Weekly Astroguide

What we find attractive can be hard to understand. It's easy when someone has a trait we feel we lack, more difficult when they display characteristics we've worked hard to avoid. Perhaps it's a case of finding opposites attractive. Or maybe the mere act of self-denial, even if it's over something we don't want, is enough to make it tantalising when found in someone else. We're complicated enough without matters of the heart adding to the confusion. Be discerning this week and you'll reach understanding that satisfies both your head and your heart. In your love life: When people love us for how we are, we fear that we may alienate them if we change. Don't worry; make the change.

Someone's got something and you want a part of it. This may or may not be about romance, but whatever or whoever it is, it's alluring. To covet something can create an uncomfortable feeling. Jealousy is even more unsettling. Just recognising that these emotions are the opposite of generosity means that you're half way to getting what you want, which, like all of us here on planet Earth, is to feel love. If you can let go of your desire, the chances are that the cosmos will give you what you want this week. In your love life: Is someone testing your defences? It is merely playful sparring from a partner. Engage with it, it will only make you stronger.

When things go wrong, we tend to assume we have entered a realm in which yet more things are likely to start going wrong soon. Pessimism kicks in. We look at the problems and wonder why it should just stop there.' That's how Jonathan interpreted the issues affecting you this week. He suggested: We ought to ask, Why shouldn't it just stop there?' It is perfectly possible to have a source of difficulty in one area of life and a source of great delight in another. See your current source of trouble as an isolated issue, not a dire portent. In your love life: Don't forget the feeling that started it all. A nod to your heart may just bring the renewed harmony you seek.

When a hound picks up a scent it can be almost impossible to rein it in. It will pull hard at the leash, and strain every sinew to bound after its prey. You've been feeling caught up and bound by a promise you feel obliged to honour. Fortunately for you, this week, the leash is particularly generous, or perhaps your quarry is within easy reach. And what a tasty find it will be! You are ready to cast off a restrictive yoke. With nothing to hold you back the time is right to let your creativity roam free. In your love life: Here come opportunities. Let your heart take the wheel for a while, it'll take you places you never though possible.

In the days before children played only with smartphones, there were playgrounds... out in the open air, with physical equipment to climb, swing or ride on. Remember that?' Jonathan's illustration from the past shows the perfect way to interpret influences on you this week: Remember the seesaw? One person sat at each end. If their weights were roughly equal, both could rise into the air a little. If the imbalance was too big, nothing moved. You feel as if life has been a seesaw lately. This week, the scales can tip in your favour.' In your love life: You need to feel valued and secure. Don't play a guessing game. Voice your feelings; make yourself heard.

Imagine that koalas are geniuses with plans for world domination and the knowhow to achieve it. How could we stop them they've got more opposable thumbs than us! In the great apocalyptic battle for supremacy on Earth, how are we supposed to stop a koala in its tracks? They're simply too cuddly to attack! They're the literal definition of disarming! This week, the cosmos gives you a big dose of charm to add to your mental acuity. The rest of us can only hope that you use your power for noble ends! In your love life: Are you being listened to? It's easy to assume you are being understood. But you need certainty. Speak clearly, you won't regret it.

Sometimes we meet a challenge that redefines the nature of who we are. Despite using all our usual techniques, we don't seem to make any headway. Yet we feel compelled to continue, certain there is a way round the problem. Perhaps the reason for our frustration is less to do with the nature of the contest and more with the focus of our energy. This week you have the chance to test yourself and break from tradition. With a new approach, it won't seem as difficult as it appears, and you can reject a tired way of thinking. In your love life: Sometimes feelings aren't enough. Honesty and evidence is needed. Demand proof from those who profess to care.

This week, think Hollywood. There's something about you that feels sophisticated, alluring and good to be around. There's a new-found creativity in your expression, charisma in your communication and charm in your chat. So why do you feel as if you're not being understood and that, though your words are being heard, your feelings are being ignored? You, let alone the rest of the world, needs time to catch up and catch on to the new you'. If you can let go of an old concept of yourself, you will start to feel right at home. In your love life: Mercury and Venus are moving into Leo. It's time to drop a bad habit. Allow yourself to love life, and life will love you back!

We feel under pressure to know, with certainty, what we're doing and where we're going. We are expected to be able to lay out our future in a format suitable for a Powerpoint presentation. There's no room for ums or ers when we present the information either. But suppose you don't know? Suppose you have, dare I say it, a doubt? Uncertainty is a much-maligned word. It takes a lot of confidence and trust to rest in it. The rewards, though, when you do, are worth the wait. It's all right not to know this week. You will, soon enough. In your love life: Something this week seems like a pointless distraction will reveal itself to be much more this week.

We are all brought up to be polite. We know, for example, that if someone doesn't answer a question, we shouldn't keep demanding an answer. Only journalists may do that and they have to go to a special college first, to learn how to be rude! Yet if you just wait for something to happen, it probably won't.' Does Jonathan's scenario ring true? His advice: Somehow, you need to make yourself more of a nuisance. You can do that gently and sweetly now, but you do have to remember not to be distracted from your objective.' In your love life: The secret of long-term love is to remain friends. Articulate how you feel. It's more nourishing than any tasty treat.

The idea of who we'd like to be is influenced by how we want to be perceived. Though these concepts may seem similar, one of them can disguise the intention of the other. Imagine, for example, someone who wants to be seen as a figure of hope when their secret desire is to manipulate. It's not easy to discern someone's true motivation, or, for that matter, our own. You are being blessed with an aura that will make others more receptive to your ideas this week. Use this to advance a benevolent agenda and you will be successful. In your love life: With Mars in your sign, it's worth trying once more to open a door that has long been locked. If it doesn't open, another will.

Look at your junk mail. Just before you recycle it, stop and appreciate the skill and effort that has gone into it. Professionals have done their best to write you a letter that strikes a chord and triggers a response. They want you to feel that their message is important and that the quality of your life will improve if you take up their offer.' These are Jonathan's words to illustrate your week. It poses this question: Where else in your world are you being talked into an involvement or a commitment that you don't really need to make?' In your love life: Those we care about most have the power to infuriate. Your hackles are rising? It's because you care so much.

Are you naturally parsimonious? Whilst many a humorous remark is made about Capricornian caution, that's unfair. You just like to make sure that resources are respected and put to the best use. In July, you will once again prove yourself clever and capable as you resolve a tricky problem with minimal help. Quite why you don't have access to all the assistance you deserve is a matter we can consider on another occasion. For now, it is enough to know that, despite seemingly daunting odds, you will make the most positive progress this month. In your love life: Sometimes it's worth taking a gamble. The open road lies before you this week and the destination will be delightful.

A sharp alignment from Mars to Uranus suggests that in July you will come under pressure. If this were only being imposed upon you by colleagues, companions, commitments or obligations, an astrologer's advice would be easy. I could just say, Tell everyone else not to be so pushy!' But it is not so simple. The real source of the tension that you are starting to feel, is self-inflicted. Reset your own expectation. Give yourself a break. Breathe out. You will get further than you think, even if you don't run as fast as you feel perhaps you ought to. In your love life: Something may have taken the wind out of your sails. It won't be long, though, before they are full of hope again.

If you really want the best experience in July, start worrying less about what the best experience' truly is. We set ourselves impossible standards. We reach for unattainable goals and try to meet entirely unrealistic targets. Even if we make more progress than many might think possible, we do this at the expense of our own strength and sanity. We grow anxious and exhausted and that's never any fun! Priority number one, in July, is to enjoy yourself. The more you honour that need, the more easily you'll get all else you require. In your love life: The Sun's aspect to your ruler suggest that if you are hoping to make a change, this could be the moment!

In a few million years to come, when the Sun implodes and the solar system ends, your life (and mine) will be memories as distant as those of the days of the dinosaurs. Where will we be by then? While I leave you to contemplate that profound point, let us look at your month ahead. July, if nothing else, will bring you an experience that contrasts the magic and the mystery of the vast and eternal, with the pettiness of some passing problem. Your very ability to see that distinction will be part of the same process by which you find a true solution! In your love life: When you choose to unleash your power, none can resist. Take care how you use it this week.

Only one important story starts to tell itself the moment we look at your astrological outlook for July. We see a tale of tension that slowly, but surely, gets resolved. As part of that same epic adventure, we see fear giving way to hope, confusion being replaced by clarity and frustration turning to freedom. As we begin the month, we find you wrestling with demons', trying to resolve an inner dilemma whilst coping with someone else's unreasonable expectations. Things can't go on like that and they won't. It will all come right in the end. In your love life: If you open your heart to new experiences this week, the universe will deliver a surprising gift.

Mercury and Venus are never far apart in the zodiac. Both keep near the Sun and therefore, remain reasonably near to each other. July, though, is one of those rare months when all three celestial bodies align so closely that, for a while, it is as if they rise and set as one. That says plenty about the kind of month you have in store. You are about to be the beneficiary of significant support, psychological and material alike. You might not be given the Moon on a stick, but you will be pleasantly surprised by how much soon starts going your way. In your love life: Plant the right kind of seeds and your emotional life can flourish. Tend new growth, it will lead to a bountiful harvest.

