can only be so supportive before you’re an enabler. It’s also possible that this person isn’t much of a friend anyway. Perhaps you’ve confused the routine of shallow familiarity with the practice of give-and-take in a genuine friendship.
