There are people in your inner circle who could share with you an amazingly on-point and actionable solution to your problem, yet most people would rather listen to a stranger. That's human nature, agitated in the final hours of the Sagittarius sun and the square of Mercury and Uranus. One proverb suggests, "No man is a prophet in his own land."

ARIES (March 21-April 19). Part of being a good friend is recognizing when the other person wants to talk. Your powers of empathy are turned up and your gesture of compassion will facilitate a heart-to-heart connection.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Your quest is for optimum health. The problem is that the healthiest choice is not always readily available. You can change this by becoming pro-active. Plan ahead. Bring your own "healthy choice."

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Today will bring many good offerings and if you only take advantage of one, your life will be better than if you said yes to more than that. This day is made great by focused joy.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). Caution: The relationship that feels like it's dragging you down with a drama-anchor may falsely profess to be love, but that's not love. If hope floats, love is equally buoyant.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Take emotional risks. You can afford it. You're rich in confidence these days, and stretching outside of your comfort zone will give you even more certainty in your abilities.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Though you may inwardly grumble over minor irritations, you've the maturity and class to be outwardly silent about it. Anyway, when you dwell on what you're thankful for, annoyances will diminish.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). You'll be exceptionally sharp, and if you combine that with an ultra-organized approach this could be one of the most productive days of the season. A list and a plan will help you stay on track.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). Give all, but not all at once. You're a beautiful mystery, a story that's unfolding, a promise. Hopefully you'll enjoy being the subject of someone's amorous intrigue!

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Your favorite treats are the ones you feel like you worked for, the harder the work the better. You will savor a well-earned prize in the very near future.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). You'll be around plenty of the kind of delectable pleasures that elevate the spirit, but only temporarily. Also you'll invest your attention in something that's sure to last the ages.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). You'll probably be feeling uncharacteristically shy under these stars. You've a wealth of fascinations to share, but you're not likely to do so unless encouraged by the right audience.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Ideas have the power to motivate or thwart. That's why your thinking time is so precious. An hour to yourself with nothing but your thoughts (and a way of recording them) will be overwhelmingly positive.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAY (Dec. 20). You own this day, and the next and the next. Claiming possession of your hours will make you rich. Someone you knew when you were younger will play an important role. Burdens turn to privileges — an oppressive circumstance lifts in February when you'll revel in freedom. Relationship excitement begins in March. Cancer and Leo adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 5, 30, 41, 27 and 16.

FORECAST FOR THE WEEK AHEAD: Mercury and Uranus start the week off with a feud that promises a few zingy, stingy exchanges. People have a tendency not to taste their words before they spit them out. It's no matter — everyone tastes things differently, anyway. (If the judges of high-profile cooking shows can't agree, you can bet that when it comes to the way things taste, public opinion will vary wildly.) Since what's mild to one person may seem spicy to the next, this is a week for sticking with the tried and true favorites. What's the verbal equivalent to macaroni and cheese or the conversational version of a chocolate brownie? Figure that out and your sweet words will set you up for a happy holiday season.

This week brings the momentous winter solstice. In the northern hemisphere it's the longest night of the year. South of the Antarctic Circle the sun will shine at midnight. Physically the balance of light and dark changes everything — the way things grow, the feel of a place, people's moods and habits and more. Spiritually, what does it mean to you? When you come out of your own long night of the soul, what bright hope will you wake up to?

CELEBRITY PROFILES: Among other high-profile projects, Sagittarius superstar Jonah Hill stars in the new musical by the Coen brothers, "Hail, Caesar!" With four major luminaries in Sagittarius, Hill excels in roles that bring him to completely alien worlds, a talent he's tapped into in most of the roles he takes on these days. The versatile star was born when the moon was in ever-changing Cancer.

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