It’s December and you’ll be anxious to get out of town and link with family and friends. It will be a warm and wonderful month. You might also want to a sunny beach to escape the chill of winter. As the month opens, you will have four heavenly bodies in your house of long-distance travel, with Mercury, Saturn, Sun, and new moon, all in the long-distance, international sign of Sagittarius. The new moon occurred just two days prior to December, on November 29. That new moon was in ideal angle to Mars, your governing planet, and this will assure you that you’d have energy and drive to attain anything you go after. Show your passion for what you want to do – you will light others to your cause.

Jupiter, planet of great luck and happiness, will be in the wings during the first ten days of December too, ready to help you every step of the way. Don’t take Jupiter for granted – he is often busy, off in another part of the sky and too far away to offer a hand. Jupiter will be sure that you get help from a partner – a spouse or person you are dating seriously, or in business, an agent, or other middleman who can open a previously locked door so that you can experience a bright future.

December 1 will be an outstanding day. Your ruler, Mars, always gives an indication of where your attention will be drawn, and Mars is currently in your house of friends and social events. So as you see, not only will a partner be of help, but a friend or club you belong to will also help you. On December 1, Mars will reach out to good fortune Jupiter, allowing a friends AND a middleman to help you.

This month is chock-full of great aspects, particularly in the first half. Before I get to those, I want to let you know (if you didn’t catch this in my November forecast) that Mercury will be retrograde from December 19 to January 8.

This is tough news if you hoped to shop at the last minute – you won’t find gifts you like, for store shelves will be empty, or your recipient won’t like the gift, or you will have it and then the package could get lost in the shipping. This year we have to double-check all addresses and phone numbers, ship early, and use a carrier you trust. Last minute shipping is likely to be risky business this year. If you would like to learn more about Mercury Retrograde, see my essay under Learn Astrology on Astrology Zone website or my app (iPhone and Android / Samsung).

It is important to buy your electronics in December’s first week, or, failing that, buy a gift card to a store that you know your recipient loves to frequent. If you do buy a gift card, you must go the extra mile to photocopy it on both sides (including the bar code) before wrapping it up and sending it off, just in case the person who will get your gift card loses it or if it is lost in shipping. (Making a photocopy of my gift cards has saved the day for me on two instances in recent years.)

Put a big star on December 6, when Mars and Uranus will be in friendly talks about you. Here you have a meeting of action and innovation. This would be a great day to brainstorm for ideas, and then plan to put them in motion after Mercury is done retrograding. Further, Mars is in your friendship house, so a party, gathering, or news from a friend will make you so very happy.

December 8 will be an especially sweet day too for everyone, but doubly special for you because your ruler, Mars will be involved. Mars in Aquarius will reach out to Uranus in Aries, planet of surprise. On this day, you may suddenly hear from a friend, and the news you get, or invitation you receive, will be exciting, to say the least. This is a four-star day for you.

I love December 9 for you too, for the Sun and benefic Jupiter will be in ideal trine angle. This means the two heavenly bodies will be 120 degrees apart, which is one of the most harmonious aspects possible. The Sun is in your ninth house of foreign people and places (also ruling distant cities within your own country), pursuits for a higher education (college and graduate school), and the media, including publishing, broadcasting, and the Internet. One of these areas will be lucky for you. On this day, your luck with authority figures will be sky high. If you are in a legal case or taking any kind of legal action such as to file a patent or trademark, lucky Jupiter is in your partnership area, so again, a middleman, such as a lawyer, publicist, agent, guidance counselor, or other person in the middle who puts two sides together will be helpful to you. I love December 9 for you!!

The month is a little tricky, because on Saturday, December 10, we have that clinker day, when things may not go well. The Sun and Saturn will be conjunct, which is a meeting of fire and ice, and that’s a day that you may feel very drained. Travel will be difficult on December 10, with likely tough weather conditions and paperwork tie-ups. Take it easy this weekend. If someone who you report to or admire criticizes you, try not to take that person’s words too much to heart. This is a day when it will be easy to feel deflated. Take the part of the criticism that will improve your performance, but don’t let it crush you.

In this every-day-is-different-month, on Monday, December 12, you will be back on the top of the world. Uranus, the planet of unexpected developments, will work beautifully with the Sun and sprinkle a sweet surprise over you. The Sun rules your fifth house, so love may come, or your creativity may astound everyone around you. This aspect also shows that your ninth house is glowing brilliantly. (I described the ninth house in detail in the two paragraphs above this one when I spoke about December 9 – involving distant travel, international relationships, the media, university experiences, and legal matters.) You will be smiling with surprises and happiness galore, and your friends will be the ones who make you so excited about life.

