Happy birthday (Sept. 27): The work you do takes a fascinating turn, though the real luxury of this solar return is in the wide array of characters you are involved with — virtually and in reality. Some are people you are excited to know. Others are eager to know you. When those qualities are in the same person, it's heavenly.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): You'll put your head down and do the work. The motion gets you out of your own way. Soon it will seem as though the work is being done not by you, but through you.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You may think you don't have enough time to follow through with an action, when in fact time is not the issue at all. Procrastination is a fear issue, not a time issue. Just do it, then it's quickly done.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21): You're punctual and courteous, with the insider's knowledge that manners are always cool, and unreliability is among the most selfish and dubious character traits. Your actions set a standard others will adhere to.
CANCER (June 22-July 22): Seek the dynamic of a mentorship, which will be good for all involved. The teachers will better understand the value of their own knowledge, and the student will evolve.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): The drive to achieve purrs inside you, and like a cat, it is hard for anyone to resist you in this calmly inclusive mood. You will cuddle up to the people and situations with potential to facilitate your aim.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Research will increase your options. The more options you have, the more powerful you will feel. The more powerful you feel, the better you can settle into the moment, which in turn increases your ability to make effective moves.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23): You take pleasure in being useful to others, and yet your value should not be entirely based in utility. Those who are only there for you when you are fulfilling a need are not true friends. Cherish the rarity of true friendship.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21): You have big, interesting plans that, when executed, will be filled with ordinary moments just like this one. It's another good reason to keep training yourself to revel in the wonder of dailiness.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Doing what you tell yourself to do is a matter of self-respect. However, it is unloving to require difficult or unrealistic action of yourself. Command yourself in small increments.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Mutual gain is not only possible, it's probable — although the way won't be obvious. Brainstorm from all angles. You push your collaborators to new levels of creativity.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): A group project will make everyone richer, even though it's important to note that riches come in many different forms, the least of which is money. Fire signs (Aries, Leo and Sagittarius) will be particularly lucky for you.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Yesterday is gone and ever-present. Handle memories carefully. Just like it is in the movies, as you time travel in your mind, what you touch in the past will change destiny.
PARTNERSHIPS IN RETROGRADE
Mercury's retrograde in the sign of partnership begins with a drop of awareness about the nature of the arrangement. Most relationships are run by unspoken rules buzzing below the level of consciousness. It often takes a breach of those rules to be aware of them in the first place. So, welcome the breach. It's where discovery begins.
COSMIC QUESTION
Q: “I’m a Cancer. About once a month, my moods get extreme. I yell at my husband and am very on edge. Things seem true that later I don’t know for sure are true or not. Things seem important and later I don’t know why they were. I really do feel crazy. I guess it’s hormonal, though I don’t know what to do about it.”
A: Ruled by the ever-changing moon, Cancer can be sensitive and complicated, with changing moods to match. There are many positive aspects to being so passionately immersed in your reality of the moment, even though you know that in the next moment, it may change. Could you start seeing this emotional dynamic as a gift? People who are not as connected to their feelings admire the easy access you have to your internal wells of emotion. Could you commit to learning techniques to manage your feelings? They can be superpowers to harness. With focus, you can make them work for you to help you attract what you want. As well as seeking to raise your emotional IQ, becoming physically stronger will also help you manage emotional swings. Be sure to get plenty of exercise and eat right all month long. Proper fitness helps with the brain chemistry that can keep feelings tilted toward the positive side.
CELEBRITY PROFILES
In his short life, the great composer George Gershwin defined the American sound of his era. Gershwin blurred the musical edges of popular Broadway musical ditties, jazz standards and luminous classical compositions. "Rhapsody in Blue" remains one of the most popular of all-American concert works. Gershwin's natal sun and Jupiter were in artistic, aesthetic Libra, with his Moon in musical Aquarius.