Weekly Astroguide

There's no point in locking the stable door once the horse has bolted.' This phrase is used to describe the actions of people who try to protect themselves from threats that have already passed. But if the horse is still there, if the door has been left unbolted yet no loss has been experienced, it makes sense to implement some defensive measures. You can't just say, Well, we were lucky last time, so perhaps next time we'll be lucky too.' As your ruler repeats its link with Uranus, be careful now, but don't worry too much. In your love life: Sometimes you just have to let go. But you want to stay in control. Why? Relax. You won't fall; you'll fly.

This week, your sign's rulers make a supportive link to each other. It's the penultimate time this angle occurs before vanishing for 30 years. It affects the zodiac, but you especially. You've made a deliberate effort to change something for the better this year. But you're coming to a point where your resolve will be tested. This is a time for standing firm and remaining positive. You can't return to a slumber from which you've awakened. So don't let this fool you into believing that your dreams are out of reach. In your love life: The road is bumpy, but you are learning things of value and you will be able to profit from these discoveries.

Jupiter and Neptune form a rare angle this week. We associate both these celestial bodies with Pisces. Jupiter has been your ruler' for thousands of years. Neptune is a more recent discovery. But then, there are contradictory aspects to your character, too! Right now, the two form a spike in the sky. The symbolism is clear. You can use this energy to break through a barrier. Your heart and mind may not be in complete agreement, but any friction this creates can be a catalyst for a historic success. In your love life: You are questioning some recent choices. That's not a sign that you are losing your grip, it is proof that you are regaining it!

In copyright law, it's understood that an idea can't be copyrighted. Something needs to exist physically before anyone can lay a claim on it. This week brings you the chance to turn plans and blueprints into material gains. Suggestions and introductions can be transformed into deals and guarantees. But, while it's a good time to initiate moves, it will take firm commitment to make these changes permanent. If you just put your heart and soul into it, you won't be short of opportunities to do just that. In your love life: You think you must accept a solution that upsets you. Your appraisal of the problem is bleaker than it needs to be.

Two plus two equals thirty-three point five. Why? Oh, no reason. I just thought I'd say that. From now on that's the rule. Take it or leave it. You can't have an explanation. Now, how do you feel? And, where else are wildly illogical statements being delivered in an apparently incontrovertible tone? Don't let these demoralise you. The obstructions you face may seem insurmountable, and the arguments you're caught up in may seem to be going nowhere but, as Mercury returns to your sign, you'll soon restore a sense of reason. In your love life: Seeds take time to grow. A positive process is in motion. The speed of change will increase soon. Have patience!

Many years ago, on a family holiday, I rode a Jet-Ski. It was tremendous fun, but that's partly because every time I fell off, the magnetic key that kept the engine running would disengage from the motor, thanks to a cord that attached it to my body. There's a chance that your life has lately resembled being dragged along behind waves at breakneck speed. It's not always tremendous fun. But the universe is providing handlebars. You'll soon feel more confident and able to face your challenges. And you have power at your disposal. In your love life: Enough of stress already! Recovery time is needed, and the cosmos will provide it. It's a time to stride happily forward.

Where's your magic wand? Where's your dusty old spell-book, your broomstick, your cat? Your powers are a little more real and down to earth. You're the kind of miracle worker who requires no ritual or rigmarole, Your power comes from somewhere else. It will not always manifest to order. Sometimes, it resolutely refuses to surface. But when you really need it, it's there for you. As Mercury changes signs, you have the ability to think differently about a cause that's dear to your heart. Don't underestimate your powers. In your love life: Are you now accepting a situation that really, you ought to reject? It is time to give this fresh thought.

Recently, I read an article that seemed to suggest that a Dutch scientist has found a way to reverse ageing in mice. Now, unless you have sprouted whiskers and a tail, this may not be of any consequence. But could this be the first step towards halting the ageing process? Whether it works or not, it will never be the first step, because that belongs to a more psychological process. This week, think about how you can balance your maturity with child-like enthusiasm. The more open your philosophy, the more engaging life will be. In your love life: No rainbows without rain first. It has been raining for a while. But now look at what's lighting up your world.

When the ruler of your sign moves into a new part of the zodiac, you may find it hard to relax. There's something about the cosmic climate that causes us to find more faults, feel more impassioned and to question what we've been told. Yet it's at such times that we become more able to see solutions to problems that we have been wrestling with for ages, yet have been frequently thwarted and frustrated by. Put your own sense of restlessness to good use this week. No matter how annoying a situation may be, it must be worth another try! In your love life: You can't buy what you need: wisdom. When you find it within yourself, as you will discover today, it is priceless.

If there's a piano in your vicinity perhaps you should finger the keys. Start at C (the one just to the left of the two black notes), and play the next-but-one white note (E), as well as the fifth note along (G) all at the same time. The sound symbolises the theme for your week: harmony. There's potential to strike a balance between your roots and grow closer with someone. That doesn't necessarily mean giving way. But making a subtle change in balance will make it easier for people to sing from your song-sheet. In your love life: Stuck? What's required is determination, faith, and short-term self-sacrifice. That sense of angst will subside.

Beware of unwanted visitors this week. And by this, I don't mean friends and family members looking for a space on your couch! I mean the kind of moods and attitudes that sometimes we allow into our lives by mistake. We think they're only passing through, next thing we know they've taken over. We keep tripping over their stuff, they even invite their own friends round to see them at your place! As your two rulers make a sharp angle, if pessimism or doubt come calling, tell them you're sorry, but you've got no room for them! In your love life: Yesterday's drama is tainting your views. I know what I can see and it's good. Take another look, and learn from it.

We all experience feelings of buyer's remorse'; that instant regret that arrives when we commit to a purchase. It doesn't just appear in financial matters. We're capable of wobbling in any walk of life once we realise that we're closing the door on the way we've come. Lately, you've been making some important changes. Now, it's important that you don't rummage for the psychological receipt the moment you feel a twinge of doubt. Trust that you're on the right path. And that you won't just adapt to, but thrive in your new environment. In your love life: Normally, you hate inactivity. But now it's time to step back a bit and allow a chain of events to run their course.

They say that a fool and his money are easily parted. But you're no fool. So why does it sometimes feel that you have to be more generous than others? Perhaps it's because, with generosity, often comes respect. When we offer help with no strings attached, the very act of intervention has a positive effect in ways that are not always obvious. And be it money, time, effort or wisdom, what you have to offer represents a port in someone's storm. Be the bigger person this week. Your actions will be appreciated. In your love life: Those clouds are just dust settling. Confusion in your life is not the problem you imagine it to be. Clarity is coming.

Even people who thrive under pressure enjoy the challenge only when they feel confident they know what they're doing. When we're wrestling with a delicate situation, we need calm in order to concentrate. Your priority is to create such an atmosphere, or to retreat to a place where it can be found. With newly direct Mercury's links to your rulers, it's your chance to be truly productive. That's why you can't afford to hurry so much that you miss a crucial point. Take your time; get it right this week. In your love life: Finding life awkward? Carrying too much weight? There are some tasks you can pass on. Delegate. Offload a little.

Mars, the planet of energy and passion, is the astrological focus for your week. As it links to your ruler, Neptune, don't be put off by what first looks difficult. Appearances can, of course, be deceiving. And none more so than when we undertake an action that challenges the foundations upon which our life has been built. You're being blessed with the courage to continue with a brave and bold plan. Anything that appears remotely scary can be easily scared away. The way ahead is nowhere near as hard as you fear. In your love life: Your fantasies are becoming real. You fear it could all go horribly adrift at any moment. But that is not going to happen.

What would the world be like if clothes didn't exist? If we all wandered around naked, would we be obliged to be a little more honest with one another? Might it be harder to hide our hidden agendas and our pockets of emotional vulnerability? Actually, it probably wouldn't make much of a difference. These things don't become any more obvious, regardless of what we wear. But as your ruler links to Neptune this week, a mask is being worn and you need to see past it. Don't worry, though, you might like what you see. In your love life: Don't think that you are making a mistake. You are doing no such thing. Keep the upside in mind at all times.

Is there a belief holding you back? If you could just set it aside, would the world be your oyster? What a curious phrase. Originally Shakespearean, the character, Pistol, bragged that he could enjoy anything he liked, as long as he could use the tip of his sword to prise open its resistance. This is appropriate for you this week. There may be a moment of realisation that will make a difference. But it won't come out of its shell voluntarily. You'll need to do a little more digging. Persevere. It'll be worth it. In your love life: You need to get a move on. Don't panic, but do keep plugging away at that most important objective.

Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream. Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a dream'. Is the old song true? How can we tell? Until the moment we wake up and find ourselves on a rowing boat somewhere, we have to assume that most of our experience, is real. But just as it's possible, through a process of lucid dreaming' to alter the outcome of a story that we experience in our sleep, it's possible too to alter the outcome of many a mundane process. You can dream up a better vision this week. In your love life: It is time to stop being afraid. Refuse to be intimidated. Stand your ground and you will be able to enjoy shining success.

In the shady world of political manoeuvring, people sometimes donate' to a campaign. Their gifts are often tactical investments designed to bear fruit in times to come. You've been conscientiously working towards a goal for some time. This week, the planets suggest that your hard work is about to pay off. You haven't done this alone, though. But, just because someone has helped doesn't entitle them to dictate the terms now. Show generosity and appreciation by all means. But remember that you're in control. In your love life: New facts oblige you to rethink, making for apparent inconsistencies. But you're right to react in this way.

