If it’s your birthday

You must be realistic about what you’re willing to offer to partners. You don’t need to prove your affection to anyone. Yet at the same time you may be willing to make sacrifices for the sake of a partner’s happiness, or for the greater good. Seek companions who are equally generous, and who are able to see their best interests as an extension of yours. You share a birthday with Burt Lancaster, k.d. lang and Lauren Vélez. MARCH 21-APRIL 19 Maintain your cool today. There are many surprise elements that may manifest, though how you respond must be predictably level-headed. That will be easier if you are mindful and if you recognize that over-reacting doesn’t get you anywhere. As the old saying goes, keep calm and carry on. APRIL 20-MAY 20 If you want to feel strong, stable and useful, do good work. Don’t just do your job and go home. Make sure you’re doing the very best you can do, and then go the extra mile. Devotion feels good to you, much better than that sticking point of holding back or clinging to what’s yours. MAY 21-JUNE 20 Keep your most important plans to yourself. You may be tempted to tell the world, though it’s essential that you keep your energy concentrated and focused inwardly. If you’re feeling a craving to do something public, start a discussion about something fun or provocative, unrelated to you. JUNE 21-JULY 22 If you’re the ambitious kind of Cancerian, today will be an exciting day in your professional life. A surprise or unexpected or unusual event could put you into the spotlight. If you’re less ambitious, do what you can to get along with higherups. This is a great time to excel, rather than to rebel. JULY 23-AUG. 22 Keep an open mind and be ready to change your plans. Let in new ideas, which will be especially appealing if you notice how excellent those ideas are. You know that the future can be different from, and considerably better than, the past. Different means change, so welcome it warmly. AUG. 23-SEPT. 22 You may discover today that what you have is worth much more than you recognize. That might apply to a talent, a physical object or an idea. Today’s developments could represent a change of plans or a shakeup of some kind, which you must work to your best advantage. SEPT. 23-OCT. 22 Make room for the opinions of others. You don’t need to agree or disagree. You don’t need to even have an opinion of your own. You just need to stand guard over their right to have a perspective, no matter how ridiculous or intelligent. Then, resume whatever you were doing. NOV. 22-DEC. 21 You’ll be at your most brilliant if you err on the side of having fun rather than getting things done. By all means, show up at work on time and take care of important deadlines. However, you’ll tap into your deepest genius by taking a light-hearted approach to what seems most difficult. DEC. 22-JAN. 19 There are times when you have to compromise, or make what seems like a sacrifice. Be careful with that. Yet you may also discover that what you seemingly must give up is something you don’t really need and don’t even want, and that letting go of it benefits others. JAN. 20-FEB. 18 You will seem to discover something today that appears radical or stunning. Actually, this is something you already knew, and have factored into your plans. Think carefully and you’ll see how you were already three steps ahead of yourself -- well, actually, you’re a good few more. FEB. 19-MARCH 20 Be bold about conjuring up wild plans, and cautious about putting them into effect. Give your mind a long leash, or none at all, so that you don’t stifle all the good ideas that come out along the way. Something that seems utterly outrageous will be practical and effective. Evaluate every idea carefully.