OSCAR CAINER

GWYNETH PALTROW and Meat Loaf aren’t normally paired, but the actress/lifestyle guru and Bat Out Of Hell star both share birthdays today. This fact could be the least surprising of the day. As Mercury turns retrograde it brings mixed messages. But it also helps us see where we might be able to improve our lives. It might not be time for a detox, but if we’re diplomatic we’ll be better equipped to deal with problems.

ARIES Mar 21 - Apr 20

SOME people give up easily. If they can’t get an answer to a question, they ask a different one instead. You’re a smart Aries, though. You understand that if a question isn’t being answered it’s worth persisting; if you keep on asking it, rephrasing it and insisting on a response, in the end you’ll find out something you need to know. As Mercury turns retrograde today, you have a chance to sort out a source of confusion. Skilfully asked questions will bring the transparency you need to make your decision. Worried? There’s a very special message for you when you call to hear your four-minute, week-ahead forecast. Call 0906 751 5601.

TAURUS Apr 21 - May 21

WHEN we do something differently, we break the mould, disrupt established rhythms and introduce new possibilities. As any drummer will confirm, there’s an element of risk involved... but imagine how boring pop music would be if there was only one drum being hit in the same way for the entire song! We need variation. We need dynamism, excitement and something to keep us on our toes. Don’t be afraid to mix it up today. If you’re bold enough to alter the rhythm, it might not be perfect, but it will be fun! Anxious? There’s a very special message for you when you call to hear your in-depth, week-ahead forecast. Call 0906 751 5602.

GEMINI May 22 - June 22

SOMETIMES you try to be all things to all people. You spread yourself so thinly that, instead of saving the day, you end up drained of all energy. It’s not that you don’t have the skills to do an excellent job. Even the most talented artists struggle if they’ve used up all their paint. Part of you needs to be nourished. But, instead of looking after yourself, you’ve been focusing on making sure everyone else feels OK. As Mercury, your ruler, turns retrograde, it’s time to look after you. Confused? There’s a very special message for you when you call to hear your four-minute, week-ahead forecast. Call 0906 751 5603.

CANCER June 23 - July 23

BEFORE Wikipedia, if we wanted to look something up, we had to open a huge hard-backed tome, consult the index, scan the pages . . . Oh, what am I saying? Most of us just didn’t look at all! Nowadays, we have all the information we could ever need at our fingertips. Yet there’s a degree of uncertainty about its accuracy. Since we can never guarantee the source of the facts, we have to take what we read with a grain of salt. To get to the bottom of a mystery, trust your instincts about what’s true and what’s not. Uncertain? There’s a very special message for you when you call to hear your in-depth, week-ahead forecast. Call 0906 751 5604.

LEO July 24 - Aug 23

YOU’RE not asking for the impossible, the improbable or even the unreasonably difficult. Hardly anything needs to change. It’s a psychological shift that’s needed. As Mercury turns retrograde, it provides you with the ability to overhaul an attitude and reinvigorate your approach. It’s not going to be difficult. As long as you play your part in a process, you’ll help influence a situation so that it works out in a way that benefits everyone involved. Share your insights . . . and the change you need will happen. Worried? There’s a very special message for you when you call to hear your four-minute, week-ahead forecast. Call 0906 751 5605.

VIRGO Aug 24 - Sep 23

JUST because your ruler’s turning retrograde doesn’t mean today has to be difficult. Or tomorrow. Why do we fall into the trap of worrying about trouble ahead? We tend to imagine it lying in wait for us, down dark corridors of the future. Is trouble so cowardly it doesn’t show its face in the present? And if so, why do we feel it has the power to get the better of us? Trouble isn’t coming your way. You’re not heading in its direction either. We can’t say the same about happiness. That’s what you’re headed towards. Anxious? There’s a very special message for you when you call to hear your in-depth, week-ahead forecast. Call 0906 751 5606.

LIBRA Sep 24 - Oct 23

AS MERCURY, the planet of communication, turns retrograde, you’re passing through a doorway. You’re crossing a bridge between two worlds. That explains why you’re feeling excited (as well as nervous). It’s why there are so many unknown factors to deal with. It’s also why you feel as if you’re going back over old territory. Old, forgotten memories are being reawakened. As they do, you’re seeing how you can restructure your future into something more meaningful. Confused? There’s a very special message for you when you call to hear your four-minute, week-ahead forecast. Call 0906 751 5607.

SCORPIO Oct 24 - Nov 22

ALTHOUGH our dreams often have a profound impact upon us, we find it almost impossible to remember them. Since we retain only a fraction of their content, it’s hard to know when we’ve managed to turn a dream into a reality. So, when we find ourselves experiencing a situation that resembles a vision, we get excited. Although what you’re about to experience might not quite resemble ‘a dream come true’, with Venus in your sign, it should be just about the next best thing. The hope you feel is justified. Uncertain? There’s a very special message for you when you call to hear your in-depth, week-ahead forecast. Call 0906 751 5608.

SAGITTARIUS Nov 23 - Dec 21

WHY do some people seem to exist for no other reason than to try our patience? Whether they get under our skin or tread on our toes, their presence is enough to irritate and rub us up the wrong way. Perhaps the most trying habit is when they judge us and jump to conclusions. Yet, if we’re honest, we’re all weighing one another up and working out if we approve of what others do. Is it time to reconsider an assumption and come to a positive conclusion? Worried? There’s a very special message for you when you call to hear your four-minute, week-ahead forecast. Call 0906 751 5609.

CAPRICORN Dec 22 - Jan 20

YOU’RE feeling uneasy. We’ve all experienced that sense of something just not ‘feeling right’. Sometimes, even though we know what’s at the root of it, the conditions we’re dealing with aren’t constructive; we can’t do anything to instigate change. So we have no choice but to carry on. As Mercury changes direction and turns retrograde, it brings a chance to get to the bottom of something. A readjustment is called for. It will reinforce your foundations and allow you to move forward with a sense of relief. Anxious? There’s a special message for you when you call to hear your in-depth, week-ahead forecast. Call 0906 751 5610.

AQUARIUS Jan 21 - Feb 19

OUR hopes and dreams are fragile. Like a house of cards, they threaten to collapse at the faintest breath of doubt, anxiety or uncertainty. So it’s no wonder a supportive hand is worth its weight in gold. On days when we’re not strong enough to keep our thoughts clear and our hearts hopeful, having someone who cares about us, who can do what we can’t, is immeasurably valuable. Today, be the person your friends know you to be. You can be a source of support. Confused? There’s a very special message for you when you call to hear your four-minute, weekahead forecast. Call 0906 751 5611.

PISCES Feb 20 - Mar 20

THERE are lots of different options available. The trouble is, you’re a Piscean. You like to go with the flow, and don’t always relish the prospect of having to make a choice. When life’s currents flow in a certain direction, you’re happy to see where they take you and enjoy the sights along the way. It doesn’t help if you’re unsure if it’s safe to trust the sincerity in which a particular offer’s being made. Are you sensing a hidden hesitancy or a concealed agenda? It’s safe to ignore your thoughts and your fears and go for it. Uncertain? There’s a special message for you when you call to hear your in-depth, week-ahead forecast. Call 0906 751 5612.