Are you superhuman? Were you born with amazing powers? How do you know the answer is no'? Have you ever really put yourself to the test? I know that this is an extreme example but then, how often do you use extreme examples to limit yourself? You look at what's absolutely unattainable, feel pessimistic about it, and then go on to assume that a bunch of more reasonable objectives must be equally beyond reach. With the Full Moon this week, if you trust yourself, you will be amazed by what can be achieved. In your love life: As you reorganise emotionally, you can sort out a jumble. A little irritation may remain. Be glad it's not a big one!

It's all coming out into the open. Misunderstandings and deliberate obfuscation, which have been hiding the real picture, are about to clear up. And with this clarity comes a way to do things differently. No more try it and see what happens'. The insight you need, in order to make a tactical decision, is on its way. You just need to have confidence in your ability to get the job done. Rather than being distracted or confused by alternative suggestions, it's time to take positive and direct action. The path ahead is clear. In your love life: You yearn to take an important course of action. Don't bother thinking too long and hard. Just trust that instinct.

Children want things to be fair. If little Sam has had more turns on the swing, there'll be a complaint. As we grow older, we become aware that justice isn't always so easy to apply. Clever people know how to make things look fair, even when they aren't. Suspicious people are quick to call things unfair, even when arrangements are perfectly reasonable. Now that Mercury is direct, before something can be properly made okay this week, you need to establish whether there is actually anything wrong. In your love life: Sometimes you wonder what we are here for. The answer is: to experience happiness. A real taste of that is coming.

The Full Moon in your sign links harmoniously to your ruler, Pluto, and then to the planet of luck, Jupiter. In life's game of snakes and ladders, this represents a roll of the dice that lands you on a path upwards. Yet it's not just luck that has brought you to this square of the board. Your ability to sense pitfalls and avoid risks has played a large part in your advancement. As life offers you a ladder, this is not the time to worry about snakes. Your foundations have been well built. You have the ability to reach great heights. In your love life: Actions sometimes backfire. There's a lot of stress. Just when you think that all is hopeless, something will come along.

If you don't take a risk, how can you reap a reward? But if you push your luck, there's always a chance that you might push it too far. The real question to ask, when deciding where to draw a line, is whether or not your luck seems to be pushing you. As Mars links to Neptune, is something moving this week because you're trying to make it move? Or is it moving because it's the right time? What will happen if you go along with an impulse? Most likely, you'll simply roll with it. And, you might like where it takes you. In your love life: After excitement comes calm. After every calm comes more excitement. Your challenge is to learn to enjoy both.

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. And if you still don't get anywhere, try something different. That's not copping out, or giving up, or letting anyone down; that's just being intelligent. Once you have an idea you're reluctant to drop it. Every so often, though, your determination becomes your problem. Your ruler makes a supportive angle with Uranus this month. Yet Mars is also opposing Saturn. Stick with what you've started, but don't let yesterday's big idea become the ball and chain that stops you from reaching a brighter tomorrow. In your love life: You want to ask a question. But you hardly dare. It might be rude or inappropriate. Never mind. Ask anyway.

You're renowned for your creative insight and ability to find efficient and dynamic solutions when most people find problems. So when the stars align, as they do now, to give your creativity a shot in the arm, that's the kind of performance enhancement that anti-doping officials get worried about! So it's lucky for the rest of us that the greatest benefits you'll feel will come when working for the greater good. This month, convince your peers to support your breakthroughs, and the benefits will be far-reaching and long-lasting. In your love life: Tense? Restless? Agitated? It's normal; proof that you are truly human. Handle it. Good things will come.

I always prefer to believe the best of everybody. It saves so much trouble,' said Rudyard Kipling. Possibly his most famous line, though, is about, keeping your head when all around are losing theirs.' And, the words that begin this forecast tell us how to achieve this. With Venus opposing your traditional ruler this month, you really won't go wrong if you treat other people as if you expect their hearts to be kind and their ideas wise. With Mars's link to Neptune, be a little cautious, just in case they aren't. But not too careful because they probably are! In your love life: You have been wondering why everything is so difficult. Soon, you will attain some inspiring answers.

Remember the childhood game of Telephone? Children sat in a circle, and whispered a phrase to the person next to them the process was repeated until the last kid spoke the words aloud. Invariably their phrase was hilariously different to the initial message. You may have been feeling as if life is one big game of Telephone but with less amusing consequences! Yet, the experience has had its value. Use what you've learned wisely, and this month, you can make the changes required to reorganise and re-energise. In your love life: Sooner than you think, your troubles will just be memories. If you are able to recognise this; it will help bring forward that day.

Sometimes, a situation may seem safe, welcoming and inviting, yet you can see only an unsatisfactory aspect of the arrangement. Then you have to ask yourself, Is this just me? Am I finding fault unnecessarily? What if this is my intuition, telling me to look more carefully at what's going on?' As Saturn trines Uranus and your ruler opposes Jupiter this month, you may have that feeling. But Mercury, turning direct and moving back into your sign, will help bring clarity. Soon, you'll see what's really wrong, and then everything will get better. In your love life: There's something you are trying to resist. But it might actually suit you to accept a lot of what's now unfolding.

Rowing boats are curious things. To paddle as efficiently as possible, you're obliged to have a restricted view of what lies ahead. Stroke consistency must invariably be sacrificed as we turn to look at the approaching twists and turns. This is, of course, why rowing is best enjoyed as part of a team. And this month, your ability as the coxswain of your craft will prove invaluable. Look for the adjustments you need to make to navigate your own stretch of water. It's time to take control and help everyone to pull in the right direction. In your love life: An obligation is calling you. Is it imagined or real? If it's artificial, why do you let it dominate your thoughts?

You're more popular than you think. Whilst you may not be universally appreciated, some people admire you so much that they're prepared to go out of their way to help you. In May, as the Moon turns Full whilst making a supportive link with Pluto, this isn't entirely selfless. They recognise your talent. They figure that by assisting you in reaching a better position, everyone will benefit. They're right to think that! And you're right to think that it's not just the planets that are cheering you on. Some earthly angels are on your side too. In your love life: Don't attempt to fix just what seems to be wrong on the surface. You need to get closer to the root of a problem.

Where has confusion reigned and indecision become commonplace? Are you forever obliged to return to the same issues with the same methods? No! Life now brings you the opportunity to adjust your course, break away from tired ways of thinking and find the clarity you need. This month you can rely on your natural creativity. If you let your talents shine through, you'll find yourself creating key alliances and solving conundrums. This rejuvenated version of you is not difficult to embody, and every bit as wonderful as you could hope for. In your love life: An old problem is stirring. The crunch may be weeks away, but acting now will help you avert a crisis.

Sometimes, instead of working studiously through a To-Do' list, we end up paralysed by what we shouldn't be doing. And with your ruler having been retrograde for much of the last month, you could now have a long and well thought-through To-Don't' list! Yet some of the items on this are preventing you from formulating a suitably effective To-Do' list. As Mercury turns direct again in May, and conjuncts Uranus at the Full Moon, look again at what you're currently inclined to rule out. It's time for you to rule just a little bit of it back in. In your love life: Recent changes have unnerved you. Changes worry you. But this is the right kind of change. Embrace it.

When I was a kid, we played a game with tin cans and string. The string was attached to each can's base and, as long as it was pulled taut, you could speak into one end and be heard at the other. Well, in May, life pulls your can-strings tight allowing you to communicate to someone you value, with the clarity you've been hoping for. So once you've sorted the equipment, don't forget to concentrate on the message. Speak from your heart and the changes required for positive, emotional growth won't just be possible they'll be inevitable. In your love life: Some people can be wonderful, kind, giving and loving. You are about to encounter this aspect of human nature.

As Mercury turns direct and prepares to move through your opposite sign again, look at what you think you've already seen. There's more to a situation, more to another person, even more to yourself than you've yet fully understood. Somehow, you've allowed yourself to accept a conventional, limited view of a matter that really has far greater levels of depth and possibility. Though others might not be able to recognise the potential you identify, with a Full Moon in your sign, you can trust that this isn't just your imagination. It's your intuition. In your love life: You need to move on, but you fear missing what you leave behind. Fear not; this change leads to a vast improvement.

Few are as free-spirited as you. The path you dare to tread is not for the faint-hearted. So when you find someone as daring and exciting as you are, it's worth taking notice! The planets suggest you can make a connection that ticks some fabulous boxes: Passionate? Check. Courageous? You betcha. Empathetic? Erm there's the rub. Sometimes, we forget that encouragement can be more effective than competition. This month, be as generous as you are enthusiastic, and the bonds you forge will outdo your expectations. In your love life: Don't put off change. The rewards for making courageous, decisive decisions will be exceedingly generous.

Fantastic Mr Fox. King Odysseus of Ithaca. Kevin in Home Alone. All are classic (ish) examples of how cunning is required to seal great victories. And this week, you're being encouraged to take a fresh, creative approach to an issue that is refusing to go away. There's no point lamenting your inability to stop this situation from recurring. There are some things that are beyond your control. Instead, you can celebrate a newly rejuvenated talent for improvisation. Adapt to this challenge, and you may even begin to relish it! In your love life: Fight or flight? No room for compromise? Pick one of your options. If it feels right, think no further. If not, think again.

