Venus slips into a critical mode when she takes on Virgo energy starting Tuesday. Keep in mind that ideas in their infancy are just as fragile and dependent as real infants. They must be cradled, protected and nurtured to survive. Remember it when you're involved in the sharing of ideas. They're not all going to be good ones, but give them a chance. Don't squash them before they're able to stand and be measured.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). People look up to individuals who are able to remain emotionally strong in stressful circumstances, and you definitely fall into that category for most situations this week. If anything can rock your resolve, though, it's someone you deeply love. In this case, a sense of humor will be better than a good defense.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). En route to developing their own identities there's a phase many children go through in which they disagree with much of what's presented to them. You may spend part of the week in this mode as you fine-tune your worldview. You'll be wise to keep contrary opinions to yourself until you've worked out the kinks.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). This week someone may consider you to be a hero or an angel. It's as though you are heaven's agent, carrying out the will of beneficent forces. It's not your talent or any unique trait or outstanding ability that qualifies you for this office; it's your simplest attributes like modesty, kindness and efficiency.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). You get people. You notice their knee-jerk reactions and understand the chain of events leading there — the attitudes, beliefs and interaction styles at play. But what about when it's you having the reaction? That's tricky. Objective and honest (but kind) friends will be key to understanding yourself this week.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You've ideas in your head that, for one reason or another, you never acted on. You just couldn't come up with a way or a time to bring them into being that made sense, and now they are like orphans growing older as they wait for an adoption. You'll return to one such idea with good news. The time has come.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Those who enter the scene wanting to prove something will not be open to learning. Since you will be in a position to teach this week, it will help to know whom you're dealing with. Separate the willing students from those who have a different agenda. Set an educational tone right from the start.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). There's this thing in you that doesn't exist anywhere else, and if you don't act on it, it never will. Probably it's an idea, but maybe it's more amorphous than even that, like a manner of being, an approach or a state of mind that allows for unique energies to flow and create through you. Bottom line: Express yourself.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). There won't be one place, a single school of thought or an individual teacher who can give you the right plan. Take a little from here and a little from there, and mix it with what you already know. You'll be a master chef at life's recipe when you use instincts honed by your past experience to pull together your masterpiece.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). There are things to worry about and things not to worry about. "Will that person call me back?" falls into the "not to worry about" category, but it belongs to a subset of similar thoughts that are very useful to you this week because they tell you that you need to get busy with bigger challenges and more exciting problems.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Objects, with all the magic and stories they carry, will impact the flow of your week. Perhaps you'll be chasing after a coveted acquisition, searching for what was lost or giving a special object new beauty. In the end, the objects that are gifted have more meaning than those that come or go through purchase or trade.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). This is a time to be careful about what you praise in others and yourself. Your praise will signal back to your own values and taste. Also, what you give your attention to will grow. Remember that it takes zero skill to be born beautiful or strong, and it takes no talent whatsoever to spend other people's money.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). You'll ask yourself, "Is this too much? Will I come off as too eager? Is it a wasted effort?" Maybe the answer is "yes" all around... but go forward anyway. You'll learn by doing. You'll know more about yourself and about the world when you're bold enough to do things. Would you rather be too cool for school or vividly alive?

THIS WEEK'S BIRTHDAYS: You'll work at what seems interesting to you until it no longer does, and then you'll do something else. Happiness is in the doing! It's not the goal-oriented process that you've tried before, but you're more intuitive than ever, so it works for you. You'll feel your way through passages without a lot of painstaking decision-making and get on to discovering, loving, healing, growing and adventuring. More than ever, you'll lead with your heart. Payoffs are biggest in October, January and May.

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