Happy birthday (Feb. 20): Unlike the frog that can't tell the water is getting hotter, you hop out of situations before they boil over. Your bright responses and quick timing, in fact, are what makes this year your most brilliant yet. You'll make money by moving assets. You'll scoop up love by dropping your charms into moments that open just for you.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Not one to wing it, you like to follow a guide. When there is none, as will be the case today, you'll create the map yourself. Many will try to predict your next move; none will succeed.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Why are you afraid of being perceived in a certain way? If you tried, you could think of others who are perceived in a similar way who actually embrace, if not capitalize on, the title. Let them inspire you.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21): Strong focus and determination contribute to success but do not guarantee it. Chance plays a part. Soften your focus so you can see what's in the periphery. Be ready to react to surprises.
CANCER (June 22-July 22): What if the rule was that you could only say yes, or only eat green or orange food? The use of unusual rules will help you get more out of the day because it will force a pattern interrupt that changes your perception.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Not everything that feels good is good, but today your odds are much better than usual. Go ahead and do the thing that puts a smile on your face because chances are you'll be smiling later about it, too.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): You're a collector of random bits of life, especially of the undervalued and discarded variety, which, today, will have the added appeal of a price tag that reads "free" and potential that reads "full of."
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23): Take the highway if you must, but there are better views from the roads if you have the time. The highway offers no side streets to where the fun, art, interests, love and other opportunities live.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21): There are people who will never know the depth of your feelings for them. These feelings are not always appropriate or necessary to express, but you're grateful to have them today. They make you rich.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): The ability to hear information and accept it as neutral is actually quite rare in this judgmental, polarized world. The poets, artists and comedians do it well, as do the priests, preachers, teachers and gurus. Also you.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You'll want to learn something, and before you have, you'll be asked to teach it. So work fast, get focused and believe in your intuitive sense about what seems important. You can do this.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): When you perform, you want applause. Give the cues so they know what to do. For your task, what is the equivalent of a drumroll? And don't forget to pause at the end, arms spread, hands gesturing for more.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Why improve the aesthetic appeal of practical tools? What does it matter if the paperclip is red or the pen polka-dotted? The answer is in a smile, a feeling. If feelings don't matter, what does?
MERCURY ENTERS THE ROUNDABOUT
With Mercury in the roundabout, contracts are zinging around, and hardly any of them are written on a page. Most contracts proceed from an understanding, often unstated, between friends, family, between shopkeepers and customers, etc. These implied expectations are made even sweeter if you can hold out a day while Mercury grabs cosmic purchase.
COSMIC QUESTION
Q: “He’s a Gemini, hotter and younger than me. I feel like he’s out of my league, and I’m not sure he’s good for my self-esteem. I’m happy for the flattering attention, but it’s a lot to keep up with and I don’t know if it’s worth it to this aging cougar. You can probably guess my sign.”
A: Leo, I’m going to give you a controversial response. Many relationship experts would ask you how you feel while spending time with this person, i.e., do you feel comfortable, valued, relaxed… are you having fun, is it pleasurable, etc. While it’s excellent to feel good in the moment, some relationships are more like workouts that don’t feel good, relaxed or fun. They feel uncomfortable and sometimes painful while they are going down and the pain continues for subsequent soreness in the days to follow. But with consistent workouts, in a month’s time, transformation for the better is almost assured.
Does this relationship sharpen you? Are you more interesting because of it? Do you take better care of yourself and go to lengths to present yourself at a higher level than you would were you more comfortable? If you knew that this relationship was teaching you discipline instead of pleasure, how would you value it then?
Consider that people regularly pay personal trainers more than they shell out for pleasurable indulgences. There’s a balance to be struck here, and you may just have already found it.
CELEBRITY PROFILES
Barbadian supernova Rihanna mixed many musical influences to produce a style all her own and sold over 250 million records, ranking her among the bestselling artists of all time. This soulful Pisces songstress with a knack for turning out No. 1 singles was born under a fiery Aries moon, indicating a passionate and headstrong nature. Natal Mars in Sagittarius signals universal appeal.