Free People Horoscope by Tracy Allen, Week of July 16-22

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.

CANCER

June 21–July 22

You might notice a subtle unease early in the week as pleasant banter doesn’t jibe with more single-minded, serious relating. Maybe you’re having fun mingling but are already involved with someone, and it’s possible you’re flirting in part because of problems in a relationship. In any case, the disconnect between breezy and intense can cause strain now. With the moon descending to your foundation angle, you need downtime at Casa Crab to process all those feels. Simple comforts and familiar surroundings are bound to soothe you. Towards the end of the week, you’ll be more outgoing and a Venus-Jupiter confab can lend you the courage to wear your heart on your sleeve. It will feel good to show affection freely, and you might make a love connection while you’re out having a good time. After the sun segues from Cancer to Leo, some of your attention will turn to personal finances, belongings and values. This is a month for getting your priorities in order and making the most of what you have going for you.

LEO

July 23–August 22

The week starts off with an awkward encounter between Venus and Mars that makes it difficult to align your personal desires and partnership. It seems like you can’t collaborate with another individual and still get what you want, but with a bit of rebalancing, it’s not impossible. Mercury in Leo is having the same skirmish with Pluto in your productivity corner, so things may not unfold the way you have in mind and you could get stressed. Don’t fixate on a specific approach; be ready to think on your feet so you can adjust to shifting circumstances. With the moon dashing into your thinking-and-talking corner, your thoughts and communication are quite subjective, as they’re heavily influenced by emotions. You can easily articulate how you’re feeling and make choices from your gut, but make an effort to reason something through if you’re facing a weightier matter. The sun’s arrival in Leo heralds the beginning of your birthday season and gives you full permission to focus on yourself and what you want out of the year ahead. Happy solar return!

VIRGO

August 23–September 22

Venus in Virgo is rubbing Mars in your efficiency corner the wrong way early in the week, generating friction between your desire to enjoy life and your drive to get things done. These different parts of your life won’t fall perfectly into place, so try to be satisfied with close enough! A little flexibility goes a long way. Mercury’s similar friction with Pluto could spur you to say something unintentional in the heat of the moment or trigger an instinct that runs counter to a strong passion. The moon’s trip through your worth house midweek increases possessiveness and impulsive spending, while its segue into your thinking-and-talking corner will tinge your mindset and speech with emotion. Venus’s chemistry with Jupiter late in the week brings an opportunity to meet people, socialize close to home, enjoy a getaway or spend time with siblings. Once the sun ducks into the last house of your chart, your energy is apt to wane, as your solar year is drawing to a close. Make time for quiet reflection and rest.

LIBRA

September 23–October 22

Venus tussles with Mars at the beginning of the week, and the challenge could be reconciling a desire to love selflessly and an urge to do as you please. Part of you is primed to go after what you want, but another part is content to kick back and enjoy what comes your way. This planetary pairing can also indicate an illicit romance that’s not delivering the goods. As the moon zips into Libra, your sensitivity is heightened and you’re attuned to moods and needs — both yours and those of others around you. You’ll lack objectivity but can take advantage of a rare alliance between your will and your emotions. Thanks to the moon’s move into your worth house and Venus’s vibe with Jupiter, you have the confidence to identify what’s most important to you and to let go of something (or possibly someone) that doesn’t qualify. The sun’s arrival in your network sector stimulates the social butterfly in you, so make plenty of plans with your squad for the month to come. You’ll thrive on group energy!

SCORPIO

October 23–November 21

With Venus and Mars struggling through an uncomfortable meeting early this week, your rapport with a friend or group could suffer if an irritable mood or old pattern of behavior gets the best of you. Redirect tension via physical activity and intersplice social time with alone time. Be mindful of how you communicate with authority figures when Mercury and Pluto endure the same meeting as Venus and Mars. Consider toning down your intensity a notch so you don’t come on too strong. You’ll segue from keeping your feelings to yourself to letting them show when the moon exits your seclusion corner and makes its grand entrance into your sign. You’ll feel more on, and your inner harmony will help put you in tune with others. Plus Venus is melding with Jupiter in Scorpio late in the week, inspiring positive interactions and potentially sparking a fresh connection. The sun’s ascension to the peak of your chart fires you up to prove yourself in a public or professional arena. This is your month to shine, so take center stage!

SAGITTARIUS

November 22–December 21

Your charm will help you curry favor while Venus twirls across the top of your chart, but her scuffle with Mars advises you to fine tune your approach, as it’s challenging to find the right balance of bold assertion and sweet charisma that wins people over. You can get what you want, but there’s a tricky dynamic at play. With the moon traveling through your network zone, you’re craving time with your closest crew and want to connect on an emotional level. You’re giving off a nurturing vibe that may draw in a friend who needs support. You won’t feel as open and available later in the week once the moon slips into your soul corner and puts you in closer touch with your own inner life. A Venus-Jupiter meet-up nudges you to rely on your intuition if you want to be seen in a positive light, and you might meet a spiritual guide now. The sun’s arrival in your exploration sector inspires you to broaden your horizons in the coming month through learning, travel and new experiences.

