This Week's Horoscope

Hindus, like the ancient Greeks and Egyptians, among others, revere a vast pantheon of gods and goddesses, instead of relying on just one god to satisfy all their religious needs. I'd like you to apply that strategy to your love life. Instead of holding out for The One, some magical person who can fulfill every part of you, invent the possibility that different people are more suited to provide for your various desires. Instead of requiring that one person become your everything, modify that strategy. Let one person become most things, and allow a host of others to fill in the gaps.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

Wish fulfillment is one of your fortes?when it comes to your own. You've been manifesting your dreams expertly for ages?and astutely flying under the radar while doing it, obviating jealousy. It's not that you're especially selfish, just self-absorbed (which isn't necessarily a bad thing: if more people took the time to understand themselves and clearly articulate their dreams, more of them would be living those dreams). However, don't miss making a deposit in the Good Karma Bank when you get a chance to help someone else realize an ambition this week. One hint: the less beneficial fallout you stand to receive, the more good karma you get (in other words, buying your roommate a flat-screen tv doesn't count).

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)

Don't misinterpret an inconsistent, staticky connection as lack of interest or appreciation. You're basically a radio station broadcasting an especially eclectic selection from Antarctica. You might feel tempted to play the same standard pop fare as everyone else, just to get instant popularity, but don't. Attracting listeners may be challenging, but once you do, they'll be way more steadfast than those Top 40 clones. There are plenty of people who can tell you're playing music they want to hear; it just takes a while to get locked onto your signal. Don't change up your high-quality programming yet. Just turn up your transmitters and wait.

Aries (March 21-April 19)

You may have survived grueling family gatherings and/or similar ordeals last week through the stealthy use of a hip flask full of whiskey, or some other artificial aid. Though that lesser evil helped prevent the arguably greater evil of drama or stress, self-medicating with alcohol or whatever other cheap-ass solution you chose isn't good for the long-term. Don't start your new year with reliance on props, cheat-sheets or external advantages. You have the resources to resolve these situations on your own. Relying too heavily on outside sources of "strength" will just make you soft and weak. This year, resolve to stretch and fortify your emotional resilience by doing the stressful family gathering sober, instead of, say, making yourself ultimately more fragile (while pickling your liver).

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

You easily resolve conflicts of interest between head and loins, unlike those squirrelly Geminis or those oversexed Scorpios. You rarely deviate from your prearranged priority status dictating whether brain or crotch gets to call the shots, but I urge you to this week, since your best courses of action will lie opposite your standard procedures. If you're used to putting rational thought ahead of your lustiest urges, let libido reign supreme for once. Or if you habitually let your seven-year itch govern, allow your most compelling mental arguments to actually convince you otherwise.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

Slow, steady and certain are your mantric keywords right now. It's probably aggravating that your planetary ruler is the speediest and least linear of the lot, Mercury. He zips forward at breakneck velocities, then reverses course, seemingly randomly, for indefinite periods of time, all the while wreaking havoc with your (and, let's face it, everybody's) intentions and emotions. (It could be worse, though: you could be a Cancer, subject to that most fickle and changeable of heavenly bodies, the moon.) Luckily, you're no mindless automaton, driven by inhuman astrological forces. Although you're not immune to Mercury's occasionally manic influences, you can resist them. Exercise your free will, remember those keywords and you may just avoid being awarded the title of This Month's Superflake.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

Raw pink wounds oozing pus and blood aren't sexy at all, but once they've healed, you'll happily brandish the physical scars of things you survived as proof of your ruggedness and durability. Hot. But for some reason you hide your emotional scars, as if you're ashamed of them. Don't be; you couldn't have prevented them any more easily than the flesh-and-blood wounds you've endured. Besides, lacking scars would be proof that you're only half-living?something way more embarrassing than having been hurt in the past. With the new moon in Capricorn this week, it's an ideal time to realize that your emotional scars can be just as sexy and compelling as your physical ones; it's all about how you wear them.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22)

Leos are deservedly famous for their loyalty, and that's most obvious when your astrological ruler, the sun, is in that persistent and solid sign, Capricorn. Your devotion isn't easily shaken; you're willing to weather a lot for those you love. This isn't blind praise, though; I mention it because it actually falls into that double-edged category Greatest Strength/Greatest Weakness. As you've experienced, sadly, your fealty can backfire miserably. This week, aspire to be as generous with your love as usual, but before you are, make sure the recipients: a) really want it and b) deserve it.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

Even your intuition is fallible, albeit rarely. Since you temper your gut instincts with pragmatism and cool thought, trusting them is usually a safe bet. If a Virgo friend told me she'd experienced love at first sight, I would normally urge her to run with that?she wouldn't casually come to that conclusion (unlike some Aries, who fall in love three times a day)?but not this week, or the next two weeks. With your ruling planet, Mercury, zooming backwards in Capricorn, you might be prone to profound hunches that feel solid but are actually wrong. Don't rule them out; but postpone acting conclusively until the end of the month, when you'll really know for sure, either way.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

In the early part of the 19th century, new machines threatened to put many skilled textile laborers out of work. The Luddites were a secretive group of those workers who attacked mills and smashed the machines, risking serious punishments (that often included hanging) if they were caught, in order to keep their jobs. You might be tempted to try something similar?destroy, utterly, the perceived threat to an inner domain you considered sacrosanct. However, learn from the Luddites. They couldn't halt progress, only slow it down. Don't stand in the path of the inevitable. You can't dam that river. Either forge across it now, while you still can, or better yet?ride it.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

People make light of Scorpios, brusquely dismissing you as being unduly obsessed with sex and death. I recognize this apparent fascination as your challenging spiritual exploration of everything that's most real about human existence. Accompanying that soul-spelunking is a profound craving for sanctuary, for a feeling of safety Scorpios rarely get to enjoy. The reason? Every time you find some haven, you take that opportunity to venture deeper into the darkest and most dangerous parts of your psyche. I don't mean to discourage you in your important philosophical adventuring, but even you need a break once in a while. This week, seek out the safety you crave, but don't use it as an opportunity to heighten your challenge. Just relax and enjoy it for once, instead.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

You would think, because I wear it every day, that I'd take the time to fix my winter coat, which got ripped early in the season. But for some reason, I never think about it except when I'm wearing it outside or deeply involved in something else. Sound familiar? I'm hereby resolving to go sew up the tiny tear as soon as I'm finished with this, in hopes that you'll do the same. That ostensibly insignificant thing that's been nagging you, daily, is actually more important than it seems, and needs to be taken care of?the sooner, the better. Don't put it off. Just do it, now.

[Caeriel@yahoo.com](mailto:Caeriel@yhoo.com)