There's a delicious rush of confidence that comes with Saturn's initial direction change. How wonderful to feel, for stretches of time, completely sure of yourself and your course of action. The powerful feeling makes you want to live always in certainty, which is, of course, both impossible and boring. So enjoy this change in Saturn for what it's worth, and when the sheen wears off, take the doubt and wonder in stride, too.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). You need time to yourself to recharge and get inspired. Inevitably, this time feels like a waste to you, as the productivity involved is so sly it's invisible. That doesn't make it any less real. Your down time is glue that will hold the other pieces of your life in place once you return to the tasks with more visible results.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). The people you love will criticize you from time to time, and these comments will land with pointed and painful precision that could only come from someone who knows well where to poke. More than anything else, these comments will accelerate your growth process. You'll take note, stay positive, and become amazing.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Once you know you have the right solution, you'll feel great. That doesn't mean you won't need time to implement, adapt, recover — getting to the destination will be a process. But the work is in finding the right answer. Once you have the right answer, it's like stepping onto the train: All that's left to do is ride.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). Your story is in full force. Much of the week you'll be involved in various forms of collecting. You'll capture bits of life in notes, pictures and conversational sound bites. You'll recall memories and frame them in your mind anew. Some will rise to the level of art, defining who you are, informing your next decisions.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). A sunset looks like the sun is sinking, but it's really the earth doing all the moving — one of the many illusions we live by each day. Relationships have illusions, too. Who's really pulling back? Are you reaching in, or have you been lured and hooked on a line? Most importantly, how much does this matter to you now?

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Your focus on others has made you rich in friendship, love, maturity and wisdom, and poor in time. It was so worth it! Still, this week it has to change, if only because you won't feel quite like yourself unless you hit certain goal posts. And you won't hit the goal posts until you are the priority of your schedule.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Wherever you go, start off in a happy frame of mind. It's just the frame. You don't have to actually be happy. If you aren't, you aren't. But carry the mental frame anyway, to increase your chances of seeing the world as a wondrous place with endless potential for joy and beauty. Your people rely on your cheerful perspective.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). The awareness that you were sleeping usually comes after you've been startled awake. This week features a lucky disruption, an energetic shake-up that will cause you to hold your inner life up for examination. There is a way to break the emotional patterns that have caused you so much pain.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). You seek new teachers and methods. Beware of advice espoused by well-meaning amateurs. Look for the real-world proof. Without that, the entire exchange is a waste of time. Did it work? Is it still working? This is what you need to know before you plunk your money and your energy into a new plan.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Sales can be counter-intuitive. Sometimes you make the deal sweeter by taking something away from it — holding a very desirable aspect of the arrangement back. Also, don't assume that you understand what's valuable to the other person. Experiment in this regard. You'll likely be surprised at what you learn.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Progress may seem to be excruciatingly slow on the major issues dominating your mind and schedule — all the more reason to celebrate the small victories you experience this week. Put the following items on your emotional grocery list: validation, reinforcement, motivation and inspiration.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Your high level of emotional intelligence allows you to somehow understand another person's plight even though you don't have personal experience remotely close to the matter. You'll experience such a strong and unlikely connection that you'll wonder if destiny's hand is pointing out a past life to you!

THIS WEEK'S BIRTHDAYS: A great leap forward is a risk; you could land funny and stumble backward instead. But during this week of your solar return, the fortunes favor you. Whether you opt for the comfortable low risk of taking small steps forward or go for the thrilling long-jump opportunity presented to you, you'll win. By mid-September you'll feel like a different person with more options. November brings travel, new friends and a change in your professional trajectory. Domestic improvements dominate 2017.

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