Horoscopes by Holiday by Holiday Mathis

The sun and Mercury are moving ever closer to their point of conjunction. Mercury is still retrograde in the realm of Virgo, and certain details require enormous attention. You could find yourself thinking: Haven't I gone over this enough already? But go through the motions anyway, and you'll probably catch something that you missed before.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). Peace is not some distant ideal. You already experience it many times a day. It's just a matter of letting those moments spill into the rest of the day and eventually take over.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). A choice you are faced with may seem serious — monumental even — but it's not. It's actually as silly as worrying about which side of the bread to butter. Your life will be delicious either way.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). You'll dive in, even though you don't know what to do exactly. That's what makes your life exciting. If you knew what you were doing, you would be bored with it already.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). Someone will tempt you today, and it's almost as if they have their methods of seduction down to a science. You will be like a child reaching for the candy at the checkout counter.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You are almost always passionate about something, but the object of your intense feelings doesn't usually take over your life like it seems to for the next few days. You're just feeling uncharacteristically determined and intense.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Consider losing touch with reality for a few private moments. Daydreaming isn't just an indulgence for you — it is a necessary exercise, like taking your imagination out for a walk.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). When you are around a certain someone, the stresses of daily life don't feel like pressure at all. It's like you can suddenly handle everything with grace because you see yourself as this person sees you — strong and capable.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). You woke up knowing what you wanted from this day, and that sense of purpose will be with you into the evening. Anyone can see that it would be extremely difficult to sway you from your path, and no one will even try.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). You will be drawn to artistic (and possibly moody) people, as your own creativity is developing in new ways now. Something to keep in mind: It is possible for a person to think deeply without thinking clearly.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Be careful with so-called remedies now.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). You'll hit upon an aspect of your work that seems to be uncharted territory. Perhaps others have discovered this before you, but no one knew how to turn it into an advantage. You'll figure it out.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Some relationships are beautiful because they are so difficult to explain or define. You'll add a chapter to such a relationship today. This is one story that doesn't need to be resolved.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAY (August 31). You'll quickly get where you want to go because you see the world in crystal clarity — no veils or illusions. You'll be praised and awarded in September. Finances improve in November. There's a fortuitous change in your transportation. Loved ones reunite in March. There's a career breakthrough in May. Cancer and Taurus people adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 6, 25, 1, 22 and 18.

ASTROLOGICAL QUESTIONS: To further expand on yesterday's answer to the query of a Leo going through what he describes as "a horrible run of bad luck..."

While I do not agree with your ex-girlfriend's suggestion that Saturn has contributed to your economic and emotional hardship, I do think the ringed planet might inspire you to get out of this difficult cycle. Saturn's lessons are not designed to destroy us, but rather to help us dig deeper into ourselves to find the strength and creativity to reconfigure our lives. So, your girlfriend has left and has taken most of your stuff. Maybe this can be viewed as a liberation. You don't have to worry about or maintain the stuff now. And you are free to explore who you are outside of your relationship with her. Your job is hard, but you can use the experience you've gained from it to get another job. Make a list of everything that could possibly be good about the recent events that have transpired. There are many benefits you're not currently seeing. Even if you don't feel that these events favor you, make the list as if they do. What you're labeling as "bad luck" may very well be the best thing that's ever happened to you.

CELEBRITY PROFILES: Movie star Richard Gere has brought attention and funding to several causes that help protect the lives, land and human rights of the oppressed. This Virgo humanitarian was born under a Sagittarius moon, indicating a love of other cultures and a mind that's open to different worlds. He once said, "Meditation is such a more substantial reality than what we normally take to be reality."

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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