Horoscope, Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Fewer communication errors and misunderstandings will occur. Mercury has ceased his retrograde antics and will maintain direct motion through November 6. It wasn’t so bad, though, was it? If you had the flexibility of mind to see the humor, you may even find that you miss the entertaining little mishaps the Mercury retrograde brought.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). You’ll enjoy relating to the cultured, artistic types you run into today, because you are so much alike. Your generosity and attention will be much appreciated, and you’ll gain a fan.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Fear is like a wild horse. If you’re going to ride it, you must first become its master. There is a dominant part of you that can communicate with this wildness inside of you. Show it who’s boss.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Material goods, education and relationships are elusive forms of security. A stronger sense of security comes from faith in your beliefs, whether it’s faith in a higher power inside of you, the goodness of the universe or love itself.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). Today’s events unfold much the same as yesterday’s, but you’ll be happier about them, maybe because your observation is sharper. You’ll catch the opportunities you were too busy to see before.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). What took you a long time to accomplish could be quickly undone if you involve the wrong people. Be cautious in your dealings. Stick with people who have proved themselves worthy of your trust.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). While it’s easy to tell when you’re progressing at work, social advancement is a trickier equation that depends on your ability to read subtle cues correctly. You’ll be brilliant at this now.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Life as usual doesn’t showcase your talents as well as stepping into unknown territory does. Your uniqueness shines through in novel situations.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). Success depends on doing what people care about, talking about what people are interested in and generally thinking of others. You won’t lose yourself, as there will be plenty of overlapping commonalities.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). There is no need to divide the world into winners and losers. There are so many factors involved in your quest today that polarized thinking such as this would be counterproductive.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). This is true, yet difficult to believe: There are people in the world who don’t like pie. Many will love what you offer, and there’s no good reason to take offense if there are a few who don’t.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). You can waste time with the best of ‘em. But are you really wasting time? Following what interests you and finding reasons to think, giggle or lighten your mood is anything but wasteful.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). The person who encourages you to grow as an individual, to trust your decisions and to see life as an endless series of opportunities is your true friend, if not your true love.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (Aug. 8). You have a knack for finding worthwhile endeavors and valuable items this year and will on several occasions make money with this talent. Love grows through the fall. You’ll seek new purpose in October. November brings travel and family fun. You could start a new job or community effort in May. Cancer and Scorpio people adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 6, 30, 1, 24 and 19.

ASTROLOGICAL QUESTIONS: “How long is a funk supposed to last? I’m a Virgo, and I’ve been in the worst mood for about a year. I can’t think of one thing I like in my life right now. I’m not depressed. I’m just wondering when my life is going to get started.”

Instead of waiting for your Saturn return to be over, or stalling until Venus enters your sign, I’m going to encourage you to take charge of this one, Virgo. In the psychometrics field of study, there is a type of data gathering system called the experience sampling method, in which a person is signaled at various times of the day to stop and write down in a journal where she is, what she is doing, whom she is with, what she is thinking about, her mood, etc. After several days of this, the journal will contain a virtual snapshot of her life for analysis. My suggestion, analytical Virgo, is to conduct an ESM study on yourself. You will find the data eye-opening. You will check your mental story against how things really are. You’ll see objectively areas that might easily be adjusted — for instance, with whom you hang out or where you go. Those are pretty easy to change, right?

CELEBRITY PROFILES: Two-time Oscar winner Dustin Hoffman confesses that he got into acting because he needed the college credit and heard it was an easy class. A typical Leo might have stayed in acting for the attention and the creative outlet and to satisfy a natural affinity for the entertainment industry. But with so many Virgo planets in his chart, Hoffman likely had other reasons, involving the pursuit of perfection in his work.

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.