The maternal Cancer moon nurtures connections. It's a dandy time to spruce up our home, get out the grill, for the Fourth of July is upon us. As gatherings of old familiar faces kick into high gear, even if we don't have a nurturing bone in our body, we probably know someone who makes really good potato salad.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). You're giving the gift of your undivided attention, which turns out to be the best gift you could ever give. Bonus: Dialing your soul into one person happens to be a rapturous pleasure.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). A magnetic physical attraction is enjoyable, even if it never goes anywhere. And it probably shouldn't go anywhere. Let the zippy energy you feel carry you brightly through your usual tasks and leave it at that.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). You're still trying to find that special someone who will relate to you in every way. Some have sensitivity, some finesse — those are fine qualities, too — but what you really need now is a partner who can really focus, preferably on you.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). Relationships are never simple, due to the complex matrix of joy and sorrow that makes up a person. So if you have emotional intelligence (and your sign definitely does), consider yourself tremendously lucky.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You have a solid idea of what you'd like to do. But when you try to relay it to others, you'll discover that it could be even more fleshed out. Don't be discouraged. You're in the process, and that's what matters.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAY (JULY 3). You have all you need to move into this beautiful new phase of your life. The magic that happens in July is that you're embraced by the very person you want most to accept you. Through the fall the universe conspires to teach you the paradoxical freedom of self-control. A golden goal is in hand in December. Capricorn and Aquarius adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 11, 19, 45, 28 and 13.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Your inner urge to connect with people impels you toward popularity. It probably was never your aim to have so many phone calls and invitations that you have to turn some down, but you're there anyway.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Keats said that beauty is truth, truth beauty. Good, in theory, and yet you still work to conceal the bumps, detract from the lumps and highlight the very best bits of truth. No one said it was easy to be pretty.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). You have a way of entertaining young people and children. As you create some fun, you're teaching through example how to turn bits of life into humor. Laughter is a step toward enlightenment.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Your astral gift is powerful concentration. Put it to a higher purpose. You have the ability to digest weighty and complex matters. You come up with cures and solutions, and make stellar decisions.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). You'll be getting up in front of people to make your presentation. Nerves kick in, whether speaking to one or 1,000. The extra energy gives you an edge though, if you breathe and channel it right.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Your energy is outstanding and you are able to do twice the workload that you could normally handle. Rest up this afternoon. Unplug the computer and step away from the Internet!

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). You may be in the mood to indulge in what you don't need, including extra food or drink. Being around people whose habits you admire will override the mood, though, so keep good company.

ASTROLOGICAL TOPICS: Happy birthday to the U.S.A.! Though the decision to become an independent entity was made on July 2, 1776, astrologers commonly hold the Fourth of July, the day the Declaration of Independence was signed, as the birth of our nation. Yes, even countries have a "birth chart!" People debate over whether the declaration was signed in the morning or late afternoon, but regardless, we are definitely a Cancer sun country, with an Aquarian moon — our mother love spirit has a rebellious, freedom-loving edge. Our nation habitually opens its arms to those in need. As a nation, we'd rather be poor than go hungry, but in truth, we prefer neither. We think about security so much, our country has a mother-hen aspect, always tucking something away for an emergency. The Statue of Liberty inscription elucidates our compassionate side (Cancer) as well as our love for freedom (Aquarius): "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed, to me." What's in store for the U.S.A. birthday year? The birthday year of a nation reads differently than the individuals' — unequal distribution of wealth and foreign relations figure strongly.

CELEBRITY PROFILES: The Lindsay Lohan saga has been going on for so long it's hard to justify writing one more word. However, if I were her astrologer, I'd suggest this is the year to reinvent herself. Why? The Cancer new moon falls directly on her Cancer sun, a powerful omen for the collapse of an old life and the beginning of a new one. She could begin clearing her slate by addressing codependent relationships.

Holiday Mathis is the author of "Rock Your Stars." If you would like to write to her, 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.

COPYRIGHT 2008 CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC.