The Black Crowes sang "I'm seeing things for the first time," and as Mercury's retrograde stint in Libra ends, you may feel the same way. Enjoy your new view. Obstacles are now easy to move and many of them seem to roll away by themselves. If not, simply kick them out of the path. Cosmic balance prevails!

ARIES (March 21-April 19). Romantic infatuation is mighty distracting. Enjoy this little diversion, as it probably won't last. Eventually the longing at the core of your being will be for creative fulfillment.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). You can stick to your own standards without needing others to conform to them. To live in tolerance is actually much easier than to live in intolerance. You see no need to reject those who don't share your morality.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Use your time mindfully, then don't. Because the mind has its limits, and also its extreme distortions of where you are now and what you should be doing to "get ahead." Better to rely on your instincts, which are ever more correct.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). If it's important, do it face to face. Sometimes this is not possible, but get as intimate as you possibly can. Call instead of write. E-mail instead of snail mail. Hug instead of shaking hands.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Who can be "on" all of the time? No one but a superhero or a Leo. Yes, you are of that rare ilk who can muster up a clever conversation when you don't feel like it and smile through whatever comes.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAY (OCTOBER 15). You're the fun one of your group and you keep others entertained through the year. The opportunities you attract before the end of 2008 are perfectly suited to you. Giving back is what feels best to you in December. A location change helps you make more money in January. May brings new connections. Taurus and Aries adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 9, 30, 5, 44 and 20.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). You're in the classic catch-22 situation. Whichever move you make there will be a cost. The best you can do is look for loopholes, which you'll definitely find. Love is the answer.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Must you really choose between what's practical and what will be bring you great pleasure? The gift from the universe now is that the best choice for you will be both reasonable and rapturous.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). You've simply got to start making yourself happy. If that seems like a stretch in these times of doing what is required to appease everyone around you, your resistance is only a sign of how badly you need a little fun.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). If you're able to think the best of your loved ones, you've found balance. Celebrate your own ability to be even tempered in the midst of an emotional storm. You're better at this than you give yourself credit for.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Your gift form the universe is the ability to see what everyone wants out of a situation. And the amazing thing is that there is a way to make this happen. You're just the person to figure it out.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). It's so easy to see how other people can heal their relationships. You imagine them being big enough to burry old grudges. And soon after, you apply the same wisdom to your own situation.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). In theory a battle may seem fit to be taken on, but just as soon as conflict arises you want to shrink. It's a sign that you're almost — but not quite — ready to assert yourself. The struggle inside yourself is worth investigating.

ASTROLOGICAL QUESTIONS: "I am a Gemini born May 22, 1974, and have just reconnected with a Gemini born May 30, 1970. Though he seems to have outgrown many of his immature ways, for some reason or another I still am not 100 percent sold. Is there room for concern?"

With four people in this relationship (at least), this love connection is complicated but not doomed. Regardless, you Gemini people are restless. Since he's post-Saturn return, instead of searching outside of himself, he's now searching for himself, which separates the boy from the man. So relax. Now what is it you want him to sell you, exactly? Because a Gemini man in love is like a piece of origami paper — if he thinks you want to be sold, he'll turn himself into paper cranes, lions, frogs, etc. I doubt this is what you really want, but he'd do it. Here's the real issue: you have Venus in Aries and it is possible that it's easier for you to be dissatisfied with your love interests than happy. What are your expectations? Are you expecting too much, too soon? Introduce daring and adventure into your relationship to quell Aries, your natural impatience.

CELEBRITY PROFILES: Oh, sweet Marie! Libra Marie Osmond started her career by working in tandem with her brother, Donny. Working partnerships are a good strategy for any Libran. Yet Marie's planet of "what I want," Mars, can be tricky in Libra — which is all about what other people want. Marie would be good at fighting for justice or crusading on behalf of others' rights.

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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