Horoscope

As Venus and Neptune dominate the celestial sphere, the world seems full of high-minded do-gooders and the impatient ram is likely to feel their holier-than-thou attitude a bit of a pain. Actions speak louder than words however, so don’t let negative criticism stop you entirely. There are different ways of getting things done, but there is nothing really wrong with your approach. Show a willingness to make a few concessions and you can afford to ignore those who accuse you of lacking a conscience. Make sure your tendency to form instant likes and dislikes doesn’t blind you.

Don’t lose heart and settle for second best even if the perfect result seems extra elusive and totally out of reach. The interaction between seductive Venus and dreamy Neptune this week is distorting your perceptions. Scrupulously honest, you tend to be far too trusting and can sometimes be fooled by appearances. Shady customers could deceive and seem to meet your expectations by camouflaging their efforts with superficial gloss and glitter. Look beyond the verbal and visual appeal and you’ll see it’s all puff and no substance — designed to delight by clever advertising and PR.

With your ruler, Mercury, at the highest point in your chart this week, you’re likely to be full of yourself. Although the gods favour the salesman, the quick sale and instant profit this week, you might queer your pitch by aggressive selling techniques. It would be more worthwhile to concentrate on inspiring long-term trust and establish solid bases that promise steady returns. Try not to let a ‘flash in the pan’ type success persuade you otherwise. It is good to see you in such a go-getting mode, but just because you believe in something you don’t have the right to force it down other peoples’ throats.

Serious Lunar confrontations with the idealistic planets Uranus and Neptune should remind you to look beyond the narrow world of the self to the wider circle. While you may prefer to do your own thing in your own time, you will find you cannot ignore the larger issues. Although the expectations of others might seem hopelessly out-of-touch and unrealistic, it would be in your own best interests to work with others this week. Grabbing chances while backs are turned will only be seen as self-serving opportunism. People soon tire of a one-man show with a single routine.

A lion’s place is at the head of its pride and it is his job to resist territorial invasions by other predators. Sometimes, this involves a fight. It is far nobler, however, to give way to those whose prowess show promise and potential. While you should give the deserving every chance to climb the ladder, you need to be wary of the upstart pretender to your position. There will be several wolves in sheep’s clothing about this week — unscrupulous usurpers with only profit and self-interest on their minds. Don’t be deceived or allow flattery and financial inducements to persuade you to open the door to intruders.

Mercury’s alliance with Saturn this week emphasises the need for a cool approach in order to combat the pervasive influence of Neptune. Like others you may be persuaded to see only a promising opportunity and remain blind to unpleasant realities. Imagination is a wonderful servant, but a bad master — so don’t let yours run away with itself. You are vulnerable to stronger arguments, even intimidation, because you are too anxious to believe in the good of your current enterprise. You may even allow the ends to justify the means. This is fine as long as ethical considerations underlie your methods.

On balance this week should be an exciting one for the Libran. All sorts of wonderful distractions loom on the cosmic horizon. Mischievous Neptune will attempt to seduce your ruler, Venus, and you may be likewise tempted to stray from tried and trusted methods. As long as you do your own thing and avoid becoming a foolish follower of fashion, you’ll stay on target. You can look, but don’t be led up the garden path no matter how unusual the view. Current crazes, fancy gadgets and gizmos may be all the rage, but there is no point in trying to keep up with the Joneses.

Your ruler, Mars, is about to leave Capricorn, constellation of common sense, to enter the mysterious province of the idealistic Uranus. This is the reason why you feel unsettled and your world seems unusually cluttered with dream merchants making wild promises. Some ideas are worth considering, but others are downright impractical. How do you respond to criticism that you are being too old-fashioned? For the sake of your image in relationships, it really doesn’t pay to be a no-fun, stick-in-the-mud. Since your position is comfortable, you can afford to indulge those who are guided more by hope than logic.

With Mercury at odds with Jupiter this week, there is much scope for careless judgement. This doesn’t mean that imaginative enterprises can’t take off and have to be put on hold. Adventurers and would-be high fliers need to look before they leap and note the height of the fences and hurdles carefully. The going is reported to be heavy and the competition stiff, but don’t let that put you off. You should become even more determined to prove yourself in a really tough field. And you will. You need to ignore those who exaggerate the dangers and pitfalls in trying to run against the best.

A Mercury-Saturn alignment occurs twice this week to doubly stress the importance of keeping yourself detached and non-committed. However irritated you may feel by current treatment on the personal front, don’t let it show. You may face prejudice and discrimination, but you can and will learn to deal with those who regard you as an outsider. There is no point in wearing a chip on your shoulder because there are small-minded folk in your world. Nor do you have to work yourself into the ground to prove yourself their equal. You’re not — you’re so much more!

A forceful conjunction between the Moon and your ruler, Uranus, is a significant portent. It enhances an unusual preoccupation to dream the impossible — namely the question of your liberty. Always in tune with the universe, the Aquarian is touched by the cosmic vibrations that bring people together and bless alliances. Although you can be reliably unconventional at times, you perform best as part of a unit, rather than on your own. You can blame your weird nesting instincts on the stars and ignore them, but you must admit that it’s time you thought about putting down roots and tying knots.

Neptune’s flirtation with Venus this week has a ripple effect and the fish will find itself in demand socially. Your quota of poise and charisma is brimming and you will attract all sorts, some nicer than others. Don’t overdo the charm offensive or you might come across as an oily, slippery customer. Make sure that the image you project isn’t all surface dressing and that your plans and ideas can stand close inspection. While self-belief is important, you must not let the celestial influences beguile you into seeing hopeful situations in unrealistic or wildly over-optimistic terms.