Horoscopes by Holiday by Holiday Mathis

Venus has already had a Scorpio encounter this year, albeit a retrograde journey. This time, she's direct and intent on making our love lives more direct, honest and to the point. Scorpio energy is transformative. Changes will occur in the weeks to come. Don't be surprised if one truth is all it takes to drastically improve a relationship.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). You know what is keeping you from the success you want, and you are willing to take on this hurdle. There will be a fight. You'll win because you are willing to change.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). As every hour passes, you grow more accepting of others and yourself. Your perception of "normal" is shifting to include new circumstances, habits and behaviors.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). You will soon be giving an important gift. The thought you put into it now will make all the difference in how well this is received. Your creativity swells to meet the challenge.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). You feel so connected to a certain person that it is as though, without your knowing, your souls made a pact to intertwine. Even so, stay powerful and independent in this relationship.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You have your own set of biases, and it's sometimes difficult for you to keep them to yourself. You'll be helping someone in an important way. The greatest help you could give will be judgment free.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). You can't totally control whether you succeed or fail. It's not all in your power. You have much more control over how often you try and how hard — and also at what point you quit.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). You are determined to make a difference. It doesn't mean you have to get your way completely. It will be satisfying to know that you've been a part of putting something great into the world.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). The deal may still go through. Win or lose, you have to keep trying. As you do your best, you'll bring people together, and new ideas are generated because of your intention and actions.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). You'll be in a position to influence others. Talk simply. Use words that a first grader could understand. Jargon and insiders' terms are a turn off to those who do not understand the meaning.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). You are mastering the art of communication these days.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). If something is wrong, you fix it. This prevents future worry. Whether or not it's your job to fix it is irrelevant, as long as you're sure you won't be stepping on anyone's toes.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). People care about what's theirs. That's why even though you may get help on your projects, you can't expect that others will do the same kind of job you would do.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAY (Nov. 30). You will no longer need to look outside yourself for confidence and power. You recognize that it is already in you. You'll acquire an interesting treasure in December. January brings intellectual rewards, and your studies will lead you to interesting relationships. February brings a lifestyle upgrade. Taurus and Aquarius people adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 1, 22, 39, 17 and 50.

ASTROLOGICAL QUESTIONS: "I recently got a bad critique from my superior at work. Others have been criticized, as well, and the negative review does not seem to affect them the way it does me. I toss and turn at night. I don't want to go to work because I feel that everyone is looking at me and thinking about what my boss said. Maybe they aren't. People are probably too busy doing their own thing to obsess about my poor review. But it feels that way. I'm humiliated and ashamed, and since the review, I'm doing worse at work instead of better. Leos aren't supposed to be so sensitive. How can I overcome this?"

Every sign is sensitive in its own way. Leo has an ego just like every other sign. Your pride is hurt, and the experience was deeply wounding. But you have nothing to be ashamed of, and you need to snap out of it and let it go. Do not take this review personally. Your work isn't about who you are as a person; it's about how well your production matches up to what is needed by the company. Develop resilience. Successful workers bounce back — and that's just what you have to do.

CELEBRITY PROFILES: Fiery Sagittarius Kaley Cuoco puts the bang in "The Big Bang Theory," a television sitcom about socially inept physicists. Cuoco plays Penny Queen, the neighbor who helps the brainiacs with real-life problems outside the laboratory. Cuoco has her sun, Mercury, Saturn and Uranus all in adventurous, outgoing Sagittarius, though her Cancer moon suggests that she loves to be a homebody, too.

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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