May 26, 2004

With Venus, the planet of beauty and pleasure, now retrograde along with dreamy Neptune, those of us who are prone toward obsession may fixate on something new. Mania gets a bad wrap. This heightened state can be thrilling and even healthy for the spirit. The sadder state is not being passionate about anything or anyone.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). You’ll be offered a challenge that you can easily turn down – but what’s the point in staying small? Risk looking foolish, and you may wind up looking brilliant. There’s wisdom in what your family tells you.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Plow through old phone books and calendars; a person from your past can really help out now. Artists (especially singers) get the opportunity to show off their talents. Today is ideal for planning travel.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Expecting yourself to magically know how to perform a new task is silly, but you do it all the time (since, let’s face it, you’re a quick study). Ease up on your demands. You are more in need of a model than a critic.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). Much happiness fills your house – this is the most wonderful atmosphere of all. Things grow in a joyful environment, and so do people. Consider going for career testing. It’s interesting to know what suits you perfectly.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Doing what a colleague wants isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. If you don’t exercise assertiveness, you’ll lose the ability over time. Trivial information becomes vital tonight. Learn all you can about what interests you.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (May 26). Take the reins! All the resources you need to improve are available. This summer brings magical happenings in your personal life. A career leap is featured in September. Why climb the ladder rung by rung when you can catapult to the top? Your need to satisfy others is your strongest asset for money making. Pisces and Aries are lucky connections. Your lucky numbers are: 8, 24, 5, 46 and 2.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). People ask unreasonable things of you, especially at work. But it’s interesting to note what people’s perceptions of you must be to ask such things. They see you as some kind of superhero.

LIBRA (Sept.23-Oct.23). An authority figure makes you anxious. Take time out to remind yourself that you are just as unique and worthy as anyone else. Family dynamics get very complicated. If you can’t help, at last don’t hurt the situation.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). One small change in the way you talk to yourself makes the whole day go differently. Someone sexy is impressed by your kindness and attentive listening skills. Honesty is essential tonight.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). If it doesn’t work the first 20 times, try things a different way. A small purchase motivates you. Partners propose mighty plans that can actually work but only when the two of you are equally involved.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). The future remains. As long as that is true, you can create incentives for yourself to do the most you can do. It’s amazing how much time is wasted in miscommunication. You’ll have more energy if you are precise and direct.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Perfecting yourself is a long, solitary task. It all boils down to your habits. If you can change one of them, you can change any of them that aren’t good for you. Powerful bonds of love can come from sharing the truth.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Today holds lots of diversity. Conflicting opinions create interesting love. You wouldn’t want to get along all the time anyway – you need adversity and excitement. Pressurized emotions blow over tonight.

ASTROLOGICAL QUESTIONS: "I’m a 31-year-old Scorpio, and he’s a 34-year-old Pisces. We live in different states. I am finishing my degree and want to know if I should move to be closer to him. He has never told me how he truly feels. I don’t want to make the move if I know it’s not going to work out between us. Should I move in, or should I be moving on?"

I simply can’t get my head around the number of women who are willing to uproot and start over in a new place for the distant hope of true love. With the current state of Venus and Neptune, I think you’re considering options quite seriously that ought not to be taken seriously – like changing everything to be with a man who can’t say "I love you." But here’s the thing. You’re also facing a rare window in your life when you still have a chance to do things that don’t make sense at all. Scorpio and Pisces have a soul connection and much to teach each other. I say, move in with him, learn your lesson (quickly!), and then, you’ll move on with a better idea of who you really want to spend the rest of your life with. Best of luck!

CELEBRITY PROFILES: Screenwriter Nora Ephron’s adaptation of the classic 1960s TV show "Bewitched" should come out next summer. Taurus writers like Ephron weave the most luxurious of tales – Taurus people like things that are durable and believe that the finer things in life also last the longest. This goes for romantic comedies, too – take Ephron’s "When Harry Met Sally" and "Sleepless in Seattle" as examples.

If you would like to write to Joyce Jillson, please go to www.creators.com and click on "Write the Author" on the Joyce Jillson page, or you may send her a postcard in the mail. To find out more about Joyce Jillson and read her past columns, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com. – Copyright 2004 Joyce Jillson