Does domestic life seem completely alien from the outside world? Do you feel like you're someone else entirely depending on your environment? The opposition of Venus and Pluto is exact today, emphasizing the differences between home life and worldly pursuits and how they affect our identity. Your best tool now is an observant, open mind.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). Distance might make the heart grow fonder, but sometimes it also arouses baseless suspicions. Don't let your imagination run away in regards to a faraway relationship. Keep the lines of communication open.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Friends and family have been down in the mouth lately, and now is the time to chase away a few clouds, spread a little cheer and remind them all how much they mean to you.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). You know how infuriating it is to make a call and spend a long time on hold? Be careful that you're not doing the same thing with a very important relationship.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). The instinct to protect yourself is a survival mechanism that generally serves you well. However, you may serve yourself best today in an unguarded moment, as that's when someone will connect with you on a deeper level.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Today sees you walking around like the cat who swallowed the canary. Everyone wants to know what your sly smile is all about, but keep that happy secret to yourself for a while.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). You may feel that you know all there is to know about a certain situation. Is it true? Put yourself to the test. Teach others. If there are holes in your knowledge, you'll see where they are and patch them.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). You possess an ability that cannot be learned or taught. It's something innate that one or both of your parents passed on to you. You will now appreciate the value of this gift.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). Domestic harmony depends on certain skills, including the ability to compromise and a tendency to minimize another person's shortcomings and dwell instead on his or her offerings.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). You've handled change before, and you'll handle it again — and this time even better. It may have taken you a while to get used to what once were the "new rules," but now you'll quickly assimilate some new "new rules."

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Halfway up the mountain, you look at the summit and think you can't possibly make it to the top. But remember that you're already so much farther than the person who never makes the attempt at all.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). The song says to "pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start all over again." This is easier sung than accomplished. Don't turn up your nose at a helping hand from a very unexpected source.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Your appetite has been whetted, but you're still holding yourself in check. This time, don't yield to temptation so much as simply meet it for an afternoon coffee in a public place.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAY (Aug. 14). You're interested in making a point and also in hearing what others have to say, habits that will lead you to money in September. The change in your community will give you a new sense of purpose and drive in October. November brings your chance to share promises and solidify relationships. Cancer and Sagittarius people adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 2, 34, 14, 28 and 11.

TIPS FOR TURNING UP YOUR A.Q. (Attraction Quotient): ARIES: Take part in competitions. The prospect of winning brings your best qualities and puts them on display for new admirers. TAURUS: Stop pretending you don't know you're magnificent. It's not a sin to appreciate your fine qualities. Look in the mirror in the morning and give up some praise. It will feel corny at first, but you'll be surprised how quickly you get used to lobbing compliments into your own exquisite eyeballs. GEMINI: Crack jokes. Your banter is like "buttah," as you deliver your pointed words with great tenderness. Your sense of humor and mischief is legendary and more alluring than any physical attribute could be. CANCER: Making music by plucking, strumming, bowling or blowing adds considerable attraction points — and even more so if you become good enough to showcase your talent on a stage. LEO: Be totally unaware of your powers of attraction. People who have "It" often don't know they have "It," and this enables them to wield "It" mercilessly. — Excerpted from Holiday Mathis' "Rock Your Stars, Your Astrological Guide to Getting It All."

CELEBRITY PROFILES: Steve Martin wins the award for most hyphenated celebrity, and the natal chart of this comedian/actor/musician/art collector/author/composer/playwright reinforces his Renaissance man status. His sun and Pluto in Leo are inclined toward theatrics, while Neptune in Libra reveals a strong visual sense. His Mercury and Jupiter are in intellectual, detail-oriented Virgo, while Venus and Jupiter in Cancer bring soul.

If you would like to write to Holiday Mathis, please go to www.creators.com and click on "Write the Author" on the Holiday Mathis page, or you may send her a postcard in the mail. To find out more about Holiday Mathis and read her past columns, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.