How to Pick Up the Pieces Of Your Shattered Life, Post-Eclipse

This summer's eclipses were no joke—they brought dramatic changes and earth-shattering revelations. Making matters worse, Mercury has been retrograde for the past month! As the energy settles down, Mercury turns direct, and an emotional full moon in Pisces arrives on September 6, we'll be left with a lot of questions. Fortunately, Broadly astrologer Annabel Gat is here to help with your most pressing concerns.

Dear Annabel,
I would love some advice on a recent love interest in my life. (I'm a Libra with a Taurus moon and Gemini rising.) I recently started dating a Capricorn with a Sagittarius moon. We've really hit it off, and he's pretty cool, but my last relationship has caused me to have trust issues. I just don't know whether to keep going with the flow or cut it off because of my fears. Recently I feel like the stars have been pushing me to be stronger and grow, and I'm concerned this might stunt it.

Please help!
— Trust Issues

Dear Trust Issues,
So, your choices are go with the flow, or cut things off due to your fears? Neither is a good option. Making a choice based in fear isn't ideal, but being passive isn't a viable solution, either. "Go with the flow" is great advice for situations you have no control over—not for things like relationships, where you and your partner can communicate and work on things together. You need to take an active role: Get clear on your needs and boundaries and make them known.

With that said, it's worth examining your fears and anxieties about trust, as they may point to the fact that you're not ready to start dating, which is totally valid and OK. If you're not ready to let go of your past relationship, you may need a bit more time—but don't trick yourself into believing that holding on to this pain is going to protect you from future hurt. It's just going to keep you alone (which, again, is fine, especially if you need some time and space to heal).

Letting go of the past isn't about doing a favor to the person to wronged you. It's about moving forward and working to find emotional clarity. Use the wisdom you gained from this past relationship to inform the kind of conversations you want to have with future partners about trust.

From your chart, I can tell you're relationship-focused (thanks to Libra's influence) and you have a strong need for stability (thanks to your Taurus moon). However, you're also likely open to communication, due to Gemini's influence. Being with a down-to-earth and straightforward Capricorn with a sense of humor (from his Sagittarius moon) could be a great relationship—but only if you're ready.

Take your time!
—Annabel

Dear Annabel,
I'm about to enter my Saturn return and still reeling from the eclipse. Things are stagnating at work: Even though I thought I'd found my dream job, I worry there's no opportunity for advancement. I feel like I'm inadvertently settling into a life that's totally unsatisfying, but I'm apprehensive about making a major career change. Is it worth it to take such a big risk? Or should I just accept that work sucks for basically everyone, and even dream jobs can be unfulfilling?

— Almost Saturn Returned

Dear Almost Saturn Returned,
Saturn return is a hugely important astrological transit: It's when Saturn returns to the place it was in in the zodiac at the moment of your birth, which occurs roughly every 29 years. Think of it as kind of an astrological quarter-life crisis—it's often a time of sadness, especially around the passing of time and the impeding arrival of death, and it has a reputation for being extremely trying.

During your Saturn return, you'll hit hard limitations. If you've been avoiding a lesson—especially concerning responsibility—things will fall apart. Saturn is the planet of fears, obstacles, and limitations. Saturn is a mean grandpa who hates kids—but if you work hard, this mean grandpa may just leave you a nice inheritance. Indeed, there's something the transit is very good for: recognition around hard work and, often, a climax in one's career! As you approach your Saturn return, some amazing rewards will come your way, so long as you haven't been avoiding work.

Is it worth it to take a big risk? Well, that depends—timing is important here. If you're going to take decisive action, I'd recommend that you try to do it as close to your Saturn return as possible. (You can find out where Saturn was when you were born by typing "what sign was Saturn in on [YOUR BIRTH YEAR]" into a search engine. For reference, Saturn is currently in Sagittarius, and it will enter Capricorn on December 19, 2017, and Aquarius on March 21, 2020.)

Give yourself plenty of time now to make mistakes, take risks, and break rules, so that when your Saturn return rolls around, you'll know where you stand, and you'll have built a foundation for yourself. In the meantime, consider waiting to make changes until October 10, 2017, when Jupiter enters Scorpio, which may bring a shift around work. Scorpio is the sign of death and rebirth, and Jupiter is the planet of luck—an important transformation will certainly take place.

— Annabel

Dear Annabel,
What has happened to me? I suddenly started behaving totally not like a Virgo. I've done some things this summer I would never imagine doing—I've broken my own moral rules (and my parents' rules). Did the eclipse or the full moon have any effect on me? My 17th birthday is coming up on September 15, and I feel like this year will be hell. Will I find love? Not to be another cliché teenager, but my life sucks!

Yours,
Confused Virgo

Dear Confused Virgo,
There is no right way to be a Virgo; however, it sounds like you're right on track. Virgo is more than a sweet, innocent Virgin—it also symbolizes the period of life you're enduring right now: teenage-hood (or really, any time of life when one is undergoing a transition and learning who they are). Making mistakes and breaking your rules are part of how you learn what your boundaries are. Virgos are known to be perfectionists, but perfection doesn't come from never making a mistake—it comes from experience.

The eclipses in Aquarius and Leo surely had an effect on you (especially around self-care). Eclipses bring about major turning points in our lives, they have a "fated" feeling about them—but they're also intensely stressful and emotional. It's hard to keep a cool head during an eclipse, because there's usually an "everything is ending!" vibe in the air. People often don't act like themselves during an eclipse, so "breaking rules" sounds about right.

That said, you're in charge of your actions, not the stars. While this is certainly a stressful time period, you're still responsible for how you handle things—but again, my dear wheat maiden, you're on a journey of self-discovery as you go through your teenage years, so forgive yourself when you make a mistake, and commit to doing better next time.

Will you find love? I don't know, dear Virgo, but the full moon on September 6 will certainly bring you some answers! All full moons ask us to find balance and harmony in our lives, and this one will push you to investigate how to better work with other people in relationships. This includes your relationship with your parents, as well as with potential love interests. —Annabel

Do you have a pressing question for Annabel? Email us with the subject line "DEAR ANNABEL": broadly.editor@vice.com