The full moon of December 13 will be at 22 degrees of Gemini. You may be traveling at this time too, but more likely to a town or city nearby. It is also possible you will see or get news from your sister or cousin. You may also hear from your sister or from a female cousin and have fun together. (An aspect involving the moon usually points to a female.) This full moon will receive a shower of beautiful vibrations from Jupiter in Libra, indicating that again, your partner or middleman will be instrumental in your luck. Mars will be in a perfect spot to offer you warm support from your friends and community. Uranus will be on hand to bring surprises out of the blue, especially regarding the short distance travel you will likely do. If you write for a living, whether as a reporter, author, editor, or in other support staff to the production of books, you will likely be finishing up an important manuscript.

If your birthday falls on April 14, plus or minus four days, or you have your rising sign in Gemini or a natal planet in Gemini, Aquarius, Libra, Aries, or Leo at 22 degrees, plus or minus four degrees, you will feel this full moon will speak directly to you and you will benefit from it.

Mars, which has been in Aquarius through last month and December so far, will switch signs and move to Pisces on December 19, to stay until January 28. Lucky you, you will have a gregarious lifestyle during the first three weeks of December, just when holiday parties will likely be in full swing.

Once Mars moves into Pisces, you will get a chance to recharge and relax. Pisces rules your twelfth house of privacy, so you seem to want to have a quiet holiday. You are right to feel that way, for once Mars reaches Aries, January 28, you will be moving at the speed of light. Take the time at the end of December and January to rest.

When Mars is in Pisces in your twelfth house, you will likely have feelings that prove that you are being prescient about coming events. You must listen to the small voice within you and act on what your intuition tells you to do – it seems it will speak loudly. Mars won’t be alone in this part of your chart but will meet up with Neptune, the planet that is most comfortable in the twelfth house and, as astrologers say, dignified here. Neptune rules non-verbal communication including symbols and signs, and all things that speak to the right brain. You see, even if you have never had a strong hunch or prophetic dream, you might have one this month.

This year, Christmas and Hanukkah will fall on the very same day, December 25, and Kwanzaa will be when it always falls, on December 26. The biggest aspects will happen on December 24-December 25 – and all will be some of the most beautiful of the season, casting a glow to the days just before and after December 25.

First, on December 24, Saturn will be in wonderful angle to Uranus, the first of three such meetings, the next two coming in 2017. Uranus sweeps away all that is outmoded in the blink of an eye, and helps you to replace what was lost with something new and more relevant to your life. Saturn will work with Uranus to stabilize all that you build to create a new future. This is an aspect of great hope and optimism. We haven’t seen it in years, so it’s special.

Most of the month, from December 1 to 18, Mars will be in Aquarius, the sign of the brotherhood of man, and will be showered with golden confetti from Jupiter in Libra, the sign of partnership and collaboration. Venus will come in and add to the fun, December 7 to January 2.

On December 25, Venus will receive a wave of electric beams from surprise-a-minute Uranus in Aries and an amazingly warm beam from Jupiter on the same day. Saturn will reach out to Venus too, and bring long lasting promises. Love will be in the air, for sure, as these planets will bring joy, surprise and lots of fun. Some Aries will get engaged, as Jupiter is in the marriage sign and house and Saturn is pleased if you think long term. If you are already married, you will feel closeness from your partner, for these planets will be powerful and could bring a feeling of affectionate renewal.

On December 29, we have a new moon in Capricorn, the most glorious and important new moon of the year for your advancement in your profession. We only get one a year, and this one is yours, dear Aries. It will light the tenth house of honors, awards, and achievement, so it’s critical to your future. If you could see your horoscope, you would see the Sun, new moon, Mercury, and Pluto in that area, so it’ll be packed with energy.

Mars will be in ideal angle to the Sun, giving you energy and drive. It appears important people are speaking about you in glowing terms, unbeknownst to you. Neptune is also beautifully oriented, so you will be quite creative now – you are knocking the socks off important people! No wonder they are talking about you! They will KEEP talking about you, always in the highest terms. The moon’s conjunction with Pluto is significant too, for it points to just how powerful you will be at month’s end in the career realm.

On the same day, December 29, Uranus in Aries will go direct, having been retrograde since July 29. Watch to see what happens near that day, for it will leave subtle but yet clear clues of where you are heading in the future.

It’s important that you make an initiation, any initiation, toward a professional dream dear to you at month’s end. You must act either on December 29, 30, or even December 31 (yes, some companies are open a half day on December 31). Or wait until after the holiday, on January 3, to have your meetings. The moon will be in Aries on January 4 and 5, and the new moon of December 29 will override any aspects on those days. In other words, you are cleared for takeoff, dear Aries.

