Horoscopes for Jan. 6, 2013

Venus is in the final degrees of Sagittarius. She becomes a wandering minstrel in this part of the sky, entertaining the heavens with her bawdy songs, never staying long in one place or with one person, moving along to the next town at the first sign of boredom. All of this will change soon, though, so feed your hunger for adventure while you can.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). Big projects will excite you, but don’t let your excitement cause you to rush. Leave a good amount of space between the different stages of work. It will help you to refine and improve as you go.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Someone wants to include you in a clique. It may be enticing, but there are good reasons to resist. For starters, getting too comfortable at this point will stunt your personal and artistic growth.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). No matter how artistic or creative you consider yourself to be, elements of your environment such as color and lighting will have an enormous effect your mood now. Consider making improvements in these areas.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). You’ll do more than your fair share of the domestic work. Because you keep doing it, it keeps getting left for you to do. So don’t rush to clean up. Give others a chance to pitch in.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Social influence is strong now, and it’s not all bad, either. There are many healthy and beneficial aspects to society. Still, don’t let yourself slip entirely into the “group mind.” Remain uniquely yourself.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Coming together will be a challenge. You may find rather wide gaps between what you want and what your loved ones want. Luckily, these gaps can be closed without compromising your integrity.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). You’re afraid of putting your loved ones out, but don’t let loved ones off the hook so easily. Let them give to you. It will strengthen the bond and keep them from taking you for granted.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). The natural nemesis of fire is said to be water. But fire can be put out just as well if covered in earth, and it can’t exist without air. You respect the powers of others. Strength and awareness are related.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Must there always be a winner and a loser? Of course not. Become partners instead of opponents. Band together to find a solution in which both parties will be winners.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Your aesthetic experience will have a strong bearing on your happiness and self-esteem. Beautiful things will happen because you’re willing to put work into making your environment better.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). The drama doesn’t involve you. You’ll feel like you’re getting away with something, but the truth is that you deserve to have your time and energy to yourself. You’ve earned it by staying out of other people’s business.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). It’s wonderful to have a chance to help. Your anonymous and random act of kindness will have no immediate reward, but someday someone will do the same for you.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAY. You have talents and gifts you’re not using. Relationships make you see yourself differently and come more fully to life’s banquet. Finances pick up in the next six weeks. In May, partners contribute to your wealth in more ways than financial. Travel in June pays for itself because you’re so productive afterward. Pisces and Scorpio people adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 3, 1, 7, 38 and 19.

FORECAST FOR THE WEEK AHEAD: Earth’s moon is unique in the solar system. For starters, it’s huge as far as moons go. Most moons are 3/10,000 the mass of the planet they orbit, while our moon is 1/81. Because of its size, the moon makes life on Earth dynamic and varied. Our tilted axis, seasons and tides all work beautifully under the moon’s enormous influence. As we head toward the new moon in Capricorn on Friday, there’s a sense that other things on Earth are working quite well, too. Out of the darkness comes a fresh chance to establish your place in the world.

Early in the week, Mercury, the minister of communication, aligns with Pluto, master of larger issues, unseen forces and the kind of events that shake us to the core. The need to talk about the deeper issues feels urgent, and yet talking may not solve a thing. The practical Capricorn moon takes over, and it becomes clear that it’s better to prove theories by the way you live than to speculate and argue about them. Regardless of our heightened emotional state, it’s truths, facts and actions that will matter.

No more be tears in moon or mist

For thee, sweet sentimentalist.

— James Joyce

CELEBRITY PROFILES: Comic Capricorn Rowan Atkinson is among Great Britain’s national treasures and a favorite of humor lovers worldwide. Atkinson’s character Mr. Bean is a nearly silent individual challenged by the rigors of daily life. In contrast, Atkins was born under a chatty Gemini moon. His sun and Mercury in Capricorn indicates powerful instincts. His Venus in Sagittarius foretells international appeal.

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