Horoscope: Thursday, Aug 20

Be proud of what you have achieved and don’t let anyone try to convince you that you should have done more or should have done better. On this occasion, criticism is not a sign that you are doing it wrong but that you are doing it right!

If you need assistance you must ask for it. If you pretend that nothing is wrong or try to be the strong silent type others will assume you are on top of things and leave you alone – and that is the last thing you need at the moment.

You must expect people, even those you love, to be somewhat critical of your efforts today. But they can only be critical if they know what you are up to, so keep your plans secret if you can. And if you can’t? Just try to ignore them.

Don’t worry too much if you find it difficult to express yourself clearly today. It could in fact turn out to be quite a good thing as the next few weeks will bring numerous situations that require thinking and planning, not talking and doing.

This will be one of those days when you want nothing more than to be left alone with your thoughts. If anyone is so silly as to invade your personal space they will soon learn the error of their ways. You’re in no mood to be subtle.

There is no point feeling guilty about something that you did not cause. Under no circumstances allow others to persuade you that you are somehow at fault – they are simply trying to deflect the blame. Point the finger right back at them.

A clash of wills may be inevitable today as Mars links with the Sun in a less than helpful way. Be patient with people who annoy you by saying one thing and then doing another. They want you to get angry, it’s part of their plan.

Your confidence is high and you know without a doubt that you are on the right track. Where relationships are concerned this is a good day for affairs of the heart but don’t play hard to get. The chase is fun but being caught is fun too!

You enjoy caring for others and you intervene regularly in their lives to guide them. Ironically, today you're the one who needs advice. You'll probably need to get away from it all in order to get a clear view of your own life, Leo. You could even decide to make the necessary arrangements for a trip abroad.

The more restricted your actions have been in recent months the easier it will be to do as you please now. The Sun’s move into the most adventurous area of your chart means that even the most cautious of Virgos will exhibit an adventurous streak.

Don’t change anything for the sake of it over the next 24 hours because you will only have to change it back again later on. The planets warn it might be better to stick with what you know and trust, at least in the short-term.

Have you bitten off more than you can chew? Do your desires run ahead of your abilities? The answer to both those questions is a resounding “No!” You’re a Libra, a cardinal sign, and nothing is ever too much for you. Believe it, it’s true.

With Venus, your ruler, making a somewhat stressful link to changes planet Uranus today you will shock a few people by what you say and do. That’s good. Life has been a bit too dull of late – time to shake things up a bit.

Yes, of course, you want to change the world, but it would be better if you changed yourself first. Friends, family and colleagues won’t take kindly to being told they are on the wrong track, so lead by example and let them make their own choices.

You hate it when others keep secrets from you and will go out of your way today to find out what’s going on. Have you not considered the possibility that there may be nothing going on? Maybe it’s just your mind playing tricks on you.

You may find it hard to connect with your emotions today, Sagittarius. It could be that it's difficult to find a bit of quiet time when you can really sit down and listen to your inner voice. There are distractions all around that are pulling you in many different directions. Keep in mind that these forces aren't necessarily acting in your best interests.

Some underhanded and not altogether honest machinations could be happening at the workplace, Capricorn. You could be offended by it, and you could also worry if it threatens your job. Then you might also consider what you're doing there, if it's that sort of organization. These inner conflicts could signify the need to focus on the realities and discern exactly what you want to do. Then go for it.

The best way to deal with people who are overly aggressive is to ignore them. However, if that is not possible today you should use your keen sense of humor to make them look silly, while making those smart enough to get your jokes laugh.

If you have planned ahead and given some serious thought to what you want to be doing over the next few weeks then this could be and should be one of the very best times of the year. Don’t let anyone persuade you to follow a different course.

Don’t be afraid to change direction at a moment’s notice this week. The more you act in ways that others find hard to predict the more likely it is you will make a success of your endeavors. Make it hard for your rivals to second guess you.

All sorts of interesting questions are going through your mind at the moment but you don’t seem to be getting many answers. According to the planets it doesn’t matter. The fact that you are one of the few who asks questions marks you out as special.