Babies, children and pets remind us that life is about the moment. Amusements and curiosities abound but we can miss them if we're too focused on an agenda. Mercury slips into Libra, a sign of creative and collaborative days ahead. This aspect speaks to the value of balancing our goal with an awareness of the needs and wants of others.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). If all this foolishness has you tempted to put on a stoic face and just get through it, you won't be taking full advantage of the situation. Have a little fun. Use the confusion like a magician uses flash-pot powder.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). To advance you must first to defend your current position. Take stock of your assets; ask for what you need. Whether you get it or not, you will work with what's available and employ the talents of those around you.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). You can relax a bit because there really is no way to force things to go faster. You can force, but it will be the same outcome, so you may as well conserve your energy. It's simply unnecessary to exert your will at this juncture.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). Your intuitive powers are heightened. Act on a whim and you'll stumble into success. A friend in need may be a friend indeed, but tonight's unexpected delights are the outcome of focusing on the ones who aren't in need.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You're highly motivated with more than enough energy to get the job done. Your thoughts and desires will seem to be right in line with the universal agenda, so the way will be smooth. Embrace love in its many forms.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Your creativity is boundless, and this actually makes it more difficult to finish your work. Lay down some rules for yourself and all goes better. You'll produce something that is both novel and useful.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). You're still not sure how much to trust someone. Giving faith arbitrarily won't make anyone a faithful person; rather, it makes for foolishness. Trust is really a matter of knowing others so well you can predict their behavior.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). The others may be loyal and true, but they'll never know you as well as you know yourself. Since you're the person you have to spend time with every day, you may as well learn how to make yourself comfortable and content.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). The things you surround yourself with are meaningful to you and meant to be observed and enjoyed — except when this isn't the case at all. You'll make things nicer by weeding out the visual distractions.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). You'll honor the tradition, follow the recipe, conform to the expectation — and then change it all to your liking. The flourish and twist will captivate your crowd and keep them coming back.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). You may be surprised at your own words, and perhaps you'll notice yourself expressing something you weren't aware that you felt. Your awareness of the conflict is fortuitous. You'll be rewarded for working through it.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). You will thrive in the in-between moments of unstructured time. Relaxing your muscles is a way to relax your whole attitude toward life. Start at the head and breathe out the tension in each section until you get to your toes.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAY (Aug. 25). Past lessons align themselves with this fresh era and your work takes off. Clear about what you want, the way becomes obvious, and your motivation is built into the plan. More delights: A holding pattern will finally be broken. You'll enjoy time in an environment that's completely alien to what you've known. Aquarius and Sagittarius adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 9, 3, 13, 37 and 1.

CELEBRITY PROFILES: Blake Lively played the privileged kin of New York socialites on the television series "Gossip Girl," but in reality, she's from a California show business family. This Virgo overachiever was already a movie star when in high school, but that didn't stop her from joining the cheerleading squad and becoming the class president. Virgos equate hard work with happiness, and they just may be right.

Write Holiday Mathis at HolidayMathis.com.

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