Horoscopes

Aries (March 21-April 19): Your sensory awareness leans toward the spiritual today. It’s as if your ears can hear intentions instead of words; your eyes can see vibes instead of faces; and your hands can touch souls. Taurus (April 20-May 20): Just because you see what’s funny about the situation doesn’t mean you’re making fun of it. Make sure people know your intention — to bring levity and amusement into play, not to make others ashamed. Gemini (May 21-June 21): In the same way that telling people to “relax” tends to really agitate them, suggesting that people “be themselves” just might send a thinking person into an identity crisis. Offer no advice, only a hand to hold. Cancer (June 22-July 22): People don’t grow alone. They might grow solo, but it’s because they are in an environment conducive to growth. To give yourself the best chance at success, build an environment conducive to your own growth. Leo (July 23-Aug. 22): One coping mechanism that really works to manage stress is to walk away from the stressors. Leave the room. Leave the building. Changing your view will change your perspective. Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Remove yourself from stressors. Go easy. If you get angry once, you’ll only get angry again later with yourself for allowing yourself to lose your cool in the first place. Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 23): When you see the truth and they don’t, it can be really frustrating. But you actually don’t need them to know the truth in order to accomplish your goal. Knowing it yourself will be enough to get you there. Scorpio (Oct. 24-Nov. 21): Plan your next move quietly, and keep it to yourself. It’s not that you can’t trust the people around you — you can — but you’ll learn to trust yourself more if you keep this one close to the vest. Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Truly, the same condition that one person calls good fortune another will deem miserable, and both will be accurate. Today you’ll benefit from seeing everything as a neutral circumstance. Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You’ve already attracted a rapt audience. If you walk, they’ll follow. If you run, they’ll chase. Decide carefully what you want to do with this attention before you make your next move. Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Shakespeare summed it up for you in his “Sonnet 116”: “Love is not which alters when it alteration finds.” Your heart hasn’t been updated as to recent observations, and even if you were to tell it, it wouldn’t care. Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20): You’re slow to bring yourself to believe in all that’s going on today. You’ve been burned before by buying in too early. Anyway, it behooves you to do more research and fact-checking.

To write to Holiday Mathis, visit www.creators.com/ author/holiday-mathis and click “Contact.” DEAR ABBY » I’m a teenage girl who has always heard and seen on TV and in movies that there’s pressure from guys to have sex. That may be true, but I feel there is also pressure from society. I never thought I would feel like that when I got to high school, but now I do. It hurts, and I am writing this for all the girls who feel the same way I do about it. I have been struggling with it for a few days, and it is messing with me a lot.

I know I don’t want to have sex yet, but I still feel like I have to. “Tom” really wants to, but he isn’t a virgin. It scares me, and while he isn’t pressuring me, I feel like there is a boulder on my shoulders. If you know how I can stop feeling like this, please let me know.

— Pressure from society

DEAR PRESSURE » A surefire way to feel less pressured into doing something you’re not ready for would be to stop assuming Tom’s sex drive is YOUR responsibility.

Remember that although many teenage girls have been pressured into having sex, a sizable number have not. If you choose to wait until you are older, that’s your privilege, because regardless of what you’re seeing on TV and in the movies, “everyone else” ISN’T doing it.

DEAR ABBY » My wife and I have two amazing children, and while they do require a lot of attention, I feel like I’m getting the short end of the stick. My wife works third shift, while I work 8 to 5. She’s off two days out of two weeks, but even then, she’s on call it seems like all the time. When I try to make time for us, things come up more often than not and it gets pushed aside.

We used to have time for each other, and we are talking about having another child. How do I find the time for one more child when we don’t have enough time for each other? I’m beginning to think she doesn’t want to be around me anymore, or she’s no longer in love with me or that she’s cheating on me. I don’t want to believe it, but I don’t know what else to think. What should I do?

— Needs time together

DEAR NEEDS TIME » Have you told your wife all the things you are telling me? If you haven’t, place it at the top of your agenda. Feeling the way you do, you should be talking about improving your marriage before enlarging your family and the responsibilities that go along with it. Not only should you and your wife be scheduling alone time together, you should also consult a licensed family therapist to reopen the lines of communication between the two of you.

DEAR ABBY » Could you please tell me what’s proper in a situation like this? My husband and I are always invited to his family’s holiday celebrations. When we accept, the invitation is also extended to my mother and sister. If my husband and I are unable to attend, should my mother and sister still go or consider their invitation canceled?

— Jan in San Clemente, Calif.

DEAR JAN » If the invitations that were extended were accepted by your mother and sister, and they are expected, they should attend.

Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.

What teens need to know about sex, drugs, AIDS and getting along with peers and parents is in “What Every Teen Should Know.” Send your name and mailing address, plus check or money order for $7 (U.S. funds) to: Dear Abby, Teen Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447. (Shipping and handling are included in the price.)