Free People Horoscope by Tracy Allen, Week of December 29–January 4

Follow @astrotherapist on Twitter and email tallennyc@gmail.com to schedule a reading over phone or Skype. Available in-person in NYC! $125 for 60 minutes, $150 for 90 minutes.

CAPRICORN
December 22–January 19

You may aspire to a healthy give-and-take with another person, but with hopeful Jupiter in your merging sector fighting off Mercury in Capricorn and trigger-happy Mars, it may not be easy to achieve. Digging in your heels and defending your values could pose a problem, and possessiveness can also be an issue. Take your ego out of the equation, and look at this as an opportunity to learn more about the ins and outs of sharing. The sun in your sign has its own battles this week, and volatility on the home front is a distinct possibility. You’ve probably already figured out that fighting change usually makes things worse. But with Pluto in Capricorn, change equals a slow death-and-rebirth process—and fighting the initial “death” stage is somewhat of a natural reflex. Try swimming with the tide of transformation. If you’ve been feeling depleted, hopefully you’ll discover that this adaptation supplies you with tremendous power. After Venus leaves your sign, for the next few weeks, you’ll be inclined to splurge or indulge your senses with creature comforts.

AQUARIUS
January 20–February 18

Your actions and your expectations of another person could be at odds this week, with just-do-it Mars in Aquarius opposing hopeful Jupiter in your relationship angle. You could all too easily overreact if someone doesn’t come through for you. You might also simply be acting against the best interests of a particular partnership now. Try to balance doing things for yourself and having faith in other people. When Mars is in your sign, it’s natural to come on a bit too strong, because you have extra energy at your disposal. A physical outlet like cardio exercise might be a good solution. Your words may be affected by whatever is stirring in your subconscious, so be aware of what you’re saying. With Venus entering your sign, fortunately you’ll have charm on your side for a few weeks. You’ll start to feel more amiable and less aggressive. Venus is syncing with Saturn in your group house, helping you to make social plans, form cooperative relationships, do some professional networking and perhaps draw in a mentor.

PISCES
February 19–March 20

Mars in the last house of your chart has been activating your unconscious, and his feud with Jupiter in your health-and-duties house this week suggests that you may inadvertently push yourself too hard when it comes to your job, a self-improvement effort or your to-do list. You may be trying so hard to make progress that you’re flooding the engine, so to speak. Either ease up on the gas or find a healthy outlet for this energy surge, such as a hard workout. If your schedule is overloaded, you may be inclined to escape into your imagination, sleep and solitude. This is a good time to confront something in your psyche in order to improve your mental health. With Venus slipping into that same house where Mars is stirring the pot, in the next few weeks, you’ll especially enjoy hibernating, spirituality, creativity, being alone with your feelings, taking care of someone and expressing selfless love. Just be careful not to fall into the martyr/victim trap that is all too enticing for Pisces.

ARIES
March 21–April 19

You’ll need to coordinate your efforts with others and perhaps compromise, thanks to this week’s friction between doer Mars in your group zone and immoderate Jupiter in your personal-fulfillment house. Creativity, romance and the freedom to express your individuality are at odds with teamwork, doing something with your friends or taking action on a recent goal. It may be a question of fitting in versus standing out. Try to find a balance between the two competing interests. There’s also friction between the sun in your ambition angle and Uranus in Aries, suggesting you might get impatient with your parent, career, life direction or public perception of you. You’re in the mood to rebel against someone who has authority over you or against a system—like your job industry—that your ego is determined to master. Maybe you feel like breaking free from what you’re expected to accomplish. Channel frustration into a quick tweak to your approach. With Venus entering your group zone, friendship, socializing, networking and shared interests will appeal to you in the coming weeks.

TAURUS
April 20–May 20

Venus reaches the top of your chart this week, helping you to make a favorable impression in your career, in public or with someone higher up the food chain than you. Applying your creative talents to a goal will boost your success. If you have a reason to promote yourself, here’s your chance. Career-related social opportunities could arise in January. Your ambition may attract a business partner or solidify your commitment to work on something intensively. Mars in your goals angle is pushing you to achieve, but his opposition to Jupiter in your comfort sector implies you’d rather chill out at home and indulge yourself. Or it could mean that you’ll push yourself extra hard because of your family’s expectations of you or your own inner confidence. Seek a healthy balance between action and relaxation. You may find it hard to maintain a steady perspective when what you want to believe clashes with what you’re afraid to think. The glass is both half-full and half-empty. Get your anxious inklings into a dialogue with your high hopes.

GEMINI
May 21–June 20

Be prepared to adjust your thoughts and words this week when Jupiter in your cognition-and-communication house squabbles with Mercury in your depth sector and Mars in your perspective zone. One possible scenario is that you’ll overstate yourself in a conversation with someone close to you and have a hard time reaching an understanding. Or you may fight a bit too forcefully in support of what you believe to be true. It’s always a good idea to listen attentively to others and let their points of view sink in. What might feel like tension could very well turn out to be a learning opportunity. Jupiter’s current position in your chart invites you to continually expand your perception. Closeness and freedom are at odds again, forcing you to be flexible with people. With Venus moving into your exploration house, you’ll have a taste for difference in the next few weeks. You might be attracted to someone foreign, drawn to unfamiliar experiences and places and pleased by anything that’s not the same old same old. Go with it.

