Friday December 7th edited by Patty Greenall Welcome to the first of a three part guide to choosing the right Christmas present for each sign. Today we focus on the zodiac's "Fixed" signs: Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius. Jonathan writes: TAUREANS have a deep affinity with things of the earth. Plants, therefore, make a good gift for people born under this sign. So, too, do semi-precious stones and crystals - or clays, for creative modelling. This same 'earthiness' causes Taureans to appreciate natural, traditional materials. Items of wood, wicker, cotton and wool - or with a simple, rustic feel, appeal more than modern, man-made materials. Don't worry too much about getting your Taurean something that is "too close" to an item they already own. Remember that people born under this sign are avid collectors. Remember too, that all earth sign people are sensual. Something luxurious and indulgent or wickedly sweet will never go amiss. Patty Greenall suggests: Scarf, necklace with green stones, particularly emeralds, fancy one-off cups and saucers, crockery or similar - beautiful but practical, fine biscuits or gourmet food, Monopoly, Delia Smith's latest, a piggy bank, Lego for Taurus child. LEOS appreciate elegance and simplicity. You don't therefore, have to spend a fortune to please a Leo; you simply have to choose something stylish, chic and timeless. What kind of item? It hardly matters. A cup, a coffee pot, a piece of jewellery, a case, a vase, a pen - or even an item of food. Just look for something that strikes you as 'classic and classy.' And there's your perfect Leo present - because in giving it you are effectively saying: "I recognise that you are a person of taste and discrimination who deserves the best." That just so happens to be a statement Leos can't hear often enough! Patty suggests: Classy leather goods in brown or beige, animal prints, anything show-stopping or gold such as a tiara, jewellery, picture frames, nick-nacks, hair or money clips. Bright lipsticks or nail varnishes, feather boa, a day at an amusement park or the London Eye, theatre tickets, make-up, game of roulette or cards for poker, GameBoy Advance. SCORPIOS are often attracted to items which purport to be one thing - yet turn out to be another. Pens that turn out to be flashlights. Wristwatches that contain cameras. Hard back books with a hole cut in the pages - where valuable goods can be hidden. Secrets are a matter of pride and fascination to all under this sign. Publications, therefore, which have the word secret in the title are sure to go down well - no matter how innocuous they may be. Likewise, gifts that somehow subtly comment on a secret that you and your Scorpio friend are both keeping together. You are not party to any of their secrets? Then wrap a vase, scarf or household object in plain brown paper... and make it look just a little as if it has something extremely private and personal inside it! Patty suggests: Sting's new album, a copy of Nigella Bites, spy novel, cool sunglasses, black leather goods - belts, boxes or bags, spy kit or metal detector for youngsters of all ages, sexy underwear, Cluedo or Chesst, Murder Mystery Weekend, lock and key, anything taboo. AQUARIANS like to be different. This makes it difficult to generalise about them. All that they have in common is a desire not to have too much in common with anyone else. This does not make them anti-social; to the contrary, they are gregarious. Nor does it make them want to stand out. If everyone else is wearing blue this week, they will wear blue too... as long as it is a rare, particular, classy shade of blue. Aquarians have an eye for quality but they are not so daft as to think that "expensive" equals "best". They can appreciate any item or object as long as intelligence has gone into its design. Get them something unusual, witty, clever or thought-provoking. Patty suggests: Fibre optic lamp, Glitter Lava lamp, puzzles, the latest of anything - including music, computer products, gadgets, A copy of How to Make Friends and Influence People, Flat Screen Digital TV, DVD Player, Latest mobile phone, MP3 Player, card games, chemistry kit, crossover music, popular culture books - perhaps a CD by Jonathan's musician brother Daniel! Next week: Gifts for Aries, Libra, Cancer and Capricorn. Behind the Signs: Mars, planet of energy and assertion, moves out of Aquarius and into Pisces on Sunday and will remain there until 19 January 2001. It's not the time to push too hard to meet objectives. An active imagination, deep thought, intuition and contemplation bring benefit, so if you need to meet goals, it would be wise to relax a little, meditate and decide before taking action. It's a time for inner journeys, sensuality and swimming. For some tips for buying the right gift for the right zodiac sign, plus AstroFacts. Astro Fact It's true that cycles repeat but never in quite the same way. The moon's cycle, for example, is approximately 28 days. However, if you plotted the path of the orbit of the moon over 19 years, you'd get an image that was similar to a ball of string. So, even though the moon goes through each of the zodiacal. signs every month it doesn't actually follow the exact same path. Name that planet Scores more readers have suggested names for the new planet, KX76, discovered by Larry Wasserman and his team at Lowell Observatory in Arizona. Mrs J. Blan, suggests Sappho, in honour of the poetess and mythology's tenth muse; Ann Selby, likes the idea of Tehuti, original name for the Egyptian lord of time and patron god of healers; S. Pyke, suggests Challenger, in honour of those who died reaching for the stars and planets. We will soon be asking Larry Wasserman to decide which of our suggested names he likes best, so there is still just time to write to: Email [email protected] (with subject heading: name that planet).