HOROSCOPE

(February 26 Monday)

Mars, Venus and Vulnerability Many feel vulnerable in the wake of the Mars and Venus square. Vulnerability can be courage, foolishness or weakness. If vulnerability is used as a means of bonding, learning or growing, it’s courage. If vulnerability occurs out of thoughtlessness or laziness, it’s foolish. And if vulnerability cannot be helped, it’s weakness. ARIES (March 21-April 19). People tend to simplify the personalities and characteristics of others in their own minds to process social information. But you’re not a stereotype. Today there’s a reward for rejecting and defying the stereotype. TAURUS (April 20-May 20). The only good thing about regret is that it shows you what to want today. Use it as information to help you look for opportunities. It’s not too late. It’s really not. GEMINI (May 21-June 21). People get addicted to all kinds of things. Among the strongest addictions of all is a person’s addiction to his or her own story. If yours isn’t a story that’s serving you, it’s an addiction that needs to be broken.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). You know it’s a game, but that’s not the point. It’s still an experience, and an experience is still your life. Whatever the stakes may be, whatever the prize is, play full out.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Pick a destination; any one will do. Without a destination, you’ll spend time and effort in moving and still feel as if you’re getting nowhere. Give yourself the satisfaction of arrival. It really is a good sort of satisfaction to achieve. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Maybe the culinary experts taste the spice in the sauce, but most people taste “ranch dressing” and not buttermilk, herbs, mustard seed, etc. Don’t explain what went into your “recipe”; just go for the overall effect. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). You can save yourself a lot of hassle by choosing right in the first place. This will be true for relationships, tasks, items... just about everything you do. Put thought into the beginnings. Also, if it doesn’t feel right, don’t even start.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). Skilled actors know that even if they are playing someone deplorable, they must use a nonjudgmental kind of compassion to find the motivation behind villainy. This will apply in the case of your figuring someone out today.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). There’s a new pattern emerging in your personal life. Give it scrutiny. Is this really what you want to repeat? One little tweak could make a world of difference. Dare to go for exactly what you prefer.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). It’s a flipbook kind of day. You’ll go quickly from scene to scene. Your mind fills in the blanks, making it seem like movement – but that’s just an illusion. So be sure to appreciate each individual “still” while you’re on that page. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). To suggest that you’re supportive would be an understatement. Sometimes it’s as if you’re holding the whole thing up by yourself. Just don’t let this be the constant, or they’ll become weak and dependent on you. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Because you have a limited amount of energy to spend on a problem, you’re better off doing nothing than chasing down every possible lead. You can afford to be selective. There’s a big difference between action and intelligent action.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (Feb. 26). You’re not the same person you were last year, and by your next birthday, you’ll have evolved again. You’ll get funding for a project, and an adventure begins. In April, love sparks your creativity. A new interest will have you making big plans in May and following through for most of the summer on them. Cancer and Sagittarius adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 8, 5, 3, 33 and 38. COSMICALLY CURIOUS ABOUT... SELF-PARENTING (PART SIX). The road to maturity involves becoming an increasingly adept parent to oneself. See the archives for the first five parts. For LEO, self-parenting is a little like Peter Pan’s leadership of the Lost Boys. As Leo is the sign of children, in this part of the sky, no one ever really fully grows up. Of course, even the Lost Boys became very excited at the prospect of finally getting a mother. Specifically, they wanted someone to sew them pockets. For Leo, self-parenting is really about sewing your own pockets.

The metaphor works because Leos want to remain playful and free but also want a few things in life – things they can take with them. In a sense, pockets are a way to have it all. And sewing a pocket means finding a way to hold on to precious things while still keeping the option open to jump, run and move with it.

This works well when the precious entities and people in a Leo’s life are predisposed toward playfulness and mobility. Effective self-parenting is therefore about finding and attracting the like-minded, finding jobs that fit Leo’s creative spirit and keeping encouraging and fun people in the mix. Great parents try to get their kids into happy, well-fitting situations, and that’s exactly what each Leo must learn to do for himself or herself.