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SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2014

Mercury Retrograde Message

This Mercury retrograde challenges us to end a cycle of blame. Blame comes from assuming that because something is wrong, it’s also bad. People are wrong all of the time. If “wrong” is considered negative, it leads to blame, shame and punishment. When “wrong” is neutral, it easily can be made right by taking a different action.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). If you could take care of all of your own needs, you wouldn’t have any reason to be angry at all. But you also wouldn’t have a reason to connect with others, and that’s why you’ll be happy for what you lack.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Of course the bull can be stubborn, but this isn’t always a bad thing. In fact, you’ll be celebrated for that particular brand of stubbornness called “tenacity.” Your refusal to give up will lead to a victory.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). All things being equal, why not surround yourself with people who believe in you and like being witness to your work instead of with people who are critical and jealous?

CANCER (June 22-July 22). Everyone has triggers to anger, but mature people resist acting on them automatically. Each time you take a moment, breathe and choose your reaction wisely, you retrain your brain and raise your emotional intelligence.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). It seems like you’re making constant adjustments in order to stay on the right path, but don’t think your situation is any worse than anyone else’s. Good lives are filled with correction.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). To have positive illusions of who a loved one is and will become is to be in love. Today you’ll take every opportunity you see to support your loved one’s attempts to grow and develop.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). You won’t be sure whether you’ve landed in a good place or a bad place today, but if you are lucky enough to be there with one of your favorite people, it’s heavenly either way.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). What one person considers to be a tense situation might be status quo for another person. Today will be about testing and expanding the limits for you and your team.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). You need and enjoy relationships, but at the end of the day, you are your own person: autonomous. You don’t have to make a big deal about this now. They’ll find out sooner or later that you make your own decisions.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). The time you spend with family is precious even when it’s not all that fun, smooth, comfortable or even civil. There’s something necessary in family connections, and that’s where you’ll focus tonight.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Today’s decision-making boils down to your feelings about each choice. You can logically assess the pros and cons all you want, but in the end, you’ll still make the choice that feels the best.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). You’re not nitpicking or critical. You’re just calling it as you see it. You have to notice when an action is taking you in the wrong direction in order to course correct.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (Feb. 8). The message you get most often from the universe this year is that you are loved and you belong. You’ll be paid handsomely for the responsibilities you handle so well over the next six weeks. March shows you in the thick of a creative endeavor. Your romantic heart informs the choice you make in June. Aries and Taurus people adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 24, 7, 30, 11 and 42.

ASTROLOGICAL QUESTIONS:

“I’m a Libra, and my husband is a Taurus. Is it ethical for me to hide some of our money? I don’t want it for myself. It’s more because his pattern is to spend everything in his account and go into debt for things he wants but doesn’t need. If I’m ever to have any financial peace, I’m afraid I’m going to have to either divorce him or do some secret accounting. This would be easy for me because I do all of the bill paying and bookkeeping anyway.”

Your husband was born under the sign of money, luxury and stubbornness. Taurus men are extremely difficult to convince on most matters, but when it comes to money and what he wants to buy, prepare to have no influence whatsoever. As long as he makes money, he feels it’s his right to spend it how he wishes, no matter how many bills, needs or children are involved. Since you are sitting in the financial driver’s seat, my advice is to implement the savings plan you believe to be a good idea and show him a statement each month to inform him of the dollar amount of his debt and checking account. He may be spending simply because he doesn’t have a visual grasp of the budget.

