Free People Horoscope by Tracy Allen, Week of November 12-18

For your best strategy in combatting the effects of Mercury Retrograde… Follow @astrotherapist on Twitter and email tallennyc@gmail.com to schedule a reading over phone or Skype. Available in-person in NYC! 

SCORPIO 

October 23–November 21

Try some new methods in an effort to get stuff done around the house this week when driven Mars in your domestic angle clicks with indie Uranus in your routine corner. Circumstances can change on a dime, and you’ll need to adapt if you want to be productive. After that, Mars zooms into your joy sector, where he’ll be hanging out for the rest of the year, mobilizing you to get out and have some fun. This is your cue to be bolder in pursuing what your heart wants — and you’re brave enough to take risks now. You’re much more inclined to do as you please than to tackle unpleasant tasks. Sports and sex are both good uses of this expressive, physical energy. Venus is powering forward at the end of your chart finally, which could stimulate pent-up desires. What has your intuition been telling you these last couple of weeks? Your inklings may become more solid as the month unfolds, and if you suspect you should let go of a relationship or something that no longer satisfies your soul, chances are you’re ready. Mercury’s simultaneous U-turn in your worth house calls your financial judgment into question, so you should postpone negotiations and splurges for a few weeks and review your budget.

SAGITTARIUS

November 22–December 21

Bold self-expression is the way to go when Mars in your communication corner syncs up with Uranus in your pleasure house. You might propose something fun on the spur of the moment or sell people on other unique ideas. Mars sneaks down to the base of your chart next, which can affect the rest of 2018 in a couple of ways. You may get super busy around the house, tackling a domestic project, working from home or teaming up with your family or roommates. Your behavior can take on an emotional — possibly compulsive — tinge, causing petty battles. Try to stay in touch with your underlying mood to avoid such skirmishes. With Venus resuming forward motion, a desire to get together with people resurges, and you’ll gradually find it easier to connect. If you’ve felt cut off, you’ll start to get a better grasp on where you stand with a friend or group and who’s on your squad versus who’s merely an acquaintance. Mercury’s going retrograde in Sagittarius, though, making it harder to get your message across clearly. Don’t sweat it if you’re misunderstood; wait until the lines of communication open up in a few weeks. And postpone big decisions, since your judgment will be clouded. Instead, rethink your choices and ponder what you want to say — and how.

CAPRICORN

December 22–January 19

Mars clicks with Uranus this week, giving you a chance to do something involving your finances or belongings that makes a difference in your home life or comfort level. You could also act in accordance with your personal values or make clever use of your resources and feel freer. Next, Mars zooms into your thinking-and-talking corner, daring you to speak up for yourself and pitch your ideas. Your brain and your communication will be quite charged for the rest of the year, so you’ll be up for challenging mental work and will have dynamic interactions. Once Venus restarts her engine, it won’t seem as hard to make a good impression on higher-ups and shine in your career (or in public). It’s important to you to cultivate a certain reputation, but while the social planet was backtracking, you may not have felt like you were seen in the best light possible. And if your heart wasn’t in certain goals, the retrograde probably led you to question the direction you’re heading in. With Mercury now turning retrograde, you’re due to turn your attention inward and get more info from dreams, memories, intuitive inklings and buried emotions than from the outside world. Don’t try to force communication; tune out the noise and tune into your soul.

AQUARIUS

January 20–February 18

You can accomplish what you want to in your own unique way when Mars in Aquarius vibes with your ruler this week, so go ahead and think outside the box in pursuit of your agenda. There’s a good chance you’ll learn something and meet people while you’re at it. Afterwards, Mars sets up shop in your worth house for the rest of 2018, prompting you to deal with your finances and possessions. Try to make good use of your resources (including your talents and tools) in order to accomplish tasks, but avoid getting defensive over what’s yours (including your belongings and personal values). After Venus goes direct, your outlook will brighten and you’ll regain an interest in new people and pleasures. You may get a yen for travel or crave other kinds of mind-broadening experience. But at the same time, Mercury is turning retrograde, so brace yourself for possible crossed wires in your squad and other groups; back up all your devices; and hold off on buying tech. And don’t engage in gossip! Do reconnect with an old friend or colleague and contemplate who you want on your team. Social media is sure to serve up its share of drama, so practice good netiquette and don’t waste your time clapping back at trolls.

