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OUR much-loved astrologer Meg sadly died in 2023 but her column will be kept alive by her friend and protégée Maggie Innes.

Read on to see what’s written in the stars for you today. 

ARIES

March 21 to April 20

Uranus is upending your chart of communication and contacts, brining a general sense of excitement.

You may feel an urge to break bonds or cut talks, but stick with situations until sure. In love, the less someone says, the more they can mean.

A full moon of surprise success can help restart a business plan.

 TAURUS

April 21 to May 21

What matters most to you is in your personal spotlight – as you see value can lie deeper than cash.

Surprise decisions linked to your future can feel familiar once you make them – and this can be the week to do so.

The next seven years can be an adventure. A learning path may start slowly, but can speed up.

Get all the latest Taurus horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions

GEMINI

May 22 to June 21

Your sign welcomes unruly, imaginative Uranus, to start a seven-year spell of making happiness your hot pick.

You have sidelined needs and feelings – but now excuses fade and excitement rises.

In love? The full moon’s emotional depth helps your eyes say what your heart feels.

Single? Your soulmate has a transforming job.

Get all the latest Gemini horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions

CANCER

June 22 to July 22

Keeping secrets may have become second nature, but it’s time to break the habit.

You have support from planets of independence, but true determination comes from inside.

An open atmosphere, at home and at work, is where you grow best.

Holding back love doubts may feel a strong move, but can weaken you.

Get all the latest Cancer horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions

LEO

July 23 to August 23

Love is on the brink of a new phase that may challenge you more, but also reward you better.

If you are with a partner, and resisting change, this week’s big planet moves can inspire courage.

Single? Ditching a dating plan and starting afresh can be a positive move.

Shimmering surfaces link to luck.

Get all the latest Leo horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions

VIRGO

August 24 to September 22

Your creativity is intensified by the full moon, so big ideas come in the quietest moments.

But you will instantly recognise these as special.

Matching music to key moments is a real skill – and you can return to a goal people may have ­considered too outrageous for you.

It’s time to prove them all wrong.

Get all the latest Virgo horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions

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Your career chart is more open than it’s been for years, so turn vague ambitions into action[/caption]

LIBRA

September 23 to October 23

So many barriers fall, boundaries extend and doors open wide as Uranus shifts to a fellow air sign.

Maximising this momentous time may not be easy, but you can learn a lot about yourself.

Resetting romance more on your terms can be one outcome.

Single? Two potential love interests are worlds apart.

Get all the latest Libra horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions

SCORPIO

October 24 to November 22

Everything you think you know can change along with Uranus, and self-awareness can begin.

You see where you may have made too many sacrifices or wasted time, and you focus on being your most authentic self.

This can make your closest bonds mean more to you as you see what you need to do next.

Get all the latest Scorpio horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions

SAGITTARIUS

November 23 to December 21

The right deal is not always the most obvious – in love and life.

You feel rebellion stir deep inside, plus the ability to shake up situations others may feel are fixed.

The next seven years can take you to new titles, looks, addresses and a partnership that refreshes romance daily.

The moon monitors impulse buys.

Get all the latest Sagittarius horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions

CAPRICORN

December 22 to January 20

Your career chart is more open than it’s been for years, so turn vague ambitions into action.

Making one call or writing one message can be the first step.

Your mindset changes to see mistakes as positive steps, not negatives.

In love? With the Capricorn full moon, you can say and do unusually daring things.

Get all the latest Capricorn horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions

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You’ve never been one to follow the rules, and a Uranus shift emphasises your uniqueness[/caption]

AQUARIUS

January 21 to February 18

You’ve never been one to follow the rules, and a Uranus shift emphasises your uniqueness.

There’s a strong chart creative streak, but take your time.

Don’t rush headstrong into the first option as ­better ones might be ahead.

Passion is wide awake and rousing a previously sleeping part of your heart.

Get all the latest Aquarius horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions

PISCES

February 19 to March 20

Being a good friend and family member matters to you.

But do you get back as much as you give?

Perhaps you need to scale back your gifts, in everything from time to lifts, if this is a one-way ­situation.

In love? Feeling secure in yourself starts with accepting your flaws.

Single? Your dream date has a guidance job.

Get all the latest Pisces horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions

OUR much-loved astrologer Meg sadly died in 2023 but her column will be kept alive by her friend and protégé Maggie Innes.

Read on to see what’s written in the stars for you today. 

SAGITTARIUS

NOV 23 – DEC 21

Read our horoscopes live blog for the latest readings

The right deal is not always the most obvious – in love and life.  This week you feel rebellion stir deep inside, plus the ability to shake up situations everyone else may feel are fixed. 

