HOROSCOPE

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2018 Happy Equinox!

The autumnal equinox has been celebrated through the ages as a time to give thanks for all we have and entreat the powers that be to favor us with abundance in the months to come. The sun moves into Libra, the sign of art, partnership, beauty and justice. May all the karma of your benevolent deeds come swiftly around.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). Take heart and keep working. Your excellent efforts will eventually be seen, acknowledged and awarded, though perhaps not until you’ve reached a kind of critical mass on your own accord.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Typically, a thing you have no control over is not your problem. If it bothers you, the problem is the bothering and not the thing itself. The solution will be an understanding and a reckoning that happens in your mind.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). The timeline feels more like a continuum now because when one thing ends, another picks up right where that left off. If you want to take a break and a breath, you’ll have to willfully carve that out.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). You’re the “wise” for whom “a word to” is usually sufficient. Today you’re so tuned in that you don’t even need the word. A slightly raised eyebrow is more than enough for you to get the info and react accordingly.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). There’s so much you want to do with this weekend. But if you try to do everything, you’ll end up doing nothing of note. Your ideal move is to pick one focus and do it well.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). You’re a great friend. Your kind words and support will really make a difference to another person. Your luck will double when you offer the same sort of encouragement to yourself.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Take advantage of the astral magic offered today by acting as though you already have what you want. It will feel so fantastic to appreciate your great fortune that you will find it’s actuality quite irrelevant.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). The most difficult thing to prioritize -- the thing that people overlook time and again -- is the love they already have. Get this right and you’ll be getting a lot right. In fact, everything else will fall into place.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Letting go of the need to control anyone but yourself will liberate your energy and put you in a more loving, receptive mode. The magic motto is, “To each his own.”

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Your big plans are getting even bigger, which, oddly enough, will have you focusing on dozens of very small but crucial details today. These are the efforts that practically guarantee an unforgettable experience.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). There are questions people can handle and then there are questions that are akin to opening Pandora’s box. They overwhelm and create chaos that can’t be put back. Think twice before you ask.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). There’s a reasonable-sized cosmic shift happening and however you feel about what’s going on, you’re likely to feel differently about it tomorrow. So hold on and enjoy the roller coaster. Ride it out until the end.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (Sept. 22). You’ll be able to pour hundreds of hours into the thing that is your joy. More excitement this solar year will include: solving a mystery and later being rewarded for it, seeing the something you planted ages ago make a life-changing difference for a stranger, and finally hearing the loving words written on your heart. Aquarius and Leo adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 4, 17, 42, 9 and 26.

ASTROLOGICAL QUESTIONS: “What is Mabon? How was it celebrated?”

In ancient times, the four seasonal changes were carefully observed and celebrated as pagan holidays. “Pagan” is derived from the Latin word “paganus,” meaning “country-dweller.” Pagans have traditionally been people who live in rural areas and depend on natural cycles that affect their agriculture and survival. During the time when the Roman Empire embraced Christianity, most of ancient Europe and Great Britain was rural. The people who lived outside the reaches of the city, and thus the church, were referred to as pagans.

Mabon is the holiday celebrated when the sun moves into Libra, as it does today. The celebration was traditionally the second harvest and involved bonfires, geese and grain sacrifices for the purpose of giving thanks. Thanksgiving is the holiday associated with the autumn, and Mabon is a kind of early thanksgiving. Charity is a theme of Mabon celebrations, and one of the luckiest things you can do this time of year is to establish a habit of charitable giving. Donate food, money and your time as a symbol of thanks for all the bounty you are able to enjoy that others may not be.

