In stories of old, the first thing on a journey is an omen: the first bird, the first stranger, the first words spoken. The sun enters Scorpio and conjuncts Venus, making love, beauty and pleasure the first focus. What would you ask of her? Transform my love life. Transform my relationship with money. Venus, if you will...

ARIES (March 21-April 19). The tendency to overthink the minutiae of relationships comes from a desire to love the other person while still protecting yourself. And yes, the details matter. But imagine your ease if they mattered less.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). There are reasons for staying with an arrangement you've outgrown. Changing it means disrupting a system you worked hard to establish. But look what that disruption might buy you — a chance to make everyday life far more pleasurable.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). You've talked through a feeling until you have examined it from every angle and are still baffled. Leave it alone for a while. In the new solar season, you will evolve into the person who understands this.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). People have indicated affection, and you've collected the evidence they care. Some of this attention is unsustainable in the new solar season. As little details change, keep the larger arc of the relationship in view.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You prefer certain expressions of love. This can make other forms easy to overlook. Through Scorpio season, your definitions will expand. Someone may already be showing you love in ways you don't normally count as such.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). It is possible to adjust yourself so well to another person that the arrangement works beautifully for them and stay in the position until it's natural for you, too. But what is the cost? Just because you can doesn't mean you should.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). The sun leaving your realm can feel like the hour after visitors leave your home. Send them off with love and a little relief, too, so you can settle into your own kind of groove and feed your energy into what feels natural.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). This is your time. The excitement is palpable even if it's still only a barely audible hum. Voices and harmonies will be added one by one in the weeks to come until the song of your life is downright symphonic.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Making a bid for love leaves you exposed. That's the nature of it. If there were no risk, it wouldn't be meaningful or exciting. Venus gives you the daring to ask for the straight answer that will save you hours of interpretation.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). You often show love by becoming useful. You solve the problem or handle the task. Give someone the chance to enjoy you without your services. Sit there and let your company be enough. It's actually more than enough.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). It can feel like someone matters too much to you — like you've lost some of your independence because you're so focused on how the relationship with them is going. Distract yourself, back off or drop out for a beat. This fixes it.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). You can invent a generous explanation for someone's behavior, letting your imagination supply motives that make perfect sense. Or you can get the real answer, which saves you from the work of all that storytelling.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAY (Oct. 23). In your Year of the Keen Eye, it's as though you can see the invisible mechanisms that make systems work, the vibes around people and the exact alteration that will solve a problem or turn the ordinary into art. More highlights: Beautiful things, fascinating people and lucrative opportunities will be accessed through your social life. One exquisite acquisition gives you pleasure for years.

Virgo and Gemini adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 2, 12, 3, 19 and 16.

For more Holiday magic, visit HolidayMathis.com. To find out more about Holiday Mathis and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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