Martha Stewart, a Leo.
Photo-Illustration: by The Cut; Photo: Getty Images
The waxing moon moves through Sagittarius today, creating an atmosphere of enthusiasm and optimism. Now isn’t the time to worry about getting things exactly right; you’ll be better off making a few mistakes than overthinking every decision to the point of inertia. Sagittarius can be a bit messy, but that’s not the worst thing in the world: As long as you act with good intentions and are willing to learn from your mistakes, you’ll end up further along than you started.
The more emphatically you express your opinions, the more embarrassing it can be if and when you change your mind. You worry others will roll their eyes and lose respect for you, that they’ll start taking everything you say with a grain of salt. But today, don’t waste time worrying about what the least generous people might think. Ideally, everyone will evolve over time, and there’s more wisdom in admitting you were wrong than in clinging to outdated ideas.
Normally, you’re good at keeping your cool, even when you’re frustrated; you’re not one to pick fights at the drop of a hat. Today, though, your feelings may be much closer to the surface; if a friend is inconsiderate or says something that wounds your pride, it might be easy for you to overreact. Your rational side may insist that you’re blowing things out of proportion — but the truth is that there’s probably at least a grain of truth to whatever you’re feeling. Even if you wish you’d expressed yourself differently, don’t assume the emotions themselves aren’t real.
In general, you don’t need much encouragement to make bold choices; you’ve got enough conviction and drive on your own. Every so often, though, your self-motivation dips and you start to doubt yourself and your abilities. If you’ve been stuck in a rut lately, don’t force yourself to climb out of it alone — turn to someone you trust for a confidence boost. Right now, knowing that you have friends who believe in you and are cheering you on can make all the difference.
When life feels chaotic, it can be tempting to cling even harder to any semblance of order you can find. Even if the status quo wasn’t serving your needs, you fear that any change will only be for the worse, and you can’t bring yourself to risk it. Today, though, find the courage to let go of what isn’t working for you. Rather than wearing yourself out trying to hold on to the familiar, see what happens if you muster up the courage to seek out something brand new instead.
Sometimes, the only way to understand how you truly feel is to try expressing your emotions to someone else. The effort of putting your feelings into words may force some clarity, and your friends’ questions may encourage you to think more deeply about issues you’ve been simplifying or avoiding altogether. Don’t wait until you have all the right words to open up to others; your friends aren’t expecting a perfect performance, and they’ll be happy to work through your confusion alongside you.
You’re careful and intentional about maintaining your social ties, because you know that having people you can rely on ensures that you’re able to maintain a sense of stability in your life. Today, just remember that a sturdy support system isn’t only there to keep your life safe and orderly — it can also give you the courage to try new things and take big swings. This is a good day to take a risk or two, knowing that even if you fail, there will be people waiting to pick you back up.
When you’re weighing lots of different options, it can be tempting to start looking for reasons to reject each one. It isn’t that you’re trying to be picky or difficult to please; you’re just eager to narrow down your choices. But if you go for what seems like the safest option with the fewest apparent flaws, you’re likely to end up with something bland. So for today, try taking the opposite approach; instead of picking something unobjectionable but bland, opt for something that actually excites you. Look for reasons to say “yes,” not “no.”
When you’re regularly trying new things and facing your fears, you quickly build confidence and momentum. When you’re constantly pushing yourself, each new hurdle feels less daunting. The trouble is that the reverse is also true: When you fall into comfortable, unchallenging routines, it feels much harder to start demanding more from yourself. Today, though, could be a good day to take the first step. Once you get moving, you’ll find that things weren’t as scary as you expected.
Lately, you’ve been feeling pressure to move at the same pace as everyone else. If your friends all seem to be reaching big milestones before you, you might worry that you need to hurry and catch up. Or if the roles are reversed, you might begin to wonder whether you’re being too ambitious, and maybe you’d be better off slowing down a bit. But today, stop believing that everyone else somehow knows better than you. You’re all just doing your best; focus on doing what feels right for you, not meeting some imaginary standard.
As much as you may prefer otherwise, dealing with difficult people is an inevitability. And for the most part, you’re good at it: You know how to listen and forge connections but also how to assert your boundaries when necessary. Regardless, though, handling these interactions still takes a toll. So today, try to step away from whoever has been making your life difficult lately. With a bit of distance, you’ll be able to recharge your batteries and approach them with more clarity.
While some people seem unable, or simply unwilling, to face up to their own shortcomings, you’re more likely to do the opposite. You feel a serious obligation to recognize your faults and address them, and you try to assess your own actions with brutal honesty. But today, try to remember that while reflection is important, being too harsh on yourself helps nobody. If you need a reality check, your friends can provide one, reminding you of all the good traits that exist alongside your flaws.
After a few bad days in a row, it’s easy to start imagining that this is simply how life is now, and you’d better get used to it. You worry that trying to improve things is a fool’s errand and all you can do is learn to make the best of it. But there’s a fine line between accepting the reality of your situation and giving into pessimism. Today, remember that you’re not a passive observer of your life. You have more power to change it than you think, so make the most of it.
Buy Claire Comstock-Gay’s book, Madame Clairevoyant’s Guide to the Stars, here.
