I just received the best news! My app has made it to the finals of the prestigious Media Excellence Award, in several categories. Wow! Winners will be announced at the black tie, red carpet event in Los Angeles on January 18. I am so honored to have made it this far, and of course, I plan to go. I can’t wait to shop for my dress. No matter what happens, it is such an honor…

This month, take things at a slow pace. You might say that my advice is impossible because it is holiday time. You may say that you have much to do and not enough time to get it all done. That may be true, but to avoid frustration, it would be good to acknowledge that Mercury will be retrograde all month, from December 3 to December 22, a trend you always feel before and after its official start and end dates. You started to feel Mercury’s slowdown as early as November 20, because we all would always feel Mercury’s slide retrograde in advance of the actual turn on, in this case, on December 3. We are all in the same boat.

This position of Mercury suggests you will have to be diligent about avoiding miscommunications and sending the wrong email to the wrong person in the list of recipients. You may find that you need to backtrack many times in December, to fix flaws and inaccuracies in projects, so be determined to be flexible. You will have to keep track of many details, lest one fall through the cracks. It would be wise to put off major decisions while you mull over all facets of a deal, offer, or decision you might need to make. For you, dear Aries, Mercury will retrograde in your ninth house of distant travel, the most likely area for you to experience delays and last minute changes in plans.

The ninth house rules other things, too, in addition to travel. It rules international relationships; import-export of goods, services, and ideas; immigration matters, diplomacy, and all activities related to academia. For example, if you need to take a major exam and are given a choice as to when you would prefer to take it, or to choose the day to defend your thesis, put off these actions until January or February. The ninth house rules the courts, so if you have a court date, you may be told you have a delay. You can’t control things like these, so you might as well go with the flow. January will be an important career month for you, so while you can, don’t pressure yourself unnecessarily in December.

Mercury retrograde does pose a problem in regard to buying holiday presents. By the first day of December, you are already too late to buy a computer, TV, or a smart phone, for example, for a family member, because it is never wise to buy electronics during this type of Mercury phase. Choose instead to get a gift card for that person, but make sure you buy it in their favorite store. When you get it, photocopy the front and back of the card (to include the bar code), and write the person’s name and amount on your photocopy. You can’t be too careful when Mercury is out of phase. Everything may be perfect, but the express mail package might get lost. (Mercury rules the mails too.)

On December 1, Mars will oppose Uranus precisely, a very explosive aspect that can be expressed as anger or in physical ways (no bungee jumping for you on this day or anywhere near it). Knowing people will be fragile, go the extra mile to avoid making controversial statements, and be careful how you speak to partners, in love or business, because a person in either part of your life could go up in flames at the drop of a hat.

Mars, your ruler, will enter into your eighth house of other people’s money on December 9 until January 26. Soon, next month on January 8, Mars will meet with good fortune Jupiter, producing a dazzling day, especially for news about money. Managing your financials will become a priority for you in coming weeks, perhaps because you will have a tidy sum coming in, making you realize you should get advice from a trusted banker concerning how to invest it safely. You will be writing a lot of checks this month (shown by the position of Mars), but it looks as though a good amount of money will come into your account, too.

Now let’s turn back to the activities of December, which will start out with a full moon, December 3, influential for plus or minus four days, and falling in your third house of quick travel. This full moon might bring you closer to your sibling or cousin, for your third house will be lit, ruling these close kin. You may be asked to sign a contract, but you would be best to hold off, for with Mercury retrograde, you are likely to overlook a troublesome clause. Also, conditions may later change in a way you can’t anticipate now, putting you at a disadvantage.

Saturn will be conjunct Mercury on December 2-3, so whatever plan you set in stone contractually within four days of December 3 will stay in place forever and be exceedingly difficult to change. On the one hand, you may be happy to hear this because you say you want this agreement to last, but on the other hand, if you change your mind later, you may be in a bind. See if you can create an exit clause if you must sign in December.

The new moon, December 18, will bring the Sun, new moon, Saturn, Venus, and Mercury all in one part of your chart, your ninth house of long-distant travel. It appears you might well be taking a yearend holiday to a sunny location, for all those heavenly bodies will be in Sagittarius, a fire sign. If your trip is scheduled on or after this date, it appears you will have a goal to complete, suggesting that your travel might well be for business. Trying to get out the door may pose problems, for it appears the workload you are carrying at the office this month is considerable.

