SSUNDAY, APRIL 8, 2018 Lively Cosmic Conversation
Venus and Saturn are injecting
realism into relationships: If you’re only in it because you don’t know how to get out of it, then you’re not really in it. The Capricorn moon chimes in:
If you’re being forced to play a game, then you’re not really playing and it’s not really a game. So break free! Live your life your way to whatever extent you can.
ARIES (March 21-April 19).
You can have creative insights anywhere, but you’re going to have more of them in a brand-new environment, particularly one in which you feel somewhat (but not too) relaxed.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20).
Don’t be too quick to sum up the people and situations you encounter. The trouble with putting things into strict categories is that those boxes will focus you in such a way as to miss the interplay among things.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21).
You’ve been unaware of the subtle pressures around you that were influencing you to be one way and not another. But something happens today to wake you up and help you better understand the dynamics affecting you.
CANCER (June 22-July 22).
What brings out your exceptional qualities? A demand for them. Therefore, you don’t mind the problems that come up today, because they are a chance to rise up and hone the best parts of you.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22).
You’ll figure out how to help another person get past a hurdle, make an improvement or think of the problem differently. This is no small win. The success of others will be your success.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22).
Wearing shoes indoors is acceptable or unacceptable, depending on whose house you’re in. Neither is more correct, as it’s a matter of personal preference. Other matters of personal preference will influence today’s proceedings.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23).
The new people around you have something to do with a shift in your thoughts and emotions. You’re the one who gets to decide whether this shift is something you’d like to explore further or not.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21).
Your ability to accept, support, care for and love yourself is increasing, and you like how your life is going as a result of this. You’re ready to get radically honest on a you-to-you basis.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21).
Ideally, you could shed the past like a snake shedding its skin, because wearing the past is just dulling the vibrancy of the emerging you. You’re so clever; you can find a way to fold up the story and compartmentalize it.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19).
You’re playful, fun, energetic and curious. Your mood is perfect for making new friends. Seeing as they don’t know you, you can be anyone you want to be. Sweet liberation.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18).
You’ll get the chance to observe possible candidates for your friendship. Take in all that you see. There are many things that can affect a person’s loyalty, and opportunity should be one of them.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20).
You can’t see your own attractiveness in action, and you never know exactly what it is about you that’s working for another person, but you can be sure that it is; the response you get now is proof of this.
TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (April 8).
What you do to be stronger and kinder will also help you enjoy your life more fully. Also, it won’t be bad for your image! Many will be attracted to your work and projects, and you’ll be able to bank on that. Impressive things come from your family in the next seven weeks. A departure in June will help you glimpse your future. Capricorn and Virgo adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 7, 2, 30, 48 and 19.
FORECAST FOR THE WEEK AHEAD:
Aries can be a pretty rambunctious host for Mercury retrograde. The mishaps feel as if they were intentional. The conflicts feel personal. The bumbles happen at high velocity, often causing a cinema-worthy chain reaction. The good news and the bad news are the same news: There’s only one more week of this.
Without conflict, there would be no story. Without obstacles, there would be no growth. Without bad weather and natural enemies, there would be no interesting migrations, fascinating adaptations or general evolutionary excitement. Our problems are often our very best teachers, yet they hardly ever get thanked at the Oscars, do they?
Inside every problem is a long and winding hallway of doors. And if you’re like most people, you’ll go into the same one over and over, whether or not you like what’s there. But the Mercury retrograde has a way of jamming locks. Good. Be daring. Knock on the next one and see what happens. And the next, and the next. There are real opportunities to connect with different people and try different approaches and environments. Exhaust your options and you’ll discover that there are always more options.
CELEBRITY PROFILES:
From “The Princess Bride” to “Forrest Gump” to “House of Cards,” Robin Wright has a knack for choosing projects destined to become timetested classics. Wright’s highintensity Aries sun is tempered by the wisdom and artistic sensibility of having Mercury, Venus and Saturn in Pisces. She once said, “Letting your imagination go to places it’s never been before -- there’s nothing better than that.”