February 17, 2008

Today’s moon in Capricorn delights in a predictable, steady routine. There’s sweet satisfaction in knowing where we’re going, with whom and when. If a conflict develops between staying on schedule and accommodating interruptions, holding the reins of control loosely helps us happily carry on with our plans.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). Take your down time seriously. Guard it as you would other appointments. Music feeds your creativity. Listening to your favorite tunes will relax you enough to let yourself be uplifted.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). You’re the wayfarer of the zodiac today, so wear a comfortable pair of shoes. You’re not looking for anything particular on your travels, but you’ll find something spectacular anyway.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Temperance is the cornerstone of your delightful personality. When you practice moderation in all things, you’re a breath of fresh air to all you meet. It’s more challenging to do so as extremists want to befriend you.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). Some of the most satisfying art is produced by “happy accidents,” unintended smudges or mistakes that take the work in new directions. Let mayhem be your guide to creative bliss.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Timing can be everything. There are excellent times and inopportunate times to broach any subject. Be extra sensitive to how others are feeling before you bring up a loaded topic.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (February 17). There’s a magic remedy for anything that ails you this year – laugh out loud! The joy you generate is healing. A public forum lets you speak your mind this month. Your career goes in new and exciting directions in March. In June, you’re prone to passionate whims and could even take a spontaneous road trip. Leo and Sagittarius adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 30, 2, 14, 25 and 16.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). For now, at least, reason is overrated. You can communicate the exact emotion you want to convey when you abandon logic and express your heart. “Poetry should be made by all.” – Lautreamont.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). You’ll be presented with a strong proposal. Consider carefully whose interest will be best served if you go forward. Buy some time – three days is best – to think one this over.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). Normally you are psychically in tune with loved ones, but today your basic observational skills take you the distance. Ask questions, and then pay close attention to the way answers are delivered. The eyes tell you everything.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). So, it’s not rocket science – still, communication between the sexes is a subtle art. When women say, “We need to talk,” men hear, “You’re doing something wrong.” Adapt your message to the receiver.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). It’s been said that you can never be too rich or too thin. But if there’s one thing you can be it’s too nice. Hold back some. Let people ask for what they need before you provide it.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). To your people, you’re a self-esteem booster, a spiritual uplift, a personal advocate. Should you expect those around you to be as supportive as you are? No. But they should at least be somewhere in the ballpark.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). The old saying goes. Don’t sell it when it’s already sold. In other words, a good salesman knows when to zip it. You’re a superstar salesperson as you influence your world today. A few well-chosen words are enough.

FORECAST FOR THE WEEK AHEAD: This weeks brings two special events – the Chinese celebration of the Year of the Earth Rat and a new moon solar eclipse in Aquarius. The Chinese New Year is dictated by the lunar calendar, so it falls on a different day every year, and this year, we celebrate the earth rat, perhaps the most cunning and intelligent of all animals in Chinese astrology (when the Jade Emperor chose the 12 animals for the wheel, the quick-thinking rat, an unlikely choice for this smallness, somehow wound up at the head of the pack!). The combined influences of Year of the Rat and the solar eclipse in Aquarius mix ingenuity and intelligence with the winds of progress and change. The purposeful earth rat, adaptable to changing circumstances, is totally unafraid of intense and challenging conditions, which fortifies visionary Aquarian energies with quick-on-you-feet resourcefulness. And when rat sees an opportunity for benefit, he pursues it. Consider that resourcefulness and crafty planning will move you to the head of the pack, but the true winner of the rat race is the one who works with and on behalf of his animal friends, toward a global cause that benefits everyone (Aquarius).