Today's introspective Scorpio moon foreshadows the restless emotions preceding change. Our perceptions are attuned toward the mood of the moment, illuminating the shadowy outline of where we find ourselves right now, and how we feel about it. As the air vibrates with autumnal feelings, the plot surrounding our lives thickens.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). Hold your ground during a conflict. You are honest, direct and prepared to find a fair compromise. These qualities are rare and will help you get what you deserve.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Create boundaries that work for you. Voice mail was invented for a reason. You will be a better friend if you're not feeling coerced into conversation or activities. You can catch up with everyone tomorrow.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). The Greek philosopher Plato said that you can discover more about a person in an hour of play than you can in a year of conversation. You succeed when you take your business out of the work environment.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). You have a stronger appetite for fun than the other people around you, but you're about to change all of that. You include everyone. Your efforts to spread some joy to your loved ones will lift your own spirits.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Your character shines through everything you do. You show up when you don't feel like it, smile when you'd rather put your head down on the desk, and stay quiet when you're dying to point out someone's mistake. You're a gem.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAY (OCTOBER 2). Powerful creative urges drive you to take a new level of risk. Your reward will match. Financially, it starts to happen in the next seven weeks. Be frugal, though, and definitely save more than you gift. Sweeping romantic gestures come in December. Your capable action makes you a star at work in the new year. Scorpio and Cancer adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 7, 30, 10, 13 and 18.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). If the sameness of your routine causes you to hit a slight slump, you can get your mojo back by making fun arrangements. There's still a scenic drive, museum or garden in your area that you haven't seen.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Beware of holding on too tight. When you're not attached to anything, you have the freedom to create whatever it is your heart fancies for this moment in your life.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). You have been introspective for a while, so now is the time to reach out. Plan a party for your best friends and family. Great food, good wine, and with you as host, sparkling conversation!

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). People may be slow in getting back to you. It doesn't mean they are mad at you or that you have done something wrong. Knuckle down at work or make a new friend. The energy shifts tomorrow.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). You may be working toward a symbol of success, but the real success is the person you become when you dedicate yourself to the work itself. You'll know you have arrived when you no longer need the symbol.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). When you follow your interest, you attract new financial resources. Others might not see the lucrative potential in an endeavor — you might not see it either at first — but it's there, and you will.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Give yourself something fantastic to look forward to. Plan a trip or a move. Set a date. Travel brings new awareness and it's just what you need now to get a sunnier perspective on a certain area of your life.

ASTROLOGICAL TOPICS: Venus. It's funny that the goddess of love and marriage, Venus, was never a one-man woman, yet she still retains that romantic allure. OK, it's downright ironic. After all, she broke up a marriage by promising Paris the most beautiful woman in the world, Helen, who was already betrothed! It is ridiculous until you consider that when we try to get our vicarious and various wishes for lifelong happiness met by our romantic partner, it often ends disastrously. It doesn't have to be like this! Venus, in our astrological chart, tells us many things — our taste in clothes, what relaxes us, how we choose to spend our free time. Likewise (by sign and house placement) she also answers how and where we're best emotionally fulfilled — how we can make ourselves happy. This is good news! Does having a professional identity give us a thrill (Venus in Capricorn), or do we enjoy spending time with pets as much as people (Venus in Taurus)? In examining our Venus sign, we also learn how we set ourselves up for disappointment and heartache. It takes two to tango, yet everyone has the innate capacity for love and happiness within.

CELEBRITY PROFILES: In music and style, singer, fashion maven and Libran Gwen Stefani is an original. Gwen's originality fashionably extends into all areas of her life. In her chart, Mercury is retrograde in Libra, indicative of a person with unusual ideas about achieving beauty and harmony. She can take pride in this. An inward-looking Mercury is helpful for the artistic individual needing reflective time and originality.

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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