October 19, 2003

With Venus in Scorpio, intense passions are still raging under the surface, but how to act on them is the big question at hand. Quick-witted, fleet-footed Mercury meets up with dreamy-schemey Neptune, and the result is a perfect blend of the practical and the impossible. Today brings some earthly sensibility to even your most ethereal ideas.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). A partnership needs to have an honored place on your priority list. Human contact is healing. Singles: Don’t pine away for a lost love – there’s more love to come. A Taurus is a confidant who will go the distance for you.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Your eyes are quickly opened to the bigger picture this afternoon. Friendships are established easily, and you are well liked. But don’t be surprised if it takes people a full week or even two to call back.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). A financial commitment is best made with an exit clause. Fair trade requires more work than you thought it would. You know now not to assume you can tell where others are coming from without asking the right questions.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). Working overtime is more important than socializing – not just for money but for opportunity that will rely on being seen on the job. Be an admirer – you will soon adopt the same qualities you appreciate in others.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Yours is an ever-expanding universe – it’s about time for a move that accommodates your growing lifestyle. Love and money mix well now. You get to the goal faster when you draw from a romantic prospect’s knowledge of finance.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (October 19). You contribute much this year to your loved ones, starting a positive cycle. Wins this month are stepping stones to a financial payoff in the next three months. Couples fall in love again in November. Singles are surrounded by admirers through December but finally find loves for whom they have equal respect in the early autumn. Travel this spring. Your lucky numbers are: 2, 14, 49, 30 and 50.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Sacrifice more to attain your goals faster. You can move mountains with your imagination. Negotiations over money matters may be uncomfortable, but confronting the problem is worth the effort.

LIBRA (Sept.23-Oct.23). Telephone calls keep the romance alive. Just don’t tell too much too soon in a new relationship; mystery is alluring. Tonight, the urge to play is overwhelming. Choose your wildest friend for the escapade.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). Forgive those who forgive you, as well as those who don’t. When push comes to shove, you win hands down. What you put in writing brings favorable attention. A long-distance call is good news.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Your wheels are turning, which helps previously stalled ambitions get off the ground. Social obligations might cause stress, but you’ll find plenty of time for family, too. Logistics sort themselves out nicely.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Take on very little, and enjoy your creature comforts. You deserve it. Your irresistible attraction becomes obvious even if you have been trying to hide it. Don’t fool yourself. Repay a loan as soon as possible.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). You’re an excellent example for others, and eventually, they will pay attention. Close ties with a Leo keep you in the know. You call the shots in a love affair. Instead of doing things exactly right, be imaginative.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Take the initiative, and show your friendship to someone in need. Anxiety in a relationship is all about you, not the other person. Spend money to fix what is broken. Doing it the cheap way will backfire later.

FORECAST FOR THE WEEK AHEAD: As brainy Mercury and dreamy Neptune pull together, so do our dreams and the power to make them happen. Practical plans can make the most outrageous, pie-in-the-sky ideas come to life. Without the brick and mortar, castles are only built in the air or on the soundwaves – and you can’t very well live in those. Put your blueprint together tonight. Tuesday, Mercury and Saturn interact. Mistakes happen, so we need to learn from them. Waste no time punishing yourself. Instead, figure out what you’ve got to do to make things right. Thursday, the moon shifts into sensitive Cancer, which takes our emotions for a roller-coaster ride. Any gesture of comfort will help even things out. Romance is bigger than life over the weekend, as the dramatic Leo moon gives a distorted bent to the story. This can be fun, as long as you realize that everyone is part play-acting and part real. Taking it all too seriously sucks the fun from the strange situations that blossom. Saturday and Sunday, watch your appetite, as Jupiter fools us into believing that more is better. More isn’t better; it’s just more.

CELEBRITY PROFILES: Usher is one of music’s rising stars. His Leo moon helps keep him in the center of the spotlight. This month, Usher will have a personal epiphany that leads to a writing breakthrough. He could put a strong political message in a tune that will help the song become a chart topper next year. Libra people feel a pull toward both politics and art and will often find a way to intermingle the two to good effect.

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– Copyright 2003 Joyce Jillson