DECEMBER 8

December 8 flings herself at life and success, winning hearts carelessly, then throwing them away. She takes risks, maybe drinks too much, shows off too much, a heavenly dazzler who so carelessly courts danger that she may plummet to earth in all her radiant beauty. Leaving nothing but a piece of cold stone.

It's as if all the gifts of the gods, except balanced judgement have rained down on December 8's head. Both sexes are as bad. The men are handsome in youth, eyecatching in any career, in particular sport, but then alcohol, sex or another addictive form of behaviour undoes them. This is December 8 in the extreme, but it's to be recognised in a milder form and then often disaster can be prevented.

Teenagers born on this day are loaded with looks and talent and charm which gets them their way. They think they are immortal. But only the planet who rules their sign is immortal and Jupiter has seen men achieve greatness too fast only to fail young. Fortunately December 8 is sufficiently self-aware to understand this Achilles heel, especially if pointed out. Most are willing to take advice, be guided and so they skirt the danger, free to develop their talent without risk.

This day has tremendous vision and honourable qualities. They are sexually supercharged, trailing lovers like discarded diamond chips in their wake. Unusually lucky, they may make a fortune very fast. But even when they have their own children, they still behave like children themselves, right up to and beyond the age of ninety-nine.

Like all December people, this is a long-lived date, with a lot of luck scheduled for their old age.

I apologise for boasting, but once you know my qualities, I can drop back into a quite brilliant humility.

(Christopher Fry)

BODY

December 8 has sex-sensitive spots at the base of his or her back which are best left alone unless you can handle a riot. But they're proud of them and nearly always issue invitations to press them or stroke them and see. For women, the trigger points are about three inches above the cleavage between their buttocks, two points about two inches apart. For men there are three of these fast triggers in a vertical line just above the cleavage of their buttocks. Just rub these master points, over jeans will do, and you can be certain that 8s concentration will waver.

MIND

People who gossip unskillfully will find they get themselves talked about extremely unattractively. Confine yourself, if you must gossip, to people you don't know and aren't likely to. Otherwise it always comes back and hits you over the head.

DATESHARE

Died: Martin Ritt Hollywood screen star. Bom: Mary Queen of Scots, beautiful royal rival of Elizabeth I, addicted to hying the wrong man, abdicated, imprisoned for sixteen years, executed. Sinead O'Connor, Irish singer, songwriter. James Gaiway, Irish flautist. James Thurber, humourist, cartoonist The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. Sammy Davis Jr, singer dancer, film star, member of the Rat Pack. David Carradine, film star. Kim Basinger, film star. Jim Morrison, singer, songwriter, poet The Doors, died of drug overdose. Diego Rivera, Mexican painter, muralist, revolutionary.