Happy birthday Aug. 30! Leverage the attention and affection coming your way this solar return to do some good in the world. You'll gain freedom from something that's pressured you for years. Relief will be followed by extra energy you can apply to your blossoming mission. Your personal life will sing. You'll feel spoiled with love.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): You will do what you're compelled to do. Your inner drive remains undaunted by external threat and unimpressed by rewards from the outside. The endeavor is the prize.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Spiritual interests and physical health are closely aligned, and any work you do to improve one sector will favorably affect the other. You feel generous when you feel healthy.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21): Baffling behavior sets up a mystery you will continue to follow until you crack it. You will not give up until you comprehend the motive behind the action and can influence further action.
CANCER (June 22-July 22): You'll come across the right teacher who is an excellent match for your style of learning. A school or structured training will be well worth the investment.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): From your guiding luminary — the sun — you learn that when you stay a respectful distance from the object of your affection, this person will gravitate toward and orbit around you.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): You feel connected with someone by an invisible bond. You are a person of action, so it's not enough to acknowledge a feeling. To feel complete, you must do something about it.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23): You will follow your specific plan to establish a new habit. Unsurprisingly, magic will drop into this otherwise completely practical situation, which often happens in your serendipitous life.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21): Your empathic powers disallow you to ignore the feelings of those around you, though there are some you might consider leaving unserved. Avoid giving good effort to a narcissistic agenda.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): The planning stage is crucial to your experiences. Not only does it make things go better, but making the plan will be a pleasure in and of itself. Don't skip it.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): There's a quiet comfort in the way some people go out of their way to make you feel special. Should it really be such a rarity? How can you get more of this in your life?
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): You do not lack motivation, though the details of a successful process are not as clear to you as they must be in order for you to follow through. Take it slowly, step by step, making sure you really understand each move.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): You have plenty to give today and will be in a generous mode. It's not selfish to know what you want in exchange; in fact, it will make the transaction more satisfying for everyone.
MERCURY GETS BEAUTIFUL
The change of Mercury represents an invitation to experience beauty through creation, appreciation and/or immersion. For many, this transit will come with the realization that beauty is the primary language of nature and is around us at all times. We need only adjust our focus to let it in.
COSMIC QUESTION
Q: "I'm a 22-year-old Gemini guy, and I don't seem to have any luck with women. I have no problem approaching them or talking to them, but when it comes to dating, it usually doesn't go past the 'friends' category, or if it does, it doesn't last long. I'm pretty sure there's nothing wrong with my looks; I'm average. But I've seen guys who are below average-looking wind up with the very same women who have turned me down. What am I doing wrong?"
A: Your intellectual air sign energy and gift of gab make it easy for you to be friendly and talkative. But are you actually flirting, or are you simply making nice conversation? Are you being too predictable? Maybe respectful to a fault? Tap into a "twin" version of your personality that is more mischievous and fun. A woman wants to feel some excitement when she's getting to know a new guy. And if she already feels like you'll do anything to make her like you, you've lost the game. Keep her guessing. Not knowing if you like her or not is part of the risk, danger and/or excitement of falling in love.
CELEBRITY PROFILES
At 16, the adventurous Cameron Diaz was traveling the world as a model. At 21, she was hired without any previous acting experience to play the lead in "The Mask." Her travels had taught her the kind of courage and confidence that couldn't be picked up in an acting class. Diaz is a levelheaded Virgo with Jupiter — the good luck planet — in worldly Sagittarius.