CELEBRITY PROFILES: James Dean was a bright star and the iconic “Rebel Without a Cause.” His Mercury, Venus and Saturn in cool Capricorn indicates great wells of selfcontrol and emotional restraint, as well as lofty ambitions and the talent to get there. Mars, the passion planet, in Leo, the sign of entertainment, indicates a strong need for attention. Dean’s Scorpio moon brought the brooding intensity to this natal chart.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2014

Trine of Social Graces

Despite Mercury’s retrograde, the Aquarius sun and the Gemini moon form a harmonious trine to highlight social ease and grace. Mercury retrogrades like to scramble messages, but the lunar vibes steer us toward the rather obvious clues to meaning: body language, tone and context.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). When you think of someone, it draws that person to you in the spirit of your thoughts. This principle will be clearly represented in today’s rather uncanny events.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). You will become healthier and feel better, and not because of a magic pill or a wish granted, but because of hundreds of little decisions you’ll make in the days to come.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). The best situations offer you a challenge. Let your natural optimism lead the way. You’ll sense you can somehow get on the inside, even though you can’t readily see the way.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). Winston Churchill said, “Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.” Don’t give up. You’re very close to winning this one.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Were you cut out for this job? Probably not. Most people are not “cut out” for the modern world in general. But to be human is to adapt. Assume you have what it takes, and go for it.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Send your mind ahead of you by visualizing the top three priorities of the day. This exercise will help you stay focused on what’s important instead of being overly reactive to the stimulus of the moment.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Getting people to like you isn’t a problem you possess. Managing the people in your life -- that’s a skill set you’d like to bone up on. Note: If your friends get along with one another, it will be easier for you.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). You are who you choose to be. If your choice is aligned with your natural abilities, you’ll achieve success faster. But success is possible either way as long as you do consistent work and don’t give up.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Emotions are fleeting. That doesn’t make them any less real, but when you take into account that they eventually will drift on by, it makes the bad ones bearable and the good ones all the more precious.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). You’ve been so hard on yourself lately. What you call a mistake would actually be an acceptable outcome for others. You’ll achieve your own high standards once you relax.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). The magic will happen soon enough. Until then, focus on building some momentum. It can be created through small, completed tasks. Five tasks ticked off the list, and life will start to lift you up.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Your future happiness depends on nailing the specifics of an arrangement. Think through the deal you want now while you have the luxury of time. When the details pop to mind, write them down.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (Feb. 9). Everyone appreciates your sense of justice, but as you portion out the good will, you sometimes unfairly forget to include yourself in the split. Step up and claim life’s bounty! One special interest will open opportunities for love and money. March features a move and a makeover. April brings back something lost. Libra and Leo people adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 3,1, 9, 29 and 16.

FORECAST FOR THE WEEK

AHEAD: The first full week of the first Mercury retrograde of the year promises misunderstandings, crossed lines, mistaken identities, foolish assumptions and the wacky dramatic chaos that comes of it. In short, the week plays out like a comedy of errors, so hopefully your sense of humor is in fine form.

On Wednesday, Feb. 12, Mercury sets the tone by driving in reverse out of Pisces and re-entering friendly Aquarius. No good deed goes unpunished under that arrangement, but there’s a good point raised in this unappreciative setting: Who are we really doing the good deeds for in the first place? Is it so we can feel like good people and be seen as such? Is it to make someone else conform to our aesthetic and cultural standards? Such motivations won’t go far to improving things in the world. The only good deeds that really land are the ones that selflessly provide others with what they really need and want.

This year, Valentine’s Day falls on the full moon in Leo, though more accurately, it will feel like the full moon in Leo is crashing into Valentine’s Day with its large-hearted ways and inclination toward over-the-top demonstration. Go big or go home.

CELEBRITY PROFILES: Avan Jogia rose to fame as Beck in Nickelodeon’s hit series “Victorious,” and the Aquarian actor recently starred in the mystery thriller series “Twisted.” In addition to three friendly, philanthropic and intellectual Aquarian luminaries, Jogia was born when Venus, Mars, Uranus and Neptune were in cool Capricorn, shading him in an aura of intrigue.

If you would like to write to Holiday Mathis, please go to www. creators.com and click on “Write the Author” on the Holiday Mathis page, or you may send her a postcard in the mail. To find out more about Holiday Mathis and read her past columns, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com. COPYRIGHT 2014 CREATORS.COM