Horoscopes for Nov. 17, 2012

Is there something you’re suddenly burning to do? The warrior planet’s new station in Capricorn has ignited a fire in the belly of ambitious people everywhere. With the moon in Capricorn, too, even lazy people will set goals with every intention of making them happen. A conjunction of the sun and Mercury encourages you to talk about your aims.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). The basic grade school sayings ring true. Any five-fingered person pointing the finger of blame has three fingers and a thumb pointing right back at himself.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Go where you’re likely to feel insecure. This will grow your world. A bit of nervousness from time to time is a normal function of your humanity. Your mind and nervous system are wired to help you when you need it most.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). You are an inconceivably complex mix of talents and limits. Just because you think you should be able to do something doesn’t make it so. Accept yourself the way you are, whether or not you feel that you’re moving forward.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). Because of your excellent timing and sincere desire to improve, people open up to you. So ask an expert what you really want to know. You will gain insight into a process, learning not only what to do, but also how to do it.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Today’s work represents only a tiny portion of what you’ll eventually put into a job. You are about to get extremely focused. You’ll work with such diligence and for so long that you will become wonderful at it.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). You’ll have the urge to innovate. Whether it’s a blessing or a curse is debatable. You won’t be able to rest until you know you’ve done things in a way that only you could.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Ultimately, to achieve your own definition of success, you’ll have to narrow your ambition to one goal. New options open up, but be extremely choosy about what you say “yes” to today.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). Your worldview will not be turned upside down in one conversation. And though you are open-minded, it’s much easier to entertain the ideas of someone who already has many beliefs that are similar to yours.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). The best place to look for inspiration is in the work or life of someone who is like you but a little further along. Those who have reached heights that you cannot relate to at this time can only serve to depress you.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). You are hyper-focused now, but you also know better than to ignore all whimsy. You must admit that courting serendipity sometimes leads to a breakthrough.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Ideally, you would tell yourself what to do and then do it without hesitation. But you’re not a robot, and that’s a good thing. Maybe there’s a reason not to move forward. Your resistance may be a kind of intelligence.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). You’ll love the learning process you encounter. You’ll have several conversations and pick up many new bits of information. Little by little, you’ll assemble a house of knowledge.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAY. Many will feel intimately connected with you because you make people feel safe enough to open up about their fears and struggles. You’ll speak openly and gather followers. A journey starts in December. January brings fresh faces. Support, including financial, comes your way in February. Cancer and Aquarius people adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 40, 28, 14, 39 and 11.

ASTROLOGICAL QUESTIONS: “My mom won’t let me get a gaming system. I’m bored. Every time I tell her this, she says, “There is no bored, only boring.” I hate it when she says that. I’m an Aquarius, and she’s a Cancer. How can I convince her?”

Did you know that the act of throwing a person or an item out of a window has a name? Well, it does, and that name is “defenestration.” If you find that at all interesting, you may also be interested to know the history of that word, which has roots in a violent and yet magic-tinged revolt involving a Bohemian castle and, according to some, a group of angels. I don’t want to give away the entire story, but if you do some sleuthing, you just may find the plotline fascinating. The reason I bring it up is that your mother is right. There is so much to learn in life. Everything you see, every word you use, every person you meet has a story. Unless you start getting curious, you are misusing your Aquarian intellect. Someone as smart as you only has to ask a good question and then let the mysteries of life reveal themselves to you. Get curious about life, and you’ll never be bored again.

CELEBRITY PROFILES: As Freddie Benson on the Nickelodeon sitcom “iCarly,” Nathan Kress played the loveable but often overlooked teen audio-visual nerd. Now Kress is making the leap to adulthood and film projects, which will be a smooth transition for this naturally charming Scorpio. Mercury and Venus in Sagittarius indicates a love of travel and a strong inner need to explore other worlds.

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.