That fence is rough on your ass crack, eh? Although you prefer to not make waves, it's sometimes easier to choose a side than to keep riding that thorny hedge. I had it out recently over the Smoking Issue. While I can appreciate my friend's nicotine-addiction-fueled "free society" arguments and largely agree that a laissez-faire attitude is best, I ended up coming down against that view, largely because of the lack of responsibility, consideration and concern displayed by cigarette smokers for nonsmokers, by and large. Fine. Like your issue, this one is complicated by valid and reasonable arguments on both sides. That doesn't mean you have to straddle the fence. Choose a position. You can always reserve (and by all means exercise) the right to allow a well-reasoned argument to change your mind later on.
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)
There's something coursing through the phone lines; they're shaking from Miami to Vancouver. And you say your words don't have power. Their electric echoes are knocking down telephone poles and emotional barriers across the continent. Don't underestimate their strength. At times, you overuse certain tools (like your electric touch) and underuse others (like your loving thoughtfulness). This week, when your arms aren't available to wrap around the one(s) you love, give them something else to keep them warm at night.
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)
Aren't you tired yet of being one of "two ships passing in the night"? Don't these apparently futureless flares of romance frustrate you eventually? Not to compound your dissatisfaction, but I simply don't see any of these sexy schooners altering course just to keep you company on moonless nights at sea. But that doesn't mean you have to navigate the restless ocean alone. There's another option, one you haven't recently considered: your itinerary's new flexibility can work for you. The next time a cruise ship bats her eyelashes in your direction, adopt a new heading?hers. There's more than one upside to my proposed plan. Not only will she be delighted to share your full-sailed company, but you might like her destination better than where you'd have ended up otherwise.
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)
I spent this past week tying up loose ends, literally. I finally got that quilt sufficiently sewn into functionality. I patched pants, repaired rips and stitched sleeves. It took hours of stabbing my fingers with a needle in front of the television. My eyes are redder and my flesh more punctured than your average junkie's. But what a relief. You'd be surprised at the weight of all those nagging little jobs hanging over your head. Each one is as light as a feather?but added up, they've got the tonnage of a house. Start burning through those tasks, one camel-spine-snapping straw at a time. You think you don't have time to deal with this shit? Make time?or you really won't have time to deal with it.
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)
Don't be an ass. You're not exactly in the doghouse, but your usual alliances are unusually busy. Thus the only one left to defend your good name and stick up for you is the palm-reading hippie chick you buy your pot brownies from. As character witnesses go, she?may not be ideal. But accept her help anyway; you need it. Don't be so rigid. Doing things the way you're used to isn't an option this week. Embrace unconventionality, and make the best of an awkward situation. It's better than floundering in nostalgic mulishness (see line one).
Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)
Yowzers! This week you're due for a moment of geeky clarity so pure and simple it's straight out of a 60s sitcom. Don't knock it. Moments like these are rare for you. Put your usual activities (especially those involving reality avoidance) on hold to act on this brief lucidity. It's easier than you think, sometimes as simple as saying, "Gee, Mrs. Brady, I'm sorry I broke your lamp. I'll never play ball in the house again." If you successfully follow the straightforward guidance of even half of the Partridge Family-style solutions that will occur to you this week, you can finally rid your life of most of the nasty complications you spend so much time avoiding. Then you can return next week to your usual boozing and floozing with a much lighter heart.
Aries (March 21-April 19)
Optimism is almost tradable currency these days. The world's economy may be ailing, not because of the World Trade Center attack or any other single thing, but simply because of lack of confidence. In general, the ability to produce and distribute goods is the same as it was during the booming economy of three years ago. But people are spending less, which is lowering demand, which is generating layoffs, which is causing people to spend less. See where I'm going here? I never thought I'd be encouraging anyone to be a good little consumer, but here I am. Cash in on your positive vibe: get out there and spend your money.
Taurus (April 20-May 20)
It's one of those injuries you don't mind getting, like rug burn from the fake-fur carpeting, a sore tongue or a sprained nipple. (I don't know how anyone gets a sprained nipple, but you've managed it.) Why don't you mind these painful conditions? Because you had fun getting them, obviously. Just look to that outlook as you recover from your latest "battle wound." It hurts now, but quell your whining by remembering: the fun may have been less obvious and the wound less literal, but the bottom line is, getting it was a blast.
Gemini (May 21-June 20)
Friends are just like anything else; there are certain combinations you simply don't try. You wouldn't mix paisley and plaid, olives and caramel or raw oysters and roller coasters. People are a different category, it's true. But you're astute enough to know when bringing two of them together might be a happy combination ("Your chocolate's in my peanut butter?") and when it's simply a disaster waiting to happen. Don't assume that everyone who likes you will automatically like each other. Pay attention to potential compatibilities or disharmonies this week. Your friends won't know to thank you for doing it, but consider their silence a blessing; they'd be sure to gripe if you didn't bother.
Cancer (June 21-July 22)
So far, you've resisted sharing your clarity with others. Although you have a clearer picture of your convoluted inner tangle than ever, you've found that mostly cluing people into it just scares them. You're a complicated person, and fully sharing that essential truth might not be your best bet (if you want a life, that is) all across the board. But for anyone truly attempting to navigate that dangerous maze, the road maps you can provide would be invaluable. Once you've figured out that someone is willing to negotiate the labyrinth, minotaurs and all, give them every map you've got. They'll give you thanks, along with the severed head of your internal medusa, later.
Leo (July 23-Aug. 22)
I just shove everything back and give myself a little space. Probably not the most enlightened response, but when I'm crowded by my own clutter, internal or ex-, it helps (at least for a while) to sweep it all back against the wall to create a little dancing room. It's a quick fix, no question, but sometimes that's all you need to get to the next chapter, one where there might actually be more room to organize things so you have the space for them long-term. Avoid any kind of quick-fix habit by all means. Having said that, indulge yourself this week with one or two temporary solutions.
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)
Never underestimate the value of the Little Things. Remembering to wear the barrette he bought for you the next time you see him, even if you hate it. Including the date and time on your roommate's phone messages. It might not garner much outward appreciation, but rest assured you're winning points nonetheless. When you're not sure how to communicate what you're feeling, display how much you're worth, or show off your practical genius; don't get stuck trying to think up some grand, dramatic gesture. Little Things are enough.
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