How do model-makers get ships inside bottles? How do magicians seemingly saw people in half? These feats appear impossible until the trick is revealed. Agatha Christie used a similar technique in her murder mystery novels. She finished her victim off early, then bemused her readers with chapters full of diversions and irrelevant clues'. This week, if you carefully revisit the evidence, you'll begin to understand a matter that's been baffling you. Mercury's links, with both your rulers, help you see the secret. Everything will become obvious. In your love life: Your big issue is not about success or failure but about finding wisdom. You're about to start doing brilliantly.

Has the cat got your tongue?'. What a curious expression. There are far more likely scenarios that make it hard to communicate. Laryngitis for one. Or simple shyness. And if anyone did run away with your tongue, I'm not sure why it would end up with a cat. This week, if you're hunting for the speech-thief, it could be retrograde Mercury that is your would-be cat-burglar. But even if your wires are crossing, you can find a new way to communicate an important message. Just let your heart, and not your head, do the talking. In your love life: Is there a persistent effort to get you to reconsider something? Give this enough respect to at least consider the offer.

The history of science is filled with tales of code-breakers who could detect hidden messages by studying complex patterns. There are secrets waiting to be revealed in your world too. With Mercury retrograde in your sign, someone is saying one thing but doing another. Your mission is to find a way to accurately read and understand the information you're receiving. But, you can't just be logical. There are emotional issues involved. The return of Venus to your sector of the zodiac will empower your instincts. Trust them! In your love life: Why do some people feel they must control you. Once you know what's really wrong you can start making it right.

My three-year-old has recently discovered cookies. Each day, after nursery, he excitedly asks if we can pop into the shop to buy some biscuits. For someone who's only just discovering the delights of confectionery, there are so many things to try. From the humble hobnob to the jammiest of dodgers, each represents a foray into a delicious new world. No matter what's been spoiling your appetite lately, this week, life begins to taste sweet. And, if you're willing to try a new sensation, things really can turn out to be sensational! In your love life: You are due to discover great fulfillment in the very area of life where you have lately had to endure great discomfort.

Do you feel uncomfortable when life isn't nice and neat and tidy? Even if your environment has clear surfaces, there will always be cupboards containing all kinds of secrets. And inwardly? Much the same applies. You may be able to act as if all is straightforward, but your thoughts are in a jumble worse than the kind that you find behind a TV, or a computer, when too many extra gadgets have been plugged into it. But you can untangle a messy mindset. With Mercury retrograde, go slowly, strand by strand, and you'll feel far better. In your love life: It really isn't the winning that counts. What matters is not how good at something you can be, it's how good you are.

Despite appearances, nothing stays still. Even when we enter an empty room, devoid of activity, we're surrounded by vibrating atoms whose movements provide the force that keeps the walls solid, and the roof supported. And all this is happening on a planet hurtling through space at thirty kilometres per second. Yet sometimes we can make it appear still. And sometimes a little pause for breath is all we need in order to realise how different our life can be. This week, take the time to reflect. A new day dawns, but at its own pace. In your love life: What matters more, elation or explanation? Don't just sit and think. Throw yourself into something you truly love.

Don't worry about a thing, cos every little thing's gonna be all right, sang Bob Marley. Many of us love songs that contain messages of this nature. Why can't we resist them? Can't we see how this world is full of things to worry about? And if we take our eye off the ball, and stop worrying, even for a moment, don't we make things ten times worse? Well, actually, no we don't! And really, you don't need to worry this week. The New Moon really does suggest things can start turning out better than all right'. This is my message to you! In your love life: Trust your heart. As holidays approach, allow yourself to be courageous enough to honour your deepest feelings.

Just when I thought I was out they pull me back in!' There's a danger, this week, that you could find yourself sounding like Al Pacino in the Godfather Part III. Actually, you're in the second part of your own trilogy. Mercury, now retrograde, is conjunct Uranus again for the penultimate time this year. It signals a time to revisit a change in your life that isn't as permanent as you had once thought. Though this may be frustrating, it brings an opportunity. Learn all you can, and you'll gain the insight to finally progress to the next level. In your love life: Do what is necessary to keep stress at bay. And that deadline that worries you? Breathe, relax, refuse to be rushed.

Are you adopting positions you're not completely sure you want to be in? There are aspects of your situation that you like, and many things to be grateful for; yet there are factors that you've been feeling uncomfortable about. It seems as if life has been less than fair, and you must deal with circumstances that you resent. You can let this bug you, or you can rise above it. Actually, you don't have a choice! With Venus now direct and about to join Mercury in Aries, accept, trust and prepare for a week that brings surprisingly deep joy. In your love life: Aiming for the right thing but taking a complex route? Mars warns you not to push anything or anyone too hard.

There's nothing wrong with being a private person. After all, wearing your heart on your sleeve creates messy situations, and showing vulnerability makes you well vulnerable! But being guarded creates problems of its own. Especially when you want to make a fresh start in an important relationship. Don't be afraid of your passion this week. The depth of your feelings doesn't mean that you're losing control. It's a powerful asset. If you want to deepen your connection to someone, you just have to try once more, with feeling. In your love life: Whose rules are you playing by? Is there nothing you can do about a difficult situation? You can rewrite the rulebook.

Libraries contain many books. Those books contain many stories but they're nothing compared to the tales that could be told by all the billions of people who live (or have ever lived) in this world. Each of us has been on a series of great adventures. Though we look admiringly on those whose sagas seem to have been more dramatic, we really can't say that any one person's life has meant more (or less) than any other's. As Mercury links to Saturn, in your sign, you're dealing with something unique this week. You'll handle it well. In your love life: You're cross about someone's role in a sensitive situation. The challenge is tough but the reward will be great.

When we sense someone isn't being entirely honest, it puts us on our guard. We become less inclined to speak openly. Inwardly, we figure, If something's being hidden from me, perhaps I should hide something too.' This becomes self-perpetuating. If I think that you're holding something back, I hold something back. You then sense that I'm holding something back, so you hold back even more. Yet, as Venus turns direct, with Pluto soon retrograde, positive progress must wait until cards are placed on tables and hearts are worn on sleeves. In your love life: You wonder how wise it was to make a gesture of faith. Don't feed a fire of doubt. Ignore it and doubt will fade.

Money flows like water. That's good news for the water-bearer sign, right? Who knows better than you how to capture and contain this precious liquid? So why does it feel as if your pail has a hole in it? And that every time you think you've filled it to the brim, you see a vessel that even an optimist might describe as half empty? I can't promise riches, but the signs are pointing to a reverse in your fortunes. The leak can be fixed, and the decline can be arrested. And once it is, you'll have the energy to turn a trickle into a torrent. In your love life: Don't be driven by fear of failure and just settle for second best. Don't talk yourself into accepting a raw deal.

Are you in the right place at the right time? How do you know? One side-effect of being in the wrong place at the wrong time is an overwhelming sense of certainty that you're in the right place at the right time! Usually, when we're full of doubt, there's something apt about the position we find ourselves in. Just because something feels right, doesn't mean that it is right. And vice versa. But there are times when a positive mood is a reflection of a positive move. With Venus turning direct in your sign, what makes you feel good, will be good. In your love life: Much that seems uncertain should become clear again. A little more time needs to pass. Go carefully and try not to worry.

Isaac Newton coined one of my favourite words, spectrum, to describe the colours contained in white light. Now, it's used to describe all sorts of energies. On the communication spectrum, the right amount of energy is called passion', too much is anger', and too little is meekness'. Yet, even just the right amount, directed at the wrong target, can easily turn to frustration. This week, watch where you are on the emotional spectrum. As long as you know the right way to ask, you can get the support you need. In your love life: The cosmos can help you achieve a stronger base. Nothing needs to leave your world, other than a sense of fear.

The Sun returns to Taurus this week, your ruler turns direct and Mars leaves your sign. The cosmos is extending an invitation to have some fun. There may even be a chance to spoil yourself. After all, it's nearly your birthday. And if you can't celebrate your life here, doing your best, on this beautiful planet, then what can you celebrate? The universe is about to recognise that you've been through enough drama for a while, and that you deserve a few lucky breaks. You can begin to move forward with confidence now. In your love life: You have a chance to make tomorrow sweeter than today. But hold on for a while and review some options first.

I ride a Vespa. It's the best way to get around a city, like London, which was never designed for cars. Of course, the best feeling is when you filter through traffic, past someone in a flashy sports car. All that power and yet, without the ability to turn tightly and find a gap, it's a slow mode of transport. This week, it may begin to feel as if you're driving a Ferrari. That's perfect, if you've got an open road and a destination in mind. If, though, you're navigating narrow streets and congested allies, consider eschewing speed for manoeuvrability. In your love life: You are entitled to a happier emotional life. You matter. It is time to claim the power to which you are entitled.

Children, when they learn to say their prayers, are often encouraged to think of a kindly Creator looking down on them. Some adults find that idea challenging. What gives a supreme being the right to watch what we're doing? Isn't that an invasion of privacy? And, if there are seven billion humans, how can the great deity possibly keep track of them all? There are many arguments against the existence of such an entity. But, with Mars changing signs, and Venus now direct, coming events may well give you plenty of faith. In your love life: The stars speak of your quest for comfort. It is attainable but only once you recognise that it is a frame of mind.

