HOROSCOPE

SATURDAY, JULY 21, 2018 Heed Mercury’s Warning

When shopping for support, religion, ideology, friendship, love, learning or help in any matter at all, the early stages of investigation are key. The slightest red flag is a signal to move on. Sure, mistakes happen, but the lunar square to Mercury warns that early mistakes are signs to be given extra credence and heeded without hesitation.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). The world doesn’t owe you a debt, but it also shouldn’t steal from you. When you give yourself what you know you’ve worked for and deserve, be sure to take it without guilt or apology. Then celebrate.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). You can’t lose! It might seem as though you’re losing at some point, but in fact this is exactly the turn of events that you’ll be most grateful for later. It’s like this day is custom-made to be perfect for your growth.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). You’re a unique and beautiful soul, regardless of whether or not you think so at any given moment. Your self-esteem will waver, but no opinion can change who you are, not even your own.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). Societal influence has a stronghold over you, as it does over most people. As a result, there are many voices in your head that aren’t yours and aren’t particularly helpful to your process, either. Shush them!

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You built this itinerary from scratch: Kudos to you! But what you intended to be a steady stream of activity and joy is now turning out to be more of a hectic schedule. So cut it back by half. Take it easy.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Honor and love who you are. When people feel they are lacking, their behavior reflects greed, impatience and nastiness. That’s why being the best version of yourself in any given situation starts with acceptance and wholeness.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Doing the right thing, again and again, has made you courageous and strong. It relates directly to today’s challenge. You might have been concerned about something like this in the past, but now it’s no big deal to you.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). Tell your inner micro-manager to back off. No extra judgment, assessment or even motivation will be necessary. You already know what you’re doing; now just do it, automatic-like, without thinking too much into it.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). High implies low. The self implies other. Life implies death. And what does love imply? Certainly not hate. Maybe ownership, apathy or the neglect that comes from taking people for granted. Fight against the implication.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Full of doubts? Don’t worry. It only means that you’re intelligent -- wise, even. You know who’s completely certain? The fool, the dullard and the fanatic, to name a few. Still, it’s time to move, so swallow the doubt and go.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Your work is important, but not allimportant. When it’s time to play, put that work out of your mind and let yourself feel as free as any child should have a right to be.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). You’ll enjoy the company of those whose thought processes are a mystery to you -- in particular, the animals in your life. They have something to teach you about patience, love and affection.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (July 21). You were meant to lead, and this year brings your moment -and many “your moments” at that. Stay ready so you won’t have to get ready. The generosity, affection and attention you give to others will be returned with interest. A financial boost comes because you educate yourself beyond what’s expected. Leo and Pisces adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 1, 9, 44, 31 and 6.

ASTROLOGICAL QUESTION:

“I know you can’t make someone love you, but I can’t help it; that’s what I want to happen. He’s not totally uninterested in me, but he’s also not into me. And we’d be so great together! I’m a Scorpio; he’s a Cancer. I just had our charts done, and it’s like we’re ideal. Why doesn’t he get it?”

Infatuation can be fun. To imagine the bliss inside a wonderful relationship between you and the object of your affection brings on a dopamine high, an altered reality filled with hope and possibility. There is nothing inherently wrong with this -- if you can accept it for the entertainment value of what it is, instead of mistaking it for anything that has to do with the realities of human connection. And of course, if and when an infatuation begins to make you miserable, the illusion must be shattered so you can be free of it.

No matter how fantastic this water-sign duo is on paper ( and astrologically speaking, it’s quite fantastic), relationships never happen on paper. You’re lovable. And as you love yourself and work toward fulfilling your potential, you’ll become even more attractive. Here’s a rule that will save a realistic Scorpio from wasted time and energy in romance: I love people who see me for who I am and love me back in kind.

CELEBRITY PROFILES:

The devastating passing of Robin Williams brought awareness to issues of mental health, depression and a suicide epidemic that has, unfortunately, escalated since his death in 2014. Williams was born under a soulful Cancer sun and an empathetic Pisces moon. Mercury and Pluto in the entertaining and playful realm of Leo are the mark of a natural-born performer -- one who is now terribly missed.

