As Jupiter nods hello to the sun today, encouragement emanates from within and without. Like the rising sun that makes shadows obsolete, every day we pass through darkness and get another chance to be healthy, live well and choose wisely. Acknowledge your well-being, count your blessings and let your faith be renewed.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). You would like to be able to surrender your own will to the will of the heavens, but faith doesn't always come easily. So it's nice when you find out that what you want is also best for everyone.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Where there's a spotlight, step into it. If the forum is open to questions, ask one. When there's a need for volunteers, be one. Making yourself more visible to others will help you identify or hone your talent.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). You may feel a little bit lost. When you ask for guidance, you get it. And you'll probably find out in the process that you're not as bad off as you thought you were. You're pretty close to the goal now.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). Somewhere along the line your creativity was squelched by the practical sort of person who simply didn't understand you. Now you're inspired to use your imagination and make up for lost time.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). It's the perfect time for wandering. Go off purpose. See places you're not particularly interested in. Communicate with people you have no business talking to. Bring on your own awakening.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAY (SEPTEMBER 4). You're so well liked that over the next seven weeks your pals might actually fight for your exclusive attention. You prove your big heart, not to mention sheer class, when you hone in on the positive contributions your loved ones bring you. Investments pay in November. Relationships go to the next step in January. Libra and Aquarius adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 2, 50, 21, 43 and 6.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). In these mercurial times, being merely adaptable simply isn't enough. Why be amenable to change when you can fall in love with it? Seek pleasure in the knowledge that everything is becoming something different.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Oh, the shenanigans you'll get into. It looks like a barrel of laughs to an outside observer; however, your experience is probably different. You may even wonder whether this kind of fun is worth the work involved.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). You were the one to start a project. Someone else has taken over and is leading things in a different direction than the one you would have chosen. This isn't necessarily a bad thing. Keep an open mind.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Prayer comes in many forms. Today, your thoughts are your prayers and so are the questions you ask yourself. You're deepening a union with the mysteries of your own heart.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Who can do it better than you? Probably no one. Still, you can't do everything. Sooner or later you have to delegate. Your choice of candidates isn't perfect, but it's certainly adequate.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Stay in control. Go cautiously into new situations. Promise nothing, but don't say you promise nothing. Use only a few choice words to convey where you're at and your intentions for the future.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). You've been keeping it together for a long time, and it's coming easier to you. You never lacked brains, but you must admit that you're now smarter than you ever were. You solve today's problems in a snap.

ASTROLOGICAL QUESTIONS: "I am a Capricorn, born Jan. 13, 1955, at 11:48 a.m. in Omaha, Neb. What can I do to recharge my life in general? I feel unstuck in time and I have no idea where — or how — to channel my energy!"

I feel your confusion at having fallen off the timeline, Capricorn! The retrograde or apparent backward motion of Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto in our sky is creating this phenomenon of time standing still. It's slowing down each of us differently. For you, it's affecting the half of your chart connected with visible life events — those let a person know she's making progress in the world! While it's difficult to accomplish anything where these planets have "gone fishing," in the other half of your chart, symbolizing the subjective invisible world, the forward-moving planets are lighting up like a pinball machine! My advice is vacation from striving; channel your energy into replenishing your inner life. Do yoga. Make art. Breathe deeply. Everyone sees the fruits and flowers of a tree, but the tree's roots invisibly nourish the whole system. As Jupiter and Pluto move forward in September, Uranus and Neptune in November, so will you.

CELEBRITY PROFILES: Virgos constantly work to improve their image. Glamorous and fashionable Beyonce Knowles works her image with art, as on- and offstage fashion consistently plays a larger part in her artistic persona. It's about more than getting the right outfit. Outer polish reflects inner polish for Virgo. Beyonce's fashion sensibilities complement and harmonize her performances.

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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