ARIES

The Sun blazed in dynamic Aries, a fire sign on your birthday. The Sun in astrology stands for your inner nature, the light of your essential character. Aries, the first sign of the Zodiac, is a masculine sign ruled by the warrior planet Mars, whose motto must be "Crash through, or crash!". A cardinal (creative and inventive) sign, Aries, the Ram, governs leadership and initiative. Aries people are bold and self-confident, although they tend to be overly impulsive.

The Sun, the ruler of our inner nature, is very well placed in Aries, the sign of its exaltation. This energy is very attractive, even compelling, and few can resist being carried along in the jetstream. Ariens are always overflowing with ideas, schemes and plans to conquer the world, for a well-aspected sun in Aries radiates power and vitality. Many a moth has been burned in its flame! Life, of course, is one long party (which the more mothlike among us may find a just little wearing...).

You have masses of energy and courage and will rush in where angels fear to tread, for the Arien ego can be rather overbearing. Undue optimism, or impatience and desire for self-aggrandisement can result in wasted effort or even severe setbacks and disappointment.

The emblem for Aries is the Ram, a determined fighter and a powerful adversary, with a strong urge to express himself over the widest possible field of endeavour. Is the grass greener on the other side of the hill? Of course it is, isn't it, Aries?

Aries rules the head, brain and eyes, so people with Aries active in their charts are subject to head injury, headaches, general problems with organs in the head and fevers (although the nose is ruled by Scorpio). You are all extremists and for this reason can fall prey to stress-related ailments and mental problems. However, although you can be highly-strung, your great fund of energy enables you to survive where other less exuberant folks might succumb.

Your colours are red and white. Aries rules metallic iron and your birthstone is the brilliant diamond, symbolising clear strength, purified under pressure. Nature creates the precious diamond out of crumbly, coal-black carbon, by applying intense heat and pressure for a very long time. Flowers for Aries include the red poppy, geraniums, honeysuckle and hollyhocks.

TAURUS

With sensual Taurus, the Bull, as your star sign, the Sun shone through an earth sign on your birthday. The Sun in astrology stands for your inner nature, the stamp of your true character. The second sign of the Zodiac, Taurus is ruled by Venus, the planet of love and desire. A fixed (strong and solid) sign, Taurus governs practicality and security. It is a feminine sign and very magnetic.

Practical, reliable Taureans are great lovers of sensual pleasures, although you do tend to be rather stubborn, possessive and conservative. Firmly anchored in the material world, you have a fine grasp of what is needed in order to lead the good life. Of course, you are capable in emergencies, where you have an instinctive understanding of what to do, but under normal circumstances, no-one can force you into anything without due time for thought and consideration.

Taureans are very strong-willed and often quite creative. The Moon is exalted in Taurus, giving success with matters to do with the public and, combined with the influence of Venus, a passionate nature endowed with a strong sense of loyalty and fidelity. You are kind and generous with friends, with whom you develop an unspoken rapport.

Taurus rules the throat, giving a powerful, often beautiful voice. The influence of Venus opens up a world of musical talent and appreciation, so Taureans are good singers and musicians, or at least, love music and can be a force on the business side of music.

Hunky Taurus is physically strong and solidly built. Many of you favour weight lifting or other body-building routines to keep in shape and you enjoy sports requiring strength and endurance. Health issues are often focused on problems to do with the throat and neck, or by polarity with the reproductive organs, the kidneys and so on. Taurus is naturally lazy and tends to overindulge, so a good approach to health and wellbeing would include a well-planned regime of disciplined exercise and diet.

Taurus colours are brown, russet, and turquoise. The beautiful emerald, a rare variety of the mineral beryl and as costly as a diamond, is your birthstone. The emerald's rich green colour is quite appropriate too, since it is the colour of money, lush countryside and relaxation. Geometrically, the emerald takes the shape of a six-sided crystal and six is the number of love. Flowers for Taurus are the red rose, daisy, lily, and daffodil.

GEMINI

Chatty Gemini is your star sign, which tells us that the Sun awakened the dual sign of the Twins in the Zodiac on your birthday. The Sun in astrology stands for our inner nature. The third sign of the zodiac, Gemini, a masculine sign, is ruled by the quick and lively planet Mercury, the messenger of the gods. A mutable (fluid and changeable) sign, Gemini governs communications, intellectual matters, and gossip! It is an air sign, which means Gemini people are ingenious, quick-witted communicators, although you are often restless, easily bored and can become frustrated by things moving too slowly.

