HOROSCOPES BY HOLIDAY

Happy birthday. You do and say your truth this year and grow in power because of this. August features the excitement of new business and big money. Note that loved ones don’t have to be your whole life in order to make your life whole.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): To grasp the obvious is not the mark of a dull mind — quite the opposite. It can be surprisingly difficult to get a grip on ubiquitous things. You’re accepting something without question that really ought to be questioned now.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): What matters is action. When making requests today, don’t cloud the picture with a lot of background and interesting but nonactionable items. Figure out the next action then command it.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21): Humans have three brains in one: the reptile brain for survival, the limbic brain for feeling and the intellectual brain for reason. Today reason will be outnumbered by the other two, which are in cahoots over a shared desire.

CANCER (June 22-July 22): Open-ended questions will work wonders to get to the bottom of a mystery, solve a problem or just get to know the situation a whole lot better. Try this opener: “Tell me about …”

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Maybe you’re in your own little world today, but you’re there by choice. This is the place where you can see possibilities that others don’t and live in the land of what may be instead of in the land of what is.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): It’s not your concern for others that improves the world; it’s what you do about it. From the care you give to your nearest and dearest to the more general efforts of goodwill, your positive impact will ripple outward.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23): You will read between the lines and your comprehension is off the charts. But what will you do with this knowledge? Maybe nothing for a while. Let it settle in. This is wise.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21): You know who suggests that people are the sole architects of their own luck? Lucky people. Anyway, there’s little time to speculate on fortune’s role, as your journey currently requires extreme focus and effort.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Make no assumptions. You never really know how another person lives until you are living as another person. Also, those who claim normalcy may have a definition of “normal” that’s very different from yours.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): A minor reworking of the way you tell your story or express yourself in general will be the difference between getting people on your team and going it alone.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): There are certain items — such as shoes, for instance — that are both functional and symbolic to you. A new pair of shoes makes you feel like you’re really going somewhere good.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): It’s not fair to say that the world is hostile, friendly or even indifferent. There are so many different kinds of environments in the world. You’ll benefit from exploring the tone of new places. Go in with an open mind.