The next seven years can take you towards new titles, looks, addresses, plus partnership that refreshes romance every day and never gets dull. 

A money-minded moon monitors impulse buys. 

DESTINY DAYS: Abide by a family promise on Monday.  Give your creative self free rein on Wednesday. Watch or listen to something completely outside  your comfort zone on Saturday.

LUCKY LINKS: Beach-style fashion.  A text of four words, or symbols.  Someone who rarely follows instructions.

THE NEW U: How you meet, and match with, significant people in your life can change as planet Uranus moves signs. 

If single, you’re ready to try an unusual method, or activity, as a means to meet someone new. Or a brand new dating service that centres on untapped, unexpected shared skills or personality traits.

If you’re in love, taking less for granted, and finding more ways to show you care, can unlock a part of a lovebond that’s been closed off for months. 

The New U, for Sagittarius, lives, connects and loves, purely on your own terms.

Fabulous is the home of horoscopes, with weekly updates on what’s in store for your star sign as well as daily predictions.

You can also use our series of guides to find out everything from which star sign to hook up with for the steamiest sex to what it’s like to live your life totally by your horoscope.

OUR much-loved astrologer Meg sadly died in 2023 but her column will be kept alive by her friend and protégé Maggie Innes.

Read on to see what’s written in the stars for you today. 

SCORPIO

OCT 24 – NOV 22

Read our horoscopes live blog for the latest readings

Everything you think you know can be changing along with Uranus – a time of new self-awareness can begin. 

You now see where you may have made too many sacrifices, or wasted too much time – and you focus instead on being your most authentic self. 

This can make your closest bonds mean more to you –as you see, and accept, clearly what you need to do next. 

DESTINY DAYS: Streamline regular spending on Tuesday. Try a new food timetable on Thursday. Be the kindest version of yourself  on Sunday.

LUCKY LINKS: Checked fabrics or floors.  Two pianos played at the same time. A picture drawn by a child, or children.

THE NEW U: You are even more sensual and sexual as planet Uranus 
shifts zodiac sectors – and you know exactly what and who you need.  

Even if this comes as quite a surprise to people who know you. 

This can often indicate opposites attracting, and this time, acting on it instead of keeping feelings trapped inside. 

You have faith in your own beliefs and morals, and are more than ready for new life and love beginnings. 

The New U, for Scorpio,  is ready to be born again over the next seven years – bolder and braver.

Fabulous is the home of horoscopes, with weekly updates on what’s in store for your star sign as well as daily predictions.

You can also use our series of guides to find out everything from which star sign to hook up with for the steamiest sex to what it’s like to live your life totally by your horoscope.

OUR much-loved astrologer Meg sadly died in 2023 but her column will be kept alive by her friend and protégé Maggie Innes.

Read on to see what’s written in the stars for you today.

VIRGO

AUG 24 – SEPT 22

Read our horoscopes live blog for the latest readings

Your pure personal creativity is intensified by the full moon – so big ideas can come to you in the smallest, quietest moments. 

But you will instantly recognise these as something special. 

Matching music to special moments is a key skill all week – and you can also return to a goal everyone else may have considered too outrageous for you.  It’s time to prove them all wrong!

DESTINY DAYS: Monday you can make fast, and good, family decisions.  

Thursday works well for pushing through cash changes. Mix two very different groups together well on Saturday.  

LUCKY LINKS: A family who love to play games together.  A display of coloured lights. A picture of an Italian landmark.

THE NEW U: You now have Uranus starting a new track in your zone of success and goal-setting. 

However unlikely ambitions may seem to people around you, if you believe in them, you can and will make them work. 

Just make sure you keep everyone involved informed of your 
immediate plans.

Prizes can happen when you take a whole new approach to a regular contest, or enter one you’ve never thought of before. 

The New U, for Virgo, welcomes success – but it must be on your own terms.

Fabulous is the home of horoscopes, with weekly updates on what’s in store for your star sign as well as daily predictions.

You can also use our series of guides to find out everything from which star sign to hook up with for the steamiest sex to what it’s like to live your life totally by your horoscope.

OUR much-loved astrologer Meg sadly died in 2023 but her column will be kept alive by her friend and protégé Maggie Innes.

Read on to see what’s written in the stars for you today. 

LIBRA

SEPT 23 – OCT 23

Read our horoscopes live blog for the latest readings

So many barriers fall, boundaries extend and doors open wide as planet Uranus shifts to a fellow air sign. 

Maximising this momentous zodiac time may not always be easy, but you can learn so much, about yourself and your life. 

Resetting romance more on your terms can be one outcome. 

