TODAY’S BIRTHDAYS

Aries (March 21-April 19): When it’s your turn to take a bow, you’ll be brief and then hand over the moment to the many others who helped. You’ll do this because it feels comfortable. You can’t help that it also makes you socially unstoppable.

Taurus (April 20-May 20): There are certain people you feel so connected to that it’s as though, unbeknownst to you, your souls signed a contract to be intertwined. Autonomy is still important though, perhaps even more so with this type of closeness.

Gemini (May 21-June 21): You’re incomparable really, but if you must compare yourself, and it’s hard not to on a day like today, then at least make a favorable comparison and move quickly on from that. It’s no place to dwell.

Cancer (June 22-July 22): Head in the clouds? That’s OK. You’re at your best when you’re combining your reality with your dream of it. And you will dream more beautifully with pretty things around you to inspire you.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22): You made contributions that were either overlooked or taken for granted. Reintroduce them. The times have changed. Now they need what you’re contributing and they’ll be much more appreciative.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Fun day — a playful mood takes hold. Relationships are better with humor. Your affectionate joking around will land perfectly as long as you keep it light and positive.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 23): You always feel better about yourself after you do a round of excellent hard work. So why would you rob others of that self-esteem boost? They want to work for you. Let them.

Scorpio (Oct. 24-Nov. 21):

If the path seems to offer no challenge, then it’s a lie. You’ll look for the hard parts, the possible pitfalls and motives. This you’ll do not out of cynicism, but rather in an effort for optimum preparation.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Expectation hinges on imagination. The bigger the imagination, the higher the expectation. So if your fantasy has proven outsized for reality, maybe it’s because you’ve augmented powers of vision.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You’ll create an atmosphere to people to enjoy. It reflects you — your style, appetites and intentions. Music will be an important part of this, an element that’s a shortcut to putting people at ease.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Talk show host Phil Donahue is 83. Actress Jane Fonda is 81. Actor Larry Bryggman is 80. Singer Carla Thomas is 76. Musician Albert Lee is 75. Conductor Michael Tilson Thomas is 74. Actor Josh Mostel is 72. Actor Samuel L. Jackson is 70. Rock singer Nick Gilder is

68. Movie producer Jeffrey Katzenberg is 68. Actor Dennis Boutsikaris is 66. Singer Betty Wright is 65. International Tennis Hall of Famer Chris Evert is 64. Actress Jane Kaczmarek is 63. Country singer Lee Roy Parnell is

62. Entertainer Jim Rose is 62. Former child actress Lisa Gerritsen is 61. Actorcomedian Ray Romano is 61. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin is 56. Country singer Christy Forester is

56. Rock musician Murph (The Lemonheads; Dinosaur Jr.) is 54. Actor-comedian Andy Dick is 53. Rock musician Gabrielle Glaser is 53. Actress Michelle Hurd is 52. Actor Kiefer Sutherland is

52. Actress Karri Turner is

52. Actress Khrystyne Haje is 50. Country singer Brad Warren is 50. Actress Julie Delpy is 49. Country singermusician Rhean Boyer is

48. Contemporary Christian singer Natalie Grant is 47.

It’s a puzzle of a day, but you can handle it. There’s a way to make this whole thing work out with many smiles. The most important thing is to stay cool and keep your inside voice on the inside.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20): It takes a minute to get to know a situation well enough to figure out how you’re going compartmentalize all that goes along with it. Take it all in. Later you can decide what to pay attention to and what to tune out.

Today’s birthday (Dec. 21): The truer you are to yourself, the more everyone else benefits. You express yourself, solve problems, join groups and things get better for all. Other highlights include: an intriguing phone call from out of the blue, an intense and immediate connection with a new friend and a health-favoring lifestyle shift. Aquarius and Cancer adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 14, 38, 20, 22 and 47.