This morning, the moon moves from nurturing Cancer into assertive Leo, giving you a burst of self-assurance. The evening in particular, when the moon aligns with action-oriented Mars, is an ideal time to make your move. Be careful to channel today’s bold and fiery energy productively, though. Try to stick to calculated risks, not impulsive ones, and stay focused on your own goals without getting drawn into unnecessary drama.

It could be easy, today, for you to get swept away by the moment and say things you don’t actually mean. Whether it’s negative, like lashing out in anger, or positive, like overcommitting to new projects, you’ll soon wish you’d kept your mouth shut. There’s nothing wrong with expressing yourself effusively, just try to make sure that you mean what you say. And if you end up speaking too soon, don’t feel like you’re stuck: You’re allowed to change your mind.

You might be quick to assume the worst of others today: Everybody seems to be judging your choices, or pushing your buttons on purpose. You may well be right, but it’s important to remind yourself that you could also be wrong. And in any case, justified as it may seem, viewing others with defensiveness and suspicion won’t actually protect you. So try to give people — especially the ones who have given you no particular reason to mistrust them — the benefit of the doubt.

You’ve been feeling drained lately, but you could get a surge of new strength today. It’s exciting to feel like your old self is back and you’re ready to take on the world again. But while it’s tempting to make dramatic proclamations or start big projects, you’ll probably be happiest if you start small. Catching up on tasks you’ve been avoiding, spending time with the friends you haven’t seen in a while, or simply getting out in your neighborhood and enjoying the day might be what you need most.

Sometimes it seems like the world only gets worse, like life is one loss after another. You don’t want to resign yourself to it, but it’s also hard to figure out what you can do. Today, you may not be able to change everything, but you can at least resolve to protect what you care about within your own orbit. You have more power than you think to defend what you value most.

You aren’t usually shy about asserting yourself, but sometimes you wonder whether it actually makes a difference. Do you really need to fight as hard as you do? Are you tiring yourself out, without getting much in the way of results? Even if you’ve been doubting yourself, or you feel certain your actions won’t tip the scale, stand up for what you believe in anyway. When you speak up, others listen — probably much more than you realize.

Today, you could be especially sensitive to criticism: The mildest suggestions for improvement could hurt your feelings, and even comments that have nothing to do with you could feel like veiled attacks. While normally you might internalize any negative feedback,, now you might be emboldened to push back. The key is to choose your battles. Don’t lash out at the people who mean you no harm; save your fighting spirit for the opponents who deserve the heat.

You’ve been working hard lately, so you might be discouraged to look up now, and find that you don’t seem any closer to your goals. It might be tempting to imagine that the answer is to work even harder and rest even less, but you risk burnout that way. You’re already pushing your limits. So instead of trying to tap into your own depleted reserves, work on finding more support and count on your community to help you get where you want to go.

Some people act hastily and quickly regret it, but you know how to bide your time. You plan, observe, and wait for the right moment to act. The key, though, is recognizing your moment when it arrives. Today, your challenge is simply to trust yourself: Don’t second-guess your instincts, or tell yourself that it’s smarter to hold off until next time. If a great opportunity comes your way, then stop waiting and act.

If your restless side has been dormant lately — or at least, manageable — it’s likely to come roaring back to the surface today. You’re hungry for adventure, surprises, interesting experiences, and you’ll probably get irritated with anyone you perceive to be standing in your way. The truth, though, is that if anyone’s standing in your way right now, it’s you. So if you need a change, be brave and make it happen. You have the guts and the vision to do something remarkable.

You’re trying hard to stick to your strategy, instead of going off script whenever the unexpected happens. But it’s easier said than done; in a world as chaotic as this, even the steadiest and most rational people can quickly lose their cool. And adhering rigidly to the plan won’t help if that plan has become outdated, or if the circumstances you’re dealing with change. So today, give yourself permission to change your mind, too; You’re smart enough not to do anything too reckless.

You probably don’t think of yourself as somebody with much of an ego — you aren’t particularly motivated by a desire for praise. But today, you might be reminded that you still have your pride, and if you sense that you’re being disrespected, you might fly off the handle. Advocating for yourself is a good thing, but try to be thoughtful about how you express your frustration. Taking it out on the wrong people won’t get you what you need, and will only make you feel worse in the end.

You aren’t usually one to rush, but today you might feel uncharacteristically impatient. Everything (and everyone) seems to move too slowly for you. So instead of getting frustrated that nobody else is on your wavelength, it might be better to stop waiting for the world to catch up with you, and move forward at your own pace. Things will balance out eventually; in the meantime, grant yourself the freedom to go at the speed that works best for you.

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