If you’re single, this includes road-testing two worlds-apart potential romances. 

DESTINY DAYS: Speed up love action on Tuesday – but slow it all down again on Thursday. Especially around “F”. You’ve got exceptional cash insight on Friday.

LUCKY LINKS: A handwritten letter or note.  The friend who always brings unusual gifts. Pink and white flowers.

THE NEW U: Your travel and discovery chart is adventurous and vivacious for the next seven years, thanks to explorer planet Uranus. 

Maybe you have been busy telling yourself just why a journey can’t or won’t happen, but if you truly want to make a unique trip, one way or another, you can reach your destination. 

But this may mean some daring decisions, perhaps a break from a group or person who hold you back, even for the most caring or kind of reasons. 

The New U, for Libra,  is an intrepid traveller, and devoted student of life and love.

Fabulous is the home of horoscopes, with weekly updates on what’s in store for your star sign as well as daily predictions.

You can also use our series of guides to find out everything from which star sign to hook up with for the steamiest sex to what it’s like to live your life totally by your horoscope.

OUR much-loved astrologer Meg sadly died in 2023 but her column will be kept alive by her friend and protégé Maggie Innes.

Read on to see what’s written in the stars for you today.

Sign up for the Mystic Meg newsletter.

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CANCER

JUNE 22 – JULY 22

Keeping secrets may have become second nature, but it’s time now to break the habit.

You have support from planets of independence and honesty, but the true determination comes from inside yourself.

A more open atmosphere, at home and at work, is where you can grow best.

In love terms, too, holding back any doubts may feel like a strong move, but it can weaken you.

DESTINY DAYS

Double-check all measurements, especially on Tuesday.

A casual work chat on Wednesday can lead to a firm offer by Friday.

LUCKY LINKS

A street linked to “G”.

The theme tune for your favourite comedy show.

An outfit in three parts.

THE NEW U

So many things you hide away because you are not sure how they would be received, even by people who really care about you.

As zodiac maverick Uranus switches signs, the only version of you that can work in the world is one that is upfront and genuine, and encourages/allows others to be the same.

This may mean breaking and remaking bonds.

But you are prepared for this, and over the next seven years, you will rediscover who you really are.

The New U, for Cancer, has a near-psychic sense of what you need, and pays attention to it.

Fabulous is the home of horoscopes, with weekly updates on what’s in store for your star sign as well as daily predictions.

You can also use our series of guides to find out everything from which star sign to hook up with for the steamiest sex to what it’s like to live your life totally by your horoscope.

WITH terracotta-red rooftops tessellated more precisely than the most intricate of Tetris puzzles, the view of the walled city of Dubrovnik from leafy Srd mountain looks like something straight off a film set.

We’re 412m above the Old Town ­– a UNESCO World Heritage Site – and with the Adriatic Sea stretching out into the horizon, it’s nothing short of picture-perfect.

We stop for a pricey Coke, £6, at the Panorama Restaurant, but it’s worth every delicious sip to sit for an hour and watch the world go by, before getting the busy cable car back down.

Return trips cost £23 per person.

Catch of the day

In the port below, tiny fishing boats bulging with early morning catches of squid and John Dory can be seen racing the local tour boats to the best moorings in the harbour.

Nets full of fresh fish are then delivered to the plethora of restaurants in the Old Town.

Stylish Portun, close to the entrance to the city, is where my friend Caroline and I enjoy fish smothered in garlic, with local octopus salad and Istrian ravioli stuffed with prawns.

An oozing chocolate fondant finishes things off nicely.

Three courses cost £33 (Portun-dubrovnik.com).

Dubrovnik’s charming cobbled streets, baroque churches and pretty squares date back to the 7th century, and arriving at the north gate of the city walls the next morning feels like walking straight into a fairy tale.

A boat trip to the island of Lokrum, just a 10-minute ride away and home to a natural salt-water swimming lake, wild peacocks, luscious shady botanical gardens and a Benedictine monastery built in 1023, proves a great day trip.

Tickets cost £26 per person (Lokrum.hr).

Later, we find Aroma, home to Dubrovnik’s best gelato – and the long queues prove it.

Luckily, a cup of salted pistachio ice cream, £5, is worth the wait.

Settling down for the evening in bustling Gundulic Square, we tuck into tasty margherita pizza, £11, and a bottle of crisp white Graševina wine, £41.50, at charming Pizzeria Castro.

Here, locals on the next table insist we watch the sunset from Buza Bar, a unique tiny cliffside place to the west of the city walls, accessed via a narrow hole in the wall (Bbuza.com).

