By Jonathan Cainer

Once a year, Jupiter turns retrograde. For a few months, the planet of optimism and expansion then appears to retrace its steps through the zodiac. Whilst Pisceans and Sagittarians are most sensitive to this, we all become more prone to believe the tales of doom and gloom that we hear in the news. When people paint pessimistic pictures, we feel less easily able to refute these. Yet the cosmic purpose of Jupiter’s change of direction is simply to stimulate a process of reflection and review so that risks can be realistically assessed and safeguards can be set in motion.

ARIES (March 21 – April 20)
Sometimes, we find ourselves in the middle of a process or a course of action, unable to remember what it was we were trying to achieve in the first place. It happens to us all. When we are young, we call it a memory lapse, whereas when we get older, it becomes a ‘senior moment’. You are now looking at something you put a lot of energy into. Once you felt very sure of your direction and your purpose, yet nothing is now so clear. As Mars now moves into a new sector of the sky, you are right to review an old intention.

TAURUS (April 21 – May 21)
When the first motor cars were invented, they were allowed on the road only if a man walked along in front of them, waving a flag to let pedestrians know that they should get out of the way. Many people felt that it wasn’t natural to travel beyond a certain speed. To go any faster than a horse at full gallop, was to invite the wrath of the gods. We have a funny idea of what’s ‘natural’. Generally, it aligns with ‘what we are used to’. Or at best, ‘what we can imagine’. Don’t turn down an opportunity due to lack of opportunity this week.

GEMINI (May 22 – June 22)
As Mercury, Venus and the Sun all now speed through your opposite sign, you may soon start to feel that your life is never going to be quite the same again. Don’t be too intimidated. The change has already occurred. It is what you have been living through over the past few weeks. A drama is culminating. A process is nearing completion. It’s not that anything new is about to happen, it’s more that something old is about to end. That’s nothing to fear. You are going through a transformation that can only be positive.

CANCER (June 23 – July 23)
The Full Moon has led you to become more dynamic and determined. Rarely have you had quite so much to pit yourself against. Sometimes, you see yourself as a helpless victim of circumstance and you throw yourself into this role so wholeheartedly, that you ignore all opportunities for improvement. In your other mode, you are a superhero, racing to everyone’s rescue. Then, all obstacles are surmountable. Where’s the middle ground? You can do a lot this week, but remember you can’t do everything.

LEO (July 24 – August 23)
Hello. You can’t see me but I’m standing right behind you. I’m looking at this page over your shoulder. I know everything you have just done and what you are about to do. But don’t worry, your secrets are safe with me. Er… Wouldn’t it be creepy if that were how it all really worked? There are some things that you don’t want even your astrologer to know. And you will be happy to hear that I don’t. But I do know that there is a matter that has been worrying you a lot. I can promise, this week, that you don’t have to worry.

VIRGO (August 24 – September 23)
You are doing very well. You are on fine form. You have plenty to be glad of. Do you doubt this? Do you strongly suspect otherwise? Have more faith and less fear. You are dealing with some difficulty. It may seem superficially simple but there is much more to it than meets the eye. Anyone else, in a similar situation, would be severely struggling. Trust the choices you have already made and then proceed to make your next decisions with confidence. Really, in ploughing on despite a misgiving, you are being brave not foolish.

LIBRA (September 24 – October 23)
A little thought needs to be applied. See your current dilemma as a logic problem – or a crossword clue. The answer is right there, in the question. It’s just that, in order to see it, you need concentration. That’s hard to conjure when there’s a drama going on – and even harder when you are personally, emotionally caught up in that drama. It is perspective that you require most urgently yet objectivity is rarely attained in a hurry. It comes from calming, relaxing and trusting. So now, you know what you need to do this week!

SCORPIO (October 24 – November 22)
You have to be really careful who you listen to. People are much more influential than they realise. They make the slightest, passing remark and others take it completely seriously. Ill-considered opinions, expressed in moments of madness become entrenched positions to be both attacked and defended. We all do this to each other, often without meaning to  –  and, worst of all, we do it to ourselves. Be especially careful, this week, not to tell yourself that something is unlikely to happen and then set out to prove yourself right!

SAGITTARIUS (November 23 – December 21)
Sometimes, when we try to make things up as we go along, we get into a hopeless mess. With no compass to guide us and no map to follow, we start wandering wildly, edging ever further from our desired destination. We may fervently believe, all the time this is happening, that we are making progress and, at any moment, we will surely arrive in the perfect place. Only we don’t. That’s why we prefer to plan. Sometimes, though, we have no choice but to improvise. You will be safe to trust your best guess this week.

CAPRICORN (December 22 – January 20)
It seems you are now learning to perform a new balancing act. Your old tricks and techniques are no longer working as they once did. That is making you feel apprehensive. What if you are out of your depth? What if you can’t find a way to handle this new set of challenges? I’m only voicing these concerns to help you recognise them. I’m not trying to suggest that you have any real reason to worry. Sooner than you think, you will get the hang of what’s needed and you will adjust to a changing situation with ease this week.

AQUARIUS (January 21 – February 19)
Frank, fearless, brave, bold, determined and decisive. That’s you. Or rather, it is what you want others to think of you. You never refute the nonsense astrologers spout about your sign. The more they paint you as unapologetically imperious and ceaselessly confident, the more you smile. It may not be entirely true, but it sounds good. You probably don’t want me to say that these qualities may prove harder to access this week. So, I won’t say it – and you need not fear it! You can rise well to your current challenge.

PISCES (February 20 – March 20)
Your finances may appear to be in a delicate state. In fact, they are more robust than you think. What’s tender, what’s sensitive, what’s easily damaged yet hard to repair is your sense of confidence. That’s what you truly can’t afford to compromise now. Someone, somewhere, is not making it easy for you to feel good about yourself. Your task is to feel good regardless of what this person happens to be saying or doing or thinking. And regardless too, of what you have or haven’t got. You’re in a better position than you think this week.

For a daily forecast from Jonathan, visit www.cainer.com, where you can find more in-depth horoscope analysis, and you can join his amazing 5-Star service.