Weekly Astroguide

When we go to social functions, we meet strangers and want to know who they are; they want to know who we are. So we ask questions and, from the answers, we make assumptions and jump to conclusions. No matter how hard we try, it takes time to get to know people. There will always be hidden facets that can take years to reveal themselves. The same is true for ourselves. You may think you know your limitations, but as the coming Solar Eclipse forms the corner of a T-square with Saturn opposite Neptune you're about to discover you're capable of so much more. In your love life: Give someone the benefit of the doubt. If you can be kind, and allow for a fresh start your heart will thank you for it.

What you think you want for yourself may not be quite what you want! We all create fantasy shopping lists. Luxury yacht? Tick. Perfect when you winter in Monaco. Ferrari? Skip. Too few miles to the gallon. Forget the material list. What you crave are grounded people with unshakeable faith in you. Possessions can wall us away. They certainly can't hold your hand as you drift down an uncertain path. This week you're encouraged to start afresh with your way of interacting with some people close to you. Begin by revealing that what you really want, is to deepen your connection. In your love life: Action not words! This week, avoid the small talk, don't be afraid to repeat your call for what you desire.

Someone is challenging the image you want to project of yourself. It may feel threatening, but it's not an affront. It's not designed to subvert your authority. In fact, it will only be detrimental if you treat it as such. You simply need to confront it with the mighty tools you have at your disposal: imagination, compassion and integrity. There's much you can achieve this week if you adopt the right attitude and trust the reason that's behind the forces at work in your life. Take the tests in your stride, rally your troops and press on. You'll find a strength you never knew you had. In your love life: A lively sky involving Neptune, Saturn and the Solar Eclipse means you're much nearer to finding what your heart desires.

Something's gotta give'. That's the expression when things get so difficult that we can't see how a situation can remain the same. Used like this, give' is shorthand for give way', when there has to be an imminent collapse because of pressure being applied. Yet why can't it mean what it says? Couldn't it also apply to the moment the universe finally presents us with what we've been looking for? Let's claim this phrase for the positive it could represent. You may well have been wondering where hope is going to spring from. But this week, something's gotta give'. In your love life: Focus your drive and passion on those who are there for you no matter what. Don't be distracted by external pressures.

The phrase big-hearted' is a compliment to describe people who live, give and love to the maximum. But, medically speaking, being big-hearted is not to be admired. Those suffering from enlarged hearts are rarely in great health. Perhaps this phrase should be a warning to all those with a metaphorically enhanced ventricular capacity. Being too big-hearted can be bad for emotional health too. You can't say yes' to everyone who tugs your heartstrings. Be kind and generous but not to your own detriment. Then you can forge a hard-wearing, mutually supportive partnership. In your love life: As your ruler Venus conjuncts both Jupiter and Mercury, the outlook for your love life is good. And it will remain good.

To understand what really happened in your past, just wait a while. Soon the future will arrive. Then you'll be able to see what kind of an impact your story has had so far. Too often, we dismiss valuable opportunities because they don't match our ideas. Yet, despite Mercury turning retrograde this week, don't become unduly anxious. Look at the details of your current situation. Your ruler's conjunction with Jupiter, and the arrival of a Solar Eclipse, offer you a rare chance to go back to yesterday and alter something with the potential to bring you a brighter tomorrow. In your love life: Mercury retrograde will test your communication skills. Simply tell those close to you just how much they matter to you.

This week brings the chance to start afresh and renew your commitment to the key stories that run through your life. The wheat and the chaff will become more clearly separated. You can begin to differentiate between what you need on your journey, and what you can do without. It's as if a veil lifts and you see things for what they truly represent. Though much will stand up to this scrutiny, there may be casualties too. Jettisoning things will only make it easier for you to move forward in the right direction. It's a week for new endings as much as beginnings. In your love life: The Solar Eclipse signals a new beginning Let your heart be optimistic. Give it the freedom and protection it desires.

Are you being treated with the respect you deserve? Are your talents being valued, your contributions appreciated? Can you do something that makes others take notice in the most positive possible way? A lot of questions but you won't find them hard to answer. Inwardly, you know what's going on. You are being empowered to go beyond an emotional reaction to a contentious situation. Your ruler's Eclipse forms a T-square that opposes Neptune and opposes Saturn. You can harness its power to shatter people's illusions and begin acting with real authority. In your love life: Clear communication. Essential! This week brings a key opportunity to redefine a partnership in pursuit of a shared dream.

The British comedian Harry Hill once blamed rising crime on mobile phones. He reasoned: more mobile phones means fewer telephone boxes; so it is harder for Superman to get changed! This week, there are opportunities for you to spring into action. You may be spoilt for choice. The fact that there are so many places for your unique skills to be applied, underlines the lack of opportunities you've faced lately. You don't need a small cubicle on a street corner to change into your power suit! You can easily access the strength to deal with whatever is thrown at you. In your love life: If you can truly demonstrate your thoughtfulness through generosity, you'll find that it will be as much a gift to yourself.

As important as it is that we're kind to one another, it's just as important that we're generous to ourselves. And this is especially true for Librans. Quite often, to us, the way forward seems obvious. Of course they'll do this' we think, because that's the right thing to do to be fair to everyone'. Then, lo and behold, we're confounded to discover that a very different path has been taken, one a lot less to our liking. It's important to remember that the only way to influence an outcome is to speak up. Luckily this week your voice will be in fine fettle. In your love life: As your ruler Venus conjuncts Jupiter and Mercury before entering your sign, you can cast spells and break down barriers.

Let me introduce you to two of the greatest thieves of happiness. Their names are outrage' and umbrage'. A sneaky pair, they wriggle into our thoughts, taking offence here and registering deep disapproval there. There's nothing wrong with recognising something is wrong. But there is nothing right about welling up with righteous indignation. The influence of the Eclipse invites you to start afresh with one particular situation. See what needs to be seen, do what should be done but don't allow yourself to be held hostage by what you feel. It's important to stay calm this week. In your love life: Finding the right person to share your life with will help make desires a reality. Accept yourself and you'll be much happier.

It's not just our ego that benefits from being acknowledged by others. Our wallets, careers and hearts all have peaks and valleys that fluctuate with what we believe people think about us. It's a skilful juggling act, changing your ways to suit different situations. It's good to be known as happy-go-lucky but this is not the characteristic of someone to call in a crisis. Conversely, people like to surround themselves with success and prefer not to invite a sourpuss to their party. This week your efforts will pay off and give you that aura of success and the good fortune you access will help you achieve it. In your love life: Your ruler Jupiter conjuncts Mercury and Venus, and there's a Solar Eclipse. A wonderful exchange is possible.

We need to be taken seriously. We all like a joke, but it's important that our voice is heard and respected too. No one likes to feel that their contributions aren't valued, or that their point of view isn't considered. Our collective futures are decided by major decisions. This week, you can make a difference to more than just your own circumstances. There's higher call that you can answer if you're willing to. But it will require passion and commitment. It will require you to give of yourself without seeking personal reward. Are you ready to act on your beliefs? In your love life: Your expectation is based on precedent. As Mars joins your ruler, let it go. Change is coming; all can be much better.

Once, wherever we travelled, we could be sure to encounter something or someone new. Then came chain stores, franchises and globalisation. Now, we mostly lead carbon-copy lives wherever we are on the planet. Perhaps this is why we can react so dramatically to differences, if ever we still find them. As Mars and your ruler Saturn conjunct in Sagittarius this week, your current desire to break new ground may not sit well with those who prefer to preserve tradition. But you can yet find a path that is right, if not for everyone, then at least for those that matter. In your love life: Remember that a problem shared is a problem halved, and that shared triumph is far greater than solo success.

There's an idea that's buzzing around now that has the potential to inspire you to greatness. It doesn't really matter so much where, or from whom the idea comes. What's most important is how you run with it. Big ideas take a lot of effort and energy. They come from humble beginnings. And if they are to achieve anything, they do so through the success of a thousand small victories, rather than being the result of one seismic event. You can achieve something important and long-lasting now, if you're willing to put your ideas into action. In your love life: Don't let lack of confidence ground your great ideas. Work alongside people with focus and you will connect to your own.

Some people like to experience a little pain. Perhaps this is why they deliberately make their lives more difficult than they need to creating problems that could be avoided or getting caught in unnecessary conflicts. Do you have a secret desire to experience such discomfort? Well, if you're sure that you don't, I've got good news for you from the cosmos. It's time to put current frustrations behind you and set your passion to good use. Saturn and Neptune's influences this week can be used to drive a new agenda. There's no need to put up with discomfort. In your love life: Frustrated? See a bigger picture and know that even if the next steps are difficult, they'll be decisive. Kindness is the key.

According to Shakespeare, jealousy is a green-eyed monster. But people used the colour green to describe this feeling long before he coined the phrase. Its roots may lie with the ancient Greeks, who believed jealously came from bile giving the skin a yellow-green pallor. But I'm not about to prescribe you a course of leeches! Nor suggest your week will be full of resentment. The colour that springs to mind is red. New passions are available to replace old frustrations. And instead of envying from afar, you can share in an exciting joint undertaking. In your love life: It's time to expand horizons and explore ideas you've been afraid to let grow. Do this and your optimism will be rewarded.

