Beyoncé, a Virgo.
Photo-Illustration: by The Cut; Photo: Getty Images
You might feel slightly on edge today, as the impulsive Aries moon clashes with the sun and Mercury in careful Virgo. Your mood might swing between extremes, and it could be hard to make up your mind about what you want. You probably feel a lot of pressure to have life all figured out, and a lot of guilt for being so inconsistent and uncertain, but try to remember that you don’t have to know everything — as long as you’re willing to learn and adapt, you’ll find the right path eventually.
Once you make a decision, you don’t see the point in agonizing over the roads not taken. If you end up unhappy with the choice you made, you can make adjustments, but you’d rather not waste time on regrets and what-ifs. Today, though, it might be harder than usual to fully commit to the path you’ve chosen — you can’t seem to put the alternatives out of your mind. So give yourself permission to spend some extra time debating whether or not to turn back. There’s no need to push forward if you’re not actually ready yet.
Trying to make decisions, even the most trivial ones, might feel practically paralyzing today. You’re all too aware that any move could have unforeseen consequences, and you don’t want to make a wrong one. But there’s only so much you can actually control, and no amount of worrying will change that. So for now, try to limit your focus to the things that you have the power to change; you’ll be more effective, and less stressed, if you stop stressing yourself out about all the unpredictable factors in your life.
You’re probably happiest when you have a lot going on at once. You need plenty of variety to keep your mind busy; others might encourage you to narrow your focus to just one or two endeavors, but you know that you’d quickly get bored. Today, though, just be careful you haven’t gotten carried away and put more on your plate than you can actually handle. If you’re feeling stressed right now, quitting — or at least taking a break from — a couple of your projects will bring some much-needed relief.
You probably feel unsettled, even a bit guilty, when you’re unsure of what you want. You might worry it means that you’re wishy-washy and lack discipline, somebody who’s doomed to mediocrity, or maybe you’re concerned about how your indecision is affecting other people in your life. But today, you might benefit from a reminder that it’s completely normal to be uncertain sometimes. There’s nothing wrong with needing time to think; don’t let anyone push you into a decision before you’re ready.
Today, you might feel suddenly anxious that you aren’t doing a good job. Whether you’re worried about your performance at work, or afraid that you’ve been a bad friend lately, a part of you feels like you’ve been slacking in some way and you’ve let everyone else down. Chances are, this feeling isn’t based in reality — but if you still have your doubts, it might help to check in with the people around you. Ask someone you trust to be honest with you, and if they tell you there’s nothing to worry about, listen.
When you make an effort to be more assertive, to advocate for yourself, it sometimes has an immediate benefit. Other times, though, you only end up feeling vaguely ashamed — you worry you said too much or overstepped your bounds, and resolve not to be so bold in the future. Today, try to ignore your instinct to pull back and hide. It’s more important to fight for what you need than to appear cool and collected at all times.
As lovely as it is to be deeply understood by the people in your life, sometimes you wish your friends didn’t know you so well. When others are expecting you to behave in a certain way, it can be harder to try something new — and today especially, you want the freedom to do things differently. Remember that others’ expectations don’t have to guide your decisions. You’re allowed to do what you want, even if it surprises — or disappoints — the people who know you best.
Most of the time, you’re good at viewing yourself objectively: You recognize your own strengths without falling into arrogance, and you acknowledge your weaknesses without being swept away by insecurity or self-pity. Today, though, it might be a bit harder than usual to treat yourself fairly, especially when it comes to your flaws. As much as your inner critic might be telling you otherwise, a mistake or two doesn’t make you a failure; if you can’t assess yourself fairly right now, try turning to your friends for a reality check.
You don’t necessarily enjoy arguments, but you probably aren’t afraid of them, either. You understand that sometimes, a relationship has grown so tense or unhappy that it’s better to clear the air and hash out your problems than to keep tiptoeing around the issues. But today, you have a chance to address points of conflict before they reach a breaking point. It might seem unnecessary to deal with small issues, but it’ll prevent them from taking root and causing greater drama down the line.
You’ll probably set yourself up for disappointment today if you expect to progress in a perfectly predictable and linear fashion. Even if things initially go according to plan, unexpected issues will eventually arise, or your goals for the day will evolve, or you’ll simply get tired and need a break. The best thing you can do for yourself now is go by feel, rather than forcing yourself to stick to a plan. You deserve a bit of flexibility, and caring for yourself now will position you to make better, faster progress in the long run.
For the most part, you try to be straightforward about your feelings — not because you need anyone else’s attention or understanding, but simply because you know that relationships tend to go more smoothly when there aren’t any secrets. But today, remember that you don’t have to share everything, especially not right away. Sometimes, you need a bit of time to process your feelings privately, before you open up to anyone else. This doesn’t mean you’re being deceptive or withholding, it just means others aren’t entitled to all your thoughts.
For the most part, you try to assume everyone you encounter is doing their best; when you give people the benefit of the doubt, it becomes easier to treat them with compassion. Today, however, you might find yourself feeling uncharacteristically judgmental; you can’t help but feel that others are going about things all wrong, even that they’re being intentionally irritating and unhelpful. It could be tempting to lash out, but you’ll only end up feeling bad about it later. You don’t need to beat yourself up for having ungenerous thoughts about others, just try to keep them to yourself for now.
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