By Jack Fertig
Q Scopes
Venus, then Mercury, align with Saturn in Virgo, stirring up the critical faculties. Remember: Self-improvement is job #1! Mars in Virgo squares Pluto, cranking up energy, arguments, and temper. When your buttons get pushed, check your buttons, not the pusher.
ARIES (March 20 – April 19): We're all getting older with each breath. The trick to doing it well is to stay mentally and physically active. Your big challenge there is to keep both moderate and constant. Harder and faster have their place, but not in exercise or debate.
TAURUS (April 20 – May 20): If your creative efforts seem lacking, you may be striving for excruciatingly high standards. You don't need to be Maria Callas to sing in the choir, or Michelangelo to show off your artwork. Besides, strutting your stuff could be very sexy.
GEMINI (May 21 – June 20): Domestic and relationship problems can always be blamed on parents, but their job ends when you grow up. Now it's your responsibility. Self-criticism should be a tool for self-improvement, not for self-flagellation. Clean up your act and get to work!
CANCER (June 21 – July 22): You're sure to say the wrong thing, so don't even worry about it. Just keep your sense of humor and have apologies ready. Offending a colleague may not be so easily fixed. Take responsibility and sacrifice what you must!
LEO (July 23 – August 22): Money is tight, but that can feel a lot worse than it really is. When the going gets tough, the tough get creative. You are smart and resourceful enough to rise to the challenge and look like a million bucks even when you're scrounging for pennies.
VIRGO (August 23 – September 22): If you must dwell on your faults, you must also take credit for your virtues – which include the willingness to deal with your faults. Parental echoes in the back of your head may need silencing. You can talk back to the voices – in private, anyway!
LIBRA (September 23 – October 22): You should talk with someone – a shrink or a confidante – about the darkness in your brain. But if it is too much to reveal, get out of your own troubles by helping someone else. There are charities eager and waiting for you!
SCORPIO (October 23 – November 21): The future may be looking bleak, but that view also challenges you to marshal your resources and prepare for the worst. It probably won't be that bad, but best to be ready for anything!
SAGITTARIUS (November 22 – December 20): Your wit and discernment can either propel you forward in your ambitions or fall on ill-picked victims. Think and plan at least a few steps ahead, remembering that you may have to work with those you are talking to or about.
CAPRICORN (December 21 – January 19): Your BS detector is running dangerously high – or more accurately, dangerously loud. Few people regard disillusionment as enlightenment, and nobody likes being taken down a peg. If you really want to be with the masters, hide out with some good books.
AQUARIUS (January 20 – February 18): Your sexual needs are not quite being met; what are you doing about that? Talking with your partner is obviously necessary, but talking with a friend may offer deeper insights. When you get offended, you're probably close to the real issue.
PISCES (February 19 – March 19): You like to keep the personal personal, but problems in your relationship are likely to explode into open view. Try to focus your critical energies positively on yourself. What can you do to improve the situation?
