In some versions of the origin story of Mars, the warrior god wasn't born of Jupiter and Juno together but conceived when Juno touched an enchanted flower given to her by Flora. A war god born of a blossom feels fitting when one considers the haunting loop of flowers — they cover the battlefield, are given in victory and romance, and return again in mourning. A full circle traced in petals.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). You're called on — requested by name — but the choice to answer the call is still yours. The challenge may seem inconvenient. There's never a comfortable time to stretch because stretching is, by definition, a bit uncomfortable.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). "The poets have been mysteriously silent on the subject of cheese," suggested G.K. Chesterton. Celebrate what you love and don't hold back. Maybe you'll be the first one, but you won't be the only one.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). To believe is to stop searching. To stop searching is to lose the potential to know more. That's why it's wise to leave a little room for doubt, wide margins for wiggle room — an opening for new light to shine in.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). Your attention is fluid today as you keep things moving at a nice clip. You dip in, gather what you need, stay flexible, responsive, able to pivot without getting stuck. Depth is a dive. Today is a glide.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Opinions are temporary and functional. They don't have to be lifelong positions. Sometimes they're just tools for getting through a moment. You move past ideas that don't serve you without getting tangled in them.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Today feels a bit like a maze, though at least it's a maze with an actual answer. This isn't about doing or undoing the impossible. It's just about trying a direction, then trying another one, until you find your way.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Singing alone feels cathartic. Singing for an audience is a different experience — one in which your feelings are laid bare. There's something you want to express, and express it you will, through something just as brave as a song.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). You're extra curious about what people care about. Ask how they got into it and what they enjoy most. Let them teach you something. You'll love being around the glow that happens when someone gets to share their interests.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). From the bottom of a well, the sky appears as a small circle. Though you've never been to the bottom of a well, you've been restricted. You've known perceptual limitations. And you continue to climb to an expanded worldview.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). The you inside is always different from the you outside. That discrepancy just comes with being human. Today brings the opportunity for self-compassion and a kind of reconciliation.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Needing things to happen only in one way limits your options for who you can work with, where you can go, or what you must pay. Instead, set your heart on the general goal, then let life work out the path there.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Because you know someone very well, you don't have to try hard to understand them. You get what they mean when they say everything, and you also know exactly where they're coming from when they say nothing.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAY (April 28). Welcome to your Year of the Endless Recess. Yes, there is still work to be done before the bell rings to free you toward life's playground, but more of that effort is fun for you. You learn, work and cut loose with genuinely interesting people. Brilliant social matches are the norm. More highlights: four investments that quickly pay you back. Stellar performance reviews. Monthly surprise treats. Virgo and Capricorn adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 9, 14, 30, 12 and 7.

CELEBRITY PROFILES: Jessica Alba will star in the upcoming television series "Confessions on the 7:45," a thriller that starts with confessions on a train and spirals into mystery. Ever-valiant on screen, Alba flexes her heroism in real life with the creation of clean, safe, ethically sourced, plant-based baby products sold through her brand, The Honest Company. Alba's moon is in Aquarius, the humanitarian sign that finds happiness in promoting causes for the collective good.

For more Holiday magic, visit HolidayMathis.com. To find out more about Holiday Mathis and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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