Horoscopes by Holiday by Holiday Mathis

In any respectable theatrical venue, before the show starts, the lights will flicker to signal the audience members to take their seat. The Leo moon goes dark as she comes between earth and the Leo sun, likening to the old theatrical custom. The world is a stage and we are but players. Now take your seat — the action is about to start!

ARIES (March 21-April 19). Most of your time is taken up by covering the bases. Continue in this way and life will soon be completely joyless. Forget about the bases. They'll get covered naturally when you go for the big dream.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Defending your point of view will prove to be a waste of time, not to mention your personal power. Better to respect that everyone has a right to his or her own opinion, and move to where it's easy to get into a harmonious groove.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Your hobby is getting expensive. It could also be a domestic expansion or a professional quest that's becoming pricier than you anticipated. Take a step back to think about an impending purchase.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). There's a scary opportunity before you. Your fear is nothing more than a spooky smoke screen, creating wonderful distortions. Punch the air in front of you and keep walking forward.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). No matter how hard you try to see from another person's perspective, you can only guess what things might look like from over there. Take a gander at it. What you come up with will be liberating.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Competitiveness is based in fear. The underlying belief is that there is not enough to go around and that you must beat the others to win the prize. It's not really the case today, though. Rethink your approach.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Based on certain circumstantial evidence, you could throw yourself a pity party. But sad emotions are draining. Instead, get into the service of life and you'll make new friends in the process.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). Your last move might have been a reaction that was guided by your programming instead of by a greater awareness of what's really going on. You'll get a chance to redo it today.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Life is constantly presenting you with situations that resonate with what happened to you years ago. So you don't have to hide away somewhere to sort through your history. You can do it in real time.

CAPRICORN (Dec.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). You'll be in a detached mood. As you observe the day's drama, you feel that you're both in the movie and part of the audience. This is a powerful position to be in, and you'll make a wise choice because of it.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). You're contemplating a rather unorthodox move. Maybe it's something your parents wouldn't approve of. However, if you act with clarity and awareness, it will turn out to your satisfaction.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAY (Aug. 9). You go into this new year radiating power and confidence. Your support system grows through the next 10 weeks. Capable and talented people will help you accomplish a worthy cause. In December, there will be the chance to share your product or service on a big scale. January is lucky financially. Aquarius and Sagittarius adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 25, 50, 15, 33 and 30.

ASTROLOGICAL QUESTIONS: "I think something shady is going on at work, and I can't figure out whom to trust. Any suggestions?"

As with most things in life, I would first tell you to trust your gut. Believe the person who doesn't make your insides feel like they're in a vice. The proverb goes, "It is an equal failing to trust everybody, and to trust nobody." We've recently been discussing an area of astrology called the Arabic Parts. Finding an Arabic Parts calculator is easy — just type it into a search engine. Then you can fill in the calculator and find where your part of allegiance is located. The mathematical formula to determine this is the position of your ascendant plus Saturn minus the sun. Say your ascendant is 24 degrees Scorpio, Saturn is 7 degrees Taurus, and your sun is 25 degrees Cancer. Plug those numbers into the calculator, and you get a part of allegiance in Virgo. Is one of your work colleagues a Virgo or a person with obvious Virgo qualities, such as being a list-maker, gardener or Red Cross volunteer? This person may be your strongest professional ally.

CELEBRITY PROFILES: Leo Antonio Banderas will hit a major marker this year — his 50th birthday! This solar return is particularly lucky for Banderas, as his numerology and astrological influences align to bring greater opportunities for mentoring, philanthropy and contributinf to society. In addition to the typical perks of fame and fortune, his children and family will likely make him proud in meaningful ways.

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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