If it’s your birthday

Don’t get so lost in the details of your projects that you forget your larger goals. Keep your mind on your vision, even as you do the most mundane tasks. Lately you’ve been looking at the world through a microscope. You can aid your own cause by pulling back and using a wide-angle lens. You share a birthday with Billie Holiday, Ravi Shankar and Jackie Chan. JUNE 21-JULY 22 Rather than guide everything toward a state of supposed order and predictability, make room for a little bit of chaos. Playing with the uncertainty factor opens the door to creativity. There’s an element of chance to anything done artfully. Spilled paint can create a new kind of painting. JULY 23-AUG. 22 What you call things largely determines what they become for you. Naming something is based on your judgment and your expectations, and on our particular plane of reality, that comes with the power of manifestation. Calling something a problem is one thing and a calling it a puzzle is another. AUG. 23-SEPT. 22 Be cautious if you find yourself deciding that there’s no solution to a specific problem. This is merely an idea. Some ideas are selfdefeating and some are self-affirming. Do what you must to open your mind. Remember all the supposedly impossible things people have healed, solved or resolved. SEPT. 23-OCT. 22 Does your work deplete you, or does it nourish you? Over the next week or so, observe that issue carefully. Note how you feel in your workspace, and attending to the tasks at hand. Notice how you feel about your colleagues. Don’t worry about a plan of action; your personal truth will light the way. OCT. 23-NOV. 21 Be especially attentive to a partner or loved one, if you’re not doing so already. You may not understand the nature of their situation, though that’s not necessary. All you need is empathy, which means giving them the benefit of the doubt. Listen and be gentle. NOV. 22-DEC. 21 The next few days will give you opportunities to showcase your work. It doesn’t matter if you’re an artist or a lawyer, a musician or a city worker. Do your very best, with passion and generosity, and you’re likely to be noticed and rewarded for your talent. DEC. 22-JAN. 19 Your life will be easier if you ease back on judging yourself. Self-improvement is one thing, and feeling like there’s something wrong with you is another. Let yourself off the hook and it will be easier to make the kinds of corrections and adjustments you want to make. JAN. 20-FEB. 18 You may need to admit something that’s challenging and a little daunting. The good news is that you only need to acknowledge this to yourself. Your inner growth is your business, and when you attend to it, you will ease your conscience and will feel better. FEB. 19-MARCH 20 Gradually increase the proportion of art, music and beauty in your diet. You’re processing a lot emotionally, and what some call “work therapy” is not the most effective approach. Give yourself the time and the space to fully immerse yourself in your humanity and your love of life.