The Poet's Almanac
On this day in 1772, Samuel Taylor Coleridge was born, one of the major poets of English Romanticism. The Libra poet left behind some of the most memorable lines in English, from "Water, water, every where" to the dreamscape of "Kubla Khan." On this late day of Libra season, we borrow 12 of his lines and see where they take us -- a line for every sign.
ARIES (March 21-April 19). "The fair breeze blew, the white foam flew." When conditions favor you, use them. You have spent enough time rowing. Something becomes easier today, and your job is to recognize the advantage of that.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20). "As idle as a painted ship/ Upon a painted ocean." Waiting can become its own strange occupation. If nothing is moving, move first. Change one thing about the situation and more changes will follow faster than you think.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21). "He prayeth well, who loveth well." Your affection will be expressed through attention. Remember what someone told you. Ask about the thing they care about. You'll know what to want for and with them, which has sacred power.
CANCER (June 22-July 22). "The moving Moon went up the sky." Something changes while you are busy looking elsewhere. When you turn your attention back, the picture will be different. Observe the new version before choosing your next move.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). "A damsel with a dulcimer." Someone makes a stunning entrance. Presentation has impact; clothes, music or setting will turn an ordinary moment into an unforgettable one.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). "Water, water, every where,/ Nor any drop to drink." Abundance in the wrong form is useless. Get specific about what would actually help you. Focus on finding what you need and ignoring what you don't, however plentiful it may be.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). "All things both great and small." Scale has little to do with significance today. A tiny gesture can change everything for the better. A detail can twist the plot in a delicious direction. A flickering feeling can be the start of great passion.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). "A savage place! as holy and enchanted." You are drawn toward danger. Even when its hidden inside beauty, you sense it's there. Stay awake in this heightened experience, ready for anything.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). "Through caverns measureless to man." You will enter territory without knowing how far it goes. Good. Curiosity and courage drives the exploration. You'll soon have something better than speculation to work with.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). "A sadder and a wiser man." Wisdom isn't free. Sadness is part of the admission price. You've already lived this, so when you risk anew, you do so in full knowledge of what there is to gain and lose.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). "Alone, alone, all, all alone." Solitude has different meanings. It is not synonymous with loneliness. You've been known to thrive in solitude, to crave it, to see it as a luxury and to do your best work there.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). "A sunless sea." You are beckoned to a place in the imagination you need no good reason, explanation or external light to explore. Like many luminous creatures of the deep, you are lit from within.
TODAY'S BIRTHDAY (Oct. 21). In your Year of the Fox at Dawn, you'll have a marvelous instinct for where opportunity is hiding and a clever instinct for when to make your move, often while others are still sleeping. More highlights: You'll add to your financial education and create a new income stream. Family karma is healed. New rituals and habits create optimum health. Capricorn and Libra adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 9, 2, 20, 26 and 15.
CELEBRITY PROFILES: Kim Kardashian continues to influence fashion on a global scale, fronting the latest NikeSkims campaign while expanding into prestige acting projects. Born on the cusp of Libra and Scorpio, she blends the two signs beautifully. Her sun, Saturn, and Pluto in Libra reflect an extraordinary eye for style, branding and cultural trends, while Mercury and Uranus in Scorpio lend the strategic instincts and fearless reinvention that have kept her at the center of popular culture.
For more Holiday magic, visit HolidayMathis.com. To find out more about Holiday Mathis and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
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