HOROSCOPES BY HOLIDAY:
ARIES (March 21-April 19). It’s OK to be vulnerable. To some extent it is what anyone planning on connecting with another human being must be. While we would like to be seen as self-sufficient, smooth and mighty, vulnerability is human connection glue.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20). You will train your brain to think different thoughts. It’s not easy, but neither is lifting weights or any other training that makes a difference in you. You’ll improve your mind the same way you’ve improved so many other things — through repetition.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21). You’ve a vague feeling that you want something, but until someone asks the question, you’re not exactly clear on what it is. In case no one has asked, here it is from the universe: How can I help?
CANCER (June 22-July 22). You’ll see great potential in something or someone today. It’s as though you’re a sculptor sitting down to a particularly malleable lump of clay. Your vision is exciting, though only possible to realize if the lump of clay also sees it.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You will tease out the good parts of a situation. This takes optimism and a bit of forgiveness too because you can’t concentrate on making the most of things if you’re focused on the recent mistakes. This can still work. Keep moving.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). You assume things about yourself that may be true, may have been true at one time or may never have been true and still aren’t. Test your assumptions.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Even though this turn of events feels new to you, you’re not the only one who has taken the ride. Sharing experiences will be either fun, informative, healing, fascinating or all of the above.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). Manage the temptation to jump in and solve every problem. Many of these issues are symptoms of something deeper at the heart of things.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). If you start over with the hope of doing it better the next time, there’s a risk it could actually get worse. It will help to get other opinions about this learning curve.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). You’ll invest in your optimism. In the words of an ancient Roman poet, “Chance is always powerful. Let your hook be always cast; in the pool where you least expect it, there will be a fish.” — Ovid
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Because you understand the difference between wants and needs, you realize that some amounts of things like recreation and affection are not frivolous desires that will fade, but actual basic needs to address, or there will be consequences.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). If people aren’t sure about a situation, they will often default to reading it as unsafe and back away. Knowing this, you do everything you can to convey signals of safety and welcoming without seeming like you’re trying too hard to prove this point.
IF TODAY IS YOUR BIRTHDAY:
Once the opportunities start coming, they come fast and often. Welcome to your year of readiness! Cancer and Leo adore you. Your lucky numbers are 16, 44, 14, 5 and 7.
Dear Abby
ar Abby: I have a colleague who has become an amazing friend over the last few years. We plan dinner dates or work conferences periodically, and we also try to book spa appointments together when we have vacation time.
“Sandy” is everything a person would want in a friend. However, when we go out to eat, she usually insists on paying for my meal. She has also prepaid some of my spa appointments. When this pattern first started, I was a little put off, but I appreciated her generosity because it saved me money. But now I feel constantly indebted to her because I can never seem to return the favor.
When I insist on paying for myself, we argue and bicker. Sandy says she wants to show her appreciation for my partnership at work. She also explains that I have children (who are assumedly expensive) whereas she is childless.
She justifies it by rationalizing that her husband makes