Is there, this month, some situation that you suspect you may as well just walk away from, for all the good your involvement with it is doing? You may feel that way as July begins, but soon you will gain fresh enthusiasm. What seems hopeless will look far more hopeful. What appears difficult will seem much easier. Will this be because of some major change of circumstance? It may just all be due to some glorious revelation that blows fresh insight down the stale corridor of dismal expectation and fans, once more, the flame of your faith in the future. In your love life: It's time for a serious talk. Stop feeling nervous. A truly joyous change can occur and a fresh start made.

When you look back on July, you will see how much it taught and helped you. If you want to make the most of it, be willing to learn and be willing, too, to accept help. We do ourselves no favours if we feel existence is a struggle or that a conflict might never be resolved. Such ideas delay our progress. They can even mean that, when life reaches out a hand to pull us into sweeter, safer territory, we don't spot the opportunity and let it pass us by. But July is an important month and you are too important a person to allow that to happen. In your love life: Use your gift of charm on someone you care deeply about. The most nurturing philosophy has the lightest of touches.

When things aren't happening in quite the way that we think they ought to be we can either try to change the world so that some circumstances more closely match our vision or we can attempt to adjust that vision so that it more resembles the reality. Usually, the second way is the only viable route yet, once in a while, exceptional celestial circumstances prevail. July, for you, is due to be one of those more fortunate occasions. I won't go so far as to promise you miracles but you will soon gain a deep, appreciation of the miraculous. In your love life: The heavens are conferring confidence and emotional certainty upon you. Now you can begin to change your world.

Why do we read newspapers and listen to TV or radio bulletins? Because we want to be kept up to date. We don't like to feel we are missing out on information. We should be well informed because knowledge is power, is it not? Indeed, it is. But to be in possession of a bright mind is also to be blessed with a valuable asset. This month, you make discoveries that prove so useful and you turn out to be resourceful enough to take full advantage of all those newly emerging facts and insights. The upshot is a surprisingly successful July. In your love life: You've spent a lot of time smoothing the rough edges of a relationship. The hard work you've done has been worth it. Enjoy.

Can you really just get everything you want simply by summoning your willpower and determination? Of course, not. You have to put in a little effort, too. But if you do all that, you will be pleasantly surprised by how far you manage to get in July. A supportive cosmic climate implies an almost unprecedented ability to seize opportunity. Just be aware that, while Mars is in your sign, you may come across as sharp or critical to others. Make a point of being gentle and diplomatic if you want to win emotional support to accompany all those worldly gains. In your love life: Here comes your chance to remember what you feel deep down. Set your feelings free. Acting on them will be liberating.

The strangest things happen at the most peculiar times. Astrologers do their best to alert their clients to impending opportunity. But as every Sagittarian knows, a magic moment can come from out of nowhere, as long as a situation is treated with enough optimism and gentle enthusiasm. Or, to put it all another way, you will do well in July, for this looks set to be a month full of pleasing developments that meet many of your most pressing needs. And you will do even better if, at every turn, you allow yourself to expect the best. In your love life: Opportunities have seemed a little scarce recently. But one is approaching; you can spot it. Seize it and make the most of it.

Pluto makes a harmonious link to Jupiter in your sign this week. Jonathan wrote of this: People who are afraid of ghosts should keep away from haunted houses! There. That's good advice, isn't it? But when people aren't afraid of ghosts, it's usually because they don't believe in them. And then, why would they ever want to visit a haunted house? So, haunted houses echo with the sound of knocking knees; noisy enough to drive away the ghosts. But that won't stop visitors picking up on the mood of fear! You have nothing to be nervous of now.' In your love life: Whatever your strain of lovesickness, know this: you're about to discover a revolutionary cure. A healthy future awaits.

It's time you stopped dwelling on a missed opportunity. The past is the past. Aquarians know this better than anyone. You're normally good at looking ahead, identifying problems and seeing what needs to be done. But sometimes this is easier to do with other people's issues than your own. We can all be blinded by perspective. And we all occasionally need a dose of our own medicine. This week, an obstacle in your path is starting to shift. You'll realise that by pushing against it, you've been holding it in place the whole time. In your love life: It's not about money, it's simple: prove to someone they're worth the time and they will see that you're worth the effort.

Our bodies are composed of more space than matter. If you were to stand at the centre of a football stadium you would feel a long way away from the spectators in their seats. That's the equivalent distance between the nucleus of an atom and its electrons. So if everyone and everything is mostly made up of space, why haven't you fallen through your chair as you read this? Force is the answer. It's the invisible will of the universe. Think about what force governs your life this week. Now is a good time to exercise your own. In your love life: Looking for success? You'll soon have reason to celebrate. Your heart is about to be touched by a generous gesture.

This week your ruler finally turns direct in the sky. This marks a turning point for all of us. You, especially, will find it easier to stop chewing over the same old arguments. You'll wonder why you found circumstances so frustrating. Objectives that seemed out of reach will become attainable. So much depends on your perspective and how confident you feel about the challenges you face. With Mars back on track, your energy levels and attitude will be too. You'll start to feel the benefit of the trials you've been through lately. In your love life: The uneasiness you have felt of late is about to dissipate. Now is the time to pursue your desires.

What do you do when you hear a burglar alarm going off in your neighbourhood? Do you poke your head out of the window to see what's going on? Often what we think might be an emergency is just a very loud false alarm. If it goes on we might even find ourselves entertaining thoughts of actually doing some damage to get the noise to stop! So it is that the steps you take to safeguard yourself sometimes invite more harm than help. It's time to turn off your inner alarm! You're being offered a helping hand. In your love life: You came to Earth to discover the joy of sharing. As you step away from frustration, you enter the realm of the magical.

To sort out a mess, you must first have a mess. If all you have is an untidy situation, it won't take a lot to set it straight. But what you see as a minor nuisance, someone else may perceive as a major impediment. You are often surprised by how easily others give up on what seem to you like simple challenges. But they sometimes look at your reactions and have the same response.' Jonathan's practical advice works for you this week: Speak to someone with more experience in handling problems. It may well prove to be no problem at all.' In your love life: Your frustrations are about to start to ease. First, take out the rubbish this week; you'll find your house is more inviting.

A furious heart is a ferocious thing. But a driven heart is what makes us formidable. A tornado that touches down in a field may do surprisingly little damage. In fact it's a wondrous sight to behold! If though, it's blown in the wrong direction by an ill wind, heaven help anything in its path. Your heart is an effective tool. With a steady hand guiding it forward, it can be a source of immense power and provide you with the energy to overcome obstacles in your path. You can be your most inspiring, powerful self this weekend. In your love life: Not only will a difficulty start to ease, you'll also gain a better perspective on what's best for your heart.

The Sun makes positive aspects in the romantic part of your chart this week. Jonathan said of these alignments: Close your eyes, imagine. You're on a tropical island, without a care. As you lie in your hammock, you open your eyes and see the lover of your dreams wafting a palm leaf over you. Well, things aren't necessarily going to get quite this good but there'll be moments that don't fall too far from it. Something rare and deeply desirable is on your horizon. Even if ALL your dreams can't come true, some of them can.' In your love life: If you challenge the notions of who you are, you may discover the person you could be. And so might someone else!

When I was growing up, our cat Lucy had five kittens. The last to be born seemed, at first, to be bigger than the others. But soon we realised it was just furrier and that he was actually the runt of the litter. He never let it hold him back, though, and perhaps because of his thick coat he was never bullied by his siblings, and eventually grew bigger than all of them. Where in your life do you feel as if you're pretending to be more than you are? This weekend, you may find that it's not just an act! In your love life: Is a meeting of the mind about to turn into an affair of the heart? If it's not steamy yet, give it a chance to come to the boil.

It's not nice feeling as if you need to bite your tongue. Especially if what you're trying to say is, What about me?' Recently you may have been feeling as if you've been going backwards and that the efforts you've been making are not being recognised. This weekend you'll find your circumstances start to improve. Even if you're not materially better off, you may be rewarded in more subtle ways. What's changing is how you understand the nature of reward. Be it physical or ephemeral, the cosmos wants to offer you a gift. Don't miss it! In your love life: You're about to get a chance to give something simple to someone who needs and appreciates it. Love is in the air.

Mars turns direct, in your own sign, this week. Here's how Jonathan interpreted this powerful event: What you need is a new objective. What you have is an old objection. Something in your way. The obstacle could be a person, a situation, a belief or a frame of mind. When you think about moving on, you see a reason why it can't happen. Yet it needs to happen; and sooner or later, it WILL. You're tired of feeling stuck. This week, the way to freedom involves focusing on the route to freedom.' In your love life: You can take off your learner driver plates. Manoeuvre carefully, you can speed your way to a desirable meeting.

They say that power breeds corruption and that too much of it is a dangerous thing. They're probably right. But boy can it feel good! You've been feeling limited recently. As though the pressure in your taps has been turned down. Sure you can still fill up the kettle, but it's been taking a bit more effort than usual to get your cup of tea. This week it's as though the celestial plumber has just been round. Never mind the water pressure in the kitchen your shower is super powered. Just don't forget to do the washing up in all the excitement! In your love life: Wherever your love lies now, you will soon be drawn closer to it as it will be drawn towards you. Give it time.

