As you begin December, you are proving your widely-known reputation for being one the zodiac’s top strategist for financial planning. The new moon in Sagittarius that appeared on November 29 urged you to start doing savvy tax planning in early December, and to settle all accounts before year end. You may be sending out bills, depositing checks, and deciding the amount you can contribute to your retirement account.

That new moon appeared within nine degrees of Saturn, which is not considered very close, but is still within significant orb. That new moon was close enough to Saturn to make you realistic, objective, and serious about putting your finances on a solid track. Uranus was at a good angle to that November 29 new moon, so you may receive a surprise check. Mars was in a warm and friendly angle too, indicating how determined you are to get things on a profitable path. Neptune, however, was in hard angle to the new moon, so there will be questions or missing information that you will need to get a fix on before making a decision.

This same buildup of planetary energy may point to a possible negotiation that you may be involved in now. If so, you are moving into a Mercury retrograde period, so don’t be too anxious to seal the deal. Mercury will be retrograde from December 19 to January 8, but you will feel the retrograde as soon as December 5. You will notice the delays and indecisions from others, so you will need to be patient – don’t push against this, as delays will benefit you. Mercury always needs time to ramp back up to former strength, and that won’t happen until January 27. Ironically, that is the same day as the new moon next month. All things considered, it would be best to wait to act at the new moon, January 27 next month. We can’t control everything in life, so see what you can do.

Why is that new moon next month (January 27) so special? It will light your solar tenth house of honors, awards, and achievement. Also, and this is an important point. Mars is currently lighting this same tenth house, raising your profile in your industry and helping you to increase your power and influence. All that you do this month will have an effect on you at the end of January.

There will be many indications in December that your career will be on fire. Watch when Uranus goes direct on December 29 – you will see an unmistakable clue then that your reputation is on the rise, and that happy career victory is to come. This will energize your career in a big way because Uranus rules your tenth house of fame. When a big outer planet like Uranus goes direct, it leaves clues about the direction Uranus is taking you in coming months. You would have to watch the days that surround December 29 for the subtle clues – if you don’t pay attention to everything that happens in the two days before and after December 29 you could miss those valuable clues.

There are even MORE indications that when it comes to career and money, you are on a roll! The full moon of December 13 will be at 8 degrees Gemini, a time you may finish up all your financial actions, talks, and plans (add four days to December 13 as the full moon’s area of influence). If you asked for a raise some time ago, you will likely get the answer back at this time.

This full moon of December 13 will be sweetness incorporated – the moon will receive gorgeous rays from good fortune Jupiter from your sixth house of work projects. Mars will be sending his gifts from your house of fame, so VIPs will agree, you will be putting in a top performance. The moon will also meet with Uranus and receive his gifts of surprise and serendipity. Mars will give you energy, motivation, and assistance from a good friend.

If you do get a raise, however, it does seem you will have to work hard for the extra money you will receive. Saturn will be in tight mathematical opposition to the full moon of December 13, so the terms of the financial agreement will be not as favorable as you had hoped. If you have a short trip planned at this time, you may have problems, so prepare carefully – this not only due to Mercury retrograde but more about Saturn’s position. You may also hear about a family or real estate situation that you need to attend to quickly, as it is a full moon. Yes, this full moon certainly will be a busy one for you, but some darling aspects I have not yet addressed.

On December 6, Mars and Uranus will be in ideal angle, so you are likely to see a surprise victory. The next day, December 7, Venus will move into Aquarius too, and shine like a lantern in your tenth house of fame and honors too. Not only are you likely to get applause, but you will be well-liked by VIPs and subordinates alike. It is remarkable that you have SO many signals that your stock in the marketplace is hitting all highs.

On December 9, the Sun and Jupiter will be in talks about you. This combination is a four-star gift from the universe on two fronts. The first will have to do with your home, real estate, or good fortune from a family member who loves you (and it will show on this day). If you have to buy, sell, lease, buy things for the home, or do anything home and family oriented, this is your day. Start early in the day, as early as possible.

