How often are you brazenly, brutally honest with your friends? How do you react when a partner wants to spend a Friday night without you? Do you abandon solo interests when you get into a relationship? How would your relationships change if you suspended the rules temporarily — long enough for you and your partner to decide for yourselves what freedom in love could look like?
Venus, planet of relationships, personal values, and money, is the queen of this week, but she’s keeping it cool. Normally, Venus transits get us wanting to spend quality one-on-one time with our favorite humans. With Venus in detached Aquarius until this coming Saturday, though, her M.O. is decidedly more egalitarian. An Aquarian Venus still loves love, but she cares about friendship as much as romance and assumes her partners belong first and foremost to themselves. Venus in Aquarius doesn’t play games because she believes honesty will do a better job of getting her what she wants.
During these last days of Venus in Aquarius (aka, until she moves on to Pisces next week), we will have a few big opportunities to follow her ultra laid back example. The week begins with an exhilarating meet-up between Venus and freedom-seeking Jupiter, setting us in pursuit of more space — and more love — in our relationships. The influence lasts through Friday, infusing us with the bravery to say how we feel, and a yen to spend time with philosophers, world-travellers, and other passionate people who make our world feel grander.
Mid-week is marked by Venus’s friendly collaboration with independent Uranus on the 6th, helping us redesign our relationships according to our individual values and styles. Cookie-cutter interactions — in which you feel as if you're reading off a script — will be too boring to keep up, and you might just have the trickster’s urge to provoke your partner with a radical action. The boat won’t get too rocked, but we can bring a dull spark back to life (or start a new relationship with a spark built in).
Finally, the week ends with love as Venus enters Pisces on Saturday, bringing with it a slow pace and a desire to spend some peaceful downtime alone or with our truest loves.
Aquarius
January 20 to February 18
You’re ruler of the astrological world right now, Aquarius. Unlike other monarchs, no one’s likely to rebel against your easygoing reign, since your egalitarian style leaves room for your countrypeople to freely go their own way. I think I speak for the entire human race when I say, we wish it could last all year.
With the sun, Mercury, and Venus in your first house of identity and new experiences, your friends (including new ones) can be gateways to self-discovery this week. Hook up with friends with very different backgrounds or lifestyles from yours for a post-work adventure one of these afternoons. Go to a literary reading, a religious service, a political meeting, get on a plane to a far-off place, or just hang out with someone who excites you. It doesn’t matter too much what enjoyable activity you choose — the important thing is the new side of yourself you encounter in the process. If you’ve been a bit of a crusader in your professional field lately, this is your chance to soften your image. Go overboard with compliments (as long as they’re authentic) for people in your public life. Their appreciation will help you achieve the ambitions you’ve set your sights on this year.
Illustrated by Abbie Winters.
Pisces
February 19 to March 20
Life is but a dream, Pisces. That’s even truer than usual this week, because the sun, Mercury, and Venus are all hanging out in your 12th house of fantasies and the forgotten. You may need to sleep more than usual or, conversely, find that an inner monologue switches on the second your head hits the pillow. Either way, you can reap the benefits of this transit by letting your imagination wander where it wants. When planets are moving through your 12th house, your subconscious does the heavy lifting. Intuition speaks with crystalline clarity and you can go from being lost one second to an absolute certainty that you’re exactly where you need to be.
Venus, especially, is likely to crave some outward expression of beauty and love. You may feel swept away by the desire to change someone’s life — to save them from pain and loneliness or bring them in from the cold. So long as you direct your energy toward a person who wants to be helped, your compassionate interest can, at the very least, improve an outcast or shy person’s week.
On Saturday, Venus crosses into your 1st house of identity and new experiences, giving you cause to show off your art or be seen on the arm of someone you love. Spend the weekend committing daring acts of pleasure and being sweet to everyone you see (at least the ones who deserve it).
Illustrated by Abbie Winters.
Aries
March 21 to April 19
Getting out much? With Venus, Mercury, and the sun in your house of friendship and groups, your evenings, lunch breaks, and weekends have probably been packed to bursting, and there’s not much reason (yet) to slow down.
Sunday’s Venus-Jupiter meetup can enlarge your social circle exponentially, so do say yes to invitations throughout the working week (so long as there are no major strings attached). Someone with social clout — a cool kid type (or their money) — could shake up your in-group in a good way. If you like the person for who they are, versus just liking their attention, you can benefit through their connections. Enjoy yourself but be aware that the fun times may not last, and promises made this week can fall through once more pressing obligations rear their heads.
Tuesday evening’s Venus-Uranus collaboration may have you playing the rebel role to inject more excitement into your relationships. This is a subtle transit (in effect throughout the week), meaning you’ll get the most out of it by intentionally getting out of your comfort zone. Because Venus represents our sense of style, you can work your flair by dressing against your own type, getting a radical new haircut, or playfully challenging your friends’ unspoken fashion rules.
On Saturday, Venus heads into your 12th house of introversion and dreams, dropping your social energy through the floor. Chill out and enjoy this sleepier vibe with music, your favourite show, and a night in.