Why do people seek celebrity? I'm not sure I see the appeal. I understand why it's important for people who have a gift they want to share. But for those who don't, it's often the trappings of success that calls them. Perhaps they see it as the quickest and easiest route to a life of luxury? And I suppose we all understand that motivation. But the grandeur that you're now courting won't be offered to you on your reputation alone. This week, if you want the royal treatment, you must set out to prove that you deserve the crown. In your love life: You can't sit on the fence. Give more commitment; it won't be easy, but it will become very rewarding.

In the UK, hosts often offer visitors a hot drink. The normal polite response is to say, Only if it's not too much trouble?' Then, when offered a choice between tea or coffee, it's traditional to say, Whichever's easiest.' What an odd ritual. Why, unless you're planning to grind the beans and express steam through them, is tea any easier to make than coffee? But it's a form of etiquette. Honour what codes you can today but, as Venus turns direct opposite Virgo, not past the point where you end up missing out on something that you want. In your love life: The jump' you face is a big one. Make it with all your heart; don't dwell on fear or misgivings. Summon confidence.

When growing up with my brother, we often enjoyed video racing games. Occasionally we'd play our own version of what developers now call augmented reality'. While one of us drove the car on the TV screen, the other would sit behind the player, pushing and pulling them about, mimicking the G-force suggested by the on-screen changes in direction. I almost wish I could do the same to you now. Because, the mere act of telling you how much of a reversal in fortunes you're due doesn't seem sufficient. Soon though, you'll begin to feel it! In your love life: Here comes some cosmic help. Prepare to be inspired and see the positive potential of a personal relationship.

When we're children, our parents teach us that it's rude to point. Even if we see someone looking absolutely ridiculous, we're supposed to just act as if this were the most normal thing in the world. If we comment, it must be quietly, to a companion, once we're sure we're out of earshot. It's just not the done thing' to highlight someone else's predicament. With Mercury retrograde, you need to be delicate about how you point something out. But, as your ruler Pluto also turns retrograde and Mars changes signs, you need to say something. In your love life: You have a cosmic connection to a source of wisdom. Tame your emotions. Stay calm and you will stay clear.

Somebody has the ability to both frustrate and delight you now. That's quite a hold to have over someone like you and you may not be feeling comfortable about giving that much power away. But sometimes, it's only by surrendering a little bit of control that we discover how magical life can be. Don't worry, just allow yourself to heed someone's call this week. And if it seems as if a door is closing on you, instead of feeling trapped, you can choose to enjoy the security that just a little bit of limitation provides. In your love life: Set your heart only on goals that truly inspire you. The best is yet to come. An emotional investment will pay off.

When John Proctor, in the play, The Crucible, succumbs to pressure and confesses to witchcraft, the prospect of a public admission is too much for him to bear. He cries, I have given you my soul; leave me my name!' It illustrates the stock we put in our stature. How we are seen sometimes feels more important than who we are. Yet, it's only when our public face represents our core values that our standing undergoes sustained growth. This week, play the part of who you'd like to be. It may initiate a powerful transformation. In your love life: You can expect a great situation that suits your mood. So don't dwell on false fears or you may turn them into realities.

Strength and Weakness have an interesting relationship. Like identical twins teasing their playmates, they sometimes dress up in each other's clothes. Hello,' says Weakness, I'm Strength! Look how brave I am, and how many clear decisions I've made.' Hello,' says Strength, I'm Weakness. Look at how I'm hedging my bets and keeping options open.' With your traditional ruler retrograde, don't perceive pausing for thought as lacking authority. Insecurity leads to greater haste than confidence. Take your time and get it right. In your love life: You have the right to reconsider commitments. You needn't tell everyone everything, nor need you apologise for anything.

Whose affairs are you trying to court? What deal are you trying to strike? This week, the wisest, most convincing form of persuasion might not necessarily drop easily from the tip of your tongue. But, we're emotional creatures and using reason and statistics might never be the best way to communicate. When our brains are presented with lots of options, and factors, we tend to go with what feels' right. Don't worry if you can't find the right words. If you concentrate on winning hearts more than minds, you can still get what you desire. In your love life: There is more to a sensitive situation that worries you. Talk to someone who sees things differently. Pool your knowledge.

The heart is always much quicker than the head. Our minds trail behind our gut reactions like tortoises following hares. And, because they go so much more slowly, they have more time to mull things over; to question instinctive responses and come up with complicated caveats to explain away what ought to be obvious. As Mercury turns retrograde you can get into long discussions about the relative merits of an idea or a suggestion. But the Full Moon implies that if you really want to make progress, you'll just go with what you feel. In your love life: Putting up with an unsatisfactory situation? Dismantle and rebuild what's wrong. That is your ultimately joyous task now.

When I was a kid, one of the games I loved was when someone declared it to be Opposite Day. From that moment, a whole heap of fun could be had misleading grown-ups and getting other people to guess what we were talking about. I'm not going to declare this opposite week' for Taureans. But, there's a sense that issues centering around communication could get a little muddled. Luckily enough, you're sharp enough to cut through much of the confusion. It's just that it might be your heart, and not your head, that does the cutting. In your love life: Are you in a cycle of silliness? Abandon it. Just be a little more tolerant and prepare for a big improvement.

Your life is not your own. It belongs to ......... (insert name here). In fact, don't fill in the name. Ask your owner' whether you have their permission. And make sure that you don't upset anyone else who now feels they have a claim on you! Er or fill in your own name. Take your life (and your future) back into your own hands. While it's important to be aware of and respectful towards other people's feelings, with Saturn retrograde, and your ruler turning retrograde too, it's even more important to honour your relationship with yourself. In your love life: Wherever you feel that someone or something needs to change, give yourself permission to change yourself instead.

You're no criminal mastermind, but from time to time, you've engaged in a little extortion. It's just that instead of raiding savings, the manipulation has been of the emotional kind. Nearly everyone on the planet has resorted to, and suffered from this. It's not such a heinous crime. This week brings someone into your life who can enable and liberate you from a situation you feel stuck in. You may be tempted to make them do so by hook or by crook'. If you can avoid being the crook, your freedom will be all the more sweet. In your love life: Coming events are about to provide you with the power to shine a different kind of light on the past. Don't fear change.

When circumstances don't seem to let us do what we thought we wanted to, we can either sink into a trough of disappointment, or seize the opportunity to become creative and adapt our plans. Well, I suppose there's a third way too. We have the option to fight fate: to come out guns blazing and refuse to accept defeat, striving to get everything back on the original track. But with all the retrograde activity now, is that really what you should be doing? The Full Moon suggests that you might, instead, be glad of the chance for change. In your love life: A big idea needs to be applied slowly. If you feel it is safe to confide in those you can trust, be bold and don't hold back.

A few years ago I worked with the most wonderful folk-fiddle player. When asked how long he'd been playing, he told me that he'd had lessons when he was a kid and gone on to study classical violin at a top European conservatoire. It was only later that he discovered folk music and its unique style of playing. Then, in order to master this new technique, he had to un-learn' much of what he'd been trained to accomplish. This week, what can you un-learn' that will open your mind to a world of untapped understanding? In your love life: Consider yourself entitled to fully embrace the upside that is on offer to you now. Forget your fear; embrace your dream.

What if a relationship counsellor is married to another relationship counsellor? Who will they go to if they have problems with their marriage? What if a judge is accused of breaking the law and has to be tried by another judge? I'm not asking these awkward questions just for the sake of it, there are difficult discussions to be held now. Mercury and your ruler are retrograde, suggesting that a perplexing conundrum is arising. There's no best' way to resolve this. Yet the Full Moon suggests you can trust your own intuition to do so. In your love life: Prioritise your most important issues. A positive cosmic climate will help you protect what you care most about.

Whose opinion do you trust? Whose judgement do you turn to when deliberating important decisions? Many of us have a go-to' person when figuring out the intricacies of life's great turning points. And being an individual with depth to your character, it's more than likely you've been called on to help navigate people through crises. But what if the individual whose counsel you usually seek can't help? How will you cope without relying on someone else's compass? You needn't fear negotiating your environment solo this week. In your love life: Something doesn't quite make sense. Request insights that may be relevant. When you get them, trust them.

With Saturn retrograde in your sign, not everything will be easy. You should, though, also experience real success. You're being helped by the Full Moon's conjunction with Jupiter. It's tempting to imagine that the cosmos wants you to do well now, and pave the way for further important changes. Just remember, it's one thing to take encouragement from a hopeful situation, another to assume that something is not meant to be' if it starts to look difficult. Don't give up too soon, or too easily this week. Not when so much is possible. In your love life: Problems are part of everyone's landscape. Your biggest problem' is a side-effect of your greatest asset. Don't fear it.

History's full of rulers whose reputations have been reduced to clich©. Canute? The tides. Henry VIII? The wives. Midas? The gold. Imagine such a long great life being eclipsed by one issue. Am I comparing you to monarchy? In a way, yes! Your dominion may not extend too far but you do reign over some territory at least. Yet with both your ruler and Pluto turning retrograde this month, you could be tempted by indecision. But the Full Moon brings wise and regal choices your way. Just try to do what history would applaud you for. In your love life: Are you being told the truth? Something deep down in your heart can tell the difference. Trust that.

