GEMINI HOROSCOPE

We're often taught that we reproduce in life the things we learned in the home. If you were raised in a home that was warm and loving then that sounds good; but if you weren't, then your life may be overly invested in creating the home you should have had. Sometimes we discover that that's an illusion we have to jettison in order to be happy and sometimes we learn that there really is a blueprint there – even if we have to revise it constantly. This week's Solar Eclipse in Virgo shows it's time to settle with the past because home is where you are now.

This would be a good time to cash in your chips and collect your winnings. When you have as much air and fire energy coursing through your horoscope like you've had this Summer it's hard to slow down, but this is like being on a winning streak at a casino when the people gathered around your table are cheering you on to take greater risks. Keep pushing your luck and you'll wind up losing what you have which is why it's better to quit while you're ahead. Anti-climactic perhaps, but this is exactly what this week's Lunar Eclipse in Pisces is advising you to do.

Be ready for things to slow down when Uranus turns retrograde in Gemini on September 6th. Although this won't put an immediate end to your progress, it does signal a dramatic change in the Cosmic weather which is why you would be well-advised to stop where you are and shore up your position. This way you avoid stretching yourself too thin and making yourself vulnerable to rivals on different fronts. Do this and your advances won't be erased because you will have entrenched yourself in such a way that you can pick up where you left off when Uranus comes out of retrograde in February.

It's often said that Geminis have their finger on the pulse of events. The first to spot a trend before it becomes a “thing”, you're like a weathervane when it comes to anticipating where the next change will come from, how popular it will be, and how long interest will last. Expect these intuitive flashes of yours to take on an extrasensory prescience as Uranus sextiles Neptune on August 28th. This is when you really must press ahead with your most impossible to explain hunches. Smart friends and colleagues will follow your lead while skeptical ones will have only themselves to blame for not listening.

On August 23d the New Moon in Virgo will form a square to Uranus, planet of revolution and change. Usually this would be connected with getting thrown a wild curve ball from out of left field, but this one is more along the lines of the other shoe you were waiting for to drop – dropping. You knew this was coming for weeks and now that it's here you're ready to admit, divulge, or come clean. It's time to assume responsibility and to face the consequences. Most people would try to squirm out of this sort of thing, but for you it will be a relief.

You are a force to be reckoned with and everyone knows it – especially when the person who vigorously blocked your progress finally concedes on August 11th. It's a heady moment and one worth celebrating, but a lot rides on the way that you treat this person moving forward. There's an old saying “keep your friends close, but your enemies closer”. It's always wise to keep tabs on those you once locked horns with because they may turn on you one day, however if you treat them with respect and make them feel welcome – you may rise in their esteem and perhaps even win their friendship.

Mars in Libra is traditionally a romantic placement for Gemini and since summer is the season for romance, this could be your sole focus for the next 6 ½ weeks. That said Mars will be opposite Saturn, the planet of tests, in Aries, the zodiac sign that Mars rules, which is bound to introduce all kinds of complications. Others would feel discouraged at the news, but not you. Instead of feeling thwarted, this will only fuel your ardor. In the end, you may not forge the long-term relationship you seek, but there's no denying that your time together will leave a lasting smile on your face.

You've made a lot of progress lately, so you won't like the Venus/Saturn square on August 1st cramping your style. It's a minor hiccup, but still something to pay attention to. Being an air sign, it's important to remember the role that reciprocity plays in your dealings with others. If they're going to help you out, for instance, it only makes sense that you repay the favor. You may think you already have, but it looks like the other party disagrees. It's a good idea to touch base with them sooner rather than later. They may be harboring certain expectations that you're not on board with.

You’re in for an unexpected surprise when a competitive sibling or a judgmental relative helps you out in a time of need. It's enough to leave you standing there with mouth agape given the history of bad blood between you. Uranus, the planet of revolution and change, is famous for turning our judgments on their head and when it forms a sextile to the Sun (like it does on July 23d) it can reveal sides of people that we never dreamed existed. Not only will this get you to revisit assumptions that are outdated, it may also inspire you to be less disparaging in the future.

Mercury retrograde has a dodgy reputation in Astrology, but its reverse direction can actually be a good time to take stock of a situation. As a Gemini you always pencil in, you never ink. This allows you to back out if you need to or to cancel plans all together, but sometimes focusing more on an exit strategy blinds you to the advantages of staying put. Go ahead and give recent choices the once over because there's a good chance you’ll discover that you were a lot savvier than you originally gave yourself credit for. Believe it or not, it's why God created Mercury retrogrades.