Horoscope, Thursday, October 18, 2012

The Sagittarius moon suggests that it is impossible to grow while staying the same. This lucky, sophisticated, inquisitive and expansive lunar aspect encourages us to leave the familiar boundaries of our routine and ask a new question: What’s out there? How do others live? Why should I find out first-hand?

ARIES (March 21-April 19). Life is filled with contradictions. Instead of expecting people to be one way, you leave mental room for the possibilities. You’ll react to how things are instead of trying to force your reality onto them.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). You’ll be doing the upkeep necessary to keep life rolling smoothly along: the car needs an oil change, the air filters need replacing, etc. Handling it all in a timely manner boosts your confidence.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). The health of a partnership depends on your ability to deal with problems together. Don’t leave an issue unresolved today, or resentments will form. Get everything out on the table.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). You’ll lead with a generous spirit and treat your loved ones the way you know they would like to be treated, even when it may not be deserved. Eventually, everything evens out.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). A problem will alert you that your feelings are flowing in an unhelpful direction. Once you get that message, you no longer need to pay attention to the problem. Change the way you project emotions, and the issue will go away.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Strangers sense that you’re someone to know. Stay modest. The fact that you don’t feel the need to talk about your accomplishments says that you’ve accomplished quite a lot.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Look through old pictures, notes and souvenirs from your past. It will invigorate your current scene to remember who you’ve been at different times in your life. Those people are still inside of you.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). Spiritual work is all about clearing the obstacles to free-flowing energy and increasing your awareness. You will do both today and make progress along your spiritual path.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Someone will come to you for help, but you may not see a clear way to give this person what he or she wants. Just being available to listen may be enough.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). The masters suggest that true self-esteem doesn’t depend on anything outside of you. But how can humans be expected to find self-worth in oppressive environments? You’ll rectify a situation that’s clearly wrong.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Your day is filled with love, fun and friendship. What makes this possible is the work you did earlier in the week. So enjoy without guilt, knowing that you deserve the happiness you experience.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). There are too many people who postpone or give up their dreams in order to take care of others. Unearth your buried passion because your turn is coming.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (Oct. 18). It’s a year of expansion, and you’ll become known for something new. The fresh faces in your life will bring out a different side of you. December features aggressive action on the career front. January is for sorting out financial details and healing family drama, too. February and May will be exquisitely romantic. Aries and Gemini people adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 40, 6, 2, 14 and 9.

ASTROLOGICAL QUESTIONS: “My 10-year-old Pisces son is terrified by Halloween and has asked the rest of the family not to celebrate it. He has always hated scary decorations, and I’m afraid that his two older brothers may have added to his fear by exposing him to some gruesome masks when he was very young. Since my older sons love the holiday so much, is it fair to honor my youngest son’s request?”

It is unfortunate that your Pisces son was frightened at an early age. Pisces are ruled by Neptune and have wonderfully vivid imaginations that can sometimes work against them if what they are imagining is horrible. As he moves through life, chances are that the world is not going to change in order to accommodate his sensitivity. Encourage him to build an arsenal of tools to deal with what he considers unpleasant or scary. The ability to make requests and set boundaries is definitely something that belongs in his emotional toolbox, and he can be commended for his request of you. But if you give in to it, he will miss the chance to develop other tools: courage, humor, resilience and the ability to simply lighten up.

CELEBRITY PROFILES: It’s incredibly good fortune to schedule a film release on the birthday of one of the leading actors, and this is nearly the case for the Millennium Entertainment picture “The Paperboy” starring Zac Efron, whose birthday falls on the heels of the movie’s wide release date in several countries. Birthdays, otherwise known as solar returns, bring a surge of attention and augmented fortune.

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