CAPRICORN

December 22–January 19

You’re up for trying new things and meeting different people, but a Venus-Mars dustup exacerbates the dissonance between pleasant gambles and playing it safe to protect your own interests. Take a well-calculated risk to satisfy your appetite for the unfamiliar rather than hemming yourself in. Mercury’s similar tension with Pluto makes it difficult for you to trust and confide, since it means giving up some control. Resist any temptation to break a confidence. Integrity is more important than the upper hand. The moon’s trip through your ambition angle might lead you to put your emotions on display in public. Pay attention to your instincts about handling higher-ups; your gut isn’t likely to steer you wrong. After the moon lands in your network sector, you need to see your squad! A Venus-Jupiter summit has “the more the merrier” written all over it, so invite some fresh faces and enjoy getting to know them. With the sun changing signs, you’ll be delving deeper into a relationship, passion project, emotional matter or investigation in the month ahead.

AQUARIUS

January 20–February 18

Venus in your depth-and-merging house is at odds with Mars in Aquarius, so although you’re craving a feeling of closeness, you’re also intent on forwarding your own agenda. And since Mars is backtracking, you’re probably a little frustrated over a lack of clear progress. Do your best to juggle one-on-one relating and the pursuit of personal goals, with the understanding that you may need to be more flexible. With the moon cruising through your exploration corner, you’re feeling restless and perhaps even bored. If you’re unable to travel now, digress from your daily routine as much as possible and seek out unfamiliar people, ideas and topics. When the moon proceeds to the pinnacle of your chart, you’ll be less interested in broadening your horizons and more intent on climbing the ladder of success — and Venus’s chemistry with Jupiter implies a creative partnership, powerful contact or financial resource will help you to flourish. Once the sun crosses your interpersonal angle, more of your energy will be channeled into your interactions with others during the month that follows.

PISCES

February 19–March 20

Discord between Venus and Mars early in the week could cause you to do something inadvertently to disturb the peace in a relationship. Falling back into old ways will work against you and make it harder to get along with others. It’s a good idea to examine your subconscious in search of hidden motives and nip self-sabotaging actions in the bud. The moon is gliding through your depth-and-merging house, intensifying your feelings and possibly stirring up jealousy and a need for control. Emotional intimacy is favored if you’re willing and able to truly share. Once the moon arrives in your expansion zone, you may not feel like zeroing in on one person. If you want to branch out, look for safe ways to bring a dose of excitement into your life. Venus’s meet-up with Jupiter encourages you to enjoy a trip, adventure or learning experience with a companion, but when the sun shows up in your productivity corner, duty calls! In the month ahead, you’ll be motivated to accomplish a lot, so start tackling those to-dos.

ARIES

March 21–April 19

When Venus and Mars tussle early in the week, you may have trouble engaging in teamwork and also helping someone you care about, and collaboration in general will be difficult to pull off gracefully. A willingness to adjust will be to everyone’s advantage. Mercury and Pluto encounter a similar problem, and your brain wants to play, while you feel compelled to work. Your distractedness can bother you to the extent that you can’t fully focus on goals or enjoy breaks. Tell yourself this is a brief speedbump. As the moon zooms through your partnership and sharing houses, your need for companionship moves to the forefront, and you’re apt to view others through an emotional lens. If faced with a conflict, it will be challenging to detach and avoid reacting compulsively. But if your relations go smoothly, they’ll benefit from this increased emotional depth. A Venus-Jupiter confab also drives home the point that investing in close, healthy relationships will pay major dividends. The sun’s arrival in your fulfillment zone greenlights a month of freeing self-expression, creativity and fun — enjoy!

TAURUS

April 20–May 20

With Venus and Mars mixing it up, your desire to have a good time and your drive to chase after goals are bound to clash early in the week, and you’ll need to make tweaks if you want to have it both ways. Juggle work and play as well as you can and be happy with a modest amount of success for now. As the moon makes her way through your efficiency corner, you feel the need to keep your emotions under control and may be preoccupied with health and work. Resist the impulse to criticize, and if you’re not in a great mood, direct some of your energy toward getting organized. Once the moon crosses your one-on-one angle and Venus gels with Jupiter who’s already hanging out there, your interactions will have a freer flow and you might even meet a new romantic prospect. The sun is sneaking down to your foundation angle for the next month, turning your attention to home and family and prompting you to contemplate your backstory and current emotional state.

GEMINI

May 21–June 20

Since Venus and Mars aren’t on the same page this week, you may not be able to pull off enjoying the pleasures of home and also getting out and exploring the world. The dilemma of having your cake and eating it too will require a flexible solution. Be creative! Mercury’s comparable disharmony with Pluto hints that the curious Gemini in you wants to meet new people, have a variety of interactions, flirt and explore more of what life has to offer, but you feel some pressure from a certain individual. Again, it’s going to take effort to rebalance these competing interests. The moon’s transit through your joy sector encourages you to show your feelings and be very much yourself. But her segue into your efficiency corner later in the week will cause you to keep a tighter lid on all those feels, and you may put head over heart. With the sun setting up shop in your thinking-and-talking house for the next month, you’re all about connecting with the people around you and getting your ideas across.

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.