Since the love goddess Venus first entered risque Scorpio, she's become an agent provocateur. The people and things we covet may carry a forbidden charge, a dangerous or mysterious beauty. Today, Jupiter cherishes all our desires as sacred, even those out of reach, or ones we label as "bad." Desire as a quality makes us feel powerfully alive.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). Someone is thinking about how they will reward your extreme dedication, alas, missing the point entirely. For you, the dedication is the reward. You love being in the thick of the action, following through with all of your might.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). The idea of travel thrills you. If you can't see the whole world, you can at least see a new corner of it. And you're such a deal finder now that it all comes together at a low, low price. Talk out your plans with a Sagittarius.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Everything has its season. Your restoration is in the tiny feet of an infant, the color of leaves, and the size of the setting sun. This part of the cycle is profoundly beautiful in its own way.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). Seriousness is a choice. Things have exactly the weight and importance you assign to them. If you're not sure what credence to give the statements you hear it's best to err on the side of levity.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Your attention is magnetized by an object of delight. Of course, the thing that captivates you is quite unusual, perhaps an addition to your quirky collection or a zany novelty. You won't have to fight or wait for it. It's all yours.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAY (OCTOBER 5). You discover unusual strengths this year and impress others when you use them. Display talents to a wider audience this month. By doing so you'll help others without even knowing it. An authority figure, critic or mentor spurs you to new heights in December. January is big for making money. Love intensifies in June. Leo and Gemini adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 4, 15, 33, 17 and 40.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Your confidence is high. You're not even sure what it will take you to move forward, but you're absolutely sure that whatever it is, you have it, or you'll find a way to come up with it.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). It's a love/hate relationship between you and you these days, and that's what makes you so relatable to others. Everyone is going through something similar. You handle it with admirable grace and balance.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). The difference between you and the other people on your team is in your listening skills. You hear and understand the overall purpose and act from that knowledge instead of getting caught up in the particulars of instruction.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). You're the leader of a project of your own design. Barrel ahead, even if you're not sure where you're going. Your instincts are so strong now that you can't afford not to act on them.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). You'll be visited by foreigners who will be fascinated by the way you live. It feels a little weird to be watched with such rapt attention and it makes you view yourself in a new way, too.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Did you grow up strange? As you share your stories you'll realize two things: first, just how unusual your life has been. Second, that you have great potential to entertain others with the details.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Your intentions are good, and the outcome will match. It's the "how" part that will surprise you. Nothing works the way you think it will, though it works beautifully. Tonight, Libra proves a special kind of friend.

FORECAST FOR THE WEEK AHEAD: This week the Libra sun and Mercury share the sky space with Scorpio, Venus and Mars. Libra cares about creating consensus, and does so by taking everyone's perspective into consideration. Scorpio is far more interested in honesty than the peaceful pretense that everything's kosher when it's really not. This translates into a different social politic — what's socially "p.c." for one isn't for the other. Libra spreads on the tact and diplomacy liberally as though it were a necessary frosting on the cupcake of truth. This sometimes waters down a message. Scorpio, on the other hand, pulls no punches, and in holding nothing back, allows the full force of a thing to land where it may. It's helpful to remember that the truth in and of itself is compassionately potent healing medicine. Yet a spoonful of sugar does help the medicine go down! Of the many ways this combination might manifest this week, peeling back superficial layers of pretense is one, allowing us to see each other's profundity, depth and mystery with greater clarity. We may realize we didn't know our partner as well as we thought we did. Inherent in this is deeper connection with others — intimacy.

CELEBRITY PROFILES: Basketball player Grant Hill may play hard ball, but as a Libra sun sign, he does have a soft spot for all things lovely — as evidenced by his extensive art collection. Why art? For Grant, and any Libra person, beauty has a balancing effect. Going to a museum or watching a spectacular sunset mellows the mind, relieves the stressors of the game and helps Grant to relax off the court.

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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