MONTHLY OVERVIEW:
The travel bug bites early this year, and you're itching for excitement. December begins with the Sun in Sagittarius, your worldly ninth house. Restlessness accompanies a thirst for adventure until the 21st. Grab a friend at the Gemini full moon on December 2nd and make like Thelma and Louise, or take your sweetie on a fantasy escape with all the romantic trimmings. Distance, not absence, makes the heart grow fonder—so log those miles together.

On the 21st, the Sun moves into earthbound Capricorn, grounding your wheels. Start long-term planning for the year ahead, as your mind will operate in a structured, streamlined manner. The year ends with a lunar eclipse in your career and family sectors, completing a chapter that started in July. Seek closure with a parent, boss or an important man now. There's no need to bring conflict or confusion into 2010.

 

LOVE & ROMANCE:
Let freedom ring, Aries. Venus is in Sagittarius this month, making you crave more space in your relationships. You're an independent soul, but you often feel guilty asking for time alone. Aries is the sign of the Self, and unless you have ample time to revel in your own autonomy, you can't really thrive in a partnership. That's why so many Rams do well in long-distance relationships, or even live separately from their mates.

Aries, honesty will get you everywhere, even if it's painful. Otherwise, you'll create emotional distance through passive-aggressive means: picking fights, brooding, or disappearing into your own unreachable world. Choose your poison, but we recommend direct communication, especially at the December 2nd full moon. Create a "win-win" scenario and you'll be amazed at how well your partner can hear you. Defensiveness or a preemptive strike will backfire. If you're single, you could find yourself the queen bee of a harem. The more admirers, the better—you'll whittle down to a favorite next month (or not).

On December 20th, your ruling planet Mars starts a three-month retrograde (backward) spin through Leo. An ex-flame could return to tempt you, or your feisty sex drive could downshift a bit. You could feel pressured or anxious about your love life. This is coming from the past, so do the work to heal any unresolved hurt you're carrying into your current situation.

 

MONEY & CAREER:
Unleash your dreamer for the first three weeks of December. Visions and ideas come in broad brushstrokes, and you need to let your raw imagination take the stage. Resist the urge to shoehorn your brainstorms into a structure for now. On December 16th, the Sagittarius new moon could inspire you with an entrepreneurial idea. Be careful with whom you share, as the slightest naysaying could take the wind out of your sails. You might also feel obligated to bring someone aboard out of guilt, so don’t go there. When the Sun moves into Capricorn on the 21st, you’ll begin to form more of a realistic plan for these ideas. Until then, throw that spaghetti against the wall and see what sticks.

On New Year’s Eve, a powerful lunar eclipse (and the month’s second full moon) falls in Cancer, your ruler of home and family. This is the completion of a six-month growth cycle that began with the July Cancer solar eclipse. This eclipse will oppose four planets in your career sector: the Sun, Mercury, Venus and transformational Pluto. A woman or family member could have a defining role in your career goals for 2010. Any shifts in your home life will resound throughout your career path. A growth in your inner confidence and security could leave you feeling that you’ve outgrown your line of work. You may not crave more interaction with people, or a job that lets you make a direct difference in others’ lives. Explore the possibilities—the door is open at the eclipse.

 

HEALTH & FITNESS:
You’ve been keeping a lot inside, Aries, and you might not even realize it. In July, erratic Uranus went retrograde in Pisces, causing you to bottle up feelings then unleash them in erratic emotional outbursts. You may even have turned on yourself at times, feeling bluesy or depressed out of nowhere. This has baffled you as much as anyone else, and it’s been hard to put a finger on what’s actually even bugging you. You like to put a name on your suffering quickly and make it go away.

As a result, you may have disappeared into your little cave, shutting out the world. Crawl out from under that rock and rejoin the living now. On December 2nd, Uranus returns to direct (forward) motion. Your subdued subconscious resumes its normal processing abilities, and this five-month spell of deep emotional housecleaning ends. Don’t be surprised if you feel renewed for no apparent reason. A back-burnered creative project moves ahead, and brings purpose back to your days.

On December 31st, the lunar eclipse finalizes a deeply emotional chapter that started in July. You see major progress in family healing, and in your own sense of inner security. Your ability to be at home with other people has expanded so much. Open your heart, Aries. It’s safe to let people in again. Your relationship with your mother, daughter or an important female could reach a major breakthrough. You might relocate for work, put closure on a chapter of your family history, or make children part of your New Year’s resolutions.