In the Emperor's New Clothes, Hans Christian Andersen never mentions the birthdate of the dissenting child in the crowd. But all the hallmarks of an Aquarian are present: the ability to see what everyone else seems to be missing, and the compulsion to comment on that large grey mammal taking up too much space in the room! Your month ahead may not involve royal nudity, but it could contain a breakthrough that challenges a balance of power. If you're keen to inspire a popular revolution, try to find a way to make your revolution feel popular! In your love life: They say you should never look back. But you can now use what you have learnt and get a kind of second chance.

As April begins, Venus, slipping backwards, returns to your sign. This could cause you to feel like a process is taking an inordinately long time. You might begin to feel like the biblical Methuselah! But why do we depict this legendary figure with a long beard? If you were to live for centuries, you'd have plenty of time to shave! This month, as the moon becomes full conjunct Jupiter, try to pace yourself. Venus links to Saturn, who keeps tight hold of the reins. But slow doesn't always mean boring. Take it steady, and great things can start to happen. In your love life: You are being asked to tie yourself to someone else's opinion. If the reasons are right, you can do it.

No matter how independent we are, no matter how self-motivated, assertive and confident we can be, none of us exists in a vacuum. For a spark to catch, we require oxygen. And for your ideas to catch on this month, you need someone to fuel your fire. Luckily, the skies suggest that not only will you find the fuel to feed your flame, you'll have enough air to breathe and expand. Someone will help turn an inspired notion into the positive move you desire. If you communicate your passion, you'll reap great rewards. In your love life: Sources of tension are becoming obvious. Soon, you will also begin to see what you can do about them.

If you do this, instead of that, then that'll happen instead. Unless, of course, you do that first. In which case, you'll get more of this and less of that, assuming someone else does this and not that. Confused? That's my point. With so many intricate issues to consider, they'll just tie you up in knots. What's important this month, is to become untied. With Mercury turning retrograde in your sign, the Sun entering it and Mars leaving it, nobody can free you from a process that's taking up too much time and energy. You have to liberate yourself. In your love life: A different era begins. Prepare for a change that seems small at first but has the potential to take you a long way.

Homer Simpson once changed his name to Max Power, proclaiming there's the right way to do things, the wrong way, and the Max Power way. Isn't that just the wrong way? asks his daughter Lisa. Yes , Homer replies, but faster! This month it's almost like the economical engine powering your runaround is replaced with a V8 turbo-charged monster from a supercar. That's great, if you've somewhere to go and fast. But not so great if you find yourself stuck in reverse gear! With the right co-pilot, you'll go twice as far and in the right direction too! In your love life: A while ago you asked the cosmos for help. None was forthcoming. But here comes a late granting of your request!

Your relationship with one particular person is growing tense. Or so it seems. We may not be talking here, about a romantic relationship. The connection in question could be linked to your career or family life. But whatever once brought you both so close and no matter how strong that camaraderie may have been you're no longer so sure you still share the same understanding. The powerful Full Moon conjunct Jupiter brings a realisation. Even if a sense of estrangement intensifies briefly this month, there'll be resolution and reunion. In your love life: Tempted to get passionate about something that will create drama? Better, rather, to apply your passion to patience!

What's the point of being reborn if everyone believes you're still the same old person? Why bother with a transformation if no one notices and nothing seems to change? Well there'd still be valid reasons to undergo the transitions you're experiencing. They're affirmative steps. Not always easy, but positive nonetheless. The changes you're making, and the breakthroughs they herald, will help regain control in an area of life you've felt powerless in. This month, it's time to flap the wings you've grown, and let everyone see your bold new form. In your love life: Reason and logic can be dull. Ask yourself: Do you want excitement and enjoyment? Or to wallow in tedious safety?

Imagine there's no Heaven, it's easy if you try...' So sang the late, great John Lennon, many moons ago. But was he right? For many people, it is not so easy to imagine a world with no Heaven. The notion of eventual redemption, liberation, and vindication, is all that keeps many of us going! Especially when life seems tough we think, Perhaps my reward will be in Heaven. But actually, you don't have to wait that long. This month, with the Full Moon conjunct Jupiter, life can bring you a real reward right here on Earth. In your love life: It's a sensitive time - for you and others, all looking for equilibrium. Just hang loose, and watch what develops.

There are moments when we feel uniquely powerful. When it seems as if everything we're involved in reaches maximum potential. Like air expanding to fill a void, it becomes impossible to do things by halves. This is all well and good if the things we do represent positive steps and decisions. But if, at this moment, we deviate from the right path, we can find ourselves spread too thinly or taking up uncomfortable positions. It's important you now reflect upon your options. Make the right choices this month, and you'll realise your potential. In your love life: Try rewriting your own rules to get past the obstacles you face. If you can be courageous you'll gain rewards.

Who's in charge? Who calls the shots and chooses the direction your life must take? As both your ruler Pluto, and Saturn, turn retrograde this month, the more you contemplate such questions, the more you may feel sure it isn't you. You're conscious of situations in which you seem to lack power and influence. Yet you're nowhere near as helpless as you fear. With the Full Moon linked to Pluto, someone's listening to you, even if you suspect that they're hardly hearing a word you say. This month you can find your true, hidden strengths. In your love life: Staring at a blank canvas? Try some random brushstrokes, an outline will emerge and lead to a masterpiece.

No one wants to be a party pooper. But there are times when we all need to feel we're being taken seriously. When we want to be seen as more than a fair-weather friend and recognised as the person for all seasons we have the potential to be. You may not be a 24-hour party person, but you know how to live with an adventurous spirit. It's part of your charm. So don't become frustrated if someone can't see your serious centre. You just have to show them. This month, match passion with resolve and your natural abilities will be recognised. In your love life: A lot of what's bothering you is less threatening than it seems. Light can shine even in the darkest corridors

My son is a big fan of The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. In this tale, a caterpillar eats through all manner of foodstuffs before constructing its chrysalis, and eventually turning into a butterfly. Be it this story, or The Ugly Duckling, the world of children's literature is full of themes of transformation. Your life story can reflect this now with one important difference. You're no ugly duckling or insatiable grub. You don't need to disappear into a cocoon to undergo a metamorphosis. You just need to stretch the wings that have been there all along. In your love life: Who is now making a fuss and who is now keeping quiet? Be less drawn by the noisy and show more respect to the quiet.

When you were a kid, did you have a favourite pair of shoes? Did you wear them all the time? Were you sad when you realised you'd outgrown them? This was necessary and right. Yet, you probably couldn't see it at the time. Now think about the way in which some of your ideas about life are beginning to change. With Mercury conjunct your modern ruler in 2017's great T-square, you may no longer feel and think quite what you once felt and thought. That's appropriate. Don't fear, regret or worry about a change. Grow with it. In your love life: With effort and wisdom now, you can make decisions that enable you to permanently improve your position in the future.

You might have heard of the phrase The greater good.' Never has a phrase been capable of so much trouble. Compromises we'd never normally make suddenly seem reasonable, and actions that we'd never usually take become defensible. This week, think about the devil in the detail of a deal. Where are you sacrificing your beliefs for the benefit of change? Is this one capitulation too many? Is the price too high? Whatever decisions you take, do so with kindness and an open heart. This can be a time of powerful growth, bringing you to a wonderful destination. In your love life: You may feel unable to see a route from here to where you want to be, but if you can picture the destination, you can surely reach it.

Do you know exactly what you've got in every single one of your pockets? How about the contents of your bag or the drawers in your kitchen? Broom cupboard? Bedside cabinet? Sometimes, we're surprised when we discover items that we'd forgotten all about and didn't even know we had. It's the same with our inner resources. We think, I just don't have it in me to do this.' Then when we reach within and start looking, we bring forth impressive attributes. With a New Moon conjunct Venus, you'll soon see what I mean. In your love life: Though you may feel out of your depth in a situation, you are not in over your head. You can and will soon learn to swim.

Do you find yourself feeling unable to move on? With your ruler being retrograde for some time now, a situation could be feeling so difficult to move past that, in the words of TV's Blackadder, there hasn't been a stickier situation since Sticky the stick insect got stuck on a sticky bun'. But the Cosmos has a cunning plan. The New Moon conjunct Venus provides the impetus for a way out. And, as Mercury enters your sign at the end of this week, making you sharper than a page of Oscar Wilde's witticisms, sprinkled with lemon juice', you'll have the wit to find it! In your love life: You feel, as if you ought to be resisting something or someone. Don't. Accept and see the good.

Forget what you once knew. It may have been relevant once; it's no longer quite so apposite. As Mercury conjuncts Uranus, in 2017's great T-square, before linking harmoniously with Saturn, you'll soon see a better way to look at your situation. A wiser understanding can be reached. It's not that you were wrong before; it's just that you were looking at everything from a particular angle. Now you can see further and you must trust this additional information. It may prove unnerving to absorb, but it has the potential to help you greatly. In your love life: Some people now feel entitled to find fault with you. Try not to take it personally. Meet hostility with kindness.

If only life was like it is in commercials. Thanks to miracle-working skin creams, we'd all look younger. Just by using the right deodorant, no teenage boy would be lonely. And every time we washed our hair with certain shampoos, we'd feel refreshed, revitalised and renewed. But why am I, a man best described as follicly challenged', talking about hair products? It's because there's something in your life that can have the effect promised by its slogan the New Moon conjunct Venus. Let it wash its magic over you. It lives up to the hype! In your love life: Don't dwell on an upsetting issue. Put it to the back of your mind, then wait to see what hope naturally bubbles to the front.