I say that you will likely travel for business, but that is not necessarily true – you may be viewing family property that you want to buy or rent in a distant city far from where you live (perhaps to take advantage of a job offer), and this is only one example.

If you travel for a personal, romantic purpose, you might be giving or receiving a proposal. Uranus, the planet of all things unexpected, will be signaling Venus in Sagittarius from his place in Aries, and that would certainly spell a breathtaking romantic experience could be in store for you. Having support from Uranus will make all the difference to this new moon and bring all kinds of fireworks and surprises.

Something else is due, for Saturn will be conjunct the Sun at this time, so you seem to be in a serious mood when it comes to love, pregnancy, or the care of a child, or the course of a creative project you might be starting at the time. This should not sound ominous, for you may be forming the building blocks of a new life for yourself, and you are justified to be in a reflective mood.

The ninth house rules many things other than travel. It is essentially a place in the chart that, when activated (like after December 18), opens the mind to new concepts, learning, and brings a wide worldview. This is why the ancient astrologers included travel in the ninth house – they felt that international travel was one of the finest ways to learn about the world around you. The ancient astrologers also included college and graduate school to this area of the chart.

Yet the ninth house is not only about taking in information from study or through experience, but also about giving it out, and sharing your knowledge with others. For that reason, publishing and broadcasting are also part of this house. Any of the areas I have mentioned will be important to you after the new moon appears, December 18.

If your birthday falls on April 18 plus or minus two days, you will feel this new moon very directly. The same is true if you have Aries rising 28 degrees, or the natal moon in Aries at the same degree. In a secondary way, if you have a natal planet in Aries, Leo, Sagittarius, Gemini, Libra, or Aquarius at 28 degrees, plus or minus four degrees, you too will find that you have exceptional opportunity at this time, as you move forward from December 18 plus ten days.

No matter when your birthday falls, you will find that the actions you take quickly after the new moon appears will have the power to affect you for a full year, until the next new moon in Sagittarius returns to the same part of your chart, and that will happen next year on December 7, 2018. This is why the actions you take now, after this new moon, will be so critical.

This month, the next day following this new moon, we have a big cosmic event coming on December 19. Saturn will leave Sagittarius, a place Saturn has held for three years, and enter Capricorn. For the coming three years, Saturn will remain in your tenth house of fame and honors, until December 17, 2020. During those intervening years, you will be asked to learn the ropes in a new area, and will also be asked to reach new standards. You will be groomed for a prestigious, lofty position in your present firm or you might decide to change jobs and work for a new company – you will be able to choose, for Saturn will not force you to do anything you don’t want to do.

I feel you will accept more responsibility on the job very soon because you will know that if you do, you will know that at the end of your three-year learning period you will become a major force to be reckoned with in your industry. You won’t have to figure out your new role alone – you will have an older person to guide you. The reason you will be given a mentor or supervisor to help you is that you will have a number of VIPs behind you who trust you and believe in the promise of your talents.

Saturn takes 29 years to circle the Sun, so this is a rare and very special influence. The last time Saturn was in Capricorn, where it was from February 1988 to February 1991, so if you lived through that period, you might remember what happened then. In astrology history never repeats, but you might get a clue of a theme that will surface in this new cycle, from December 19, 2017 to December 17, 2020.

Now turning our attention to other points of the month, you will soon see that December has all kinds of aspects. For example, on December 20, Venus and Uranus will be in perfect alignment, bringing exciting romantic possibilities, especially for Aries born on or very near April 19.

The following day, however, December 21, Saturn will conjunct the Sun in Capricorn, making for quite a serious day. This can be good – you get engaged, have a baby, get a big promotion – or it could be a very hard, depressing day when you feel overwhelmed and tired, and become ultra-sensitive to criticism, especially from someone whose opinion you value, namely, an authority figure at work. Fortunately, surprise-a-minute Uranus will be in ideal angle, adding the possibility of a light, happy touch to this aspect, which is unusual. Let’s think good thoughts.

This year, Christmas Day, December 25, brings the transiting moon to Aries in the United States, so you are likely to enjoy this day very much. Are you in Europe, Turkey, Australia, India, or Asia, for example? Your special day falls the following day.

