There are smiles that look like frowns and laughs that sound like cries. The supposedly positive emotion takes on a darker expression, to tense effect. But the opposite occurrence — a darker emotion seeking joyous expression — is the stuff of standup comedy. A lunar sign change-splits the tone, recalling emotional contrast.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). Inspiration comes in many forms, the current one being among your favorites. It's inside of a person, telling a story, the details of which you will eat up — fuel for your next adventure.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). While it's only human to care what your friends, colleagues and the community at large think of you, it is time to go beyond — to act honorably and correctly without a worry as to the popularity of your choices.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Guilt is a tactic employed to keep people under control. It requires the buy-in from a guilty party, the agreement that one person's failing gives the other person the upper hand. You'll learn as you observe the dynamic today.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). Those who don't know any better will get the sense that these good things are dropping into your life by way of fortune's favor. Maybe, but you've certainly put in an extraordinary amount of effort to endear yourself to the fates.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Decisions are far easier to make than you think. The bottom line is not a promise of profit or the knowledge that you're improving a thing but something much simpler. What if the bottom line is just "Do you feel like it or not?"

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). The person who gives you the most winning advice will also give you a few duds. You listen up, try things out and bring enough scientific judgment to the thing to decide which advice is actionable.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Your confidence shows up in how you care for yourself and prepare yourself to face the day. You don't have to psych yourself up with pep talks, because your natural inclination of self-directed kindness is all the lift you need.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). The internet meme says a friend helps you move and a good friend helps you move the body. You'll find that the truest tests of friendship are not in dire circumstances; rather, they are in times of success.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Thinking there are better days ahead may relieve the stress you're going through now, though this is only one way of doing it. You could also welcome and love the stress, because these really are the good old days.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Meeting the demands of the day with grace will require you to pace yourself. All you have to do is flex a bit to notice that you're the one who's really in control of things.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Your protective instinct kicks in before you realize why. Take that as a sign that your instincts are keen. You are aware of what you have and ready to do what is necessary to keep it.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Stay on the lookout for those who represent the qualities you want to absorb. Your circle of influence will soon welcome new faces, some you choose and others who choose you.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAY (May 25). The question "Who will you be when you grow up?" is a persistent one and as relevant now as it was when you were 5 years old, because you are ever young and developing new interests. You'll be asked to fill big shoes, and you'll do so in your own memorable style. A purchase will be symbolic that you have arrived. Virgo and Scorpio adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 1, 33, 38, 7 and 42.

COSMIC QUESTION: "I'm in love, and I think I want to marry her. She's an Aries: very exciting to be around, beautiful, intelligent and ambitious. I'm a 33-year-old Capricorn and so much like the things I've read about my sign — hardworking, driven, and I love a challenge. The only problem that keeps me from dropping to my knees and proposing to my Aries is that I'm not 100% sure she'll fit in with my family. She's spent time with my parents, and I don't think she made the best impression. We had dinner and she didn't offer to help clean up afterward. She didn't make a huge effort to get to know anyone, and she seemed to expect us all to wait on her. Do you think she can learn to be more of a family person? Should I accept how she is or keep searching?"

Aries women are sometimes more passionate and interesting than they are hospitable and service-oriented. She does seem like a good match for you, though. If you find a constructive and lighthearted way to state your expectations of how she should relate to your family, she is likely to want to be as winning at this social skill as she is in other areas of her life.

CELEBRITY PROFILES: From "Saturday Night Live" to "Shrek" to "Austin Powers," Mike Myers brightens the world with versatile wit and effervescent humor. This Gemini, ruled by Mercury, is a master communicator. At the heart of Myers' comedic talent is the desire to communicate feeling. He has several huge projects on his plate including a Netflix production, a creative collaboration with director David O. Russel and the much-anticipated "Austin Powers 4."

Write Holiday Mathis at HolidayMathis.com.

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