CANCER
June 21–July 22

Money, possessions or values could be an issue this week when Jupiter in your worth house quarrels with Mercury in your relationship angle and Mars in your sharing zone. Hear someone out and think about how to integrate “mine” and “ours” if you want to keep the peace. There could be a worthwhile lesson in this that helps you better understand your priorities and interact fairly with another person. After Venus enters your sharing zone, your close connections are further emphasized, and you may find yourself craving closeness in the coming weeks. If you’re not in a romantic relationship, this could also be a good time for healing your heart—aided by introspection and self-empowerment or by confiding in someone you trust. With several planets clustered in houses associated with your one-to-one bonds, close relationships are getting a lot of your attention. The full moon in your sign on Sunday night compels you to deal with your own needs and feelings and focus on balancing work and life. More on the Cancer full moon next week!

LEO
July 23–August 22

Aligning your personal growth with work and relationships may be tricky this week, when Jupiter in Leo spars with Mercury in your productivity zone and Mars in your others angle. You might feel like you’re too much for some people now or are being perceived that way. It’s hard to tone it down, with this boisterous planet traveling through your demonstrative sign. Don’t stop being you and doing you. Try to welcome a piece of constructive criticism if it comes your way, and collaborate enthusiastically if you have the opportunity. If you get into a conflict with someone, work through it and represent yourself honestly without exaggerating. Another person’s actions could clash with your truth. Remind yourself you don’t have all the answers, and aim for mutually beneficial relationships. Your responsibilities, your job or overall busyness may prevent you from escaping the way you’d like to. Maintain a highly flexible frame of mind, and look for workarounds to problems. You might recognize someone’s value now—and the potential for a satisfying commitment based firmly in reality.

VIRGO
August 23–September 22

This week’s Mars-Jupiter opposition spans your duties and spirit houses, pitting taking care of business in your daily life against checking out for a while and just being instead of doing. You’re probably working hard and may have a lot on your plate. And as a very efficient sign, you’re inclined to choose getting things done over drifting, meditating, imagining, dreaming, escaping. The trick is not to overdo either end of the axis. Balance the call of reality and the call of your soul. You’ll be more productive if you periodically recharge your battery. With Venus moving into the house in your chart associated with Virgo matters, you’ll derive satisfaction in the next few weeks from beautifying your work environment, socializing with coworkers, valuing your health or solving a relationship problem. Speaking of relationships, you might get uncomfortable with closeness or dependency now, and there’s a chance that the combination of powerful romantic feelings and the unpredictability of sex will aggravate you. Don’t dilute who you are for anyone, and don’t try to control what happens.

LIBRA
September 23–October 22

With impulsive Mars in your pleasure sector opposing excessive Jupiter in your group house this week, you could be in the mood for a huge New Year’s celebration and are apt to overdo it. Or you might want to do one thing, and your friends want to do another. It’s also possible that your love life won’t sync up effortlessly with your social life. Try not to pursue an ideal of a good time, but rather, take it as it comes and indulge the urge to enjoy life. Venus is also moving into your pleasure sector, so you’re feeling quite playful and easily amused. You should be able to find a good balance between chasing happiness and drawing it in. Your creativity will be at a high in the next few weeks, while your self-discipline could be low. Venus is clicking with committed Saturn in your communication zone now, so you’re able to express your creativity and your feelings—such as love—honestly. You may also find it easier to make sense of your feelings.

SCORPIO
October 23–November 21

Regressive behavior, unconscious anger or family friction could be a problem this week when feisty Mars opposes overblown Jupiter. You may also find it challenging to balance home life and goals. Or you could just be pushing yourself to do too much. Getting work done around the house will help you burn off excess energy. If you’re feeling irritable, try to drill down to the underlying cause—something your investigative, psychologically oriented sign is good at doing. And be flexible, because things won’t go exactly according to plan in your everyday life, and your lack of control could frustrate you to the point where you get into a verbal conflict. Your words have even more power than usual now, so choose them wisely. Tension with siblings is another possibility. This is a good time for intensive thinking, especially if you’d rather not argue. With Venus dipping down to the bottom of your chart, you’re likely to crave peace, comfort, time at home and simple pleasures. The next few weeks lend themselves to redecorating and reminiscing.

SAGITTARIUS
November 22–December 21

It’s not easy to align your thinking or finances with your biggest aspirations this week, given an awkward angle between mental Mercury in your worth zone and outsized Jupiter in your vision sector. You’ll need to adjust, in order to accommodate the reality of your situation. Provocative Mars in your cognition-and-communication house is having his own altercation with Jupiter, so you could get into a heated debate, especially if you identify strongly with your opinion. In that case, it feels personal when someone disagrees with you. If you know you’re fighting for a just cause, perhaps you should do so. But if you find yourself embroiled in a pointless argument, it’s probably best to rise above it. There should be an opportunity, though, for you to exchange ideas with people and learn from each other, so don’t disengage. Venus is harmonizing with Saturn in Sagittarius now. You’re able to enjoy conversations, smooth things over and convey where you’re coming from in a measured manner. A healthy combination of pleasant and serious is possible in your interactions.

Follow @astrotherapist on Twitter and email tallennyc@gmail.com to schedule a reading over phone or Skype. Available in-person in NYC! $125 for 60 minutes, $150 for 90 minutes.