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It is completely normal to want to show how much you know, attract attention or be in control. It would be strange for a human not to have such impulses, though a trine of Venus and Neptune in intuitive water signs suggests if you can notice these latent, competitive instincts and curb them, you will go far in developing warm, mutually beneficial relationships.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). Problems don't drain energy, but an approach to problem-solving might. Stay curious. Curiosity is its own kind of fuel. Let go of the need to have all the answers, which only breeds frustration. The unknown doesn't have to be scary.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). It appears that someone made a big result happen, but actually what you're seeing is a series of small but consistent steps over time, doable for anyone with the tenacity. You are most certainly in the category.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). You give your all to the things you are passionate about. Because of this, sometimes it feels like the stakes are higher than they really are. Pace yourself and strive for balanced perspective.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). It's interesting when new people bring out a different side of someone you think you know well, proving that it's impossible to know everything about a person. There is always more to discover.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Of all the ways people tell you who they are, what they say informs you the least. Where, when and how they show up tells you the most. Next, what they pay attention to and what they do will speak the loudest.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). It's the case that the minor hill before you is more of an iceberg situation, with 90% substance and impact below the surface. To understand what potentials, impacts and opportunities are before you, you must go deeper.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). You'll have a great exchange. It's not great because of the financial value traded, nor is it great because it was filled with pointed insights or funny anecdotes. It's great because you're on a mutual expedition toward understanding.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). The behaviors we find so hard to control are often messages from the primal self about needs we have that are going unaddressed. So the very thing you're frustrated about is also your key to fulfillment. It just needs to be decoded.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Fear can be oddly seductive. Though it's an uncomfortable feeling no one really enjoys, it's also familiar and therefore easier to choose than the brave stance that will put you at risk but also in charge. You're powerful and brave once you decide to be.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). There is no decision worth agonizing over today, though there is definitely a decision that is better to make right now because too much energy will be wasted if you linger in the hesitation of choice. Life will go on one way or the other. Just choose.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Because you're compassionate, you can't help but feel your way to a connection with others that is deeper than the business at hand. You'll communicate from the heart, and it takes surprisingly few words.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Don't worry about being cool. It's an elusive state and even if you achieve it, it would be impossible to maintain it at all times. It is better to focus on purposeful work with an aim of an immersive oblivion to outside opinion.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAY (OCT. 15). It feels easy to give yourself over to the needs of others, but it is much more difficult to accept their attention and praise. You'll get so much practice doing so this year, and you'll be graciousness personified. More highlights: a timely response opens a magic door, a winning ticket and the peace that restores an age-old battle. Virgo and Pisces adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 50, 1, 14, 7 and 11.

CELEBRITY PROFILES: The literary world would not be the same if not for greats born on Oct. 15, including Virgil (the Roman poet who wrote "The Aeneid"), philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche and novelists Italo Calvino, P.G. Wodehouse, Mario Puzo and Roxane Gay. All have works exploring philosophical themes and, in their own unique way, helped shape modern thought and creativity. The air signs (Gemini, Libra and Aquarius) are known for intellectualism, and Libra specializes the energy in the realm of the arts.

Learn more about her new novel "How to Fail Epically in Hollywood" or contact Holiday Mathis at HolidayMathis.com

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