In 1964, WPN-114 was felled. Cut down by accident in the name of research; it was later found to be the world's oldest tree, at least 4,862 years old. But that tree was probably unaware it was so old. It was oblivious to the records it was setting every time the sun rose on its branches. Some successes are only appreciated once they're over; some so subtle we barely notice they have taken place. Soon, you will experience a win. Don't search too hard for it, but rest assured it will make a positive difference in your life. In your love life: Watch for a tendency to follow expectations. Watch, too, for a chance to find something better than you dared hope.

As Mercury opposes Saturn this Full Moon week, Jonathan's advice is all you need: The odds may be against you, but you have one potentially game-changing factor in your favour. Your inherent willingness to try! This won't help if you apply it to a far-fetched plan or an unlikely endeavour. If you buy a hundred lottery tickets today, you really can't expect to get your stake money back, far less make a profit. But if you apply yourself to something that's more responsive to solid effort, you may yet do surprisingly well!' In your love life: The Solstice and Full Moon shine light on what you've been seeking. It's not behind the sofa, or under the bed. It's within you.

It is true that sometimes our dreams can seem unattainable. Our best efforts can fall short and only bring disappointment as our expectations fail to be met. It can even feel as if we're simply grasping at straws. But there is a part of you that still believes that if something can be conceived, it can be brought into being. After all, if it weren't for dreamers, we wouldn't be able to jet off for holidays in exotic locations or watch TV images from around the world. Get ready to celebrate a small but significant dream coming true. In your love life: Heart or head? The celestial picture makes matters of the heart the essence of your week. But keep your wits about you too!

If we think of ourselves as infallible, we will inevitably reach a point where life obliges us to think again. Yet if we focus only on our faults, we might never encounter such a moment of course-correction. Our anticipation of trouble will become a self-fulfilling prophecy. So, is it better to be arrogant and overconfident?' A thought-provoking question from Jonathan. This week, he might also have advised you to be a little more humble and more positive. You can achieve something you've long been wishing for. In your love life: Acceptance is the key to relationships. If you can see beyond the mundane and into the heart this week, it will be a nourishing time.

What is the point of wealth if you don't have anyone to share it with? Hang on, I have got that the wrong way round. What is the point of sharing if you don't have any wealth to share? Well, actually, you don't have to be wealthy to share. You have other riches to offer. You can share your time, you can share your thoughts, you can share your love. But this week, you're about to enjoy the fruits of your previous labour. And not only will you have more to share, there will be someone to share it with. In your love life: Honouring even emotions, even the more difficult' ones, leads to a deepening of the better' ones. Do that and watch the Joyometer' levels rise!

Something, or someone has a particular hold on you. It is as if they are illuminated in the darkness, that the light in which they bathe is obscuring the distractions of their surroundings. Be careful that you don't develop tunnel vision. It's good to keep your eyes ahead but you have wing mirrors for a reason. This week there's a good chance that a relationship will become the focus of success. You can rightly enjoy this moment and revel in the benefits it supplies. Just be sure you're also aware of the wider picture. In your love life: If something in your life seems nonsensical, the Full Moon will challenge you to begin to be well disposed towards it.

Now is the time to put into place some of the magic you have worked so hard to manipulate. If you have a skill, an ability, or a technique you have painstakingly learned, it is very hard to imagine how difficult this may appear to someone else who has no such knowledge. To them, it just looks as if you are working some kind of mysterious magic. And, of course, you'd feel the same way about the tricks that you see other people perform.' As Jonathan suggested, it's time to reap the harvest of your hard work. In your love life: The Solstice, and the Sun returning to your sign this week, mean you have transforming power at your fingertips.

They say love is blind, that it conquers all. But they forget to say how difficult it can be sometimes. Relationships need navigating. It's harder to steer the course ahead when there's another boat in the water with you. You have to put your selfish desires to one side and work as a team. And when the other boat makes an extended stop in the harbour it can feel very lonely out in the ocean. This week you may feel that your emotional equilibrium is not on an even keel. Keep yourself on course and the rest will follow. In your love life: Patience pays off! Will you have to wait an eternity before something wonderful turns up. That's on its way right now!

When we stop to think about how lucky we are to be alive, and how short our time tends to be, it becomes clear that every moment is too precious to waste. Yet some moments just don't feel so special. All we can think about are our troubles, our obligations or our reasons to feel resentful. Even worse are the moments when we feel full neither of something good nor something bad. We just feel somehow flat or empty. When such times come, we must let them go. Here comes a reminder of what life can feel like at its best. In your love life: You've spent so long digging up your weeds that you haven't noticed the flowers blooming in the border. Make a bouquet.

You're so good at seeing things from someone else's perspective that sometimes you find it difficult to develop your own. You are so adept at walking in another's shoes that your own can start to feel ungainly. Maybe you should wear one shoe from someone else and another from your own collection? Now there's a recipe for a stumble! This week you will make a breakthrough. It's a time to celebrate a triumph you've had a big hand in. Don't dismiss anyone else's help in this, but don't feel beholden to them either. In your love life: Venus is offering you a gift. A veil is slipping and you're seeing something for what it really is. And it is beautiful.

When we complete an objective, there's usually an accompanying set of feelings. Pride can be one; pleasure can be another, especially if material gains have been made in the achievement. But listlessness can also set in. We may suddenly realise that we have no idea about our next steps. It's all very well to have finally got to our destination, but the world hasn't stopped. Where to now? Sometimes you just need to rest a while and appreciate the view. Do that this week and the way to proceed will become clear. In your love life: The Full Moon suggests you can have whatever kind of week you most want.' The skies insist that it will be one to remember.

When we feel pleased with ourselves, are we entitled to celebrate? Or are we simply being smug? Can we pat ourselves on the back? Well, why not? Give yourself some credit! You have recently taken great steps towards genuine self-improvement. These need acknowledging, particularly by the author of your success: YOU! So, relax, crack open a metaphorical bottle of champagne, treat yourself to a well-deserved mini-break from your chores and duties, and remember: you do need to reward yourself for real progress well made. In your love life: The unknown may sound exciting. But sometimes the known is exactly what is needed. That's the situation this week.

Someone, somewhere is telling you it can't be done'. Surely, nothing could be more likely to inspire you to take up the challenge than such an unequivocal statement. Throughout history, sage figures have declared things to be impossible. Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible,' they said of the Wright brothers' attempts to create the first aeroplane. There's a world market for maybe five computers,' said the president of IBM. Don't let the negativity of others hold you back. Put your faith in the future and the future will respond in kind. In your love life: You may feel that something in your life is built on flimsy foundations; what comes next will bring reassurance.

Imagine that a deeply dedicated aesthete has spent their life waging war on a particular shade of red. They can hardly bear to see this colour on any object or item of clothing. One day, they find themselves in a burning building. Along comes the fire brigade and guess what colour their engine is? There comes a point where we all have to reassess our priorities, no matter how passionately they make us feel.' If you take Jonathan's advice this week and rethink your position on an important subject, you'll find that it will pay handsome dividends. In your love life: Feeling under fire? Don't give critics any ammunition. You have a duty to think the best of them... and of yourself!

You've had your head in the clouds for so long that you've started to lose touch with what's happening on the ground. As you come back down to earth this week you may not find yourself exactly where you thought you were, or where you want to be. But fear not... you will be given all the time and space you need to find your feet again. It may take a little while to re-orient yourself but rest assured that there is a clear path ahead. If you listen to your heart, the sun will shine through and the mist will clear. In your love life: Neptune changes direction. Don't be too hasty to make a new plan. Bide your time. The way forward will soon become clear.

The planetary alignments this week are really positive. Here's how Jonathan interpreted these influences: The end of an era approaches. This does not necessarily signify the end of any arrangement you wish to sustain. It simply means that if you're tired of a situation, fed up with a set of circumstances or you are inwardly hankering to be set free from restrictions you find uncomfortable a moment of liberation may be much nearer than you think. Will there be consequences? Of course! Will these represent a price that's too high to pay? Not really!' In your love life: Your journey has changed you, and you needn't react to a problem as you once might have. A moment of insight is possible.

My two-year-old son says the word Abat' when he means I want!' And yet he does understand the phrase I want'. I know this because sometimes, when he works himself into such a frenzy that he no longer even remembers what he wants, he cries ABAT WANT IT!' Well, sometimes we adults get ourselves into a similar state. We know we want something, but nothing will satisfy us. This week it is your heart that is crying Abat!' And what it wants... is some attention. Pay it some and you'll not want for anything else. In your love life: This week brings a chance to review. Not only do you have talents and skills to offer, you are also being given a helping hand.

You are about to leave an intense situation behind. But until that happens, let me remind you that stress and tension are unavoidable parts of the process of change. Without them everything collapses and nothing happens. Remember this and you will feel less stress and tension! So, try not to feel anxious about your anxiety or fearful of your fear this week. Relax a little (but not too much) and let go a little (but not too much). The stress you've been under is about to be relieved, the tension released and balance restored. In your love life: Individuality makes life wonderful, chaotic and fun. It's time to accept your uniqueness. The world needs you, just as you are!

