ArcaMax

Mercury in Virgo feels a bit like turning 18. You're officially an adult, and suddenly, there's an expectation that you say and do adult things. Yet with "teen" still at the end of your age, it can feel like you're only pretending. It lets you dream and play. Pretending is underrated. It lets you try things on before you buy in. And pretending is the first step to becoming.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). Mistakes are inevitable. If you learn from them, they're called an education. If you don't, you may need to keep building up your collection until the breakthrough comes. Some lessons take longer to learn.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Spending time on your spiritual life lifts your physical health, and caring for your body deepens your spiritual life. Exercise, prayer, proper rest, long moments of silence -- all send benefits through multiple parts of your life at once.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). A reluctant leader may nonetheless be excellent in the post. People who fully appreciate how much responsibility leadership carries are less eager to seek power for its own sake. Knowing what's involved, they approach the role with more caution than enthusiasm.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). Some experiences make perfect sense only after you've lived through them. Your head catches up with your heart a little later. Move through the bafflement. It all clicks in at the perfect moment.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You'll solve a human puzzle. Someone does something that makes no sense. You become fascinated by why they did it. You keep observing until the pattern clicks. Once you understand their motive, you know how to deal with them.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). If you only knew the depth, breadth and intensity of pure love directed at you on a regular basis, all life's irritations, frustrations and injustices would be swept away by the mighty current of this profound truth.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). While it may seem unfair that someone so easily accomplishes the thing you've been struggling to do, it also doesn't matter in the least since the only way to improve is by using what you have for however long it takes to figure it out.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). Worry is a form of time travel -- jumping to a possible future to check out the demands, losses and outcomes that live there, then borrow a bit of the bad feeling to bring back home. Skip the trip today.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Identity is a story we tell ourselves about who we are. Good stories sometimes involve contrivances, exaggerations and facts placed in a strategic order. But when it's your story, you have the artistic license to craft it.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Micromanaging is often counterproductive, especially when the manager and the managed are both the same person. You have your reasons for doing things your way, even when you don't know what they are.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). You settle into a remarkably even temper and attitude as you embody this truth. Whether you're in a three-step process or a three-million-step process, it's all stepping, and the number you're on is always "this one."

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Learning about the world helps you see that there is much more available to you than the options you knew about last week. The choices most people around you are making might be fine for them, but not for you.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAY (Aug. 25). It's your Year of Sweet Reverberations, when the goodness you've been pouring into the world catches up to you, giving you what you most desire and also what you need going forward: vitality, resources and people around you who support your favorite version of yourself. More highlights: Love's fever. A big money deal. A hard asset or intellectual property becomes much more valuable -- a game changer. Leo and Scorpio adore you. Your lucky numbers are 7, 5, 25, 10 and 14.

CELEBRITY PROFILES: Swedish actor Alexander Skarsgard continues to surprise audiences with fearless choices, from his acclaimed performance in the dark romance "Pillion" to his starring role in the hit sci-fi series "Murderbot." Whether bringing delight to the red carpet or disappearing into complex characters, he favors substance over spectacle. His Virgo sun reflects the sign's discipline, intelligence and devotion to mastering every detail of his craft.

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