HOROSCOPES BY HOLIDAY

Happy birthday. Recognition and leadership are part of the package in 2014. The next six weeks bring an ego-boosting cycle, but make no mistake, you’ll earn all the praise and success you get. January settles a relationship into a pattern that could work for the long term. February teaches you the value of power and control.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): You are impressionable, but be careful not to put anyone else on a level above you. If you can see beauty, it’s because there is beauty in you. The same goes for talent, intelligence, kindness and humor.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): It’s hard to connect with seemingly perfect people, because people connect through their flaws. Luckily, no one you know is perfect! You’ll help someone feel loved, flaws and all.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21): You’re being prevented from moving forward in some way. Now the question is: Are you dealing with a block or a hurdle? They both can be overcome, but the hurdle was made for getting over.

CANCER (June 22-July 22): You see what the problem is and respond to it before others even seem to notice something is off. They are just ignoring the issues they are powerless to change. You notice because you can do something about it.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): You cannot worry properly if you’re not able to focus on the things that could go wrong. That’s why filling your mind with hopeful dreams of exciting possibilities makes it nearly impossible to stay worried.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Your current social circumstance is a game. You’re merely playing a role in it. An Italian proverb suggests that once the game is over, the king and the pawn go back into the same box.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23): Just because another person isn’t giving you what you want doesn’t mean it’s all a waste of time. You’ll pay attention and learn, and no matter what happens, you’ll make precious use of your time.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21): You sometimes abandon plans too early, but today something will compel you to stick with the job beyond the point of boredom. On the other side, there are rich rewards.

SAGITTARIUS ( Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Onward and upward isn’t the easiest route. It takes more energy to climb toward the sun than it does to coast downhill. By the end of the day, you may feel spiritually out of breath and at the same time exhilarated.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You’ll gain insight and perspective through conversation, and as long as you don’t believe everything you hear, you’ll be better for it. Enjoy the chat in the moment, and you can check the facts later.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): It happens nearly every day: You’re kind to someone and wind up helping yourself. Today is different, though. The circle of karma won’t swing back around for a while, and you feel truly generous.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Changing another person’s world makes you responsible for it in some way, even if the change is for the better. That’s why you’re not sure whether you should intervene or keep minding your own business.