You have such a warm and generous heart. You want to feel and you want to love and you want to lose yourself in the moment. You want to surf the crest of the biggest wave and you want to dive deep into the blue. You want to play, you want to laugh and you want to dance. And yes, you could be swept away; and yes, your heart might get hurt but isn't it worth the risk? This week, there will be something you can really put your heart and soul into. Even if the water is choppy, you'll not regret the swim. In your love life: A part of you wants to look back. But why? What can you learn or gain from this? Look forward instead. New hope is coming.

You feel as if you've been playing a role. Though it's been tiring trying to squeeze and stifle aspects of your personality to fit the confines of a specific character, it has not been a wasted effort. Actors gain experience from every performance. They refine and grow in confidence. They deliver their lines with more aplomb and their stage presence grows stronger. You've learned a lot. This week brings an opportunity for you to show your talents on the world's stage. Don't forget to leave the script behind! Now is the time to step out with the freedom to be more you'. In your love life: You can't work out what is eluding you. The feeling will pass. What you are missing is much less important than it seems.

Think, think, think!' This is the mantra repeated by Winnie the Pooh as he attempts to work out what needs to be done. He scrunches up his little bear face and concentrates really hard. But his thinking is often the precursor to complicated circumstances involving him being stuck in a rabbit hole, or chased by bees when he's taken their honey. When he trusts in his heart and reacts in the moment he is usually far better rewarded. This week, you may find your decisions come more naturally to you and your thinking is a little less stuck. In your love life: As Neptune turns retrograde, re-examine your plans. You're about to rediscover a talent that will get where you want to be.

A textbook is not a sacred tome. Though it may contain the workings of a particular subject, it doesn't even hint at the secrets of the soul. If we knew nothing about life except what the pages of Biology For Beginners teach us, we might never experience our more subtle, heart-felt emotions. We'd struggle to recognise the sensation of our racing heart and the shortening of breath about which poets write and musicians sing. This week, pay more attention to your heart's desires. Try not to rationalise the very part of you that makes you so special. In your love life: Really listening to someone and prioritising their needs is one way to show romance. Not obviously romantic. But rewarding.

If the world is truly full of lunatics then might it not be the sane person that finds themselves enjoying an extended visit to the asylum? Might it not be better to play the game'? To assent quietly to the most preposterous propositions? Perhaps it is indeed better to keep your counsel, but as the famous Greek philosopher Marcus Aurelius once said, The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane.' State your case and state it boldly this week. Right is on your side. In your love life: You had a great idea but had to leave it simmering. This week brings the chance to move it to the front of the stove.

Until now, you heart's desires (or at least one them) have remained stubbornly, frustratingly, tantalisingly, just out of reach. You feel like you're trying to herd cats, chase shadows and hunt wild geese all at the same time. Sagittarians typically have a quiver full of arrows and love to let them loose with sheer abandon, trusting that some, at least, will find their mark. This week, all you need to do is take a deep breath, steady your gaze, focus on the best possible outcome and trust in yourself. The universe will take care of the rest. In your love life: Sometimes, just getting lost in the moment' is all you need. This week a period of self-reflection can bring you genuine insight.

The Venus opposition to your ruler is on the wane. Lately you've been feeling that getting what you really want is unrealistic. That the only way to achieve your desire is to confine yourself too tightly within a certain set of parameters. Now, though, the burden is easing. But you still need to shift your perspective a little. It might be that you need to set your sights on a new ambition. Though it may not appear to be the ideal candidate for your attention, if you examine it closely enough, you'll find it has hidden charms. In your love life: Feel as if you're stuck inside doing your homework while everyone is out having fun? Join them. Play is important too!

You can, unfortunately, be your own worst enemy. So can I. So can anyone. Hang on, what did you think I meant? Did you think I meant that I could be MY own worst enemy? Or did you think that I could be YOUR worst enemy? This may be the point we need to discuss. Sometimes you can be so busy scanning for adversaries that you'll see them even amongst friends. We can all do this from time to time. But Aquarians are proactive and protective. This week try to ask questions first and shoot later. In your love life: Worry less about what you are looking for. If you can focus on being who you are, what you are looking for will find you.

This week will bring a couple of jolts to your senses. You may be comfortable, swinging in a hammock or floating on a lilo, when someone comes along to poke you in between the netting or create an almighty splash. Try not to blame the messenger. Whoever it is will simply be serving as a reminder that there's a whole world of chaos and confusion out there. Although it's ready to come in at any moment, it doesn't have to be scary. It can be exciting. Embrace the unexpected and you'll take it in your stride. In your love life: The New Moon brings an opportunity to change the game, even if you don't know the rules. You can reach your goal.

There's no point getting frustrated. Frustration isn't the right way to express those feelings welling up inside. You can do better than that. You can make the passions and desires that swirl within you a little more palatable. The fire that burns within can be a useful tool. By adding the right ingredients you can cook a tasty dish, power a combustion engine or defrost an icy situation. Make sure this week that you use your heat' wisely and in moderation. You don't want to have to wear oven gloves when you're using the toaster! In your love life: The solution you seek is not yours to find. Let go of the problem you are so fixed on solving, you will find you can move on.

There will come a moment this week when you'll gain a new understanding about what's in your heart. It will be as if someone has changed the lens in front of your eyes. Instead of seeing blurry shapes on the side of the road you will be able to make out the sharp details on the signs ahead. Take heed of those signs. Get in the appropriate lane ahead of time. Better to know what you want, prepared to take the correct path, rather than be constantly surprised by the next turn, swerving, all indicators and horns! In your love life: Luck is on your side. Not the jackpot or golden ticket kind of luck, but something unexpected and good is on its way.

Time to embark on a new challenge. You've come a long way on the good ship Gemini. You've plotted some clever courses and made some encouraging forays into uncharted waters. You've even opened up encouraging avenues of trade in far-flung places. But lately there's a feeling that you've been stuck in port too long. Don't worry, the refit is nearly complete. Soon you'll be off exploring again. Take some time this week to work out what you most want to get from this expedition. It'll help you to bring the goods home. In your love life: An unequal situation has reached its tipping point. This week, the see-saw tips your way. Your patience pays off at last.

We all need to wipe the slate clean sometimes. That's not to say we can't be proud of our achievements. Of course we can. And there's plenty you can look back on that will give you a warm sense of satisfaction. But the New Moon in Gemini brings an opportunity to start afresh. This week you can clear your head of an old way of thinking. Open up your mind and investigate some new ideas. Your heart is often full to the brim with emotions and commitments. It's time to let go gently and make room for the future. In your love life: Time to say goodbye to self-pity. The New Moon brings a fresh start and will make you want to get up and go'.

You may find this week that you've got a new pet project. We both know how loyal, caring and concerned you are with the lucky souls that fall under your protection. This week it seems as though you might have to be on your toes to keep up with someone in particular. The New Moon heralds the start of a fresh adventure, the beginning of chapter with great possibilities. Don't be out-foxed at the outset. Keep up with your quarry and you'll soon have a rich new seam of emotional connection to mine! In your love life: Deep down, you know you need to make a move. Trust your instinct; the move you need to make is easier than you think.

My uncle's advice seems particularly pertinent for your astrological influences this week. He reminded you that you can't get emotional if you play chess. Or rather, you can but it won't help very much. The rules are the rules. Logical processes must be followed if the game is to be played. And if you find yourself in a tricky position or threatened by your opponent's next move, don't take it personally. You had just better put your emotions to one side and trust that something clever will come to mind. In your love life: This New Moon brings a chance to build foundations based on a recently discovered truth. You have all the tools you need.

Sometimes you care too deeply. And often, when you do, it may appear as if you don't care at all because you don't show outward signs of emotion. This is usually because you are worried about the integrity of your emotional dams. You need these dams to function well. You are, in fact, powered by a great depth of emotional pressure. You can't let it all spill out for fear that it will compromise this important inner structure and lessen its ability to generate your power. This week, take a risk. There's a spark in you that is worth sharing. In your love life: If you can identify your emotional needs this week, there's a good chance you'll attract what you need to fulfil them.

I bet that tastes nice,' says the pleasure part of the brain. Don't do it,' screams the disciplined bit. I will if I want to!' snaps the independent spirit. But do I really want to?' questions the searching soul. This week you may be tempted by something you can't or perhaps shouldn't have. Think again about what it is you want and whether the immediate gratification of this particular desire is really conducive to your wider aspirations. Ever experienced a D.R.'? If not, it may be time to sample a Discipline Rush! In your love life: Let go of something. Lighten your load. With more space in your suitcase there will be room for the gifts that lie ahead.

Jonathan was a well-known Sagittarian. Thus, to quite a degree, he was describing himself when writing for your sign. He wrote: To be a Sagittarian, is to be a person of great passion and enthusiasm. Whatever you do, you do wholeheartedly. Fine, if you are giving your all to an activity you enjoy. Not so fine, if you are giving your all to misery, pessimism or despair.' This week the sky is full of possibilities. It's up to you whether you turn them into opportunity or anguish. Make a positive choice. In your love life: There are times when things seem to fall naturally into place. Your time is now. Here is an opportunity that's perfect for you.