The other bonus from December 9 and the interplay with the Sun and Jupiter will have to do with good fortune from ninth house activities. You will see enormous luck from a VIP in one of the several areas I will list here for you – global travel, import-export of goods, services or ideas, international relationships, immigration issues, including passport, visa, and green card, legal activities (any actions from a court case to filing a patent or trademark), luck with anything having to do with the media (as subject or writer / reporter / producer) in publishing, broadcasting, or Internet, and finally, good fortune related to people and news associated with colleges and universities.

Saturday, December 10, is due to be a tough day, and it might also affect Sunday, December 11, but no more than that. Saturn will conjunct the Sun, so a male family member may need your assistance because of a health matter that might come up, or it may be that your relative may simply feel a bout of loneliness or light depression. In any of these cases, you will need to respond, and it will be important to push other things off your schedule to do so. If Saturn turns out to affect your home and property instead, you may have an expense on this day that you never saw coming, or hear some sort of deflating news about your property. This would not be a day to close on a house or to sign a lease.

Monday, December 12, brings better news, and may make you feel much better about whatever came up over the weekend. On Monday the Sun and Uranus will be in very friendly sync. This cosmic duo actually will help the situation that you may experience regarding a male relative or with a property / home related matter. Uranus will bring ideas, ingenuity, and surprise.

Mars will move into Pisces just in time to add brilliant sparkle your social life, from December 19 to January 28. This is coming just in time to make this year’s holiday so much fun. With Mercury retrograde during part of this time, if you travel, you might decide to visit a place you loved in childhood, have not seen in years, and would love to revisit. The reason I say that is that Mercury will retrograde in Capricorn, in your ninth house of travel. I travel all the time with Mercury retrograde, so you can, too. Just be careful about keeping track of all your possessions, including your luggage with well-marked tags, and your business card taped to the back of your mobile phone, tablet, and computer. Put your business card in your eyeglass and sunglass case, and put a tag on the case of your headphones too, just in case.

As we get closer to month’s end, some of the most enchanting aspects will come by. First, on December 24, Saturn and Uranus will be in the friendliest position they have been in many years. This is great, because this will be the first of three meetings that will occur first now, on December 24, then on May 19, 2017, and lastly on November 11, 2017. After that, Saturn and Uranus will go their separate ways, not to come in contact again in the same flawlessly fine way until 2047.

Uranus is known to sweep away all that is outdated in the blink of an eye, but will work with you to set up a more relevant condition to your life. Saturn will stabilize the changes and create a structure. This is a fantastic aspect, one that brings hope and happiness.

You are likely to have an outstanding holiday! On December 25, Christmas Day, also Hanukkah (same day), Venus will meet with Jupiter, Uranus, and Saturn (wow!) all in very loving, affirming way. I love that Venus will trine Jupiter (the best aspect you can ever hope to see besides a conjunction of these two). This means you will hear good news about your work or if self-employed, about a new client that is due to come to you. This could be the best news from Santa, for that client may color the coming New Year. News will come out of the blue, because Venus is meeting with Uranus, the planet that delivers news like a lightning bolt. Saturn, working with Venus, will stabilize your finances. This is a win-win all around!

You might assume nothing much will happen in the last week of December, but you’d be guessing wrong. A lot is about to come up! You will love the new moon of December 29. That new moon, in friendly earth sign Capricorn 8 degrees, will be in perfect angle to your Taurus birthday Sun, will bring with it a strong Mars in Pisces, and will be conjunct Pluto. With four planets in your go-away-far sector, you certainly have all it takes to ring in the New Year in an exciting foreign location. It might be a mountainous paradise, so you can choose between a pale blue and white snowy setting, say, in Switzerland or go to a stunning white sand beach near tall mountains, such as are in Rio de Janeiro or Hawaii. Capricorn is an earth sign associated with mountains, so you’d be right at home in either location.

