It's not fun to work on our shortcomings. It's much more enjoyable to get into some fluffy thing that's not really going to make a difference. Of course, fun isn't what this is about, says the lunar influence shifting from light Libra into intense Scorpio. Improvement requires us to do the hard thing. Start by taking on what irritates you.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). If you're willing to subject yourself to it for a few hours (most aren't), boredom has something to teach you. It can be a kind of meditation in that you do not seek a sense of space and nothingness; rather, it seeks you.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). One impulsive person will have unpredictable results; two people acting on impulse will be a disaster. You'll be the grounded force, the voice of reason and the hand of authority if necessary.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). You've got a laundry list of desires for the day, but what really matter are safety, health and love. Make those your priority and you can't lose. Ignore those priorities and you can't win.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). The big picture will be hard to see. The best vantage is still around a few bends and up a hill. No matter. The thing to do now is make the next move, and the next move after that. It will be enough.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You don't usually need a lot of outside motivation, but today it will make all the difference. A good coach or cheerleader will energize you to reach the goal. It's even worth paying for if necessary.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). You'll be asked crazy questions and presented with people's problems as if you were some kind of magic fairy whose job it is to make everyone happy. That's leadership for you!

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Just as being upset leads to an overabundance of negative thoughts, bliss brings on more positive thoughts than are warranted. Both states of mind are untrue, but in the latter case, who cares?

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). Before you discount your offering as not enough, consider that you might be giving it to the wrong person. For someone who knows how to use and value your contribution, it will be more than they dreamed of having.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). You look forward to the worry-free moments you'll have to yourself once you've handled a big job. Ask for help. Speed up the process. You owe it to yourself to finish this one quick.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Pause to sort out what another person needs and wants. Make no assumptions! Listen more than you talk. This will be easy to mess up. Getting it right will be easy, too (and profitable), but require better listening skills.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). As an air sign, it's no fun for you to be grounded when you'd rather be flying. But being grounded is essential to some things. There are many kinds of growth that are only possible through a process of laying down roots.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). You've done quite a lot, and yet, one of the most remarkable things about you is that you don't let your experience level make you jaded. Today you'll follow an interest all around the internet, library or city.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAY (JULY 29). The jewel of your year is an energizing relationship that allows you the freedom to explore who you are. You're an excellent manager of life and work, adept at compartmentalizing and keeping an empowering perspective. You'll be awarded and promoted for the zest you bring to work. Libra and Scorpio adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 10, 2, 12, 50 and 38.

ASTROLOGICAL QUESTION: "My boss is a tyrant. He happens to be a Capricorn with a Scorpio Moon. I've known a lot of really nice Capricorns but my boss isn't one of them. He's moody and he flies off the handle, shouting and ranting when he's mad. He gets upset over the most ridiculous things. If I forget one small detail or misinterpret something he says, it's on. As his personal assistant, I get the worst of all his moods. On the bright side, he's one of the most successful people in the entertainment industry, and I've been told that if I hang in there I'll make more connections in a year than I would make in five years somewhere else. Do you think it's worth it? I'm a Pisces."

Oh, man. Pisces are so sensitive and impressionable that it very well may be poor for your health to stay in day-to-day contact with such a toxic individual. It may help you to mentally give yourself permission to leave at any moment. This allows you to keep a degree of dignity and detachment. Your Piscean powers of compassion, empathy and intuition will have to be working overtime in order to stay longer than a few months in this kind of situation.

CELEBRITY PROFILES: She grew up in a small Kansas town with a population of 200 and rode to superstardom with her vocal talent. Country music star Martina McBride is a Leo with Venus, Mars and Jupiter in soulful Cancer. Leos love the spotlight, but McBride's chart reveals that her time, attention and ties to family are sacred. She says: "I can't be the big star in the family. We have a family and we are all equal."

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