Even fairy tales aren't always simple and straightforward. They may have many moments of complication and confusion before their heroes and heroines finally enjoy a happy-ever-after. Whether we can call the world that we occupy a real environment' or a fantasy realm', we can be certain that it is rare that any of us can ever be sure of anything! We make a choice, we try to draw a line and then we start to wonder if we could have done it all a different way. Don't succumb to unnecessary uncertainty in June, you're doing just fine. In your love life: Are you allowing guardian angels to help you? Sometimes you just have to put trust in love; now is such a time.

Take care of the pennies,' so the saying goes, and the pounds will take care of themselves.' The wisdom of this adage is universally accepted even in lands where dollars, euros or yen are the predominant currency. Nor do people think that the meaning relates only to money. We all know that if we prioritise the small stuff, the big stuff will shape-up automatically. All fine and fair, as long as we have the time and patience. You'll have plenty of that in June and you will apply it, most wisely until it pays off most rewardingly. In your love life: There's nothing that can't be improved... and little that can't remain the same if you are determined to stifle progress.

Some say women are better than men at multi-tasking. But that is not the only factor that defines success with such a challenge. Much depends on what two tasks we are trying to combine. If, for example, we are attempting to pursue an opportunity whilst simultaneously suppressing outrage, anger or annoyance, we may find that the wrong thoughts overtake us and we fail to attain more preferable objectives. That's all the more reason to seek higher awareness and kinder consciousness in June. Be big and you will be brilliant. In your love life: When the Sun and Venus square your ruler, happy surprises can follow. It's part of the fun. Enjoy this precious time.

It is one thing to attain an understanding, it is another to maintain one. We may like to think that we have reached an agreement, arrived at a consensus or come to a conclusion. Yet on the great negotiation train, a destination may turn out to be a way-station, not a terminus. Watch, in June, for arrangements that need not be seen as set in stone. Don't worry about others reneging on their promises to you, just look at how life is presenting you with opportunities to side-step onerous commitments without any loss of integrity. In your love life: Somebody else might hardly be upset by the issue you are finding so irritating. But you are entitled to be taken seriously.

Before you worry too much about what you can and can't afford in June, be aware of one potential mistake which, if made, could overshadow all else. Be wary of your own reluctance to rock a boat, ask a question or broach a particular topic. Either because it makes you feel uncomfortable and insecure or because you worry that you may draw someone else's attention to a factor that they are currently unaware of you are trying to keep a low, discreet profile. Be brave, bold and brazen. Request what you need and you may yet get it. In your love life: An important bond is deepening. This will become ever more important, regardless of how near or far it seems today.

Venus and Mercury work as a heavenly tag team in June. As the planet of seductive luxury approaches the end of its tenure in your sign, your ruler has entered the race and is there to carry the baton; enabling you to move from a state of aspiration and anticipation into one of completion and contentment. If you conclude you are due to be well taken care of by a kindly cosmos, you are correct. You should, though, remember that even when we are benefiting from an auspicious advantage, we can still encounter tension. Keep worry in perspective now. In your love life: Meaningful exchanges are rare. If you now wish that someone understood you better, begin by trying to understand them.

It looks as if you are due to become as radiant as a fire in the chill of the evening and as bright as a beacon glowing out across a dark sea. Others will find their way towards you, irresistibly drawn by the warmth of your heart and the light of your mind. Venus will enter Cancer just prior to the June Solstice. That, other than the regular new and full moons that we get every month, is the most notable feature on which an astrologer might feel inspired to base a prediction. Be positive and you will bring positivity your way. With that, all else you need will come. In your love life: If you love someone, set them free,' goes the song. Let go of what you are hanging on to too tightly; you can only gain.

You only want to bring about a small change. It may seem as if a lot is going on and a great deal needs to be altered. But none of it is of quite so much consequence as you might imagine. It will be surprisingly easy to attain what you aspire to. There will, though, be a price to pay in terms of a compromise that must be made. Don't look so disheartened. You always knew that this would have to happen, didn't you? It will be as annoying as you choose to allow it to be. Be relaxed and you may not even be bothered at all. In your love life: Don't dismiss what's good just because you imagine it might be possible to find something better!

We all like to feel as if we belong. We like to know our place, be comfortable in our space and feel assured that our face fits within a group or organisation. Why should we ever suspect this is not the case? Maybe because someone has said (or done) something strange. Or we have begun to doubt ourselves. The trouble with self-doubt is that it sparks a process similar to that of unravelling a knitted sweater. We pull on one loose strand and the whole thing falls apart. Hold still and stay strong this month, and all will be as you hope. In your love life: Love is not supposed to be stressful. It will get a little easier for you this week... especially if you resolve to let it!

I'm grateful you have found the time to turn to your forecast for June. I recognise that in your current busy schedule, there isn't much time to sit and read. You've got decisions to make, points to prove and situations to command. You have to think on your feet, and people in a position of leadership rarely like to show weakness by canvassing too many additional opinions. I'm flattered you have allowed me to be your consultant and my advice, in June, is simple and clear. Despite whatever doubt may plague you, this is a fine time to trust yourself. In your love life: Ask a stupid question and you will get a stupid answer. Listen to your heart, not your head. Your heart will call.

Jupiter, in June, forms a helpful alignment with Pluto. Scientists may dispute the importance of what they now call a dwarf planet' but astrologers know it remains a potent, relevant symbol of mass hysteria and false fear. As ruler of your sign, it has a rather different meaning. It describes your immense sensitivity and deep, secret propensity to be powerful. The alignment from Jupiter implies a heavenly blessing that will protect you all through the month ahead as does the presence of Mars in Scorpio. You are about to taste great success. In your love life: Don't hurry to find answers. Check you are asking the right questions. Another's problems will soon stop being yours.

There is no great celestial secret that I need to reveal to you about how to do well this month. You need neither expect an epiphany nor prepare for a revelation. There are no lines you need to read between, no cryptic messages that you must decode. The only thing you need to be aware of is that you have been making some wise choices lately and you really now should see these through. Stick with what you have started. Stay on the path you have picked. Do more of what you are already doing and all will work out surprisingly well. In your love life: A brave step has been even more successful than you dared hope. Be willing to be vulnerable and you'll find true power.

The last in a series of sharp alignments between your ruler and Jupiter is due to take place any moment now. That's why so much seems to be stretching you so far, so fast. You don't feel as if you are able to relax and take control of a situation because it is subject to so many unpredictable forces and chaotic influences. Yet for all the mayhem, there is magic. A possibility now arises which may potentially alter everything in the world significantly (and speedily) for the better. You are right to believe in yourself and the possibility of a brighter future. In your love life: Are you misplacing your faith in someone? Just express your highest hope; keep a flame alive. You won't regret this.

When the going gets tough, the Aquarians come into their own. People born under your sign are naturally resourceful and incisive. Where others see a problem, you see an unusual situation which, if only it is properly understood, may give rise to great benefit. Your exceptional capacity to be clever will stand you in good stead soon. Just by thinking differently and asking the questions that others are apparently too unimaginative to form in their minds, you can do yourself (and other people too) a great favour in the coming week or so. In your love life: You are smart and sharp. You know that sometimes it is easier to lose a battle than to strive so determinedly to win one.

For some while, you've been frustrated by circumstances that you wish would change. You have done your best to find freedom yet have had little success. You are beginning to resign yourself to a future in which no progress is made. All that's a natural reaction to a series of right angles between Saturn and Jupiter. Yet the last in the current series takes place this week. With it comes a moment where the scenery changes and the play being acted out of the great stage of life begins to go in a different direction. This will suit you more than you expect. In your love life: Has a sense of defensiveness characterised a key part of your personal life? Tension is about to start melting away.

Once again, you find yourself facing less than ideal circumstances. Once again, you rise to the challenge like a trouper. You may doubt your own ability to make a difference to a tricky situation. That's not unusual, either. Recent events have eroded your confidence somewhat. Yet you have mustered almost heroic determination and have done better than many might ever have expected. You won't accomplish all that's on your to-do list this week. But once again, you will presently surprise yourself by how far you get. In your love life: When needs must, differences can be put aside and progress can occur. You'll see that delightfully demonstrated soon.

As Venus now ends its tenure in Taurus, you become blessed with an exceptionally observant eye. You will soon find yourself looking at a situation, recognising that something is not quite right about it, then gradually sifting through all possibilities from the obvious to the obscure until you identify the issue and take constructive steps to address it. A situation may be difficult but at least, in so far that you are so very well placed to right a wrong, we could argue that you have been blessed with a splendid opportunity this week. In your love life: You may not be sure about who is in the right over a current conflict. But you know where to direct your loyal support.

Sometimes, we try with all our might yet we don't seem to get far. How frustrated do we then feel when others appear to attain significant success whilst making hardly any effort? It may just be that they have chosen easier objectives or have found themselves in a situation that naturally favours them. Or it may be that they earlier put in much hard work and only now is that paying off. Others may soon wonder quite what you have done to warrant the wave of celestial assistance that is rolling into your life. You, though, can just be glad of it. In your love life: If life lately has obliged you to reveal more of your weaknesses than you wished, now you get to be at your best.

