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by Lilly Roddy

Over all, this is a better month for most of us. Most of the more difficult astrological aspects come in the early part of December. This should make the winter solstice holidays a lot more fun. There is usually enough stress just with the normal aspects of the holiday season without extra barbs along the way. We do have a solar eclipse on Christmas Day. This is a specialized new moon and will cause many people to focus intensely on security issues throughout 2001.

Days to lay low this month are December 1, 4, 12, and the 29th. Good days for us in December are the 5th—6th, 9th, 15th, 18th—19th, 22nd, and the 24th.

The Sun begins the month in Sagittarius and enters Capricorn in the morning of the winter solstice, December 21. Mercury finishes its journey through Scorpio (finally), quickly entering Sagittarius on the 3rd and scooting on to Capricorn on the 22nd, following the Sun. Venus begins the month in Capricorn and floats into Aquarius on the 8th. Mars is in Libra most of the month until he enters Scorpio on the 23rd. Jupiter remains in Gemini, Saturn in Taurus, Uranus and Neptune in Aquarius, and Pluto in Sagittarius.

Aries (March 21—April 19) December is usually a fun month for you. You are ready to visit and see friends, and you enjoy chatting with almost everyone you meet. You are feeling more optimistic about the future than usual, and you will really be in the holiday spirits this year. But watch that you don’t take on too much of the holiday hostessing, or you will be very tired by the time the solstice arrives. You will feel very much like getting your life and act together just as the holidays come to an end. Career and future goals capture your attention over everything else. And romance will be an adventure this month. Sign up for a safari!

Taurus (April 20—May 20) You are rather restless during December. You are a part of everything and included in all the parties of the season, but you seem to feel that you are on the outside looking in. You want your life to have a deeper meaning, and some of the gaiety seems to leave you wanting more. This continues to be a soul-searching time for the Cows and Bulls. You may put more energy into your work during the first part of the month. By the time the solstice arrives, you are feeling a lot more connected and ready to join in the merriment. Relationships at work can be tense this month, but right after the 23rd, you shift your direction to revitalizing your romance department.

Gemini (May 21—June 21) Your motto for this holiday season could well be "Party till you drop dead." Remember, just down the road from YeaIcandothatville is Overcommitment City. Relationships can be tense if there are any problems there. And you are doing your best to avoid any of the problems. The 3rd and 4th could be especially strained days. You just have been pushing yourself too hard and the effects are wearing on you. By the time the solstice arrives, you are ready for a break. You will want to spend most of that time with people who you really love and not the crowds of onlookers that you have been associated with over the last couple of months. Rest and recuperate because the hectic pace begins again in January.

Cancer (June 22—July 22) Focusing this month on using your time effectively and efficiently, you are ready to get those accumulations off your floor and into their correct places. You are also going to want to be a lot more social, and a lot of this activity could take place in your home with you as the hostess. This is another good reason to get your life organized. Watch your interactions with your parents this time during the holidays. You will not have much patience with them. And they can easily put you back into your childhood and those childhood fears with very little effort. Relationships take the stage right as the winter solstice comes around.

Leo (July 23—Aug. 22) You are ready for a break from all the emphasis on relationships you have had this entire year. You are ready for some fun and play and some sexual adventures. Keep those holiday traditions fresh, and don’t lock yourself into anything that you may want to change later on. You are also more creative in all areas of your life. This can be a good time to market yourself or your products for work. Or you could even choose to change jobs at this time. But you are still not sure of the direction that your career should take. You are wanting more from your life at this stage in your existence. By the time the solstice comes around, you are more serious and ready to get back into your routines.

Virgo (Aug. 23—Sept. 22) Family life and your home and nest in general are in review and upheaval. You are redecorating, moving, changing your relationships with your family . . . or just taking it all out to the curb for the trash people to cart it off. The very beginning of December is the hardest time for you: Your tolerance will be next to zero. Work and your work routines may prove to be a great escape. The winter solstice is a much easier time for you. However, you are still shifting the way you do your routines in your life, and that may not come to an end for quite a while. Pay attention to your health and don’t let those small things go undone.

Libra (Sept. 23—Oct. 23) Mars, planet of action and self-focus (and lack of patience), continues his journey through your sign this month. This is not the best time for you to try to find the most peaceful and fair way to solve the problems around your life this month. Just get a tight focus on what is best for you and act on that. If you find yourself becoming resentful this month, you are trying to incorporate too much of what others want and not enough of what you want. Just for now, let someone else keep the peace, and you will be a lot happier. Watch your spending during the holidays–money problems may come up right after the holiday’s end.

Scorpio (Oct. 24—Nov. 21) Money and personal resources are surely on your mind this month. You are paying attention to how you spend your money, and you are ready to spend money to make money this year. But if you don’t feel that there is some sort of definite return on your investment, you will not act on an opportunity, even if it seems great. Relationships are still up for questioning but you are now ready to make some decisions about that. The same theme is present here. Are you getting something back from the work you put into it? Right after the 24th, you are in an action-oriented mood. The end of the year and into next year, you will be a force difficult to stop.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22—Dec. 21) Happy Solar Return to the Sages! This is the time of the year when you look back over the past year and consider where you are headed for the next. There continues to be a lot of life shifts . . . as indeed there were throughout the year 2000. Some of the changes you are making may be with you for the rest of your life. And those of you who are waiting for a better time to take some action: Get ready. Next year, 2001, you are at a no-BS time in your life. That happy-go-lucky attitude, that many know you by, won’t be so evident next year. December still remains a good month to spend with friends, especially as you are seeking a shift in your holiday habits, and may not be as drawn to family.

Capricorn (Dec. 22—Jan. 19) If you want, this is a good time to give up your normal concentration on security and the future–take a spiritual vacation. If you do try to work during this month, you certainly should not push yourself. Stay away from people who represent authority figures because you will feel challenged by their presence. Otherwise, you will need to be ready to have a verbal conflagration. You won’t have the follow-through and you may only end up being frustrated. Actually, you should eat, drink, and be gay. By the time the solstice arrives, the planets move into your sign and you will be ready to once again embrace those methodical standards that you so resolutely symbolize.

Aquarius (Jan. 20— Feb. 18) The planets are visiting your friendship house this month. And they couldn’t come at a better time. You are ready for the holiday spirits. You are in a very upbeat mood and could even be the life of the party instead of the participant observer that you normally are. You are ready to adopt an escapist frame of mind. Don’t overload yourself with responsibilities, otherwise that old trapped feeling will be tapping you on the shoulder. Keep your family visits short as they will only invoke the cathartic ghost of Holidays Past. As the solstice rolls around, you are ready for a break and some time to yourself. Make sure you keep your schedule light after the 27th.

Pisces (Feb. 19—March 20) Time for you to rise to the position of community, family, and social leader. This is one of the most visible and responsible times of the year for you. Whereas most people are preparing for the holidays, you are really concerned about your career and whether or not you are going to continue to be working at the same place. Your normal tolerance and adaptability is very low and you may be at a very low ebb in the early part of December. Don’t take on too much for others and keep yourself in your focus. By the time the solstice commences, you will be ready to reenter the everyday world. The very end of the month and New Year are much better times for you.

Lilly Roddy is a Houston-based astrologer. She can be reached at lillycath@aol.com or www.cybersim.com/hermes.