Aries (March 20-April 19) — The Sun enters your sign today, beginning the astrological year and a new season of your life. When equinox arrives, a surge of energy is released, which even the grass, the trees and the critters experience. Humans are growing less in touch with the passing seasons, though I suggest you get more in touch. The equinox will breathe energy into what’s already an extraordinary moment for you, with many developments brewing in your life. There are two plots developing. One appears to be taking you back to a past relationship or important phase of your life. Another seems to be propelling you into the future. These scenarios may not look related, though over the next few weeks, you can trust that the elements will come together. No matter what seems to be happening, remember that there’s just one story after all, which is your life.

Taurus (April 19-May 20) — Mars in your sign represents energy, commitment and some force motivating you to live fully. Feel every cell in your body. Notice your moods and your desires consciously. Get in touch with your passion and with your anger. Taurus has a reputation for trying to suppress both, and at the moment, the planets are suggesting that you stay with your feelings. Long ago, a Taurus friend revealed what I believe is the secret to happiness for those born under your sign: take care of your physical needs first, and all else will follow. That means taking care of food, water, sleep and other things related to your body. Practice this with the devotion of yoga. Speaking of: with Mars in the neighborhood, physical activity is a necessity. It does not matter what kind: dancing, martial arts or walking up a mountain. You will discover a formula for happiness.

Gemini (May 20-June 21) — Your life may be relatively calm now, though over the next week or so, the pace of activity, events and social contacts will be picking up considerably. You may think you’re busy now; however, I suggest you ease back and take some quiet time, out of the limelight. Sort out your personal priorities, speak to your closest friends, and make some decisions about what’s important to you. Once the pace picks up, you’ll have the sensation that there’s no time to think. If you know that in advance, you’ll know what you want and what you don’t want when various opportunities present themselves. And there’s no question about it: that will be happening. When you meet new friends and find yourself on unexpected adventures, your old friends and quiet spaces of retreat become more important than ever. Treasure them, and remind yourself that they’re there.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — The Sun’s ingress into Aries early Monday puts you into the spotlight. Aries is your 10th solar house — the house of reputation, achievement and responsibility. Remember how hard you’ve worked to earn your reputation. Remind yourself that you’ve accomplished some brilliant and even unlikely things. And keep in mind that all of this puts you in a position of responsibility. You’re finally at a point where you see this as a privilege and not a burden. Part of why the world is in such dire straits is that so few people are willing to be accountable. I’m not sure what the resistance is, but that’s not your problem. Check over your work, make your decisions carefully and remember that your life influences and even impacts the lives of others. Your life is better for knowing and honoring this. Cancer is the sign of the family and the brood. You’re one of the adults in the room.

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — For the past month, the Sun has been inching its way through Pisces, which for you is the sign of shared finances, emotional bonding, sexual passion and the place where all these things meet. From the look of your solar chart, this has been a somewhat complicated few weeks, where you’ve had to sort out various situations that really did need honesty and clarity. Now the Sun has entered your fellow fire sign Aries, moving into an angle of your chart where you are free to leave all that behind. Moreover, you can turn your mind and your aspirations toward some future possibilities that have been patiently waiting for you. The world has become a much bigger place while you were taking care of other things, and you have some beautiful possibilities waiting for you. Don’t worry about what to choose: that will be obvious when the time comes.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — If we track the movement of the Virgo planet #1, Mercury, one thing is clear: you are determined to find your independence and your individuality. Most people want this on some level. What holds them back, though, are perceived needs that they think only others can meet. You won’t know if something is actually a need until you experiment living without it for a while; and finally you’re free to do that. You have enough basis for comparison to see that when it comes to meeting your actual needs, there’s something inefficient about relationships the way you’ve been doing them. For example, it’s not that helpful for people to heap expectations onto one another. It’s not useful to subvert your desires to protect someone’s insecurities. You know that you must take up the challenge of your own healing process, and engage with others who are consciously willing to do so.

