The start of December will have a slow and graceful pace, and may find you in a meditative mood. The new moon that occurred just two days before the start of December was friendly and poured light into your twelfth house of privacy, dreams, and the subconscious mind. Your intuition will be heightened, and you will want to think about how you’d like to plan your New Year. Which one goal would you like to complete?

You might want to be discerning about which holiday parties you attend, for with the new moon of November 29 close to Saturn, there is a possibility that you will be in touch with medical personnel as the month opens, possibly for a relative, such as a parent, who might not be feeling well and will need you to help. In Sagittarius, these planets point to bones of the hips. No matter how busy you happen to be, when your mother, father, in-law, aunt or uncle needs you, you will be there to lend a hand. This is what is so loveable about you, dear Capricorn. Although you are known to be the most ambitious sign of the zodiac for career, family will always come first.

You seem to be spending a lot of money this month, as Mars is tearing through your second house of income. This is a trend that started last month, in early November. Mars often forces up spending on credit cards, requires a loan, or a dip into savings. I am not sure that you can help stem the tide of the current spending. You seem to be spending on your home or on a family member. Many Capricorns have been moving quite a bit lately, due to Uranus in your fourth house of home, but thanks to two happy home-related aspects this month, you may be settled, at least for now. You may be very pleased with events that come up in December involving home.

First, on December 6, Mars in your second house of income and financial savings will send a beam to Uranus in your fourth house of home. This suggests that if you are about to sell a house or condo, or buy or lease property, you can get a very good deal on this day.

The other superb day for home-and-property as well as family matters will be December 12. The Sun and Uranus will be perfectly aligned, bringing great news about money related to plans for your present or future space. You may get a great financial property-related deal, or you may get a mortgage with attractive terms. It is alternatively possible that your family may surprise you with financial help with the down payment on a house, a check, or a valuable gift for your home.

Now let’s turn to your career, which will bring you the most exciting news of the month on December 9. This will be a four-star day that you can use to have a presentation, give a speech, schedule a key meeting or negotiation, launch a new product or service, or to get enviable publicity. This is a great day to meet with a VIP, for you will receive favor because your reputation will precede you, and you won’t have to prove so much. You are likely to get the favor you seek from that VIP on December 9.

December 10 brings a meeting of your ruling planet, Saturn, to the Sun, an annual event. This will again happen in your twelfth house of behind-doors activities, and also rules your need for privacy. This house also covers your subconscious mind and mental state. You may be interacting with medical people, and during this weekend, it will be important to protect your bones and teeth, and for elderly relatives, to protect bones and against falls. Keep your eye on a parent or someone you think of and love as a parent. Saturn is in Sagittarius, a sign ruling hips.

Alternatively, both your health and that of your relative may turn out to be fine, but instead money might be on your mind on December 10. I say this because Saturn will conjunct the Sun, and the Sun is the natural ruler of your eighth house of other people’s money, ruling student loans, credit, insurance, and those kinds of funds. Specifically, you may be concerned about bills that are coming due, and no matter what you have been doing lately to stop the flow of those bills, they seem to have continued to come at you. The good news is that after this aspect peaks on this day, your financial outlook will improve significantly, and you can give a sigh of relief. You seem to be at the end of a long series of financial outgo.

Saturn conjunct the Sun might be a bit of a depressing day, December 10, as Saturn is icy cold and the Sun is fiery warm – not an easy coupling of heavenly bodies. That is true, but as a Capricorn you seem to deal with Saturn well, as it is your ruler. So while others may a little down on this day, you seem to be practical and realistic about news. A good way to use this pairing for Saturn and the Sun is if you can work on a project in solitude, for your concentration will be strong, and you will accomplish an impressive amount of work.

If someone whose opinion you value is critical of you on December 10 (possible), you may feel a bit depressed, but it may help to know that you will have a tendency to overreact. The key to dealing with December 10 is to get enough rest, for if you are the least bit tired or are doing too much, you may feel completely overwhelmed. Fortunately this happens over a weekend, and you may be able to sneak in a little extra sleep. If you have small children, treat yourself to a babysitter for several hours over this weekend of December 10-11. Another good part about this aspect is that it tends to move away quickly.

A big work project will be on your mind, for you will have lots on your to-do list at the full moon on December 13 in Gemini 22 degrees. It will light your solar sixth house of work projects, so you may now wrap up a key assignment. At the same time, this same house of your horoscope rules your health, and Saturn will still be close enough to oppose the full moon and conjunct the Sun to create a drain on your constitution.

Or, at the full moon, Saturn may be indicative of the health of a relative you hold dear. Although your project will need to be packed and shipped to a client at the same time, if you or a relative needs medical attention, you will need to make that person’s health, or yours, a priority. Money will again reach a level of concern, and your partner, whether in love or business, won’t be much help. However, your career reputation will be sterling under this full moon, so one way or another, you will manage to fulfill everyone’s expectations and even surpass their estimations. For this, you have Jupiter, giver of gifts and luck, to thank.

