ArcaMax

Two oppositions put another side of the story across the table just as Mercury leaves diplomatic Libra for the depths of Scorpio. Hear other people's arguments through. Fairness requires more than splitting the difference; it requires an accurate account of what each person wants, what hurts and where the disagreement lives.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). The items on your to-do list are ordinary enough, but not your approach. Because you have style. They call it "effortless," but that's because they don't know the extra work that goes into being you. It's your little secret.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). It's easy to avoid confrontation on your own behalf, but when someone you love needs help, you're ready to step up, make the call, ask the hard question or stand beside them at the meeting. Your presence gives them courage.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Give play the same respect you give work today. Race someone, make up a game or attempt the trick that keeps making you laugh. You will return to your responsibilities with more energy and a story to tell.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). Tell everyone what must happen, then take the position with the most heat, risk or responsibility. People will follow when they see you working under the conditions. Give instructions from the front, where you can spot trouble before anyone else.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You have a big idea, and these days, other people want to help. It's like you're a casting director, giving them a part in your grand production. Each gets an entrance and room to add something of their own.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). There's a difference between commanding attention and earning it. You're only interested in the kind of attention you get because people are interested, they feel something and they are helped by what you're doing.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Small projects have kept you busy without using your full range. Choose something with enough size to demand more of you. If it's a little difficult, all the better. Best yet if the result is of consequence to many.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). There's a mystery you're not sure whether to solve or preserve. Some questions are better answered, and others energize you through wonder. Knowing the difference may save you from interrogating what you could be admiring in its ideal state -- as a shimmering unknown.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Boredom is an invitation to do the thing you've been thinking about, as unreasonable as it may be. Because a stale pattern needs interruption, and even a ridiculous one will do. Tomorrow, you'll have something new to talk about.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). There's so much good in a relationship that money cannot buy, including private jokes, familiar touch, shared history and more. Familiarity can make such riches hard to see, which is why a practice of acknowledgement and gratitude is so important.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). There's a change in the rhythm today. One beat drops out. You keep coming back to the empty space. Notice what absence produces: longing? Relief? A drive to put something different in the rotation?

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Someone has assigned you the supporting role again, perhaps because you perform it so well. Decline. You have learned everything from the wings. Ask for the larger responsibility, the harder material and a place where people can see your range.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAY (Sept. 30). In your Year of the Gamer, you'll participate in a complex game and win through strategy instead of force, making friends and earning a valuable prize. You'll have a worthy rival and a useful ally. One will sharpen your skills, and the other will know the secret passage. More highlights: Three instances of uncanny "dumb" luck. A golden turn in the family fortunes. The thrill of being revered. Pisces and Taurus adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 16, 2, 10, 13 and 30.

CELEBRITY PROFILES: Kieran Culkin continues one of Hollywood's hottest streaks, following his Oscar-winning performance in "A Real Pain" and Broadway success in "Glengarry Glen Ross" with a starring role as a young Caesar Flickerman in "The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping." Born with four luminaries in Libra and a Pisces moon, Culkin reflects Libra's gift for balancing humor with vulnerability, creating performances that are both entertaining and deeply human.

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