New Year’s Eve brings an unusual picture to the sky. A full moon will occur on January 1, 2018 in Cancer 12 degrees. This full moon will fall in your home and family sector, so you may be having a celebration for all those you know and love in your home. Happiness planet Jupiter will be within two degrees of your ruler, Mars, making a significant mathematical aspect, suggesting this could be an important and joyous moment for you.

One day near month’s end, December 27-28 (depending on your time zone), will stand out for you as magically romantic. On this day, Mars will contact Neptune when the brilliant stars will be twinkling just for you. To make things extra-special, the transiting moon will be in Aries, too. This is almost as good as it gets!

On New Year’s Eve, someone may give you a beautiful, valuable gift, or you may buy something special for yourself that you have saved up to afford. Things going on at work would certainly be on your mind as the sky lights up with fireworks for the New Year, and career developments will become a much more of a dominant theme in January.

For now, on New Year’s Eve, you seem in the mood to leave office matters for another day, and be surrounded with those you care deeply about. Some Aries will be moving house at this time, and it is possible, and if so, try to work in time to sip a glass of chilled champagne and nibble an appetizer. You are going places, dear Aries, and 2018 won’t be any old year by any stretch of the imagination – it will be filled with surprising news, and soon your name will be on the lips of anyone who matters in your field.

As the month opens, on the full moon of December 3 you might take a quick trip for your work that will come up suddenly. You will have a goal to complete, and you may feel the pressure to complete it during December’s first week. Even so, getting out of the office and into a new setting will be good for you. If you are in college or graduate school, you’ll have exams, and you’ll be studying hard. Mars, your ruler, will oppose Uranus on December 1, so your nerves will be on edge and you may snap at anyone who even looks at you the wrong way.

Adding to the wild and wooly atmosphere of the first week, Neptune will create confusion through unclear client dictates, missing facts in contracts, and if dealing with people abroad, possible meaning lost in translation. Despite doubts, you will pull through because you’ll be methodical – your ruler, Mars, will be in sync with Saturn and will make you so.

Mercury will retrograde from December 3 to December 22. Allow extra time to shop for holiday gifts. You may be counting on having a modicum of personal time to use to hit the stores, but time for yourself will rapidly evaporate due to an increasing workload. If you shop online, don’t be a last minute Nelly, for express shippers will be overwhelmed, and many shipments will be late. Add to this picture the likelihood of wild weather, and the outcome will be that you will see full force the havoc Mercury retrograde can produce.

On a happy note, if you are invited to a holiday party on Saturday, December 2, accept, for it is likely to be to be one of the most magical of the season. Jupiter, planet of good fortune, will receive shimmering vibrations from imaginative Neptune, and together they will spin a dream of an evening, perfect for feeling and expressing love.

More travel will come up at the new moon, December 18, and with Saturn conjunct the Sun, you may be swamped with duties that you need to polish off before you head to the airport. At the same time your sweetheart / spouse or you will be in an unusually quiet thoughtful mode or feeling overwhelmed by the duties of the season. Don’t make demands on your partner, for everyone will be feeling fragile, and you may push your relationship to the brink. At the same time, your parent may need your assistance.

You may be looking forward to a leisurely holiday, but need to put that idea temporarily on ice, for in a month with the planetary patterns going haywire like it will be in December, life will intervene, and everyone, it seems, will need your attention. Your sense of humor will get you through, and your holiday time off will be all the sweeter because you worked hard, and achieved much.

On the verge of your departure for the holiday, December 19, Saturn will move into Capricorn for a three-year stay. This is the first time since 1988-1991 that Saturn will visit your prestigious tenth house of career honors, awards, and achievement. According to the office gossip, you are about to get a major promotion and impressive title – this will turn out to be true. The industry announcement will come in mid-January, but a large financial bonus is likely to show up at month’s end or near January 8, thanks to the impending conjunction between active Mars and lucky Jupiter. Jupiter and Pluto will be in fine orientation too, adding to your optimistic financial outlook.

Romantically, on December 27, Mars will contact Neptune and will bring on an enchanting holiday evening, Love and happiness will flow, just in time to celebrate the coming New Year in an exquisite setting of beauty perfect for exchanging words of love.