With fanfare and hoopla, Canadians patriotically party down for Canada Day (the equivalent of America's July Fourth holiday). Mars enters Virgo, too, creating heated activity in the lives of Virgos for the next seven weeks. Our ambitions, approached with the mental discipline, diligence and executive ability of a Virgo, gets the job done perfectly.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). When your idea doesn't have the effect you thought it would, don't assume it's wrong. It may just be early. People will say about anything to squash an idea they are not ready for. Don't give up. Be patient.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). You're providing a service. Catering to each individual person will be too time consuming. You have impact when you go for the masses. Direct all communication to the collective heart of your audience.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). The opportunity you see is too good to pass up, although you're not so sure you're the right one for the job. Fitting into this role will mean changing something about yourself, at least temporarily.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). People who don't usually extend themselves are making an exception, just for you. The best way to ensure that this happens again in the future is to appreciate it fully, verbally and also in writing.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You know how to send the message "you are special" to others. You don't even have to try hard because it's what you really believe. Take all the time you need to really plan out your presentation.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAY (JULY 1). Welcome to your year of major influence. This you do by being relaxed and accepting of what comes. Being accepting is not passive — it actually gives you the power to change what needs changing because you're dealing in what's real. Summer brings beautiful relationship moments. New family additions come in November. Libra and Scorpio adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 6, 44, 42, 50 and 13.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). You've been impressed with a situation, and now it's time to learn more. It's sort of fun to destroy the illusion. Poke around a bit and see how thing are put together. This is all part of your creative process.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). No one has to confess his or her feelings around you because you have an excellent ability to read the raw emotions of others. You're paying attention. You feel the heart throb in all you witness.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). You take on the job of motivating your team, knowing that if you don't do it, everyone will sit around. Before you utter a word, make sure you have a strong vision of where you want things to go.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). You're getting to know someone new and may feel uncharacteristically shy about how to proceed. Open up and share yourself. This is not one of those situations when less is more. More is more.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). It usually comes naturally to take care of your own business. But right now you're susceptible to getting swept into what someone else is doing to the point of forgetting your own priorities.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). You are bubbling over with ideas. Which one will work? You'll have to try a few and find out. Don't expect everything to fall into place immediately. Anyway, you'll have more fun when it doesn't.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Life has been happening pretty much on your time schedule lately and now there are a few cool loops in the road that will change that rhythm. If you're flexible, you'll be happy for the interesting alteration.

ASTROLOGICAL QUESTIONS: "It was like a fairy tale when my Aries boyfriend and I (Pisces) finally came together after two years of waiting for each other. Then I stood by him during some very stressful situations, and he just walked away. I loved him dearly and believed he felt the same and that we would be together for life. My heart is broken, but I am trying to move on."

When I read "fairy tale," I think Neptune, the planet of romantic enchantment. Love on Neptune is divine, but in an emotionally engrossing kind of way. Think: the difference between a classic love story and the maturity-engendering travails and triumphs of a romantic comedy. The rub is, identifying when the relationship has grown lopsided (for either of you), then working to correct it is necessary to mature and thrive as a couple. You thought emotional loyalty, standing by your guy's side, cemented your relationship. Aries isn't that guy. Since Aries men sometimes have difficulty expressing their feelings, he didn't tell you that he was changing. Pisces, love will come again. And when it does, I bet you'll take better care of you by being real about what you both need in a partnership.

CELEBRITY PROFILES: Many Cancers notoriously cling to the past. On the upswing, their deep reverential nostalgia for yesteryear can make them the ultimate collectors of memorabilia and memories — though this rule applies as equally to old things, like past relationships. Pamela Anderson might try eliminating the remnants of all her former husbands this birthday year — for a symbolic heart reclaiming.

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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