If you were sleepwalking through a certain part of your life, you will now awaken. Mars and Uranus square off to startle and jolt us from our comfortable groove. This is not an aspect known for its pleasing and benevolent effect; however, its significance is indisputable. We have to know what's not normal to appreciate what's normal.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). You have nerve and verve. It's a matter of picking your battles. Not every situation has the potential to bend to your vision. But there is one area that might be easy to fix and you can start there.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). You've been so generous lately. Can you go a whole day without volunteering yourself for thankless tasks? Consider that taking on the problems of the world might be a symptom that you're dodging a personal issue.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). You're not dreaming it — the pressure is on. Someone is checking you out or pushing to see how well you can perform on the spot. Walk tall and straight, stay calm and smile only if it feels natural to you.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). You very well might be able to change the world just by being happy. Someone will not only be charmed by your joie de vivre, he or she will take on that buoyant energy and pay it forward.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Your intuition is so sharp that it nearly pains you not to act on it. Besides that, your timing is flawless. So get moving, especially if the thing you want to do seems at all frightening. This is as bold as you're going to be for weeks.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAY (DECEMBER 11). You'll initiate winning financial strategies and become even more powerful in your dealings. Make a donation in January and triple the money comes to you from a different source. This spring, your love life conforms to your dream of how you wanted it to be. New projects in May are extraordinarily lucky. Cancer and Virgo adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 8, 13, 25, 39 and 17.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Some people are afraid to fail, and others are afraid to succeed. The only thing you're afraid of is status quo. The idea of staying static and not improving gives you the shivers. So you're getting busy and thinking bigger today.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Forgiveness is for you. Use your evanescent sense of power to help you break a stalemate you have been experiencing with someone, despite the current circumstance, really is dear to you.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). You have a special brand of care that only you can give. A partner is needing your attention and is too proud to ask for it directly. Address this person using your renowned sensitivity and you will be rewarded in kind.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). You're burning brighter. You're able to do more in the first three hours of being awake than you did all day yesterday. You are able to see how things are connected in a way you didn't notice before.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). The French word "ennui" best describes the mild degree of weariness you may be feeling this morning. However one powerful conversation changes all of that. Suddenly life gets vibrant again.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). You don't have to be busy every day. There's a fine line now between productivity and wasted energy. If you feel like hibernating, let yourself do it. Positive change follows this fallow time.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Much is attempted on this ambitious day by you and your team, and there will be a few memorable successes to celebrate. There will also be mistakes, so be sure to make yours a spectacular one.

HOLIDAY COPING STRATEGY: Family is sure to delight one another this season — that is, when they are not annoying one another. Here are some astrological tips to help you cope! CANCER: Much of the cooking, entertaining, lodging, gifting and generally managing the season will fall on your shoulders, even if that wasn't the original plan. Taking on responsibility for the holidays is like a compulsion. You can't not do it. Get lots of sleep and you'll be able to manage this without too much irritation. LEO: You are likely to experience performance anxiety this time of year as you put a lot of pressure on yourself to deliver an unforgettable holiday experience to your people. You feel you must put your personal style stamp on every gift, gesture and sentiment you extend. This can be exhausting. Go easy on yourself. It's fine to conform sometimes by just buying a card and signing it. VIRGO: Take that long list you made of must-do holiday preparations — everything from wrapping presents to picking up Aunt Jan at the airport — and rip it in half. There — that's how much you can do comfortable and still have fun.

CELEBRITY PROFILES: If you find yourself "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" you just might be listening to Brenda Lee. In the '60s she had more charted hits than any other woman. This fiery Sagittarian earned the nickname Little Miss Dynamite because of the surprising power of her voice and petite stature. Sagittarians have a global mindset, which Lee shows by recording songs in four different languages.

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