You can't do any more than your best. In theory, though, you can do less than your best! I say in theory' because you are a Cancerian. You hate to sell yourself short or to let anyone else down. You are diligent and hard working. Most crucially, you care. That, of course, is also why you become vulnerable. Yet when you go the extra mile and it actually makes a difference, there is an incomparable sense of elation. If it has been some while since you last experienced that, you will enjoy the pleasant reminder this week's events provide. In your love life: Hooked on being needed? There are times when much is to be said for a little distance. It may lead to a healthier future.

We always hope that things will improve. We know, somehow, that the moment we begin to expect deterioration, we will inevitably find ever more proof of this phenomenon in action. Both optimism and pessimism create self-fulfilling prophecies yet it is hard to look on the bright side after an experience that has brought some disappointment. You aren't sure, this week, what to make of the circumstances you face. You would like to feel hopeful but you feel you have a duty to be realistic. Actually, though, to be realistic now is to be optimistic! In your love life: You like getting attention. But is it the right sort? Look at the signals you send. You have more control than you think.

Mercury, your ruler, is reaching the end of its retrograde phase and Jupiter, having recently done much the same, is still proving slow to pick up pace. But less needs to alter than you fear or think. No great dramatic development is needed. If any improvement is really to come about, it will be the result of a factor that is entirely within your control: your own level of expectation. Your own understanding of what lies behind a situation (and what it might be fair to assume) could be changed just by changing something in yourself. In your love life: Change should emerge independently. Others can support but shouldn't push. Look at what you may change within you.

When you are just coasting along in neutral, you achieve impressive success. You are good at what you do, you have special skills and abilities and people tend to like the kind of person that you are. Once in a while, though, it is as if you become supercharged. The heat of enthusiasm builds up within, until a head of steam begins to come out of your ears! You get keen, eager, even passionate about some task you have taken on or a problem you intend to solve. At times like that (and thus in weeks like this) you really do make a difference. In your love life: Are you wanted for who you are or for what you represent? There may be a way to turn a situation to your advantage.

Whenever we engage too enthusiastically with a plan, project, idea or ideal, we become vulnerable to disappointment if things don't work out. Or we find that it all means so much to us that we are willing to risk what we ought to protect. Whether that's money, pride or time, it's tricky. They do say, don't they, nothing ventured, nothing gained.' But have we not all experienced moments where something is ventured, yet little or nothing seems to come of this? There are no guarantees this week, of total success but you won't ever regret trying your best! In your love life: When Scorpios have something to say, it means one thing: it is something worth saying! This week, you will be heard.

This week's big celestial story involves the last in the series of right angles between Jupiter and Saturn that have characterised so much of the drama that you have been through lately. You have coped well against daunting odds. Will life really now start to get lighter, more productive and less challenging? Well, you are a Sagittarian and things are never going to be quiet in your world for long. But you are entering a more relaxed, rewarding phase and you will soon have the satisfaction of knowing that the book is now closed on a stressful tale. In your love life: Might you be apprehensive about someone's attitude, even though they are nervous of you? Easier to resolve than you fear.

In next week's forecast, I will be telling you about the square between Jupiter and Saturn. Why, then, am I mentioning it this week? Because, in astrology, it is always during the time just prior to the culmination of an astrological angle that it has greatest influence. These two planets are so slow-moving that we could argue that we are, right now, reaching the peak of a process that has been unfolding for some while. It has largely been about facing facts, addressing problems, being brave. This very week, you will start to see how so much of that has paid off. In your love life: Are you the light of someone else's life, inadvertently casting a big shadow? You can mitigate this by being consciously brighter.

They say that the world was created in just six days. Is that, perhaps, what's wrong with it? Was it a bit of a rush job? Did the Creator omit a few things? Might it all have benefited from a bit more thought? Then again, we have had many millennia to do our own thinking since then. What are you inclined to conclude about the world in general or, at least, your own sector of the world right now? If it leaves anything to be desired, you are in an excellent position to meet that need, just by thinking differently and taking positive action. In your love life: Nothing mars a constructive relationship as much as a sense of divided loyalty. Now it is time for recognition and respect.

Shall we list the reasons why this week, you may not succeed? Shall we carefully categorise those difficulties, analyse and dissect them? Oh, come along, surely you don't want to do that? Aren't you tired of them all? Haven't you been round those houses more often than a delivery truck on a ring road? As Jupiter and Saturn edge closer to next week's right angle, a new by-pass opens up. Don't focus on what has been impossible in the past far less on why that was so. Look, instead, at what's possible now or in the near future and smile! In your love life: Do you feel your connection with another person is not as good as it could be? Any interference now is only temporary.

If it wasn't for night, we might never properly appreciate day. Happiness would seem bland to a person who has never experienced sadness. As for relief and release? Well, what use is that without something to be relieved and released from? If you suspect, from all that I'm saying here, that your outlook this week might be a little trying at times, well it might be. But only at times. If you hold tight to your own faith in a brighter future, you will yet see the light of real justified hope shining into every dark corner of your world. In your love life: Be kind, courteous and considerate. Where that's what you give out, it will be what you get back.

We cannot help but daydream. There's no shame in this. Who has the right to say which balls we must keep our eyes on and which ones we should be admonished for dropping? Where, pray tell, are the rules of life's game even written down? They are open to interpretation because we are designed to be free to find our own way. Be sensitive this week, to what the world might be expecting of you and try your best to live up to that. It will be easier than you think. Yet remind the world, in turn, that it has an obligation to let you keep your hopes alive! In your love life: We sometimes wish for more sympathy from a certain someone. One situation is the best it can be. Let that be enough.

Mercury's great recent retrograde adventure, now comes to an end at last. It has been quite some journey this time, especially with last week's impressive transit of the Sun taken into account. Does that not neatly echo the adventure that you have been caught up in lately? Have not immense, intense experiences changed some part of the way you will now see the world for evermore? Events this week, may also help you see quite how profound, positive, productive and profitable some of those realisations and revelations have been. In your love life: Everyone sometimes questions an involvement they are in. But you have far more to be glad of than to be aggrieved by.

Before you read any more of this forecast, would you be kind enough to fetch me a glass of water? And do you have a comfier chair I can sit in? Thank you. Sorry to be a trouble but my dog could do with a walk soon. Would you mind taking her out? Oh, sorry, were you hoping to hear something from me? Well, perhaps, after I have extracted a few more favours, I may oblige you with a forecast. What's that? We are running out of space? Ah yes, and you may run out of time if you allow the needs of others to entirely supersede your own this week. In your love life: If you want someone else's attitude or behaviour to change, begin by altering your own.

Those who depict the sign of Leo as outgoing and attention-seeking, may be misunderstanding the essential symbolic nature of your sign. It is, after all, ruled by the Sun. What else does that bright celestial star do, other than illuminate the rest of the world? It may be conspicuous by its absence at times, but its presence never demands too much close scrutiny. It is, indeed, dangerous even to look at the Sun. Don't fear that you are at risk this week, of being overlooked or left out. You are, as you are about to see, more appreciated than you know. In your love life: Could an arrangement improve? Consider this: might it be already far better than you once might have expected.

How did people keep one another in check before someone invented the rule of law? In the absence of autocratic rulers and interfering governments, belief systems had a big part to play in this. Even to this day, we have our morals, ethics and ways to see, in our mind's eye, how higher forces might be judging, rewarding and punishing us. Your life might have taken a very different turn had it not been for a passionate, personal, principle. Whether it has held you back or propelled you on, you will see it from a wider perspective this week. In your love life: The more you trust that something is basically good, the more you can trust yourself and others, the more reward you'll reap.

How odd that we so often fail to acknowledge the power and the choice that we have had in the past or that we still may have, even now. We see ourselves as victims. We suspect that we are helpless. Not only do we fail to learn from our mistakes, we miss the point of our successes, too! Thus we go round in circles when we could be forging some great path towards a far finer future. This week's events bring you recognition and awakening. They show you that you have far more power than you thought. Now, you just need the courage to use that. In your love life: Low self-esteem is only ever the result of looking into a distorted mirror. This week, you will see your true reflection.

You will go a long way in the right direction this week. You will make much-needed progress. You will overcome an obstacle that has long been a cause for concern. You will see at least a ray of hope in an area where all had lately started to look impossible. What, other than a constructive cosmic climate, will support and assist this? A decision, deep in your heart, to place more trust in certain people who you have lately begun to doubt. Nobody is perfect but nor are they all quite as irritatingly imperfect as we sometimes allow ourselves to imagine. In your love life: Mean-minded people deserve pity not punishment. Don't fear ill intent. Act as if others are on your side and they will be.

If we never make mistakes, when would we ever get an opportunity to correct our own errors? If we naturally behave impeccably, when would we ever be able to develop the character-forming humility that can only emerge through the making of a sincere apology? Events in your life this week, are all somehow about righting wrongs and addressing past injustices. You might not feel that there is very much you can do. But your best, if it is genuine, intelligent and reasonably energetic, will yet prove to be more than enough. In your love life: Don't nurse a difficult memory. The middle path is the best one to tread. For a fulfilling life learn from the past but let it go.