Jupiter is standing in the wings from your house of love, helping you strongly during in the first ten days of December, so if you are in a discussion with your steady partner that does not go the way you had hoped initially, Jupiter will remind you both that you belong together. If the partner involved is your business partner, ask about details, as you have Neptune spreading fog over the situation, and facts may be obscured. Jupiter however will lend his gifts of creativity to the situation. A comforting fact to keep in mind is that Jupiter will remain in your fifth house of love until next year, October 2017, so you can count on an enchanting period for mattes of love over a long, sustained period.

Mars will likely cause you to travel a far distance, and your trip will go well, for any purpose, especially on December 1, 3, 6, 9, 12, and 24-25. This is true even though Mercury, which rules travel, will be exerting a weak signal as it prepares to retrograde on December 19. Mars will pick up the banner for you – trips will be successful as long as you pack and label your bags carefully, check that you have your ID before you go to the airport, keep track of your possessions, and if driving for all or part of the trip, that you have an accurate address and instructions to get to your destination – don’t rely solely on GPS.

Mercury, your ruling planet, will go retrograde on December 19 until January 8, suggesting that you may find checks due to you to be late. If anyone has not yet paid you, and weeks have gone by, send another reminder statement in early December.

Concerning holiday shopping, it appears the stores will be low on stock this holiday season, so shop early – this is especially important advice if you hope to buy one or more electronics as gifts. If you can’t get your list done by December 5, then consider giving gift certificates from your recipient’s favorite retailer.

A matter of extreme importance to you will come to fruition by the full moon in Gemini on Tuesday, December 13, plus or minus four days. Jupiter will smile on this full moon from your house of true love, a wildly romantic and exceedingly rare aspect. If the culmination that this full moon will bring involves business, you will be lauded for your creativity.

Just when the world begins to quiet down for the holidays, your career will take off like a rocket, thanks to the move of Mars to Pisces to filling your tenth house of honors, awards, and achievement for the first time since January – February 2015, nearly two years ago. Positive press will come to you, and by December 30, you may see your photo in the news, or appear on television or the Internet (or both).

When it comes to romance, you will have a somewhat uneven path. A super romantic day will be December 9, a day that will be a “must” to socialize, due to a beautiful alignment between happiness planet Jupiter and the Sun.

The following day, however – December 10 – might bring a disagreement between you and your partner concerning money, so be careful how you handle any discussion, and try not to panic if the conversation goes in the wrong direction. It will help to know that your interaction will be less critical and more rational in two days. Listen well, and in the meantime, say little.

The festivities of your social life will build by the second half of the month. On Monday, December 12, you may get a surprise invitation from a friend to attend a party, and if so, you must go, for Uranus will see to it that you have plenty of fun, and you may also possibly discover a few tips about getting ahead.

Your growing career status will likely earn you quite a sum of money on or near December 27, either in terms of a line of credit, investment sponsorship, loan, settlement, commission, bonus, royalty, or licensing fees due to you. Or, if you are self-employed, a major client may walk in the door with a lucrative assignment or proposal, buoying your spirits for a successful 2017.

The new moon of December 29, and in the ten days that follow in January, will be perfect for you. It will fall in Capricorn at 8 degrees, and will help you ring in the New Year on distant shores, either on New Year’s Eve or in January. That new moon signals Mars in Pisces, so you may want to travel to a sumptuous setting near water, such as to a sunny beach or blue-white snow mountain setting. (The little goat loves mountains.) This travel theme involving a visit to a setting near water will be further underscored by a lyrical vibration from Neptune, sent straight to the moon. This has all the makings of a romantic, restful holiday.

This same new moon will bring you opportunity in the publishing and broadcasting industry as a subject or writer/editor/ producer or as the subject of a story. You will do well in any legal action you take, as long as you wait to do so after Mercury comes out of retrograde, January 8. If you are going back to college, or if you are a high school junior visiting colleges, you may want to make your appointments for mid-January and beyond for best luck.