Your focus on money will calm down once Mars enters compatible Pisces on December 19 until January 27. With Mars in Pisces, you will have time to travel to nearby towns and cities, possibly to view property or to simply enjoy being in a new setting to enjoy fresh air and sunshine.

Mercury will retrograde from December 19 to January 8, so you will need to shop first for electronic items and appliances on your list in early December. You simply can’t run up too close to Mercury’s turn retrograde on December 19, for you will feel the impending slowdown that Mercury is known to cause as soon as two weeks ahead. You may encounter empty shelves and low stock this year, so start early.

Although Mars will energize your third house of contracts when Mars enters Pisces, you should not sign papers until after Mercury goes direct January 8. Leave a space of as many days as possible from January 8, for Mercury will take a lot of time to get back to former strength – namely, January 27. If you were to sign a contract with Mercury retrograde, the deal would only have to be renegotiated later, or you may walk away completely from the deal later, after you see how things go. When Mercury retrogrades, it is a signal that conditions are changing.

If you would like to know more about Mercury retrograde, check out my essay entitled, Everything you Need to Know about Mercury Retrograde, which is found on my website, Astrology Zone, on the home page if you scroll down to the lower left corner, or under the Learn Astrology section on the site. If you have my app, look for it under Life, Love + More, and then inside that area, Susan’s Essays.

The end of the month brings many jewel-like days. I am stunned by the plethora of powerful, twinkling stars that will be shining over all of us at holiday time. This year, Christmas and Hanukkah fall on the same day, December 25, and Kwanzaa falls on the following day, Monday, December 26. The holidays will be showered with feelings of love and joy, and the yearning we all have for peace and kindness to one and all can become a reality.

I want to draw your attention to the lovely vibrations of December 24 between your ruler, Saturn, and Uranus. This is a very important aspect that will set a trend now that will ribbon through the entire New Year 2017 and give it great color. Saturn is in Sagittarius and Uranus is in Aries, two creative fire signs, and both will be in heavenly aspect to each other all year. The first contact will be this month, December 24, and the next ones will come May 18 and November 11.

The job of Uranus is to create sudden and unexpected disruption, change, innovation, and creativity – especially directed in the high tech and medical sciences. Uranus sweeps out what’s no longer of future value to you, but will work with you to replace what was taken away with something better and more relevant. Then Saturn comes in and builds structure for the long road ahead. This is a fantastic aspect, and will create such a lovely theme for 2017. Although there are those three different times Saturn and Uranus will meet in the perfect mathematic aspect, they don’t have to be in exact aspect. These two move so s-l-o-w-l-y that they will be within range all year. What good news this is! And with your ruler, dear Capricorn – Saturn – involved, you are about to be able to turn your life into the vision you see in your mind’s eye. Break a few eggs, make noise – you are about to show the world you have vision and others had better pay attention. The coming year belongs to you.

On December 25, gracious Venus, dressed in a magnificent white satin gown, will meet with three dignitaries separately: Jupiter, Uranus, and Saturn, and in each case, remarkably, in very friendly, elegant way. Jupiter might bring good news about your career just as you are getting close to the holidays. Uranus will bring surprises from family – and all of the news will be happy news coming out of the blue. Saturn is your ruler, so having Saturn so nicely aligned with Venus will bring a comforting feeling of security, something you will appreciate, considering those moments earlier in the month when you might feel your confidence flagging.

The amazing part about this confluence of sparkling energy is that Venus is the natural ruler of your house of fame and honors, and also the ruler of your fifth house of love, pregnancy, children, and creativity. All these areas will be glowing for you, which make you one of the most fortunate signs for a happy holiday. On December 25 you will likely feel content in a way you’ve rarely been, for finally, all goals that matter to you are showing sure signs that things are about to click into place.

On Monday, December 26, the Sun and Mars will be aligned, and you may get a valuable gift, a cash bonus from your company, or a generous commission or payment. Mars rules your home sector, so good news about a family member or a matter having to do with your home or other property could come to you.

As you see, Venus’ meetings with three powerful planets on Christmas Day will offer you hope, and be evidence that your hard work and concentration seem to have added up to something big. On December 26, Mars in Pisces in great angle to the Sun in Capricorn will energize you and may have you packing your bags for a refreshing trip out of town. Think of a setting near snow or the sea. Again, you won’t have to go far, but you will enjoy your trip to the fullest. You may be in the mood for a physical vacation, such as one that includes skiing or surfing.

Your big moment will arrive when the new moon arrives in Capricorn, 8 degrees, on December 29. This is the only new moon of the year in your own sign of Capricorn, and it is meant to be a gift from a loving universe. You will feel powerful and confident, and you can even make moves to affect a complete transformation for yourself toward creating a better life.

