HOROSCOPE

SATURDAY, JANUARY 20, 2018 Pisces Lunar Options

One theologian defined sin as loving a lower, uglier thing instead of a higher, more beautiful thing. But given the choice, why would anyone do that? Perhaps there was no choice, and the “sinner” simply took the best available option. Under the Pisces moon, it’s wise to extend the benefit of the doubt rather than assume to know what’s available to others. ARIES (March 21-April 19).

Things are working, so let them. New methods will develop soon enough; there’s really no reason to rush things. Don’t get the update just because it’s available. Get it when you need it. TAURUS (April 20-May 20).

They say, “Stop,” and you leap forward. They say, “Jump,” and you sit down. It’s odd how you feel like doing the opposite of what’s expected of you, but you’re also honoring a contrarian voice inside you with its own good reasons for being. GEMINI (May 21-June 21).

Your process won’t require a lot of seriousness and commitment. Lighten up, and get playful. You’re allowed to be like a child following the trends and whims of youth. Life is an experiment. CANCER (June 22-July 22).

You don’t show your true emotions to just anyone. That’s what makes it so special when you finally do open up with honesty about how you’re feeling. Only do so with those who can be trusted with your tender heart.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Giving is different from selling. Selling is an exchange with expectations and rules that need to be upheld. Giving shouldn’t be this way. Give without conditions. It’s the way your gift will do the most good. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22).

The situation will require you to simmer down, settle your energy into the same tone as the environment and get on with the business of fitting in. This will be a lot more fun than it sounds. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23).

There will be a time for getting hard on yourself and pushing yourself through to the next level. This isn’t it. This is the time to ease up and celebrate the many things you’ve already done right. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21).

You can come up with a plan that will help the most people with the least effort and complication. Brilliant! Then, with a calm sense of purpose, you will move everyone toward a common goal. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Remember when you let someone into your world and heart a little too soon? What followed was regret and a whole new set of rules for entry -- rules to stand by today. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19).

Your aim will be to surprise and delight the public. This cannot be accomplished through doing what they expect and delivering what they’ve already seen. Bonus: the unique satisfaction of raised eyebrows and the sound of laughter. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb.

18). Somewhere between your high aspirations and the current demands of your daily life is a wonderful fantasyland. It’s a playground, a vision board, an escape route. It’s a good place, a place where things get done. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20).

There’s little to stop you from winning the admiration of your peers and the good opinion of your superiors. In the future, this approval will translate into financial abundance. TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (Jan. 20). Rest assured: Your optimism is not only firmly rooted in what’s possible for you; your best-case scenario is practically a blueprint for exactly what will happen. If you mainly stick to the plan, you’ll be golden. March will bring a new mode of transportation or a far-off destination. Your family will grow in October. Cancer and Scorpio

adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 9, 30, 22, 11 and 16. COSMICALLY CURIOUS

ABOUT... SAYING “NO.” Earlier this week, a sensitive Pisces asked for tips on saying no without hurting anyone’s feelings.

TIP NO. 1: Always project yourself as having a lot going on.

People with known busy schedules don’t offend others when they can’t make the barbecue, because no one is expecting them to be available in the first place. And here’s the thing: You don’t have to be busy in the social or professional sense to be busy in general. Maybe you’re just busy watching TV. That’s a legitimate excuse, yet it’s for you to know. Get used to telling people that you’re working on a project or that you have another involvement or something equally vague that sounds much more important than “I’ll be busy making a sandwich and watching YouTube videos of baby pandas.”

TIP NO. 2: Know your yes. Every no is a yes to something else. When you pick strawberry ice cream, maybe you’re technically rejecting the vanilla and mint ice cream, but nobody thinks of it that way. When you focus your mind on what you’re saying yes to, you’ll have the energy of choosing instead of the energy of rejecting.

More on this next week! CELEBRITY PROFILES:

Aquarius Rainn Wilson contrasted his role as the megalomaniac Dwight Schrute of “The Office” with his real-life entrepreneurial role as creator of SoulPancake, a media company that invites participants to “chew on life’s big questions.” The themes explored by this venture fall into the realm of both Aquarius and Pisces: philosophy and art (Aquarius), spirituality and religion (Pisces).

