Horoscopes by Holiday for January 7

Mercury enters revolutionary Aquarius today — brilliant! Thinking about starting a neighborhood recycling committee? Pondering the prospect of making a difference? Now you're getting swept up in the spirited camaraderie of this mentally stimulating day. We're talking about the future and connecting people to ideas to the world. Share your knowledge.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). You are faced with complex problems, and you quickly bring all of your brainpower to the challenge. It's not so much because you're compelled to help — you just like figuring things out.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). You're clever, seeing the sophisticated view of things now. Some of your opinions, though extremely pithy, should be reserved for only the select few that you're absolutely sure will get your humor.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). It seems that you are far from home, even when you are inside your house. Your mind is traveling a great distance as you work out the unresolved issues of your past.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). Be sensitive to the timing of people who are moving at a pace different from your own. You don't have to join them at their hurried clip — or their slow-motion saunter, as the case may be. Just observe and enjoy.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You'll be reminded about what you owe someone. You could make a trade that helps you settle a debt faster. An update to your wardrobe makes you feel spiffy.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAY (Jan. 7). This year, the very real way you show your love is appreciated by equally authentic people around you. Friends celebrate you this month. You're entering a new career arena in March. Since you're so friendly and charismatic, you're likely to sell your way to the top. Romantic trips are featured in June. Cancer and Aries adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 5, 38, 12, 39 and 18.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Whatever you concentrate on, you'll get it done. An old friend (possibly a Sagittarius) needs attention. The relationship may be in danger of fading away. Pick up the phone.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Organizational practices keep your life running smoothly. File receipts, note your phone calls, keep an up-to-date calendar. Don't take anything apart that you don't know how to put back together.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). You're more likely now to instigate mischief than to enforce rules. Revisiting childhood memories unlocks a current puzzling relationship dilemma. Take a breath and dive into the past to figure this one out.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Do what you normally wouldn't. A visit to the fringe is inspiring. Tonight, relationships need ingenuity to thrive. To stave away the old ennui, try something new.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Hesitation creates doubt — think fast and speak up. Others are relieved to know that you know what you're doing, or at least you seem to. Someone puts his or her trust in you tonight.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). It's that time again — time to do something outrageous. Like dedicate your heart to one person. Tonight: You're a fantastic communicator. Translate for a not-so-fantastic communicator.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Those who are leaning on you too often will now begin to feel heavy. A Chinese proverb says the wise individual's friendship is as light as water. The small-minded person's relationship is as sticky as honey.

ASTROLOGICAL TOPICS: The Moon. Timing and rhythm are the backdrops of the cycles of our lives, yet unless we know how to look, we miss those quiet day-to-day graceful transitions, compliments of the moon. Let's say the planets are all band members playing at a cosmic concert. The sun would be the star performer, Venus the harmony, Mercury the lyricist, and the moon, well, she would be the rhythm section, keeping the beat and tempo for our planetary performers. She's no attention hog. A passive and undemanding presence, you'd barely notice her. But without her rhythmic organization, the beautifully timed song would be an erratic, awkwardly timed cacophony of sound. The moon moves quickly, the fastest planetary body in the sky, but the eightfold phase in her journey from the sun and back marks turning points in our consciousness and often trigger real-world events. The events are most noticeable at the full moon, when emotions are spread thin and new awareness surface with a crescendo. Follow the moon phases to see how the moon affects you!

CELEBRITY PROFILES: It's no surprise that Capricorn rocker David Bowie has an unusual birth chart. Esoteric Neptune touches off Saturn and Venus, explaining his talent for creating fantastic apparitions of macabre beauty — he's a rocker-magician. This year brings new artistic ambitions for Bowie.

Holiday Mathis is the author of "Rock Your Stars: Your Astrological Guide to Getting it All." 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. 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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