Sitting on the whitewashed veranda, we watch local teens diving into the crystal-clear waters below from rocks on either side of us as we sip local wine from tins, £6, before wandering back to our beds.

Room with a view

Built into a cliffside to the north of the Old Town, the five-star Rixos Premium Dubrovnik is a 20-minute walk from the city walls, and our sea-view room comes with a Jacuzzi bath and walk-in wardrobe.

The buffet breakfast is a feast, too – don’t miss the local sheep’s cheese counter.

Croatia has the cleanest sea water in Europe and snorkelling the next morning off the hotel deck, below the main sunbathing platform, we catch glimpses of octopus and crabs.

We celebrate our finds with a pint of local Ozujsko lager from the pool bar, £6, and a grilled shrimp Caesar salad, £27, before walking along the pebbled shore of Sunset Beach at dusk.

Come evening, a duo of violinists serenade us as a full moon lights up the bay.

It’s just as magical as the moment we arrived.

APPRENTICE star and West Ham United vice-chair Karren Brady answers your careers questions.

Here, Karren gives her expert career advice to a reader who has been left to present a stressful project alone after her colleague took a last minute holiday.

Q: My colleague and I have been working on a stressful project for the past six months and it’s finally reaching the crunch point – but she’s chosen to take a last-minute holiday over the two weeks we need to deliver the project and present it internally, then put it in front of the client.

I understand the whole process of getting the project to this point has been difficult and meant some long hours, but I feel abandoned and like I now have to carry it all on my own, which is causing me huge anxiety and stress.

What should I do?

Amelia, via email

A: First, speak to your manager about the situation as soon as possible.

Explain clearly that with your colleague away during such a critical phase, you’re concerned about the impact on delivery of the project and don’t want the workload and pressure to compromise the final result.

Ask whether some tasks can be reassigned or if extra support is available.

Set firm boundaries – don’t take on everything alone, especially at the cost of your physical and mental health.

Keep a written record of your agreed responsibilities and decisions during this time to protect yourself and manage expectations.

When your colleague returns, have a respectful but honest conversation about how this affected you, so it’s less likely to happen again.

Most importantly, prioritise your mental health and wellbeing – take breaks, ask for help when you need it and be clear about what you can and can’t do.

As tough as the current situation is, moments like these can highlight your resilience and capabilities, and will give you a chance to show your manager how well you handle pressure and take the lead when it counts.

• Got a careers question for Karren? Email bossingit@fabulousmag.co.uk.

From puberty to menopause, and everything in between, women’s bodies go through a lot.

We might know the fundamentals – what a vagina is, what a vulva does and how babies are made – but with the help of dozens of medical experts, journalist Polly Vernon has created an encyclopaedic deep-dive into female biology, from the very basics to the weird and wonderful.

Getty - Contributor

The truth is, women have been set up to feel like strangers in their own bodies, thanks to a lack of scientific research.

“Women’s bodies were excluded from US clinical trials between 1977 and 1993,” Polly explains.

“For years, we were treated as smaller, stranger versions of men.”

The consequences of this oversight have sent ripples into the success of diagnoses and treatment.

“Take mammograms: if it were men’s testicles, would they be squashed flat like that?” Polly asks.

“Or smear tests – surely there’s a better option than a speculum?”

But there are glimmers of change. A DIY cervical cancer test that only requires women to take a swab at home will finally be rolled out on the NHS from January, and for the first time, there are now more female than male doctors in the UK.

“We’re nowhere near where we need to be, but things are moving forward,” Polly agrees.

Her book, How The Female Body Works, is a call to action for all women to reclaim, understand and demand better when it comes to our bodies.

Here’s the stuff you may not know.

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THE PAIN GAME

Period cramps, childbirth, endometriosis – we’re no strangers to pain.

“I asked if it is feminist folklore that women endure more pain than men,” says Polly, about her interview with Professor Andrew Horne, director of the Centre for Reproductive Health at the University of Edinburgh.

His answer? “God, no, every part of your biological existence involves more pain.”

But women put on a brave face. The annual Nurofen Gender Pain Index Report highlights that girls come to expect their pain will not be believed, and many disregard it for fear of wasting others’ time.

“There are so many things we just put up with because we think we have to,” says Polly.

“We need to get better at going: ‘I need this [pain relief], and I deserve it.’

It is recognising what isn’t acceptable and never believing, ‘It’s part of being a woman’.”

If you have severe period pain, advocate for yourself.

Your GP can help with medications or tests to find the cause.

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BLAME THE HORMONES

How many times have you blamed your mood on being “hormonal”?

And did you know which hormones, exactly, were to blame?

There are more than 50 different kinds in the body, and men and women have the same hormones, just in greater or lesser quantities.

