As any good art director knows, much depends on how you frame things. Mercury has been moving backward in Pisces, encouraging us to envision the past differently and find a helpful, empowering viewpoint. Now Mercury punctuates the Irish celebration of luck and life by ending his retrograde and moving forward in good faith.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). The need to belong to something greater than yourself will tug at you now. Ambivalence on the part of others only serves to inspire you to act purposefully. Someone must lead the way. Why not you?

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). You'll have a sense that all is well. Sure, there are conflicts. But they seem both natural and inevitable. Whatever the reason they came into being, they can always be used in a positive way.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Your past pops into your mind and begs for attention. You won't regret pausing for a chat, or better yet, take your past to tea. Revisiting will bring you a new perspective on what happened.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). You know how to spot a bad situation and avoid it or, if it's unavoidable, breeze right through it with minimal damage. You'll keep your attachments and expectations to a minimum.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Inside you there is a deep reservoir of determination and strength. You won't need it now, but just knowing that it's there might calm you and keep you on purpose throughout the day.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). This day will not come with an instruction manual or a checklist, but your clear objectives will serve to organize the activities. It becomes obvious what has to happen next in order to get to the finish line of a goal.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). You don't have to settle in relationships. You can have what you want if you're willing to do what it takes. You might have to learn a new way of communicating to get there.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). You'll want to give to someone, but if the gift is unnecessary, it will only cause more problems. Wait to see what is really wanted and, more importantly, needed.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Just because you find exceptions to a rule doesn't make the rule wrong. Every rule has exceptions. But if the rule makes your life better and more organized, uphold it regardless of its inconstancy.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). In order to be part of the fun, you have to forget about what you look and sound like. Succumb to the wildness of your human animal being. Self-consciousness has no place there.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Move. Knowing what you're doing is not a requirement. You'll figure it out as you go through a process of trial and error. It won't always be pretty, but you'll be better for the effort.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). You know one side of a person quite well, while being fully aware that there is another side that could remain a mystery forever. You're curious but respectful.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAY (March 17). You'll be more in touch with your feelings, and this change will enable you to build closer relationships. April brings tender commitments. You'll learn a new language in May — maybe not an actual linguistic study, but a most effective manner of communicating. Breakthroughs in June and August move your career along. Aquarius and Aries people adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 6, 14, 33, 39 and 50.

FORECAST FOR THE WEEK AHEAD: The fine luck at the top of the week begins with Mercury's St. Patrick's Day declaration to fly direct, ending the retrograde that has had us tripping down memory lane — and tripping up certain other daily logistics. Mercury retrogrades aren't evil, as some people think. But when they end, there is a sense of relief all the same. Normalcy is restored, and there's a feeling of getting on with life. In this case, for some, the "getting on" will begin with a green beer in hand.

The next piece of fine fortune happens with the spring equinox on Wednesday, when the sun enters Aries. This astronomical holiday has been celebrated by ancient and modern civilizations alike, perhaps for its practical significance. This time of equal daylight and darkness tells mankind that it's time to plant the crops. The sun's position on the winter solstice and on the spring equinox is integrated into the architecture of ancient monuments, such as the Maiden Tower in Baku and Stonehenge in England, as well as many other locations around the globe.

On the 21st, Venus enters Aries, where manly aggression will clash with her ultra-feminine needs and interests. The conflict helps us work out male/female differences.

CELEBRITY PROFILES: Happy birthday to Rob Lowe, whose Hollywood life has been filled with the kind of poignancy, thrills, danger, political activism, comedy and romance that one might expect to see in the movies. The Pisces actor, who has Mercury and Jupiter in fiery Aries, writes skillfully about it all in "Stories I Only Tell My Friends: An Autobiography."

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