Ain't misbehavin'? Today is Fat Tuesday, the final day of Mardi Gras carnival, celebrated worldwide, and when all rules fly out the window, how appropriately Aquarian! As revelers let their hair down and indulge their whims before Lent begins tomorrow, celebrate by having your palm read and your fortune told — a Mardi Gras tradition.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). Tiptoeing around a loaded situation will not promote your interest in the least. However, you could make a quantum leap toward your goal when you dare to set off a few alarms. Dramatic steps bring dramatic results.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). A craving for authority comes over you. It's not that you want people to serve you. You have a vision that cannot be realized without cooperation. Share your ideas until they catch on.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Deem yourself the emperor of domestic harmony. You easily increase the number of pleasant interactions with loved ones just by being your normal, charming self. Tonight, electricity returns to a special relationship.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). It's as though the whole universe is conspiring to show you who you are. No matter what kind of reaction you get from the rest of the world, your strong values won't waver an inch.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Your role as a perpetual renegade is featured. Eyebrows raise, feathers ruffle — so what? It takes someone like you, questioning the way things are, to keep a group vital and evolving.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAY (Feb. 5). Sweet freedom is the theme this year as restrictions you've long lived with are lifted. It's easy to choose your next move because you're drawn to a fascinating challenge in March. Your loyalty is repaid in April, perhaps in the form of a promotion. July is deliciously romantic. Capricorn and Leo appreciate you instantly and on many levels. Your lucky numbers are: 10, 41, 28, 30 and 33.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). The complexities of love play on your imagination and influence your choices. In some ways, this makes romance richer and more exciting. But taken too far, it gets a little neurotic. Practical plans put you at ease.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Your intuition is profoundly intelligent — far more intelligent than you fathom on any conscious level. So when you have a knee-jerk reaction, give it credence. You're just protecting yourself from potential harm.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). While you're looking longingly in someone's direction, someone else is looking longingly toward you. These games of triangular love could go on for days.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). You may be dealing with a few hardened hearts, but you can reach them if you try. One dose of the powerful, meaningful imagery you communicate with could open the door.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Sometimes you just can't figure out when to stop working. When one negative thought leads to another, it's a signal to stop and do something else, preferably something that falls into the "leisure" category.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). As fond as the great bard was of words, even Shakespeare said that action is eloquence. This is the perfect time to stop dreaming, talking and writing, and simply do.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Your love life may feel like it's happening in slow motion, like some kind of time-lapse photography. Be in the mystery, and let it unfold gradually. Savor the sweetness in the moments of connection.

ASTROLOGICAL QUESTIONS: "Born March 29, 1951. Job, job, job … I'm totally engulfed by work and have lost touch with creative things, but the work continues to roll fast and grow. I'm thinking of doing something new, but I'm not sure what or where. While I'm good at making things happen for others, I don't seem to be able to do it for myself. Any insights?"

You're caught in the universal dilemma of doing what you know how to do well and, well, growing. Your Aries sun needs to risk everything to feel alive! Yet I fear Saturn in Virgo is running the show of your life. Here's the lowdown: Being competent, efficient and an expert in your field whom everyone relies upon is admirable. But being the best person you know at what you do doesn't mean you have to keep doing it when it's no longer creatively challenging or emotionally satisfying. How about that fantasy business you've wanted to start for years? I know you have one. Your chart suggests you need to take a leap of faith in this lifetime. Start small by drawing up a business plan. And make a big change this October. It'll be one of the most fulfilling things you've ever done.

CELEBRITY PROFILES: Maybe inside every adult, there's a rebel who refuses to grow up. And for Aquarian Ashton Kutcher, misbehaving is an inside job for which he fearlessly volunteers — his celebrity friends. True to Aquarian form, Ashton's "Punk'd" creates a life lived outside the rules. Who else could get away with this? With four luminaries in the sign of the teenager, his creative scheming is perpetually "fresh."

Holiday Mathis is the author of "Rock Your Stars: Your Astrological Guide to Getting it All." If you would like to write to her, please go to www.creators.com and click on "Write the Author" on the Holiday Mathis page. To find out more about Holiday Mathis and read her past columns, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.