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Your Horoscope This Week: May 16, 2021

uThe last days of Taurus season make themselves known this week, hitting the snooze button and begging for just a few more hours of rest. Meanwhile, with Venus and Mercury clamouring for attention and stimulation in Gemini, rest isn’t really on the itinerary. Of course, just because something’s not on the schedule doesn’t mean it’s not available to those who demand it. With the shadow of Mercury retrograde in full effect and the imminence of the Sun’s ingress into Gemini, communication is key if anyone expects to get their needs met — but, we all know how tricky communication can be in a shadow period. On May 21st, the Sun in Gemini will square Jupiter in Pisces, an aspect that’s sure to have us negotiating our expectations. On the collective front, our relationship to knowledge is changing. International issues that were once framed as “conflicts” or “arguments” are reframed within a larger narrative of colonisation and suppression, whether it’s Israel’s inhumane occupation of Palestine, the ongoing war against ethnic Armenians in Azerbaijan, or the uprising against police violence in Colombia. We are called to reckon with our role in, our relationship with, our endorsement of the information that is shared and information that’s suppressed. Aries Sun & Aries RisingOn the surface, this week should be a relatively smooth-going one for you and it’s unlikely that you’ll find yourself fielding any out-of-turn behaviour or last-minute surprises. But the smoothness of the sea doesn’t dictate the state of what lives below it. If anything, it gives you a clearer view of an internal world that’s much more sensitive and deeply affected than you let on, even to yourself. Let what’s coming in-focus for you come — even if it hurts to acknowledge it, even if you’d rather feel anything else. While it’s true that there are certain tasks, agreements, and commitments that require your attention, being productive will only delay your heart’s needs; it will not quiet them.Illustration by Stefhany LozanoTaurus Sun & Taurus RisingIt’s true that many planets have shifted under the stars of Gemini, including your ruling planet Venus, but you need not rush to keep up. The last few days of the Sun’s journey through Taurus are no less vital to you than when the hot eye of the Sun first glanced upon your stars. Endings offer up their own mixed blessings, even if they seem bitter. Some green things are seeded not to last but rather to enrich the soil for whatever it is we really wish to cultivate. If you can accept that loss — whether it relates to a person, a job, or an opportunity — is only a part of a story rather than the conclusion, then you can turn the page with anticipation, and — dare I say — pleasure.Illustration by Stefhany LozanoGemini Sun & Gemini RisingWhen it’s almost your season and there’s numerous glowing celestial balls in your court, the shadow of Mercury retrograde can feel like a cruel trick. But you are worth your shine and due some fun in the sun, dear Gemini. That’s why it’s worth your while to engage this Mercury shadow period head-on rather than skirting around the issues until the retrograde motion becomes more apparent and spoils the fun. There’s no sleight of hand that can make an issue disappear, and anything swept under a rug is sure to make a noticeable bump later. Reply to that email, file that paperwork, and when you can’t move forward, be candid about what’s holding you back. Illustration by Stefhany LozanoCancer Sun & Cancer RisingWith the last days of Taurus season upon us, the ongoing influence of the Taurus new moon, and Mars holding court under your stars, it’s a great time for you to meditate on the difference between your actions and your reactions. Mars rules cardinal Aries and it’s not as comfortable in cardinal Cancer as one might hope. The protective nature of Cancer is heightened under this influence and while it may serve your community and loved ones, it can lead to unintentionally defensive behaviour on your part. Of course, there are moments when defence is called for, but, sometimes, a clarifying question will protect your energy a whole lot more than your armour. Illustration by Stefhany LozanoLeo Sun & Leo RisingAs the years go on, the kinds of relationships we are capable of change and transform. There is no formula, no one way these things go, but there is an understanding that while the pleasure of encounter is imminent, closeness takes time. Closeness, or intimacy, is available to any kind of relationship we build and not just with other people, either. There’s intimacy in developing a relationship to your body in a physically challenging practice and there’s intimacy in deeping an artistic one. Whatever or whoever you’re building a relationship with, Leo, remind yourself that it takes time. What things feel like now is only a reflection of the moment, not the limit.Illustration by Stefhany LozanoVirgo Sun & Virgo RisingFor many people, our earliest memories of teachers are those who have authority over us. They are our instructors and our