Mercury and Pluto (in air signs Gemini and Aquarius, respectively) make this an ideal day for communicating about sensitive subjects and connecting with others on a deeper level. This is the time to get real about what’s going on in your life and be brave enough to ask for help instead of pretending everything is fine. That doesn’t mean you need to be humorless about it, only that honesty — with others and yourself — will be more useful than putting up a cheerful facade.

You may be strong-willed, but you don’t typically use your power to tell others what to do. You have no interest in controlling how anyone else lives, as long as they don’t try to hold you back from doing what you want. Even so, you might benefit from convincing others to see the world your way or join you in the projects you care about. And today, you’ll be particularly persuasive — so if you want to talk someone into doing you a favor or joining you on an adventure, now is the time.

Often, the only way to get anywhere is to take one step at a time, not overthinking it or worrying you’re doing things “wrong.” Too much ruminating can leave you feeling trapped and unable to act; sometimes it seems safer not to think much at all, trusting the momentum of your routines to carry you forward. But still, some reflection is necessary — not just to see where you’ve gone wrong, but also to recognize what you’ve done right. Give yourself time to think today, and you’ll end up feeling more capable and effective, not less.

You aren’t someone to rehearse your conversations ahead of time. Mapping out each point you’ll make and each subject you want to discuss only leaves you feeling boxed in; you prefer to leave some room to be spontaneous. But today, while you don’t need to plan your words in advance (you know how to think on your feet) you might benefit from thinking things through beforehand. If you approach important conversations with a plan in mind, you can be sure that nothing gets left out.

While you’re always happy to be a sounding board when your friends need to talk through their feelings, you’re not always comfortable unloading on others. You imagine that your feelings are your problem; you know that you’ll figure things out somehow, and in the meantime, you don’t want to burden the people you love. But really, that’s an unfair standard to hold yourself to — everyone deserves to vent sometimes, and to be supported by others. Today especially, don’t hold it all in: You’ll feel much better if you share your emotions with someone you trust.

Your social life might be especially busy today, with lots of friends vying for your time and attention. If you accept every invitation that comes your way, you’ll quickly start to feel cranky and overburdened, even if you genuinely love the people involved. Instead of swinging sharply in the opposite direction and retreating from everyone, assert some sensible boundaries and focus on socializing in a way that feels good for you. One-on-one interactions are likely to feel better than big group hangouts right now; you need genuine connection, not meaningless chit-chat.

It’s easy for you to worry that your efforts are inadequate: All your mistakes take on exaggerated importance in your mind, and your wins seem paltry in comparison. When you start to feel this way, it can seem like the answer is to prove your worth by doing even more, but in reality, overworking yourself probably won’t help to set your mind at ease. Today, the best thing to do is to find a reasonable balance between effort and rest instead of pushing yourself harder just because you can.

When you need a favor, you know you can rely on your close friends. You’ve built up enough trust over time, each of you taking turns to support one another, that you know they’ll be happy to step up. It’s more stressful when you need to ask for help from people outside your inner circle: There’s no trust baked in, and they have no real reason to want to stick their neck out for you. Ask for what you need anyway. If you can make a solid case for yourself, you might be surprised at how generous people can be.

You’re smart and observant enough to recognize that nobody’s life is easy, and that everyone benefits from a bit of support. But sometimes you manage to convince yourself that your problems are uniquely onerous, practically unsolvable, so there’s no point in asking for assistance. Remember that just because your friends haven’t faced exactly the same situations you have, that doesn’t mean they won’t have anything useful to offer. Others’ perspectives might be surprisingly valuable, so don’t be too proud to ask for help today.

You give people the benefit of the doubt as much as possible; you always make an effort to be honest and straightforward, so you assume that most others do the same. Just remember that this doesn’t mean you have to wholeheartedly accept everything you’re told. Today is an especially good day to dig deeper when things don’t quite add up, or when you suspect that there’s more to the story than someone is telling you. It doesn’t have to be a big confrontation — asking well-intentioned questions can simply be a sign that you’re fully engaging.

You’re usually good at staying focused, but it’s been difficult lately. Your attention keeps bouncing all over the place, and while that can be enjoyable up to a point, it eventually gets stressful to feel like you’re wasting your energy on things that don’t actually matter. So today, reclaim your focus. There are plenty of interesting and important things in the world, but that doesn’t mean you need to be the one to pursue them all. Zero in on your own priorities and let the rest fall away.

You know that you can’t be popular with everyone if you want to live authentically. Tying yourself into knots in an attempt to please all the people in your life has never been your style; you’re not afraid to take a more confrontational attitude. Just remember that people can be more open-minded than you think. Make sure you’re not preemptively getting defensive today, assuming that nobody will like your ideas. They’re likely to appreciate your uniqueness, as long as you give them a chance.

People are often resistant to opening up, fearing it’ll put them at a disadvantage or show them in a bad light. If you want to really get at the truth, sometimes you have to be willing to dig deep and ask hard-hitting questions. You’re more likely to learn more today — and strengthen your relationships in the process — by simply being present. If you create an environment where others feel safe to share, they’re likely to open up on their own.

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