Photo-Illustration: by The Cut; Photo: Getty Images
The first quarter moon in Capricorn could make everything feel more difficult than usual today. You might be irritable, even a bit confrontational, and simple conversations could quickly turn into arguments — even if you’re fundamentally on the same page. Your instinct might be to play the peacemaker, smoothing over any social friction, but in reality, avoidance won’t do you any favors right now. Make an effort to work through any problems now rather than ignoring them or putting them off. You’ll be glad you did.
Sometimes you share your problems with your friends because you’re seeking advice. Other times, though, all you’re really looking for is somebody to listen, to offer some simple encouragement and support. Today, the people who love you are likely to jump straight into problem-solving mode — not because they’re trying to be pushy, or because they think you can’t solve your own problems, but because they think they’re being helpful. If that isn’t what you want, don’t hesitate to say so. Being clear and honest about what you need is the best way to actually get it.
Does it feel like people are jumping down your throat over the smallest mistakes today? You might understand their harsh approach if your errors had serious consequences, or if you were continually doing the same things wrong, but you do your best to learn from your mistakes, even the minor ones, and you wish people would give you a bit more grace. Try to remember that others’ outsize reactions probably aren’t about you. That doesn’t make it feel any better, but it can help you avoid internalizing their unkind words.
You’re generally not scared to take risks — you understand that in order to live an interesting, exciting life, you’ve got to be brave enough to make mistakes and embarrass yourself every once in a while. Today, though, your desire for security might clash more than usual with your desire for adventure, leaving you feeling conflicted and a bit indecisive. It might help to remind yourself that you probably don’t have to make a final decision right now — if you need, you can always take more time to think things through.
Today might be filled with small, frustrating conflicts with the people you love. It could feel like everything you say comes out wrong, and you can’t agree on anything. It’s easy to start spiraling, imagining that you’re a terrible friend and your relationships are doomed. But try to remember that a little conflict is normal, even with the people you love most. Things aren’t supposed to be all sunshine all the time; everyone has the occasional off day, and you’ll get through this one no worse for the wear.
There are times when it’s hard to communicate effectively, even when you’re sure you’re using all the right words and saying exactly what you mean. Maybe the other person isn’t in the right frame of mind to really process what you’re saying, or maybe they’re jumping to incorrect conclusions based on their own biases — or maybe you aren’t actually being as clear as you think. If you’re struggling to get through to somebody today, don’t give up yet. Ask thoughtful questions, and listen to the answers with an open mind. You can figure out where the disconnect is.
You might get the sense that everyone else is trying to make your choices for you today. They might be trying to exert control over your life, or they could simply be trying to protect you from stressful situations — either way, it doesn’t feel good. Decision-making can be stressful, but that doesn’t mean you want to hand your agency over to somebody else. So make it clear to the people in your life that you’re not about to let them run it for you. You’ll listen to their thoughts, but the final say is yours.
You might feel motivated to make a big change today; you’re ready to start something new, take a risk, reinvent yourself. But the world might make it difficult to put this energy to good use; unfinished business from the past, in particular, might make it hard to move forward. Solving old problems won’t feel especially exciting, but even so, it’ll be well worth your time. If you’re willing to put in the effort, you can finally put the past behind you, so that you can turn your full attention to the future.
If you’re feeling stressed out today, it’s likely a sign that you’re trying to do too much. Sometimes, overload is unavoidable — when there are genuinely important tasks that need to be done now, you can’t exactly say no — but to the extent that you do have control over your schedule, make sure you’re not taking on more than you can handle. There’s no shame in walking away from certain projects or putting off nonurgent chores until later. For now, try to go easy on yourself. The lighter your load, the better.
Today, it’ll be tempting to take your bad feelings out on the wrong people. You might blame your friends for the problems in your own life or lash out at whoever’s nearby, even if they’ve done nothing wrong. It’s hard to deal with overwhelming emotions in a “productive” way, so don’t be too hard on yourself if you end up saying something you regret. You might not be able to say the right thing in every situation, but at the very least, you can apologize and make it right.
As much as you value your relationships, sometimes it feels like they’re holding you back. Part of you wishes you didn’t have to devote so much energy to other people’s feelings; you could accomplish so much more if you didn’t have to worry about pleasing everyone around you. So today, make sure you’re not taking too much responsibility for anyone else’s happiness. You owe your friends basic kindness and good communication, but you don’t have to be everything they need. You’re not selfish for wanting to focus on your own needs, too.
For the most part, you’ve got plenty of self-confidence; as long as you know who you are, you see no reason to worry about what anyone else thinks. Today, though, you might feel uncharacteristically insecure, and the more you begin to doubt yourself, the more you want others to reassure you. There’s nothing wrong with asking for the support you need, but at the same time, try not to take it to heart if your friends don’t say exactly what you want to hear. The problem is that they don’t have all the right words, not that they don’t care about you.
It might feel like the people in your life are putting a lot of pressure on you to act in the ways they think are best, regardless of what you want. Chances are they don’t even realize they’re doing this — and if they do, they imagine they’re just trying to do what’s best for you — but that doesn’t make it any less stressful on your end. Today, you might need to tell everybody to back off a bit. It might feel a bit confrontational, but if you want others to respect your independence, that might be what it takes.
Buy Claire Comstock-Gay’s book, Madame Clairevoyant’s Guide to the Stars, here.
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