Mercury will be retrograde until January 8, but you can hold talks – just don’t commit to anything just yet. Mercury will retrograde in your career house, so here is where you will see delays. Don’t push against those delays – go with them. Wait until you get beyond January 8 to give a final offer, and always try to get beyond the turnaround date (in this case January 8). Great jobs take time to win, so I doubt anyone will pressure you into accepting at this time. This is not a full moon but a new moon, and those are far less tense, for they are known to open a new path.

With any new moon, you need to act as soon as you can after it appears, for a new moon gradually loses power, little by little, with each passing day. This is a gorgeous new moon, and you will want to take full advantage of it. With Mars and Jupiter so strong, a headhunter (Jupiter), a joint venture of two companies (Jupiter), or a friend (Mars) could help you find the big opportunity or shine in one you are in now.

In terms of love, Venus will tour your friendship / people / events sector from December 8 to January 2, just in time for any festive events you attend. Mars will rev up this same area all month, so you will have more invitations than you can handle and feel very popular. So while it is true that Mercury will be retrograde for much of this month (you will feel the slowdowns as early as December 5), you still will have plenty of reason to be optimistic about having a bewitching social life and enjoying the winter holidays to the hilt.

As you begin December, you are suddenly aching to leave town. With four heavenly bodies filling your house of travel in the sign of distant journeys, Sagittarius, there’s little chance you’ll stay home. With Jupiter beaming golden rays to the Sun and new moon for ten days too, it looks like you’ll go with your romantic partner, or, alternatively pitch a client face-to-face, with your business partner or boss). The accommodations will be beautiful. If you are in publishing or broadcasting, the pace will be brisk, and you’ll have plenty of detailed work to oversee. If you are at the university, working on your thesis, or have to taking a qualifying exam, prepare thoroughly – hiring a tutor may be the best idea and make a big difference in your grade later.

The hardest day of the month will be December 10, when Saturn will conjunct the Sun. You’ll be in a serious mood, especially when it comes to love, which could be good (you’ll get engaged or wed), or not so good (you’ll find out things about your partner that will give you pause and make you rethink the relationship). Alternatively, you may be concerned about the health of a male near you, or who is in a tough spot. (The Sun is prominent, and in astrology, the Sun is always read as male. The moon is always female.) Either way, stay optimistic, because Mars and Uranus will be working in friendly manner to provide options you didn’t realize existed for you. A friend may be quite helpful in this matter too.

In case you assume the last week of December would be quiet, it may be for other people, but not for you. Your career will be on fire once the new moon appears December 29 and lights your tenth house of honors, awards, and achievement. This is the most important career moment of the impending New Year. Opportunities to raise your status in your industry will be forthcoming, and it will be up to you to follow up on offers. Golden opportunities will be there for you if you look for them. Any position you discuss now will be prestigious and may involve managing a budget along with other duties, for a stack-up in Capricorn suggests you would be working with budgets. Plan to be on your A-game the moment you get back from the holiday, for your best days will fall at the end of this month and in early January.

Mercury will retrograde December 19-January 8, so you may hear from a former client, boss, co-worker, friend, or lover, who will want to reactivate your relationship – a good idea. Find out what this person has to tell you. Mercury retrograde means last-minute shopping will be a disaster if you hope to delight your recipients. If you can’t shop early in December, choose gift cards, as those may be your best option.

This year, Christmas Day and Hanukkah both fall on December 25, and Kwanzaa will be the following day. Rarely have we seen such beautiful aspects for the holidays. On December 24, slow moving planets, Saturn and Uranus, will work together to create a rare sense of stability to innovative ideas. On December 25, Venus will be in heavenly angle to Jupiter (happiness, gifts), Saturn (long-term promises), and Uranus (surprises). What a joyous day it will be for you, even if you don’t celebrate these holidays. Mars, your ruler, will contact the mighty Sun on December 26, an aspect of energy and favor.

Also at year’s end, on December 29, Uranus in Aries, retrograde since July 29, will go full speed ahead. Your goals and dreams will be given new high-octane energy, and your desire to be independent will reignite.

You have a basket full of romantic dates including: December 1, when your ruler, Mars is in sync with Jupiter, bringing happiness and a touch of luxury. Add December 3, when Mars and Saturn will align, bringing long-term promises that last, and December 6, when Mars and Uranus will cook up fun. Next circle December 9, one of your brightest days, when stars will twinkle for you, thanks to the alignment of Sun and Jupiter. The days will keep on coming – December 12, with Uranus in perfect angle to the Sun will bring surprises that you’ll love, and your creative ideas will shine too. With Jupiter, the planet of good fortune in your house of marriage for the first time in 12 years, many Aries will get engaged or wed this month, making for a very exciting end to 2016.