If your birthday falls on April 28 plus or minus five days, you will enjoy the effects of the new moon of December 29 in an outstanding way. The same is true if you have Taurus rising, or a natal planet in Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn, Cancer, Scorpio, or Pisces at 8 degrees, plus or minus five degrees.

New Year’s Eve will be filled with fun, and very likely for you, travel. Friend and family will be in touch in the days surrounding December 26 (also Kwanzaa), thanks to the Sun and Mars in communication, so you may get a last minute invitation to a party for New Year’s Eve. This year, the home, club, or restaurant you choose to go to (or it may be your own party at home) will be outstanding – the Sun and Neptune, currently in your friendship and events house, will be in conversation, spinning an evening of great beauty and romance. Happy New Year, dear Taurus.

You will need to tend to finances as the year draws to a close. As the month opens, you will have four heavenly bodies in Sagittarius, each one lighting your eighth house of other people’s money. You may want to meet with your financial advisor or banker to see if any adjustments to your portfolio would be advised, or you may want to find ways to consolidate debt.

December 9-10 will be dates when you’ll need to view the situation with a spirit of practicality and purpose. Saturn will conjoin the Sun then, bringing a possible depressing situation concerning money owed. Yet, with Jupiter, the good fortune planet, in your workaday sector, in the coming year, you’ll see considerable demand for your services, so you should see an uptick to your income, too.

Furthermore, Mars is currently lighting your tenth house of fame and honors, so praise, awards, and publicity should be coming your way if you make an effort to transmit to others your recent accomplishments. Mars only comes by every two years, to light your professional house for six weeks, so November was – and December will be – pivotal months for career progress. At that time, you can lay the groundwork for solid opportunity to advance in late January and through early February 2017.

Watch December 1 for exciting career news, and December 9 for welcome news about money. On the heels of that day, surprisingly positive news will also develop on December 12, a Monday, when Uranus and the Sun will be in sync, and professional matters will go your way.

Mars may be IN your tenth house of professional fame and honors, but Uranus RULES that house, and Uranus has been retrograde for five months. Watch the news you receive within days of December 29, for not only will you have the new moon in your travel house, but Uranus will also turn direct and give a double boost of Uranus energy. You’ve worked hard, but lately you may not have seen the career progress you had hoped to see. Now that changes, and you will see it. The news you receive within two days before or after December 29 will give you a clue to what’s coming up soon.

The full moon of December 13 brings a financial matter to fullness, and thanks to a grand trine in the heavens (the finest possible aspect), linking the full moon, fortunate Jupiter in your assignment sector, and energetic Mars in your fame sector. You will likely excited by the news.

There’s more! A valuable piece of jewelry or cash gift may come on December 26, when the mighty Sun will work with Mars, proving when it comes to money and valuables, you are about to be showered with good fortune in December. Life can’t always be this way, but this month it will be, so enjoy it!

The month will turn delightfully social once you get to December 19, and Mars will enter Pisces. The emphasis on career and money will simmer down, and you’ll have plenty of time to spend with friends, socializing at holiday parties, dinners, and club events.

Your happiest day of the month will be December 25, and this year, Christmas Day and Hanukkah will fall on the same day. Venus, your ruling planet, will be in divine angle to Jupiter, Uranus, and Saturn, ensuring that this year’s holiday will be one of your very best.

Love will shine brightest when Venus glides through Capricorn, December 1 to 7. It appears you’ve crafted a plan to travel far and wide in early January, so no doubt you’ll be packing and getting details set for a departure to occur after December 29. With four heavenly bodies in Capricorn, an earth sign, it appears sounds like you’ll ring in the New Year on a snowy mountaintop that offers a breathtaking view while you and your partner together watch the snow gently fall. What a way to start the year!