Happy birthday (Jan. 7): Think back to the things that didn't work out — jobs you didn't get, situations that didn't celebrate you. This year represents the sweetest turnaround. You'll be lauded for uniqueness. You'll make a difference by the original way you solve problems.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Even though there is no one better qualified than you to enhance your reputation, reputations are always the domain of other people. Still, you'll find subtle ways to get them to sing your praises.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): The moment something major is going on for someone you care about is your time to shine as a supporter and true friend. This is not that. This is preparation for that. Gather your statements and talking points.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21): Your intuitive inklings will be correct. You'll bet on a hunch and win. Said "bet" may be made with money but will more likely be an investment of time, attention and heart.
CANCER (June 22-July 22): Lightheartedness has a time and place — maybe most of the time and a good percentage of the places. Today, though, you'll dig into your more serious purposes. This is it. Bring the grit.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Leave space for the other person to express his or her heart, soul and being. You'll learn. You'll be delighted — and baffled. Leaving space, allowing the air to go dead, is a kind of invitation.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Frustration gets misplaced. The problem with the vacuum cleaner is released on the dog, etc. Knowing this, you don't take things personally when someone you love is in an edgy state.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23): At any given moment, you exist in several worlds and times. You're recalling the pertinent information of yesterday, nudging tomorrow in a direction, sitting with mixed reviews.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21): The friends who told you that you were on the rise were met with your skeptical eyes. But here you are, risen, to a degree — not the ultimate degree you will grow, but you're getting there. Take it.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Shakespeare's Henry VI said, "Of all base passions, fear is most accursed." But fear doesn't have to turn into a passion. Nip it in the bud. Face it when it's small.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Thinking of other people — sometimes you think it's a lost art. You don't know why, considering you think of other people all the live-long day. You'll be delighted tonight by the proof that someone is thinking of you.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Your truth will be requested by people who want to know where you stand. People making plans based on your truth, well, it's one way to go, though you'd prefer they wait a minute so you can figure it out naturally.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): You'll help another make a psychological jump. You've been there, and you made that leap with your sheer force of will, or by the challenge of those who really know how to get under your skin.
JUST BEFORE THE SHIFT
This is that quiet moment right before things shift. It’s the slumber party settling in to sleep, when every noise after stillness seems hilarious. Before you joke around, consider the rules: Comedy is tragedy plus distance. The distance can be created by time or space. The unfortunate thing happening to someone far away will hit the laugh jackpot.
COSMIC TOPIC: FIXED ENERGY
The rock-solid, dependable “fixed” signs — Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius — bring stabilizing energy to any situation. When the rest of us are lost in the wilderness, the fixed signs are quietly turning sewing needles into compasses and leading us home. Fixed means “firmly attached,” and these signs have birthdays square in the middle of the four seasons. For example, earthy Taurus arrives in midspring, when seedlings have taken root, literally holding the ground in place when it rains. Leo makes her dramatic entrance in midsummer, when the sun is at his scorching hottest. This fixed fire sign is the most optimistic and self-confident of the zodiac, and people gravitate to her light like moths to a flame. Steal a glimpse into your own secret desires — just gaze into the still, deep waters of a Scorpio’s eyes. This fixed, midautumn water sign is like a cool, bottomless well from which one may continually draw inspiration. In the dead of winter, when everything seems bleak, Aquarians bring hope to the world and the will to hold on. These fixed air signs are the pioneers of the zodiac, building upon past discoveries while propelling humanity forward into new and exciting territory.
CELEBRITY PROFILES
Academy Award winner Nicolas Cage has an intense filming schedule in the months ahead for many interesting projects, including the drama “Pig” about a truffle hunter in the Oregon wilderness searching for his beloved foraging pig. Cage was born when communication planet Mercury and passionate Mars were also in earthy, hardworking Capricorn, signifying indomitable will.