Overnight, Mars grew protective as he re-entered nurturing Cancer. Emotions prickle. Locating the strength to act on our desires feels awkward, uncomfortable or just plain new. Don't worry. This Mars is the perennial tough-but-tender soccer dad (or mom) bringing along enough Kool-Aid, emotional encouragement and bandages for everyone.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). Three is lucky for you today. Approach your day in triplets. Call three friends, eat three things for lunch, show a dear one your love in three different ways. Your rewards come tripled back to you.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). You figure out a sacrifice you can make in order to have the experiences that make your life rich. Like taking on a side job to pay for a future vacation, art classes or a child's college fund.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). The stars introduce scary thoughts. Like, what would happen if your main problem were fixed? Dreaded uncertainty! You're ready to take that risk, and you'll get wonderful insights from Aquarius.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). Instead of seeing and then believing, the stars ask you to believe first — and then you'll see. This approach opens you up for the kind of outrageous good luck that otherwise could not occur.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You're driven to make improvements galore, and the projects all seem to have one thing in common — your credit card. Cost estimates are high. Ask around. Friendly connections can hook you up with the best deals.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAY (March 4). Your wildest dreams of yesteryear cannot compare to your reality this year! Next month shows you a new, gleaming goal. This is a long-term aim, the pursuit of which will open worlds to you — May brings the first sign of that. June is so romantic, you could impulsively spend money, travel or move to be with someone. Scorpio and Cancer adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 9, 3, 20, 40 and 16.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Loved ones sometimes astound you with their strange interests. When you join them off the beaten path by being extremely interested in their odd quirks, you're met with enthusiasm and adoration.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). When someone is on your side, that person acts like he or she is on your side. Pay attention to deeds, not words. Tonight, you're making memories that won't easily be erased.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). Whatever it is you're selling, people are buying it. When you "testify," you can make the faithless man believe.

Decide what your most important message is so that you don't waste these fantastic powers of influence.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Today points out the subtler differences between good service and bad, quality goods and substandard ones, infatuation and love. Once you learn, there's no going back.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). When a certain someone looks at you with those big, watery eyes, you go weak in the knees, willing to give whatever is asked of you. It's best to avoid this person now when your own work needs your attention.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). You're going to make some mistakes in the next few days, but that's nothing to be afraid of — you'll never regret mistakes. It's the things you don't try that you'll regret.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). You're in an unusually competitive mood. You'll likely encounter a winner-take-all situation. Just be sure that the prize you'll be taking all of is really worth winning.

ASTROLOGICAL QUESTIONS: "I'm a Libra and in high school. I dated a Pisces for several years. I broke it off because I felt like we were in different places in our lives. We have been apart for six years, however, and I've never 'gotten over' him, having never felt the same about another guy. We recently started talking again, and the spark is still there, but I'm unsure of what kind of spark it is. It could be left over from the past, or maybe there is potential for something genuine to happen in the future. At the same time, I am definitely open to meeting new people. What should I do?"

You separated because you were at different places then, but you haven't indicated whether you're at the same place or not now. I ask because your "spark" could be a spark of attraction, wonderful! The Libra-Pisces dynamic is one of the more romantically idealistic pairings. Yet, without common ground and goals, the future could repeat the past. Our lives do intersect with old loves for various reasons, and that meaning isn't always obvious at first. Treat this connection like a good mystery, give it time to unfold and reveal its place in your life.

CELEBRITY PROFILES: The prolific Billy Zane has the smoldering cinematic presence of an alpha Pisces male. With four luminaries swimming with the fishes, including Mars, he commands our imagination and our spiritual intrigue. And how. Like his Pisces counterparts, Billy picks up on the desires, emotions and impressions in the atmosphere and projects them back to us, without us ever having known.

Holiday Mathis is the author of "Rock Your Stars." If you would like to write to her, please go to www.creators.com and click on "Write the Author" on the Holiday Mathis page, or you may send her a postcard in the mail. To find out more about Holiday Mathis and read her past columns, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

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