Horoscopes: Friday, Jan. 5, 2024

ARIES (March 21-April 19). Your role as an advocate and protector will be emphasized. You’ll get behind a loved one’s interests or jump to the rescue in some way. The people in your life will feel lucky to have you.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). It’s only normal for self-esteem to waver. At its core, it’s a belief, and questioning beliefs from time to time is a wise thing to do. Doubt will whisk through your mind like fast-moving weather, and then you’ll be back to full confidence.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Our brains run on expectation. We’re constantly guessing what’s coming up. Enjoyment will be enhanced or diminished by your projection about what could be. There’s a benefit to getting ahead of it; figure out what people expect going in.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). People only say “no judgment” when they are judging and “trust me” when they are not entirely trustworthy. Beware of the words and phrases that point, perhaps not intentionally, but quite actually to their opposite.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). There are times when good enough is good enough. This is not one of them. Before you hit “send,” ask questions to get educated on the difference between “good” and “great.”

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). To avoid overconfidence, you’ll temper your interactions, running them at full force in your mind and then backing it way off in practice, because you can always add more, but you can’t unsay what’s been said.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). You’ll benefit from the help of a teacher. Perhaps this will be a person who is gifted at the art of conveying information, though it’s important to note that some of the best teachers are obstacles, enemies and mistakes.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). When it comes to investing, you have many options including your heart, time, money, effort, hopes and more. You can’t go all-in with everything. Choose one or two and go incrementally, testing the waters to see what happens.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). You would use every last one of the 1,440 minutes of this day to make life better for those you love if you could. Give more of those minutes to your own self-care, as those minutes are what make all other service possible.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). You’ll consider what people are getting out of their interactions with you and see ways to adjust to create a mutual advantage. How people feel when they are with you is not the whole relationship, but it’s a huge part.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). The most powerful forces, like wind, gravity and love, are invisible. We identify them by the effects they have on objects and people, by what they change and how. You’ll act in secret and align with the great forces.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Feelings are fickle. They run when chased; when grabbed at, they fly. Feelings will come and go as they please. You can work to conjure them, but they will decide on their own whether your efforts warrant their company.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (Jan. 5). Your boundless generosity, delightful thoughtfulness and sweet consideration for others will set a shining example for all. Wish carefully — some will come true through mere happenstance and more through the intentional effort and dedication you invest. More highlights: a trip overseas, a community build and a huge cash bonus. Sagittarius and Libra adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 2, 21, 4, 14 and 10.