VIRGO HOROSCOPE

You're someone who likes to test people, so what happens when a certain someone passes your best exam with flying colors? Do you award the prize or come up with a new question? This is something that will be uppermost in your mind as Venus in Capricorn forms a sextile to Neptune in Pisces on December 4th. Usually, you would look around for another detour or delay, but this particular planetary combination is conducive to rewarding feats of love and devotion. And it's a good thing, too, because next week you will face an obstacle that will either tear you two apart or bring you together.

You know you got something wrong, but you can't quite figure out what. It's not unlike adding up a column of numbers and getting a different answer every time. You pore over every detail, but the solution stubbornly resists you. Welcome to Mercury retrograde. Mercury will be retrograde from November 25th to December 15th. Planet of the mind, Mercury becomes a brainteaser when it's retrograde. What you want to watch out for is insisting that the rules still apply and that it's reality that's wrong. Think Alice Through the Looking Glass. Get into the spirit of exploring the ridiculous, and you could discover the sublime.

Demands at home are as unrelenting as demands at work, and it won't be letting up any time soon. You tried appealing to a boss to let you leave early while asking a loved one to be more understanding, but neither side will budge. If only there were two of you! Well, you're a Virgo, not Gemini, which means you'll have to work with what you have. Perhaps the problem lies with you being too accommodating? Both sides need you, which means you should be dictating terms rather than asking permission. Change your approach, and they'll be coordinating their schedules with you rather than vice-versa.

The problem with getting what you want is that you wind up not wanting it anymore. People might say it's because you're a perfectionist, but actually, your dissatisfaction stems from something much deeper. You're afraid that if you find what you're looking for, then you will have to settle for what you have now, and your days of curiosity, exploration, and discovery will be over. Nothing could be further from the truth, but you'll never discover that if you keep rejecting the opportunities that life is giving you. Try embracing the good things that come your way, and you'll be counting blessings rather than disappointments.

The loss of an aspiration can be as hard as a physical loss; maybe even more so given the amount of emotional investment and hope we can pour into our future visions. It won't be easy seeing the door close on something you always thought you'd get around to doing one day. You might try to rationalize it by saying that it was an escapist fantasy, but you know deep down it was more than that. Ironically, now that you've let it go, this frees you to pursue aims closer to home. Who knows? The fact that goals are doable could make them more gratifying.

Analyzing your feelings won’t reveal anything that you didn’t know before. What it will do is reinforce familiar fears and prejudices and take you out of the moment. Love is a mystery that not even the stars can explain. The stars can show when love will come into your life, but not why. That part is up to you. The best advice would be to go with the flow and see what happens with your current love interest. Virgos love intimacy as much as cats love water, but if you let yourself swim around a bit, you may discover that the water’s fine.

You're going to shake your head in disbelief when, once again, a business partner experiences cold feet or a higher-up hems and haws about something they said they'd do. You've had your fill of these last-minute second thoughts. But instead of going into your song and dance where you have to razzle-dazzle the naysayers, do yourself a favor and just leave things be. A propitious Mercury/Saturn trine on October 22nd shows that you have everything in place to launch the best campaign ever, and it will launch whether this person is on board or not. Stick to the plan, and s/he'll fall into line.

You might want to consider using a softer approach when communicating with those in power. One department head in particular is in a position to do a lot for you as long as you don't come across as aggressive and demanding. It's true that you have a stellar track record and it's high time for you to be recognized for it. However, superiors like to come to that conclusion on their own and can resent being guilt-tripped into doing something they were planning on doing anyway. Continue to exercise your considerable charm and powers of persuasion, and you will surely get what's yours.

No sooner do you say yes, shake on the deal, or sign on the line that’s dotted, then all hell will break loose on October 9th. It’s like one of those moments in a fairytale when the sweet-faced person you’ve been talking to is suddenly revealed to be a cackling witch or drooling ogre. It's every bit as shocking as it is despairing. You’ll feel like you’ve made a foolish mistake and that all is lost, but it isn’t. In truth, you're being sent down a path that will lead to a major reward in February. But you have to go on the adventure first.

The Solar Eclipse in Libra on October 2nd heralds a change in income. Your first reaction may be to batten down the hatches – like tightening your budget, ransacking your closet for items you can sell on eBay, or maybe even taking up canning. Yet the point of this eclipse isn't for you to curl up in a ball, but to reach out. Libra is an air sign, and air signs know that your greatest resources are your human resources. Put out the word that you're free and looking for a new position and you'll discover more takers than you ever imagined. You are that valuable.