Today’s horoscope, Aug. 5, 2024: Choose your inner circle carefully

HOROSCOPES BY HOLIDAY, BY HOLIDAY MATHIS

Knowing there’s little that influences your quality of life more than the company you keep, choose your inner circle very carefully in these days of the Mercury retrograde. As for the loose associations of your network and acquaintances, you never can tell where these ties will lead you. It’s beneficial to make as many introductions as possible. An attitude of inclusivity will serve you well.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). Much will come of saying yes. You’ll join in a plan you wouldn’t think to do on your own, which leads to an adventure. New places and faces will populate your experience. The best part is how easy it all will be.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Where the goal is to get it done right, you will get the most qualified person for the job and it will eliminate that pressure. When the goal is to make things interesting or fun, a less-qualified person is a better fit.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). One person’s forgetting is an opportunity for another’s remembering. Also, there will be a chance to jump in and save a social situation, perhaps with a gesture of compassion, humor or hospitality.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). Secrets build trust, curiosity and a bond that is both thrilling and fragile. People are more likely to trade secrets than they are to simply give them up. In sharing secrets, we reveal our true selves, layer by layer.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Your cosmic gift is one of grace and charm. The way you communicate will have a greater impact than the content of your words. Your intentions will come true even when you don’t articulate them. People just feel you.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Whether you accept or reject a change, it’s going to happen. You don’t have to acknowledge and integrate developments into your experience, but you’ll be more powerful as you do.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Choose your companions wisely. Even the brightest days can feel hollow when spent with those who drain your energy. It’s better to weather a storm with someone fun than bask in sunshine with someone who dims your light.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). People will have various preferences for tending. Some would rather appear strong than receive care. Others don’t trust help or just prefer soloing. Your needs are evolving and so are your methods of meeting them.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Someone’s small but constant demands for your attention will pull your focus, and this makes your goals seem far away indeed. To move toward your aspirations, it’s essential to set boundaries and prioritize your own needs.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). You deliver the work only to realize there is still a mountain more of it to do. The cycle needs three steps: work, breathe, celebrate. The breather and the celebration are essential to the cycle, and it would be detrimental to leave them out.