guardians. Occasionally, for those who are curious enough, a teacher can be found in the natural world by way of an animal or a garden. “Curious” might be the operative word here, inviting the individual to identify and acknowledge a lesson rather than receive it. If we’re curious, we begin to realise that we receive lessons whether we notice or not, repeatedly. They’re available everywhere, from anyone. Look again at the small workings of your world, the people, projects, and creatures that fill your week. If there is a challenge, there is a message.Illustration by Stefhany LozanoLibra Sun & Libra RisingThere’s this idea in the craft of poetry that working within a form, like a pantoum, can be as freeing as it is restrictive. It’s said that sometimes one needs to know the rules in order to break them — but, rebellion isn’t the only pleasure to be had in doing so. Most living things enjoy a bit of restraint, a rein to pull against, stone on either side of a river, lips tight against a whistle. Form gives us a challenge for which freedom is the answer. If, within your discipline or generative process, you’ve found yourself overwhelmed with choice, consider the forms available to you. Whether it’s a ritual, a routine, or a material constraint, deciding to work with less will serve you more.Illustration by Stefhany LozanoScorpio Sun & Scorpio RisingThe word “secure” is tricky. With lovers, we seek secure attachment but settle for over-processing. There’s the tenuous notion of job security and the failure of social security. Nations are obsessed with security at our borders, but borders are man-made and subject to change, which makes them, by nature, an insecure division. It’s important to remember that security is not a permanent state. And, while it’s valuable for inner work (feeling secure about yourself, your lovability), it can be a trap when we seek it from others (this job is paying me so well, why would I leave?). Try to notice when your need for inner security is in conflict with the transient nature of security from external sources. Illustration by Stefhany LozanoSagittarius Sun & Sagittarius RisingSagittarius is a fire sign, it’s true, but an arrow needs wind and desires direction. If your fire begins in the mind, dear Sagittarius, it’s carried by language into the world. And, there’s no guarantee how your thoughts or ideas will land, but few original things come with guarantees anyway so why wait for one? If you’re holding yourself back, release the arrow. The original thing, the untried thing, that is the test. Those who respond and resonate are the answer. If this week offers you the opportunity to put yourself out there, to take a social or intellectual risk, take it. Your mind was never meant to be a secret, lonely thing. It flourishes in company; it flies.Illustration by Stefhany LozanoCapricorn Sun & Capricorn RisingIt’s one thing to know that wealth is more than what’s in the bank and a whole other thing to approach daily affairs that way. The universe, for better or worse, is here to remind you that a community net can be just as valuable as a financial one — if not more so. This reminder can come in various forms. While some can be heavy handed, like realising you’d made a bad deal, you’re just as likely to receive positive reinforcement from mutual admirers. The regard you offer others and your willingness to turn every stone over have not gone unnoticed and won’t. Even if what you sign up for is no sure thing, you can be sure that you have a strong net to fall back on.Illustration by Stefhany LozanoAquarius Sun & Aquarius RisingJust because things can get a little heavy doesn’t mean you can’t prioritise feeling good. It must be some kind of human preoccupation, to immerse oneself in an emotion and make that emotion all there is. But, you know better. You know how to ride a wave from shore to shore, you know that waves can affect a coastline but that the land is something else entirely. Which is all to say that there’s nothing wrong with carrying an emotion instead of lying down in it and letting it carry you. It doesn’t make the emotion any less potent; it doesn’t make your heart any less true.Illustration by Stefhany LozanoPisces Sun & Pisces RisingJupiter has dipped his celestial toe into Pisces and it’s expected that Pisces people will rejoice Especially since Jupiter’s ingress into Pisces is a kind of homecoming. It’s possible that you’ll feel a shift this week, a smooth energetic flow where once there might have been static. This flow isn’t a miraculous one-time occurrence, so you need not treat it that way. It’s always already around you and you are invited to work with it. Choose what comes easily this week. If a current makes itself known, is it a current that would feel good to ride? If a problem arises, can you see its ultimate direction? Say no when no feels right, but focus on noticing to whom you want to say yes.Illustration by Stefhany LozanoLike what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?Venus In Gemini Marks The Start Of Hot Girl SummerIs Jupiter In Pisces The Best Transit Of 2021?Obsessed With Astrology? Thank TikTok — & COVID