Perhaps you're familiar with the term motor-mouth? This week you might be! When someone's words fall out faster than Usain Bolt on roller-skates, they're often considered nervous. But when you get a little excitable, it's usually thanks to an abundance of ideas. This week, your thinking cap will be firmly screwed on, and light bulbs will keep popping up above your head. Of course, ideas and Geminis are hardly strange bedfellows; an active mind is your calling card. But this week, you can access wisdom that makes you especially worth listening to. In your love life: The movements of your ruler, Mercury, and Jupiter, and Venus suggest you're safe from a particular problem. Relish that!

You'll be happy to hear that, this week, life does not require you to wrestle a crocodile or parachute from a plane. You can undertake such challenges if you wish, but they are not a necessity. You simply have to pit yourself against a problem that seems almost as scary but which is more psychological than physical. As Saturn and Mars conjunct this week and the Moon pays a brief visit to Uranus, it's possible you'll have to do something you don't really want to, and smile as you do it. Yet your chances of success are surprisingly high and worth the effort. In your love life: Embrace the unknown, but don't become emotionally attached to something that's likely to change.

It's time to take your creative side seriously. I shouldn't need to remind you of your talents and of how gifted you can consider yourself. But therein lies an issue some of your strengths seem to come so naturally that you hardly feel the need to push yourself. But strength comes from muscle and muscles need to be exercised. Or they waste away. You have a chance, this week, to be more than you currently are. You can put your passions to work and channel your expressive nature into real progress. Use the fire in your heart as fuel for your endeavour. In your love life: Still wounded from an old emotional encounter? The cosmos suggests you don't have to forget... but you can move on.

We live in an information age. Once, if we needed to know something, we had to visit libraries and trawl through encyclopedias. Now we just type into a search engine. But even if we are able to access the sum total of human knowledge at the click of a mouse, there's a difference between theory and practice. As Mercury conjuncts Jupiter this week, you can start to think big' in a way that seemed unrealistic not so long ago. And as the Sun moves into your sign, you can start to divine the method that turns a mere possibility into a distinct probability. In your love life: Big ideas are coming. Yet someone close may demand proof of concept. You'll need bold action before they're inspired too.

What is anger? It's frustration with events that seem somehow unfair. It may be, though, that our sense of unfairness is warped, that our ideas are coloured by personal desire. Yet even when we become angry because we want something unattainable, it often stems from a feeling that we somehow deserve it. This week, there are things you won't get that you feel you're owed, and there are bounties you'll receive based on luck as much as merit. With the right attitude you can start a conversation that makes getting what you want a more realistic proposition. In your love life: You want to help someone? Worry less about your own stability and be big-hearted. You can do more than you think.

I feel so good I'm gonna break somebody's heart tonight!' sings Richard Thompson in a song about how incredible it feels to be young, free and released from prison. It raises the question: is it only once we've spent time inside' that we can truly appreciate the opportunities we usually take for granted? Lately you may have felt, if not trapped, then stuck, revisiting issues that you'd really rather were put to bed. This week you can finally draw a line under this. No matter the challenges you face in moving on, remind yourself how good it is to feel free to do so. In your love life: You can create much that, with effort, will last. Don't expect things to be easily built if you want them to weather storms.

In America the concept of freedom is sacrosanct a principle held in higher esteem than safety and order. To the rest of the world, it feels as if this skews the values of a great and complex nation, but it's important to understand where this ideal emanates. America is largely a land of immigrants, many of whom fled persecution or sought opportunities unavailable in the class structures of Europe. Through struggle, this was the identity that shaped a nation. This week your own inner strength will be decisive in forging a path forward. In your love life: No matter how hard the rain might fall, remember that it's helping to create fertile ground in which healthy roots can thrive.

It's easier to criticise than to create. It's more fun and less work to tear down a flawed structure than to carefully amend its shaky foundations. We're in a world where taking out the opposition is more important than providing real alternatives. Have we created a climate of fear? Or has the idea of ridicule made us accept an unsatisfactory status quo? We're capable of more. It's important to recognise your power, and see that your beliefs are a valuable resource and deserve to be explored. This week you can end an embargo that has held you back too long. In your love life: A mystery will soon be understood. With that change of direction comes a chance to share in a beneficial triumph.

Change doesn't have to be hard. Revolutions need not be bloody. The power of the best ideas is self-evident. They inspire devotion rather than invoke fear. But of course there are always those with vested interests. How do we take into account the demise in prospects of those ingrained in the old ways? We have to make them part of the solution and use their experience rather than scorn their input. This week you can make a breakthrough. The handbrake is off and the gears engaged. Make sure everyone is invited on the ride. In your love life: It really is safe to go beyond a boundary. This week's full Moon in Aquarius suggests much can be achieved if you do.

Are there shadowy figures lurking on the fringes of your world, secretly planning your downfall? Why, of course, not! If you have an enemy of any kind, it's simply your own tendency to doubt yourself or worry more than you need to. Your overall outlook now, remains excellent. You can proceed with confidence towards the completion of a highly worthwhile task. Your ruler Neptune forms a T-square this week opposite Venus and squares a newly direct Saturn. If you come up against barriers or difficulties, these represent nothing more than life's usual obstacles. In your love life: This week, there's an alluring air about you. You can forge a lasting connection now, if you're willing to make it work.

It's usually only when we're unhappy that we begin to ponder the meaning of our lives. If we're constantly dealt a hand of aces, why challenge the nature of good fortune? Eventually all lucky streaks come to an end and, as songwriter Randy Newman once proclaimed, even if you seem to have it all, it's lonely at the top! I'm not suggesting that your prospects are dim this week, far from it! It's likely that a seemingly innocuous event will bring a glimpse of insight. The questions that arise will be worth answering and the resulting ideas worth acting upon. In your love life: Positive planetary movements suggest the arrival of events to warm your soul. How much more luck could you ever need?

Let's make a list. Weekends are good for such activities. Write down all you want to achieve and at the end of the week, we can come up with the reasons why these things didn't actually happen. Or not! This week, as Venus forms powerful angles, Saturn turns direct and with a Full Moon in Aquarius, you might see a long list of satisfying ticks against all the points on your agenda. With that in mind, let's make it an easy list. Write, I must remember to remain grateful for the gift of life', all week long. If you can manage that, the rest will follow. In your love life: Don't feel stuck this week. A destination can emerge that has you and a certain someone pulling in the same direction.

When my two-year-old was learning to walk, his speed outmatched his spacial perception and environmental awareness. So we bought a gaily-coloured harness that allowed him to toddle ahead but stopped him running into danger. Of course, there was something odd about walking a child this way, but we knew it was for his own safety and he was enjoying himself. Just like a toddler, you've been reined in. This weekend, since you've mastered the skills you need, the restraints are being removed. Take a moment to adjust adventures lie ahead. In your love life: Is there someone who doesn't understand your dreams. Make your reasons clear, they may finally take you seriously.

One of my childhood toys was a wooden box with two holes in it. Inside it was a labyrinth of hidden tunnels. I used to put a ball-bearing in one end, then shake the box, with increasing frustration, hoping it would drop out of a hole on the other side. Success at this game, involving little skill, was accompanied by a sense of pride and relief! This week your persistence, in a situation that has been hard to comprehend, presents a previously unseen path. You have the key to success in your sights. The feeling of achievement will be worth the wait. In your love life: Venus trines Pluto, and there's a Full Moon in Aquarius. Reach out; your courage can draw you closer to someone special.

Sometimes, not getting what we want is so frustrating that we can be tempted to throw our toys out of the pram'. In our younger days, the person who owned the football might have picked it up and taken it home. You've been patiently battling with a barrier preventing you following your natural course of action. You've had to swallow your pride and watch others succeed. This week, the strength of your feelings can overpower those artificial limitations. As you find the freedom to forge forward, you'll have cause to celebrate. You've earned the right to! In your love life: It's impossible to think of you as run-of-the-mill; your quirkiness is attractive, and it can bear great fruit this weekend.

Forgiveness is a virtue made easier when the person we're forgiving shows genuine contrition. Some people, though, only appear to be contrite. In such cases, a magnanimous gesture can end up costing more than we realise. Though the benefit of wiping the slate clean and transforming tense relationships is obvious, it's ever more so when misunderstandings can be buried in peace, never to return. This week, there's a strong suggestion that someone has learned a lesson. Can you show trust once again? If you can, the benefits will be wide reaching. In your love life: As Venus moves through your sign. Be brave enough now to be trusting of heart. You will be amazed at what this brings.

Little escapes you. But even clever people have lapses of concentration. Often, this happens when we're most inclined to see ourselves as infallible. Of course, we can swing the other way too and become so full of doubt as to lose all perspective. But it's generally over-confidence that scuppers us. This week, as Venus forms a T-square opposing Neptune and squaring a newly direct Saturn, your apprehension is proof that you're being sufficiently cautious. But Venus's trine with Pluto asks you to give your situation a chance to change. In your love life: Don't hide away. Sometimes eye contact is enough to light a fire. With concerted kindness, you can reach a secretive heart.

It feels powerful to surround ourselves with displays of wealth. When we are in fine garments, we feel armoured against the petty injustices of the world. When we're reclining in opulent surroundings we are inclined to believe our own hype. Being confident is no bad thing - assertiveness is essential for success - but deriving this from external sources is risky. This week offers the chance of a breakthrough in how you view yourself. You can access a hidden sense of self-worth. No matter the state of your bank account, this is something that should not be traded. In your love life: If someone knows you're holding back, it's easy for them to be resentful. For a closer union, share the power of a secret.

