Your daily horoscope: December 8

HOROSCOPES IF TODAY IS YOUR BIRTHDAY

Work and financial matters will be under excellent stars this year but to make the most of it you must follow a sensible plan, one that takes you toward your long-term goal a step at a time. You’re not on the clock, so there’s no need to hurry.

ARIES (March 21 – April 20):

Mercury’s link to Jupiter today will encourage you to think seriously about how you can improve both your career and your earning power. Just make sure the ideas you come up with are practical – daydreaming about change won’t get you far.

TAURUS (April 21 – May 21):

Ignore what friends and family members say you should be doing and follow your instincts instead. The message of the stars today is that the more at odds you are with other people the more likely it is you are doing the right thing.

GEMINI (May 22 – June 21):

As your ruling planet Mercury is nicely aligned with Jupiter, planet of good fortune, today you can be sure the odds are stacked in your favour. Long-term financial decisions will go well for you now, so don’t be afraid to take the occasional risk.

CANCER (June 22 – July 23):

Plan your next move carefully but plan it with confidence too. So long as you don’t expect good things to just land in your lap this could be and should be a beneficial time for you. Don’t waste the opportunity to do something special.

LEO (July 24 – Aug. 23):

Set yourself a challenge that other people say is impossible and enjoy proving them wrong. Even if you fail to reach your No. 1 goal you will still reach other goals that are worth the effort, and may even turn out to be of more importance.

VIRGO (Aug. 24 – Sept. 23):

What looks like a hopeless situation to some people will look relatively easy for you, because you know what you are capable of and you know you have won through against greater odds in the past. They say it can’t be done but you know it can.

LIBRA (Sept. 24 – Oct. 23):

Make an effort to talk to partners and loved ones today and find out what they think about your long-term plans. Most likely they will be supportive but if they do come up with some difficult questions you may need to adjust your strategy a bit.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24 – Nov. 22):

If you focus on a problem to the exclusion of everything else today you will surely find the answers that have been evading you for so long. This is not the time for daydreaming or even lateral thinking – focus is the key to success.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23 – Dec. 21):

Many things seem to be coming together now but there is a danger you could start taking outcomes for granted and tempt fate to teach you a lesson. The best way to keep the good times going is to make the right moves over and over again.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22 – Jan. 20):

Mercury in your sign, linked to luck planet Jupiter, urges you to listen to what loved ones and friends are trying to tell you. Not everything they say will be correct but enough of it will be to give you an advantage over your rivals.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 21 – Feb. 19):

Everyone knows you are a star, so why are you trying so hard to prove yourself? Maybe it’s that worm of self-doubt you have been unable to get rid of. Just remember that the higher you climb in life the further there is to fall.

PISCES (Feb. 20 – Mar. 20):

It does not matter how many times you failed in the past, it matters only that you try again and keep trying until you get it right. The good news is you won’t be alone on your journey – you have friends who will assist you at every step.