Virgo, December 2016

Your ruling planet, Mercury, enters fellow Earth sign Capricorn on December 2—exciting! Mercury in Capricorn will stimulate the romance and creativity sector of your chart, bringing you loads of artistic inspiration, the phone number of a muse or two, and some flirty, good vibes.

This is a wonderful time to party. Capricorn is thought of as one of the most business minded signs in the zodiac; however, it's associated with the Devil tarot card, and the Devil really knows how to party (you know: sex, drugs, all those things not allowed in heaven). Just don't party too hard—a massive hangover in the form of Mercury retrograde will arrive on December 19.

Because you're ruled by Mercury, these retrogrades hit you harder than everyone else (expect for Gemini, who is also ruled by Mercury). Don't make any important decisions or sign contracts during the retrograde—you'll miss an important detail if you do. Miscommunications can't be helped during Mercury retrograde, and be sure to double-check whom you're texting before you hit send. This isn't a great time to travel thanks to delays, and it's not a good time to buy electronics.

Expect to run into people from your past, Virgo, especially people you have hooked up with, made art with, or partied with. But maybe you want to run into old friends and lovers? If that's the case, get in touch with them before January 8, 2017, when Mercury goes direct! Mercury retrograde isn't all bad, and it can be used to your benefit. It's great for taking a break—Mercury's not moving forward, so use this time to catch up on rest. Rethink your goals and relationships. Or just don't think about anything and zone out.

Venus enters Aquarius on December 7, activating the sector of your chart that rules your daily schedule, work, and habits. It doesn't sound very sexy, I know, but this is actually a wonderful time for you to get some spa treatments or revamp your wardrobe.

While Venus is in Aquarius, you will also be able to test out how committed you and your fling could be: Can they show up on time? Can you fart in front of each other? As a Virgo, the sign that rules the digestive system, this sort of thing is important for you to figure out.

A full moon in Gemini arrives on December 13, lighting up the fame and fortune sector of your chart. Finally, some news is happening around your career, and you're feeling needed by the world! Lately, you've been feeling stuck at home, dealing with family issues or shit with your house, so it feels great to focus on something else. That said, full moons always bring some drama. They are emotional, exhausting times, so be prepared for some stress. Keep an open mind and be willing to compromise to make the most of this energy.

Are you feeling like stress at home will never relent? Don't worry: A promising change will take root in your home life (and around feeling safe and emotionally supported in general) toward the end of the month when the planet of stability, Saturn, connects the planet of bright ideas, Uranus, on December 24!

Action planet Mars enters Pisces and ignites the relationship sector of your chart on December 19. Expect your partners to get more aggressive, thanks to the warrior planet. This could be great—if someone's been slacking, they'll finally have more energy, but the downside could be that the people around you will be snappier than usual.

Pisces isn't famous for being straightforward. It's flakey as fuck! So some passive-aggression or straight-up ghosting is also possible. Whatever the outcome, things will shift, thanks to the warrior planet entering Water sign Pisces—and you're ready for change in your relationships.

One of the most stressful days of the month is December 26, when Jupiter in Libra will oppose Uranus in Aries. Jupiter is the planet of luck and growth, and since it has been Libra, it's been bringing major blessings to the financial sector of your chart; however, when Jupiter confronts wild Uranus, you'll have a shocking wake-up call around cash, self-esteem, and issues concerning your worth.

Your intimate relationships will also take a hit at this time: How well do you really know the person you're partnering with? Conversely, are you too close for comfort? Perhaps they know your ATM pin code or have a copy of a key that makes you feel uncomfortable. I don't want to make you paranoid or anything, Virgo, but this is an important time to get real with yourself about how much you're allowing people into your life.

If concerns like these aren't relevant to your relationships, you'll still deal with some stress today concerning trust and intimacy. Facing the issue head-on and dealing with it instead of letting it fester is the best idea.

Stress about sex and physical intimacy will also be up for review. If the passion has died down in your relationship, one of you may feel less attractive or desirable because the sex has become infrequent or because you're into different things in bed. Addressing these issues is a good idea. While your self-esteem should depend on whether or not your partner wants to bone, this is still a tricky thing for most people to overcome.

Freedom is going to a big theme for you around this time—both financial freedom and emotional freedom. If a parent's keeping you under their thumb by paying your phone bill, or if a lover is guilt-tripping you out of taking the trip around the world you've been dreaming about, this is when you will snap.

Repaying debts is a great way to use the energy at the end of the month. In fact, don't be surprised if the universe prompts you to do so—someone who bought you a drink three years ago could come your way, asking you to return the favor. If you owe a lot of money, this is a very magically charged time to light a candle (green would be great), sit with all your bills, open them (yes! Open them!), and acknowledge the amount of money owed in each one. Once you do that, either pay off a little bit right then and there online or over the phone, or write a fake check with a date in the very near future, plus a reasonable, affordable amount of money written on it.

Don't think of this exercise as magical thinking. Think of it as practicing for the future! If writing a fake check feels too cheesy and witchy to you at this time, that's okay. Just opening bills you've been ignoring is already a huge achievement!

Emotional debts will also be collected at this time. Letting go of baggage is part of how you'll achieve freedom at the end of this month. Aching for closure? Confront the person now. And don't be surprised if someone confronts you!

The winter solstice arrives on December 21, with the Sun entering Capricorn on this date; a few days later, on December 29, we have a new moon in Capricorn, bringing you a fresh start around all that love and creativity stuff that you've been reflecting on, thanks to the Mercury retrograde, which is also in Cap. It's been a hard year, but maybe December won't be all bad? Only time will tell. See you in 2017!