Sky Stories, by Holiday Mathis

The Leo moon aligns with Jupiter in Leo to impart upon us the importance of storytelling. Tomorrow brings a lucky fire trine to further emphasize the point. If you're already an expert storyteller, do share your talent! If you could use work on this life skill, start practicing. Fortune favors those who use words to create emotional involvement.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). It's been said that inside every uncreative person is an artist who died young. Whatever people told you in the past about your creative works, you will be inspired to overcome their influence and express yourself freely.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). You'll wake up and care for yourself and hope that the care lasts all day long. If midway through the day you start feeling the need for some attention and tenderness, stop what you're doing and find it.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Angry people talk faster than they think and say things they don't mean. You've witnessed something rather unpleasant, and you've decided to let it go and move on. That's why you get to experience today's emotional rainbow.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). You will be inspired to transcend your identification with a certain role you play. You may still have to play the role, but you won't feel trapped by it. You'll be like an actor, having fun with the part.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You need your own space to think and work and just be you. Lately something or someone has infringed on that space, and you miss it. You'll have to be assertive to get back what was yours.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). You'll be presenting a story or idea to a group. They will remember the beginning and the end the best, so focus on an opening that will intrigue them and an ending that will wow them.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). You may feel overwhelmed, but you also, wisely, realize that this is a gift. It means your life is super-full. You can always cut back, reschedule and reorganize. It's better than being underwhelmed.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). It seems there are many who would like to give you a good reason to part with your money, but you're pretty firm about sticking to your original plans. They'll keep pitching to you, and you'll keep saying no.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). It's said that the young can't know how older people think and feel, but this premise will be challenged over the course of the day. Some people are quite remarkably wiser than their years.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). There's a certain kind of intimacy that happens when you have people over to your home, which is why the ones you invite will feel privileged for the offer of your hospitality.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). You don't realize how close you are to success. Do not give up! Now is your chance to rally your team, tally your resources and sound your battle cry before advancing.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Through the principles that rule boomerangs, you'll get to experience the same kind of generosity you flung out to the world only a short while ago. Keep this karma game going!

TODAY'S BIRTHDAY (March 2). There is more than one right way to solve problems. This year you'll experiment. You'll meet forward-thinking friends over the next 10 weeks. Someone helps you put together a plan for financial and personal gain in April, and you'll implement it in the months that follow. Group projects and travel are featured in June. Capricorn and Cancer people adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 4, 14, 19, 28 and 50.

STORYTELLING BY THE STARS: Inside everyone and everything is a fascinating story. The trouble is, it takes an excellent storyteller to find it. The upcoming trine of Jupiter in Leo and Uranus in Aries will bring a pop of good luck to those who can captivate an audience with a good story. Here are a few tips to help you hone this crucial life skill.

Stating What Happened Isn't Storytelling

Storytelling is much more than the retelling of events. Boring stories present facts in order. Good stories build with blocks of emotion. Instead of trying to remember and present what happened, think about what feeling is encompassed in each event of the story, and then work to create those feelings. Tools to help you do so include: colorful descriptions, your inner dialogue, people's reaction to you, comparisons, details that speak to your senses and more.

Meaty Bits Only

If your story were a steak, make it a filet mignon, thick and juicy, no fat or bone to cut around. Edit yourself down to the main idea, and leave out the boring, superfluous details and connectors. In other words, get to the point.