Horoscopes: Friday, January 26, 2018

ARIES (March 21-April 19). Your best friends aren't the ones who go along with everything you say without question. They're the ones who will challenge you and cause you to take a stronger stand or change your mind.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). There's something in you that will keep you doing things the way you've always done them. It's not that you can't fall in line and follow the directions; it's that you think there might be a better way.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Some people love sentimentality. There's hard evidence of this in box-office statistics and TV-watching trends everywhere. But you'd rather take tenderness, sadness and nostalgia in small doses.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). Three is an age-old magic number, from building seating, to knocking on wood, to setting up the punchline of a joke. Three will be present in the magical triptych of this day.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Life is rooting for you, though you may not love the cheer. It's aggressive-sounding. Unnecessarily acrobatic. But the players aren't the ones who get to choose the cheerleaders. Give in to enthusiasm.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Talent creates opportunity. Opportunity creates talent. Neither are crucial to success. Desire is the magic. Talent, opportunity and the work ethic keep you going until you get there.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). People's bad vibes can affect you even if they are not about you. Who needs that? Get away. Don't wait for them to be directed toward you.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). You have an especially tight bond with family these days. There are those who might get a little jealous of the love flowing between you and your favorite people. Be sensitive.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Even loners are better off with a little social support. And for the socially motivated, it's especially important to gather a team. Accountability is key in goal getting.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). If you can't figure out how to eliminate the obstacles in your path, maybe you can imagine a way to arrange them differently. For instance, stack them like stairs you can climb up and get over.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Since you live inside your own head, you're acutely aware of your insecurities in a way that no one around you could ever be. So stop worrying and project yourself as you would like to be. They won't know the difference.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Older people find the banter of younger people amusing, or possibly obnoxious, as it's a reminder of how they themselves used to relate to others before they knew so much of life.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAY (Jan. 26). You are driven by strong forces within and guided by angelic benefactors around you. A team effort will be rewarded in February. You could support, or even save, another in April by sharing your expertise and resources. Your family will grow in March. Life gets lighter and more fun with new friends in May. Capricorn and Scorpio adore you. Lucky numbers: 2, 24, 1, 28 and 6.