Weekly horoscope readings for each zodiac sign: January 26-January 1. February

Photo-Illustration: by The Cut; Getty Images

On Monday night, Mercury enters innovative Aquarius, where it will stay until mid-February. Now is the time to let go of rules and traditions that have outlived their usefulness. Experimenting with fresh ideas is how you will make the most progress now. On Wednesday, the new moon in Aquarius gives you an extra push to start something new – the more unconventional, the better. Finally, on Thursday morning, Uranus retrograde ends. The planet of progress and rebellion has been retrograde since September; when it begins to travel forward again, expect the unexpected. Nothing is written in stone.

Sometimes it’s healthy to see yourself as the protagonist; it helps you feel confident, to move through the world as you the case. But at a certain point it becomes stressful: You feel so much pressure to live a big, exciting life, and you worry that you’re not living up to your own high expectations. Try this week to think of yourself as part of a larger community, no more or less important than anyone else. It is not your responsibility to live a more exciting life than anyone else.

Right now, questions that aren’t important in the grand scheme of things still require your attention. You understand that you cannot neglect your present happiness to focus on big, distant dreams. But while you deal with everyday problems, keep an eye on the future. All the small decisions you make right now add up. You choose which relationships and communities to focus on, which opportunities you want to say yes (and no) to. Be strict with what you set yourself up for and it will pay off down the line.

Your mind is quick and active; if you don’t have problems to think about, you will quickly get bored. This week you may be particularly susceptible to restlessness: it feels like you’ve already asked all the important questions and now you’re just getting started. What you need now are bigger challenges and problems that you haven’t tackled before. So when they finally introduce themselves, don’t back down, no matter how intimidated you are. You’ll relish the chance to stretch your wings.

Sometimes it feels like even your innermost desires aren’t entirely your own – other people are always pushing you to want the same things they do, to chase the same goals, to have the same values. Even if you manage to identify what you actually want to, it can be difficult to do anything about it. But this week, forget about what others think. The people in your life may seem skeptical of some of your positions at first, but don’t let that stop you.

In certain situations and conditions, it is necessary to play hardball: if you do not want to be taken advantage of, fight hard for what you need and refuse to give an inch. But while this approach may be the only way to deal with people who don’t have your best interests at heart, it makes things worse with those who do. do worry about you. This week, don’t be too rigid with the wrong people: In healthy, mutual relationships, you should give and receive in roughly equal measure, so make sure you don’t do too much of either.

You like to stick to what works; Playing around with new and untested methods seems like a waste of time. But this week, consider that the biggest waste of time can be staying on the same path forever. Give yourself a chance to experiment with different routines. Even if you don’t like the results, that doesn’t mean it was a waste to try.

You are good at making the most of what you have. If the circumstances are not ideal, you will find a way to make them work for you; if you don’t have the tools to get a job done, you’ll find a way to make do with what’s on hand. Your resourcefulness is one of the best things about you – just remember this week that you don’t always have to settle for what you’ve been given. Instead of settling for workarounds and temporary fixes, consider demanding or fighting for the resources you actually need.

Lately, you have been frustrated with the people around you. No one seems to be as thoughtful or brave as you want them to be; no one seems to treat life with rigor and dutifulness. Even if they do nothing wrongyou feel they don’t either enough. This week, try to rein in your hypercritical side. No one will ever be perfect, and judging them for it will only strain your relationships. Instead, focus on yourself: You can’t force others to behave the way you think they should, but you can make sure you live in a way you are proud of.

You are not obliged to take everyone’s opinions seriously – if someone is operating in bad faith or spewing vitriol, it’s generally best not to listen. Just be careful, this week, not to close yourself off to ideas just because they contradict your own, or to reject new information because it challenges your worldview. Your friends may want to surprise you and invite you to look at the world from different angles: let them. Whether you end up agreeing or not, being willing to have your mind changed will expand your understanding of the world.

Other people have all sorts of opinions about what milestones signal prosperity and fulfillment. They will insist that everyone need to accumulate a certain amount of money, or to rise in their career at a certain pace. Listening to them, it’s easy to get stressed and imagine you’re falling behind. This week, stop chasing other people’s approval – get all their talk out of your head if you can. Think about what you really want and need, and are serious about living life on your own terms.

You don’t live in a vacuum — you have to share this world with other people, and that means you’ll occasionally compromise. But it can be easy to give up too much, to sacrifice your goals or your principles to make others happy and avoid rocking the boat. This week, if you have strayed too far from your authentic self, it is possible to course correct. A little give-and-take is healthy, but not when it comes at the expense of your happiness. You are allowed to be stubborn about the things that matter most.

Sometimes others will act as if you are unreasonable because you feel overworked and need rest. If the don’t feel tired yet, you shouldn’t either; if the still have energy in the tank, why don’t you? But while there may be times when it really is possible to keep pushing and do more than you thought possible, it’s not up to others to decide. The only person who knows your abilities and limits is you. Stretch your limits if you can, but give yourself a break if you need it.

Read the weekly horoscopes for the week January 19. The weekly horoscopes for the week of February 8 will be online next Sunday.

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