Horoscope, Wednesday, August 15, 2012

The day is rife with aspects influencing our domestic realm and our relationships. For many, it may feel like there’s even more than that on the line. A gentle rocking of belief systems and self-esteem may also be in store. What happens will grow our awareness of ourselves, others and our place in the universe. Trust that it’s all for the best.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). It’s time to tell that certain person who keeps trying to put you into a specific box that no one defines who you are but you — and that you’re not done defining yourself yet, if ever.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). You’ve never been closer to that dream that you’ve nurtured for so long in the depths of your heart. Don’t lose faith now, no matter how daunting the obstacles may seem.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Your allies and your adversaries are both strong, and you wouldn’t want it any other way. You need both in order to stay strong yourself. A worthy opponent is a blessing.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). Your schedule will be intense. You will either fill your hours wisely or be pushed by them to do what’s expected of you. Tonight the relaxation you find is well deserved.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You’ll be in perpetual service to a project until you wrap it up and move on. Tonight’s extra effort to listen to and understand your loved ones will bring you closer.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Everyone has been tiptoeing on eggshells around a certain person, but the time has come to sit down and say what needs to be said in a loving and caring but very firm way.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). People are fickle. Everything you put into building good will can be undone with one strange comment or a minor event. So be sure that when you do things for others, you’re really doing it for the enjoyment of contribution.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). A new friend or colleague suddenly reminds you that your presence and your smile really light up a room. You’ll be inspired to light up more rooms more often.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Logic dictates that each step forward will advance your interests, but it doesn’t work that way. Progress isn’t always a straight line. But if you’re moving, you’re learning — and that’s what counts.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Accept only the tasks that you’re likely to finish in a matter of hours. If it might drag on forever, or if it requires a long-term commitment, say no for now.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). It may be that a friend hasn’t helped you quite as much as you would have liked. Adjusting your expectations is better than confronting your friend. There are factors you’re not aware of that play into this circumstance.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). You don’t have to let go of what you have to add something new, but you might choose to do so anyway in the name of living simpler and feeling lighter.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (Aug. 15). You commit to your life and believe in it more than anybody else. You’ll work with passion and net a stellar result in September. You’ll give loved ones more than what they want in October. November brings love your way; people are attracted to how you think. Your positive mindset makes a May adventure possible. Gemini and Libra people adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 3, 1, 22, 39 and 18.

TIPS FOR TURNING UP YOUR A.Q. (Attraction Quotient): VIRGO: Embrace your inner prude. There’s no need to worry about coming across as prudish if something doesn’t feel right to you. No one will think any less of you if you stick to your values even when the cool kids are smoking in the bathroom — or whatever the grownup version of that may be. Your integrity makes you more than cool; it makes you hot. LIBRA: Make your environment lovely to behold in your own eyes. This includes the environment of your body, your clothes, your home, your car, and so on. When your physical world is the way you like it, you begin to feel inner peace, and vice versa. In the end, it’s that sense of peace (and not the physical trappings you’ve perfected) that potential loves can’t resist. SCORPIO: Get spiritual. A magical, mystical power emanates from you when you are feeling connected to that which cannot be seen but can be nonetheless profoundly experienced. Therefore, meditation, prayer and reflection are as important to your appeal as exercise, diet, fashion and anything else in the physical realm. — Excerpted from Holiday Mathis’s “Rock Your Stars: Your Astrological Guide to Getting It All.”

CELEBRITY PROFILES: As Katniss Everdeen of “The Hunger Games,” Jennifer Lawrence embodies the strength and courage of one of the most beloved heroines in recent fiction. Born when the sun and Venus were in royal Leo, a regal essence shines through whether Lawrence is playing a famished peasant or a noble warrior — or in the case of Katniss, both.

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.