Do you know why we celebrate birthdays? This social custom is really an astrological event - one that has been with us for millennia. In fact, birthdays - and the annual observance of these times both as a society and for individuals - is the oldest of celebratory rites, and one that arose in every culture as soon as they had any sort of calendar.

Naturally, the first real calendar has to do with the sun and the moon's position - the fundamental tools of astrologers today.

The ancients celebrated not because some edict said, "celebrate," but because of practical everyday experience, like all astrological lore. The wise men (and women) noticed that when the sun hit the same spot in the heavens (against the zodiac backdrop) that it held on a person's birthday ... well, that day turned out to be extremely fortunate.

Maybe a woman found a husband, a shepherd saved his sheep, a merchant sold his goods or an illness vanished. Plus, people gave to the birthday person instinctively. So presents were bestowed - both from others and from the universe. The wise elders saw this phenomenon happening all the time. And just as most basic astrological information came about based on these days, the astrologer/priests saw that a "pattern" was occurring.

This lucky pattern brought joy, and thus the birthday person wanted to celebrate. His or her friends naturally gave to them (thus the idea of presents) and the birthday celebrant wanted to share his or her pleasure, so a big gathering was held.

That's the reason that we celebrate birthdays today - as a tradition that came about because of repeated observations of luck on this day. The same kind of luck you can have right now

Savvy astrologer buffs know that starting to do anything of major importance on a birthday has the extra solar boost of a once-a-year infusion of universal good will and luck. So before you celebrate, use this day to your advantage, then in the evening celebrate all the good things you did or set into motion.

Here's a three-part plan for the truly ambitious to use this day:

2. Graciously accept gifts and congratulations on this day. (Why? Because you will then set into motion a karmic pattern that intensifies your wish.)         

3. Spend at least 20 minutes alone, revitalizing your body. That means taking a soothing bath, having a massage or just lying down listening to beautiful music. Remember this is a day to "tune-up" the body just as you'd do for a car after 50,000 miles. Ask your body to repair any mental, physical, emotional or spiritual damage that was done to this amazing vehicle (you!) and you'll make each year better and better.

Each sign of the zodiac has its own way of communicating with the world. The sun sign is the prism through which we see things around us. Since everything in life is influenced by a person's point of view, the sun sign can show how the signs interpret events around them.

Remember there are not value judgments in astrology: Each sign has both strengths and weakness. What this list shows are the obvious choices that a person makes when talking or communicating with others.

Honest, sometimes blunt: Sagittarius, Aries, Aquarius.

Indirect, noncommittal: Taurus, Scorpio, Cancer, Pisces.

Quiet until they know you: Cancers, Scorpios, Pisces, Capricorns.

Witty jokesters: Geminis, Sagittarians, Leos, Virgos.

Shy, unless angry or happy: Taurus, Virgo, Pisces, Cancer.

Smooth-talking: Libras, Geminis, Aries.

Bold conversationalists: Leos, Aquarius, Geminis, Libras.

Great persuaders: Capricorns, Virgos, Scorpios, Geminis.