You're not the person you used to be. You've still got your memories and experiences. You've still got the same basic personality. But you've learned a lot and it has done you a power of good. The tough stuff you've had to face plus the wonderful change in your celestial outlook that begins this week explain why you can now see the future through different eyes. As Saturn turns direct in your sign it forms a T-square with Venus and Neptune. With a Full Moon on its way too, if you've got a bright vision or an inspiring hope, it's time to trust it! In your love life: Have you been fighting battles with one arm tied behind your back. Soon you will be seen as a true problem-slayer.

Some people question the need for oil on troubled waters. They say, If there's trouble brewing, just leave it to get stronger. The more you try to sort it out, the more deeply embroiled you will become.' Do you feel as if you can now do a lot to defuse a tense situation? Will you live to regret this? No, but you may well regret doing nothing when you had an opportunity to make a difference. This week, as Mercury squares Saturn, your ruler also slows to turn direct. This suggests that if you give your best to your current challenge, you may turn it around. In your love life: You don't always have to win your argument by pure logic. This isn't a matter for grey matter, but a time to be soulful.

Did you know that when lightning strikes it ALWAYS strikes twice? Although it appears as a single flash, it's actually a series of short bursts. It can also hit the same location many times. In 2014, Chicago's Sears Tower was hit ten times during one storm! This week you are due some flashes of inspiration. Both your co-rulers experience a surge of Mercurial power. Mysteries can be solved, and secrets unearthed that allow you to make vital progress. Be your natural, electrifying self, and you can give your problems a positive charge. In your love life: You should never settle for less than you deserve. Balance in a partnership requires redressing. Don't sell yourself short.

Dreams are especially useful when we're able to harvest from them a sense of what to do, and an idea of how to do it. It's often when we're troubled that they become most vivid. If we can interpret them, they allow us to process information in a way that our conscious minds often struggle to do. They can show us outcomes that become the building blocks on which progress is founded. This week, a difficult situation is due to become less troubling. It may not happen overnight, but a key insight will emerge that reveals a long sought-after solution. In your love life: Venus squaring Mars, then Saturn, shows that what seems bad is not so bad. And what's good can be really, really good.

Make a shopping list this week. But don't just include vegetables, cereals and other sundries. Include some of the bigger items you'd like to put in your basket. Success at work? Aisle 7. A positive new outlook? Aisle 3, shelf 4. Untold riches? Well, maybe you won't find those on the supermarket shelves. But there's a sense that your heart and mind can work as one, and that what drives you can produce the reward you long for; in both the material and spiritual sense. If the cupboard has felt bare of late, this week it's time to restock the larder. In your love life: Don't tell someone how to be or demand they accept all your views. Lead by example; you'll be graciously received.

Where do we get our ideas? From where does creativity spring forth? Sometimes it may feel as if that particular well has run dry and that no matter how much we pump on the handle, our bucket remains empty. But a change in the weather makes all the difference, and this week, inspiration can rain down like a monsoon. Where the grounds of your imagination seemed parched and dry, you'll soon find fertile planting beds for your thoughts to bloom. You'll have the power to envision a better future for yourself, and the energy to put it into action. In your love life: You once gave up hope of reaching an emotional goal. But your ruler Venus squares Mars this weekend; it's not a lost cause.

When people want to persuade other people of something, they look for their weaknesses. Either they play on their fears or they play to their hopes. They listen out for subtle clues and suggestions and try to use these to make their case sound as convincing and appealing as possible. As Mercury makes powerful alignments this week, you may notice someone trying to talk you into an idea that won't bring you much benefit. To talk yourself out of going along with this, you must muster as much objectivity as you can. Then you can talk them round to your point of view! In your love life: Does someone share your feelings? There are two sides to every story. This week you can write yours how you want.

You feel as if you've been moving in circles. It's as if, unbeknown to you, one of the oarsmen in your boat is missing the water with each stroke. You can feel motion, but you're circling around. As you drift on the current, you may feel you're making progress, but surely, with all the effort and time you've dedicated, you should be farther along by now? This week, the malfunctioning oar may well present itself. But it will be the discovery of an outboard motor at the bottom of your boat that will truly enhance your progress. Be prepared to make a splash. In your love life: There's passion to be found in the most mundane of experiences this week. You just have to be creative in summoning it.

What was bugging you this time last year? You may not be able to remember. That tells you something. We ought to know better than to let ourselves get wound up by silly things that people do or say. Or by things they haven't done or that we wish they would say! You'll soon find out that you have far less to worry about than you think. As the Sun makes the same tense angle with Pluto this week as it did a year ago, try to apply a wise sense of perspective to an irritating or aggravating matter. This is a week for agreement, not argument. In your love life: Romance is not the same as economics. Be generous with what you have, and you can accrue the love you desire this week.

What's the fastest thing you can think of? Faster than supersonic jets. Faster, even, than the speed of light in a vacuum. Nothing, according to science, should be able to travel faster. Nothing material that is. The speed of thought is faster still. In an instant, we can imagine ourselves on Pluto, waiting patiently for light to catch us up. This week, the universe urges you to think fast. There'll be issues to address, problems to solve and changes to oversee. Fortunately, it also provides you with theresources to deal with all that comes your way. In your love life: Past experiences have made you what you are. Don't regret your past. It drives you towards a beautiful future this week.

You have an opportunity. You have a chance that doesn't come along too often. You can take a current problem, and develop a solution that, even if it doesn't tick all the boxes, will find itself in a sweet spot on the Venn diagram of possible outcomes. You'll discover a way of not only getting the tangible results you want, but doing so in a way that doesn't feel selfish or acquisitive and which allows you to maintain harmony with your wider world. You have the ability to find spiritual and material rewards this week. Take advantage of your fortune. In your love life: Your ruler Venus now forms an exact square with Mars. There's something you can do. Whether it's big or small, do it.

What goes up must come down.' That's what we're told. The law of gravity applies to all things physical, and a similar spiritual' law apparently applies to all things psychological. Thus, pride comes before a fall'. And does all this work in reverse? Must what is buried eventually resurface? Will a low' inevitably be followed by a high'? Yes. As Mercury trines your co-ruler Pluto, and Venus squares your other ruler Mars, a tide can turn in your life. A nadir has been reached. From this point onwards, as you will see this week, the only way is up. In your love life: This week, you can shout it's my turn'. It IS your turn to get what you want. You'll find someone happy to help you take it.

When a pilot is investigated for transgressing flight rules, they are said to be grounded'. They may attend to other duties but are restricted from taking to the sky. The term also applies when parents discipline unruly teenagers for rule-breaking. As someone who values their freedom, it may have felt as if your celestial guardians have grounded you recently. The good news is that you're about to get your wings back. This week, instead of feeling punished for your independent spirit, you can begin to feel appreciated and even rewarded. In your love life: With Venus squaring Mars, and soon, Venus squaring Saturn. You're learning something valuable about yourself.

Your ruler turns direct this month, bringing with it the chance to return to your traditional strengths. At times it has felt as if you've been swimming against the tide, forced to compromise in order to make progress. The tide is about to turn and its currents will help to carry you forward. It may not always be plain sailing, but the winds will be in your favour. Can you see that island on your horizon? It may not have treasure buried on it but you are heading for an opportunity that will bring you wealth and well-being. In your love life: You may fear making a mistake; but you could be making a bigger mistake if you were to avoid making any mistakes.

With both a Full Moon in your sign and your ruler turning direct, August will be a time for celebrating an achievement. This may, though, come as a surprise, a turn-up for the books. You need to be on the lookout for a sudden flash of inspiration or an unexpected turn around in a situation you had almost given up on. Now that you have some advance warning you can be ready! You'll have plenty of time to buy some champagne and invite your friends. You always knew you had it in you, didn't you? In your love life: You have much to offer. The right person will see this and respond. It may just be, however, that their identity surprises you.

We all like to get what we ordered. But sometimes getting less than we expect is preferable to getting more than we bargained for. If you order a Hawaiian pizza, you don't want to find there's no pineapple. But if the pineapple is joined by banana and kiwis, you might get really upset! Until, you remember that you're on holiday! You've just been served a local speciality! You'll feel, this month, as if you're not getting what you are hoping for. Be patient and you'll be pleasantly surprised.There's a treat in store. In your love life: When you're seen in a new, admiring light, be sure you are liked for your true self, not a fantasy, before you open your heart.

In the documentary 20,000 Days On Earth about the musician Nick Cave, the parting shot is one of the most beautiful in cinema. Standing on Brighton beach the camera begins with a close up on his face and then pulls farther and farther out until the whole promenade is in view. This month, as Mars enters Sagittarius, you may find your own focus shifting. It's not that it is any less sharp. The lens has just widened and you see more in the frame. Could that make it harder for you to hit your target? Maybe, but it will also allow you to broaden your horizons. In your love life: The true nature of a situation could be revealed, so let me spoil the surprise: it is more beautiful than you can imagine.

You've got taste, you've got style. Although much of this comes naturally, it doesn't always mean it's easy to maintain. Sometimes even the most glamorous amongst us need to pop to the supermarket. Seeing a Hollywood star queuing up with a family-size packet of toilet roll, may not fit the image we like to have, but we all have to do it sometime. As your ruler enters Virgo you may have to take part in some of the nitty gritty stuff. Don't fight it. Learn from it, appreciate it and embrace it as a vital part of even the most luxurious lifestyle. In your love life: Try not to contain an ungovernable soul. Love that is inspired is far more potent than devotion that is demanded.