Illustrated by Abbie Winters.
Taurus
April 20 to May 20
Do you love the person on your arm or just like being seen with them?
With Venus, Mercury, and the sun transiting your 10th house of reputation, public perception can feel extra powerful right now. It is comfortable to go along with what others expect — that’s how "cool kids" stay popular — but it isn’t always happy-making. This week’s awesome news: Flaunting what makes you happy will only make others respect you more. This is especially true in your professional life, where you may have a chance to ally yourself with someone successful or from a very different background from your own. Or you may get the chance to enhance an existing professional bond by allowing each person more space to express their own style. These relationships may or may not last in their current form, but they can have a domino effect of opening you up to more people and new connections.
Your generosity and positive attitude will earn others’ trust and be remembered later on. On the flip side, if you assume others’ owe you or if you let a colleague do your share of the work, your entitled balloon is destined to get deflated.
From Tuesday through the weekend, prioritise independence and honesty. A personal memo that might have felt overly blunt in the past can come across now as admirably truthful. If someone new wants to enter your life now, it’s also a great time to let them in.
Illustrated by Abbie Winters.
Gemini
May 21 to June 20
The world is your oyster, Gemini. With Venus, the sun, and Mercury in your ninth house of travel, education, and beliefs, opportunities to experience more and to enlarge your world are right under your nose. Even a drive through the country or a visit to a new neighbourhood can make for stimulating adventure this week, so it’s worth tweaking your schedule to make it happen.
Adventure is the name of this week’s game, and that’s especially true where your relationships are concerned. There’s no point in letting partnerships or friendships get boring, or playing games that lead you in circles. Fortunately, that big, bright world is your relationship's playground. Make a mid-week date at that restaurant that makes you wear blindfolds while you eat or invite some friends to meet you at the top of tall building to chat about the meaning of life (or drop Quavers on the passers by below).
Your values are another area that’s ready to get blown wide open, making room for more meaningful interactions. A Gemini is capable of holding at least two conflicting certainties at once. They say that’s a trait of genius, and they might be right, but this week, you’ll stay wider awake if you direct your mental energy toward positive beliefs. If you believed human beings were essentially good, what would you do differently? If you already believe that, how can you show it more in your day-to-day?
Illustrated by Abbie Winters.
Cancer
June 21 to July 22
With a triple-threat of planets in your eighth house of intimacy and secrets, you get a free pass to feel as much and as deeply as you want this week, Cancer. Surface connections won’t cut it and you easily see through empty promises. You don’t always listen to your intuition, though, and when longing for company, you can shortchange yourself with empty relationships and people who always seem to be ghosting.
There’s no single right action, but you’ll have a more satisfying experience if you love yourself up and hold out for the person or people who can go deep with you. If you stick to your guns, your heightened awareness of others’ true motivations (including those that they, themselves, might not be aware of) may make you feel temporarily excluded from the fun and games. The right person or people absolutely could be knocking on your door this week, and if they do, answer! Even better, if you put yourself out there with a friend or crush — tell them how you feel or invite them for a sweet one-on-one — you’re likely to hear a yes. So long as you open your heart to inspiring connections, this is a fabulous week for dating, sex, self-love, and even emotional breakthroughs.
Illustrated by Abbie Winters.
Leo
July 23 to August 22
Teamwork is your magic sauce this week, Leo. With the sun, Venus, and Mercury sharing a pint in your seventh house of one-on-one encounters, you’ll need the people nearby, including besties, spouses, and business partners, to get where you’re going. That shouldn’t be a problem with so much goodwill directed your way. The challenge — and it’s a nice one — is making it as much about the other person as about yourself. You respond well to compliments, and are likely to be receiving plenty of them, but that’s at least as much a reflection of the compliment-giver’s goodness as how awesome you are.
Imagine, though, what you will achieve when you combine your buddy’s grace and kindness with your own creative drive. Better yet, throw your panache behind someone else’s win and watch that light spill out on you, too.
In love-land, you’re in a sexy dating period with your passionate drives calling the shots. The Venus-Jupiter action will inspire for big gestures, pronouncements, and excessive acts of love, and it will be easy to leap without looking. The thrill of the chase is part of the attraction, so be prepared to get what you wish for. The secret ingredient for making romance? Encouraging your heartthrob’s freedom.
Illustrated by Abbie Winters.
Virgo
August 23 to September 22
There is order within the mess, Virgo, you just have to find it.
With Venus, planet of balance, macking hard on sloppy Jupiter this week, you could be forgiven for wishing for less of a good thing. People around you, especially, are flaunting their affections and may be loud and proud about their values, too. Venus, the sun, and your planetary ruler, Mercury, are in your house of work, health, and routines right now, meaning these energies will be showing up in your workplace, doctor’s office and yoga class. Expect to have to deal with opinionated slackers who think words speak louder than actions.
