Mercury and Neptune challenge each other to a cosmic duel, which neither will win. Mercury is the communication planet, and Neptune rules the higher realms of imagination and belief. The two struggle to prove which is more important, words or the feelings we attach to them. Communication is either strained or uncontrolled.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). Steering clear of drama (and there will be plenty out there now to maneuver around) is more than just a classy thing you do. Peacefulness is one way you honor the divine.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). You have a long list of things you need to do and it's all in your head. This is causing undue stress. Get it out on paper and you'll immediately think of ways to get it all done in time.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). You have no problem figuring out what it is you want. The trouble comes when you realize that you'll have to wait for it. Try not to think of waiting as a static condition. All the while be busy making yourself ready.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). Understand the nature of the people around you. When you want to believe in someone, learn how they work. Then you'll know what you can trust them to do and what they are not likely to do.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You'll find yourself in close proximity to someone you know nothing about and the potential for awkward silences is strong. It doesn't really matter what you say, as long as you are pleasant. Talking about the weather works just fine.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAY (NOVEMBER 17). You clarify your values and priorities this year as you seize one opportunity after another. The growing pains you experience in January are so worth it. A prize in your professional life boosts your self-esteem and your personal life reflects your empowering attitude as well. Loved ones make you proud in June. Virgo and Gemini adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 30, 14, 32, 9 and 11.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Be careful not to outshine your boss or anyone who has more power than you in a certain context. For now you are wise to be supportive, reflecting the glory of your outstanding deeds onto your higher-ups.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). When you are feeling vulnerable it's natural to want to protect yourself inside the isolated fortress of your cozy home. However, this is just the time you should be circulating and making allies. You're safe. Now get out there.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). You have proven yourself as a steadfast and reliable worker or friend. Now that you don't have to worry about seeming scattered, scramble your pattern. You revel in the unexpected and so will the people around you.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Running after what you want will make it flee from you like a scared animal. Be more like the patient fisherman who provides just the perfect bait and then waits for a bite.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). For you to show up everywhere you are scheduled to be, complication must be worked out. The wonderful thing about these obstacles is that they bring you together with truly helpful people.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). You have strong beliefs now and you are convincing because you understand how to illustrate your point. Your best argument is an action. Let others see you practicing instead of preaching.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). You enjoy your work. You commit yourself wholly to every step necessary in your process and are rewarded for your investment, first by the work itself and then from another source entirely.

ASTROLOGICAL QUESTIONS: "My 33-year-old Leo brother can't seem to get it together. Out of work, he's been staying in my house for three months now. I told him he could stay until he got back on this feet, but I'm starting to wonder if that will ever happen. On top of it, he's drinking too much and out of shape due to hours and hours of daily television. I want him to snap out of it, get it together and leave, but I can't kick him out."

Your brother is so lucky to have a loving and tolerant sibling like you to lean on. Leo is the sign of creativity and children, and when they are wounded they can sometimes behave more like dependent children, indulging themselves in a kind of fantasy existence of reliance while they heal. So play the parent and deliver some tough love. Tell him now that he has until January to get it together. Help him map out a game plan for securing work and shelter, and then baby-sit him daily, asking what steps he has taken. The current Sagittarian planetary influences will help to give him the courage to get back out into the world and strike up his new life.

CELEBRITY PROFILES: Lorne Michaels created one of the longest-running network programs in American television history. The producer of "Saturday Night Live" began as a radio broadcaster and went on to write for television. A Scorpio with Mars in Scorpio, Michaels' instinct for humor is based on his innate understanding of human nature and what comedy is — a delicate combination of truth and pain. Venus in Capricorn represents longevity in love, and his love affair with SNL burns on.

Holiday Mathis is the author of "Rock Your Stars." If you would like to write to Holiday Mathis, 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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