Mercury, the minister of communications, gives a cosmic kiss to lovely Venus, setting the stage for warm conversations and beautiful connections. The subject of money will come up. Negotiations and trades of all kinds are favored, and it will be easy to find common ground and come to mutually satisfying agreements.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). Your feelings for a certain person are as tender as they are deep. This person has a strange power over you, and yet you should resist making him or her the center of your world.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Context will be very important as you mix and mingle with new people. How you are introduced and by whom will matter. Put thought into this. Picture the way you want it to go.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). You like someone immensely, and yet you have no desire to be fused to this person like a conjoined twin. Better to make subtle assertions of your autonomy than to have a direct conversation about this now.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). You'll have practical, common-sense ideas for implementing a plan. Brainstorm further, giving ridiculous, impractical and whimsical ideas equal credence. You'll be surprised at which combination works best.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). As much as you fantasize about an easy life, the truth is that you don't want life to be served to you on a pretty platter. You'll make the choices that challenge you and keep you strong.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). It will take a major effort for you to stay on track, as your mind flits from subject to subject, trying to tie disparate bits of information together. In the moments of focus you do achieve, you will produce brilliant results.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). You are a quick study and will find it easy to learn what you want to know. The trick is in knowing what you want to learn. Give thought to choosing an area of study that is likely to fulfill you on many levels.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). One relationship is the focus of your day. There was a time in which you understood this person completely. Now it seems you have to work a bit harder to get in sync — but the effort will be worth it.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Your sense of honor comes into play. You will be loyal to your heritage and represent your ancestors well. If you could see them, they would be nodding in approval.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Long-lasting friendships can be tricky to keep, especially when life pulls you and your friend in opposing directions. But don't give up. Look for commonalities and parallels that will help you keep in touch.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Most of today's problems can be solved with more thorough communication. Once everyone gets on the same wavelength, you'll all sail happily along together.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Sometimes it seems that the world is conspiring to make things more challenging than they have to be. Then again, the dilemmas are so interesting and thought provoking that you wouldn't trade them for anything!

TODAY'S BIRTHDAY (May 16). You would make any sacrifice for your loved ones, and yet you wisely realize when helping is actually a hindrance. Your sense of boundaries will bring the best possible outcome for all. June brings happy coincidences and financial serendipity. You'll sign a deal in September. Wedding bells ring in February. Libra and Scorpio people adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 44, 24, 43, 29 and 10.

Communication Tips by Sign, Part Three of Four: Mercury, the communication planet, follows his planetary siblings into Taurus this week, encouraging straightforward interactions. Knowing the communication style of the sign you want to connect with will help in the matter. Libra, for instance, feels comfortable when a great deal of diplomacy and tact are apparent in the conversation. Libra prefers the formalities and protocol one would use when speaking with, for instance, a president or queen. Manners matter to this sign and are taken as a sign of respect. Scorpio is far less picky. Mostly, Scorpio wants the unvarnished truth. If Scorpio hears messages that are inconsistent, it is cause for alarm to Scorpio. People born under this sign are so perceptive that they detect lies faster than a polygraph machine. Sagittarius is open-minded and adventurous, which shows in the colorful conversations in which this sign often takes part. You can skip the boring details when talking with a Sag because this fire sign would rather the story be exciting than exact. Also, Sagittarius tends to have a short attention span for conversation, as Sag would prefer to be out experiencing life rather than talking about it.

CELEBRITY PROFILES: Tori Spelling and her husband, Dean McDermott, are expecting their third child and are already musing about the possibility of a fourth. A Taurus with Mercury in Taurus, as well, Spelling likely finds comfort in the feeling of stability that a big family sometimes affords. As for her parenting style, Spelling's Scorpio moon indicates a strong "mother's intuition."

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