There was a time not so long ago when sugar was considered a luxury item — a very expensive status symbol kept in a special cabinet in dining rooms, locked with a key and rationed carefully as shipments were seasonal. The Sugar Moon this Tuesday reminds us of the fullness of this sweet life, rising to meet us like the sap in a maple tree this time of year. Even as there is much to mourn, there's much to rejoice in.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). Even if your grievance is justified and you're 100% in the right, carefully consider whether it's worth fighting for. Because until it's over, the fight will keep you emotionally invested in yesterday. Some issues are important enough to take on regardless of this cost. Many are not.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). New may not be better, but it's happening anyway. However you learned the job, the new hires are learning it differently. What you were taught about the role is now obsolete. Your strength is that you see new information and better methods as a compliment to your discernment rather than a challenge to your authority.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Early success felt electric and new. But now you've reached a level of competence, and the buzz is fading. The work might even feel flat. Time to focus on contribution. When you collaborate with beginners, mentor others or help create conditions for someone else to succeed, their excitement will refresh yours.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). You've felt drawn to wounded souls because you sensed that you could make a difference — and you did. The way you help is admirable and fortifying for all. But it's not the only use of your talent. This week offers the opportunity to connect with a like mind you can share ideas with, or more of a role model type you can grow your skills with.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). An unhelpful thought cycle has a way of showing up when you're under stress. Annoying. But if you welcome it and listen once more to what it has to say, you will figure out how to debunk this little spiral and end it for good. Mindset requires strategy. You're open, so you'll find ways that do work to empower you.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). You absolutely can create more freedom in your day to day and make room for what truly benefits you. This is an ideal time to release something that's been getting in your way. If there's an idea or unhealthy dynamic that's been holding you back, the circumstances are favorable for letting go. Once you do, it's a fresh start.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). You're becoming increasingly adept at a skill out of sheer necessity. Perhaps they disappointed, they failed, they abandoned ship, and you took the wheel. However this occurred, and however you were wronged by it, it's the reason you're so strong and capable. This week, you'll steer yourself to a beautiful place.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). When it comes to getting attention, funding or support of any kind, the moment you strive to get it is the moment it runs farther away from you. Don't chase or reach. Don't even want. Attraction is the way. Like attracts like. Focus on the small way you already have your desired outcome. That's the magnet that will bring it in.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). You have this amazing ability to make a person in the crowd feel like the only person in the room. While charisma is a gift, it's also a skill. Furthermore, in your case, it's a responsibility you wield carefully, and a service you offer generously as you engage, lift and support, one person at a time.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). You're in a phase where your responsibilities are heavier than those of the people around you. Because of that, your progress depends on sustained attention and forward movement. Keep moving so you don't get interrupted or pulled into a side conversation. If they can't catch you, they can't distract you.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Some experience anticipation of a happy event as delightful excitement, but it is just as normal to experience it as dread. Hope has a way of increasing the stakes. Joy can have a cost, and the body senses that vulnerability. Can you let anticipation soften into curiosity? Can you let caution coexist with lighter feelings?

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). You're making your dreams come true by getting ready for them. There's always something dream-related you could be working on, even if it's tangential. For instance, exercising so you're strong and healthy when your "ship comes in" or reading so you're educated and can speak competently on topics related to your dream.

THIS WEEK'S BIRTHDAYS: Welcome to your Year of Altered Destiny. You're always looking for ways to contribute. You see what's wrong and fix it, not just for yourself but for those around you, and because of this, the timeline changes, creations and relationships come together and life unfolds differently. Lives are changed because of knowing you, working with you or being loved by you. More highlights: a romance, seasonal surprises, education and upgrades of aesthetics, health and fitness.

For more Holiday magic, visit HolidayMathis.com. To find out more about Holiday Mathis and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

Photo credit: Elena Koycheva at Unsplash