Horoscopes: Friday, September 8, 2017

ARIES (March 21-April 19). Solitude can be healing, though some people will go to great lengths to avoid it. They mistake being alone for being lonely. Remember, loneliness is not a number, but a lack of connection.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Some will lower their inhibitions through chemicals to be more social, but they are unnecessary and could be harmful. Lower your inhibitions through your mind-set - or through dancing.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Attention isn't the goal for you today. You don't want to be the smooth one, the one whom everyone wants to impress or date or befriend. You have good reasons for staying under the radar.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). Distance is a funny thing for you now. In some ways, you'll feel more influential and important to people who are far away than you will to those at arm's length.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). The real message will be smuggled into a conversation via socially acceptable chit-chat, small talk, expected banter. Listen for it. You don't have to address it now, but make note of this underlying truth.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Your analyzing mind has solved many problems for you and helped you excel. That said, it's not the right mind to heal emotional wounds. Employ your heart and body to that task.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Today, you're like a jazz musician. You know your piece too well to play it note for note. The solid melody at the core of your day will have many embellishments and tangents to keep it fresh.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). Narrow the gap between your idea of where you are now and your idea of where you want to be. "Your idea" is the operative phrase. Perception of a place isn't the place. Ideas change.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). There's someone who tends to twist the mood in a downward spiral. Perhaps this person is unavoidable. Plan ahead and put up emotional armor, including a shield made of good humor.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Psychologists call preoccupation with what went wrong "rumination." This mode of critical thinking makes us feel worse. Awareness is key. Instead of analyzing, accept. Instead of doing, be.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Old patterns feel comfortable, but that feeling of familiarity doesn't make them truer. Repetition fosters belief, but that doesn't make it true. Figure out what's correct before you repeat it.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Thinking is not all there is to conscious experience. Today, a cosmic perk will come without any effort on your behalf. Your senses will be naturally more engaged, and your intuition will be keen.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAY (Sept. 8). This solar return raises the tone you bring to your life events, which will serve you in the moment and beyond. Memories are not flat, linear representations, but 3D snapshots of everything, including your mood. Love and joy spill over through the end of your year. Shrewd business leads to lucrative deals in February. Leo and Sagittarius adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 10, 2, 16, 50, and 27.