Capricorns are supposed to be risk-averse. That's how my colleagues portray the people who are born under your sign, so it must be true. Even if it is, it might be risky to assume that you would never make so much as a single speculative gesture. As your astrologer, I'm averse to taking that risk, especially in a week when there is a rare Transit of Mercury in the part of your chart that governs brave steps into the unknown'. Don't gamble anything that you can't afford to lose. But remember, this week, life can be full of surprises. In your love life: Someone, somewhere in your world now, is being a bit of a big kid. Let's just hope that isn't you!

Does this week's rare Transit of Mercury suggest that change will happen on the home front for you, soon? Well, perhaps not change in the physical sense. We may be looking at a moment of recognition or revelation that causes you to see a familiar situation in a brand-new light. Either you arrive at a different understanding and this, in turn, leads to the development of a new plan or policy with profound positive implications for your future or someone else's influence and involvement brings about much the same result. All looks good. In your love life: Someone special is a significant; changing developments invite you to look again at how much this means to you.

Might you be about to invent a better mousetrap? Or a perpetual motion device? An expression of such impressive creativity should not be ruled out. Many who share your sign have played a crucial part in ushering new ideas into the world. Einstein was a Piscean. This week's rare Transit of Mercury makes a classic Piscean lightbulb moment even more likely. Even if you don't come up with a technical innovation, you can at least expect to be blessed with a psychological insight; one that helps you solve a problem or beat a fear. In your love life: What matters most is a feeling that you get' what someone else is thinking. Wherever you find such a rapport, trust it.

We are ethereal beings, you and me. Eternal spirits, temporarily inhabiting physical forms. Or, at least, we are if that is what we believe ourselves to be. Actually, whatever we happen to believe, we really ought not to take the material world quite so seriously. We worry too much about security and stability. This gets us down and, ironically, prevents us from attaining the very success we dream of. The coming transit of Mercury invites you to loosen up and then helps you to rise to a higher standard of living. In your love life: This week's rare Transit of Mercury helps you gain a greater sense of emotional security for the time being, at least.

If you don't already know what an important and powerful week this is due to be, allow me to inform you. Taureans who have already received this news won't, I am sure, mind being reminded. The rare Transit of Mercury is taking place in your sign. That's rich with potent and positive, symbolism. It heralds the psychological equivalent of a makeover. You don't just get a chance to alter your appearance, but to rewrite the whole rulebook of who you are and how you lead your life. It won't all happen overnight but the process begins now. In your love life: The rare Transit of Mercury marks a turning point in your head and your heart. Only good can come from this.

None would envy a prisoner's life of restriction. At least, though, such a person would understand the reason why they have no freedom. How frustrating must it be when you feel as if you ought to be able to do so many things and enjoy so many experiences, yet in reality you find yourself thwarted and frustrated at every turn? This week's rare Transit of Mercury heralds a point of awakening and recognition. This is where you finally start to see what has been holding you back, why the past has been that way and how you actually can now do something about it. In your love life: Even if recent events have inhibited expressions of warmth, the coming Transit of Mercury will make them more possible.

Why do you keep the company you keep? Because you have no other choice? Because of family ties or social obligations? Or because the people to whom you connect most often in daily life, actually have something to teach you? And you, of course, have something valuable to show them. The rare Transit of Mercury this week deepens and strengthens an important bond. It changes it, too, but that's really nothing to fear. The upshot of this important heavenly event, will be a greater sense of interpersonal connection, affinity and empathy. In your love life: A relationship? Or a friendship? Distinctions must now be made. No harm will come from this to you or anyone else.

I'm so glad that you have turned to this page. Various people are unhappy about how the world is being run. They (and I) think it would all be better if someone like you took charge. You make good decisions, don't you? We all know you handle responsibility well. Events surrounding this week's Transit of Mercury, may cause you briefly to question the extent of this ability but even if mistakes have been made in the past, you can now profit enormously (and help others gain, too) from putting into practice what has been learned. In your love life: Do you take charge of someone else's choices? Is it healthier to allow them space to find some things out for themselves?

What do you believe? And what do you know to be true? Where might there be a disparity? That's rarely an easy distinction to make. We sometimes doubt what we know because we don't feel able to make much sense of it. Sometimes, too, we afford more trust than we should to an idea that we only believe to be real and right, yet have little or no proof to back this up. It just makes so much sense to us, we give it the benefit of the doubt. This week's rare Transit of Mercury opens your eyes, changes your mind and begins to vastly improve your future. In your love life: This week's Transit of Mercury broadens your horizon in what will eventually prove a wonderful way.

Did Shakespeare say, Neither a borrower nor a lender be?' Well, he had one of his characters say it. It may (or may not) reflect his personal view. Even back in his day, the world ran on credit. Now, it is worse. Consider all those bills that land on all those doormats each month. Have we got the best deals? Are we being overcharged? Do we feel so daunted by the effort it would take and the scrutiny that it might expose us to, that we leave such questions alone? The coming Transit of Mercury suggests you will soon be able to think less about what you owe to whom and more about who owes you what and how to get it! In your love life: For a healthy future, it is now time to acknowledge something that has been denied for too long.

When you signed on the line, did you fully understand what you were agreeing to? When you did the deal, did you know what deal had been done? Is this week's Transit of Mercury, in your opposite sign, causing a degree of discomfort because you feel that you can no longer stick with an unfair commitment or because you are becoming aware of how someone else has stretched the rules of engagement, until they have started to take on a rather different shape? Either way, this week, a positive process of renegotiation can be embarked upon. In your love life: You are growing conscious of an unmet need. You can't expect that to be fulfilled (or at least, not immediately) but there is no reason why you shouldn't carry on hoping.

The closer we are to an object, a person or a situation, the less clearly we see it. No optician can rectify that. It is simply a matter of lack of perspective. We can only compensate for this by recognising at least in principle that the phenomenon exists, even if we aren't conscious of quite how it is affecting us. This week's rare Transit of Mercury brings you a timely insight into a matter of honour and commitment. You will see something that is very close to home in a new light. The upshot of this will be a path towards a more fulfilling future. In your love life: The Transit of Mercury suggests you are about to do just the right thing, at just the right time, for someone or something.

Capricorns, so the expert astrologers advise us, to play it safe. I've always been inclined to argue with this, not least because the true symbol of your sign is not a goat but a mer-goat; a mysterious, mythical creature with miraculous powers. Will any of those be unleashed in May? Why not? The rare, potent transit of Mercury, takes place in the part of your chart that governs gambles. It is as if you are about to see how what once looked as if it might be a step too far, is the right move to make! In your love life: It's good to encourage each other to transcend limitations. Be aware that what's good isn't always easy. Stick at it!

May's rare, powerful transit of Mercury suggests a revelation regarding your deepest sense of belonging. You are about to discover what you have always been a part of yet have never felt sure you are connected to. It may not be so much a thing as a person or a group of people. But where once you had suspected you were all but alone with a struggle in life, it now turns out that you have allies, assistance, companions you can count on. Prepare to have your eyes opened to a most delightful sight. In your love life: Love is sometimes bittersweet. Be open now, to the idea that difficult' isn't necessarily wrong'. It may even be ideal!

Do people sometimes suggest you express yourself clearly but that the content of your conversation is carefully selected to ensure that some topics are never even touched upon? Do they even argue that this is out of character with a personality that likes to give an impression of being uninhibited? The rare, powerful transit of Mercury this month will have a significant impact on the way in which you get your message across. No matter how much you may be nervous about sharing information, you'll benefit now from opening up. In your love life: Afraid to ask for what we really want? The chance of an exchange arises soon. Trust yourself. Trust someone else, too!

This month's rare, powerful, transit of Mercury, implies an imminent improvement in your material circumstances. Money might not be about to come directly into your life, but at least there will be an ability to see where and how more might eventually be generated. Other inspiring ideas will also shed new light on old stressful situations in other areas of life. You may think that you've got problems but there are solutions. And, as you begin to recognise these, your optimism and confidence will significantly increase. In your love life: When yesterday's experiences colour today's, it can be hard to think or see clearly. Now, you can move on. And you should.

Your outlook in May would be bright enough even if there were no rare transit of Mercury in your sign. This is, after all, the time of the Taurean solar return and Venus, your ruler, is in your sign too. But the rare celestial phenomenon is exceptionally auspicious. It suggests you may witness the unveiling of a hidden truth and, in seeing that secret, you become enormously empowered. Change may be gradual but it will be steady and satisfying. Nothing now need stay the same unless that's what you want it to do. In your love life: Do you avoid touching on certain topics? Time, soon, for a deeply honest and rewarding (if slightly difficult) conversation.

Mercury, the smallest, fastest, planet in the zodiac, is the traditional ruler of your sign. It isn't always easy to see, even for an experienced stargazer. But, this month, a rare celestial phenomenon lets people in some parts of the world detect it in broad daylight as it transits the face of the Sun. But then, being able to see it isn't really the issue. Just knowing that it is happening is enough. It speaks of a month during which you become impressively powerful and are finally able to meet many heartfelt needs. In your love life: Even a small effort to show sincere empathy this week will do much to improve an important bond.

