Three planetary motions amplify today's message: be thorough, considerate and self-aware. First, Mercury looks beyond the superficial with Pluto and finds out the real story before moving into caring Cancer. Meanwhile, hasty Mars joins cautionary Saturn in Virgo, and together they read like a blinking yellow light: slow down!

ARIES (March 21-April 19). You have a notebook's worth of goals and are currently in the process of replacing old ones, revising still relevant ones and excitedly adding more. A Capricorn will be your supporter.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). You're busy looking for a holy grail of sorts. As with most of these kinds of quests, the point is not whether you find it, but the characters who come into your life to aid the journey.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Your project is well underway. Yet somehow the original intention got lost. Maybe what you wanted in the beginning no longer applies, but this is a good day to at least check and make sure.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). You busy yourself with the needs and wants of others. Why? Out of love. You wisely realize that love is more than a feeling proclamation; it's a quality of attention that you give to those you care about.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). It's easy to fall into a sluggish mood at exactly the wrong time. Take control. Jump up and down. Shout. Show enthusiasm, even if it's fake at first. Don't get tired and give up. You can do this.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAY (JULY 10). You're so creative this year, finding ways to improve all of your relationships: at work, in your community and most importantly, within your inner circle. Singles who've been going solo for what feels like forever make a fabulous match. Couples make moves together that strengthen their bond. Libra and Pisces adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 8, 11, 38, 44 and 17.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). When you add to your possessions, you add to your responsibilities. Before you plunk down the cash, carefully consider whether a purchase is really going to enhance your experience.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). You'll do better when you are not trying to rigidly control your own actions or participate in groups that have lots of rules. Your free-spirited mood requires leniency and wide open spaces.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). The scattered energy that accompanies a big project doesn't have to be a lasting state. You absolutely need to take a silent pause. Quiet time allows the consolidation of your forces.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Perhaps there are only a few who can really understand your work. But they don't have to understand it to appreciate it, and respect you for doing it. So no explanation is necessary, just do your thing.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Anything that requires more than one action is a project, of which you have many. It's easy to get overwhelmed when you stop and think about it, so don't stop, don't think — just do.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). The order is a tall one, and you're determined to deliver on it. Part of being tenacious is admitting when it has become difficult for you, and being willing to appoint helpers.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Anyone can sit around and complain about the chaos. If you're the bigger person, which you are, and the leader type (check!) then it's on you to bring order to the confusion. Prove yourself.

ASTROLOGICAL QUESTIONS: "I'm all nose to grindstone under Saturn (I'm a Virgo) seemingly lacking all perspective. Absorbed by my work, I don't feel connected to the big picture. Any advice?"

Recently, one of my girlfriends perplexed about having a really bad couple of weeks. I noted some recent spirit-dampening astrological happenings affecting her. She exclaimed, "no wonder!" and her confusion dissolved. She connected to a larger force and was far less inclined to stew on it (yes, she's also a Virgo). Then she recited a list of the more positive things going on her life: She'd just heard a little nibble on a record deal, and her new beau and her parents finally met — and they got along! This is one example of astrology in its finest hour. Astrology can open your eyes, just like that, by becoming aware of the larger planetary cycles. Knowing Saturn brings work and responsibility, but also eventual rewards, can help you detach and breathe more optimism into your life. Astrology reminds us that while the drama appears uniquely ours, we're all players in the drama of life.

CELEBRITY PROFILES: It seems every era has their bombshell beauty, and bodacious Jessica Simpson has the most attractive features of her lunar-ruled sun sign: she's curvy, totally feminine and her luminescent skin reflects the light, like the moon. Cancer people often have moon-shaped (round) faces and don't easily conceal their feelings — emotions expressively dance across their faces.

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.

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