PLANETARIUM

Michael Lutin tells Virgos to stay out of the family soap opera

VIRGO AUG. 23 — SEPT. 22

While normal people have been celebrating the end of summer and soaking the last of the sun, Virgos have been as frantic as Lucy Ricardo in a chocolate factory, and as service-oriented as C-3PO. Don't expect a respite yet, however. Or sainthood. Thanks to a naughty 12th-house Mars transit, you just can't resist sneaking away once in a while to have some fun and get into trouble. PS: If you fail to fight off your powerful urge to meddle, you could easily fall into a domestic snake pit that will take forever to crawl out of.

LIBRA SEPT. 23-OCT. 23

The human mind can be such a trickster, especially when the moon's nodes transit your 3rd and 9th houses. Even though you are sure that you know right from wrong and have gained enough understanding of your own behavior to distinguish wisdom from folly, you'll be amazed at how often you are tempted to act like an idiotic, immature, selfdestructive, rebellious adolescent. You should strive to achieve some sort of equilibrium between your need for intimacy and your desire for freedom. Question of the month: Is it love or friendship?

SCORPIO OCT. 24-NOV. 2

When you're out there in front of the crowd, singing and dancing P your way into the hearts of millions, you have to feel as if you're on top of the world. The personal validation you get from a new moon in your 10th house is enough to nourish you for days and days. That's not all you need, however, because when the full moon occurs at the bottom of your chart two weeks later you will also have to connect with your family and experience a little intimacy (your bizarre concept of intimacy notwithstanding). The money thing? It remains one of your favorite obsessions.

SAGITTARIUS NOV. 22-DEC. 21

Obviously you're not going to conquer all your addictions, personality issues, and self-image problems by running off to a dude ranch or hiking across Nepal in search of the Answer. Don't underestimate the power of your 9th house, though, because it is there that Sagittarians find strength and renewal. Traveling to places you've never seen before and getting away from money hassles, mates, or kids can be vitally refreshing and healing. The only problem is, when you finally get where you're going, you're still you.

CAPRICORN DEC. 22-JAN. 19

Striking a balance between profit and ethics is no small task. As a Capricorn with outer planets transiting your 2nd house, you are probably stuck every other day sweating over an impossibly unreliable fiscal situation and having to spin plates and juggle flaming swords just to keep yourself in designer labels. In addition to the exhausting demands of the material world, you also have your spiritual fulfillment to worry about. The best you can do is go for the money now and beg for forgiveness later. On another note: sexually, you should be cooking.

AQUARIUS JAN. 20-FEB. 18

Since you are a kind soul who bears little malice toward anyone, your behavior can rarely be written off as mere wicked caprice. In „ -fact, as the sun, the moon, Mars, and Jupiter cross your western horizon, you have no trouble expressing your feelings of appreciation and love for others. When the full moon illuminates Uranus in your 1st house, however, you are reminded that at this point in your life you belong to no one but yourself. Maybe that's why you sometimes lure people in and then dump them so abruptly they feel as if they'd been tossed out of a moving car.

PISCES FEB. 19-MARCH 20

Sometimes it doesn't pay to be diligent, sober, and dedicated to a job you have poured your heart into and have always believed to be worthwhile. One fine day a full moon comes along and smacks into Uranus in your 12th house, and you get bushwhacked by the skunks you thought were your greatest supporters. On top of that, an elevated Pluto-south node conjunction creates further agita, so you can't even count on the regime in power to protect you. Don't forget that, as a Pisces, you have only your faith—and your knowledge that the pursuit of power is absolutely ridiculous.

ARIES MARCH 21-APRIL 19

Even those few misguided Arians who thought they were destined for ^ celibacy and solitude from cradle to tomb are going to hear the music play this month. You can drop any notion of sitting alone in your room and missing out on the cabaret. The 5th-and-llth-house axis offers a terrific opportunity to break out of your moldy shell, take a few risks, and go someplace where you can play the romantic lead in the heartwarming and fascinating—to you, anyway—melodrama known as your life. Will you be happy if you move far away? For a while, maybe.

TAURUS APRIL 20 — MAY 20

Even if you can't get a fix on the career thing, take heart. The elevated Uranus and Neptune make it nearly impossible to outguess the whims of the mob, but if you have a sincere contribution to make and a mark to leave upon the world, you will do it now. In the meantime, while devoting yourself to the family may sometimes feel like a waste of time, it does keep you sane in a mad, mad world. The 8th-house conjunction of Pluto and the south node seems incompatible with Taurean sensibilities. Obsessions with the dark side are just not you. On second thought, maybe they are.

GEMINI MAY 21-JUNE 21

You are always going to be able to find something to wring your hands over. For example, it's got to flip you out to realize that, thanks to the conjunction of Pluto and the south node in your 7th house, certain people you once considered soul mates, guides, or gurus can no longer be counted on to bail you out. In fact, some of them can't even be trusted not to trap you in a sticky situation. With the full moon lighting your 3rd-and-9thhouse axis, however, remember that if you sleep with one window open you can always fly the coop during the night.

CANCER JUNE 22-JULY 22

Apart from the financial concerns that have been squeezing the juice out of you in recent weeks, you're probably focusing your attention on (read: getting hysterical over) such larger issues as sexuality and mortality. With the full moon occurring in your 8th house, it's perfectly understandable that you are tossing and turning over whether to finance your fantasies, invest your money in real estate, or just go ahead and buy a burial plot. You have your whole life ahead of you, so why waste a second worrying about when the end will come?

LEO JULY 23-AUG. 22

Whether you're a high-flying diva or a regular Joe, the battle for dominance continues this month. When the new and full moons occur around your 1st and 7th houses, maintaining your relationships is bound to be a full-time job. The fact that you cannot ever hope to predict or control how other people are going to act or react doesn't make things any easier. The good news is that you've got the energy to carry on that endless dance with gusto and style. Don't even try running away, though, because when your heart cries out for love, you have no choice but to listen.

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.