It’s been stressful lately. Your job has been filled with pressure. The boss wants things you aren’t sure you can deliver…and you’d need to be retrained, anyway. Rather than have a heart attack on the spot, you decide to take a walk outside. So you stroll down to a nearby park, where you sit on a bench and watch the world go by. All the while you’re thinking about where you’ve come to in your life and wondering, “Where to from here?”

You hadn’t counted on seeing someone that made you almost drop your Slurpee. Yes, it’s your secret dream come true. An attraction so visceral you’re almost ashamed of your depth of passion. Where did it come from? Sure, the person is definitely hot—but does that really account for your immediate swoon? Maybe these feelings were there all the time, just waiting to awaken. It speaks to you of forbidden issues of personal freedom. Or maybe your desire IS the issue! In any case, there’s only one way to find out.

You slowly rise from the bench and walk steadfastly toward the person, sweating a bit, not knowing what will happen but knowing it may be a life-changing moment. Ready or not, here you go!

And that’s the energy of this week.

The revolutionary Uranus square Pluto aspect is still in effect, making our individual lives the mirror of the “Change is Inevitable, Why Not Now?” harmonic happening in the heavens. Leaving room for the unexpected (Uranus) and the power of transformation (Pluto) is what this time period is all about. Downside: Chaos in the world. Upside: Changing ourselves from within. Eliminating the unnecessary allows us to focus on the essential. Conscious choices about our lives may now lead us in very different directions than we had previously conceived.

This week, we have three factors which aid in these efforts. First: Mars, the Planet of Action (whether good or bad), finally enters Libra, the sign of relationships, art, beauty, social justice and balanced judgment. This occurs on Tuesday at 5:33 am PDT, 8:33 am EDT. Jupiter (expansiveness) is in Gemini, another Air Sign, so the social whirl generally picks up.

Barry Manilow must have had Mars in Libra in mind when he sang: “Music and fashion were always the passion…” Libra is ruled by Venus, the Planet of “I Love Love and Look Good Doing It!” Even if you’re not going to the Copa—Copacabana—expect to see socializing, the arts, personal aesthetics and physical action entwined. It’s a hot and romantic time. Creative energy rules. But it’s more mental, ideal, elegant and refined. That means: no torn jeans! Everyone will be more concerned with relationships. There’s a general yearning for an “I and Thou” scenario.

The Full Moon also occurs on Tuesday (11:53 am PDT, 2:53 pm EDT), at 12 degrees Capricorn. The Sun is now in mid-Cancer, fraught with emotional sensitivity. But Moon in Capricorn, the sign of status, ambition, business and authority, is not especially touchy-feely. It’s very practical energy and good for getting many things done. Honoring those who’ve been teachers in your life is also appropriate under this Full Moon. It’s a steely but useful energy.

A rare aspect called a “yod” also occurs on Tuesday and Wednesday. Mercury (communications) and Venus (pleasures) form a “sextile,” or easeful 60-degree harmonic, to each other. They both, however, form a “quincunx” (awkward 150-degree adaptation angle) to Pluto (power and passion). Together, they make up a yod, called a “Finger of God” aspect. Things that seem fated occur now. We may not know the reasons why until much later. So it’s entirely possible for someone/something to turn your life around. Good time to reserve judgment and just go with what feels right.

This can be a very liberating time if we have the courage to follow our soul’s convictions. This is the sort of energy that gave birth to the counterculture of the mid-1960s, when Uranus and Pluto were conjoined. Creativity in general is highlighted now. So creative projects that have a revolutionary cast to them, that present old truths in new ways, that operate from a more spontaneous, intuitive level in their creators’ minds and on the audience at large, have a greater resonance now than tired old formulas.

We are entering a new age of awareness, with a different level of perception, and if you have uniqueness in your project that can speak to this, untold multitudes will appreciate it. This is the time, as it was in the Sixties, for doing your own thing and doing it well. I’m expecting the revival of bellbottoms any minute now.

Monday is a decent, if somewhat muddled, start to the week. The Moon rolling into Capricorn gives a serious tone to the day even though it’s nicely leavened with an imaginative Moon-Neptune sextile. Good day to TCB.

Tuesday is intense, what with Mars changing signs and the Full Moon occurring as well. Use caution today, as the Moon also aspects the Uranus-Pluto square and the yod takes effect, confusing our minds but striking our passions. Dealing with powermongers may be part of your fate today.

Wednesday is actually pretty smooth. The yod begins its separation but can still pull us into emotional waters we may not recognize. Easy does it! No arguing with superiors! Moon enters Aquarius later in the day and lightens things up.

Thursday’s energy has an early riptide to it (Moon opposing Mercury) but calms down and leaves us with a lovely Moon trine Venus. Good time for a romantic dinner date.  