On the bright side, you’ll have a better attitude than usual to small disruptions. Enjoying the details of your daily activities is an effective way to keep annoyances out of your headspace, and there’s plenty of pleasure to be had. Make time to reorganise your schedule to create the most opportunities for relaxation and fun. If you leave 20 minutes earlier, can you bike to work instead? If you prep for the week’s meals on Sunday, will you have time to catch up on news in the mornings? You’re more tuned into the micro ingredients of happiness this week. Whatever adjustments you decide to make, now can shape the mood of your daily life for months to come.
Illustrated by Abbie Winters.
Libra
September 23 to October 22
What gives you true, uncomplicated pleasure, Libra? In what parts of your current life can you giggle like a kid? What do you do for its own sake, without obsessing about getting it right?
If you don’t yet know the answers to these questions, this ultra-Venusian week will help you find out. Venus, the sun, and Mercury are dancing through your fifth house of play, making you more romantic, creative, and inspired by children. A weird side effect, if you’re a worrier, is that you might also be feeling extra self-conscious, and therefore looking for someone with a supersize personality to suck up the overkill of attention. The reality is, you’re less visible right now than you feel. However, you are paying a lot more attention to yourself, which can feel similar to getting an echo on your cell phone. It’s like you’re hearing everything you say repeated back at you.
There’s no harm in putting someone you love at the centre of your attention instead. A child would be the best possible object of affection, since kids’ self-absorption tends to be nontoxic and they’ll make it impossible to take yourself too seriously. Celebrating someone else’s talents is a sneaky (good) way to let your own skill shine, since creating the perfect date or thinking of a delightful adventure will take plenty of magical ingenuity. If you’re lucky, you might catch a glimpse of your truest, best self in the process.
Illustrated by Abbie Winters.
Scorpio
October 23 to November 21
What pleasures can you indulge when only your family is there to see? This week, home is where the blast furnace of love is. With the sun, Venus, and Mercury in your fourth house of home, your happiest, most interesting moments this week will be spent with roommates, and anyone with links to your childhood. Because these planets are also in rational Aquarius, you have an unusual detachment right now toward your personal history and subconscious drives, allowing you to understand behaviours that never made sense before.
But no need to dwell when there’s good conversation and meaningful relating on offer. The Jupiter-Venus meetup offers hope in a difficult family relationship. Extend a small olive branch of trust — whatever you can muster — because everyone’s in the mood to create mutual understanding. In love relationships, it will be easier to surrender a tiny bit of control in favour of greater independence. Your brutal truthfulness will be better received than usual, and it’s worth sharing if it introduces a new dynamic into your relationships. And if you’re enjoying your home so much you don’t want to talk to anyone, give your space a fresh, roomier makeover instead.
Illustrated by Abbie Winters.
Sagittarius
November 22 to December 21
Your heart’s aflame with truth, Sag. So whose mind do you want to change?
With your ruler, Jupiter, the planet of conscience, collides with fair-minded Venus, you have important knowledge to convey and better than usual skills for understanding the other side’s point of view. (You also have tact on your side, which is not typically your strong suit.) Venus, along with Mercury and the sun, are chilling in your third house of communication. There’s no question you have plenty to say, but you may find it challenging to stay focused long enough to deliver a full-length rousing speech.
That’s no big deal, so long as you go with flow. The most powerful impacts you make are likely to be in brief encounters. That casual banter you have with your bank teller and the friendly exchange with your local sandwich artist may linger in both of your minds long enough to make a breakthrough. The special talent you have at the moment is plain and simple positivity. You believe in what you say, but you aren’t hating on the opposite point of view, and that gets people listening. One piece of advice, though: Keep your expectations of others in proportion. If you think that, because they like you, people will let you get away with anything, you’re going to get a dispiriting surprise.
Illustrated by Abbie Winters.
Capricorn
December 22 to January 19
Hey, big spender! Under normal circumstances, Cappy, you’re sensible about money. But this week is not normal where your finances are concerned. Venus (the planet of money), Mercury, and the sun are in your second house of income and expenditures this week, and Venus is getting pinged by wealthy Jupiter. These forces in combination will make even the most down-to-earth scrimp-and-saver feel like Scrooge McDuck swimming in a pool of gold coins. That’s not the worst thing in the world. If, like most of your Capricorn cousins, you tend to be cheap with yourself (and, by extension, the ones you love), this transit loosens your purse strings, opening you up to the pleasures a little expensing can bring. Treat yourself to pleasures of the present moment: a stress-reducing massage, a spa visit, or an impulse flight reservation with a group of friends. You can bring even more joy into your life by going over the top with a gift for someone you love. It might not be strictly practical, but you’ll know it’s good by how it makes those tensed muscles loosen.
This transit also brings a desire to experience more meaningful love, including for yourself. A less consumerist approach would be to treat yourself and your oldest, most solid friends to a homemade dinner. The conversations that come out of this meeting of like-minds will remind you why, despite your occasional frustrations, you would give these good people the moon from your sky.
Illustrated by Abbie Winters.Related Video
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