Horoscopes by Holiday by Holiday Mathis

Mercury, which rules communication, and Pluto, representative of awesome powers, commemorate this American Independence Day with a rare opposition — the first in our lifetime. The news will pulse with struggles of leadership and odd happenings. Declare your own independence in some way, too. Liberate the dormant strength of your soul.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). You are headed for a strange goal with a person you hardly know. It will be a short journey, but a quality one, largely due to your open mind and adventurous attitude.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). In theory, many things are easy to figure out. What you get this weekend is the chance to test out your ideas. You won't be sure you know it until you do it for real.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). You will rewind the tapes of your mind and process old data. You're wiser now. What you experienced as tragic may now seem funny. The sorrows of your past become sources of joy.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). You are moving into one of the wackier cycles of your life. Stretch the boundaries of your faith in small ways to make room for more possibilities. If you believe in magic, it will happen at some point.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You will be swept into someone else's world. You enter into this person's spirit and find a new heaven in his or her eyes. Eventually, this will change into more than infatuation.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAY (JULY 4). This year, you make your mark by attempting what others would not. Loved ones cannot predict you and therefore find you fascinating. A wave of social activity washes over the next two months. Your energy will be renewed by a special project in September. In November, silly worries evaporate in the happiness of a relationship. Leo and Aries adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 10, 4, 40, 12 and 19.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Your money will be well spent, especially on things that you'll have nothing to show for except the memory of an experience. You really don't want an excess of material items anyway.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). If the choice is between staying at home or doing something you've never done before, there's really nothing to deliberate about. Get out there. You won't regret the things you did, only the things you didn't do.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). You might not be the first one to come up with the idea, but you're quick to act on in it. You have a winning attitude, too. You will soon make money from this brilliant endeavor.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov.

22-Dec. 21). You'll be around people from whom you'll have something to gain. Don't try to tell your whole story to these people. Instead, focus on one powerful part of it. You are as influential as you are brief.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). In your opinion, there is no such thing as an "overachiever." You will do the most you can do to the best of your ability. What others are doing has no influence over your choices.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Your connection to nature will restore your spirit. Favored activities include hiking, gardening or caring for animals. Also, make an effort to see the sunrise or the sunset.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). You'll be engaged in many conversations and it's best to keep them short and sassy. It's easy to labor the point, and also quite boring. Think of your audience and play to them.

ASSERT YOUR INDEPENDENCE: On this day of liberation, you may find that you have something you'd personally like to break free of — perhaps a bad habit, a phobia or an unhelpful thought pattern. This is the perfect time to do it. ARIES: Light a sparkler and think of what you want to accomplish the whole time it's burning. TAURUS: Yell your intention at the full force of your voice! GEMINI: Tell your closest friend what you want to do and request that this person check in with you to keep you accountable. CANCER: Create a ritual that involves water — for instance, send your message in a bottle out to sea. LEO: Say your intention softly to yourself 100 times in the mirror. VIRGO: Plan a celebration of your freedom in detail. LIBRA: Work with a partner who also wants to break free of something. Be each other's support system. SCORPIO: Go cold turkey. Be quick and ruthless as though you are peeling off a Band-Aid. SAGITTARIUS: Get out of your usual environment so that you can start totally fresh with your new way of being. CAPRICORN: Enlist the help of a professional adviser — the very best you can afford. AQUARIUS: Convince yourself that the whole world will be a better place because of the change you are making. PISCES: Give your problem up to a higher power.

CELEBRITY PROFILES: The Obamas will celebrate the birth of their nation on the same day as the birth of their daughter. Malia Obama's fitting sense of timing makes her a patriotic Cancer with Venus and Mars in intellectual Gemini. Malia also has her natal Mercury in Leo, which is her father's sun sign. This bodes for excellent communication between the two, and also indicates that she'll someday be a compelling public speaker.

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