HOROSCOPES BY HOLIDAY:

ARIES (March 21-April 19). Counterintuitive tactics will work wonders for you now. For instance, you may have to stop talking in order to get your message across. (And you can blame the Mercury retrograde for that one!)

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). It will be hard to separate the thing itself and the way it’s done, and maybe you shouldn’t even try. The person with warmth and a pleasant attitude makes experience so sweet.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Just think of what you could learn from the champions of your field. Though they may not be readily available, the best they have to give is out there somewhere, probably in book form. You’ll be rewarded.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). You have dear friends that make simple things, like going to the supermarket, or watching a game, all the more fun. Your higher-maintenance friendships are valuable, too, in a different way. Both have a place in your weekend.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You’ve seen it time and again. Someone with a moderate amount of ability who works hard and smart will always win over a superior talent who doesn’t apply herself. Share the lesson. Encourage those who need it.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Vary your mode of action. Be a moving target, but not just moving quickly forward; zig and zag unpredictably. You’ll excite the crowd, and lose your competition all at once.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). The bad part about being a celebrity is that the station arouses all sorts of exaggerated expectations that can never be met. So don’t strive for that sort of status. Play it low-key. Come up from the bottom.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). Luxuries are more of a risk, of course, than practical items. They may be worth a lot, but if you ever have to sell them, your pool of possible buyers will be much smaller than you’ll have for affordable, practical goods.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). The options may seem evenly matched in the “pros and cons” department. But don’t you get the feeling that one will make for a much better story?

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). You’re not frail, but there is frailty in you, just like there is frailty in all. Softer, weaker moments will be mixed in with the ones in which you show up powerfully. Vulnerability connects us.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). It will be essential to work with others and pay attention to their moves. The best way is if you can check each other’s input for mistakes. Not only will you have a better product, you’ll be stronger as a team.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). The temptation will be to skip the brainstorm and go straight to solving the problem. If you brainstorm first though, you’ll have a more well-rounded, interesting and creative solution.

IF TODAY IS YOUR BIRTHDAY: Love will be your wealth and your delight. You’ll be supported when you need it, when you ask for it, and in ways that do more than take you one step further. Also, your mind is especially keen going into this year. You’ve a Sherlock Holmes-like capacity for solving mysteries. Libra adores you. Your lucky numbers are 20, 10, 5, 30 and 16.