Horoscopes (June 26-July 2)

James Noellert

The sense that it's time to fish or cut bait could be surfacing in a number of different areas of your life. The idea that you've been pushing this rock up a hill for quite some time and getting nowhere might be giving you pause to wonder whether you need to continue. We are taught that persistence pays off, but there are times when life begs us to read the writing on the wall and cut our losses. If this is a relationship issue, ask yourself if it's even realistic to fix what's broken. No matter what the story is, get real enough to face the truth and be brave enough to let it set you free.

Don't get too worked up over what only appears to be a big deal. You've been through the gauntlet enough times to know how to get through this one. If you're worried about the fact that you haven't got the energy for what feels like a huge responsibility, I'm here to tell you that you can do it in your sleep. Give yourself a break and go out for recess until it's time to buckle down and grab it by the horns. At that point, take one thing at a time, don't get ahead of yourself, and know that you're in control. The smoother you operate, the easier it will be to turn this mountain into a molehill.

There is a conflict of interests that has you wishing you weren't stuck in the middle. You can't do much but remain wedged between two or more sets of issues. As uncomfortable as you feel, there is a way out. Other things have called you to see that you don't even need to be involved in this. Believe it or not, you could slip out of the situation and force everyone to deal with themselves; what a concept! It may be time to take a powder, or a hike, or leave town for a few days. In your absence, others will become crystal clear about the fact that this is their mess.

At times you feel as if there's nothing to worry about; at other points you're convinced that everything's about to go to Hell. Going back and forth between doubt and faith, you wish that you could be clear about things. Too much is about to change for you to assume that certainty is even relevant at this point. It would be to your advantage to tie yourself to the mast and rearrange your sense of what it will take to keep life from rocking your boat. Whatever holding steady has meant to you in the past, these days it has more to do with remaining fluid enough to handle anything.

You'd just as soon skip this part of the program. You've been here and done it so many times you really don't need a repeat performance. Find someone to play your part and disappear, or you'll get stuck with the whole thing if you're not careful. Your personal life has taken an interesting turn, and that's part of the reason you need a break. Having done a 180 in the love department, all of a sudden the one who looked like they could walk on water has turned into a human being. Now that the coach has morphed into a pumpkin, the question is: Can you handle it?

You've jumped through enough hoops to feel pretty sure about where you're heading. Those of you who have sold out along the way are less clear about things, but those of you who have remained true to yourselves are off on a whole new track. There is no need to second-guess your choices. Your whole life has led you to this point. As long as your heart is in it and you are here to serve others, the next phase of the journey will be filled with the best that life has to offer. The next few months will involve the need to travel, study, or teach as you put your plans into practice.

What goes around is coming around. If you've paid your dues, you're in good shape. Those of you who are dealing with people who have yet to pay theirs could feel a little shaky. As the next six months unwind, the business of freeing yourself from the BS that gets created when we go into alignment with all the wrong people will keep your head spinning; don't let it scare you. What's happening right now is the tail end of issues that were overcomplicated by choices you made long ago. That was then and this is now. Hold steady. Soon enough you will be free and clear.

You've been through enough to see that it's time to turn the trials of the last few years into something you can live with. Part of you would be OK with staying in the same groove if you weren't so clear about the fact that you really don't want to get stuck here. With nothing to go back to, your best choice would appear to be the one that is calling you to leap into the Void. Whether or not you are ready to take that step is the question. These things take an enormous amount of faith. There will be no certainty until you summon up the guts to drop everything and go for it.

What an amazing time. Believe it or not, things might be as good as they look. Not having that much experience with this much perfection, you're confused about what to do next. That's OK. There isn't any template for things like this. Underneath all of the stuff that is totally blowing your mind, you are just beginning to accept the fact that life will never be the same again. Surrender to this and feel safe knowing that you're being called to start living your dream instead of searching for it. Get with the program, open your heart, start riding this wave and get into it.

Don't even try to figure out how things got this crazy. While you're at it, take comfort in knowing that even those who appear to have the world on a string are living through their own brand of insanity. You'll do more for yourself if, instead of trying to correct everyone's behavior and attempting to resuscitate what was never there to begin with, you go with the flow and let everything be what it is. It might also be good to lower your expectations and learn how to love people in spite of themselves — because underneath all the madness, everyone's doing the best they can.

Recent events have underscored feelings of intensity that bear a whiff of grief. Old stories have called up the past and put your mind on things that you'd rather not think about. Sooner or later, life has a way of making us face the music. If this rings a bell, don't make the mistake of trying to brush it off. In the midst of your usual routine, make room for whatever these feelings involve. Outside of this, you've got it made right now. In many ways, you are having the time of your life, and now acutely aware of how the good stuff and the hard stuff always seem to walk side by side.

This would be easier if your history wasn't checkered with memories that keep reminding you how nuts you are to keep falling into the same old trap. You used to do this unconsciously, but at this point the whole routine is so familiar you just keep pressing the repeat button. Believe it or not, observing our mistakes gives us a chance to see how fate and free will intertwine. And what you see now is showing you that none of this would have turned out the way it did if you could just figure out how to stop the madness and be a little more particular about who you decide to trust.

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