Rockie Horoscope

Dream that little dream while the sun's marriage to imaginative Neptune makes a beloved fantasy seem like a possibility. How much you'll pay for the pleasure depends on how susceptible you are to the enthusiastic exhortations of Friday's Venus-Jupiter square: The cause of way too many "too good for your own good" experiences? Stark reality takes over on Saturday as the group-centered Aquarius sun opposes pragmatic Saturn in egocentric Leo and makes the rift between idealistic Neptune and rock-solid Saturn more apparent. Mercury in Pisces doesn't turn retrograde until Tuesday night, but we've learned that the days before its official flip can be as mishap-happy as the ones that follow. Stay alert; avoid another fender-bender.

Aries

Is a colleague about to mislead you? Maybe not on purpose, maybe because the Aquarius sun is emphasizing Neptune's tendency to deceive and be deceived. If you can help it, and you might once the sun confronts sensible Saturn on Saturday, don't be taken in by misguided advice. Mercury turning retrograde in Pisces, then backtracking through Aquarius, can also be confusing. Where are the pitfalls and why won't you see them coming? Because Mercury is in your 12th house, the place where secret enemies and self-defeating premises hide out.

Taurus

Once again, it's the painters and photographers, musicians and makeup artists (writers included) who benefit from the Aquarius sun's conjunction with idealistic Neptune in your career house. Are you ready to go beyond the limits of your imagination? Religious fanatics also fare well when faith-based Neptune receives a boost from the authoritative sun. However, pragmatic Saturn, rooted in your family zone, might shield you from whatever crap you're being handed, or it could act as a counterbalance to those high-and-mighty ideals.

Gemini

The area of your solar chart that's highlighted this week is the complicated eighth house, the place where sex, death and transformation, plus other people's money (e.g., inheritances, insurance policies, bank loans), mush together. Think Scorpio and you'll have a better idea. While the Aquarius sun merges with impressionable Neptune, you could come up with an array of impractical albeit attractive ideas. Wait for the sun's opposition to realistic Saturn in your area of assets and resources before you do something you'll regret.

Cancer

Go ahead and buy that magical, "somewhere over the rainbow" gift for your Valentine. If ever you were willing to act out a romantic fantasy, this would be the weekend to set it in motion. Wait much longer and practical Saturn in your money house may discourage such an otherworldly indulgence. Besides, your innate urge to splurge is currently abetted by the provocative (do something!) square between beautiful Venus and bountiful Jupiter. You could try to contain yourself, but while amenable Venus is content to soak in empathetic Pisces waters, why bother?

Leo

All you really need to know this Valentine's Day is that mistake-prone Mercury will have just turned retrograde in your house of shared resources and that generous Jupiter is being challenged by romantic Venus to spend beyond the bounds of good taste. How you handle this information could affect how you'll react to other people's "suggestions," especially those from a significant other who is hovering so close to your sun ruler, and is so blinded by the light, that he or she can't see the forest or the trees. About those misgivings...

Virgo

Assuming that by now you've prepared for the Mercury retrogression that begins on the 13th, you'd better see about covering your ass for Valentine's Day. A decision to give till it hurts, enhanced by an inexplicable desire to sacrifice something of yourself, could be satisfied by making a donation to your charity of choice. At the same time, artistic Venus in your Pisces house of partners might aggravate a situation at home by testing how far magnanimous Jupiter will go before you have to call a halt to the spending. Enjoy.

Libra

Mercury turning retrograde on the 13th can mix up reservations for Valentine's Day as well as screw with messages, mail and MapQuest directions. Although being tongue-tied is hardly a Libran trait, while the Messenger backtracks through your house of romance over the next three weeks, it could screw around with heart-to-heart communication. Be patient: Eventually, everything you need to know will come out in the wash. Meanwhile, during a challenge by enthusiastic Jupiter, your sociable Venus ruler might encourage you to invite "the more, the merrier."

Scorpio

This is an interesting time of year for Scorpios hell-bent on making a good impression at work. Since most of the planets are below the horizon, in the zones of your solar chart that deal with intuition and emotional responses, you could spend time handling stuff related to finances and family. However, don't neglect an innate talent for creative fooling around, particularly while affectionate Venus is in your Pisces house of romance and recreation. Respectable Saturn will make sure that your career achievements are duly recognized.

Sagittarius

Wouldn't you know it? Tuesday night, Mercury turns retrograde in your house of short-distance travel and everyday communications. Its backflip could become a major inconvenience if the telephones, cable connections and satellite dishes in your neighborhood are affected. Or if the traffic lights go out. Be sure to back up your files and have tech-support numbers handy. See that the car is serviced and the tickets you've accumulated are paid. It's those minor, diddly-shit things, not a major mistake, that'll wear on your nerves.