The future looks bright as Mercury, the planet of communication, makes an entrance into the sign of Aquarius. People are sharing up-to-date knowledge on an array of topics and it's quite helpful. Far-out concepts are now accessible. Dip into the cosmic pool of ideas and examine a few that would have seemed just last year a bit wacky.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). You may have made promises last night that seem, upon further reflection, to be not such a good idea. No worries. You will be released of liability for anything that doesn't hold up to the scrutiny of the morning light.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). You go into the new year feeling spiritually robust. The things that bothered you yesterday seem trifling now. And romance is downright dreamy when you let the small stuff slide.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). You need beauty. Your survival depends on experiencing the lovely aspects of life every single day. Put yourself on a gorgeous path where the trees arch, the buildings are glorious and the creatures are divine.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). What hurts you the most? The gnarly little wad of pain has probably followed you into the new year, but it won't be around for long. Write a letter to the cosmic force asking to be released of this once and for all.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You are a firm believer in fresh starts and the clean energy of this special day renews you like a trip to the oxygen bar. Your high spirits creates distance between you and yesterday's problems.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAY (JANUARY 1). You are in love this year and so you see what is zesty about life. With your positive thoughts you are able to make happiness out of almost any situation. Your intense charisma will elicit a strong response from others in February. April brings the victorious conclusion of a battle. Your family size increases in June. Cancer and Gemini adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 9, 20, 33, 11 and 16.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). You were lucky enough to be born with talent. Now you have to be talented enough to find luck. Your artistic goals will be met in the new year because you start taking them seriously right now.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). There are certain items you really need in order to do your business in the new year. Team up with an expert and go shopping. Capricorn helps you stay sensible about what you've got to spend and what you should spend it on.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). Learning is a key enterprise for you this year and you're already engaged in the process of mental expansion. Regardless of the subject matter, going from ignorance to mastery is a thrilling journey.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). If you are unmotivated to complete a project, it may be a sign to switch to something more inspiring. In the new year you aim to impress the masses. You'll enjoy taking already good ideas to a superior level.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Everyone could use a little help now and then, but the kind of people you run into now are truly needy. Be a guardian angel. If you can provide assistance in an unseen way, all the better.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). You underestimate how others feel about you. You just don't realize how important you are to the people who love you and also to the ones who don't know you well but just like having you around. Let yourself be appreciated.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Money may be fueling your ambition, but once you get into the thrust of a work endeavor you realize that it's about so much more than making a few extra dollars. Your efforts will be character enriching.

ASTROLOGICAL QUESTIONS: "Do you think my marriage will last the new year? I'm a Sagittarius and he's a Virgo."

Do you want it to last? Sagittarius is a sign that finds the whole concept of "settling" to be, well, unsettling. You were born to explore, to follow your curiosity, take risks, see the world, go on one adventure after another. Because of this impulse for constant discovery, relationships must be very special to capture your attention. And the relationships you gravitate toward ideally will be constantly changing because this keeps your interest fresh. Be careful not to make rash decisions about the people you love just because you're bored. Instead, make the kind of exciting plans that will invigorate and challenge you and the relationship. Your Virgo husband is probably not as eager to move, travel or embark on thrilling business the way you are. But he will support you if he sees why he should. Show him how change will benefit him. He's the perfect partner for much of what you want to do. He'll get the details worked out and make things happen. He can also stick to a budget and pull together the elements to make your dreams real.

CELEBRITY PROFILES: New Year's Day baby J.D. Salinger enters the ninth decade of his life. His 1951 novel, "Catcher in the Rye," still sells around 250,000 copies a year, though this literary great prefers to stay far from the limelight. His sun, moon and Venus in Capricorn suggest a strong work ethic. Salinger has chosen not to publish his writing work since 1965, but that doesn't mean he isn't writing!

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