If it’s your birthday

This year you’ll learn about the politics of relationships. Love affairs, marriages, friendships and family relations all have a social order, and this is something you must come to understand. You’ll get along better with people, and have productive experiences with them. There’s a bit of ancient wisdom from Eastern philosophy to remember: The women provide the wisdom, and the men provide the means. You share your birthday with J. S. Bach, Rhea Perlman and Ewan McGregor. SEPT. 23-OCT. 22 You’ll have to figure out where your power went before you can get it back. It’ll help if you reassess your negotiation style. You may have a habit of bidding against yourself. In the future, make a reasonable offer, then wait for a response. Evaluate that and respond when you’re ready. OCT. 23-NOV. 21 If you want to know what a partner is thinking, the best thing to do is to ask. If you find yourself wondering, feeling suspicious or having a conversation in your head, take the discussion into actual physical reality: not texts, not emails, not the phone: faceto-face if possible. NOV. 22-DEC. 21 Don’t let anyone make an important decision for you. Your opinion counts; in fact, it may be all that matters. Of course, listen to what people say, mainly for clues, but you must keep charge of your own affairs. The reason is plain: Your outcome will be better. DEC. 22-JAN. 19 You keep letting your insecurities run away from you, though you don’t have to do that. Yet in order to be confident, you must do that rare thing and get out of your head. You’re thinking many self-defeating thoughts, rather than feeling what your body is telling you. JAN. 20-FEB. 18 Take some time this weekend and get near the Earth. A stroll in the high Sierras will serve as well as a long walk in Central Park, preferably bright and early in the morning. This will calm your nerves, and give you some perspective. Your problems will seem smaller. FEB. 19-MARCH 20 You have all you need for a winning financial strategy. Yet you must remain open to new information, and be ready to change your approach when you come up with a better plan. Do this in small increments rather than in sweeping changes. Think ahead; play one move at a time.