Most of life on earth has been lived by creatures who do not have brains. There is even evidence that creatures who once had brains evolved to lose that central nervous system in favor of a networked nervous system throughout the organism. The dance of thought versus sensation will be a theme this week of the sensitive and sensual Cancer solar journey. Deep focus will sometimes override our sensory awareness and vice versa.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). The most effective attitude will be to take up a cause as if it were your own. You'll quickly realize the truth of the matter. It is your own. Your liberation is bound up with a grand emancipation. All are free, or none is. The traps can only be released by working together.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). People can pilfer power in a multitude of sneaky ways. Seduction is a fun one. Sensationalism is another, causing you to look. Once you see, you can never unsee. Don't give away your power. Stay vigilant in the protection of your attention and energy. Surround yourself with those who bring out your best.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). While silence includes the absence of sound, golden silence makes even more space, spreading out a soft place for all to land. You'll choose your words carefully, and your nonverbal responses even more so. You'll often walk in nonjudgment and the welcoming emotional tone of gentle acceptance.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). Awareness and action go together. This is why our minds often protect us from information, storing it in the subconscious until we're ready for it. Realizations can be painful rites of passage. They indicate we're finally strong enough to do something about the circumstance. Here comes your aha moment.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You'll have the flexibility to weather any change thrown your way. You'll handle things like an action star in a fantastically choreographed fight scene, dodging blows and using the felicitous arrangement of your surroundings to help your cause. These are the battle stories you'll remember fondly upon the return of calm.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). You'd normally execute hundreds of actions in response to cues so subtle they speak only to your subconscious. But this week marks an awakening. You clearly see the most difficult thing of all to comprehend — the environment you live in every day. A better way forward opens before your eyes.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). You've had the thought, "My life is entirely up to me," and you've had the thought, "I'm trapped." You've also believed in numerous variations along the free will spectrum, like, "I'm free, but this is hard." How can you make it easier? An empowering thought process will help you claim the experiences you crave.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). If you're afraid to go against the tribe's wishes, consider that such a thing may not exist. The tribe cannot wish; only people can, and each person does it differently. Some wishes mesh, and others don't. Arguing over it is a waste of time. Let your agenda play out in swift and loving action, and all will be well.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Rules, spoken and unspoken, will be obeyed. People will do as they are allowed to do. Change allowances and people change. Structuring interactions is an art requiring thought, practice, experimentation, adjustment, application — rinse and repeat. What works in one era may not in the next. Keep finding what works.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Kindness is among the top attractive qualities, though it is often knocked down the list by flashier qualities such as courage. Having the courage to be kind when others aren't will enable you to claim both qualities and activate a deep primal preference in others who will be inspired by and attracted to you.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). It takes a lot of energy to think, which is why overthinking is really an egregious waste. When you start repeating thoughts, get creative instead. Seek answers to the left and right; reach up; root down. Change the pattern and you'll interrupt the swirl of energy headed down the drain.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Because you seek to understand a situation better, the rules of active listening will apply in crucial moments of the week. The hardest one to swallow: Anything your partner says is OK. When you hold a purpose of helping your partner get clear (instead of communicating your own agenda) you'll make progress.

THIS WEEK'S BIRTHDAYS: All through this new solar journey, your imagination flows and your capabilities grow. You'll remember what you wanted things to be like before you knew what they were really like, and you'll mine brilliant creative diamonds in this memory. You'll create experiences that echo and answer your past expectations. Friends offer resources; mentors show you how to use them. You'll invest in help, and eventually, the next generation will build on the things you manifest this year.

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