SUNDAY, JULY 22, 2018 Sun of Happiness

It’s not too hard to think about how you might get happy in the distant future, but that usually involves a lot of fantasy circumstances and events that you have zero control over. Choose to be happy right now. There’s a way! Indeed, there are many ways under the Leo sun. When the sun is in this part of the sky, playtime begins. Go find your happy.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). Competition is usually bad for close relationships, as you want to lift, not outshine, the ones you love. However, sometimes the competition brings out the best in everyone, as is the case today.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Boredom is a necessary part of life -- and one that keeps you questing forward to discover new horizons. It’s not about whether you can find something better. It’s just that you want to see it all and have all of the experiences.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Your discomfort may be telling you to stop an activity, or it may be an essential thing to push through in order for you to grow. So which is it? You’ll have to back up and look at the big picture to tell.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). It can be fun to hang around people who do the social equivalent of spinning in circles and the emotional equivalent of bumping into things for excitement. It’s also tiring, though. Today you’ll need a break from the drama.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). It felt as if you were in a trap, and you wanted desperately to be released from the emotional heaviness of a situation. And now you will be, but not because someone else had the key; you will be freed by your own understanding.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). People owe you, it’s true, but if they can’t pay, what does it matter? Even thinking about it is a waste of time. Your best bet is to take the lesson and move on.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). You can’t know everything about everything, but as you go deeper into a chosen topic of interest, you’ll find that the principles apply to other areas, as well.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). The choice to be kind often happens before you ever leave the house. When you set this as your intention, everything that happens out in the world reflects your approach.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). You really don’t think with just your brain; rather, you think with your whole body, and every move you make affects your thoughts. Exercise will revive your outlook.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). It’s within human nature to care for others while being mindful that someday others will care for you. It’s superhuman to care for others out of pure love and without expectation.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). It’s scary to go forward blindly, knowing that possibly you’ll only understand an experience when you look back on it. But if you don’t go foolishly forward, there will be nothing to look back on at all.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Envy and peace of mind cannot coexist. There are unfair things afoot that you’re having trouble letting go of. Try putting them aside for a while, in the name of peace, and maybe you’ll forget to pick them back up.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (July 22). You’re healthy, gorgeous and flush. Seeing as 90 percent of what you’ve worried about in the past hasn’t happened, it could be argued that worry is unnecessary (or that worry actually works!). You decide, but so much is going right for you in the next 12 months that a worry-free year ahead is yours if you choose to take it. Virgo and Aquarius adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 9, 30, 1, 11 and 17.

FORECAST FOR THE WEEK AHEAD: When the sun king enters Leo, he is coming home to his castle after a long journey of diplomatic duty. There’s a sense of relief, followed by a period of relaxation, which either fades into or overlaps with a strong impulse to have some fun. Life is a playground! Though you should keep in mind that “play” can look very different depending on who is doing the playing. Whereas some play on a golf course or boat, others play sitting in a chair in a quiet room, using their imaginations as the main event. Whatever play is for you, if you can make it a major part of your life over the next four weeks, you’ll be not only happier but also healthier, richer and more connected to the best parts and people in your environment.

Of course, there is this issue of the Mercury retrograde to contend with this week. It happens smackdab in the middle, and the more you can do to offset the potential effects before they happen the better off you’ll be. Mostly, this is about planning ahead, anticipating what could go wrong and having a safety in place -- generally, getting organized. If you can make those things happen, you’ll be ahead of the game.

CELEBRITY PROFILES: Selena Gomez made her show business debut on “Barney & Friends” and went on to rule Disney Channel and then the pop charts. Gomez was born when the sun, Mercury and Venus were all in the charismatic station of Leo, the sign of entertainment and of children. Gomez recently showed up at a prom of a children’s hospital oncology unit to bring joy to others and restore her own.

Write Holiday Mathis at Holidaymathis@gmail.com. COPYRIGHT 2018 CREATORS.COM