You have such a useful mind. Yes, you can be witty, eccentric and esoteric, but you can also be an invaluable source of wisdom. Whatever you do, don't underestimate your worth to others as a practical source of help and inspiration. Your particular way of looking at things may well be unique but that doesn't mean that no-one else can understand your particular insight. This month especially, your singular brand of philosophy and reasoning is exactly what's required. Be clear, be clever and you will be much appreciated. In your love life: You can't know all there is to know about what awaits you. You may yet have an eye-opening and delightful surprise.

Sometimes you feel as if you are only dancing on the outside. Though to others it may look as if you are totally in the moment, consumed by the music and in tune with the world, inside there may well be an entirely different process happening. You may be meticulously working out each step, planning graceful escapes from potential stumbles and thinking ahead to the possibilities with the next change of beat. Spend time this month exploring your inner creativity. There will come a moment when you have to lead the dance. In your love life: A flame can fizzle out. But sometimes, if you tend to the embers of a neglected fire, a flame can grow anew.

Your ruler, the Sun, leaves your sign this month but not without sticking around to imbue you with some high octane energy and excitement. As a naturally creative and charismatic individual, you can usually rely on your charm to get you through sticky situations. For much of August it may feel effortless to do this. But be careful this doesn't cause you to coast, or take your hand off the tiller. A big heart and a lovely smile will only get you so far. You'll need to back it up with some substance. The qualities you need are within arm's reach. In your love life: A New Moon, and trines between the Sun and Saturn, and Uranus with Venus in your sign this week, you'll see progress soon.

Your solar return approaches in August, giving you renewed light and purpose. In particular, you may find that this month is a positive time for matters of the heart. You may discover a new way of thinking about a relationship, changing your perception of what's possible. Don't shy away from this. You may be a humble soul but that doesn't mean you have nothing to shout about. Just because something seems like a dream doesn't mean it can't be turned into a reality. If anyone can make the intangible physical, it's you. In your love life: Has it felt a bit like being in a band while waiting for the lead singer to arrvive? Venus is in the house, the show can start.

This month may present a challenge to your normal way of looking at things. You like things to feel 'just right'. It's a work-life balance thing. Justice for those who are suffering.The equality of opportunity. As your ruler enters Virgo, you may feel that you need to answer a calling, that the harmony of your world needs a little work to get it back into equilibrium. Put some thought into your approach but don't delay your first step too long. Some very positive and powerful cosmic vibrations will help you with your mission. In your love life: We should be defined by achievements, not by our mistakes. Be generous with your heart. A change may be needed.

You've been going through a tense time recently. It may not, though, have been a bad sort of intensity. In fact it has been empowering. But even the broadest of shoulders sometimes need to loosen up. As your ruler Mars leaves your sign, you might feel as if you are losing the drive you've relied on to power you through. Take this opportunity to explore a new way of thinking. The tension is easing and you'll soon find yourself with a new direction. In your love life: A situation could upset you if you let it. As your ruler Mars enters Sagittarius, the more you learn, the happier all will be.

Feeling adventurous? You usually are! But this month a Berlin Wall's worth of barriers are about to come tumbling down. Mars moves into your sign, Saturn turns direct AND your ruler is transited by Venus. Oh boy, oh boy, what a time to be you. Don't think you won't have to swing the hammer though. That Germanic wall didn't crumble through disrepair. It took determination, strength and vision to achieve the breakthrough. And the timing was also right. Draw upon all your talents. Your moment is nigh. In your love life: The heavens suggest you're getting your mojo back. It's a good time to get creative, to be generous with your heart.

There are several factors in your life at the moment that you feel are indispensable. They are the supporting walls of your home base, the foundations of your strength and certainty. What would you do if these were challenged this week? It could make you uncomfortable. It may alter some of the key perspectives that inform your decisions. But you're stronger than you realise and anything less than an earthquake is unlikely to shake you. The Richter scale can go as high as it likes, your position will only be more powerful and steadfast. In your love life: Radical change is rarely needed; a small correction may be all that's wanted to keep your skies sunny and your future bright.

Some people know the price of everything and the value of nothing. And some know only the opposite! And there are some who know exactly what to dispense with, how to replace it and where to get the best possible deal in the process. This week there are likely to be some readjustments to take care of. A situation has reached the point of no return and something has got to give. Luckily this is a scenario in which you have much to offer. Be ready this week, if not for action, then at least to be a part of the plan. In your love life: Is an affectionate admirer quietly keeping their feelings to themselves? Look again at what (and who) you think you know!

Are people who have an iPhone 6S happier than those with an iPhone 6? Is there any relationship between quality of life and quality of device? Of course not! But when people feel proud of something that they own, they experience a kind of glow. That's why, if we seek emotional stability, we are wiser not to take pride in our possessions but in what we keep in our own hearts! Jonathan's words are a perfect fit for the influences you face this week: Life will soon offer you an inner upgrade. To install this, just be more inspired and less reactive.' In your love life: We all have someone we look up to; but you need to take steps to establish your identity as distinct from that of your idol.

What's on your shopping list this week? There are your usual staples, your vegetables and grains, but don't you need to make a stop at the furniture store as well? Don't you need to get your mattress re-sprung? This isn't meant to worry you into losing sleep about the state of your bed. But there is a sense that something is due to come back to earth with a bump. I'm just suggesting that you need to rethink your current philosophy. If you position your mattress just right, you can bring about a bounce in the right direction. In your love life: Are you in competition or is it a partnership? Choose which game you end up playing. Only one kind will bring a real reward.

According to archaeologists, there were no humans on Earth during the age of the dinosaurs. Our ancestors never had to cower in a cave while a tyrannosaurus rex came stomping by. Even so, we all seem to suffer from an innate, almost primeval fear of big scary monsters. When there aren't any, we invent them and we are often prone to see small problems as huge threats. Jonathan's words are appropriate for you this week: No matter what is worrying you now, it really isn't going to eat you alive unless you let it!' In your love life: Transitions of the heart can be difficult, forcing you to resolve tough situations. Learn from the changes your heart seeks.

The key to survival is adaptability, and few adapt as well as a Gemini. Where others see a tree blocking the road, you see a chance to live out your lumberjack fantasies! This week is no different. Your creative side can come to the fore as you tackle the situations that lie ahead of you. Your sense of playful ingenuity will see you through whatever tests come your way. All sorts of unlikely accords will be created in your mission to deliver. No matter how the chips fall this week, think on your feet and you'll find room to manoeuvre. In your love life: Is your heart asking you to take a new approach? Who do you know who has begun to seem more than first met your eye?

Is it a breakthrough or is it a breakdown? When the tension snaps it can often go more than one way. Like the pulling of a Christmas cracker, it can be difficult to know whether you'll end up with a prize and a funny story or a charred bit of cardboard. But unlike a cracker, often the only person we're really competing with is ourselves. When we feel like we've lost, when we think we've been given a raw deal, perhaps we are just looking at the wrong hand. Look at the bigger picture this week; you're moving in the right direction. In your love life: You don't always have to have a specific aim in mind. Sometimes it's enough to do something just because it inspires you.

How does positivity turn into petulance? What makes the theatrical side of you prone to tantrums? Perhaps it's because big hearts care so much. Physics states that energy cannot be destroyed, only converted. The same could be said of emotion. If we live a life full of hope and joy, when these are thwarted they can easily become anger and pain. But this shouldn't resign you to accept difficulties. The very fact that your heart can turn sour proves that it can be sweetened again. This week, stir in a little sugar for your soul. In your love life: Is someone getting under your skin, becoming an itch you must scratch? They may be helping to smooth your rough edges.

Your ruler enters your sign this week and not a moment too soon! All sorts of developments could do with your help. There was much afoot already and events this week will, I'm afraid, make your to do' list grow instead of shrink. But rather than sigh with exasperation, consider this: life is the accumulation of tasks and responsibilities. We only truly have nothing on the agenda when we see our time coming to an end! You'll soon start to feel at your most capable, so be grateful for the opportunity to fix so many issues. In your love life: Start asking a little more loudly for some of the things that you desire. You may be surprised by who is willing to help you.

When we stop making new discoveries, our lives become a little sad. There may be something safe about a world in which there are no surprises, but even the most conservative characters appreciate some excitement from time to time. As Uranus turns retrograde in your opposite sign this week, can you now look on a challenge as if it were an opportunity? Can you fight back the part of you that wants to say, Oh no', and summon instead a voice that says, Oh yes!' Try to enjoy the uncertainty. That will help in so many ways. In your love life: Something unexpected will make you view someone in a new light. Is this light warning you off or beckoning you closer?

Sometimes life can take an unexpected turn. One minute everything is proceeding as normal; if not exactly going to plan, then at least taking logical steps when an event occurs that throws everything into question. Whilst I'm not suggesting that you'll wake up one morning to find yourself building schools in foreign lands, you may end the week with a rather different perspective than you started it. The vision of how you see your role in the challenges ahead will change. But it's up to you to define the tint of your spectacles. In your love life: To progress, you must sometimes let go of a goal to further a long-term aim; you'll gain much more than you lose.

