Horoscopes for Feb. 10, 2013

Because it’s a lunar-based holiday, the Chinese New Year falls on different dates year to year, but it’s always celebrated on the Aquarius new moon. This is the year of the snake, which would usually herald a strongly masculine energy, except that 2013 is also a water year in Chinese astrology, softening the aggressive energies of the symbol.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). Your investigations will lead to a very different place from the one you expected to find when you started out. In this way, your life is like a good story with just the right element of surprise to keep you riveted.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). There are many different ways to analyze your surroundings. Take everything out of sequence or context, and you will see new values and uses for your resources.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). The challenges won’t come from the outside, but from an inner imperative. You’ll sense that you are capable of more, and you are correct in this assessment, so act on it.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). If you act boldly, will the other people around you be threatened? Will they feel unsuccessful or cowardly in comparison? If it seems that this is the case, you are in the wrong crowd.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You’ve been given certain gifts, but there is some assembly required. Unfortunately, right now it feels like you’ve misplaced the manual. Start asking around. There are many who can help you with the next step.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). On days like this, it would be easy to forget that you were meant for greatness. That’s why you need reminders around. All of the people who see something special in you are right.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). You’ll have authority today, and you’ll use it well. In maintaining the order around you, you’ll give a signal to all who come near you: This is where good things happen.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). There’s some glamorous thing you want to do, and there’s also something far less glamorous, or even tedious and boring, that must be done before the glamorous happening can ever be.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Conflicts will come to an end, and it’s not even a difficult process. In fact, this two-word solution is so simple that you may wonder why you didn’t think of it before: Don’t fight.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Remember that nothing is inherently good or bad. Everything is what you make of it. You will receive news, and the best way to interpret it is to believe that something positive will come of it.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Set some attainable work-related goals. Professional achievements will give you a sense of security that will make your home life better, too.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). You’ll move up in some regard, and not everyone around you will see this as a wonderful happening. You can’t blame people for being jealous, but it’s something you’ll have to get used to on this success trajectory.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAY. Your powers of visualization get stronger each time you use them, and you’ll use them often over the next seven weeks to picture the life you want. By the end of the month, you’re richer. The professional scene sets the tone for your personal life in March. Promises are exchanged in June. August brings adventure. Capricorn and Aries people adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 20, 4, 11, 25 and 13.

FORECAST FOR THE WEEK AHEAD: Put your ear to the heavens, and you’ll hear one cosmic message ringing loud and clear: Begin! If there’s a big project, interesting relationship or daring business you’ve been wanting to jump into, this week brings the most excellent start dates since the first of the year. The Aquarius new moon not only heralds the Chinese New Year of the snake, but it also sets intentions in motion. The big question then becomes: Do you know what your intentions are? They will exist whether or not you are conscious of them. Becoming aware makes you a co-creator with destiny. Staying unaware makes you a victim of her whims.

The two weeks following today will be tremendously auspicious for anyone with a clear purpose. And if you don’t have a clear purpose, here’s a suggestion: Make getting a purpose your purpose. It’s as worthy as any effort can be, since knowing why you must accomplish an action will imbue your endeavors with vitality and emotion.

An impending Mercury retrograde (Saturday, Feb. 23) provides a second reason to get started now. You’ll have an easier go of it. So don’t wait for the details to be right. Just begin and watch it all fall into place.

CELEBRITY PROFILES: Amazingly versatile Aquarius actress Elizabeth Banks can be practically unrecognizable from one role to the next. She’s as convincing in the hilarity of “30 Rock” or “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” as she is in the disturbingly grave “The Hunger Games.” Her natal Mercury in empathetic Pisces is an excellent aspect for actors because it lends a talent for total immersion in a character.

If you would like to write to Holiday Mathis, please go to www.creators.com and click on “Write the Author” on the Holiday Mathis page, or you may send her a postcard in the mail.