Free People Horoscopes By Tracy Allen, Week Of April 21–27

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TAURUS

April 20–May 20

The planets are making a lot of noise about change this week, and the worst thing you can do is try to maintain the status quo. You may specialize in holding down the fort, but the free spirit in you has woken up in the last few years and your outlook is gradually shifting. There’s nothing gradual about the shift that Uranus, Jupiter, Mars and Pluto are instigating now, though. These four are traveling through the cardinal signs, each of which wants to take the lead and make something happen. For Taurus, the players are: a subconscious rebellion, your work, the broadening of your mind and the breaking down/rebuilding of plans for the future. Be conscious of what’s going on in these areas and be willing to adapt to the challenges they pose. Thankfully, your ruler Venus and the sun and Mercury in Taurus are harmonizing with Saturn and Neptune, indicating that connecting with other people will offer sweet relief from the tension.

GEMINI

May 21–June 20

You’re flexible, but the massive push forward that the planets are giving everyone this week could still stress you out. The right angles they’re making to each other trap the energy as if it’s bouncing from corner to corner in a room. Make the decision to be as aware as possible and to respond the best you can to what’s being thrown at you. You’ll probably like the feeling of things starting to happen, but not the feeling of having no say in some of them. The following areas of your life could feel the impact of the friction: friends, professional network, money, confidence, creativity, love, sharing and sex. Be open to a new concept of what’s next. Believe in your talents and ability to draw in what you need. Work to fulfill your potential. Go deeper in your relationships—including the one you have with yourself. Mercury is sneaking into your subconscious sector and clicking with the sun and Neptune, encouraging solitude, intuition, imagination and dreams.

CANCER

June 21–July 22

This week’s cardinal grand cross can generate radical change, so strive to overcome your inclination to remain safe and secure. If you try to hold onto the past, the planets are liable to force you to let go, and that can be painful. This is a time of accelerated growth that we all need to embrace. Jupiter in your sign has already been inspiring you to grow, but the heated four-way exchange between Jupiter, Mars, Pluto and Uranus makes growth mandatory. Cardinal signs are turning points that usher in the new seasons. Despite your strong sense of tradition, you possess this cardinal energy that wants to start anew. Your career—or life path—has experienced upheaval, and your relationships—or someone in particular who’s close to you—are rumbling with change. More recently, family, home or your moods have become a powder keg. Look for positive choices you can make in one or more of these areas. Friends, creativity, love and adventures will boost your spirits now.

LEO

July 23–August 22

The four-way fight between the planets this week can trigger stressful events and make you feel pushed around by people or pulled in different directions by circumstances. But from a spiritual standpoint, the grand cross that Uranus, Jupiter, Mars and Pluto are forming in the cardinal signs—which are given to making things happen—is really a big push forward for all of us. It’s bound to be tense, and the tension will fan the flames of change. With doer Mars in your mindset zone, you may be thinking that you can get completely ahead of all this and manage it, but Mars is retrograde and under pressure. So you may end up having to react as much as act. Your inner optimism, your work and your philosophy on life are all in flux, and those are the areas where you need to be aware and willing to grow. The sun is gelling with Mercury at the top of your chart, helping you to express yourself well and think strategically.

VIRGO

August 23–September 22

When Uranus, Jupiter, Mars and Pluto all square off against each other this week, the friction will be palpable. Issues around sharing, intimacy, friends, hopes, money, confidence, values, love and creativity may arise. That probably sounds quite hectic, but some of these areas have already seen upheaval. April’s trials and tribulations will drive you into problem-solving mode, and although you do have some options, the fundamental one is to align yourself with change. The best you can do is to take responsibility, not control. Be a willing participant in the action the planets are urging. Whether you’re undergoing a sexual revolution, gaining insight into your psyche, building up your faith in new goals, expanding your circle of people, working to gain stability, fighting for self-worth, deepening your creativity or changing your approach to love and happiness, be proactive. New experiences, travel, one-on-one connection and envisioning your future can make the week better, with planets in your expansion zone clicking with planets in your relationship and communication houses.

LIBRA

September 23–October 22

The tension between planets in your sign and the signs across from you and on either side could make you feel boxed in this week, and with dynamic Mars being the planet in Libra, your instinct will be to do something about it. The Libra approach would then be to weigh all your options and decide carefully. But that won’t work now. Some things are likely to be beyond your control, limiting your options. Keep a proactive attitude anyway and embrace change like it was all your idea to begin with. Don’t sweep any of it under the rug. The shifts in your relationships and family or living situation have been building for years, and lately your career or life direction is shifting as well. Most recently, you’re adjusting your way of doing things or your manner of asserting yourself. All of the above could see faster, more forceful change now. Valuing your time, enjoying what you’re doing and confiding in someone close to you will help make the week easier.