Friday is more stabilizing with a sturdy Moon-Saturn trine, and the Moon goes into imaginative Pisces in the evening. I’d find music to complement the mood. The Muse is knocking on the door.

The weekend promises to be somewhat inspirational, with Saturday’s energy being more conducive to relaxation and mind-clearing and Sunday’s about being in the moment so you don’t miss that great idea that comes through intuitively. Practical considerations and creative energy work hand in hand.

This week’s forecasts for the 12 Sun-Signs, with dates being approximate for convenience:

ARIES (March 20-April 19): Why can’t everything just go into Fire Signs and make your life easier? Grousing is easy with Sun and Moon making a big T-square to your impatient energy. But your favorite food is on order: hot love! Mars entering your opposite sign heats up your personal life. Just  don’t scald each other in the process. Cool out and so will your life.

TAURUS (April 20-May 19): Your Venus-ruled life is up for a treat as Mars enters Venus-ruled Libra. But you still have to work for it—not your favorite activity. Full Moon trine your sign is like getting a raise for merely Being Yourself. Now just figure out how to keep it going! This week gives you hints. Sometimes it’s not so much in the wrist as in the direction you gaze.

GEMINI (May 20-June 19): At the risk of sounding full of hot air, your life right now is like a huge balloon that rises above the Earth, filling spectators with awe and your eyes with fantastic visions. This week, the practical world calls, too. Financial issues dominate the week even as your mind tugs at the rope, longing for the heights. Why not sell your visions to the groundlings?

CANCER (June 20-July 19): Your energetic highlight is Sun in your sign and Moon opposite, and that time is now. A Grand Cross in Cardinal Signs makes this more a week of giddy tension than frustrated joy. The energy comes with obstacles you need to surmount as you go. It’s like running a 440 over plastic pylons: they’re annoying, sure, but they won’t hurt you.

LEO (July 20-August 19):“’Ttention! Mars into Libra—forward ho! Full Moon in Capricorn—to the side, march! Yod with Pluto as pivot point—backwards, step! Mercury in your sign—double-time, march! This week is a conglomeration of energies that you simply have to take as they come. By the end of the week, you get leave and R & R. Could be worse! Be grateful!

VIRGO (August 20-September 19): The Full Moon comes into that office in your home and starts to tidy up your supplies. You’re not sure why just yet, but it’s doing a fine job, so why stop it? This week is one of organizing your thoughts—and possibly your life—for future projects. The somewhat disconnected energies work for you if you’ve got it a bit together already.

LIBRA (September 20-October 19): Lawrence of Arabia is taking you by the arm and steering you toward the romance of—well, romance! Mars in your sign gives you extra sex appeal while increasing your already acute sense of social justice. Looking dashing while you’re saving a nation is just a side benefit. Easy. Don’t get freaked by authorities under the Full Moon.

SCORPIO (October 20-November 19): It’s not that you don’t like snakes—after all, they’re one of your symbols. It’s just that you don’t know what they’ll do. This week is like that for you. It could slither harmlessly into the grass or rise up and bite you unexpectedly. So no moonlight diving in snake-infested waters for you. Stay out of conflict and emotional situations now.

SAGITTARIUS (November 20-December 19): The motorcycle’s engine needs a good cleaning and overhaul, and so do you. This week is that opportunity—a chance to reorganize some priorities in your life, while Mars into Libra provides more harmonious energy over the next eight weeks. Be a joyful greasemonkey. Don’t shy away from fixing what needs to be fixed.

CAPRICORN (December 20-January 19): Full Moon in your sign is a once-a-year emotional highlight: you’re either a basket case or totally sympathetic to all. With the yod and Mars entering Libra, the odds are good you’ll be OK. But it’s an intense time, so be wary of taking on too much, as is your wont. Go climb the mountain, but wear extra suction cups on your shoes.

AQUARIUS (January 20-February 19): You’re like an ancient aircraft that’s lately been dusted off and reconstructed—and you still work! Mars entering Libra makes a Grand Trine in Air Signs that engenders good fortune for at least the next eight weeks. The issue right now is finding your emotional compass. This week, it’s a little difficult. Take your time. The sky awaits.

PISCES (February 20-March 19): Sun in another Water Sign is a blessing for you, and even the Full Moon is like a friendly salesperson who will give you a deal. This week comes to your door laden with blessings if you open up to the possibilities. So don’t say no to much this week, but keep your reason strong. Wouldn’t want you to buy a lemon. Yellow’s not your color.

NEXT WEEK: Chaos and creation in the front yard, as Uranus and Mercury go retrograde almost together! Will we see New Visions or Old Yeller? Find out right here, in STAR POWER! Astrology Unleashed.