Power surge! Late Monday, March 5 cosmic messenger Mercury rockets into Aries and your tenth house of status and success. Then on Tuesday, charismatic Venus joins the Aries party, bringing a popularity spike like you haven’t seen in ages!

She puts down roots here until March 31, filling your calendar and scoring you some huge chances to shoot up the company ladder. Mercury will do a double shift (until May 13), thanks to a retrograde from March 22 to April 15. But not to worry! While this pivot may make you feel like you’re losing ground, that’s an optical illusion.

Just plan to use that three-week timeout to research, review and reconnect with VIPs from your past. This week, fortify foundations and make sure all communication channels are clear and kosher with your colleagues. While image-conscious Venus is touring your tenth house of professional ambition for the next four weeks, go the extra kilometer to spice up your pitches, presentations and maybe have new business cards or brochures printed up. (Ditto your LinkedIn profile and any online portfolios.)

A pro assist would be worth investing in—or see if a savvy friend is interested in doing a branding barter. And since Venus IS the love planet, don’t overlook anyone as a potential romantic partner. Have lunch with that adorable coworker who always finds an excuse to stroll by your cubicle or office.

Yes, dating colleagues can be a tricky proposition in 2018, but if genuine chemistry and connection are there—and no one’s job (or integrity) will be jeopardized in the process—well, this could be the start of a beautiful connection.

One thing NOT to do is try to force any connections if they’re not flowing. On Thursday, a budding relationship might seem like it hit a wall, or creative differences could threaten a project. Ride this out, Cancer. For one thing, it’s a temporary setback, associated with expansive Jupiter’s annual four-month retrograde. This year’s pivot plays out in Scorpio and your fifth house of love, glamour and fame.

When Jupiter is in forward motion, things can happen quickly and feel larger than life. In reverse, he can cause things to slow down or even (appear) to lose ground. But note: This gentle giant is also the truth-teller of the zodiac, and when we’re willing to listen instead of merely protest, he often has something valuable to teach us. While seldom “fun,” reality checks can bring clarity, and even if your ego takes a little bruising, you’d probably agree it’s better to find out sooner than later that something’s not going to work out.

Because retrogrades rule the past, you might give someone from your “backlist” a second chance. Pace yourself, Crab. Once Jupiter resumes forward motion on July 10, he’ll start working his magic around love or recognition, and you’ll be glad you took your sweet time.

Kinetic energy is yours to burn on Sunday, when an activating trine between go-getter Mars and unpredictable Uranus propels you into motion. Hit the gym, power through a clean-up mission, or edit an Excel document that needs to be letter-perfect on Monday.

Tempted as you may be to dive into everything at once, don’t! This planetary pairing can burn your verve as quickly as it ignites it. Set two goals, max; crush them, and then reward yourself with a chill dinner with friends in the PM.

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