You've had about as much as you can take. You're on the edge. But that's like saying that you're standing on some glorious balcony, overlooking a steep ravine. It looks as if you could fall over the side. You're certainly very close to the great abyss, yet there's a safety railing. You're not going to jump, nor will you be pushed. The New Moon, conjunct retrograde Venus, encourages you to learn what you need to learn from this view. Don't be afraid of what you're being shown. Soon, you'll see something else. A clear route to a safe destination. In your love life: Only nurture constructive expectations and you'll be surprised how many positive developments you attract.

In Japan, researchers believe that the practice of Forest Bathing' has health benefits. Of course, finding out that spending time in nature helps to lower blood pressure and reduce stress seems like a no-brainer. But recent studies suggest that our immune systems are actually boosted by essential oils, which are emitted by trees into the atmosphere. Where, in your life, can you find the truth that confirms something you've long suspected? Even if it affirms your suspicions, it may have something surprising to teach you. In your love life: The fact you least want to face is the reality you will ultimately be most grateful to embrace. Have faith and be optimistic.

The world is a weird and wonderful place. And the people who live in it? Well, one very weird and wonderful thing about them, is the way most of them insist that they're not weird, and quite a few seem determined to deny that there's anything wonderful about them. With your ruler in reverse, opposite your sign, you're facing a situation which seems ridiculous. Someone's behaviour seems unreasonable. It may leave a lot to be desired but, so many circumstances in our lives do that. Don't mistake a small nuisance for a big crisis this week. In your love life: You have been stuck too long. Sooner, you will have the freedom to move once more. Prepare for a lot of progress.

There's a website called Scale of Universe' with a graphic that allows you to move from human sized objects, out to the farthest reaches of the universe. It also moves in the other direction, down to the smallest theorised measurements of everything. What's interesting is where humans are found on the scale. We're slightly to the right of the centre, suggesting that the world of the small expands slightly more than the realm of the large. You're currently on a voyage of discovery. But maybe there's more to find by turning in, than looking out? In your love life: The more you doubt yourself, the more you are going to complicate something that is actually simple... and sweet.

From tiny acorns, mighty oaks grow. But even if covered in fertiliser and bathed under sun-lamps, they don't shoot up overnight. In movies, we often see a speeded-up version of a much slower process. Even films where the drama appears to be unfolding in real time are the results of careful editing. Many takes, recorded over many days, are discarded by the director. As Mercury conjuncts Uranus this week, try not to make artificial comparisons. Let things proceed at their natural pace and they'll likely turn out just fine. In your love life: Stop dwelling in the past. Stride forward on the journey through your emotional life with confidence. It won't be misplaced.

Astrologers watch a lot of sunsets and sunrises. While their speed varies according to where they're viewed from, it often seems like a great dimmer switch is being gently applied in the sky. Much the same can be said about the light of hope in the human heart. We rarely switch from negative to positive in an instant. We edge' from one to another. As Mercury extends its influence, you may wish to hurry the great transformation that Pluto can lead you through. But, they'll happen at their own pace. Don't worry, though they will happen. In your love life: Don't write off an old emotional investment. In the people around you and your connection to them, you have real assets.

Helen of Troy is described as the face that launched a thousand ships' because she was supposedly so beautiful that, rather than accept he'd lost her, her husband King Menelaus led his fleet on a ten-year quest to get her back. It's not your face, but your words, and your ideas that can set events in motion on what feels like a similar scale. You don't have to proclaim give me liberty or give me death', but nor can you sit in quiet contemplation. If you know what needs to change, the time is coming to make your voice heard. In your love life: Life will soon bring the deepening of an important relationship plus an event that helps to increase your sense of self-esteem.

If you let someone see how vulnerable you are, will this be perceived as weakness or strength? The answer depends on how much you reveal. Sensitivity is most attractive when shown in the briefest of glimpses. We don't like to see someone falling to pieces. But it's intriguing to discover that behind an air of strength, lies a softness. As the Sun leaves your sign, does it weaken you and make you vulnerable? No! The strongest people aren't afraid to open up. They know how deep their strength runs. This week, find security in your sensitivity. In your love life: A gesture of courage and honesty must now be made if you seriously hope to heal an old wound.

If you've begun to feel a little less enthusiastic about life recently, that's understandable. You've had a lot on your mind. And, with your ruler having just vacated your sign, it's only natural that the spring in your step might have lost just a little of its bounce. But here comes the Equinox, the moment the Sun returns to your sign. It will put the boing' back in your pogo-stick. It'll allow you to leap a little higher and clear any obstacles with more ease. From this change in your altitude, you'll be able to reach a higher perspective. In your love life: In your emotional and personal life now, when you see real opportunities for meaningful communication, trust them.

You weren't placed on this earth to suffer. You didn't come here to be punished. Nobody said, on the day that you were born, This person will never enjoy even the slightest success unless they first put their nose to the grindstone and wear their fingers to the bone.' You're just as entitled to happiness and contentment as anyone else on earth. Your ruler Venus may be retrograde, but no matter what now seems difficult, you can find a way to make it easier. As it conjuncts Mercury this week, all this requires is a little more imagination. In your love life: The more you trust your heart, the more everything you need will somehow turn up just as it needs to do.

Whoever espoused the notion of do unto others as you would have them do unto you' didn't have friends with sado-masochistic tendencies. Actually, if memory serves me correct, it comes from Jesus's Sermon on the Mount so if I value my well-being, I ought to be careful what I say! And so should you this week. Some dramatic revelations are likely to occur. So take care of yourself and surround yourself with people who love you. Their understanding can support you on your journey, and help to celebrate your inevitable success. In your love life: Having a rough ride? By making a small adjustment of attitude you'll get a much smoother journey to a safe harbour.

Jonathan and I once discussed why the olive branch became a universal symbol of peace. Olives have a challenging taste, he mused. Even when salted and pickled, you either love them or hate them. I suggested that perhaps we hope that peace, like the olive, can be easily preserved. Peace sometimes seems hard to attain, and even trickier to sustain. As many philosophers have observed, peace isn't just the absence of war'. They're right. But, as both Mercury and the Sun move towards conjunctions with Venus, it's a good place to start. In your love life: There is plenty to be cherished in your emotional life. To make the most of that, be as honest as you dare.

They're flamboyant, and at times ridiculous, but I love the band Queen. It's rare, though, that I play their records. But when they come on the radio, their music is instantly recognisable and utterly memorable. So are you. And like them, you have a tendency to go a little OTT at times. But you're gifted, creative and exciting too. The Equinox brings the chance to turn the volume up, and cavort around the stage as if it is a major rock show. Just make sure you do so in an appropriate manner. What works in a large arena might not at a small suburban location. In your love life: If things may seem out of control, stop trying to control them. A counterintuitive approach is your key to success.

What use is a map to a traveller who doesn't have a clear destination? Well, at least it shows their options. It may help them to formulate a plan of some kind. A map is only of no use to somebody who has absolutely no idea where they are. Even then, it may help them to identify clues from their surroundings. As your ruler conjuncts retrograde Venus, you may be beginning to question your sense of direction. Yet its coming alignment with Jupiter suggests that the information you need, to make a clear, wise decision, is closer than you think. In your love life: Have faith. Forces bigger than you will provide support if you trust what inspires your heart and don't try to push for too much.

I just can't get you outta my head' sang Kylie Minogue, Boy, your lovin' is all I think about'. There are times, especially during intense emotional relationships, when such focus can border on obsession. What, or who, is occupying your thoughts to an almost unhealthy degree? Here comes the chance to move on, shift focus, and break free of a hypnotic situation. You may not feel comfortable doing this, or even want to in the first place. But once your eyes have adjusted, you'll see wonderful sights that are waiting to be explored. In your love life: It may seem as if you are getting the raw end of a deal but appearances can be deceptive. Be glad of what you've got.

Ever since I was a young boy, I played the silver ball.' sang The Who. My son though, will probably only experience computer simulated pinball. He's unlikely to know the pleasure of subtly nudging a machine so that it responds to his movements. True Pinball Wizards understand the difference they can make by gently leaning one way or another. This week, you may think you face a situation that can just as easily go well or badly. But, since the result depends on your focus and concentration, you have the skills to hit a high score. In your love life: An inspiring development is about to show you how much further down a wonderful road you still have yet to travel.

My teenage cat's latest craze is to jump in the bath. Not a full bath, although he could do with one, but leaping into an empty tub and scrabbling around is his new favourite thing. There are some animal behaviours that we find difficult to anthropomorphise. And some of your ideas are hard for others to appreciate. It's not that you're wrong or that they're obtuse. It's simply that your points of reference and ways of thinking are so different that they fail to translate. This week, if you want to start a revolution, first find a common cause. In your love life: Someone is reaching out to you. By allowing this positive possibility in' you'll be helping to edge out something you don't need.