PISCES

February 19–March 20

This week’s Mars-Uranus meeting hints that working behind the scenes will pay off, while facing old emotions and behavior patterns can improve the way you feel about yourself. Next, Mars revs up Pisces for the first time since December 2016–January 2017, giving you a whopping dose of energy to achieve what you want to achieve. Work independently if you can pull that off — your formidable drive might cause you to dominate other people. For the rest of 2018, you definitely won’t be a pushover! If you need to fight for your rights, the warrior planet will give you the guts to do so. Burn off excess fuel with a challenging workout so you don’t get too amped up. As Venus shifts back into gear, closeness won’t seem so hard to come by and you’ll feel your passion returning. If you’ve been waiting for outside money like a loan or grant to come through, the next couple of weeks should ease cash flow. Mercury begins its retrograde phase at the top of your chart, however, complicating communication with authority figures, so watch your tone and reassess your goals rather than publicizing them. You might revise a biz plan or rethink your career path in the coming weeks so they suit your current circumstances and identity better.

ARIES

March 21-April 19

Your ruling planet is in your group sector and forming an alliance with Uranus in Aries this week, making teamwork a no-brainer. You’re naturally autonomous, but if you can identify common objectives and opportunities to collaborate, you might be pleasantly surprised by the results. Soon after, Mars ducks into your retreat corner, where he’ll be hiding for the rest of the year. This can be an aggravating period if you’re interested in making a big impression and getting credit for what you’re doing. If you’re willing to work quietly behind the scenes, though, you can accomplish plenty. Keep an eye on any tendencies to undermine yourself because this planetary position can trigger regressive behavior. Confront your own self-sabotage instead of taking frustrations out on someone else. Venus is finally moving forward, and soon everyone will seem more agreeable and engaged. You can strike compromises and clear up interpersonal issues and perhaps get a significant relationship back on track if it’s faltered recently. At the same time, Mercury begins to backtrack, calling for you to evaluate your opinions and beliefs, weeding out prejudices and seeking fresh perspective. Press pause before sharing your POV, as muddled debates are par for the course now. Be patient with travel and education-related snags. You’ll have more luck revisiting a place and relearning something.

TAURUS

April 20–May 20

Mars-Uranus harmony suggests a flash of intuition can guide you in chasing after a goal, and help may come from unforeseen sources. The best way to achieve your aims is not the first one you think of. After that, Mars charges into your humanity house, rallying the troops for productive teamwork. Look around for others who share your goals and interests and band together instead of competing against each other. For the rest of 2018, cooperation is the name of the game, so find people you can work with! Participating in physical activities like sports with your friends will also help you use your energy well. Your ruling planet is getting back on course in your efficiency zone, allowing you to take more pleasure in your work and other daily doings. You’ll slowly start to feel more invested in your efforts and more satisfied with the quality of your life. If you’ve had any realizations about how you spend your time, you might tweak your routine going forward. Mercury, on the other hand, is beginning its retrograde phase, which could mess with communication in an intimate relationship and lure you to reflect on a loss or reminisce about an old lover. Protect any info you want to keep private. Revive an investigation. Search your psyche for nuggets of truth.

GEMINI

May 21–June 20

Sharing an adventure with your squad can be exciting and eye-opening when Mars in your exploration corner gels with Uranus in your group sector. Uranus favors spontaneity over planning, so impromptu fun is definitely on the menu. Mars climbs to the peak of your chart after that, revving up your ambition for the rest of 2018. In the weeks to come, the more closely you identify with an objective, the more driven you’ll be to achieve it. So if possible, work independently on endeavors that matter to you. Mars isn’t keen on answering to authority — another good reason to pick your own projects. If you do have to cooperate with coworkers or check in with a boss, be sure to choose your battles. Venus is moving forward in your fulfillment house, reviving your creativity and love life and putting pure joy within your reach. Give yourself permission to play! With Mars pushing you to chase after big goals, leisure time takes on added importance. While Venus gets back into gear, Mercury goes off the grid, jamming the signals between you and other individuals. Avoid jumping to conclusions, and give people the benefit of the doubt. Rehashing old arguments might not foster mutual understanding, but reviewing your relationships and agreements with others (spoken and unspoken) will be worth it.

