Intense Pluto, the planet of destruction, transformation, and rebirth, has been retrograde since early May, encouraging you to dig deep into your psyche. When you get past everything you think you’re supposed to want, everything others expect you to feel, what’s actually there? Your deepest desires might not be simple or “normal,” but it’s better to embrace their complexity. As Pluto finally starts moving forward again today, take everything you’ve learned over these months with you as you begin to change your life.

The small frustrations in life — and especially at work — have probably been piling up lately: There’s too much pressure, or the people around you make everything harder than it needs to be, or the rewards simply aren’t worth all the frustration. For the most part, you’ve just been dealing with it all the best you can; what else is there to do? But today, start asking whether it’s time to make a change. You deserve to be supported and appreciated, and if that isn’t the case now, it’s up to you to make a move.

You’ve been learning so much about the world lately, but it might not feel that way. From your perspective, you’re simply going about your life, having everyday human experiences — some stressful or disappointing, some wonderful. But all of these experiences are changing you. You might not feel it yet, but every day you’re becoming smarter, more compassionate, more interesting. Every day, you understand yourself, and the world around you, a little better, so keep going.

There’s one part of you that longs for genuine intimacy but another part that wants to keep others at a safe distance. Depth is rewarding, but it’s also terrifying: If someone were to get past all your defenses and deflections, what would they find? Today, your challenge is to stop avoiding it. You deserve to be loved, and in order for that to happen, you need to let yourself be known. The people who matter don’t want to see your flawless exterior — they want to know the real you.

It can be hard to find the intimacy you want in your close relationships. You’re hungry for true vulnerability and connection, but others can be so slow to let their guard down. It’s not that they don’t care about you (though it may sometimes feel this way), only that they’re protective of their hearts. You might be tempted to poke and pry today, but it probably won’t achieve the results you’re after. Instead, the best strategy is patience. Trust will grow with time, and, with it, the love you want can flourish.

You’re probably feeling serious pressure today — there’s so much you want to achieve, and you’re more aware than ever that you have limited time to do it all. The trouble is that you can’t make most things happen faster. Human connection develops at its own speed, and there’s no way to hurry it along. Fulfilling work takes time; you can’t just churn it out. Keep putting in the work, but focus on — and ideally learn to enjoy — the process. The results will come in their own time.

Sometimes self-doubt protects you. Viewing your plans with a critical eye helps you catch mistakes before you make them; second-guessing your actions helps you course correct before it’s too late. Other times, though, your fear of failure only holds you back. Today, the best thing you can do is risk embarrassment. If you do something “wrong,” you’ll survive it, and you’ll be reminded that it isn’t the worst thing in the world. Life is for living — not perfectly but wholeheartedly.

You try not to stew over the past or get caught up in nostalgia, but old feelings have been floating back up to the surface lately. Questions you thought were settled might have been left open, and desires you thought had faded might begin to heat up again. These emotions might pass quickly, but if you’ve been feeling bored or unsatisfied, they could also be an indicator that your life isn’t quite as fixed as you thought.

Some people are trusting by nature, but not you. You’re not overly suspicious, just smart; you know that not everyone will have your best interests in mind. It may seem safer to keep everybody at arm’s length — that way, at least you won’t be disappointed. But life’s going to be lonely if you never let yourself trust anyone. It’s better to risk disappointment than to never experience genuine connection. Be discerning about who you allow into your inner circle, but prioritize having a circle to begin with.

You’ve been doubting your own judgment lately. From here in the present, your previous choices seem silly and careless; you can see all your mistakes so clearly. With the benefit of hindsight, it’s easy to criticize your past self, but try to have a little more compassion. You did the best you could with the knowledge you had. Now, though, you’re wiser. Maybe you can fix some of your mistakes, and even if it’s too late for that, you can still head into the future with hard-won wisdom and your head held high.

Lately, you’ve probably been confronted with parts of yourself that contradict your self-image. You might have acted less courageously than you would have liked in a tough situation or made a choice you’re not proud of. Today, it’s going to be easy to fixate on all the times you’ve failed to live up to your ideals, but try not to get stuck in a loop of self-recrimination. What matters is how you’ll learn from past mistakes and what you’ll do next.

When life changes suddenly or your plans go off the rails, the only way to get through it is to call on your deep reserves of inner strength. Your friends will support you as much as they can, but they can only do so much on their own: Ultimately, you need to decide how you’ll move forward. Maybe things haven’t turned out the way you had hoped, but that doesn’t mean it can’t still work out. Today, it’s possible to let go of old expectations and decide how you’ll move forward.

Although you’re not a follower by nature, you still go along with the crowd sometimes. You find yourself wanting the things your friends all seem to have, striving for a career or relationship or financial situation like theirs. Today, though, it’s important to remember that this isn’t the only way to be. Your social circle might look a certain way, but there are so many ways to live meaningfully and well. Stay open to the possibilities.

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