Some creative acts are instantly rewarding. We come up with an idea, we implement it and we gain immediate satisfaction. Others take longer to come to fruition. Of course, the more effort we have to put into chasing a dream, the more fulfilling it is to make it a reality. But that's little comfort when we doubt if we'll ever find success. As Uranus turns retrograde it's important to ask: Am I now being creative? Or am I pursuing an emotional goal? Is it both?' Whatever it is, a breakthrough may be nearer than you realise. In your love life: You can't rely on luck; but you can be prepared for the magical moment when it does show up to transform your life.

Have you ever, while fast asleep, dreamed that you were awakening from a dream? You now have to be wary of just such a deceptive vision. Jonathan's interpretation of your alignments this week is optimistic: The Full Moon in your sign suggests you have a rare and brilliant chance to satisfy an intense and long-held need. You must be careful not to waste this opportunity by reaching for an idea that's ultimately not worth pursuing. You have several secret hopes. But some are based on less than solid foundations. Aspire only to those that can't fail to fulfil you.' In your love life: The greatest triumphs are always the results of team efforts. If you share your burden, you will find victory through harmony.

It may feel strange and confusing to be caught up by emotions. Leaky eyes, unintelligible noises and uncontrollable responses may sometimes feel downright alien. And to an alien, such as Mr Spock, it IS weird. If your entire experience was based on logical insight then none of it would make sense. But you're not from the planet Vulcan. Someone may challenge you to wear your heart on your sleeve this week. You don't have to go that far but be prepared to show you have one. A heart that is. The cloth on your sleeve is the same as everyone else's. In your love life: Someone new is becoming the focus of your attention. Don't hold back with your praise. You can make a lasting bond.

It's not easy to earn a crust of bread in this world. More and more the simple ways of carving an honest living are automated, globalised and made obsolete. Often, to find a way to be compensated we need to get creative, build on our strengths and prove we have something unique to offer that is worth top dollar. This week, the cosmos is sending you the tools to do just that. Don't let an opportunity to demonstrate your creativity pass you by. If you can add this ability to your talents and techniques, your efforts will be surprisingly well rewarded. In your love life: Focus on what's truly wonderful about someone... and they will see something similarly transcendent about you!

Popeye has a catch phrase: I yam what's I am and that's all what's I yam!' Yet this was a man who could transform the moment a morsel of spinach passed his lips. We are all capable of transformation. And we're all on a journey of metamorphosis. The beginning, the end and the middle of this journey all play an equal part in defining what's I yam' for each of us. Though you may face challenges this week, the cosmos will provide you with cans of spinach. Eat up and watch your power grow! In your love life: There's someone with whom you can strengthen your connection. Reach out, they can help you heal your wounds.

We rarely get what we want unless we ask for it. Until we clearly articulate our needs, how will we be able to recognise them, let alone the needs of other people? That's not to suggest that we just need to ask and we shall receive. If only it were that simple! But at least if we ask we can work out who is willing and able to provide for us, and where it might be that we're chasing up a blind alley. This week, think about your desires and try to clarify them. It will help you to find what you're looking for. In your love life: Things are due to improve. You thought you had a problem. You'll soon see you really don't have a problem after all.

So you think you know where you are going? So you reckon you understand what you're supposed to be doing? This week's events may give you cause to reconsider for the nicest possible reasons. Jonathan had apt advice for the alignments affecting you this week: A new possibility is arising. A different kind of challenge is presenting itself. Things are not as they were, they are different and, in many respects, better. Change is your friend. Tradition, to some extent at least, is now your enemy. Don't do what you always do. Do what you'd like to be able to do.' In your love life: If you feel held back this week, forgive the hand that holds you. It is only doing what it believes is best for you.

For some people achievement is the only thing that seems to float their boat. They barely complete one task before setting forth on another. It hardly matters what it is they're achieving, such is their devotion to completing a challenge. Building the world's tallest house of cards? Blowing up as many balloons as possible in the space of a minute? You can achieve something if you set your mind to it. But it will only be worthwhile if you apply your heart as well. Take the path that matters to you this week. In your love life: You are being willed into action from afar. You can turn this into an action that will benefit those you care about most.

Towards the end of the week, the Sun moves into your sign. That's big. It's exciting. It's encouraging and auspicious. But before that happens, you may encounter a difficulty that you find frustrating. Jonathan's interpretation of this week's exciting events: You can let it be a big deal or ensure that it remains a storm in a teacup. Knowing how well things will turn out in the end should help you maintain the right sense of perspective. The journey may be tough but the destination will delight you. And really, there's nothing you can't overcome to achieve this success.' In your love life: Apply some science to your heart and take serious steps towards a great result. Remember to add your own unique angle!

Life is 10 per cent what happens to you and 90 per cent how you react to it.' So said Charles R. Swindoll. Well if anyone can take lemons and make lemonade, it'll be a Virgo. Not only that, it'll be the most delicious lemonade from the most unpromising lemons. But surely how one reacts to life's setbacks influences what happens next. If so, does that make life 100 per cent how you react to it? It's not a question that can be answered in a short forecast, so here's a prediction instead: If you can maintain a grateful mindset and a positive attitude, much is possible this week. In your love life: Where can you help someone? And how could that lead to a benefit in kind? Someone has a goal that you can help them reach.

Fun. It's quite nice really. For some people it's all they need to have a good time. But fun is at its finest when it is part of a bigger process. If you can enjoy a challenge that is ultimately rewarding, then surely that's better than frittering time away on pointless pursuits? We must, of course, be careful with how we make judgements. Something seemingly unproductive can be an essential part of a bigger plan. And the benefit of a healthy social life can't be underestimated. But this week you will reach your goals a lot faster if you enjoy yourself whilst furthering a cause. In your love life: As Saturn trines your ruler, there's much you don't understand. Soon, if you remain open-hearted, you will know far more.

Barriers and boundaries have held you back for too long. You have had to learn, the hard way, where these lie. You try to make a move. You get so far, then you discover that an invisible obstacle seems to lie in your path. Jonathan had great advice for exactly your situation this week: Daunted and dismayed by your encounters, you may have resolved to set yourself easier goals and targets. Thus you make mediocre gains when you could be achieving great strides. But this week, as the planets form several auspicious alignments, you're going to see a way around what have appeared impossible hurdles.' In your love life: Bridges connect from opposite sides. Help another to build theirs up and you may both get where you need to go.

The phrase, 'I make my own luck' is regularly trotted out on the big screen. Okay, Hollywood, but then that's not really luck is it? Luck, by definition, is entirely random. If you take it away from the equation, you're left with something else. Skill? Foresight? Adaptability? Perhaps a better way of thinking is to expect to be lucky. That way, we'll be in a strong position to take advantage when luck strikes. And as we're on the lookout, we'll recognise when we're lucky and therefore feel lucky more often. Count your blessings this week and you may discover a few more. In your love life: Saturn is in your sign, responding to Venus and Mercury. A situation could easily be worse. Be glad that it isn't!

What we find attractive can be hard to understand. It's easy when someone has a trait we feel we lack, more difficult when they display characteristics we've worked hard to avoid. Perhaps it's a case of finding opposites attractive. Or maybe the mere act of self-denial, even if it's over something we don't want, is enough to make it tantalising when found in someone else. We're complicated enough without matters of the heart adding to the confusion. Be discerning this week and you'll reach understanding that satisfies both your head and your heart. In your love life: When people love us for how we are, we fear that we may alienate them if we change. Don't worry; make the change.

Someone's got something and you want a part of it. This may or may not be about romance, but whatever or whoever it is, it's alluring. To covet something can create an uncomfortable feeling. Jealousy is even more unsettling. Just recognising that these emotions are the opposite of generosity means that you're half way to getting what you want, which, like all of us here on planet Earth, is to feel love. If you can let go of your desire, the chances are that the cosmos will give you what you want this week. In your love life: Is someone testing your defences? It is merely playful sparring from a partner. Engage with it, it will only make you stronger.

When things go wrong, we tend to assume we have entered a realm in which yet more things are likely to start going wrong soon. Pessimism kicks in. We look at the problems and wonder why it should just stop there.' That's how Jonathan interpreted the issues affecting you this week. He suggested: We ought to ask, Why shouldn't it just stop there?' It is perfectly possible to have a source of difficulty in one area of life and a source of great delight in another. See your current source of trouble as an isolated issue, not a dire portent. In your love life: Don't forget the feeling that started it all. A nod to your heart may just bring the renewed harmony you seek.

When a hound picks up a scent it can be almost impossible to rein it in. It will pull hard at the leash, and strain every sinew to bound after its prey. You've been feeling caught up and bound by a promise you feel obliged to honour. Fortunately for you, this week, the leash is particularly generous, or perhaps your quarry is within easy reach. And what a tasty find it will be! You are ready to cast off a restrictive yoke. With nothing to hold you back the time is right to let your creativity roam free. In your love life: Here come opportunities. Let your heart take the wheel for a while, it'll take you places you never though possible.

In the days before children played only with smartphones, there were playgrounds... out in the open air, with physical equipment to climb, swing or ride on. Remember that?' Jonathan's illustration from the past shows the perfect way to interpret influences on you this week: Remember the seesaw? One person sat at each end. If their weights were roughly equal, both could rise into the air a little. If the imbalance was too big, nothing moved. You feel as if life has been a seesaw lately. This week, the scales can tip in your favour.' In your love life: You need to feel valued and secure. Don't play a guessing game. Voice your feelings; make yourself heard.

