If it’s your birthday

You’re well beyond the point in your development when you can blame everything on the past. Take full creative responsibility for your life, your healing and your desire to make a positive contribution. Then take action based on those commitments to yourself. You will rise or fall on your own intentions, never to please someone else. Yet many will benefit. You share a birthday with William Blake, Berry Gordy Jr. and Jon Stewart. MARCH 21-APRIL 19 It’s important to be spontaneous. That’s not currently the way of the world. Recklessness and courting danger don’t count. Doing something you were not planning on, making no commitments for a whole day, and making new friends count for everything. This calls for being flexible and easygoing. APRIL 20-MAY 20 Don’t let others distract you, or push your buttons. Rather, take responsibility for what you know you must do, and keep track of people whose agenda may be self-serving or less than wholesome. You’ll need to be especially conscious about this through the end of the week, day by day. MAY 21-JUNE 20 Remember that bosses, higher-ups and top management are all people, with feelings. If you are one of those people, remember that the people who work for you may be sensitive, and you don’t really know what they’re going through. No matter whom you’re dealing with today, be gentle. JUNE 21-JULY 22 Your body knows the truth, so listen to what your body says. No idea, rationale, argument or explanation is more intelligent than the feeling you have when you hear something, meet someone or walk into a room. Therefore, keep your sensitivity on high, sniff the air and proceed with awareness. JULY 23-AUG. 22 If you’re solving a problem, go one level higher and reach for fixing the whole system. Go for the cause of the issue rather than treating the symptoms. Whatever you’re looking at right now has many connections and spreads farther and wider than you may imagine. Try to wrap your mind around it. AUG. 23-SEPT. 22 You may suddenly find yourself having reached the bottom of a family situation that you just did not understand until now. No matter how many times your opinion was discounted, or your observations denied, you were right. Yet the real revelation is about how far back this issue goes. SEPT. 23-OCT. 22 Avoid needless confrontations as a matter of disciplined policy. You may have had a few close calls, which you dodged using your superior diplomatic skills. However, there’s still some tension in the air, including someone looking for a fight. Deny them that, and direct the energy to a better cause. OCT. 23-NOV. 21 A discovery you make about a financial matter may be surprising or even shocking, though you probably suspected the truth all along. One thing to keep in mind is that anyone you encounter who’s not both honest and adept with money is not suitable as a business or romantic partner. DEC. 22-JAN. 19 In any situation where you’re uncertain what’s happening, imagine that you’re reversing places with a partner, a counterpart or anyone with an opinion being directed at you. You need to see everything from at least two — probably more — perspectives, and you’ll make much better decisions. JAN. 20-FEB. 18 You may feel like you’re not getting a fair shake, and you’re the most important person who can do something about that. However, you must keep a cool head, and carefully establish both your value, and relationships where you will be respected for what you contribute. Be methodical about this. FEB. 19-MARCH 20 You may not realize what an intense person you’re perceived as, before you even speak a word. At the moment your body is radiating light, heat and beauty, and people are responding to you. Just remember, the world is chilly at the moment, and people are struggling with trust. Therefore, be trustworthy.