Madame Clairevoyant: Horoscopes for the Week of April 28–May 4

On Monday morning, love planet Venus enters stubborn but sensual Taurus. If you’ve been stressed and busy lately, now is your chance to slow down and luxuriate in life’s small pleasures. There’s still plenty of work to be done, of course, but take advantage of the sweet moments when you can. The next morning, action planet Mars enters bold and confident Aries, meaning that spontaneous action rather than careful planning could be the best way to get what you want. Finally, on Thursday afternoon, Pluto retrograde begins. From now until October, the planet of transformation and rebirth moves backward through the zodiac, prompting all of us to reassess our lives and places in the world. If a change is needed — whether subtle or major — it’s likely to become clear. In the meantime, find the weekly horoscope for each zodiac sign, below.

You aren’t afraid to go after what you want. The trouble is that you can’t always figure out what that is. This week, especially, you’re filled with desire — for things, experiences, feelings. Knowing that you can’t actually have everything doesn’t stop you from wanting it all anyway. Even so, you’ll wear yourself out if you keep running around in circles, leaping at every possibility that comes your way. Your job right now is to decide what, among all that catches your attention, is worth working toward, worth fighting for — and then, whatever it is, to go after it.

Part of you worries it’s silly or shallow to care about beauty right now. The world is on fire, and it seems self-indulgent to pay attention to anything else. But the truth is that it’s unreasonable to try to impose some kind of austerity program on your own life. You’re allowed to seek comfort, make art, yearn for love — all of this is what makes life worth living. Just maintain a sense of perspective about it. Beauty might not be what matters most in this moment, but that doesn’t mean it’s worthless. It’s a human need, too, even in hard times.

Sometimes the only way to get anything done is to forget about what other people are doing and be brave enough to go your own way. But acting alone is the quickest path to exhaustion this week. Trying to do too much with too little support will only lead to burnout. Collective victories have the potential to be much greater than individual ones, anyway, so stop taking on more than you can (or want to) handle. Lean on others, and let them lean on you, too. Living on earth is a group project. Start acting like it.

It can appear like the best way to be happy is to manage your expectations. Keeping your desires modest will also keep you from feeling disappointment. By aiming low, it’s easy to convince yourself that you’ll protect yourself from the heartbreak of failure. This week, though, your secret hopes and ambitions will get louder and more insistent, so stop trying to downplay or ignore them. Don’t pretend that you’ll be happy settling for something you know won’t be enough. Let yourself want more, and that just might be what you get.

It takes a great deal of courage to admit when you’re wrong, that you misjudged somebody, that you didn’t have all the facts or made a choice you now regret. It’s much easier to double down, to insist, even if only to yourself, that you were correct or at least justified. But try to stay open to new ideas this week. Let the world surprise you. You have the chance to learn so much right now, transforming your life for the better in the process, but only if you can be brave enough to change your mind.

You know it’s possible to disagree with the people close to you and keep loving them. You do it all the time. Sometimes, your differences of opinion are inconsequential; other times, they’re generative and exciting. In some cases, though — when other people’s ideas are so repugnant to you, or when they impede your ability to live the way you want — they’re more than you’re willing to abide. It’s up to you to decide what you are and aren’t willing to live with this week. Don’t be so rigid that you’re unwilling to make any concessions, but remember that you don’t have to be a pushover, either.

You think of yourself as an easygoing, even-tempered kind of person. Sure, you have your pride, your ego, your desires (everybody does), but you don’t want to make them anyone else’s problem. You might find that standing up for yourself and your needs inevitably brings you into conflict with others this week, though. It will be tempting to back down and be accommodating — no one wants to feel they’re unpopular and making things difficult — but try to stand firm. You don’t have to immediately defuse every interpersonal conflict. You’re allowed to fight for yourself.

It’s important for you to figure out what to do with all your pent-up energy this week, because you probably have a lot of it. Maybe you’ve been holding your true feelings back, maybe you feel helpless in the face of all the injustice in the world around you — whatever the cause, all your unused and unexpressed energy will eat at you from the inside if you don’t find a way to channel it productively. Make it your mission to find ways to act, no matter how small. You don’t have to change the whole world in one week, but don’t sit around idle and frustrated, either.

You’re not always the most careful or detail-oriented person, and this week it’ll be easier than usual for you to speak without thinking, to leap before you look. Sometimes your spontaneity lands you in trouble, but it can also be a gift. Don’t be afraid to make decisions quickly, following your instinct. When you don’t overthink things, it’s easier to act courageously and harder to talk yourself out of doing what you know in your heart is right. If your impulsiveness is strong, harness it. Let it make you brave.

You’re amazing at fixing other people’s problems, diagnosing their flaws, giving them counsel they need. It’s much harder, though, to see your own life clearly, to take your own advice. That’s why it’s important to put your own house in order first this week — no matter how tempting it is to ignore your problems and deal instead with your friends’ dramas, with the neighborhood gossip, with all that you think other people could do differently. Your troubles aren’t any more important than anyone else’s, but they’re yours — who will deal with them if you don’t?

Your imagination is virtually limitless, and this week, especially, your mind is buzzing with ideas, plans, possibilities. Your energy, to your frustration, is finite. You’re only human, and there are only so many hours in each day; you simply don’t have the capacity to do everything you’d like to, and the more projects you try to take on, the less care you’ll be able to give to each one. Focus on prioritizing. Maybe you’ll have to turn down some invitations or put good ideas on the back burner for now, but it’ll be worth it if it means you can throw yourself wholly into what matters most.

Some people are energized by a good argument, but for you, it’s just draining. It’s not that you’re scared of confrontation; it just rarely seems worth the effort. Still, try not to avoid disagreements this week. Be honest about your opinions, even if you suspect others won’t share them. A bit of social tension isn’t the worst thing in the world, and you’re strong enough to handle it. Walking away from conflict might save you from inconvenience in the moment, but it’ll also ensure that your voice isn’t heard and you don’t get what you really need.

Read the weekly horoscopes for the week of April 21. The weekly horoscopes for the week of May 5 will be online next Sunday.

Buy Claire Comstock-Gay’s book, Madame Clairevoyant’s Guide to the Stars, here.