Horoscopes for Feb. 23, 2013

Singing the Mercury retrograde blues? At least it will be a soulful song. The first Mercury retrograde of the year starts today in the ethereal realm of Pisces and lasts until March 17. There’s spiritual opportunity in this transit. The ensuing fouled logistics will be opportunities to develop patience, selflessness and compassion.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). You can’t help but stand out as a vivacious energy is ignited in you, compliments of the moon in your fellow fire sign of Leo. Take care to be extra gracious; it will come with the territory now.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). An artistic process is unfolding. Instead of trying to control it, you’ll be better off accepting it for the glorious mess it is. It will take some time to sort out, which is all part of the deal.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). The change of your guiding planet Mercury may aid you in seeing a problem from another person’s point of view. This is the first step in creating an omni-favorable solution.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). Once you find that person who is right on your wavelength, you want to surf the day away together. But the tides are ever changing. Trust that you’ll connect again in the near future.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). If you’re wondering why loved ones seem so attuned to what you are feeling, the moon in your realm is an emotional amplifier. Others will hear and answer the song of your soul.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). This isn’t exactly a supersonic ride to the top, but you see progress, and that’s encouraging. Keep counting the little things. Every happy customer, friendly face and kind word will make a difference.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Deals are shaping up, and it looks like your part of it might be a handsome sum, after all. Stay cool-headed and remember: It’s not over until the checks clear!

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). You’ll receive endorsements, both formal and informal. It will feel good to be recognized, respected and recommended, but what you will like even better is being well paid.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). While trying to get it together, you may decide that the right thing to do is to take it all apart. Everything must be built in the correct order. Instead of fixing what was started incorrectly, begin again.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Being around a certain someone will actually change the way you perceive the world. Colors will twinkle, sounds will brighten, and all of your senses will sharpen in crisp definition.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). A playful mood takes hold. You will be so alive in the moment that you may not care at all where a relationship is headed. This is a refreshing change to all involved.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). It takes skill to weave dramatic tension, but not nearly as much skill as it takes to give up the need for drama altogether. With all that you want to accomplish, there will be little energy left for unnecessary theatrics.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAY. If you’re clear about what you want, your winning style will attract the support and funding you need over the next four weeks. Self-promotion works well in March, but it’s your hard work and knack for assembling teams that will ultimately bring a project home in April. Your heart heals in June, and you’ll love anew. Sagittarius and Taurus people adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 4, 14, 2, 15 and 39.

MERCURY RETROGRADE IN PISCES: If he had to choose a side of the brain, Mercury, the minister of communication, commerce and day-to-day logistics, would usually prefer the left side. The logical and analytical capabilities of the left side, after all, coincide beautifully with the Mercurial agenda, which functions in the predictable, gear-turning fashion of clockwork. And that is precisely why Mercury gets so uncomfortable in the Piscean part of the sky, which functions in the imaginative, multilayered, inter-dimensional fashion of time travel.

Any mother who has claimed to have eyes in the back of her head knows it’s not just an expression. Mothers often clearly sense what children are doing even when their heads are turned. As this retrograde elongates Mercury’s stay in the ethereal realm of Pisces, expect the glass to fog on the lens of your mind’s eye, but just enough to blur out the main picture and give the periphery new interest. The periphery is where intuition most clearly shows up. You may feel your psychic senses working harder than ever in the weeks to come, as they stretch your awareness behind and to the sides of you.

CELEBRITY PROFILES: Pisces actress Dakota Fanning will appear in a slew of movies in the upcoming year, including “Effie,” in which she will star with Emma Thompson in a film about a Victorian art critic’s teenage bride, Effie Gray. Born when the sun and Venus were in Pisces, Fanning is absolutely in love with the arts. Her natal moon in Leo gives her an edge of entertainment business savvy.

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