The conjunction of Mercury, the minister of communication, and Uranus, Captain Explodes-a-Lot, makes for some wildly complicated exchanges. Communication is always multi-leveled, but now the levels have levels and those sublevels have sublevels, which wouldn't be a problem if we weren't so consciously aware of it all. Compassion and forgiveness are the remedies to discord. The equinox will help balance out hot emotions.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). There will be key moments during the week, most likely on Wednesday and Thursday, in which all eyes are on you. Hopefully, you'll like the way it feels to be the most important person in the room in those moments. The rest of the time, you'll enjoy giving your attention and support to others.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). You have friends and family who miss you dearly, and this is the perfect week to catch up with them. Sometimes you're afraid to call because you think the conversation will take too long. But this week's social discourse promises to be quite manageable and pleasant. On top of that, much good comes of it.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Your ambition may hurt you some now. Keep your goals challenging, but not so challenging that you are daunted by the very idea of them. Scale it down to what you can realistically accomplish, and then nudge it up ever so slightly. Aim for consistency; a plan that builds slow-but-sure momentum will be best.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). More than any other factor, attitude will determine your success or failure. Take the time to get into a good mood. Maybe that means going for a walk, reading comics or talking to your favorite person. Before, you may have considered these kinds of efforts superfluous, but now you will know their critical impact.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). As the sign of entertainment, you are typically highly attuned to the signals your audience gives you, especially when that audience is just one person. You'll know when to change the subject or end a conversation. Not everyone is so brilliant in this regard. You'll act as a director, keeping the action moving along.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Grab a pen and use it often this week. You'll be mentally sharp and cosmically aligned with the intellect of great thinkers. Your free associations and doodles could produce magical results. Note that the mechanics of writing, as opposed to keyboarding, will work in your favor.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). You'll alternate between having it all together and moments when you feel like you're spinning out of control. Your process is normal. When you spin out, it's best not to fight it, but to relax into the spin. There actually is a direction, and you'll see it once you calm down and get a better perspective.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). You are so clever and mischievous this week that it would be a shame to waste any energy scheming for others. Use your wit to trick yourself instead! Trick yourself into getting started on a big project and thinking of it as fun instead of work. Also trick yourself into delighting in healthy choices.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). You won't move forward until you start giving yourself credit for what you've already accomplished. Think only of what you've done, not of what you still have to do, wish you would have done, or will do tomorrow. Write down your accomplishments so that you can build on those successes.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). If your insides are not matching up with your outsides, you're like most people. Hiding your feelings and screening your thoughts are skills that help you survive and thrive in the human family, not bad habits to be ashamed of. You're normal, talented and doing better than you think.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Seek the company of healthy, smart, interesting people. Try to get to know people you find attractive. It won't always work out, but it only has to work out once to make a huge difference in your life. One relationship will help you do something remarkable, like change your relationship with food or find your passion.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). People around you will be mighty distracted this week, so you'll have to use special tactics to get through. For instance, ask for the attention you need. And speak the name of your beloved to focus this person on what you're saying and what you want. (People love and fear the sound of their own name!)

THIS WEEK'S BIRTHDAYS: Believe in your inherent luckiness, and you will continue to be lucky. In April, you'll experience the equivalent of finding money on the ground. There will be warmth and comfort in your personal connections, especially in May, when you'll be establishing new domestic habits and style. You'll give presentations and will make a difference for a group you belong to in July. Travel is featured in August and November. You'll be honored and awarded at the end of 2012.

Holiday Mathis is the author of "Rock Your Stars." 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, 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.