The way to get good at a thing is to play around with it first. It's why children are inclined to pretending: mock fights, sports, dress-up, etc. All are ways to go through the motions and try things on. It's not unique to the human realm; animals play, too. Pouncing into the sign of the cat, Venus has an excellent idea. Make a playful move.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). You'll form your life around what's important to you. A few hours here and there will turn into substantial blocks of time, and then a commitment, and then, before you know it, the endeavor is your lifestyle.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Breath is wasted in trying to say something appropriate. Better to let your curiosity lead you to the questions that will spring interactions to life. Riskier, maybe, but without risk there is no reward.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Your environment is full of optional experiences, some of which present themselves as givens. There are no givens. You get to choose how or if you want to engage.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). Just because you can name a feeling doesn't mean you have to claim the feeling, which is just energy moving through you. Feelings can come and go without defining or becoming you.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). The power source is already inside you, but the plug may have come out of the socket. Run yourself through a series of checks that will tell you where the energy is coming from and where it's going.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). In your mind, a trajectory seemed like an easy, singular ascent. In practice, there is no such a thing. Ask any bird. Learning to fly is a messy affair that starts with learning to fall.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). A picture assimilates in the ether and is sent straight to the email inbox of your mind. This can be a working map for you, as it's a kind of overhead shot of where you are going and the path to getting there.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). You're on an uphill climb, and this takes steady effort. Your contribution will feel like something you are doing for you and you alone, but when you elevate yourself, you elevate the collective spirit.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Adaptability is a willingness to change when the current tactic isn't working. Fickleness is an inclination to change regardless of the effectiveness of the current tactic. Success move: Stick to the plan a little longer.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). You are attracted to what is good for you. The actions that energize you will feel like the right thing to do. You'll be drawn to the people who pull you into life's fullness.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Certain loyalties seem so cemented in place that you don't think to test them. But it's a short distance from comfort to complacency. It's a day to think deeply into relationships, if only because the focus will seed appreciation.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). The bad news is also the good news: You will not win the lottery today. Instead, you will have the satisfaction of helping another person in a way money cannot buy.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAY (June 27). Your openness to good things is exactly what attracts them to you. July brings a circumstance to ramp up your vitality and inspire you toward exhilarating options. You'll be driven by ambition, not greed — the difference being a success that improves lives for many. The distinction is key to your achievement of lofty aims. Sagittarius and Capricorn adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 10, 4, 44, 38 and 5.

FORECAST FOR THE WEEK AHEAD: Scientists studying the animal kingdom have discovered that many animal species engage in play just as humans do. Though play is an instinct that sharpens and readies a juvenile animal for adult behaviors such as hunting and territorial fighting, playfulness often carries over into adult life as well. How do animals communicate to one another that they are playing and not actually attacking one another? The lightness of playful movement is a tipoff, with fake blows and bites, pulled claws, and takedowns less deliberate and forceful than an actual hunting behavior.

Additionally, scientists have recently tuned into an audible tipoff many animals share. Cats, canines, apes and more will signal to one another with a breathing sound — a rhythmic chuffling that communicates the message, "Let's pretend for a moment..." The human correlation here is the sound of laughter.

Venus enters the sign of the playful cat this week and the importance of play takes center stage. The Leo energy rules presentation, entertainment and performance. Our rule as a society is, anything happening on a stage is, by nature, pretend. And yet, we reward realism. We like our entertainment (aka "play") to give us the thrill of actually being in a circumstance. This Venus transit is an invitation to pretend. What would you like to try on? What would you like to practice a lighter version of? What would you like to laugh about?

CELEBRITY PROFILES: "The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt with the heart," said activist and author Helen Keller, who was rendered deaf and blind by a childhood disease. With the help of her teacher Annie Sullivan, she forever changed the way the world would think of the disabled. This triumphant spirit was born when the sun and Venus were in nurturing Cancer.

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Photo credit: AdinaVoicu at Pixabay