How Will Your Sun Sign Combat Holiday Stress?


As you attempt the ambitious task of enjoying all the festivities headed your way this holiday season -- without the accompanying stress -- the stars have wisdom to offer. Look toward the Sun to see how this great giver of light and warmth can enlighten your holiday experience!

Aries: Treat it like a business.
As the fiery first sign of the zodiac, how do you adeptly apply your positive, infectious energy while avoiding holiday burnout? There's no reason you shouldn't surrender to your sense of adventurousness (like impulse buys -- just make sure to get the gift receipt!). Pairing up with a grounded Capricorn or level-headed Libra as a shopping buddy or cool confidante might smooth over your periods of boom and bust. Your holiday calling card lies in trusting your gut, taking risks and employing your originality.

Taurus: Follow your senses.
As a steadfast Taurus, you'll find a way to plow through the season in one way or another; your trick, however, is to enjoy it. As an Earth sign with an appetite for beauty and comfort, the sights and smells of the season titillate your imagination and allow you to explore the holidays on a sensory level. Perhaps more than any other sign, getting a head start by using your senses as a guide is a top priority if you plan on reaching 2012 under as little stress as possible. And because you're so in tune to the natural world, make sure to take as many walks outside as possible.

Gemini: Use your brain.
You thrive on multi-tasking, and avoiding holiday stress is a delicate balance of research and execution for your mentally muscular self. Keeping your emotional circuits clear so you can capitalize on your natural gifts is key to a smooth holiday season. This may mean avoiding mood-altering substances (caffeine) and energy-draining individuals. Remember to keep more than just your mind involved: A balance of head and heart will ensure that you're well received!

Cancer: Get cardinal!
While Cancers live for the high-octane nostalgia and tribal gatherings of family, no other sign can be as crabby or reclusive when pushed to the edge. The key to curbing holiday stress for this Water sign is to keep the nurture in your nature, and to indulge your spirit of giving without overdoing it. Remembering to receive, even if that means scheduling post-shopping massages or accepting help, will make you less prone to your infamous mood swings. Keeping the balance between your more authoritative side and your tender, home-brewed touches will allow things to hum right along.

Get an overview of your new year -- and learn how you'll fare in your relationships, career and finances -- with a 2012 Vedic Moon Sign Forecast!

Leo: Step into the limelight.
As king/queen of the cosmic jungle, Leo likes to make an impression over the holiday season by doling out the lion's share of impressive gifts. However, these cats are just as prone to holiday burnout as any other sign. Give yourself ample time to rejuvenate in the beloved spotlight, and remember that the holiday is not just about running errands, booking travel and itemizing receipts. Keep your fires burning by attending a gala event (one benefiting charity is all the better) or, perhaps better yet, throwing a soiree yourself! Any chance to demonstrate your creativity and good taste, whether cooking a souffle or singing carols, will keep your energy out of the control-freak zone and in the warm realm of the human validation you so adore.

Virgo: Get real.
You have a chance to shine during the holiday season, but your quest for perfection could squelch the mood even before the turkey thaws. Cosmic wisdom advises that you start a specific holiday tradition or two to execute with all the divine details and finicky finesses that only your sign could pull off ... then delegate the rest! The highest expression of Virgo energy is service, so whether that means asking guests to bring a can of food to dinner or donating your time to a soup kitchen, putting yourself in the vibration of service will lift your spirits to an all-time holiday high.

Libra: Enjoy being the social director.
Libra likes to keep things balanced and beautiful, preferring a series of social events that emphasize ambience and luxury over holiday ambition or tradition. Shopping online is your red carpet to seasonal success without all the stress. You shine brightly when you bring people together without ruffling feathers or making someone feel left out. Your skills of keeping relationships at a warm and tantalizing simmer will be in dire need through the New Year -- you're known to sizzle in your role as social director!

Scorpio: Don't be a people pleaser.
Scorpios can combat holiday stress by not over-committing and simply telling the truth; they cut through a lot of red tape that ties up the less bold among us. Everyone could use a little Scorpio medicine come holiday time. The ability to say, "No thank you, I won't be able to make it," is an enviable tool in Scorpio's toolbox. Tap into your psychic know-how to create an authentic holiday with people you love -- everyone knows you're fiercely loyal -- and be sure to stay within your budget. Knowing you have no one to impress, you'll free yourself from binding niceties and find yourself free to enjoy the holiday exactly how you wish.

Try an insightful 2012 Year of the Dragon Forecast today and discover what the year ahead holds for you!

Sagittarius: Strike a balance.
No sign possesses as much natural cheer and optimism as this unquenchable Fire sign. In the season of your own birthday, it would behoove you to find somewhere as big as your heart to celebrate the season. Avoiding stress may mean not expecting others to be as free-spirited when it comes to getting on with the business of the holidays. Rather, indulge your generosity, and when you think you may be overdoing it, see what your Virgo friends are doing and find merit in a more modest approach when the occasion calls for it.

Capricorn: Borrow the wisdom of a Jupiterian.
Capricorns would do well to listen to the words of Chilean president Sebastian Pinera, who oversaw the miraculous rescue of the 33 miners more than a mile below the Earth's surface. He advised to start working towards the solution immediately and apply the very best resources, imagining nothing less than triumph. For all the persistence that imbues the Seagoat's personality, faith may be the only missing link in the chain that can curb holiday stress and promise that extra twinkle. Adding a little Jupiter (faith) to your Saturn (realism) will make trudging through the laborious details of holiday plans more sleigh ride -- and less small business.

Aquarius: Indulge your individuality.
Aquarians may recoil at the idea of sticking to holiday traditions for the sake of it. Striking a balance between following the herd and respecting your own unique sense of celebration will prevent you from wasting energy lamenting the same old same old. This may mean quilting together of group of orphaned friends who can't make it home to be with their own families, or going someplace offbeat and remote. Aquarians consider their friends to be family anyway, so binding together with like-minded souls for the joy of camaraderie will suit you well.

Pisces: Contribute with your creativity.
Pisces's greatest challenges are living in the moment and remembering the small details that can otherwise overwhelm their dreamy nature. Avoiding holiday burnout means staying in the flow and paying attention to hunches. The more in tune they are with their inner nature, the more likely they'll be to make wise choices as far as where to travel, when and with whom. If you're feeling averse to certain holiday plans, it's best to be honest with yourself and politely, but directly, back out or find a way to enjoy plans by engaging your creativity. Strengthening your spiritual nature -- through meditation, prayer or any sort of holistic or healing ritual -- will increase your sense of calm and positively affect the spirits of those around you.

Explore your natural tendencies and get a snapshot of the planetary forces that shape you with a free sample Personal Astrology Profile!