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Written by Julia Szabo
Produced by Doris Athineos
PISCES / February 19–March 20
The Zodiac’s generous givers and champions of the underdog, Pisces are compelled to serve others through visionary innovation (Steve Jobs, Alexander Graham Bell), political involvement (George Washington, Edward M. Kennedy, Ralph Nader), and proud, out-loud activism. Consider the outstanding activist legacy of Harry Belafonte (and read his new book My Song), or the late Elizabeth Taylor, who did so much for AIDS research. CNN’s resident Neptunian Alina Cho is, fittingly, the host of “Big Stars, Big Giving,” an annual one-hour special devoted to the charitable work of celebrities. Pisces is the sign of many poets, and the work of Piscean architects Karl Friedrich Schinkel (1781–1841) and Frank Gehry combine poetry and function. Pisces natives’ legendary empathy makes them sought-after designers who leave no detail of comfort unaddressed, as the clientele of Bill Sofield, Jeffrey Bilhuber, and Mary Douglas Drysdale will happily attest. Pisces adore barefoot comfort, so their flooring choices will invite going shoeless (save scratchy sisal for the doormat, and bring on the smooth stuff, such as Teragren bamboo); in winter, fish will ensure the safe, comfortable footing of beloved bare-pawed dogs with Morton’s salt-free Safe-T-Pet Ice Melt. That compassion also extends to castoff furnishings; Leigh and Leslie Keno lovingly restore and cherish neglected antiques, while Thomas Moser designs new furnishings that feel like grand old family heirlooms. And when Piscean philanthropist MacDella Cooper began planning the MCF (MacDella Cooper Foundation) Academy, the first tuition-free boarding school to house and educate orphans in her native Liberia, she graciously ensured the students’ comfort by enlisting starchitect Winka Dubbeldam (see Cancer, below). That’s so Pisces! Not surprisingly, fishy themes will surface in a Neptunian’s cove, from seascapes (by Pisceans Joaquin Sorolla y Bastida or Winslow Homer) to a seaside-inspired palette (sandy beiges, sea-glass greens, sky blues) to conches, coral branches, and other treasures from the deep.
ARIES / March 21–April 19
There’s a bit of Pisces in every sign; each will give to (or create!) a charity that speaks to them. Aries is notoriously fearless—is it any wonder Betty Ford bravely championed the cause of drug and alcohol addiction, founding the Betty Ford Center in Rancho Mirage, California, and using herself as an example of rehabilitation’s potential? In addition to spacious rooms with private patios, a fitness center, swimming pool, and serenity room overlooking an outdoor waterfall, patients at the Betty Ford Center campus enjoy the desert scenery and wildlife of a beautiful manmade pond called Lake Hope.
TAURUS / April 20–May 20
Empress Maria Theresa of Austria (1717–1780) made many reforms, including making autopsies mandatory for all hospital deaths in the city of Graz. Her decision to have her own children inoculated against smallpox changed Austrian physicians’ negative view of inoculation; in true Taurean style, the empress hosted a dinner for the first 65 inoculated children at her opulently spectacular Schloss Schönbrunn, and waited on the little ones herself!
GEMINI / May 21–June 20
Henry Francis Du Pont, expert decorative-arts collector, expanded his Delaware family estate from the 30-room house he inherited to the 175-room mansion he opened to the public in 1951 as the world-class Winterthur Museum. Du Pont, who died in 1969, also helped Jacqueline Kennedy oversee the renovation of the White House, using his contacts to acquire donations of fine art and furnishings.
CANCER / June 21–July 22
Like Pisces, nurturing Cancers eagerly volunteer for charitable service. Architect Winka Dubbeldam donated her talents to design the MCF (MacDella Cooper Foundation) Academy in Monrovia, Liberia, while architect David Rockwell proudly serves as Chairman of the Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS (DIFFA), always asking for DIFFA donations in lieu of birthday presents.
LEO / July 23–August 22
All offerings of furniture and home accessories in The Sundance Catalog—from humble doormats to haute dhurries—have movie-star glamour. No surprise there, for profits from sales support the Sundance Institute, the non-profit organization founded in 1981 by Leo actor Robert Redford to discover, support, and inspire independent filmmaking artistry.
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