Mercury goes into the first sign of the zodiac like a finger on the reset button of communication. One push and all circuits are shut down, then opened again with a rush of new energy. It's a cleansing charge. What didn't make sense before is no longer relevant. The old energy is quickly burned off, forgotten. Details ignite, smoke in the ether. Auspicious opportunity for April foolery: the new moon in Aries on Friday.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). You're not sure if you have the skills required to successfully complete a task, but go forward anyway. You'll prove far more capable than you might imagine. More importantly, you won't know what you don't know until you're in a position to come up with it!

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Transitioning to a new paradigm seems like an overwhelming endeavor. Getting started is the daunting part. Close your eyes and jump; you'll have already completed the single hardest step. The Greek poet Horace said, "He has half the deed done who has made a beginning."

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). You have an enhanced ability to make accurate projections and calculations. This will allow you to formulate some big plans. Your instructions will serve as a guide. Reality will flesh it out as you direct. You're like a computer programmer, and reality is your servant, fleshing out the details.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). Get into the driver's seat. Steer your own vessel. You know enough about the world to choose the best destinations and avoid the worst. You don't always turn the right way, but better to be wrong and in charge than wrong because you let someone else drive your vehicle.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Your attitude will keep you in perfect readiness to receive good fortune. When this good fortune will actually drop into your world is the question. Until this felicitous moment, don't worry or obsess. Focus on following your curiosities and allowing your attractions to lead you down interesting paths.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). When you feel like you're out on a limb, return to the routines, habits and traditions that stood you in good stead. Eventually, you will develop new ways of doing things. Time rolls forward, and you will roll with it. But there is comfort, strength and value in honoring what has always worked for you.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). You don't laugh easily. Therefore, you highly value the relationships that amuse you and recognize them for their rarity. The other very important team member is the one who helps you strategize. Spend time with both these people this week. And if these roles come in the same person, cherish this golden tie.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). Handle what you can today. The challenges will be the same kind humans have faced forever: to protect what's yours, to grow older, to deal with family. Embrace the universally problematic as an inevitability. It's a new season. A new perspective is yours for the taking.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). What's worth doing is worth doing right. It won't be obvious at first how to accomplish the optimum result, but with repetition you'll get there — and don't stop when you do. Hitting the mark consistently is only the beginning. After that, you'll raise the bar.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). You'll take back bits of power you accidentally gave away. Instead of waiting and reacting, you will decide what you want to happen and you'll get to work. While you can't change other people, you'll focus on working on yourself and your own life. You'll seek guidance from external sources.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). You'll repeat comfortable patterns, especially in the realm of media. You may read the same book, see the same movie or replay a song a dozen times. There's a reason you return to these certain works. There's soul nutrition here, themes that feed you in mysterious ways.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Instead of trying to fix what's broken or turn a disaster around, focus on making good things great. There's a playful energy in the middle of the week. Opportunities open. Daring action will stir things up. Keep in mind: Feelings are a neutral form of information. There is nothing right or wrong about a feeling.

THIS WEEK'S BIRTHDAYS: When you want someone to remember a number, you recite just the number that matters, not the entire numeric system. As you approach this year's dealings with simplicity and directness, there will be temptation to overinstruct, overgive, overstate things. Resist. A simple, direct approach will work brilliantly. With a "less is more" approach, you'll make money, gain skills, grow strength and win friends. A perfect partner comes along with a personality and skill set equal and different from your own.

Write Holiday Mathis at HolidayMathis.com.

Photo credit: aitoff at Pixabay