HOROSCOPES BY HOLIDAY
TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (July 23): Those obsessed with being perpetually, perfectly positive will accomplish the opposite. Be instead obsessed with enjoying yourself. You’ll have a fantastic energetic match in August, and you’ll make money and have fun with this person all year. Your work will win awards in September. There’s a windfall in January. Cancer and Sagittarius adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 9, 40, 22, 28 and 1.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Staying within the scope of your own preferences will only lead to a small and not very creative existence. It’s why you push yourself every so often to do what’s uncomfortable and a little scary.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Regardless of how much formal schooling you have, there are holes in your education. (There are holes in everyone’s education!) Fill them and the benefits come almost instantly — money, social ease and more.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21): Repeated actions create neural pathways in your brain. That’s why it’s easy to make the same mistake multiple times. You can change this with a conscious pattern interruption.
CANCER (June 22-July 22): It doesn’t usually come down to this, but when there’s a power struggle, there’s a power adjustment. Take control or be controlled. It will help to decide where to draw the line before you’re in a position to draw it.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Give yourself the leeway to experiment and try things on for size. Play around awhile, because the spirit of play is what will help you with the small tangles and then with the bigger issues.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Beauty and pain are often linked. Every rose has its thorns. A good florist will handle the danger. And when there’s no one to take away the prickly truth of the matter, go on and assume the role of protector.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23): You’ve developed such a specific and ranging skill set that sometimes it seems a bit arbitrary to you. You may wonder whether your talents matter to anyone outside the niche. You’ll get evidence that they do today.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21): Even though you believe that some of the rules guiding your group are unfair, be careful not to break them today. Eyes are on you. There will be a time for rebellion and change, but you’ve much learning to do still to get ready.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): People tend to decide what they want and then figure out the reasons it’s a good idea. This is, of course, completely backward and leads to faulty logic, but that’s only a problem if what’s wanted is amoral.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You don’t know how long a thing takes until you do it. That’s why impatience is for amateurs. The pros get it all done — methodically, one step at a time — with no rushing or time wasted.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): You’ll be baby-sitting children and/or people who act like children. Don’t expect typical responses or behavior you can make sense of. In solving the problems of the day, creativity will serve you better than logic.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): There are many good reasons to show up. You don’t want to miss out. If you don’t show up, you won’t know. They always talk about the one who’s not there, etc. So go. It’s a no-brainer.
FORECAST FOR THE WEEK AHEAD: The catty vibes are strong this week, which begins under the Leo new moon. The view that competition is the natural and correct state of human existence will cause problems. Though it may be true that the world is a competitive place, it is also true that people can be relaxed and generous when they are confident that there is plenty to go around.
And what about the compassionate superstars who don’t even need to feel confident about the amount of resources in order to heed the whispers of their better angels? Leo also rules the heart. We will have a much better time of things when we forget about being the best, filling up the spotlight and getting our ego needs met. Instead, connect on a heart level. See your fellows as the children they are, all in need of love and attention.
The idea that you have to be better than others to live a satisfying life is absurd, yet it’s pervasive, according to most social media feeds. Mercury’s entrance into Virgo amplifies the desire for perfection when acceptance is what’s needed more. Consider that maybe you’re already perfect as is. There’s no need to get ahead of anyone else and no shame in being behind.