Hormonal fluctuations impact your emotional state, but also performance, behaviour, daily activities and even injury risk.

“It can all seem a bit mystical, like it has us in its grip and there’s nothing we can do about it,” says Polly.

But there are definitely things you can do for better hormonal health.

“Get control of your sleep,” advises Polly.

“Make sure you go to bed at a regular time and don’t eat or drink a lot directly before.

Exercise, and think about nutrition and stress management.

Get those in place first and then look at any medication you need.”

See a GP if menopause, for example, is getting you down – they can discuss prescribing HRT.

Getty - Contributor

FEEL ON THE FIRST

Have you ever been told that underwiring, deodorant and even black bras can lead to cancer?

“This is absolutely, categorically not true, just nonsense,” says Polly.

But what is important when it comes to cancer is being aware of your own body and any changes.

“‘Feel it on the first’ [of the month] is the best way to remember to check your breasts,” GP Dr Philippa Kaye says.

Feel around your breasts, nipples, collarbone and into your armpits.

And when you start getting called for mammograms (typically after 50), take up the appointment.

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SYNC WITH YOUR CYCLES

Hormones get a bad rap, but you can harness them positively, too.

“Bang in the middle of your menstrual cycle, just before you’re ovulating, your body wants you out there, flirting,” says Polly.

“It drives you to meet people, because it wants you to have sex and get pregnant. It also makes you quite disinhibited and reckless.

It’s like you’re drunk, but on oestrogen.” It’s fleeting, though – once ovulation is over, progesterone hits. “You wonder why you ever said yes to that party.

You’re thinking: ‘I’m awful’, ‘I’m ugly’, ‘I’m socially incompetent’.

Your body is working on the presumption you are pregnant, and it wants to keep you tucked away to keep that ‘pregnancy’ safe,” explains Polly.

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PROTECT YOUR BITS

Your vagina is more than a body part – it’s a marker of your overall health.

“I’d heard loads about gut microbiome, but the vagina is performing a job of equivalent importance, and it needs to be looked after,” says Polly.

The vagina microbiome is a delicate balance of bugs, bacteria and fungi, and if disrupted it could lead to infections like thrush, bacterial vaginosis and UTIs.

To keep your vagina in harmony, never clean it with soap. Only use a mild, unscented soap and water for the vulva (outside area), or even better, an emollient.

“It makes me angry that we are sold [feminine hygiene] products we don’t need,” says Polly.

“Not only is it a financial con, but it’s also a health risk, and ties into the idea that vaginas are smelly and dirty.”

Your genitals will prefer cotton knickers over synthetic-fibre thongs, and nothing at night.

Alamy

SQUEEZE THOSE MUSCLES

Yes, we know you’ve heard it before, but you really do need to exercise those pelvic floor muscles.

The pelvic floor naturally weakens in pregnancy and childbirth, and then it weakens again in menopause.

This can lead to urinary and bowel incontinence. But it’s not something to be dismissed as just “another part of ageing”.

“Incontinence is not just silly and embarrassing, it keeps women from socialising and from doing their jobs,” says Polly.

“That has extraordinary consequences, because we need to engage in the world if we want to protect our brains against Alzheimer’s, for example.

“One gynaecologist I interviewed said we should teach girls to do pelvic floor exercises at school.”

To find your pelvic floor muscles, squeeze as if you are trying to stop yourself peeing or farting.

It’s not too late to start exercising them to reduce leaks, even if you already have incontinence. Try apps like Squeezy for guidance.

TEMPLEGATE tackles Sunday’s racing confident of bashing the bookies.

Back a horse by clicking their odds below.

DESERT HEART (4.05 Ayr, nap).

He has been brought along slowly with promising fourth-placed efforts on each start. He enjoyed stepping up to this distance at Sandown last month and starts of handicapping from a very fair mark of 79. With just three runs under his belt there should be a lot more to come with the yard in excellent form too.

JACK N JONES (2.35 Market Rasen, nb)

Another at the start of her career with lots of improvement to come. She showed promise in a couple of bumpers and took really well to hurdling when second on debut at Newton Abbot. Trainer Jamie Snowden is going well and she doesn’t need a lot more to get off the mark.

MR PROFESSOR (3.30 Ayr, treble). 

He takes a fair drop in class here after a solid effort at Newcastle last time. He wasn’t helped by trouble in running before finishing strongly. He is best over this trip and has come down the weights.

Templegate’s tips

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Remember to gamble responsibly

A responsible gambler is someone who:

• Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
• Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
• Never chases their losses
• Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
• Gamcare – www.gamcare.org.uk
• Gamble Aware – www.gambleaware.org

Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.