Love makes the world go round. Mercury joined with Venus in Libra encourages you to express your affections, preferably with some style and care. Considerate communicators are well received. Remember that part of loving someone is giving them the chance to express themselves, too. Active listeners score big points.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). You care more about doing what's right than being popular. There's a way to keep everyone happy. You have a gift for finding compromises that are even better than what any one person involved would have wanted.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). You may feel sluggish, but a short walk, a stretching session or other brief exercise routine will get you back in the creative zone. You need all your brain cells firing for today's challenges!

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Someone hits a raw nerve. If you can be slow to react you just might have a personal breakthrough. The people and situations that are putting you on the defensive are your teachers.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). You've been dealing with a lot of facts and figures lately. After a certain point, all that logic can start to seem like a lot of nonsense. Indulge your need to be silly.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Anger is sometimes an appropriate response to the situation. However, make sure you're getting angry about the right things. And if you're holding on to anger for no good reason, let it go.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAY (SEPTEMBER 14). You're an opportunity finder — you see the ones that other people miss. The next seven weeks turn your world upside down. You act on every chance you see to step up your style, bond your relationships and do work that you're proud of. In January the thing you most need to happen happens. Cancer and Sagittarius adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 7, 33, 26, 1 and 30.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Someone may be trying to contain your free spirit. You want to be loved, not possessed. Assert your independence. You can find a way to do this that won't hurt anyone's feelings or offend.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). You are so persuasive now, your words are like a magic spell. You could lure even the most timid person to attempt daredevil feats. Use this power judiciously to call out the higher qualities in yourself and others.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). You're laying the groundwork for financial improvements. It's easy now to see where you went wrong and you can either fix it or make a new plan for the future.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). There's hardly a person around who won't soak in the flattery you're so generously dealing. You sincerely want to make people feel good, but you also have an agenda. You succeed with both intentions.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Amazing things happen via your network of friends, acquaintances and advisers. You'll put the word out about what you're looking for and get an answer within hours.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Someone isn't giving you the kind of attention you prefer, probably because he or she doesn't know how. Love is like a choreographed dance number. It helps to have a partner who knows the moves.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). The hard work is easy. It's even fun. You enjoy your efforts because you know that you are making life run more smoothly and beautifully; if not for you, then for someone else. It feels good to give.

FORECAST FOR THE WEEK AHEAD: This week's harvest full moon falls in Pisces. The harvest moon is simply the full moon closest to the autumn equinox. The days surrounding harvest moon gives 30 extra minutes of sunlight, so farmers have extra time to harvest crops — though everyone reaps the rewards of a spectacular moonrise. Yes, the moon will appear bigger on the horizon this week — though it's only an illusion. There's no scientific explanation for this moon apparition, and although scientists and psychologists who specialize in human perception have many theories, none prove satisfactorily accurate. Synchronously, such supernatural phenomenon is easily accepted by Pisces, a sign intimate with mystical and astral forces. This week's Pisces moon opens the floodgates of our perception by breaking down thought barriers that create separateness (it's also an illusion!) and our need for proof and logic. If it's a human need to have the unequivocal answer to everything, for Pisces it's also a divine mandate to not know. This is an ideal time to meditate on mystery. You also might consider that it's those things and ideas that remain enigmatically unexplainable, and ultimately fully unknowable, that make life delightful.

CELEBRITY PROFILES: Lance Armstrong made an impression as a world-class athlete. Now he's making an impression on the ladies, as a gentleman. Lance is a socially conscientious Virgo, yet with Venus in Libra; he cares about what others think of him. This extends into his love life, too, as he treats love interests with class and respect. It'll be two more years before wedding bells ring a second time for Lance.

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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