The days of reckless fun and youthful folly are both far behind and distantly ahead. This is a sobering cycle in which clarity of mind will be needed to deal with all that's currently on your plate. The Cancer sun reaching across the sky to Pluto in somber Capricorn calls for your modesty, temperance and careful consideration.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). Letting go of the things you don't want will make you lighter, but not wiser. It's too easy. Let go of the things you're afraid to lose, however, and you'll be wiser, stronger and lighter all at once.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Though the turbulence of life is a natural force that sometimes can't be avoided, it can be ridden out with varying degrees of grace. The trick is not to resist — and not to go limp, either. Remain flexible and aware.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Chasing isn't always the best way to catch things. There are plenty of things that can be caught by sitting still and pretty as a trap or by dancing like a lovely lure.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). What works for the mind will work for the body today, and the opposite will also be true. The way to health and well-being is in good communication with your body. Ask what it needs. Invite it to make requests.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Responsive devotion is the call of the day. Your reaction will be swift, automatic and most telling. You may in fact be surprised by what or whom you are devoted to.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). The planets revolve around the sun. The waters run to the sea. And you let the gravity of your own attractions pull you. It is the natural order of things and futile to resist.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). If you must err, do so on the sign of vigilance and responsibility. This is a time to weigh your words, remain consistent in your message and tone, and above all respect the ripple effect of your actions.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). You need to express yourself, but you're not sure to whom. This is the choice that will hold sway over your destiny. When in doubt, tell it to the diary first. Discretion can be undone with a few words. The opposite cannot happen.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). What's next? That's a good question, but not one that leads to a lot of fun. To get the fullness and richness of your day, don't ask, "What's next?" Ask, "What's now?

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Give individual attention. Though you may not be able to deliver what's needed for the glory of the team, you will be able to serve the very specific needs of individual members, including yourself.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Things are unbalanced in your life now; it's true. Yet there is no need for an extreme move. The redistribution of energies will happen naturally. The equilibrium is being established through subtle persuasions.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Just as tattoos are difficult to remove from the body, it can be challenging and painful to get rid of ideas and designs that have been imprinted strongly on your mind. Both are possible, though, and the clarity may be worth it now.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAY (July 9). You are in hyper-creativity mode and will make something remarkable this month. Relationships get tighter through the next six weeks. A new definition of success is emerging. In September, you'll claim a different kind of goal. The younger you would be very proud of what happens in November. You've come a long way! Libra and Sagittarius adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 2, 20, 28, 31 and 18.

FORECAST FOR THE WEEK AHEAD: On the other side of the responsible Capricorn full moon, conscience is king; ethics get an argument or two; rules find new followers; followers find new rules. Rational and predictable systems help us function in civilized ways.

There's not a lot of cosmic change this week. The lull provides a sort of practice space for getting the things that matter to us right. You might think of your life as a mirrored gym where you can perform your exercises over and over in a controlled way, getting ready for the time when you'll be wielding them out in the unpredictable world.

The moon, in its third quarter, will take us through the intellectual brightness of Aquarius early in the week. This is when the best (if impractical) ideas pop off like light bulbs over the head. They're not all actionable, yet they are worth keeping track of.

Social kindnesses, empathy and understanding will be stronger on Thursday and Friday. This is a moment to err on the side of tenderhearted help. You won't regret giving too much. Do all you can for your fellows and you'll later feel relaxed and complete about your contribution.

CELEBRITY PROFILES: Tom Hanks has a full schedule of big-budget projects on the lineup, including the highly anticipated television miniseries "Lewis and Clark" and several documentaries he will be the producer or executive producer of. Hanks was born when the sun and Mercury were both in intuitive Cancer and the moon, Uranus and Pluto were in entertaining Leo.

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