July 03, 2002

Get ready for the weekend, when the best-laid plans go up in smoke. From now through Sunday, spontaneity is the name of the game. Keep alternative activities and travel arrangements in the back of your mind, and your flexibility will bring surprising luck and fun. Something you said you’d never do or see now becomes attractive.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). Moods are cheerful, and energy is high. Get loose, and give up the need to control the flow of things. Someone close by admires your inquisitive mind. Lost souls find a safe haven in your home.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Do your deep thinking in the early hours and your interpersonal relating in the afternoon. Listen to the trials of others for strength. Some of the struggling you’ve been doing is unnecessary. Get out of a complicated romance.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). It’s time to put your requests out to the world. Even if you don’t hear what you’d hoped, you will find out what you needed to know. Changes, travel, family matters and children are all tension producers.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). Concentration and learning are character building. Revise your strategy – a better one is assembled now. You have a legitimate chance to hit the jackpot! Attention comes your way naturally. You don’t have to work hard for it.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Dissatisfaction with your job or relationship points to the fact that you need more stimulation. Feelings are intensified as you are more honest with your mate. Act quickly on those psychic hunches this afternoon.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (July 3). You reconnect with old loves, long-lost friends, estranged relatives and old employers, but now, you have the upper hand. New strategic business and investment partnership are formed as well. Past money due you is finally paid, and you get an apology to boot. New relationships hinge on your being emotionally available. Select Libra and Leo partners. Your lucky numbers are: 5, 10, 17, 21 and 31.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Too much diversity in your schedule can tire you out, strain your nerves or lead to fighting. Pick one goal, and commit to it. Your creative ideas are worth a bundle, and others are willing to acknowledge your talent.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Enjoying your job is the greatest insurance that you’ll remain indispensable to your employer. Raises or promotions are in the works! There are strong possibilities for romance tonight, particularly if you go out on the town.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). Interesting prospects are popping up all over. Sort through your responsibilities to get a more streamlined and manageable schedule. Make necessary repairs now or you’ll pay the consequences for your procrastination.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Make a decision, take a stand, and don’t look back. Your warmth, support and comfort are needed at work. Don’t let tales of woe depress you – they aren’t even true. You’re in a sociable, fun-loving mood tonight!

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Make wise use of the resources and talents of others. A love interest is taking up more and more of your time. Employers or family members allow you to change your mind at the last minute if you need to.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Quiet determination will serve your love life as well as it does your career. At home, create an environment for chilling out. A colleague is asking you to join an entrepreneurial debut – be careful not to invest prematurely.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Romance is best when it is spur of the moment, so ask out that Libra or Gemini on the fly. At work, your attributes are appreciated, giving you more clout. Take good care of what others entrust you with.

ASTROLOGICAL QUESTIONS: "I was born in 1960 on the cusp of Aries and Taurus. What sign am I? Does being born on the cusp mean anything?

Being born on the cusp means that you were born close to the time when the two signs meet. It has no other importance because once you know your sign, you are no longer in "cusp limbo." The reason astrologers invented "born on the cusp" was because at this critical juncture in the sun’s cycle in one year, the sun may enter, for example, Taurus on April 20, while in others years it may enter that sign on April 21 or April 19. This is where things get tricky. The sun changes signs in one minute. So depending on the local where you were born, if the sun entered Taurus at 2 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time and two babies were born at 1:59 p.m. and 2 p.m. E.D.T., the one born at 1:59 would be an Aries, and the one born at 2:00 would be a Taurus. If you are born on the cusp, you really need to check out your astrological chart directly. You can go to an astrologer, but it might be cheaper to use some of the computer software now available. Regardless, it would be helpful to know the exact latitude and longitude of where you were born.

CELEBRITY PROFILES: Liv Tyler played a lovely elf in "Lord of the Rings," a role she’ll be remembered for over all others thus far. Fantasy figures into her chart in a big way, whether it’s portraying a character people fantasize about or crating her own fantasy world and sharing it with others. She and other Cancer women are encouraged to follow whimsical urges now through the end of August.

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Copyright 2002 Joyce Jillson