It's hard to change a mind, and even harder when the mind is your own. At least when others get involved, they have the benefit of being a mysterious outsider who possibly knows something more. On the inside, we already know what we know. Bottom line: If you want change, seek outside help. Do it today, before Mercury goes retrograde.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). To learn fast, first forget what you know. Clean the slate and begin anew. You'll absorb your environment better once you lose all preexisting ideas about the place.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). You've made efforts to fit in with people and now those are starting to pay off. They feel like they know, like and trust you. For these reasons, you'll have influence.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Time has one job — to march forward. When done well, this tends to keep everything from happening at once. Today, it's like time got distracted, stood still, and now there's a cluster of events vying for the same slot.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). You're often inspired to contribute, and sometimes you feel driven to contribute even when uninspired. But when the situation stirs neither inspiration nor drive, that's a message, too. Maybe it's just not a match.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). The lunar position has you quite literally mooning, heart full of love, body swept into the swoon and your mind a bright projection into the fog of possible next moves and an array of potential futures.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). There's so much within your control that it would be a terrible waste to worry about anything that is not. Dive in and play hard with the multitude of resources you have.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). It will enliven you to connect with your environment. Where you are doesn't have to be particularly appealing either, but it helps if it's new or if for some reason you are now noticing new things about it.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). Life is a buffet, and you're a pro. You know better than to start loading up your plate at the start of the display. Give it a walk through first. You won't be able to eat it all. What's the delicious priority?

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). The same pursuit that should, theoretically, be avoided at all costs is also too seductive to resist. Consider how you might be able to use this very human response to the forbidden.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). What keeps you from mixing it up right now? Do you think eventually this imperfection will get fixed and all will be different? What if this is it? You may as well tussle and play in this imperfect moment.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Challenging scenarios and novel victories have their place, but that is a strategy for a different time. Right now, focus on the battle you know you can win.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). The seasoned sailor tests the water, not out of fear but intelligence. The information-gathering makes for better decisions and smoother sailing. It's also a sign of respect to the sea.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAY (Jan.29). You'll give up three things to gain one crucial ingredient to your success. The year is still young when you succeed at your purpose with loving eyes on you — what could be better. Even as you cross the finish line on your own, you know you the truth — that you sail on the invisible wings of your team. Libra and Sagittarius adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 2, 10, 5, 33 and 48.

WEEKEND LOVE FORECAST: ARIES: A smooth sail into happiness is nothing to aim for, as it would not bring much pleasure. There is no romance without tension. TAURUS: Getting on the same page will mean both of you leaving a current page. GEMINI: Communication is easiest today and gets progressively more confusing over the next few weeks. CANCER: Life is for the ravishing. Ravishing is for the gutsy. LEO: From a very stable and orderly place, the most interesting and exotic things always seem chaotic, and vice versa. VIRGO: You will feel what you most want to give and then give it. No waiting. LIBRA: If you had to choose between your purpose and an intimate relationship, your purpose would win out. It's best to be in relationships that don't, in some way, ask you to make that choice. SCORPIO: Fear around love will sharpen you and teach you who you are so there's no good reason to run away from it. SAGITTARIUS: Is it a date or a behavioral experiment? CAPRICORN: A reminder: All are connected. This is far too much to go alone. AQUARIUS: Do not get sucked into the moods of others. Instead, see them as a challenge and an amusement. PISCES: They say they want one thing when they would actually be enthralled by an adventure, created and imposed by you.

COUPLE OF THE WEEKEND: Virgo and Aquarius both love a checklist and crossing things off as they go. They impress one another with their drive while stoking romantic fires with the spirit of competition and the hot engine of shared dreams. Aquarius wants to take things in the untried direction while Virgo prefers plans grounded in the tried and true. Soft and clear communication produces the blended ideas both can get behind.

Write Holiday Mathis at HolidayMathis.com.

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