CANCER

June 21–July 22

A Mars-Uranus summit can convince you to give your all to a passion project, partnership, research effort or psychological transformation. You might be surprised by the result because progress isn’t a straight line, as far as Uranus is concerned. Mars lands in your exploration corner next, telling you to stop playing it safe. Between now and the end of the year, you might take a big trip, fight for what you believe in, seek out unfamiliar experiences in order to learn and engage in daunting physical activities — like taking snowboard lessons when you’re afraid of heights. And while it’s admirable to stand up for your principles, Mars can tempt you to bash people over the head with your personal opinions. So take a step back and breathe! With Venus powering forward, your mood should improve — and so should relations with family and roomies. If you’ve been mulling over your décor, you’ll soon feel more sure of your aesthetic judgment. But with Mercury beginning to backspin, you’re liable to overlook details and might need to correct yourself later. Edit yourself at work, as crossed wires at the office are common now. The upside? Perfect time to relearn a skill, reapply for a job, revise your work, revamp your routine and research a health matter.

LEO

July 23–August 22

When Mars and Uranus team up this week, joining forces with another person can stimulate your mind and perhaps even change your outlook. Partnership has the ability to take you to surprising places — literally or figuratively — so don’t insist on doing things by yourself. Mars segues into your depth-and-merging house next, nudging you to invest even more in a collaboration or explore your own psyche in an effort to turn an emotional corner and change. Research, investigation and passion projects will also be productive between now and the end of 2018, as you’re meant to dig in intently. If you’re in a committed relationship, joint resources and sharing in general could be a source of conflict, but they’re also what you can work on together. Walk your talk when it comes to give-and-take. With Venus pivoting direct, it will soon be easier to get along with people and express your affection. Trying to put your desires into words but struggling to connect? This is a welcome development. At the same time, Mercury enters its own retrograde period, which could leave you tongue-tied when speaking from the heart. Use the next few weeks to revise creative writing, reread something for pleasure, rediscover an old source of fun and reevaluate what fulfills you.

VIRGO

August 23–September 22

With Mars and Uranus working in tandem, your efforts could pay off in the form of outside support, while helping someone you know can change your relationship. It’s also possible that by rolling up your sleeves and getting to work, you’ll prove to yourself that you don’t have to depend on another person. Mars crosses your interpersonal angle afterwards, sending the opposite message: Partnership is the most productive route to take. Whatever you want to accomplish, two is better than one between now and the end of the year. If you’ve glossed over grievances, this is the season to hash things out. Conflict can be healthy and constructive if you choose your battles well and fight fair. Now that Venus is resuming forward motion in your worth zone, money will start to flow more freely and you shouldn’t have as much difficulty using your resources and figuring out what’s most important to you. At the same time, your ruler is turning retrograde, sending you on a trip down memory lane in your head and scrambling signals on the home front. You might reconnect with family, rethink your living situation and ruminate on private feelings. If you feel misunderstood when trying to articulate your emotions, you might stick to introspection for now or speak to a healing professional like a therapist.

LIBRA

September 23–October 22

An attraction to someone new and different can spur you to make the first move when Mars in your joy sector meshes with Uranus in your one-on-one angle this week. You could also form a new creative partnership or showcase something you’ve been making and receive an unexpected reaction. After that, Mars will spend the rest of 2018 in your efficiency corner, motivating you to get tons done. You should have sufficient energy to tackle much of what’s on your plate and will take pride in working hard. Your drive could be off-putting to coworkers, so try to operate solo to the extent that you can. This planetary placement blends usefulness and ego gratification—and not always so smoothly. If you get stressed out, rigorous workouts will help you blow off steam. With Venus shifting into first gear in Libra, you’ll feel increasingly capable of projecting the image that you want to in the days to come. Your desires will begin to gel, and you’ll have more power to attract what you want. Since Venus is your ruling planet, you’ll soon feel like yourself again! Mercury’s retrograde turn can tie up communication and travel, so put off signing paperwork, having important talks and making big decisions for a few weeks.

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.