Horoscopes:
The midwinter sun
By Imhotep
People born under the three zodiac signs of summer in the Northern Hemisphere -- Cancer, Leo and Virgo -- invariably exhibit an admirable tenacity. Cancer and Leo, in particular, are among the strongest characters. Crabs and Lions often think and act bigger than others. All are typically conscious of their magnetic appeal.
People born under the cardinal Water sign of Cancer (22 Jun-22 Jul) are characteristically as different from each other as the late Diana, Princess of Wales, and Camilla Parker- Bowles -- two Cancerians who fell for the same watery Scorpio, Prince Charles. Still, no hard-shelled Crab, not even the fleshiest and tastiest, can be stung by a Scorpion.
And the truth is no two Cancerians are alike. Be they a Di or a Parker- Bowles, they can draw on their vast reserves of talent and enthusiasm in January. Cancerians are shrewd -- some are sharp, others sly. All are intuitive and perceptive. A word of advice: never cross a Crab -- they might forgive, they never forget. Crabs are by nature moody characters, but this January they will maintain high spirits no matter what.
They will be fine, at least, so long as they relinquish that retentive memory of theirs. Otherwise they'll suffer more than ever from stomach and digestion problems, their heavenly scourge. Please don't dwell on painful childhood memories, Crabs. Otherwise you'll end up with ulcers.
Cancer is a cardinal sign and Crabs make natural leaders -- they exude charisma. Yearning for harmony, their lives are enmeshed in controversy. George W Bush is a Cancerian and so is OJ Simpson, and Imelda Marcos. My own favourite Cancerians include my firstborn and my sister, closely followed by the Dalai Lama and Meryl Streep.
People born under the fixed Fire sign of Leo (23 Jul-22 Aug) are confident and outgoing. They know what they want and they go for it. Which is not always a good thing, since they are prone to romantic and sexual overindulgence -- the world's balls of fire par excellance. But my dear Leonians, take heed: there are far too many irons in the fire at the moment. Monarchs of the jungle you might be, but arrogance, haughtiness, snobbishness can land you into lots of trouble towards the end of January.
Leonians are generous to their lovers, while love lasts -- generous to a fault, in fact. Like lions and lionesses of the wild, they are notorious for their sexual exploits. Some Leonians are driven from one attractive partner to the next with such speed they leave a sorry trail of tears behind them. Leonians must ultimately learn how to curb their insatiable lust. Mind you, I have come across a few asexual Lions.
When I first introduced this column, I advised people to check their Ascendant, Love, Passion and Power signs, because they are influences that either profoundly moderate or accentuate a person's Sun sign attributes. Both George W Bush (a Cancerian) and Dick Cheney (an Aquarian) have their Planet of Power in Leo. Need I say more ...
People born under the mutable Earth sign of Virgo (23 Aug-22 Sep) are circumspect, but indecisive. Like a cat with seven lives, Yasser Arafat, the ultimate survivor, is a typical Virgo. Selfless Mother Teresa and sybaritic Ingrid Bergman were not. Virgoan women oscillate from bright, creative girl and to nagging, spinsterish perfectionist -- never satisfied come what may. For those who might think otherwise, they are mood swings that have nothing to do with age -- or menopause.
Virgoans are people who articulate commonly held views. They are conventional, conservative creatures who can be fussy, fastidious perfectionists. Virgoans are the Marthas of this world, always fretting over the mundane. And they have an irritating tendency to make a mountain out of a molehill. They know instinctively that nothing under the sun lasts too long, and they act accordingly. Uncharacteristically, however, Virgoans will not be paralysed by caution and reserve this January. On the contrary, if you are a virgin, let your hair down and enjoy life to the full.
