Star Power: The Week Ahead
________________PETER VIDAL

ARIES
(21 March - 20 April)
Romantically you’re approaching a time of give and take, mainly because of Venus’ slightly demanding and yet sensitive alignments. You will be challenged to show what you can do for other people in return for all the love and affection that you have so amply received in the past.

TAURUS
(21 April - 21 May)
One of your main concerns will be how to get on at work; either how to get the job you want or how to achieve a promotion. Much depends on your popularity and success in winning over those who are in authority or are in a position to do you a favour. Romantic opportunities should soon boost your spirits, so hang in there.

GEMINI
(22 May - 21 June)
Your emotional life seems to be intimately bound up with what is going on at home, and, for example, the family approval may seem to be more important to you than anything that your friends may say or believe. However, you must be very careful not to misunderstand other people’s intentions.

CANCER
(22 June - 23 July)
It would be quite wrong to pretend that everything will be smooth sailing, because unless you put the maximum effort into your plans you may be overcome by the obstacles. Therefore, in every area of your life, in love, in work and at home, you must push ahead with maximum confidence and a realisation that you can’t go far wrong.

LEO
(24 July - 23 August)
Towards the end of the current period it will become very clear that one partner at least is extremely happy to go their own way rather than compromise. This may be a sacrifice worth taking if you are to ensure your long-term happiness. Above all, don’t allow relatives, colleagues or co-workers to undermine your confidence.

VIRGO
(24 August - 23 September)
You should learn to appreciate your frequent swings in mood and also learn to enjoy a variety of social encounters, rather than just feeling unsettled by them. However, if you feel that others are now being unjust, unreasonable or unrealistic, go about town and let everyone know just how you feel. Of course, this is definitely no time for the traditional Virgoan shyness.

LIBRA
(24 September - 23 October)
It would be extremely unwise to be complacent about your current partnership problems, for you are about to reach what can only be described as a major turning point in your life. The precise shape of this is unknown, but it looks very much as if you will achieve exactly what you desire at home.

SCORPIO
(24 October - 22 November)
Travel and social affairs are due to benefit you a lot, and it seems very much as if you’ll be travelling some way to be with friends, or suddenly meeting new people in unexpected places. Being of a secretive disposition it really will be quite a break for you to get out and about.

SAGITTARIUS
(23 November - 22 December)
What is looking increasingly likely is that, while your own finances continue to look complex and confused, partners seem to be doing very nicely, thank you. However, the picture is far from simple, and what looks difficult now may turn out to be helpful later on. As the old saying goes, every cloud has a silver lining.

CAPRICORN
(23 December - 20 January)
The challenge from Jup-iter to your sign pretty well guarantees that partners will be in a generous mood and will have your interests at heart. You will gain enormously from the goodwill of loved ones, friends and relatives, even though help will probably be offered discreetly.

AQUARIUS
(21 Janury - 19 February)
Remember that at every point of each social or romantic encounter you need to be aware of other people’s hopes and expectations. Therefore do your best to please and don’t set yourself up as some arbitrary judge of what is right and wrong. Loved ones will be dependent on your goodwill.

PISCES
(20 February - 20 March)
Social contacts look set to prosper, even though people who you meet now may put out conflicting signals. What seems especially likely is that new acquaintances will be of great use to you in months to come as you struggle to establish yourself on a new footing in your work.

IF IT’S YOUR BIRTHDAY

Sunday, August 13
Your personal and public lives will move towards becoming awfully muddled, even if the results can often be quite amusing. However, do try not to misread other people’s intentions. Instead, why don’t you focus on the variouos improvements that you can make in your relationships over the coming 12 months?

Monday, August 14
The balance of power appears to have shifted quite recently, yet the signs are that you, or a close friend, are putting up a stiff fight. One of the major issues, revolves around whose ideas and plans are the best in the long-term. Is it yours or is it theirs. It may not yet be the time to submit to compromises, so please wait until you feel it is the right moment.

Tuesday, August 15
This certainly looks like an adventurous moment, although the strange thing with risks is that they only work if you have already calculated all the odds. How a curious situation works out in practice, only you can decide. A loved one will back you within weeks. I hope that’s soon enough for you!

Wednesday, August 16
Business matters are very much on your mind. If you are sensible then you’ll soon be saving up for the future and looking for different ways with which to maximise your profits. Yet if you follow your principles and accept adventurous invitations, you’ll realise that emotional riches are much more important than
money.

Thursday, August 17
Practical matters take the primary place in your life, and rather than starting off on brand new ventures, you would do best to finish what you’ve already begun. If you’re making choices, go for unusual options. You don’t have to follow them through, but at least you’ll explore the unknown.

Friday, August 18
Being boss of your own household is no more than you deserve. However, before you achieve your current domestic goals you may have to work out a number of broader hopes and wishes. In other words, you’ll only get what you want in a circuitous and roundabout way.

Saturday, August 19
You seem to have quite a good business sense, not to mention an uncanny ability to see the right way through the sort of financial maze which often confuses other people. Understand that success depends on your ability to distinguish fact from fantasy.

Next - Star Watch - The Hurriyat