SUNDAY, JANUARY 21, 2018

Lazy Void-of-Course Moon

It’s said that laziness is the mother of all bad habits. As a mother, she is still deserving of respect. Also, bad habits aren’t her only spawn. Laziness has produced inventive shortcuts and interesting outcomes that never would have come about if it weren’t for her. Enjoy the laziness of the void-of-course moon; tomorrow will disallow it. ARIES (March 21-April 19).

If you can change it, do. If you can’t, you’ll know after you make the effort. Most importantly, don’t agonize. The imagination is a powerful force, not to be employed to negative ends. TAURUS (April 20-May 20).

Your life plays like a symphony these days. What comes around goes around -- though everything sounds different in the arrangement during the second and third passes. GEMINI (May 21-June 21).

When someone shows you his or her soul -- and by the way, that’s a real thing, to be shown the ethereal essence of a person -well, it’s an honor and a privilege, though one that you won’t be exactly sure what to do with. CANCER (June 22-July 22).

You’ve been instructed to put bright things into the universe, and this is, most assuredly, good advice. However, don’t let it stop you from putting dull things into the universe, too, to keep things balanced and real. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22).

Because you listen well, people become their whole selves when they communicate with you. If you forget to listen well, they will be but a fraction of themselves, and you won’t learn the fullness of a person. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). You have a good sense of people’s intentions, even when they miss the mark entirely. Don’t worry; you’ll get the same leeway when you make these kinds of mistakes, although you won’t be making them any time soon. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23).

Boredom is the enemy of love. It seals people off from one another. Bored people often fight to break through the seal and into the realm of feelings again, although this is not the only (nor is it the best) way to get there. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21).

Young people will be a significant part of the plot for today. Keep in mind that children only get one childhood. There is only one first time for everything, and firsts have unique impact. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). If you feel out of place, this is a blessing. There’s a great benefit to being somewhere that feels just unfamiliar enough to cause you to reach back to the world of those you love. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). It’s a tough crowd you’ll be dealing with today. If you can’t figure out how to put smiles on people’s faces, put one on your own face. Your good vibes will be contagious. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb.

18). You’ve a knack for being in the right place, and vicinity will work in your favor as you reach out. Even the most casual and commonplace communication is an opportunity. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20).

It’s not readily apparent why humans have fingerprints. Maybe it improves our sense of touch. It certainly helps us keep track of one another. Anyway, you won’t need a single, definitive reason to appreciate the unique mark someone leaves on your life today. TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (Jan.

21). You’ll rejoice in the way things are, and as you come to accept the finer features and deeper levels, it will be as though the whole world belongs to you. Creativity is a huge part of your happiness this year. If you’re not being creative, you’re not being fully you. Nurture this constantly. Love and support are all around you. Leo and Libra adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 8, 20, 1, 11 and 9. FORECAST FOR THE

WEEK AHEAD: It is a common misconception that bears hibernate during the winter. True hibernation is when animals go to sleep and don’t wake up even with a loud noise, physical rousing or a delicious smell; nothing wakes them until the weather changes. Their heart rate slows. Their temperature drops with the environment. They don’t eat. They don’t drink. They don’t get up. Not so for bears. Bears get lazy. They sleep deeply and often. But if the sun comes out, bears may, too. Bears wake up when something interesting is going on. Winter is a lazy time, not a dormant time.

Maybe you’ll relate to bears this week. It starts with a void-ofcourse moon, and then the Aries lunar activity Monday wakes things up a bit. On Wednesday, an alignment of Mercury and Pluto in Capricorn has us unsure of which direction to take ourselves. We could just as easily hole up in a cave and order takeout as we could investigate interesting goings-on outside. Another thing about this Mercury/Pluto situation is that it will cause us to make a determination about private life versus public life in general. What should we talk about, and what should we leave unsaid? Though the general sharing nature of the Aquarius sun wants us to give to and help one another, sometimes the best way to help is with discretion. CELEBRITY PROFILES:

Jeremy Shada is the voice of Finn the Human in the much-awarded and -celebrated Cartoon Network series “Adventure Time.” The role has attracted a cult following for the young Aquarius that he is uniquely qualified to command. Natal Mercury, Venus and Neptune in assertive Capricorn are a complement to Shada’s sun, Jupiter and Uranus in Aquarius.