Horoscopes

ARIES: Give up expecting walls to talk or leopards to wear tiger stripes this week - it's way past time. Accept when others don't want to change and make different arrangements. It's so much more satisfying being the one who changes.

TAURUS: As this week's Venus eases out of sultry Scorpio into amusing, entertaining Sagittarius, lo! your sense of humour - which had been rapidly turning into an endangered species - returns, and everyone's overjoyed to see a smile on your dial again...

GEMINI: With Venus escaping Scorpio like Persephone getting out of Hades, emerging from the deep and difficult into free and easy, breezy Sagittarius - Gemini life in general seems so much lighter and brighter, and this week miraculously less resistant and heavy.

CANCER: As Venus leaves the tight confines of Scorpio for the wide, open spaces of Sagittarius, the Cancerian emotional landscape starts looking decidedly rosier this week. Mercury retrograde's almost over and life's feeling like it might be worth living again.

LEO: Who'd ever be brave enough to suggest Your Majesty tone down the scale of your grand plans? Certainly not me. You just might want to streamline them - hone or refine them perhaps - to some kind of vaguely attainable level this week.

VIRGO: This week's retrograde aggravations will try even your Virgoan patience, at present rapidly running out. The No Fun Zone's beckoning, but let it - you absolutely don't want to go there. There's only another week to go before the cosmic climate turns user-friendly again.

LIBRA: This or that? Should I or shouldn't I? ...that particular kind of Libran mental shillyshallying will give everyone the willies this week. So consult the cards, flip a coin, do what you have to - and keep reminding yourself nobody's life's hanging on your decision.

SCORPIO: As Venus moves out of maximum contraction in Scorpio into expansive Sagittarius, emotional intensity lessens and like a stuck cog loosening, your life lurches forward again with such impetus you may have to let go of something to keep your balance.

SAGITTARIUS: With Venus cantering into the domain of the Archer your generous, entertaining, funny side will have everyone forgiving you those tactless gaffes you've been making lately. Most people anyway... though you'll be too flat out to even notice...

CAPRICORN: As stress levels skyrocket let us speak of peace, and how you can best help keep it during this ease-challenged week. Which is by being as patient, thoughtful, light-hearted, generous, diplomatic and co-operative as a Capricorn can.

AQUARIUS: Aquarians are contrary. And why not - it's your style. Right now you're likely to keep changing your mind at a moment's notice, so nobody knows what's going on. Maybe don't make arrangements - then you won't have to break them.

PISCES: Pisces know better than anyone how to make their weaknesses work for them. But everyone's on countdown this week and possibly not inclined to find your flaws adorable, so do the best you can to operate in roughly the same time zone as everyone else.