The new moon of December 29 will also be beautifully oriented toward Mars in Pisces, giving you talent with words. If you write for a living or are working on your manuscript that you hope to sell, your way with words will improve at month’s end. Neptune will also be in fine angle to this new moon, giving your mind an ability to see beauty where others overlook. If you are writing a screenplay, novel, or poetry, your work will be breathtakingly cinematic in its detail and your ability to create a window on a scene you are creating.

If your birthday falls on or within five days of December 29, you will feel the new moon more than most, and you will benefit from it in a big way. The same is true if you have Capricorn rising or the moon in Capricorn, or a natal planet in Capricorn, Virgo or Taurus, Pisces, Scorpio, or Cancer within five degrees of 8 degrees.

As we get to New Year’s Eve, the mood is heavenly and enchanting. Neptune will conjunct the Sun, sure to stir romantic feelings of love. There is one difficult aspect that concerns me – Mars conjunct Neptune on this night, falling in your third house of transportation and communication. You absolutely cannot drink and drive or try to text and drive, for your reaction time will be reduced dramatically. Be smart and get a car to drive you home. Actually, it seems like you will prefer a private celebration for just the two of you, and that would be just right.

You’ve been spending more than usual, and you may say, “Everyone spends up a storm in December!” Yes, true, but your chart shows you seem to be spending more than most other signs. You are generous and it shows, a lovely quality. It appears electronics are first on your list, for Mars in futuristic, high-tech Aquarius is now tearing through your second house of money, ruling spending, income, and reserves.

Mars and Uranus are in rare and magical “mutual reception,” meaning each is traveling in the sign that the other planet rules, making them buddies. (Here is a classic example of mutual reception: Mars is moving through Aquarius, the sign Uranus rules, and Uranus is orbiting in Aries, the sign Mars rules.) When you get this rare situation of mutual reception, you get two planets that will buddy with the other in a very friendly, supportive way, and even act like the other. This will give extra focus on money, with money coming in and going out, but thanks to the mutual reception, in the end you should end sunny side up.

In terms of your career, you will have a stunning day to score a victory – December 9. When the Sun and Jupiter will be in supreme harmony. This is your day to have a key meeting with your boss or client, make a presentation or sales pitch, or petition help from a VIP.

At work, you appear to be working on a project that you will be ready to show during the week that holds the full moon, December 13. Jupiter will be beautifully angled to this full moon, suggesting you will get applause and praise for the work you complete and display. If ever there were a time to publicize your accomplishments, it’s then.

Still, taskmaster Saturn will be conjunct the Sun and oppose the full moon December 13, influential for plus or minus four days. Be mindful of your health, for you may find that you are working closely with medical personnel this month, but it’s not clear if you will schedule an annual physical exam for yourself, will accompany a friend or family member to a doctor, or visit someone you love in the hospital. This would happen early to mid-month. Early December would also be a good time to see a psychologist or rehab specialist or attend a group therapy of any kind – including a weight loss group – for you would get results.

The date when you would be wise to pay attention to what an authority figure says to you will be on or near December 10, when the Sun and Saturn will join forces. Saturn is your ruling planet, so this day is important to you, and you might either make a decision or promise, or be told serious news that seems to have long-term ramifications. It seems to also involve money or credit. Also, your health or the well-being of a close family member or male spouse may also be a focal point.

Romantically, you will do best during the first six days of December while Venus tours Capricorn. If you need to find a magical dress for an evening affair, look during that period, for the one you find will look heavenly on you.

Your brightest and most exciting moments of the month begin after the Sun moves into Capricorn, December 21. On December 24, Saturn, your ruler, will contact Uranus, planet of surprise – these planets will align in the sweetest possible way. This is an aspect of hope and happiness, where something involving surprisingly good news involving home, property, a lease, or, in a different home-oriented manifestation, you may get unusual support from your family.

On December 25, you have one of the most enchanting holidays in recent memory, with Venus in ideal angle to Jupiter. This suggests that just prior to taking off for the holidays, you are about to get superb news about your career, where you will be paid quite a large sum of money, either as a year-end bonus or raise in salary. If it doesn’t come now, it will likely arrive later, at the end of January. Alternatively you may receive quite a valuable, thoughtful gift – one that takes your breath away.

Your big day will come on December 29, when the annual new moon in Capricorn will arrive. Three planets are lining up to support the Sun and new moon, and will bring you a big boost, including Mars (energy), Pluto (power), and Neptune (romance and creativity).

You may need to sign a contract at month’s end, but be careful. Mercury will be retrograde from December 19 to January 8, so you would need to wait. Leave space between the date you sign and January 8. If you can sign earlier, do so on December 9, for if profit is your aim, this day will be superb. More likely, Mars will coax you to take a short trip near water or snow, and with Neptune hovering, the trip should be enchanting. Ring in the New Year at that location.