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — It’s somewhat humorous the extent to which Librans value peace, quiet and a sense of balance — and the universe seems to be delivering anything but these things to you now. Your world is a busy place lately. There are many days when everything seems to happen at once. This is a truth of our lives. You, however, possess the intelligence to know that you have a true need for space and time to yourself. Use your wits and your leadership skills to arrange this for yourself. Do not ask permission; rather, get cooperation. Be bold about this. Make sure any responsibilities are covered for some time every day — weekday and weekend — and give yourself a break. Remind yourself how much tying up of loose ends you do for everyone. Pass some responsibility onto those who will benefit from just a smidge of self-reliance. Then declare yourself free to do nothing but read a book or look out the window, even for an hour. Regularly.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — Don’t fall for the line that Americans (or whoever) work too much. For you, work is where you find your identity. This is one of those Scorpio facts that you never hear mentioned. Work is profoundly important to you, and consequently you must have something to do every day that is 1) not boring and 2) actually meaningful, relevant and helpful to others. The net result will be that you’ll feel more solid in who you are; you will feel more real; you will live with purpose. More than overwork being an issue in our society, it’s the lack of meaning that’s the actual problem. And you have the solution: this I can tell from the extraordinary activity in Aries, the work and wellness angle of your chart. Refuse to cling to old routines and old habits. Keep awake and alert. What you want is looking right at you, and is within your reach.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — Right underneath any pressure or burden you may feel is some extraordinary potential. This is akin to the Sun being blocked by the clouds; it’s still there — you just can’t feel it at full intensity. The clouds, though, are in your mind, and you have the power to clear them; to see through them; to disregard them entirely and proceed anyway. There’s a bold and beautiful light shining through you. Of all the signs, you possess the most direct spiritual connection, so strong that at times you must deny its existence. It’s time to stop doing that. Moreover, you’re now free to recognize that you are the agent of manifestation of the universe’s will. This is not so outgoing a role as one might think; the work is mostly done within, through seeking deep inner contact with your source, and making all of your decisions based on what you learn.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — The Sun’s ingress into Aries will be highlighting family-related matters, and will focus attention on your household. This region of your chart, called the 4th solar house, is also connected to emotional security. You’ve got a lot going on in this house — the conjunction of Uranus and Eris, the forthcoming meeting of the Sun and Venus, and Mercury doing many interesting things. You cannot find your stability in clinging to the past, or to the idea of security. You need a much wider sense of what it means to feel grounded and confident living on the planet. Let’s start with an intangible resource: your intelligence. You can feel safe because you’re smart and sensitive. But like all resources, you must use this wisely and with discretion. Use your brains to notice the gaps in your knowledge; ask the right questions; formulate the answers carefully. And please, try to let go of that habit of outsmarting yourself.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — When you’re overwhelmed with data, there’s actually something you can do. Rather than trying to analyze all of it, experiment with pattern recognition. This is a low-energy approach to analysis, which mostly involves observation. Rather than putting your mind into four-wheel drive, relax and watch the events, ideas, information and people go by. Look at the statistics, if you have some, and notice the most basic trends: what’s growing, what’s shrinking, and where the energy is tending to flow. You might think of this as metadata, which reveals far more than the government wants you to know. From this analysis, you’ll be able to spot some issues you can respond to without much work. The thing not to do is “go by your gut.” You need actual grist for the mill. You need good data going in, so you get useful results on the other end.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — This is a rather interesting time for you financially. In another example of the “what they didn’t tell you about your sign” files (or what they got totally wrong), Pisces is, by all rights, the master of finance of the zodiac. This has conditions, though, all of which may be met at the moment. For one thing, you must take the initiative and set financial stability or a certain level of wealth as a goal. For another, you must use your abundant creativity, tempering it with logic and what you’ve learned from experience. And rather than wanting money as a primary objective, you’re the sensitive spiritual type: you must connect it to some larger purpose that you’re here to fulfill. Money for its own sake is useless and often toxic. Money connected to a purpose is energy that can get a result that benefits you and the world around you at the same time — and that’s what you live for.