Nicole Richie, a Virgo.
Photo-Illustration: by The Cut; Photo: Getty Images
Much is happening in the celestial world this week: Uranus retrograde begins on Sunday morning and will last until the end of January. While the planet of progress and rebellion moves backward through the zodiac, you may find that life is less chaotic than usual; you can reflect on the areas of it you want to change without feeling like you’re racing to keep up with everything the universe throws at you. That same evening, Pluto — which is also retrograde — moves backward into Capricorn, where it’ll stay until November. The planet of transformation and rebirth won’t be in this sign again for the rest of our lifetimes, and it might shake up structures and traditions during its final few months. A Virgo new moon invites you to set practical intentions on Monday. Attending to the details now will pay off in the future, in bigger ways than you realize. Finally, Mars moves into Cancer on Wednesday afternoon, where it’ll stay until early November. This is a great time for making smart, careful moves. Just be mindful not to let defensiveness or passive-aggressiveness take over. In the meantime, find the weekly horoscope for each zodiac sign, below.
You’re smart and insightful — probably much more than you give yourself credit for — but when faced with a truly important decision, you tend to make the final call based on instinct. As far as you’re concerned, it’s better to take action (however hasty) to address an issue than to sit around endlessly discussing it. But you don’t have to rush this week. There’s plenty of time to plan, to develop a fuller understanding of the situation. Your critical-thinking skills are sharp, so use them.
It’s easy to get hung up on first impressions or to worry that you’re doomed to failure if your first move isn’t perfect. You may fear that if you haven’t made your mark or discovered your purpose or found true love, it’s already too late, but that isn’t true. Fresh starts happen all the time. This week, especially, it’s possible for modest first steps to grow into something grand and exciting. Begin the project, initiate the conversation, ask for what you want. The most important thing is simply to start, however awkwardly or imperfectly.
While some people struggle when faced with the unknown, you have a high tolerance for chaos. A bit of disorder can even be a good thing; when life is too predictable, you don’t feel safe, just bored. But you still need and deserve a sense of security — everybody does. Spend this week thinking about how you might build stability on your own terms. Trust that, if you try, you can find support that doesn’t hem you in, that honors your need for freedom and variety and fun.
As much as you can, you avoid letting others notice when you’re out of your element. Instead of asking questions that might reveal your ignorance, it feels safer to learn by quietly observing. Instead of diving headfirst into an unfamiliar environment, you prefer to hang back until you’ve got a sense of the place. This week, try not to worry so much. There’s so much to learn; encounters with new people or places can transform your life if you let them. Allow your curiosity to win out over your fear of embarrassment.
Lately, you’ve been dissatisfied. No matter how good it all appears on the surface, there’s a part of you that wants more: more excitement, more success, more life. You dream about throwing it all away and starting fresh with a different career, a cross-country move, a sudden break from your friend group. But even the most dramatic of actions probably won’t offer what you’re looking for right now. Instead of aiming for a clean slate, work with what you’ve got. It’ll take some time, but you can build the life you want right where you are.
You’re not one to be overly fearful of change. You understand that it’s an inescapable part of life, so you accept it and keep moving. Recently, in fact, you’ve started wishing for more of it — if change is inevitable, then why does life feel so unalterable? Why do you feel so stuck? Stop waiting for the universe to send excitement your way. It’s up to you to find (or create) it for yourself. You have a golden opportunity this week to transform your mind-set, your environment, your life, to start something new. It’s never too late.
You’ve been dealing with what feels like an unending progression of changes, dramas, and demands on your time — some of them welcome (or at least expected), others unpleasant surprises. When keeping your head above water requires practically all of your energy, your bigger, more ambitious plans get moved to the back burner. If you’ve been feeling guilty about this, or fearful that your dreams are slipping away, be gentle with yourself. Go with life’s ebbs and flows, and before long you’ll emerge from this stressful, busy period into a time of confidence, clarity, and renewed strength.
You pride yourself on your independence. No matter how well liked you are, or how much you love spending time with your friends, you don’t need constant social interaction. You know how to keep yourself entertained, and you enjoy your own company. This week, though, prioritize human connection. Reach out to others, even if you think you’d be just as happy on your own. Friendships new and old alike will expand your life. They’ll buoy you, offering care and support you could never have given yourself, and maybe didn’t realize you needed.
As a rule, you don’t worry about how you come across to others. You care about treating people with respect, of course, and behaving ethically and kindly, but you are (or at least, you strive to be) blasé about your reputation, unconcerned about projecting an image that’s impressive or stylish or successful. Remember that it’s not a sign of insecurity to care about how others perceive you; it isn’t a bad thing to want to be seen a certain way. Humans are social creatures, and this week you may be feeling the human desire to be accepted by the group.
For the most part, you’re intentional about the work that you do. You have clear goals in mind, and you move toward them deliberately and strategically. But wonderful opportunities can arise that you haven’t prepared for, or you’re invited to change your life before you’re fully ready. Don’t jump to say no just because something wasn’t in your plan this week. Maybe your efforts were leading you here all along and you just didn’t realize it. Summon up your courage and take a leap of faith.
There are times you’d rather not deal with your feelings at all. It’s not that you lack the ability; you’re incredibly perceptive. Your interests simply lie elsewhere. You’d rather look outward — to the workings of society, the future, the cosmos — than inward. You’ll be much better off if you do devote some extra attention to your inner world this week. Unaddressed emotions have the potential to wreak havoc on any other projects you take on or interests you try to pursue. Treat your feelings seriously, like they matter, and all the other work will come more easily.
You aren’t one to harp on minor issues in your relationships: If the emotional connection is solid, why worry about the small stuff? The trouble with this line of thinking is that the “small stuff” and the big feelings are directly connected. It hardly matters how deep the love is if you can’t make each other feel happy and valued in the ordinary, day-to-day moments. If something is off-kilter, this week offers the opportunity for a reset. Make the effort to love people in whatever ways are meaningful to them, and ask for the same in return.
Read the weekly horoscopes for the week of August 25. The weekly horoscopes for the week of September 8 will be online next Sunday.
Buy Claire Comstock-Gay’s book, Madame Clairevoyant’s Guide to the Stars, here.
