ARIES HOROSCOPE

This is an exciting and invigorating time for you. Hopefully you have an idea, proposal, or venture in mind because this is the perfect week to pitch it. And if you haven't anything in the works, then you need to cobble together something fast because an auspicious sextile between Neptune in your sign and Uranus in Gemini on August 28th shows that whatever kite you choose to fly will surely soar. It's rare when you're on the right side of such a game-changing planetary aspect so you'll want to make the best of it. And the more audacious and far-fetched your dreams – the better!

Aries and Virgo share a trait in common: self-improvement. Both signs believe that you can always do better. What's nice about the Sun entering Virgo on August 22d is that you'll discover how. Virgo is less about gumption and drive and more about making the most of what you have to work with. The best way to do that is to review your assets with all the scrutiny of a forensics investigator. It may seem a bit too nitpicky at first, but you'll get into the swing of it. After all you can't hope to achieve your ends without identifying the means of getting there.

After weeks of struggle, you finally get that breakthrough you were aiming for on August 11th. It wasn't always easy to tell if you were on the right track – you wrestled with a lot of self-doubt – but you're in. Your application will be accepted, your project approved, or your request upheld. Yet something you need to be open to during this time is the list of suggested changes you'll be asked to make. This is pretty much de rigueur when Uranus forms a sextile to Saturn and if you follow this planet's lead you'll soon see how these expand and improve upon your original submission.

You have no choice but to follow another party’s lead while Mars is in your opposite sign of Libra. This could be a spouse, partner or collaborator. Usually you wouldn’t mind except you’re not sure the other person knows what they’re doing. To make matters worse, Saturn in Aries makes you feel like you know better and that the other person’s approach is all wrong. The challenge is to follow during this period of time. Not only is it an exercise in patience, but you may discover there’s validity to this person’s way of doing things. It’s not your way, but it works all the same.

No one's trying to take you by surprise by asking if you’re OK. It's a question – nothing more; nothing less. Emotionally speaking, Aries people are like hardboiled private eyes who sleep with a gun under the pillow, ready to fire at the first sign of intrusion yet for a zodiac sign who professes to be bold and fearless, you're carrying a lot of angst these days. Concern is not a form of manipulation; it shows people care. Perhaps if you let someone be there for you in the way you're always there for them you might find it's not so bad sharing your troubles; it's even healthy.

Mentoring is often as educational for the mentor as the mentee. This is something you'll see on July 24th when the Sun trines Saturn. Being a Mars-ruled sign, you don't always recognize when you're being too tough. Mars believes in raising the bar as soon as someone's in reach of it – which is great for improving strength and fortitude; but do it too many times and that person winds up feeling defeated instead of challenged. Encouragement – plus easing up on some of those drills – might produce the positive results you're looking for. It could even be an idea to apply to yourself.

Don’t sign on the line that's dotted on July 18th. This won’t be easy because you'll feel like it’s now or never when it comes to sealing the deal or making a big purchase. Exclamations of “I don't have time for this!” are to be expected when Mercury retrogrades in a fire sign however a better use of your time would be to engage in a fact-finding mission. Not only will you discover the other party was withholding certain details, you'll see you're in a position to lock in more favorable terms. The end result is a much better dotted line to sign on August 11th.

Saturn turns retrograde on July 12th and for the next few months you'll experience a general pall as things that once moved smoothly take twice as long to come together and twice as long to fall apart. Think of it as Saturn's way of testing how serious you are about that prize you seek. If this proves too inconvenient then you probably weren't that committed to begin with but if you're willing to do whatever it takes – for as long as it takes – then Saturn will give you what you want and then some. Saturn will be retrograde from July 12th until November 28th.

On July 4th Neptune turns retrograde in Aries. Neptune mythologizes whatever zodiac sign it's passing through and for the past few weeks you might have fallen under its spell of hypermasculinity and “the-rules-don’t-apply-to-me ” exceptionalism. This affects Aries women as well as Aries men. Now that Neptune is turning retrograde you may awaken to discover you're as naked as the Emperor parading around in his new clothes. This could lead to questioning the path you're on or prompt you to take charge of things and stop playacting. It all depends on what you decide to do between now and October 22d when Neptune reenters Pisces.

Neptune glamorizes whatever zodiac sign it's passing through and right now it's going to be romanticizing the grittier aspects of your Aries personality. This is the part of you that believes you have to go it alone and that you can't rely on anyone else. That might be true; but then again it might not. Sun/Neptune squares (like the one on June 23d) are Astrology's myth busters – they lift the veil on the stories we've been telling ourselves. Maybe it's time to stop overcompensating and to let the real you shine through. It's not a weakness to want to bond with someone else; it's human.