Horoscopes by Holiday by Holiday Mathis

There are so many harmonious aspects today, one might even forget that Mercury is retrograde. The sensual Taurus moon and communication planet Mercury align to help us speak our hearts and be heard. With Mercury in Virgo, huge declarations are out — it's all in the small details and readily apparent to anyone who pays attention.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). You will help a loved one by first encouraging this person to help himself. Ask him what he'd like to do about the dilemma, and then, after you get a good answer, ask if there's anything you can do to help.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). You might have fun dishing the dirt with a few friends, but don't neglect the one who comes to your emotional rescue. This person could use some face time. It will feel good to repay the kindness this one has shown you.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). You will be drawn to the center of the action, and you won't have to go far to find a major event. Maybe the whole town won't be there, but the scene you find will be major anyway because of its residual impact.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). There are many moving parts in today's action. You don't have to understand how they work in order to make your move. All you have to do is go for it. Whatever you throw your heart into, the rest of you will get into, as well.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). In order to, as they say, "work the room," it helps if you've been in the room before — maybe not that exact room, but one like it. Keep signing yourself up to be in this type of room, and you'll soon be an expert.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Here is something you should know before you start talking: You may offer a humble opinion, but it won't be heard as such — it will be adhered to as the official word from above.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Some of your relationships are riding the teeter-totter of life. You're up and the other person is down, or you're down and the other person is up. It allows you the chance to support and balance, which you do brilliantly.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). You'll be in the support position, and you won't mind it at all. In the words of the famous Scorpio cowboy Will Rogers, "We can't all be heroes, because somebody has to sit on the curb and clap when they go by."

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Better to live your principles than to talk about them. If you're over 30, people might tolerate a few words of your philosophy. But if you're under 30, they will just find you annoying.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Never mind about trying to make your family listen to you. Also, those people at work may not "get it" no matter how many times you explain it. It's hard enough right now to assert power over your own self.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). You'll be parceling out the jobs today. Someone has to build, and someone has to do the maintenance. Make sure that most of the bases are covered before you begin.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). It may appear that everyone else is having more fun than you, when actuality this is probably not true. In any case, it wouldn't hurt to liven up your schedule with a few playful breaks.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAY (August 30). You will be an unwitting trailblazer this year. As you find your own way through society, you will help others make their way. In September, you'll connect with someone who has a positive influence on your overall emotional state. There's a promotion in November and important travel in January. Taurus and Aquarius people adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 10, 2, 33, 19 and 41.

ASTROLOGICAL QUESTIONS: "Holiday, I have had a horrible run of bad luck. First, things went weird on the job, and I got laid off. I'm not exactly fired, but I'm not on the schedule until further notice. Then my girlfriend moved out and took most of the stuff — even stuff that wasn't hers. Then I took a job working on commission. I work really hard but earn less than minimum wage. I feel like I can't catch a break. Do you think it's my chart? My girlfriend used to say that the position of Saturn was pulling me down. I'm a Leo."

Though Saturn does have a magnetic force field, and it is certainly associated with hard knocks, I do not believe that its pull is prompting your bad luck. Some astrologers would disagree. I'm open-minded to a fault, and yet I simply cannot get my head around the concept that the magnetic pull of planets messes up our lives — or makes them better, for that matter. What I do think is that astrology offers a colorful array of mysticism, storytelling and human experience that we can use to look at ourselves and our lives from an objective and creative point of reference. More tomorrow about getting out of this pickle!

CELEBRITY PROFILES: In almost every movie she is in, Cameron Diaz is shown dancing. Perhaps that's because the directors know that the joyful personality of this Virgo superstar (with Mercury in show-stopping Leo) is infectious and the audience will want to dance along with her. Her wide, bright smile continues to light up the big screen as she plays opposite Tom Cruise in the action-packed "Knight and Day."

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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