We all have sides of ourselves we'd rather remained private. And we all have incidents in our past that we've learned and moved on from that we don't want to be the first thing thought of when our name is brought up in a conversation. Don't worry, you won't be exposed' this week. But that's partly because the salacious detail is far more important in your own mind than it is in anyone else's. Don't let something insignificant from the past hold more power over you, than it should. It's not that bad. Own it, and if need be, own up to it. In your love life: Your emotional expectations are too low. Lot's of magic is now available if you are bold enough to reach for it.

First, we have big ideas. Then, we feel determined to stick with them. Next, we have to deal with the difference between theory and fact. The world is full of people who have other ideas of their own! None take kindly to being outshone. Even our friends and loved ones can become awkward when they think we're stopping them from implementing their most important strategies. As the Full Moon links to your traditional ruler, your celestial story is about a cosmic compromise. Finding this won't necessarily be easy, but the rewards will be immense. In your love life: No matter what's changing or how much pressure you encounter, time is on your side. Nothing has to happen in a hurry.

I live near to where the new Spurs football stadium is being built. With all the money in sport, it's incredible to watch the construction. They're using the latest techniques; they're building from the top down. First they start with the roof, suspended in mid-air, add the walls and then work downward. One builder even let me play with her anti-gravity machine. Okay, maybe I'm making this up. But the point I'm trying to make is that in order to realise your dream, you must build from the bottom up. Now's the time to lay the foundations for a bright future. In your love life: Things are about to change and improve, naturally. So relax as much as you can. Simply be willing to let some time pass.

Every day in the world of sport, new paradigms are established. Where one day we might not know who is to be the new champion of this or that cup, the next day the outcome is all over the back pages. This gives us a nice, clear idea about who the world's best are. Or does it? Arguably, all any contest does is tell us who happened to be the most on form' on a given day. What new information coming your way is shortening your odds? The Full Moon urges you not to draw too many conclusions about how a previous challenge turned out to be. In your love life: You must now decide how much you love someone or something. Only through love will you find the strength you need.

Some people treat social events as if they're a competition. They plan them long in advance, spend evenings perfecting the dish they're going to serve, and get so stressed about having everything in perfect order that they forget that the purpose of the endeavour is to have fun! Where in your life should you now be taking pleasure in a process that's causing you to worry? Surely, there must be a way of letting go of some of the anxiety? If you can accept now that not everything has to be perfect, you may actually find that life is perfectly enjoyable. In your love life: Life now brings a discovery about how a certain person really sees you... and how you see them.

It is easy for me to say things like, lighten up'. Or, don't worry'. I'm not personally dealing with your difficulties. Nor am I wrestling with the conflicting emotional demands being made on you. I'm also not experiencing the feeling of restriction that could be accompanying these. I don't need what you need. Or do I? Actually, we both require the same thing. Your well-being! And, as Venus moves retrograde in the sign your ruler enters this week, others, too, won't feel fine unless you feel fine. So let yourself off the hook. You deserve an easier future. In your love life: One personal relationship has been problematic for a while. Have you only just noticed? To fix it, you must be honest.

What is it you're trying to teach someone? Why is it so difficult to get through? Sometimes, no matter how much we nag, chide, encourage or cajole, words aren't enough. Do we give up? Do we have to let our advice go unheeded? Not necessarily. You may just need to use more subtle forms of communication. This week, lead by example. Show how beneficial a certain way of living can be, and become somebody's benchmark to aim for. That way, not only can you take care of someone's best interests, you'll guarantee your own as well! In your love life: With your deepest wisdom, your highest compassion, your strongest faith, you can yet bend the rules of time and space.

Why go hungry when there is good food to eat? Why walk when you can have a comfortable ride? Why fight when you can be at peace? Well, perhaps it depends on whether you're on a diet whether you want the exercise or whether you just really enjoy a good old punch-up. There are reasons why we put ourselves through conditions of apparent hardship. Sometimes, good reasons! With your ruler's link to Saturn this week, if you've got a good enough reason, you can allow yourself a tough time. But the Full Moon suggests you needn't have one! In your love life: They say that, you become like the company you keep'. Let us hope they are wrong or you may need to start keeping different company!

Sometimes, we get a bad feeling about someone we meet, or a situation we find ourselves in. Often it's our intuition trying to tell us something. But sometimes, just sometimes, it can be something else. It can be the shadow of troubles from the past casting aspersions on an innocent future. This week, don't let the difficulties you've faced prejudice the opportunities you're presented with. Judge each case on its merit alone. Life's encouraging you to fulfill the promise the universe endowed you with. And, with bravery, and optimism, you can do just that. In your love life: Get the issues honestly out into the open and you stand a chance of clearing them up. Do not sweep them under the carpet.

As Mercury moves opposite your sign, if you've managed, in recent days and weeks, to be decisive and assertive, you can redouble your efforts and act with even greater certainty. And, with your ruler retrograde there too, if you feel that you've let an opportunity slip through your fingers, you'll find that you're still in a good position to catch it before it completely falls to the floor. Sometimes, when we're trying to make up our mind about how we feel or think, it's only at the last minute that we know the answer. But this week, that answer will come. In your love life: In the story of love, the beginning, the middle and the end don't always come in the right order. Accept as much and all will be well.

It's said that everyone has a hidden talent that we all become skilled at something unique. Personally, I have a passion for Tuvan throat singing. Although my wife would prefer that my talent remained a little more hidden around the house! In your life, this week will be the opportunity to use yours. Grasp the opportunity. It's not showing off, nor is it ostentatious. You're not revealing too much of yourself, or letting prying eyes see too deeply into your soul. It's simply a resource that's appropriate to use. If you use it well, it can transform your life! In your love life: You feel that, in an important relationship, you should be more appreciated. Begin to fix this by giving yourself more credit.

Where is yesterday? Behind you or ahead of you? The answer depends on the direction you happen to be looking in. If you can't stop thinking about the past, you can hardly be expected to see a clear route to the future. And if your history is now towering over you like some great hill, it may be casting a shadow over the world that lies before you, making it seem unnecessarily bleak. But the Sun's link to Saturn in your sign doesn't have to darken your week. In fact, it can help you see how limited the past's reach truly is on you this weekend. In your love life: Where, in your emotional life now, might you be placing too high an emphasis on style and not enough on substance?

Think about the world's most popular cars, films, books, bands, foods or football teams. They may all be very well liked but does that automatically mean we're right to describe them as the best'? Even people with the most mainstream tastes can point to some clear examples of popular beliefs with which they disagree. Whenever we measure or compare any aspect of our life by referring to what most folk would think', we compromise our individuality. This month, the planets want you to concentrate on what makes most sense to you personally. In your love life: Some believe the world doesn't contain enough luck for all; nor enough love. They are wrong! Claim yours now.

Recently, I was watching a performance by the excellent Canadian singer/songwriter Sarah MacDougall. Amidst the crowd of attentive listeners, one person was making a noise and distracting from her performance. What would you do in this situation? Risk making a bigger scene by confronting the one irritation? Or let it go, and concentrate on the performance? You're heading into a situation where confrontation will be less effective than coercion. By convincing others to focus on the bigger picture, everyone will benefit from a more powerful experience. In your love life: There is so much to understand and make sense of. Just focus on what you have to be glad of; happiness will follow.

The closer we get to a big moment, the less inclined we are to back away from it. A sense of the inevitable begins to take over. We start to feel as though we've got a date with fate. And, who would dare to leave the goddess of destiny feeling stood up, foolish and forgotten? But so far, the arrangement is only tentative. As the Sun and Mercury conjunct Neptune, and with the arrival of the Jupiter-Uranus opposition, destiny won't be offended if you change your plans. And, this month, she'll still be keen to call no matter how dramatic your shift in circumstances. In your love life: You are trying to do something intrinsically difficult. Don't give up. That elusive sense of balance will come very soon.

Crisis? What crisis? These words are attributed to a 1970s government, beset by problems that it seemed unable to acknowledge, let alone handle. Yet they might describe an attitude you can adopt yourself now. Not because you're out of touch with the forces whirling around you. But because you've got all you need to handle whatever life throws at you! The planets are emboldening you, and bringing you the power to transform into the person you were always meant to be. Your challenges will seem insignificant. Trouble? What trouble? In your love life: Stop carrying something that has been a burden for too long. It's time to find the courage to make a difficult decision.

Rarely, is a mood of frustration worth indulging. Even if it provides us with much-needed motivation, even if it fuels a flame of deep determination, we pay a high price for allowing ourselves to experience such angry exasperation. Better, by far, to be fluid and philosophical. After the Jupiter-Uranus opposition, Mars enters your sign. Yet, before it does, it links to Saturn. Try your best, by all means, to make something happen. But accept that if it doesn't happen, the time is not yet right. A set of valid reasons for this will reveal themselves in time. In your love life: Something in your emotional journey has to be dealt with. Trouble will ensue only if you lose faith or lose heart.

There's much to be gained by pausing for breath and turning our focus inward. Yet, such moments are hard to find. There's so much to do, that time to reflect has become an almost unaffordable luxury. This month, the universe urges you to dig deep into your psychological pocket and prioritise this expense. There's a better way to find the security and happiness you seek and steps to be taken, which will help you regain control. All you need to do, is explore the causes that matter most. Make time to pause, and you really will be rejuvenated. In your love life: Think of all the bad choices you have made but not for too long. Use the energy to learn and improve your life.

