Venus has been traveling backward through a sign she's uncomfortable inhabiting. Aries is, after all, the realm of war, and Venus is a lover, not a fighter. But this week her retrograde journey takes her out of the Aries realm and back into the soulful waters of Pisces. This passage bodes well for second chances of all kinds, especially in matters of love. If there's something you didn't get right earlier in the year, try again.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). Be a shrewd judge of character so as to avoid the trap of mixing with people who are going to be bad influences, hold you back or cost you money. Note that older does not always mean wiser. There are those near you who have aged without maturing. You'll learn lessons and skills from a younger person this week.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Everyone has boundaries. Confident people don't have to talk about them much because they don't fear invasion. They trust that most others will sense their strength and respect the limits of what's acceptable. The best way to protect your boundaries this week will be swiftly and with humor.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Other people have the keys to doors you would very much like to walk through. Make some friends so you can see the inside of places that up until now you've only guessed about. Include people in your project, the more the merrier. Collaborative efforts will springboard you into new adventures.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). If you wanted to you could find plenty to be agitated about, but when the task at hand is important and big enough to take up most of your attention, there's no time to let petty frustrations get to you. If you do get frustrated this week, you'll handle it well, guiding the energy in extremely productive ways.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Your sincere compliments are disarming; your motives are pure. Because people let down their defenses around you, you learn, exchange and connect more completely to people. This results in both benefits and deficits, as is always the case when you're the favorite. You'll give more and you'll get more.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). In the past you kept people at arm's length until your trust-o-meter told you to let people cross the magic line and step into your inner circle. You're starting to change your rules now, letting people in without a test and without showing the proper credentials. Is this foolish? No. Your instincts are keener than ever.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). You'll come up with some vivid, well-formed ideas that others will, nonetheless, find hard to grasp. At the core, this is a communication problem. Break things down smaller. Explain the context. Think about where the other person is coming from. Is there an ego issue that might be making it hard for someone to really listen?

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). Wherever you go, a part of you will remain there. It's why you enjoy learning the history of a place, or standing where great men and women have stood. You may never know how your essence is experienced and how it influences others, but you're sincerely working toward becoming a super-charged force in the world.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). They want to be entertained; they're looking to you. You mastered the art of being fun before you knew it was even an art. You might say that "fun" just comes with the territory of being you, and others have come to expect it from you, as evidenced by this week's invitations and responsibilities.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Release the doubt, worry and fear. It was there to protect you, to help you pay closer attention and move cautiously through the danger zone. But it turns out, you're not in the danger zone anymore, if indeed you ever were. So give up the thought process of fret. This week is for moving forward with confidence.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Don't expect to see a clear cause-and-effect relationship between the action you take and the results you net. Alas, your brilliance and creativity disallows you to choose simple problems. The complexity of your challenges will make it impossible to predict your path. A mysterious and beautiful process awaits.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). This week's success depends on establishing a rhythm: repeated actions, check points to keep you on track, people you interact with at regular intervals, schedules, calendars, rewards — not so much as to overwhelm you, but enough to add the supporting infrastructure to help you accomplish your purpose.

THIS WEEK'S BIRTHDAYS: Relationships will make you feel rich. The next three weeks clear a path to deeper love and understanding. Something clever you do in May will attract an audience. You'll build on this through the next seven months and cash in early 2018. You'll also catch a financial break in June. This takes some pressure off of you, and life gets better for the change. Family wins are your wins; you'll celebrate together. July gives you an exciting story. Champion a loved one's pursuit in August.

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