ArcaMax

Remember when you rushed to define a relationship or label a role, wanting a little more control and certainty in a situation? On a day like today, we remember such occurrences and laugh at our clownish scrambling. Oh, the futility and immaturity of defining the unknown. The unknown is like an awkward kin you accept and probably also embrace... because you must.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). Skepticism could prevent someone (or yourself) from making a costly or misguided choice. You're not swayed by appearances or smooth talk. Instead, you ask questions, look for proof and trust your own analysis.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). You're carrying so much. There's this constant hum of vigilance -- managing care, finances, projects, emotions, futures, aesthetics, logistics, history. Maybe you'd like to do nothing and not feel bad about it. Consider this your permission slip.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Everyone's asking the same question today: "What's in it for me?" Don't make your pitch until you can answer that five different ways for both you and for the other person because when you know how they win, you win, too.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). You're more charismatic than you know and could attract an uncomfortable amount of attention if you're not careful how you wield this gift. You want to matter to someone, not to become their main preoccupation.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Settle into an easy pace. Leisurely activities are worthwhile endeavors. You've earned the right to get a little weird, too, so when logic steps aside and something looser takes over, go with it. Have fun for its own sake, experiment with no point, wink to no one in particular.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). This sweet day brings a sly wink from the universe. As you bop around doing your regular stuff like errands, work, chores, responsibilities, there remains a flame inside you, burning with the desire to infuse it all with beauty. And of course, true to form, you will.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Genius loves ease. Truly smart people -- like you -- don't waste their genius on brute force. They engineer better conditions. You're not failing because things are hard. Things are hard because the system isn't optimized yet.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). There is no reasoning with what was born outside of reason's realm. Much falls into the category today -- infants and animals and every impulse of the primal brain and the natural world and all the unknown worlds with their mysterious and particular rules.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). There's an adaptable version of you, but they're not keen to show up to today's party -- not if it means smiling and taking direction or comments from the peanut gallery. You're not small. You're not new. You're not in need of advice from someone who doesn't know how deep your ocean goes.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Consider changing the methods and markers you use to track progress to a goal -- not because your feelings have changed, but because all science is, at some level, inexact. Even at its best, scientific method always starts with a guess.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Why is creativity so important to you these days? It's the great connector, the proof of your power as a person -- you can put something in the world that wasn't there before and wouldn't have been there without you. Seek and share inspiration.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Fates favor endurance, a quality you cultivate by taking on the task of the day without too much guff, without friction, but not without question. Ask just enough to make sure this is the work that must be done.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAY (Aug. 28). You can safely assume that when things change, as they always do, it's for the better, as this year has both glitter and actual gold in store. You'll embrace five challenges; they level up your game and culminate into better pay, position and/or status. More highlights: you can rely on your talent, cleverness and teammates, including a very special one. Bodily confidence is well-earned through routine. Sagittarius and Scorpio adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 10, 2, 22, 41 and 6.

CELEBRITY PROFILES: In the new "Minecraft" movie, Jack Black struggled with the ordinary problems of his character Steve in a bizarre, cubic wonderland that thrives on imagination. Black was born when Mars was in fiery Sagittarius, the realm of other worlds. Whether he's playing a loveable panda, a video game character or the devil himself, like a Virgo, Black makes the magic happen in both big bold strokes and in the smallest details. "You must never underestimate the power of the eyebrow." -- Jack Black

Holiday Mathis' debut novel, "How To Fail Epically in Hollywood," is out now! This fast-paced romp about achieving Hollywood stardom is available as a paperback and e-book. Visit http://www.creatorspublishing.com for more information. Write Holiday Mathis at HolidayMathis.com.

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