Virgo (August 23 – September 22)
Your analytical and precise manner can lead to your being fussy, sceptical and intrusive. You can be quite meddlesome, yet will never take advice from others. You are however a pure soul who’s reliable and helpful when called upon. You need to be a bit more flexible. Try not to exhaust yourself by over-thinking every situation.
Your challenge: keep your nose out of everyone else’s business. Open up to a close friend about your problems and try to follow their advice. You might be pleasantly surprised by the results.
If you fail to complete this task: you will wake up to find that you have switched places with the person in whose affairs you kept interfering. Have you seen Freaky Friday? Not something you’d like to do.
Challenge Scope
By Lauren De Hart and Madré Swart
Libra (September 23- October 22)
Beautiful, balanced Librans… your extreme aversion to confrontation will cause certain issues with a certain someone to never be resolved - simply because you can’t stand arguments! Well it’s time to remove those selective blinkers and create a torpedo that will leave you feeling cleansed!
Your challenge: when you’re alone at home, pull out a full length mirror and have that argument out loud while pretending the person is standing in front of you. Yell, curse and say what’s really on your mind. Be loud! Never mind the neighbours. Once you have worked that frustration out, you’ll be able to calmly call that person out and solve the situation. You’ll thank me later.
If you fail to complete this challenge: you will lose your voice. And then you won’t even be able to speak. Enough said!
Scorpio (October 23 – November 21)
Strength and passion surges through you but you appear calm and sometimes detached, hiding your true thoughts and feelings. You’re loyal and treat the people close to you with the utmost respect and kindness. Unfortunately you have a tendency to be obsessive and unyielding. Let loose and give some room!
This month we challenge you to: let go of that thing that you’ve got in your tight grip. This lessens the obsession you have. Open up a bit and share your emotions.
If you fail to complete this task: your obsession will escalate. In the end you won’t be able to think of anything else - a sure pathway to Loonyville!
Sagittarius (November 22 - December 21)
You are independent and emotionally detached. You never dwell long and move on from one thing to another as soon as it starts getting boring. This causes you to find it very hard to complete something that you have started with excitement and enthusiasm. Get yourself to take up a project and see it through from start to end.
That is why we challenge you to: go to a controversial poetry reading or local theatre production and enjoy the experience with an open mind. Let it inspire you to colour-in your life a bit.
If you fail to complete this task: you will wake up to find yourself colour-blind. Everything will literally be in black and white!
Capricorn (December 22 – January 19)
Capable, constant, cautious Capricorn. You are responsible and will always rise to a challenge because you are driven with ambition. You are not afraid to take an unusual approach to matters. However, like the goat, you often see the world in opposites so you lack imagination and creativity. There are grey areas too! Heck, there are loads of colours.
Your challenge: complete a 1 000 piece jigsaw puzzle! Go borrow one at your local library or a friend… or buy one. Put together your jigsaw alone and in the timeframe of three days. No cheating!
If you fail to complete this task: you will have nightmares about jigsaws every night for a month.
Aquarius (January 20-February 18)
Creative, unique, stubborn and out-of-the-box thinkers. You have something up your sleeve this month. Get your creative juices flowing and put that brilliant plan in to action.
Your challenge: run up to a complete stranger in the road and pretend you know them! Scream, call them any random name, hug and kiss them. Don’t give them a chance to speak. Then say how amazing it was to see them but you have to run. Dash off! The gob-smacked look on their face will be priceless and leave you feeling inspired!
If you fail to complete this task: you will fall off a ladder and possibly die.
Pisces (February 19 – March 20)
Compassionate, imaginative and devoted Piscean. You are fond of swimming in your own little world that is often created to escape the hardship of reality. You feel deeply and therefore experience life’s emotions more intensely than others. Try not to wallow in the pool of your self-pity or be over-sensitive… as you tend to be.
This month we challenge you to: leave your world behind and face reality. No daydreaming, no imaginary scenarios and definitely no escaping to your own reality! Experience life in a different manner - learn to do things in a way that makes you uneasy.
If you fail to complete this task: you will forget how to swim or, if you haven’t learned yet, you will never be able to. In addition, you will develop a fear of water.
Aries (March 21 - April 19)
As Aries is the god of war, your challenge is to keep the peace. You tend to very strongly project your personality and opinions onto others, which can cause people to feel slightly resentful towards you. Try listening to others sometimes and considering their opinions. This will open your mind.
Your challenge: go to a crowded place or a party… and don’t say a word. Stay silent for 24 hours. It will be a learning curve for you.
If you fail to complete this task: someone is going to smack you. Hard!
Taurus (April 20 - May 20)
You’re fiercely loyal and dependable, which makes you an exceptional friend, but your stubbornness leads to frequent locking of horns. Sheathe that temper! You’re as persistent and solid as the bull himself. We know you seek comfort in your routine because to you change is that big dark cloud hovering over your head. You need to realise that change is good!
We challenge you to: for one week do your daily routine completely in reverse! Eat cereal for supper, wear your hair in a different style etc. The change will be like a breath of fresh air!
If you fail to complete this task: you will forever be stuck in your routine, preventing you from living your life to the fullest and leaving you in a zombie-liked, auto-pilot state… and probably with nine cats and a canary at the age of 23.
Gemini (May 21- June 20)
You are a flamboyant, fickle ball of fun. Your energies are all over the place! Here and there, up and down. Reign them in order to focus calmly on your tasks at hand! To help you do this, follow your challenge!
Your challenge: now this might sound normal to others, but it’s a totally ridiculous concept to a Gemini. Your weekends are always a whirlwind, meaning that you are the socialite of the zodiac.
Now… shock, horror…. Stay home for a whole weekend and put your cellphone off! Take out the laptop, get up to date on all your assignments, put your thoughts to a blog and read a book. Relax, you won’t have died from boredom by Monday… Promise!
If you fail to complete this task: you will wake up with your eyebrows shaved off and then be FORCED to stay in all weekend! Seriously! We know where you live.
Cancer (June 21 – July 22)
Unpredictable are you not? No matter what the situation demands, your action will always be unexpected. Your crab shell suits you well. You wield it like a shield to protect you from harm because you bruise easily and often retreat into it if things get too much… but you sometimes emerge again to fight. Beware of becoming self-absorbed or lashing out with your mood swings.
Thus we challenge you to: shift the focus from yourself and your moods to others – don’t talk about yourself at all. As soon as the conversation starts moving into your direction, change the subject.
If you fail to complete this task: every time you talk about yourself, you’ll stutter to the point that no-one will understand what you’re saying.
Leo (July 23 - August 22)
Generous, warm and outgoing. You fierce lions love to be the centre of attraction and have a following wherever you go to witness and admire whatever you do. This makes you a bit vain. This month, go behind the scenes instead of being the lead.
Your challenge: do a good deed anonymously. Donate all your old clothes to the homeless or volunteer at a soup kitchen in an area where nobody knows you… and don’t tell anyone about it. Let the good feelings that will come from this act be sufficient rewarded.
If you fail to complete this task: you will wake up and be invisible for a day! As if you’re wearing Harry Potter’s cloak of invisibility! This will drive you crazy and you will be forced to watch another Lion rule your pride.
Images by: Deviant Art