In the 1890s, laws were passed forbidding cars to travel anywhere, unless someone walked in front of each vehicle, waving a flag to alert other road users. That rule didn't last long, nor did the 4 mph maximum speed governments tried to impose. Yet for a while, that was the rule if you wanted to travel by automobile. This month, the Jupiter-Uranus opposition forms a T-square with Pluto. Then along comes the Full Moon to form another with Saturn! For a while, in your life, a similarly unreasonable limitation has been in place. This month, it can be lifted. In your love life: In every suspicious situation there are tell-tale clues. Remember this as you now set out to solve a mystery.

Flanders and Swann wrote one of the most tragically beautiful love songs I've ever heard. It just so happens, however, that it was written about a short-sighted Armadillo trying to woo a rusty battle tank! Sometimes, what moves us takes a surprising form. Does that make it wrong? Hardly. Every day holds the potential to learn more about ourselves and, this month brings you opportunity a-plenty! Explore what seems different. You'll learn how to transform a part of your world that has seemed empty so that it teems with life anew. In your love life: Don't get distracted by a drama over lack of money. Keep your heart in the right place and all else will go well.

Nature versus nurture. That's the great debate. How much of our personality is inherited? How much of our behaviour is learned? What's your true nature? Do you confuse what comes naturally to you with what you've been taught? While you contemplate the answers, here's the astrological news: the Jupiter-Uranus T-square with Pluto arrives this month, just before your ruler conjuncts Neptune, the Sun and Venus. Profound urges will awaken within you. Talents and powers will be unleashed. There's more in your nature to be nurtured. In your love life: With experience comes wisdom. Now is the time when your wisdom will help. Don't grow embittered or sceptical.

How can you tell if someone's got your best interests at heart? It all depends on what they want you to do. If they're encouraging you to make a vertical movement over the edge of a high rocky precipice, then they're probably not as friendly as they seem! But just because someone is encouraging you to do something difficult, doesn't indicate ill will. Sometimes we need to be cajoled into making changes that interrupt the status quo. This month, even if you don't quite trust someone, believe in your ability to rise to their challenge. It will be worth it. In your love life: A benign, cosmic force is naturally drawing towards you the offers, invitations and opportunities you most require.

In supermarkets, we see signs that state: While stocks last!' They're encouraging us to grab today's bargain offer while we can, for it will sell out soon. Indeed it will, especially if enough people believe the notice! Whenever something appears to be in short supply, it seems more desirable than that which is always available. Though some chances really are never to be repeated, most are simply a ploy. Following the Jupiter-Uranus opposition that aligns with your ruler Pluto, don't be bamboozled into making decisions in a hurry. If it's right, it'll wait. In your love life: Sometimes you have to just take your time over things. Show some patience. Little is as urgent as it seems.

Few people can just snap their fingers and have all their needs met. Many of us, though, imagine this to be the ultimate luxury. But, wouldn't such a life be claustrophobic? And where would the immense satisfaction gained from striving and achieving be found? Aren't your most treasured possessions the ones you've worked hardest for? This month, you have a team in place that can affect change. But, simply snapping your fingers won't bring you what you really want. You'll have to lift one or two, too! Being part of a team will bring success. In your love life: Your dreams give a broad idea of your path; not a specific route. Stick to the spirit, not the letter, of those dreams.

Do people realise what you're capable of? Are they working on the assumption that you're the same as you always were? Like someone who once tried using the internet on a dial up modem in 1997 and now doesn't see the need to get online', they don't know what they're missing. You haven't stayed the same you've drastically improved. And, if given the chance to prove yourself, there's little you can't accomplish. Here comes your moment. It's time to renegotiate your role based on your current abilities rather than old, outmoded ones. In your love life: Action is better than inaction. Don't fear making a mistake; if you're sincere, mistakes' will be guided by a positive force.

This weekend, you'll hear many pennies dropping. By this, I don't necessarily mean that you're due for a windfall although with the arrival of the Eclipse I wouldn't be surprised if your finances begin to look up. But it's in the currency of your mind that you may find you gain the biggest deposit. As Mars conjuncts your modern ruler, you'll see something that seems obvious the moment you recognise it, yet which previously appeared to be totally different. This new understanding can help you gain great strength and attain power. In your love life: Don't strive for ideal solutions' to problems. Settle for a fairly close match and then set about changing it to suit.

This week, life's vehicle is getting a tune-up in your celestial garage. Not that you're bringing any old jalopy, but the astrological mechanics have the ability to pimp your ride'! You're being fuelled up and tooled up to take on any challenge so much so that you may need to be wary of how much more horsepower you have in your engine. Before you put pedal to metal, test out your throttle. If you're travelling too fast, your best opportunities could pass by too quickly. But if you remain in control, there's no journey that's a step too far. In your love life: Few things are impossible. Though some things are definitely easier than others. Be brave. Remember that now.

People are full of surprises. Even folk we think we know can turn out to have aspects to their character that we're entirely unaware of. Nor, as Mars conjuncts Uranus opposite Jupiter in 2017's great T-Square, can you be too sure that you know all there is to know about yourself. You've got strengths you've hardly ever drawn on. Somehow, this week, you'll become more aware of what these are, and how you can make the most of them. These discoveries may be triggered, at least in part, by new realisations about someone you know. In your love life: Denying what's in your heart suppresses its ability to express itself. Admit to what you want; rediscover your spirit.

Some people love school. They delight in the camaraderie and shared experience. Other people like churches. They want to feel part of something bigger than themselves. But there are others who will never feel completely at home in someone else's palace, no matter how luxurious the surroundings or plump the pillows. This week, if you begin to feel uncomfortable in a situation, ask yourself whether it's the situation that's not right, or if you're not right for the situation? By starting to honour your individuality, you'll find harmony. In your love life: Every so often we entertain ideas that seem slightly shocking. It's time to talk bravely and clearly to someone you trust.

Jonathan was a fan of Jon Spoelstra, an author who wrote, Ice To The Eskimos; How To Market A Product Nobody Wants. With your ruler conjunct both the coming Eclipse and Neptune, it's possible that you might be manifesting some skills described in that book. My uncle's advice would have been to go gently on your potential customers. And if you discover that someone's trying to employ such abilities on you, look beyond the facade of your current situation. Investigate thoroughly before you make your investment. In your love life: It's not just technology that progresses in bounds. Emotional awareness can rapidly transform too. As you'll see, soon!

That's the first thing I want and the last thing I need'. It's a familiar refrain from many country songs. Your life might be less like a song and dance than you'd like, but there are some song lyrics we should never try to emulate. Yet now is a moment when what you want' and what you need' are aligned. Although you may not realise that you need it, or be sure that you want it, a process begins this week that has the potential to be both gratifying and rewarding. Give it a chance and you'll soon be whistling its tune! In your love life: The experience you are about to gain in your emotional life will not only make you wiser... but happier, too.

Imagine writing a letter to yourself in the past. Dear Person I Used To Be, There is no need to be upset about half the issues that are bugging you because they really aren't as problematic as they seem. PS: you're coming up to a point where everything starts to make a lot more sense. Yours sincerely, The Person You Later Became!' You may not be able to send such a message back from here, but you can certainly receive one from your future self, right now! Indeed, that's exactly what the Eclipse, conjunct Mercury, is enabling you to do. In your love life: You don't need stimulants. Smiles, loving looks and glances are enough. Drinking in the sheer joy of good company.

Someone this week is encouraging you to break new ground. They're keen to have you on board, part of their intrepid plans to explore new, uncharted territories. It's an exciting proposition, but is it a safe one? Is it the sensible thing to do? Would you be exploring a life-changing opportunity or tilting at windmills? Life doesn't have to veer between extremes. There's room to be quixotic without being irresponsibly ungrounded. Try giving the seemingly impossible a chance to flourish. Growth can spring from the most unlikely of soils. In your love life: You may believe that you need something new and improved'. Take care: think hard before you look for such changes.

You can't be ruthless, reckless or crazy. You must proceed with dignity, decorum and diplomacy. It is, though, one thing to proceed at a sensible pace and another to decide on retreat because you feel unable to advance fast enough. You want something and are doubtful whether you can have it. One thing we know about the current moment, though, is that it will soon become the past. With Mars conjunct Uranus opposite Jupiter, anything can change. Be as generous to yourself as you are to others, and you can get what you deserve. In your love life: Only weak people strive to protect their positions. Strong ones have faith in their own power and luck.

They say if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. But what are we supposed to do next? Go hungry? And surely it's the food that's supposed to be piping hot not the chef! This week, you can make changes which will not only bring you nourishment; they will help you regain control of your environment. Yet fighting fire with fire is only going to turn the heat up. Be more creative. The cosmos suggests that there's a new, cool way to approach a perennial problem. And the result will satisfy more than just your taste buds. In your love life: We lower our defences for those who mean so much to us. Love has taken much out of you. It is about to give it all back.

Saturn is in your sign, whilst Mars is beginning to form an intense conjunction to Uranus. One good way to sum up what this means might be to use the phrase, a squeeze'. There are times when it seems we can allow our lives to be full of somewhat unsatisfactory circumstances and situations. Somehow, we're happy just to trundle along, coping as best we can. Then there are times when that all rapidly becomes unacceptable. Big choices have to be made. Truths dawn on us and priorities become clear. This is one of those times. In your love life: You have common sense but you can't teach others to develop theirs. It will be sufficient simply to nurture your own!