LIBRA: Jan. 1-7

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): As a child, French philosopher and writer Blaise Pascal (1623-1662) loved math. But his father, who homeschooled him, forced him to concentrate on studying the humanities. Blaise rebelled. When he was 12, he locked himself in his room for days, immersed in mathematical investigations. When he emerged, he’d figured out some of Euclid’s fundamental geometry theorems. Eventually, he became a noted mathematician. The weeks ahead are prime time to do something like young Pascal did: Seal yourself away from others’ opinions about who you’re supposed to be, and explore themes that will be crucial for the person you’re becoming.