SCORPIO

October 23–November 21

Four planets are squaring and opposing each other this week, creating a grand cross—a configuration of hard angles containing tremendous tension. The cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn) are most directly affected, but two of the four planets involved are your co-rulers Mars and Pluto, so you’re in crisis mode yourself. Scorpios thrive in a crisis, because you represent the transformative process of death and rebirth, the phoenix rising from the ashes. First you need to embrace change, no matter how painful it may be. Taking something apart and rebuilding it is not easy. You’re waking up to doing things a different way, strengthening your resolve, fighting an internal battle and envisioning a brighter future. And all of that is not coming together neatly. Take your focus off the outer noise and tune into what’s happening on a deeper level and what choices you can make. You’re in a position to co-create your destiny. The harmony between other planets is a reminder to also love, create, play and connect.

SAGITTARIUS

November 22–December 21

Four planets are forming what’s called a grand cross this week, creating an atmosphere of highly charged energy and making people feel like pinballs bouncing around in a machine, with no real escape. Rise to whatever challenges you face, but don’t get too frantic trying to put them behind you. Difficult periods like this stress us out, but they also speed up change and give us an opportunity to leap forward. The areas likely to see the most action are: love, creativity, intimacy, sharing, friends, hopes, money, confidence and values. The planets are shuffling the deck, and you’re being called to adapt—something your sign does quite well. You also have a gift for finding the meaning in things and maintaining faith in the future. All of this will stand you in good stead now. Also, with planets in your domestic and duty houses clicking this week, home and work (and combinations like working from home or doing housework) should be relatively pleasant refuges.

CAPRICORN

December 22–January 19

Pluto in Capricorn is one of the participants in this week’s cardinal grand cross, a configuration of four planets squaring and opposing each other in the cardinal signs. The nascent energy of these signs that mark the beginning of the seasons gets trapped in the box-like configuration, and tension accumulates. But when the going gets tough, the tough get going—a saying that fits both Pluto’s strength and Cap’s determination. The planets are pushing hard, and something’s gotta give. Rather than thinking in terms of surviving the pressure, take this opportunity to evolve. It may feel like you’re fighting battles on several fronts, but your inner battle is by far the most important one, because it will transform you, empowering you to take your life to the next level. Although this sounds like focusing inward is the answer, the planets who aren’t involved in the grand cross happen to be harmonizing in your socializing, communication, fun and love sectors. So staying connected with people will give you resilience.

AQUARIUS

January 20–February 18

This week’s major planetary configuration might make you feel like you’re going a little crazy, because most of the planets involved are transiting the mental houses in your chart. They’re squaring and opposing each other, generating a great deal of friction and trapping it in closed right angles like the corners of a room. And much of that supercharged energy is bouncing around in your head. Some of the tension will also play out in the arena of work, health or daily duties. It’s not pleasant to be so busy and frantic, but being pushed to the breaking point is often the only way to experience a breakthrough and come out on the other side as a changed person. This is one of those what-doesn’t-kill-you-makes-you-stronger periods. Our growth is accelerated by challenge, not by ease. Focus on what you can do to make a positive shift and move forward. The planets who aren’t fighting are coaxing you to also ground yourself in practical matters such as home, finances and goals.

PISCES

February 19–March 20

If you know that you possess the Piscean tendency to absorb the atmosphere around you like a sponge, you may want to firm up those porous boundaries this week, because there’s a lot of tension in the air. Four planets are making right angles to each other, forming what’s called a grand cross—a configuration that boxes in highly charged energy. This turns up the heat on all of us, which is a good thing believe it or not. We’re forced to adapt to the paradigm shift taking place in the universe. It’s appropriate for you to pick up on this energy and respond to it by aligning yourself with life changes. But try not to fall victim to it, in the sense that you’re focused on what’s happening to you rather than through you. Planets in your thinking and learning houses are synced up with Venus and Neptune in Pisces now, so your mental attitude is everything. A positive, proactive mindset will feed your spiritual growth.

ARIES

March 21–April 19

Although there’s no eclipse this week, the current planetary configuration is even more intense. Four planets in 90ª and 180ª angles to each other form what’s called a grand cross. These hard angles generate a lot of friction, and because the planets are in cardinal signs—given to initiating action—the air is buzzing with energy. Aries welcomes a call to action; however, you should know that events beyond your control will also precipitate reaction on your part. You have choices, but you don’t have full command of the outcome, especially when wild-card Uranus is involved. The areas of tension are: you, family, relationships and career. Factors may include your urge to take a leap forward, the teachings of the past, buried hostilities and the shift away from an established path. Instead of flying off in every direction, ask yourself what regime you need to overthrow and what you want to make happen. You may feel provoked and overstimulated, so seek the peace and quiet of alone time when you need it, and keep in mind that nature or even something material like a favorite possession can ground you.