Neuroscientists suggest that the more primal part of the brain called the amygdala gets its work done at a higher speed than the consciousness held in the prefrontal cortex. If you seem to be thinking slowly, then it's likely that you're working on some higher-level function, a favorable thing to do under this intellectual Libra moon.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). Fears are overcome with exposure. Not all exposure is alike though. Relax first and then face the fear. To let yourself get too wound up is counteractive to your purpose.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). The tortoise knew he was slow, and he probably also knew he was unlikely to win the proposed race with a hare. The tactic he took was not just his only chance at winning; it was his general lifestyle. Limitations are strengths.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). There are many ways to stand up for yourself. Today, you'll do it by holding your ground on the sidewalk, keeping your place in line, speaking assertively and holding your own in a relationship.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). Like the tide, you roll in here and you roll in there, seeing many a distant shore. Yet, none can keep you. It seems nothing can stop you from rolling right back to your home, the deep blue sea.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Confidence is more easily obtained through ignorance than it is through knowledge. Because the more a person knows, the more that person understands what there is to know, and how little knowledge has actually been acquired.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). It seems that you now owe more than you took. That's the way it goes with debt, including the debt of being alive. Interest is a fact of breathing. Not everyone has your obsession with contribution, but everyone should.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). These critics who keep you grounded are crucial to your modesty and integrity. Still, they are more helpful after you've had some success. Right now you need encouragement and dreaming, not criticism and reality.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). Storms are named after people. You know firsthand why this is so. If you were the namer of storms, you wouldn't be at a loss. But all that has helped you recognize and appreciate the value of sweet, sunshiny friendships.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Love is a healer. But what about when there's nothing broken? Then love is the fortification, the prevention, the antioxidant. Today, the answer is the same for every question: more love.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Regret doesn't happen when you're fully consuming the moment you have. There's no place for regret in today's discourse except to use it as a signal to stop and find something that will get you back to "now."

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). There are those who have such a light touch emotionally that being around them is easy and breezy. When the intensity of a situation turns up, these types act as inflatables, keeping themselves and others afloat.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Self-esteem is a tricky thing. It's not based on what you do. Two people could do the identical act and one could feel great about it, the other crummy. It's a matter of evaluation. It's time to tweak your rating system.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAY (Aug. 4). Wherever you go, you add something to what's going on there. You do your best to plug into groups and systems that seem to be improving things, though you'll get the most satisfaction from plans and groups you create to serve purposes that haven't been covered by others. You're a leader and an innovator. Cancer and Taurus adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 5, 36, 42, 3 and 48.

FORECAST FOR THE WEEK AHEAD: Communication is happening constantly — between people, between other living creatures, between ourselves and the environment we're in, between our various selves. From the way we dress to the way we move to the way we talk, most of the communication is not deliberate or of the moment. Our communication is subconscious or cumulative, often more a function of circumstance of birth and a trajectory of life choices than an exchange of words. We communicate more by being who we are than by saying who we are. With Mercury direct in Cancer until Aug. 11, not only will we communicate the entirety of our feelings, background and identity through clothes, mannerisms and choices but also we'll be extremely aware of this fact. The heightened consciousness will, for many, lead to change.

It's also the last week of Jupiter's retrograde, so luck is about to take a different form. How do you define good fortune now? Be warned that identifying too strongly with possessions will lead to suffering. Possessions change hands, change value, require maintenance and deteriorate over time. The same goes for identifying too strongly with who you are in a relationship, or with your feelings, or with anything that is keeping you from living in the joy of your own vitality.

CELEBRITY PROFILES: Dylan and Cole Sprouse are twin Leos who acted together in many projects including Disney's "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody." In adulthood, the brothers have chosen different paths. Dylan has opened a micro-meadery and bar and starred in artistic fine art photography. Cole plays "Jughead Jones" in the hit series "Riverdale." The Leos were born when Mars was in Gemini, the sign of the twins.

Write Holiday Mathis at HolidayMathis.com.