Imagine that koalas are geniuses with plans for world domination and the knowhow to achieve it. How could we stop them they've got more opposable thumbs than us! In the great apocalyptic battle for supremacy on Earth, how are we supposed to stop a koala in its tracks? They're simply too cuddly to attack! They're the literal definition of disarming! This week, the cosmos gives you a big dose of charm to add to your mental acuity. The rest of us can only hope that you use your power for noble ends! In your love life: Are you being listened to? It's easy to assume you are being understood. But you need certainty. Speak clearly, you won't regret it.

Sometimes we meet a challenge that redefines the nature of who we are. Despite using all our usual techniques, we don't seem to make any headway. Yet we feel compelled to continue, certain there is a way round the problem. Perhaps the reason for our frustration is less to do with the nature of the contest and more with the focus of our energy. This week you have the chance to test yourself and break from tradition. With a new approach, it won't seem as difficult as it appears, and you can reject a tired way of thinking. In your love life: Sometimes feelings aren't enough. Honesty and evidence is needed. Demand proof from those who profess to care.

This week, think Hollywood. There's something about you that feels sophisticated, alluring and good to be around. There's a new-found creativity in your expression, charisma in your communication and charm in your chat. So why do you feel as if you're not being understood and that, though your words are being heard, your feelings are being ignored? You, let alone the rest of the world, needs time to catch up and catch on to the new you'. If you can let go of an old concept of yourself, you will start to feel right at home. In your love life: Mercury and Venus are moving into Leo. It's time to drop a bad habit. Allow yourself to love life, and life will love you back!

We feel under pressure to know, with certainty, what we're doing and where we're going. We are expected to be able to lay out our future in a format suitable for a Powerpoint presentation. There's no room for ums or ers when we present the information either. But suppose you don't know? Suppose you have, dare I say it, a doubt? Uncertainty is a much-maligned word. It takes a lot of confidence and trust to rest in it. The rewards, though, when you do, are worth the wait. It's all right not to know this week. You will, soon enough. In your love life: Something this week seems like a pointless distraction will reveal itself to be much more this week.

We are all brought up to be polite. We know, for example, that if someone doesn't answer a question, we shouldn't keep demanding an answer. Only journalists may do that and they have to go to a special college first, to learn how to be rude! Yet if you just wait for something to happen, it probably won't.' Does Jonathan's scenario ring true? His advice: Somehow, you need to make yourself more of a nuisance. You can do that gently and sweetly now, but you do have to remember not to be distracted from your objective.' In your love life: The secret of long-term love is to remain friends. Articulate how you feel. It's more nourishing than any tasty treat.

The idea of who we'd like to be is influenced by how we want to be perceived. Though these concepts may seem similar, one of them can disguise the intention of the other. Imagine, for example, someone who wants to be seen as a figure of hope when their secret desire is to manipulate. It's not easy to discern someone's true motivation, or, for that matter, our own. You are being blessed with an aura that will make others more receptive to your ideas this week. Use this to advance a benevolent agenda and you will be successful. In your love life: With Mars in your sign, it's worth trying once more to open a door that has long been locked. If it doesn't open, another will.

Look at your junk mail. Just before you recycle it, stop and appreciate the skill and effort that has gone into it. Professionals have done their best to write you a letter that strikes a chord and triggers a response. They want you to feel that their message is important and that the quality of your life will improve if you take up their offer.' These are Jonathan's words to illustrate your week. It poses this question: Where else in your world are you being talked into an involvement or a commitment that you don't really need to make?' In your love life: Those we care about most have the power to infuriate. Your hackles are rising? It's because you care so much.

Are you naturally parsimonious? Whilst many a humorous remark is made about Capricornian caution, that's unfair. You just like to make sure that resources are respected and put to the best use. In July, you will once again prove yourself clever and capable as you resolve a tricky problem with minimal help. Quite why you don't have access to all the assistance you deserve is a matter we can consider on another occasion. For now, it is enough to know that, despite seemingly daunting odds, you will make the most positive progress this month. In your love life: Sometimes it's worth taking a gamble. The open road lies before you this week and the destination will be delightful.

A sharp alignment from Mars to Uranus suggests that in July you will come under pressure. If this were only being imposed upon you by colleagues, companions, commitments or obligations, an astrologer's advice would be easy. I could just say, Tell everyone else not to be so pushy!' But it is not so simple. The real source of the tension that you are starting to feel, is self-inflicted. Reset your own expectation. Give yourself a break. Breathe out. You will get further than you think, even if you don't run as fast as you feel perhaps you ought to. In your love life: Something may have taken the wind out of your sails. It won't be long, though, before they are full of hope again.

If you really want the best experience in July, start worrying less about what the best experience' truly is. We set ourselves impossible standards. We reach for unattainable goals and try to meet entirely unrealistic targets. Even if we make more progress than many might think possible, we do this at the expense of our own strength and sanity. We grow anxious and exhausted and that's never any fun! Priority number one, in July, is to enjoy yourself. The more you honour that need, the more easily you'll get all else you require. In your love life: The Sun's aspect to your ruler suggest that if you are hoping to make a change, this could be the moment!

In a few million years to come, when the Sun implodes and the solar system ends, your life (and mine) will be memories as distant as those of the days of the dinosaurs. Where will we be by then? While I leave you to contemplate that profound point, let us look at your month ahead. July, if nothing else, will bring you an experience that contrasts the magic and the mystery of the vast and eternal, with the pettiness of some passing problem. Your very ability to see that distinction will be part of the same process by which you find a true solution! In your love life: When you choose to unleash your power, none can resist. Take care how you use it this week.

Only one important story starts to tell itself the moment we look at your astrological outlook for July. We see a tale of tension that slowly, but surely, gets resolved. As part of that same epic adventure, we see fear giving way to hope, confusion being replaced by clarity and frustration turning to freedom. As we begin the month, we find you wrestling with demons', trying to resolve an inner dilemma whilst coping with someone else's unreasonable expectations. Things can't go on like that and they won't. It will all come right in the end. In your love life: If you open your heart to new experiences this week, the universe will deliver a surprising gift.

Mercury and Venus are never far apart in the zodiac. Both keep near the Sun and therefore, remain reasonably near to each other. July, though, is one of those rare months when all three celestial bodies align so closely that, for a while, it is as if they rise and set as one. That says plenty about the kind of month you have in store. You are about to be the beneficiary of significant support, psychological and material alike. You might not be given the Moon on a stick, but you will be pleasantly surprised by how much soon starts going your way. In your love life: Plant the right kind of seeds and your emotional life can flourish. Tend new growth, it will lead to a bountiful harvest.

Is there, this month, some situation that you suspect you may as well just walk away from, for all the good your involvement with it is doing? You may feel that way as July begins, but soon you will gain fresh enthusiasm. What seems hopeless will look far more hopeful. What appears difficult will seem much easier. Will this be because of some major change of circumstance? It may just all be due to some glorious revelation that blows fresh insight down the stale corridor of dismal expectation and fans, once more, the flame of your faith in the future. In your love life: It's time for a serious talk. Stop feeling nervous. A truly joyous change can occur and a fresh start made.

When you look back on July, you will see how much it taught and helped you. If you want to make the most of it, be willing to learn and be willing, too, to accept help. We do ourselves no favours if we feel existence is a struggle or that a conflict might never be resolved. Such ideas delay our progress. They can even mean that, when life reaches out a hand to pull us into sweeter, safer territory, we don't spot the opportunity and let it pass us by. But July is an important month and you are too important a person to allow that to happen. In your love life: Use your gift of charm on someone you care deeply about. The most nurturing philosophy has the lightest of touches.

When things aren't happening in quite the way that we think they ought to be we can either try to change the world so that some circumstances more closely match our vision or we can attempt to adjust that vision so that it more resembles the reality. Usually, the second way is the only viable route yet, once in a while, exceptional celestial circumstances prevail. July, for you, is due to be one of those more fortunate occasions. I won't go so far as to promise you miracles but you will soon gain a deep, appreciation of the miraculous. In your love life: The heavens are conferring confidence and emotional certainty upon you. Now you can begin to change your world.

Why do we read newspapers and listen to TV or radio bulletins? Because we want to be kept up to date. We don't like to feel we are missing out on information. We should be well informed because knowledge is power, is it not? Indeed, it is. But to be in possession of a bright mind is also to be blessed with a valuable asset. This month, you make discoveries that prove so useful and you turn out to be resourceful enough to take full advantage of all those newly emerging facts and insights. The upshot is a surprisingly successful July. In your love life: You've spent a lot of time smoothing the rough edges of a relationship. The hard work you've done has been worth it. Enjoy.

Can you really just get everything you want simply by summoning your willpower and determination? Of course, not. You have to put in a little effort, too. But if you do all that, you will be pleasantly surprised by how far you manage to get in July. A supportive cosmic climate implies an almost unprecedented ability to seize opportunity. Just be aware that, while Mars is in your sign, you may come across as sharp or critical to others. Make a point of being gentle and diplomatic if you want to win emotional support to accompany all those worldly gains. In your love life: Here comes your chance to remember what you feel deep down. Set your feelings free. Acting on them will be liberating.