The Sun, ruler of our inner nature, is bright in Gemini. It favours writing, other forms of communication, and travel (although beware of running around in circles just for the sake of it, or because others have imposed on your good nature). Geminians are great talkers and are usually very much in demand socially, because you are so entertaining. You'd make a great talk-show host. Gemini is the life of the party.

Being a dual sign has (of course) both an up and a down-side. You are vitally interested in what's new and fashionable, though you have a healthy skepticism which allows you to see both sides of the image. You are a party animal, but like to sit back and analyse, or send up the whole procedure.

You multiply the effects of other people's energy, but can become deflated if you are out of the limelight for any length of time. Your sharp wit and excellent powers of observation make you a good raconteur, although you have a tendency to exaggerate which can cause trouble with your relationships.

You really have little faith in yourself, which you mask with ironic wit or sarcasm, but in truth you can use your flexible mind to better yourself in a surprising number of ways. You spend more time talking than eating, so you are able to stay fairly slim. Your flexible bod enjoys agile sports: gymnastics, bicycling, swimming, and so on. Favorites are tennis, racquetball and similar games involving a partner. Gemini talents include design, interior decoration, arts and crafts, magic and illusion, and music.

As the day-throne of Mercury, your strengths are in communication, both the spoken and the written word, media, gossip and trivia of every conceivable variety. A mutable (changeable) sign, you are chameleon-like in your ability to blend in with your environment, yet you stand out like a beacon when you become the life of the party, with your witty remarks and seemingly limitless knowledge about all and sundry.

You love zooming around, running right left and centre. As a source of information you are unparalleled and you love to keep in touch with your friends, neighbours and indeed anyone who is on your wavelength. The mobile phone, if not invented by a Gemini, was definitely invented for you – and is certainly your most treasured accessory!

Gemini rules the hands and arms, lungs, thymus gland and upper ribs; people with Gemini active in their charts are subject to injury or infection in these areas and should resist the temptation to smoke. Geminians are also subject to mental distraction and hovering between alternatives, or attempting to pursue mutually conflicting goals.

Gemini colours are yellow and light blue, and mixed colours. Your birthstone is the agate, attractively streaked with colours like the multi-faceted Geminian personality. Gemini flowers include the lilac, azalea, and lily-of-the-valley.

CANCER

The Sun awakened Cancer the Crab, a feminine sign in the zodiac on your birthday. The Sun in astrology stands for your inner nature, your essential character. The fourth sign of the Zodiac, Cancer is ruled by the restless Moon.

A cardinal (creative and original) sign, Cancer governs home life, matters to do with women (especially the mother), as well as sensitivity and emotional intensity. It is a water sign, so Cancerian people are emotionally intense and deeper than they appear on the surface, while quite sensitive and understanding once you get through that tough exterior.

The Sun, ruler of our inner nature, is somewhat dimmed in Cancer, the home of the Moon. Creative and romantic, with a strong love of home, family and tradition, you are a good communicator and a strong provider. Your deep sensitivity presents you with valuable and illuminating intuitions, especially regarding those you care for.

Paradoxically combining a love of travel with a deep need for security, you surround yourself with sentimental objects from the past, including souvenirs, hand-me-downs and keepsakes. Cancerians are remarkably good at accumulating things; indeed, you can be unwilling to throw anything out, even relationships that have passed their use-by date.

Cancer is also good with money and generally takes a long-term view. The main thing to remember is not to let the powerful, turbulent emotions of the moment crowd out your normally rational judgement. Your intuitions are reliable and should be trusted; you may even have natural psychic powers, which may be developed, given the right circumstances.

The emblem for Cancer is the Crab, a creature with a very hard shell which protects a soft interior. The crab walks sideways, which is how the Cancerian skirts around a problem until forced to take it on with gritty determination and a creative flair. The crab's large claws hang on to its possessions for dear life, just as the Cancerian collects things to beautify the environment and bravely defends the home turf.

Cancerians make good business people, combining artistry, originality and drive with an understanding of financial matters, marketing and the needs of the public. You can trust your intuitions, but you do need to generate a faith in yourself which will not be dampened by gloom or depression over what, in retrospect, may appear to be relatively insignificant problems. You have the natural ability to be diplomatic and to speak out when necessary or keep your mouth shut. Home and family ties will be significant in your life and developing a secure, comfortable home environment will be a boon to your state of mind, irrespective of your marital state.

