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(Not so) silly horoscope for February

by Katarzyna Niedurny

 

February is the month of love, and we all know what love can bring. First of all, a lot of damage. If there were a pill that makes you fall in love, nobody would take when informed about its side effects, guaranteed in nine out of ten cases. Sleep and eating disorders, inability to think about anything besides your crush… And, of course, mood swings – from euphoria (he/she has just texted me!) to despair (it’s been fifteen minutes and still no answer…). No to mention the concessions you make. While your natural winter environment is a comfy blanket paired with warm socks, you may find yourself in the middle of a frozen lake, swearing that you have a passion for ice swimming, only to spend more time with your puppy love (true story). But there are also the moments you spend looking each other in the eyes, and it feels perfect. It is for such moments that people abandon all logic and willingly fall in love. As willingly as they would jump into a frozen lake.  Your fortune teller has almost moved herself to tears. Now it is the time to take a look at who’s playing games with the architects’ hearts…

 

P.S. Before they tear them apart (Sorry, I had to! ;))

Aries (March 21–April 19)

 

You are lucky in love. Whatever you love doing – be it choosing colours or designing bridges, you give it your all, and you get a lot in return. Your passions love you back and this produces unexpected results. The same applies to your relationships with people. If you are in love with another human being, it may bring you both beautiful things that you would have never dreamt of.

 

Your February 14 challenge: offer a gift to someone or something you love. If you are currently in love with your ongoing project, light a candle, set an intention, and say out loud: “My dearest project, I love you”. If you are in love with a person, give him/her a kiss on the nose or on another body part.

 

Taurus (April 20–May 20)

 

February is going to be a month of self-love for you. Start to pamper yourself and surprise yourself with little things, schizophrenic as this may sound. Leave the office early (even if you planned to stay after hours), take yourself on a winter walk, let go of these pointless arguments with a colleague, and stop losing sleep over a deadline, because you already know already that you will be late; just admit it and spare yourself (and others) uncertainty.

 

Your February 14 challenge: Book one hour during the day only for yourself and do something nice with it – practice yoga, meditate or indulge yourself with Netflix and beer. Whatever you like most. 

 

Gemini (May 21–June 20)

 

“Take it easy”, says Oshun, a goddess who spends her time relaxing in cool water on hot days, drinking coffee and wine, and eating honey and sweets in a flashy dress. This goddess exists and she is the patron of earthly love. Follow her path in your love life and at work. It may be challenging to find a spot by the river for you and your laptop but try to create the best possible working conditions for yourself; clean your desk, and put on comfy and elegant socks for your home office. Make yourself comfortable also in your romantic relationships.

 

Your February 14 challege: Do something Oshun-style. Dress in gold, treat yourself to some tasty wine and chocolate. Without pressure and expectations.

 

Cancer (June 21–July 22)

 

There is this rhyme about this month’s creature: “A crayfish comes / Poor fellow / When it stings you / There will be a mark”. But be nice to yourself and to others. Don’t sting yourself to force yourself to work faster, because it will only hurt. Don’t sting your colleagues, either – they are also doing their best. Most of all, don’t sting your beloved – he/she is there to be hugged, not hurt.

 

Your February 14 challenge: Do three nice things for someone else, three nice things for yourself, and see how it feels.

 

Leo (July 23–August 22)

 

Love can be supportive, nourishing and giving you wings. Love can also be abusive and destructive. Remember that no feeling should force you to go beyond your limits. Don’t let others abuse you at work only because you love your job, don’t stay after hours in the office when you are exhausted, and don’t let yourself be abused by someone who demands constant sacrifices.

 

Your February 14 challenge: Think about when your boundaries in your private and professional life are overstepped. Find ways to strengthen them.

 

Virgo (August 23–September 22)

 

Not Venus, but Mars is your love patron this month. This means that you will bravely fight for things that matter. You will argue with the contractors to make sure that your project ends up looking the way you designed it, and not the way Mr. Handyman sees fit, together with his know-it-all cousin. You will also fight for your feelings. Rightly so, surrender is not an option!

