Horoscopes by Holiday by Holiday Mathis

Mercury joins the sun in Gemini, giving a boost to the brain waves and helping us communicate the bright ideas as they come. As we head toward the new moon at the end of the week, we lose some of the worry and emotional gunk that bogs down our thought processes. Each day we grow sharper and more alert to inspiration.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). You may fall behind, but get back in step as soon as you are able. This is the true test of your will: What do you do when things get hard? It is impossible to tell how great you are when things come too easily.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Whatever mood you strike, it gets magnified about a hundred times by the afternoon. So make it a happy one — because just when you think you couldn't get any happier, you will.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). You have an audience, and they have expectations. You deliver — with a twist. You'll give them what they want, but not in the way they think it will happen. The element of surprise is working for you.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). You can't control others, but if you understand them, you will know better how to deal. Find out the thinking behind the action, and then you will no longer be frustrated.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You put people in a happy mood. You answer their objections. You give them what they're looking for. You're not worried about educating them or telling them how to live. Instead, you relate and you amuse.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Attack your work backward, inside out or upside down — any other way than normal. A study that is unrelated to your work may help you accomplish this fresh approach.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). When you think that you need someone more than this person needs you, he or she can feel it. It feels like someone leaning in. The pressure is unsociable. Take a step back. You're powerful. Remember this.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). Your charisma comes from being direct. Get to the point. No waffling. Many introductions and procedures can be skipped for today. Just say what you want to say.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Apply your considerable imaginative powers to a personal problem. Lose yourself in the world you create in your head. The most vivid and exciting part of this fantasy is the part that will come true.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). You'll be mixing it up, boldly saying what you mean, whether or not it's part of the protocol.

The experience might not seem so wonderful at the time, but later, you'll look back on this as an important turn of events.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). When an unusual situation crops up, it's only appropriate to act in an unusual way. Some will think you are eccentric in your dealings now, but there is always a method to your madness.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Should you be the leader? You'll certainly be the best one for the job. So just step up. You don't have to know where to take things. You just have to get to the point and tell the truth. That's what others want from you.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAY (June 9). Your dreams are lofty. Then again, the resources, talent and perfect strategic plan are in your possession at this very moment — you only need to believe. Do what you can with what you have, and make huge progress through the next seven weeks. September brings a windfall. Loving commitments are sealed in November. Pisces and Aries people adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 5, 2, 11, 21 and 19.

GEMINIS IN HISTORY: June 9 is the birthday of two men who changed popular music forever. Cole Porter, who was born in 1891, wrote hit Broadway musicals and pop songs that became standards of the 20th century. This intellectual Gemini wrote both music and lyrics and was heralded for his cleverness and skill in both areas. Porter was born under a soulful Cancer moon, revealing a tenderness and depth that defy the happy-go-lucky Gemini influences in his chart. His complexity and versatility no doubt helped him create the songs that are still constantly covered by artists today.

Musician Lester William Polfus was born June 9, 1915, and became better known by the name Les Paul. This guitar legend, songwriter and inventor changed the way music is heard and recorded. As the pioneer of the electric guitar and inventor of multitrack recording, one could argue that he is the godfather of rock 'n' roll. Les Paul was born under the intellectual Gemini sun and with rebellious Uranus in the sign of invention and the future — Aquarius. His moon, Venus and Mars in Taurus is indicative of longevity and a tenacious work ethic. Indeed, in his 90s, Les Paul was still playing gigs.

CELEBRITY PROFILES: Versatile Gemini Johnny Depp revels in the challenge of creating real people out of bizarre and fanciful characteristics. Whether he's playing a pirate king, a boy with scissor hands or a ruthless singing serial killer, he makes the audience care, feel and root for the character. Mercury and Venus in hardworking and tenacious Taurus reveals that the secret to his success is his work ethic.

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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