Horoscopes for Nov. 18, 2012

The astrological backdrop is an intricate system of checks and balances. For instance, the Aquarius moon is a philanthropist, yet Mercury retrograde puts an extra barrier – a considerate pause – between the giver and the recipient. Would this gift really help the other person in the long term, or could it cause a hurtful dependency?

ARIES (March 21-April 19). You like to be instantly gratified, but you’re also willing to wait for certain delights that seem worthwhile or that promise to be even better because of the wait.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). It’s amazing how many people don’t take action. You’ll be different from most. You see an opportunity to improve yourself that seems almost too obvious to be real. It is real, and it will work for you.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Family members need you in ways they aren’t saying. It’s as though they expect you to read their minds. Can you blame them? You’ve proved to be pretty good at this in the past.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). Having a good laugh at least once a day is a stress reducer. You may need to turn up the prescription to once every three hours over the next few days to combat environmental tension producers.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). There’s so much going on in your mind now that you’ll have to trick yourself into staying present. Your sign mate Steve Martin once tweeted, “It’s a beautiful day where I am. I only wish I were where I am.”

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Usually, you live by the mantra, “A place for everything and everything in its place.” Yet there are some new additions to your possessions that have yet to find a good home. Figure it out today; you’ve a busy week ahead.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Though your family hasn’t always gotten along, you feel that if you hold the intention of harmony, fun and togetherness, it will be enough to inspire peace. Indeed, your neutral, easygoing attitude will be contagious.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). You’ll give all of your energy to the things you want and simply ignore the rest. This produces a heavenly mood that you can ride into what promises to be a lovely evening.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Many people search for love without success. The fact that you have people in your life whom you love and who love you is one of the great blessings of a lifetime – and something you won’t take for granted today.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Someone will offer you a lot of advice. If you take this as a challenge, you quickly will get bogged down by the magnitude of it all. Instead, pick and choose what applies best to you.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). The happy, easy energy you exude will open doors. You don’t have to walk through those doors, but it’s a free and wonderful feeling to know that you have the option.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Just when you think you know what you’re looking for in a partner, someone will come along with a very different profile, and you’ll be strangely drawn in. This relationship will broaden your horizons.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAY. Your luck will change for the better. You’ll strike a pleasing arrangement before Venus enters Sagittarius mid-December, and the financial benefit continues in 2013. Love comes to you in mysterious ways. It takes work and compromise to bring a joint project to fruition in February. You’ll love the payoff. Aquarius and Virgo adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 20, 12, 19, 30 and 45.

FORECAST FOR THE WEEK AHEAD: If you go by the retail calendar, Christmas starts earlier each year. Many major chain stores had Christmas merchandise out in September this year, and surveys suggest that a high percentage of shoppers started Christmas shopping long before Halloween. It may relieve some pressure and bring a degree of peace to know that the planets have a more dependable schedule. In celestial terms, the official start of the holiday season happens when the sun enters Sagittarius on Wednesday, and the spirit continues through the Capricorn solar rule.

The Aquarius moon at the start of the week reminds us that this is the time of year when lonely people need extra care and needy souls are more vulnerable to hardship. Mercury retrograde helps us remain judicious in our offerings so we can give where it will matter most.
As the nights grow longer and the days shore up, our human animal instincts emerge with the goal to find warmth. Seeing as most live in artificially heated environs, this instinct takes form on an emotional level, and we reach out to friends and family for support, fellowship, good will, good times and reassurance.

CELEBRITY PROFILES: Self-proclaimed troublemaker Owen Wilson has a busy year ahead, but the only trouble indicated by his stars is the trouble Wilson will go to in order to create laughter, amusement and good times for his audience. The Scorpio bad boy will ride a Hollywood hot streak in the next two years. Wilson’s natal moon in Leo suggests he is at his best when the cameras are rolling and the world is watching.

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