Physical fitness or sports activities can become important ways for you to work out emotional stress. Team sports are fun, for you can adopt team members as part of an extended family. Swimming, fishing, sailing and other water activities attract you, along with skiing, ice skating, and mountain climbing.

Cancerians are creative. Even those among you who may not have any particular talent can use some involvement with art, music, or writing as another method of emotional release, rather than indulging in eating binges or other destructive habits. Living or spending time near the water is a relaxing, as well as creatively stimulating environment for Cancerians.

Cancer rules the stomach, diaphragm, upper liver and breasts. People with Cancer active in their charts are subject to coughs, indigestion, gas, gallstones, general problems with stomach, liver and intestines, plus emotional disorders such as depression, hypochondria and hysteria.

Ideal colours for the Crab are white, silver, and pale yellow. Cancer rules metallic silver, while both the ruby and the pearl are the traditional Cancerian birthstones. Silver reflects its environment in its shiny polished surface, yet it can tarnish and become dull unless properly cared for. In the same way, your sensitive nature reflects the people and circumstances surrounding you. The precious ruby, a variety of corundum, is one of the hardest minerals known, while the pearl is soft and easily scratched. Here we have the two contrasting sides of the Cancerian personality: hard and determined, yet simultaneously soft and vulnerable. Cancerian flowers are the water lily (lotus), iris, white poppy, white carnation and southern magnolia.

LEO

With proud Leo as your star sign, the Sun blazed in a masculine sign on your birthday. The Sun in astrology stands for our essential nature, the true stamp of our character. The fifth sign of the Zodiac, Leo is ruled by the life-giving Sun, the lord of our solar system. A fixed (strong and solid) sign, Leo governs will and authority. It is a fire sign, which means Leo people are grand, confident and generous, although you tend to be egocentric and can be somewhat overbearing.

The Sun, the ruler of our inner nature, is enthroned in Leo, the sign of its own house, or rulership. This energy is thoroughly regal, the lion being the king of beasts, for proud Leo regards himself as the natural centre of attention - and confidently expects others to step back and pay homage when his bushy mane is displayed in the limelight...

Glamorous Leo enjoys a thoroughgoing love of life and all its pleasures. As the Sun bestows light and life without favour, the benefactor of every living thing on this earth, so you, genial host and natural entertainer, get inordinate pleasure from helping others enjoy life as much as you do.

Enthusiasm, generosity and your sunny disposition inspires the affection of many friends and admirers, while turning those with less popular personalities green with envy. Though full of ambition and enthusiasm, Leo has to admit to a lazy streak and, given the opportunity, will take the easy way out, especially when a situation offers little fun or glory. This is something lazy, luxurious Leo needs to watch.

Determined Leo, a fixed sign, can be rather stubborn and resistant to imposed changes. In many ways this is a plus, for it gives you the stamina to accomplish things in life, due to your tenacity. You can stick with projects when other more easily distracted souls lose concentration or interest. This stubbornness, which you prefer to think of as consistency and determination, is, however, dictated more often than not by your ego.

It is easy for pleasure-loving Leo to become addicted to rich food, and as the cat gets older you find yourself putting on weight. Your gregarious nature makes it hard to enjoy or stick to boring, solitary physical fitness routines, but you may not mind dressing up in flashy gym outfits and joining an exercise class. Dancing, swimming, and tennis are your favourites, though you are quite keen on sports of all kinds.

Playing to the grandstand when starring on the field is an everpresent temptation, but perhaps you ought to remember, in team sports even the king of beasts is still supposed to be part of a team. Arts and crafts, theatre groups, philanthropic societies and religious organizations attract your interest and participation.

Leo rules the back and heart, so people with Leo active in their charts are subject to over-exertion, general problems with stress in the back and ailments of the heart. You have a strong constitution and can usually overcome your problems, many of which are of your own making, due to overindulgence.

Best colours are gold, royal purple, and orange. Leo rules metallic gold, and your birthstone is the sardonyx. An appropriate representative of Leo's versatile, creative personality, the intriguing sardonyx is a variety of agate that exists in many colours and can be cut in many ways. One of the special ways it is used is in making cameos. Flowers for Leo include the showy dahlia, yellow lily, red poppy, marigold, sunflower, and heliotrope.