Though this month's transit of Mercury is most likely to impact Cancerians via the people they find themselves needing to look after. You may say, What's different there? Don't I spend much of my time putting the needs of others before my own?' Indeed, you do. But interestingly, now a degree of pay-back and reward arrives in that area of life. Your contribution has made more of a difference than you realised. Someone is more appreciative than you know. Here is their chance to say thank you. In your love life: Do we ask each other to jump through unrealistic hoops. There's now a chance to discuss such issues and resolve them!

The rare, powerful transit of Mercury won't be visible all around the globe but the fact that this elusive planet can be seen at all anywhere is deeply symbolic especially as it is due to be revealed against the face of your ruler, the Sun. That's a suggestion of power, influence, importance and authority, all making its way into your life soon, so that you can start making a mark on the wider world. Prepare to be more easily understood and to be placed in a more advantageous bargaining position. In your love life: It is so important now, to love yourself and then to show due gratitude to those who love you!

Tradition tells us that the celestial significator of your sign is Mercury. Given the spectacular show this planet is due to put on in some parts of the world this month, that's exciting. Only rarely do the people of this Earth get a chance to witness anything quite so rich, rare and positively portentous. It is as if the sky is yelling out to the watching world, 'Show some respect to all who were born under Virgo, for they deserve it.' Long ago, you stopped believing in a great, hopeful vision. Coming events may restore your faith. In your love life: We can't make anyone love us by trying to control them. It takes courage to be trusting and open; but the reward can be joyous.

Welcome to a powerful month during which truths must be acknowledged, facts faced and opportunities embraced. I understand that in using the word must', I imply lack of choice, or perhaps it sounds as if I am giving you orders but the instructions are not coming from me. The transit of Mercury simply suggests, by strong symbolic implication, that we have moved in your life, from a time of contemplation to a time of action. As you grow more decisive in May you will find surprising success. In your love life: Success in resolving tension requires knowing what's going on in the back of someone's mind. Precious insights are near.

The Sun and Venus both pass through your opposite sign in May, as does Mercury which is about to treat sky-watchers, in some countries, to a rare celestial spectacle. For you as a Scorpio, the meaning of that unusual 'transit' could not be clearer. An arrangement, agreement, contract or commitment is about to reveal itself to have a hidden additional facet. Once you get beyond the surprise of this in May, you will start to make substantial gains. In your love life: Every relationship has ups and downs. But downs can lead to reappraisals and glorious new beginnings! Expect that.

How will this month's rare transit' of Mercury affect you as a Sagittarian? It takes place in the part of your chart that governs duty, obligation, self-sacrifice and hard work. The sky's symbolic message is hopeful. You've been giving much of yourself freely to a situation that you have long begun to suspect is probably a lost cause. You fear you have been foolish and that the more time and energy you expend, the sillier you will be. Now, suddenly you see the point. With that comes so much inspiration. In your love life: Is someone asking for too much? Is fear involved? Focus on the positive. Then just watch how things lighten up soon.

Are you sure you can spare the time to read this forecast? Aren't you under some pressure? Don't you have a lot of serious responsibilities to discharge? Isn't an interest in astrology a somewhat frivolous indulgence? Might you not be wiser to apply more self-discipline? Such feelings may arise in you this week. It is strange how we sometimes give ourselves a hard time, when we are most in need of comfort and reassurance. But you are actually closer than you think to a moment of relief and release. Relax and go easy. In your love life: Psychologists say we sometimes use one another. Rise above that. A positive step to greater maturity will soon be taken.

You don't always see the world in quite the same way as others see it. You ask more questions. You raise more eyebrows. You think more thoughts! That, though, doesn't mean you always find more faults. Sometimes, your exceptional discrimination bestows you with genuine appreciation for people and situations. You can see where praise and acclaim is due, even where others may take much for granted. There may come a moment, this week, where you feel slightly awestruck by a revelation. You will soon gain so much from this. In your love life: Imbalance over a sense of self-worth needs to be addressed. It couldn't happen at a better time or in a better way.

What's the difference between a dream and a reality? Expectation! We don't think our dreams will come true, so we allow them to be fanciful. Reality, we have long-since learned, brings frustration. We should therefore aim low. Yet realism should never be an excuse for pessimism. Some hopes are truly viable. Don't torture yourself now, with a fear that you are reaching for too much. There is a reason why you are doing what you are doing. Though the upshot may not be quite as you expect, you may yet be very happy with how things turn out. In your love life: Don't fear the judgement of others. The only opinion that matters is from you-know-who. Your bond can deepen now.

Imagine if you were immortal. Wouldn't life become terribly tedious after a century or two? Isn't it only the fact that we are here for such a short while that keeps it all interesting? And what would happen, if we really did have everlasting life, to those profound philosophical thoughts that so often preoccupy us? Such as where do we come from?' Or, What happens when we die?' We wouldn't even have all those imponderables to ponder! Something fleeting, this week, will soon lead to something truly magical. Just be glad of that. In your love life: How long does love last? Don't ask. There's no need for anyone to make themselves insecure by asking unanswerabale questions.

Mercury this week, makes no discernible progress in its path along the zodiac. It is all but stationary, preparing to commence the phase of retrograde motion that will be in full swing next month, when a rare transit of Mercury' happens in Taurus. This symbolism gets stronger when we add the meaning of a Full Moon in your opposite sign. You've reached a point in your journey from which, before you can go further, you must first step back to the past. A commitment or a contract will be part of the process that leads to this. Don't fear it; trust it! In your love life: Give way over territory you might have felt determined to defend. A sacrifice? No. Not a gesture. It will help heal a wound.

At the fairground, they have machines into which people can drop coins. They collect on a platform which glides in and out. Once in a while, the coins on the top layer fall on to the layer below and, if the player shovels in enough money, the machine may disgorge a reward. The hope is that it will put out more than has been put in. The reality? Well, in your life, this week, you must make a hard-headed assessment of a process that has been repetitiously unproductive. This could yet be the wisest thing you have done in a long while. In your love life: Is it worthwhile? Sometimes the act of asking can tip the balance. The best thing might be to try not to think about it at all!

You know those forms we sometimes have to fill in, where they ask us how many dependents we have? What do you enter into that box? It can't be big enough to reflect the actual number of individuals whose lives would probably go to pieces if they didn't have you to rely on and feel supported by. And while, yes, the strict definition is legal dependency', don't you tend to place morality above all else, even law? The coming Full Moon sees you choosing between obligation and inspiration. How can you possibly pick anything other than the latter? In your love life: You have an amazing ability to command affection. The Full Moon will soon bring more of all that your way.

Whenever the Moon grows full, Leos become more powerful and influential. It is not that you deliberately court power. You can hardly help yourself. Others naturally gravitate to you. They find themselves looking up and acknowledging your authority. Although, there are some who say that adulation is best met with modesty, if you are too swiftly dismissive of someone's supplications, you may trigger great sensitivity. Be gracious and generous with your time now and you will further earn the great status that is about to be bestowed on you. In your love life: You are a force, especially at Full Moon. Know your power. Use it well. Have mercy on those who are too weak to resist!

Life forever teaches us new things. Yet, like all students, in all schools, we don't necessarily pay the lessons full attention. Our minds wander, our ideas drift and then we wonder why we no longer understand as much as we feel that we ought to. Might a process like this explain the recent crisis of faith that you have lately begun to experience? You are even wondering if it is time to alter some of what you believe in and trust to be true. Actually, though, as your ruler approaches its next station', this is the right time to get fully back on board a familiar train. In your love life: Accept others, just the way they are now, and you will yet magically find they will return that favour.

What would you like me to tell you about your week ahead? I ask, not so that I can curry favour by saying whatever you wish to hear but to highlight the potency of alignments between Venus, your ruler, Neptune, and Jupiter. So strong are these, they make it almost impossible for you to see the world in any light other than the sunshine of your brightest inner vision. Should anyone or anything cast a shadow over that, you may perceive a threat or an enemy. That is not necessarily fair. You are right to believe in yourself now but should heed other views too! In your love life: Relationships are much more meaningful between the two genuine faces that hide behind their masks! That's developing now.

Once a year, every year (well, sometimes twice, but not this year) the Moon grows full in your zodiac sign. That's such a powerful symbol of renewed strength and certainty. But don't forget, positive change can only sometimes occur after pressure has been experienced or a difficulty has been overcome. I may, therefore, be premature in congratulating you on your new sense of purpose and the marvellous progress this will help you make. First, there may be a bit of a struggle. But as you can surmise from all I have said so far, you will win that! In your love life: Who said relationships are supposed to be easy? The Full Moon may bring a bumpy ride, but comfort's just around the corner.

Things can't, this week, be exactly the way that you might most wish they could be. Happily, you are a Sagittarian. I can say this sort of thing to you. If you were born under some other sign, you would be getting ready to complain or at least turn the page. But if life has taught you anything in your time on this amazing planet, you have surely learned that the most magical, uplifting and profitable developments invariably come from processes that might seem like mistakes when we first enter into them. Hold tight. Have faith. Work hard. In your love life: We can sometimes hurt ones we love. Have you touched on the downside of a someone close? Here comes the upside.