 

Your February 14 challenge: Break something just for the fun of it. Put a glass jar in a bag and hit it with a hammer. Hit it hard! This will help you release emotions and let go of the fighting just a little bit today.

 

Libra (September 23–October 22)

 

The stars are worried about you. Maybe you have recently lost the passion for your job, or you forgot how it is when work gives you pleasure? Give yourself some time to appease your situation at work. The same goes for your home. Getting a silent treatment is always a good opportunity to calm down and think over your position.

 

Your February 14 challenge: What would you do if you didn’t become an architect? Imagine an alternative life scenario for yourself. Who would you be? Ask yourself which parts of that story you can incorporate into your actual life.

 

Scorpio (October 23–November 21)

 

Get involved. Allow yourself to fall in love with your work. Do you keep putting off really cool projects, and end up finishing them last minute, without any pleasure? Try to make space in your life for nice, pleasant and calm work which will give you the best things love can bring. The same applies to relationships: make time for your loved ones and don’t rush through your time with them.

 

Your February 14 challenge: Erase from your agenda all meetings you scheduled on this day, don’t answer e-mails, don’t take phone calls, and spend this time with a person who is important for you. Alternatively, make space for pursuing goals that matter to you. 

 

Sagittarius (November 22–December 21)

 

Oh, oh, oh. In your case it’s generally better if the Cupid’s arrow hits projects instead of your colleagues. Think twice before you plant an idea of an office romance in your head. You know all too well how difficult it is to focus on the details when you can’t take the eyes off your crush sitting at the adjacent desk, gracefully munching into a salad or a dumpling.

 

Your February 14 challenge: Send a Valentine’s Day card to yourself with a confession of love. When doing that remember that your goal isn’t to make your office crush jealous by pretending that you received a card from a secret admirer.

 

Capricorn (December 22–January 19)

 

If you feel that you are through with love, let it be. Capricorns are stubborn, so it doesn’t make any sense to force feed yourself a pink muffin with raspberry cream, nauseatingly sprinkled all over with sugary hearts. Do what you feel like doing – stay home or go to work and do only what makes sense for you right now. Take just one tip from me: warn your beloved about your plan before you discover that he/she has spent his/her week baking these hated muffins especially for you…

 

Your February 14 challenge: check all festive occasions in your agenda and chose those that you like best. Plan how you are going to celebrate them and be sure that you make it fun! I have always been of the opinion that Fat Thursday is the least traumatising one. 

 

Aquarius (January 20–February 18)

 

Do you remember how being in love used to be when you were thirteen? It was always spectacular, always forever and always exhausting. When I was that age, I would buy Twix bars at the school cafeteria only to offer a bite to Dominik from my grade, and I was ecstatic when he accepted. And that we were, you know, like those two chocolate bars in one wrap. Now you are at a different stage in life, and your love and attachment to your profession and your close ones are founded on something else. This is normal, let go of what was in the past.

 

Your February 14 challenge: Analyse your feelings for your close ones and for your work. Give them a name, describe them, draw them – whatever comes easy – and answer the question: what makes your feelings grow stronger or weaker? How does that make you feel?

 

Pisces (February 19–March 20)

 

“What’s love got to do with it?”, sings Tina Turner. She’s got a point – if you don’t feel any satisfaction, emotions or attachment, then you don’t feel them and there is no use in convincing yourself that you do. Changes are a natural part of life. You may fall in love anew with a person close to you or in your job, but first you need to clear the field and get rid of what is no longer needed. Just like you would get rid of a piece of paper with a failed design.

 

Your February 14 challenge: Try to see your life in the long (like Tina Turner’s legs) perspective. Imagine with what/whom you could fall in love, or which love you would like to see grow, so that the coming years are even more pleasurable.

 

 

 

Katarzyna Niedurny – an outstanding Polish fortune teller, permanently associated with the ‘Wróżka’ magazine.