Michael Lutin tells Cancers how to stay sane

PLANETARIUM

CANCER JUNE 22-JULY 22

The first thing you must do is get over the fear of going out of your mind. Relax. The little men in the white coats aren't coming to take you away quite yet. When you think about it, all those quirky eccentricities and mental foibles that you fear could get you committed are probably the source of your uniqueness and creativity. To navigate successfully through your 12th house now, keep moving forward and don't let the voices inside your head convince you that the end of the world is near. If behind your jolly smile a nut is screaming, embrace the madness.

LEO JULY 23-AUG. 22

Here's the trick: if you can figure out some way to both maintain the security you can't seem to live without and at the same time give in to your urge to gamble, you'll have it made now. A 12th-house Mars-Jupiter conjunction, followed by an eclipse in your 11th house, is waking you up to the fact that—guess what—you are not the center of the entire universe. Although living without any map or plan may be giving you the jitters, the good news is that there are cosmic forces steering you in the right direction. Just where you're going, however, is anybody's guess.

VIRGO AUG. 23-SEPT. 22

Transits to the midheaven can bring fame, honors, and public adoration. As you approach a new pinnacle of power, you will reap the rewards of everything you've learned over the past 15 years. This will mean dealing with endless red tape, not to mention all the morons who get their jollies pushing pencils, counting beans, and finding fault. Since there are always individuals who would love to see you drop off the face of the earth, you'd better behave like the consummate professional. If you're clean, you're cool. If not, the word is "Watergate."

LIBRA SEPT. 23-OCT. 23

Assuming that you do not wish to count yourself among those cutesy, saccharine Libras who pretend everything is wonderful and then go around biting off the heads of innocent, well-meaning people, you would do well to consider seriously two important points: (1) there's a solar eclipse taking place in your 9th house, near the stars Rigel and Capella, and (2) that means it's time for you to concentrate all the thought power in that brain of yours on understanding that it is just as pointless to deny what happened to you as a kid as it is to dwell on it. Chew on that.

SCORPIO OCT. 24-NOV. 21

When you see the poor folks on the street who depend on spare change handed to them by kind strangers, rather than freak out over what may lie ahead, be grateful for the blessings you have now. While it is humbling to know that your financial future and economic security rest in the hands of other people, current conjunctions in your 8th house should show you how much faith your backers have in both your sales pitch and your creative powers. The planets will also help you see that the more honest you are about your sexuality, the more creative and prosperous you will be.

SAGITTARIUS NOV. 22-DEC. 21

Considering what an enormous personal struggle it has been for you just to stay afloat, it seems unfair that you should still be obliged to play nice with people who haven't been all that available or sympathetic to you. The power of a solar eclipse in your 7th house, however, demands that you relinquish the almost fanatical grip you have on yourself and everyone around you and remember that you cannot control other people or predict how they are going to react. If you want to be whole again, for the moment you'll just have to stifle the angry growl and smile.

CAPRICOR DEC. 22-JAN. 19

Spiritually correct and enlightened people would probably agree that the stupid rat race of the business world gets you nowhere at the end of the day, because money and power can never give you the creative satisfaction, emotional fulfillment, or intellectual meaning you require to make your life complete. This month's solar eclipse is sending you quite another message, though. Inner contemplation may feed your soul, but as long as you are alive you have a physical body to maintain and a practical need to perform a useful service, whether it's beneath you or not.

AQUARIUS JAN. 20-FEB. 18

You can feel weak and strong at the same time. It may seem contradictory, but it's true. There are moments when you wonder how much farther you can stumble onward. Then, in a flash, you are up and cracking jokes. The solar eclipse in your 5th house will give you the power you need to push yourself out of the shell you've been trying to crawl back into, and prove to the world what a creative and vital person you still are. Even if you fall flat on your face and get seriously hurt, it's a lot better than sitting in your darkened room listening for a heartbeat.

PISCES FEB. 19 — MARCH 20

Little do many Pisceans think, when they are packing their bags and preparing to run away from their tyrannical families, that someday they will return to the old homestead they are so determined to escape from, in search of succor and safety. Nevertheless, such is usually the case when both the sun and moon line up with the north node at the bottom of your solar chart. This is definitely a starting-over time, with the universe telling you to grit your teeth, kiss and make up, and keep in mind the trite old saying that blood is thicker than water.

ARIES MARCH 21-APRIL 19

It may be difficult to focus on anything for long, since you have an attention span lately of about two minutes. That's nothing to fret about, mainly because 3rd-house transits often summon in you the old cowboy restlessness, that urge to explore what lies over the next mountain. While this may give you the ability to do Paris, Rome, London, Berlin, and Los Angeles in five short days, it can also prevent you from making longterm commitments. Even so, your mind will be creative and fruitful, provided you can be real with the people closest to you. That takes guts.

TAURUS APRIL 20-MAY 20

Saturn in the 2nd house be damned! No one can ever accuse you of being a moneygrubbing sellout—you've gone to great lengths to prove that your integrity means more to you than a big, fat bank account. Even if being richer than your wildest dreams is your wildest dream, you're certainly a lot more than just a bag of insatiable appetites. This month's solar eclipse, however, reminds you that being a Taurus requires you to respect money and business and to remember that you have always been and will always be a creature of this world. Ante up.

GEMINI MAY 21-JUNE 21

This is the end of one era and the beginning of another. When you are willing to turn your back and walk away from a part of your life that lost its meaning long ago, you'll finally be ready to grow up and participate in the world as an adult, which is something nobody ever gives Geminis credit for being able to handle. This eclipse isn't going to be a lot of fun, and it won't be easy. That said, there's not a thing to be gained by moaning and groaning about what you're being asked to leave behind. Dry your eyes and tough it out and you'll end up happy.

To hear more about what's happening in your horoscope—and everyone else's—listen to Michael Lutin weekly by calling 1-900-28V-FAIR on a touch-tone phone. Cost: $1.95 per minute. If you are under 18, you need parental permission.