The strangest things happen at the most peculiar times. Astrologers do their best to alert their clients to impending opportunity. But as every Sagittarian knows, a magic moment can come from out of nowhere, as long as a situation is treated with enough optimism and gentle enthusiasm. Or, to put it all another way, you will do well in July, for this looks set to be a month full of pleasing developments that meet many of your most pressing needs. And you will do even better if, at every turn, you allow yourself to expect the best. In your love life: Opportunities have seemed a little scarce recently. But one is approaching; you can spot it. Seize it and make the most of it.

Pluto makes a harmonious link to Jupiter in your sign this week. Jonathan wrote of this: People who are afraid of ghosts should keep away from haunted houses! There. That's good advice, isn't it? But when people aren't afraid of ghosts, it's usually because they don't believe in them. And then, why would they ever want to visit a haunted house? So, haunted houses echo with the sound of knocking knees; noisy enough to drive away the ghosts. But that won't stop visitors picking up on the mood of fear! You have nothing to be nervous of now.' In your love life: Whatever your strain of lovesickness, know this: you're about to discover a revolutionary cure. A healthy future awaits.

It's time you stopped dwelling on a missed opportunity. The past is the past. Aquarians know this better than anyone. You're normally good at looking ahead, identifying problems and seeing what needs to be done. But sometimes this is easier to do with other people's issues than your own. We can all be blinded by perspective. And we all occasionally need a dose of our own medicine. This week, an obstacle in your path is starting to shift. You'll realise that by pushing against it, you've been holding it in place the whole time. In your love life: It's not about money, it's simple: prove to someone they're worth the time and they will see that you're worth the effort.

Our bodies are composed of more space than matter. If you were to stand at the centre of a football stadium you would feel a long way away from the spectators in their seats. That's the equivalent distance between the nucleus of an atom and its electrons. So if everyone and everything is mostly made up of space, why haven't you fallen through your chair as you read this? Force is the answer. It's the invisible will of the universe. Think about what force governs your life this week. Now is a good time to exercise your own. In your love life: Looking for success? You'll soon have reason to celebrate. Your heart is about to be touched by a generous gesture.

This week your ruler finally turns direct in the sky. This marks a turning point for all of us. You, especially, will find it easier to stop chewing over the same old arguments. You'll wonder why you found circumstances so frustrating. Objectives that seemed out of reach will become attainable. So much depends on your perspective and how confident you feel about the challenges you face. With Mars back on track, your energy levels and attitude will be too. You'll start to feel the benefit of the trials you've been through lately. In your love life: The uneasiness you have felt of late is about to dissipate. Now is the time to pursue your desires.

What do you do when you hear a burglar alarm going off in your neighbourhood? Do you poke your head out of the window to see what's going on? Often what we think might be an emergency is just a very loud false alarm. If it goes on we might even find ourselves entertaining thoughts of actually doing some damage to get the noise to stop! So it is that the steps you take to safeguard yourself sometimes invite more harm than help. It's time to turn off your inner alarm! You're being offered a helping hand. In your love life: You came to Earth to discover the joy of sharing. As you step away from frustration, you enter the realm of the magical.

To sort out a mess, you must first have a mess. If all you have is an untidy situation, it won't take a lot to set it straight. But what you see as a minor nuisance, someone else may perceive as a major impediment. You are often surprised by how easily others give up on what seem to you like simple challenges. But they sometimes look at your reactions and have the same response.' Jonathan's practical advice works for you this week: Speak to someone with more experience in handling problems. It may well prove to be no problem at all.' In your love life: Your frustrations are about to start to ease. First, take out the rubbish this week; you'll find your house is more inviting.

A furious heart is a ferocious thing. But a driven heart is what makes us formidable. A tornado that touches down in a field may do surprisingly little damage. In fact it's a wondrous sight to behold! If though, it's blown in the wrong direction by an ill wind, heaven help anything in its path. Your heart is an effective tool. With a steady hand guiding it forward, it can be a source of immense power and provide you with the energy to overcome obstacles in your path. You can be your most inspiring, powerful self this weekend. In your love life: Not only will a difficulty start to ease, you'll also gain a better perspective on what's best for your heart.

The Sun makes positive aspects in the romantic part of your chart this week. Jonathan said of these alignments: Close your eyes, imagine. You're on a tropical island, without a care. As you lie in your hammock, you open your eyes and see the lover of your dreams wafting a palm leaf over you. Well, things aren't necessarily going to get quite this good but there'll be moments that don't fall too far from it. Something rare and deeply desirable is on your horizon. Even if ALL your dreams can't come true, some of them can.' In your love life: If you challenge the notions of who you are, you may discover the person you could be. And so might someone else!

When I was growing up, our cat Lucy had five kittens. The last to be born seemed, at first, to be bigger than the others. But soon we realised it was just furrier and that he was actually the runt of the litter. He never let it hold him back, though, and perhaps because of his thick coat he was never bullied by his siblings, and eventually grew bigger than all of them. Where in your life do you feel as if you're pretending to be more than you are? This weekend, you may find that it's not just an act! In your love life: Is a meeting of the mind about to turn into an affair of the heart? If it's not steamy yet, give it a chance to come to the boil.

It's not nice feeling as if you need to bite your tongue. Especially if what you're trying to say is, What about me?' Recently you may have been feeling as if you've been going backwards and that the efforts you've been making are not being recognised. This weekend you'll find your circumstances start to improve. Even if you're not materially better off, you may be rewarded in more subtle ways. What's changing is how you understand the nature of reward. Be it physical or ephemeral, the cosmos wants to offer you a gift. Don't miss it! In your love life: You're about to get a chance to give something simple to someone who needs and appreciates it. Love is in the air.

Mars turns direct, in your own sign, this week. Here's how Jonathan interpreted this powerful event: What you need is a new objective. What you have is an old objection. Something in your way. The obstacle could be a person, a situation, a belief or a frame of mind. When you think about moving on, you see a reason why it can't happen. Yet it needs to happen; and sooner or later, it WILL. You're tired of feeling stuck. This week, the way to freedom involves focusing on the route to freedom.' In your love life: You can take off your learner driver plates. Manoeuvre carefully, you can speed your way to a desirable meeting.

They say that power breeds corruption and that too much of it is a dangerous thing. They're probably right. But boy can it feel good! You've been feeling limited recently. As though the pressure in your taps has been turned down. Sure you can still fill up the kettle, but it's been taking a bit more effort than usual to get your cup of tea. This week it's as though the celestial plumber has just been round. Never mind the water pressure in the kitchen your shower is super powered. Just don't forget to do the washing up in all the excitement! In your love life: Wherever your love lies now, you will soon be drawn closer to it as it will be drawn towards you. Give it time.

In 1964, WPN-114 was felled. Cut down by accident in the name of research; it was later found to be the world's oldest tree, at least 4,862 years old. But that tree was probably unaware it was so old. It was oblivious to the records it was setting every time the sun rose on its branches. Some successes are only appreciated once they're over; some so subtle we barely notice they have taken place. Soon, you will experience a win. Don't search too hard for it, but rest assured it will make a positive difference in your life. In your love life: Watch for a tendency to follow expectations. Watch, too, for a chance to find something better than you dared hope.

As Mercury opposes Saturn this Full Moon week, Jonathan's advice is all you need: The odds may be against you, but you have one potentially game-changing factor in your favour. Your inherent willingness to try! This won't help if you apply it to a far-fetched plan or an unlikely endeavour. If you buy a hundred lottery tickets today, you really can't expect to get your stake money back, far less make a profit. But if you apply yourself to something that's more responsive to solid effort, you may yet do surprisingly well!' In your love life: The Solstice and Full Moon shine light on what you've been seeking. It's not behind the sofa, or under the bed. It's within you.

It is true that sometimes our dreams can seem unattainable. Our best efforts can fall short and only bring disappointment as our expectations fail to be met. It can even feel as if we're simply grasping at straws. But there is a part of you that still believes that if something can be conceived, it can be brought into being. After all, if it weren't for dreamers, we wouldn't be able to jet off for holidays in exotic locations or watch TV images from around the world. Get ready to celebrate a small but significant dream coming true. In your love life: Heart or head? The celestial picture makes matters of the heart the essence of your week. But keep your wits about you too!

If we think of ourselves as infallible, we will inevitably reach a point where life obliges us to think again. Yet if we focus only on our faults, we might never encounter such a moment of course-correction. Our anticipation of trouble will become a self-fulfilling prophecy. So, is it better to be arrogant and overconfident?' A thought-provoking question from Jonathan. This week, he might also have advised you to be a little more humble and more positive. You can achieve something you've long been wishing for. In your love life: Acceptance is the key to relationships. If you can see beyond the mundane and into the heart this week, it will be a nourishing time.

What is the point of wealth if you don't have anyone to share it with? Hang on, I have got that the wrong way round. What is the point of sharing if you don't have any wealth to share? Well, actually, you don't have to be wealthy to share. You have other riches to offer. You can share your time, you can share your thoughts, you can share your love. But this week, you're about to enjoy the fruits of your previous labour. And not only will you have more to share, there will be someone to share it with. In your love life: Honouring even emotions, even the more difficult' ones, leads to a deepening of the better' ones. Do that and watch the Joyometer' levels rise!

