Virgo (Aug Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Why wait ...

Why wait for a suitable coconspirator? The females of some species have mastered parthenogenesis, the ability to reproduce without a male. Some whiptail lizard populations in the Southwestern United States are entirely female. For untold generations, they've endured by producing identical offspring, perfect clones of themselves. The absence of genetic diversity does make these groups uniquely vulnerable to change. However, just to get you through this dry spell, temporarily adopting the virgin birth strategy?at least in terms of creation, if not procreation?is better than not generating any ideas at all. What're you waiting for? Start popping out Mini-Me's, already.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

Elitism may just be your downfall. Your unwillingness to stand beside the unwashed masses makes you an easy target. While your mild snobbery is probably perfectly justified, it could be dangerous. There's a difference between carefully choosing friends and passing judgment based on some preconceived frivolity, like appearance or heritage. Your current project, by its very nature, requires a dream team pulled from all walks of life and as many flavors of experience as possible. Put aside?at the very least, temporarily?whatever minor prejudices you still possess, or almost certainly risk failure. You can go back to your tried and true standards of quality later?if you still want to.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

You thought you were so clever, when you?a la Fantasia's "The Sorcerer's Apprentice"?made minions to do your dirty work for you. As Mickey learned, what's created isn't easily uncreated. A helpful ally can, when left unchecked, quickly become a destructive monster. And unlike our animated friend, you lack a powerful wizard who can sweep in, disenchant your overhelpful golems and instantly dry up the flood they created. In other words, do your own work, dirty or otherwise. If you must delegate your duties, make sure you have the means to abort the mission if (or more likely, when) the cronies you choose screw it up.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

Make sure you're limbered up before you attempt any feats that could result in injury or disaster if not properly executed. Getting ready for your newest goals isn't as easy as touching your toes and doing neck rolls. Mental flexibility is both more necessary and harder to acquire than physical suppleness. Before you leap into action, give your wits a stretch: make clever prank phone calls, guess the astrological signs of your favorite sitcom characters or recite the opening lines from a literary classic, backwards ("Times of worst the was it, times of best the was it?"), until your brain is as bendy and playful as it needs to be.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

When an opossum crawled into his wall and died, my Capricorn friend Chris was horrified. He hired experts to extract the rotting thing, but the best they could do was locate the pipe it had entered, throw in some odor-eating pellets and offer their condolences. What became known as The Smell lingered for months. Chris slept with his windows wide open, and gave up all hope of having a sex life at home. The Smell faded so gradually that Chris didn't notice until one day he inhaled deeply and realized it had vanished completely. You, too, have been laboring under an enduring, if subtle, oppression. But you've incrementally become more free. In fact, the pall you've suffered under is now wholly gone, if only you'd notice.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

In order to succeed this week, you must temporarily abandon your usual forthrightness in favor of more devious methodologies. Think squid, or skunk. The heretofore rarely used skill you require is the sneaky getaway. Squirt a cloud of ink and disappear, or blast your nemesis with noxious mist and waddle your ass out of there. Of course, like both squid and skunk, give your pursuers plenty of warning before you make your escape, so they have the option of backing off before you're pushed to such extremes. Just don't let them catch you because you're unwilling to be as devious as you need to be.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)

You're the master of mixed impulses. They're what compel you to eat french fries on pizza and wear clothing combinations that would look like fashion disasters on anyone else. But somehow, you make oddball arrangements work. This week's Pisces full moon ought to inspire some even more unusual (and effective) amalgamations, but only if you put yourself in situations where they're required or desired (necessity being the mother of invention and all). In other words, this isn't a good week to hole up in your house eating bonbons. Get out there and play, play, play.

Aries (March 21-April 19)

Mama Bird's pushing you out of the nest, again. She's confused: If you're so unready to fly, how did you get back here in the first place? You try to point out how fragile and underdeveloped your fledgling wings are, but she's got a point: they'll never get stronger loafing around the nest eating regurgitated worms. Spare your nervous, overworked nurturer this burden on top of all the others she's already shouldering. Before she has a chance to get all flustered experiencing an inner battle between guilt and necessity, hop to the edge of the nest, reaffirm your faith (bolstered by several successful trial runs) and leap.

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

Take out your mental garbage, already. Clouds of flies buzz persistently over the kitchen of your mind, where you cook up new ideas. It's starting to reek so bad in there that Creativity and Inspiration have gone into hiding. The trash chute (or whatever method you usually use to get rid of this crap) is clogged, so it's going to take a little more work than usual to get your psychological rubbish to the curb for weekly pick-up. Nevertheless, get your ass in gear, curb your gag reflex and stop retching long enough to do whatever it takes?even hauling dripping bags of filth down 10 flights of steps?to clear your head.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

The cat prefers sipping from the tap. He's too prissy to lap lukewarm water from a bowl. The dog, on the other hand, is content to drink from a dirty brown puddle. Being a Gemini, you can appreciate both these attitudes. While a certain degree of fastidiousness is reasonable, it can also be fun to hang with someone who's as laidback as our toilet-drinking canine friends. Since the people you spend time with this week will have an intensified effect on your overall attitude, make sure you choose the ones that will tug you in the right direction. Feeling too anal? The neighbor chick with hairy armpits and some really good pot could fix you right up. Or is slobbiness consuming your life? Date a Virgo. They'll soon have you going to the gym, cleaning up and eating right?on a schedule, no less.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

This year, the Pisces full moon's lush influence will be even more pronounced than usual, thanks to the uniquely receptive state you've been in lately. The symbol for Pisces is two tethered fish swimming in opposite directions; likewise, its effects can be chaotic and confusing. It can also be a hell of a lot of fun, if you allow yourself to just roll with it. Luckily, you'll find it easier than usual to release the last vestiges of control-freak-tendencies you've been harboring, at least for a couple days. Since you may not see the beautiful and unusual creatures that emerge during this full moon for a whole year, hold nothing back, so you don't have to spend the next 51 weeks kicking yourself for missing a golden opportunity.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22)

Most Leos enjoy being bossy, at least occasionally. Therefore you appreciate friends (like those sweet, malleable Pisceans) who prefer to avoid making decisions and are happy letting someone else take charge. But you wouldn't be content commanding every situation, would you? You also crave surprises and challenges that don't come with always getting your way. This week, enjoy the sweet pushovers who bend to your magnanimous will, but also make sure your days are populated by a fair number of salty stalwarts who are just as likely to push you around (for your own good, of course) as take orders.

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