CELEBRITY PROFILES: With more than 45 million records sold and numerous music industry awards to his name, operatic tenor Andrea Bocelli lives up to his sign’s reputation for high standards and hard work. The sun, Mercury, Venus and Pluto are all in Virgo. The moon in Capricorn shows a competitive spirit and relentless drive. There are few singers in the world who could compete with this level of success.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2018 Harvest Moon Eve

There are things that need to get done and things that could be done. Oddly, we can gravitate toward the latter even though the former is obviously more important. It has to do with the pleasantness of a task and the amount of willpower it takes to prioritize. Willpower is still in good supply, but tomorrow it goes out the window with the full moon.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). Does it feel as if you’re looking for something to believe in? Start with you. Believe in your breath, your heart and your body, and go from there. The more you can embrace about yourself the more powerful you’ll be.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Your attitude is more important than any other factor today. A winning attitude makes you a winner, even if, by the rules of the game you’re playing, you technically lost.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Your intuitive hunches will guide you to do something that probably won’t make complete sense as you’re doing it but will nonetheless bring tremendous luck in the near future.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). When the whimsical Dr. Seuss quipped that “there is no one alive who is youer than you,” he might as well have written it specifically for the version of you that you will joyfully fulfill today.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). When does achieving become overachieving? And where is the line between making people happy and peoplepleasing? Be mindful of your drives. Do it for you, not to be impressive or loved.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Can you converse with the naturally optimistic without secretly thinking they’re just not keen on what’s really going on? Maybe. But it won’t hurt to try it their way today. Actively seek good news, and ignore the rest for now.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). People may seem willing to do what you need them to do, but willingness is not action. Action is the test. If the task isn’t crossed off the list by tonight, assign it to someone else tomorrow.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). We all have our own emotional set point -- a tone in which we feel most comfortable. It would be futile to try to brighten the mood of someone who enjoys a muted state. Put your energy where it will be welcome.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Your thinking cannot be controlled, but it can be managed. You can distrust and even ignore unwanted and unhelpful thoughts. You’ll also validate and encourage successful thoughts.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). The problem can be solved at least 200 different ways, though it will take a breakthrough to begin the thought process that allows you to see even one solution. It all springs from a willingness to learn.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). It’s a “go big or go home” kind of day. There will be absolutely nothing to be gained from going tentatively forward. To the others involved, you’re either in or out. Declare it with gumption.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). You’re usually the one who sets trends, not the one who chases them. Stay on your path and trust it, even when people around you are jumping on this fad or that. Your instincts are only as good as the trust you invest in them.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (Sept. 23). Each month adds a sparkle to your personal life as your relationships get increasingly aligned with your true self. More highlights: A pattern breaks, yielding to a new one that better suits you. An attentive partner accompanies your adventures. And better self-care will include a fascinating hobby. Scorpio and Capricorn adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 8, 13, 20, 7 and 19.

FORECAST FOR THE WEEK AHEAD: Monday brings the full moon closest to the autumnal equinox, otherwise known as the harvest moon. If this cosmic aspect had a fable, it would be the folk tale “The Little Red Hen,” in which the hen plants, harvests, threshes and mills wheat without the help of the other lazy barnyard animals. Then, when she bakes the wheat into bread, everyone wants a piece of the “work” of eating. Alas, the hen gets all the pleasure.

Tomorrow’s harvest moon warns against passivity. Of all the selfdefeating tendencies a person could have, passivity is among the most dangerous because it’s harder to detect. Passivity is prone to wearing disguises. It can look like peace. It can look like amenability. But it usually winds up looking like regret eventually.

The second cosmic warning comes late in the week via Saturn, and its message is about focus. Our experience is always directly correlated to our level of focus. Multitasking is thievery that robs all tasks of our engagement. We really can feel less alive as we bounce between tasks, and that’s because every time you’re pulled out of one task and into another, you lose a little energy at the juncture. Reduce distractions and avoid multitasking. You’ll have more energy and results at the end of the day.

CELEBRITY PROFILES: Bruce Springsteen has stood for the rock’n’-roll dreams of all those workingclass folks who affectionately refer to him as “The Boss.” Even while the iconic Jersey rocker is raking in the lifetime achievement awards, he continues to be about creating the future of his legacy. Springsteen was born when the sun, the moon, Mercury and Neptune were all in Libra, the sign of art, harmony and unity.

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