Something, or someone has a particular hold on you. It is as if they are illuminated in the darkness, that the light in which they bathe is obscuring the distractions of their surroundings. Be careful that you don't develop tunnel vision. It's good to keep your eyes ahead but you have wing mirrors for a reason. This week there's a good chance that a relationship will become the focus of success. You can rightly enjoy this moment and revel in the benefits it supplies. Just be sure you're also aware of the wider picture. In your love life: If something in your life seems nonsensical, the Full Moon will challenge you to begin to be well disposed towards it.

Now is the time to put into place some of the magic you have worked so hard to manipulate. If you have a skill, an ability, or a technique you have painstakingly learned, it is very hard to imagine how difficult this may appear to someone else who has no such knowledge. To them, it just looks as if you are working some kind of mysterious magic. And, of course, you'd feel the same way about the tricks that you see other people perform.' As Jonathan suggested, it's time to reap the harvest of your hard work. In your love life: The Solstice, and the Sun returning to your sign this week, mean you have transforming power at your fingertips.

They say love is blind, that it conquers all. But they forget to say how difficult it can be sometimes. Relationships need navigating. It's harder to steer the course ahead when there's another boat in the water with you. You have to put your selfish desires to one side and work as a team. And when the other boat makes an extended stop in the harbour it can feel very lonely out in the ocean. This week you may feel that your emotional equilibrium is not on an even keel. Keep yourself on course and the rest will follow. In your love life: Patience pays off! Will you have to wait an eternity before something wonderful turns up. That's on its way right now!

When we stop to think about how lucky we are to be alive, and how short our time tends to be, it becomes clear that every moment is too precious to waste. Yet some moments just don't feel so special. All we can think about are our troubles, our obligations or our reasons to feel resentful. Even worse are the moments when we feel full neither of something good nor something bad. We just feel somehow flat or empty. When such times come, we must let them go. Here comes a reminder of what life can feel like at its best. In your love life: You've spent so long digging up your weeds that you haven't noticed the flowers blooming in the border. Make a bouquet.

You're so good at seeing things from someone else's perspective that sometimes you find it difficult to develop your own. You are so adept at walking in another's shoes that your own can start to feel ungainly. Maybe you should wear one shoe from someone else and another from your own collection? Now there's a recipe for a stumble! This week you will make a breakthrough. It's a time to celebrate a triumph you've had a big hand in. Don't dismiss anyone else's help in this, but don't feel beholden to them either. In your love life: Venus is offering you a gift. A veil is slipping and you're seeing something for what it really is. And it is beautiful.

When we complete an objective, there's usually an accompanying set of feelings. Pride can be one; pleasure can be another, especially if material gains have been made in the achievement. But listlessness can also set in. We may suddenly realise that we have no idea about our next steps. It's all very well to have finally got to our destination, but the world hasn't stopped. Where to now? Sometimes you just need to rest a while and appreciate the view. Do that this week and the way to proceed will become clear. In your love life: The Full Moon suggests you can have whatever kind of week you most want.' The skies insist that it will be one to remember.

When we feel pleased with ourselves, are we entitled to celebrate? Or are we simply being smug? Can we pat ourselves on the back? Well, why not? Give yourself some credit! You have recently taken great steps towards genuine self-improvement. These need acknowledging, particularly by the author of your success: YOU! So, relax, crack open a metaphorical bottle of champagne, treat yourself to a well-deserved mini-break from your chores and duties, and remember: you do need to reward yourself for real progress well made. In your love life: The unknown may sound exciting. But sometimes the known is exactly what is needed. That's the situation this week.

Someone, somewhere is telling you it can't be done'. Surely, nothing could be more likely to inspire you to take up the challenge than such an unequivocal statement. Throughout history, sage figures have declared things to be impossible. Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible,' they said of the Wright brothers' attempts to create the first aeroplane. There's a world market for maybe five computers,' said the president of IBM. Don't let the negativity of others hold you back. Put your faith in the future and the future will respond in kind. In your love life: You may feel that something in your life is built on flimsy foundations; what comes next will bring reassurance.

Imagine that a deeply dedicated aesthete has spent their life waging war on a particular shade of red. They can hardly bear to see this colour on any object or item of clothing. One day, they find themselves in a burning building. Along comes the fire brigade and guess what colour their engine is? There comes a point where we all have to reassess our priorities, no matter how passionately they make us feel.' If you take Jonathan's advice this week and rethink your position on an important subject, you'll find that it will pay handsome dividends. In your love life: Feeling under fire? Don't give critics any ammunition. You have a duty to think the best of them... and of yourself!

You've had your head in the clouds for so long that you've started to lose touch with what's happening on the ground. As you come back down to earth this week you may not find yourself exactly where you thought you were, or where you want to be. But fear not... you will be given all the time and space you need to find your feet again. It may take a little while to re-orient yourself but rest assured that there is a clear path ahead. If you listen to your heart, the sun will shine through and the mist will clear. In your love life: Neptune changes direction. Don't be too hasty to make a new plan. Bide your time. The way forward will soon become clear.

The planetary alignments this week are really positive. Here's how Jonathan interpreted these influences: The end of an era approaches. This does not necessarily signify the end of any arrangement you wish to sustain. It simply means that if you're tired of a situation, fed up with a set of circumstances or you are inwardly hankering to be set free from restrictions you find uncomfortable a moment of liberation may be much nearer than you think. Will there be consequences? Of course! Will these represent a price that's too high to pay? Not really!' In your love life: Your journey has changed you, and you needn't react to a problem as you once might have. A moment of insight is possible.

My two-year-old son says the word Abat' when he means I want!' And yet he does understand the phrase I want'. I know this because sometimes, when he works himself into such a frenzy that he no longer even remembers what he wants, he cries ABAT WANT IT!' Well, sometimes we adults get ourselves into a similar state. We know we want something, but nothing will satisfy us. This week it is your heart that is crying Abat!' And what it wants... is some attention. Pay it some and you'll not want for anything else. In your love life: This week brings a chance to review. Not only do you have talents and skills to offer, you are also being given a helping hand.

You are about to leave an intense situation behind. But until that happens, let me remind you that stress and tension are unavoidable parts of the process of change. Without them everything collapses and nothing happens. Remember this and you will feel less stress and tension! So, try not to feel anxious about your anxiety or fearful of your fear this week. Relax a little (but not too much) and let go a little (but not too much). The stress you've been under is about to be relieved, the tension released and balance restored. In your love life: Individuality makes life wonderful, chaotic and fun. It's time to accept your uniqueness. The world needs you, just as you are!

You have such a warm and generous heart. You want to feel and you want to love and you want to lose yourself in the moment. You want to surf the crest of the biggest wave and you want to dive deep into the blue. You want to play, you want to laugh and you want to dance. And yes, you could be swept away; and yes, your heart might get hurt but isn't it worth the risk? This week, there will be something you can really put your heart and soul into. Even if the water is choppy, you'll not regret the swim. In your love life: A part of you wants to look back. But why? What can you learn or gain from this? Look forward instead. New hope is coming.

You feel as if you've been playing a role. Though it's been tiring trying to squeeze and stifle aspects of your personality to fit the confines of a specific character, it has not been a wasted effort. Actors gain experience from every performance. They refine and grow in confidence. They deliver their lines with more aplomb and their stage presence grows stronger. You've learned a lot. This week brings an opportunity for you to show your talents on the world's stage. Don't forget to leave the script behind! Now is the time to step out with the freedom to be more you'. In your love life: You can't work out what is eluding you. The feeling will pass. What you are missing is much less important than it seems.

Think, think, think!' This is the mantra repeated by Winnie the Pooh as he attempts to work out what needs to be done. He scrunches up his little bear face and concentrates really hard. But his thinking is often the precursor to complicated circumstances involving him being stuck in a rabbit hole, or chased by bees when he's taken their honey. When he trusts in his heart and reacts in the moment he is usually far better rewarded. This week, you may find your decisions come more naturally to you and your thinking is a little less stuck. In your love life: As Neptune turns retrograde, re-examine your plans. You're about to rediscover a talent that will get where you want to be.

A textbook is not a sacred tome. Though it may contain the workings of a particular subject, it doesn't even hint at the secrets of the soul. If we knew nothing about life except what the pages of Biology For Beginners teach us, we might never experience our more subtle, heart-felt emotions. We'd struggle to recognise the sensation of our racing heart and the shortening of breath about which poets write and musicians sing. This week, pay more attention to your heart's desires. Try not to rationalise the very part of you that makes you so special. In your love life: Really listening to someone and prioritising their needs is one way to show romance. Not obviously romantic. But rewarding.

If the world is truly full of lunatics then might it not be the sane person that finds themselves enjoying an extended visit to the asylum? Might it not be better to play the game'? To assent quietly to the most preposterous propositions? Perhaps it is indeed better to keep your counsel, but as the famous Greek philosopher Marcus Aurelius once said, The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane.' State your case and state it boldly this week. Right is on your side. In your love life: You had a great idea but had to leave it simmering. This week brings the chance to move it to the front of the stove.

Until now, you heart's desires (or at least one them) have remained stubbornly, frustratingly, tantalisingly, just out of reach. You feel like you're trying to herd cats, chase shadows and hunt wild geese all at the same time. Sagittarians typically have a quiver full of arrows and love to let them loose with sheer abandon, trusting that some, at least, will find their mark. This week, all you need to do is take a deep breath, steady your gaze, focus on the best possible outcome and trust in yourself. The universe will take care of the rest. In your love life: Sometimes, just getting lost in the moment' is all you need. This week a period of self-reflection can bring you genuine insight.