OPINION

Horoscopes by Holiday

Happy birthday (Aug. 10). You give yourself over to the worthiest pursuits and also to people who do not have to do a single thing to deserve your unconditional love. As for the rest, you will be careful, stingy even, with your attention. This is a year for doing what matters. February and June bring large dividends.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): You wanted someone's love, and you weren't the only one trying to get it. This taught you more about competition than anything you've done since. There's an art to getting the right kind of attention. You're nailing it.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Practical matters fade and what comes to the fore is a poetic aspect to the day in which a hope or justice is expressed perfectly to reflect this artistic and emotional journey you are on.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21): If your primary value is something quantifiable, then you will always need more of it. But when you value abstract qualities like freedom or playfulness, you don't have to chase. You embody the thing and have won.

CANCER (June 22-July 22): It is natural to go easy on those you love most. Do the same for yourself. When you're giving your best effort, accept that it's all you can do. Expecting yourself to do more is not only silly, it's unkind.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Money only has the value we assign to it. You think you know what gets exchanged with a dollar, but give it more consideration today, and you'll have a new realization.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): You have known the joy of surprise and have been knocked out by big gestures from people trying to impress you. Even so, the gifts you most treasure have been small and simple. You'll pay it forward today.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23): To experience something new with another person is to create an unforgettable bond. Today, it's more fun if what you're doing is novel to you both.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21): You try to be temperate, but it doesn't always work out, and rightly so. You have a wide range of feelings to express, many loving and kind, some appropriately angry. No one is patient all of the time.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Being close to a person sometimes means that you speak up, or argue even. You love a person, and you want that person to thrive. The moments of conflict that arise are born out of this love.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Like a good story, this day comes with a gradual rise of tension. There's the temptation to fix it all as you go. Resist. Some things are better left unresolved for now.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): The essence of strategy is using time, space and resources well. Consider that resources and space can be renewed, replaced, reconfigured. As for time, there's no way to make up for its vanishing.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): You don't always choose the enjoyable route, and today you'll ask yourself why. Many reasons could factor in including ambition, social pressure or fear of an unmet expectation. Tonight is for deciding if it was worth it.

COSMIC FIGHTING WORDS

A square of communication planet Mercury and impulsive Uranus recalls the power of words, some of which seem to be loaded with far more incendiary potential than the sum of their letters. The context in which words are used and the audience for whom they are aimed is as important as the actual word choice.

CELEBRITY PROFILES

Antonio Banderas radiates the regal energy of his Leo sun. Ancient cultures worshipped the (Leo) sun gods, such as Ra, Apollo and Helios, for their admirable qualities of nobility, integrity and leadership. Recently, Banderas channeled his kingly swagger into the role of King Rassouli in the family adventure film "Dolittle."

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