Mercury will be retrograde all month, however, so you may want to put off elective surgery until mid-January - of course, that includes plastic surgery of all kinds. If travel plans change, think of it as par for the course.
The most difficult part of the month will be at the lunar eclipse, December 21, operative plus or minus one week. The moon rules Cancer, so full moon lunar eclipses are doubly important to Cancer. You may hear that a relative or friend is not well and needs medical care in a hospital or other facility, so it would be best not to be out of town at this time. Alternatively, it could be that a secret that someone withheld from you will now be revealed, which, of course, would be upsetting.
This eclipse falls in the last degree of Gemini, so if you were born June 21 or within four days later, you will feel the effects of this eclipse because it will fall close to your Sun. Something of enormous importance to you is ending, and this phase is not likely to be an easy one. This eclipse will help you see yourself and your own needs in a new light, and you are likely to make yourself a priority at this time, rightly so!
New Year's Eve may prove pivotal, because the approaching eclipse, January 4, falls in your marriage sector and will bring news about your of gifts and luck, will move into your honors, awards, and achievements sector on January 22 next month, so you might not want to act too hastily. Still, if you have been out of work for a while, you may be content to take a position that is similar to the one you had previously. In that case, a lateral move might be fine for you.
Keep in mind that Mercury will be retrograde all month, and I always say never to take any new position during this period. Chances are you won't like it if you do, or it will change in some way you can't anticipate now. The exception to this rule is (1) if the offer comes from someone you used to work with in the past, OR (2) if the job is temporary. In either case, you can proceed with confidence. The reason it is OK to take a job if you know the person who is offering it to you is that you would not be starting your relationship with this person now - you already know one another, so the "birth" of the relationship actually started months or years ago. In the second instance, if you find you don't like the work, you won't be there long enough to be frustrated - with a temporary position, you'll be moving on away.
Mercury will be in retrograde from December 10 to 30, but don't plan on proceeding normally prior to December 10, because we always feel the effects many days leading up to Mercury's turning retrograde. Mercury makes us hasty and forgetful, and we show errors in judgment, too. You may miss mistakes in the work you are doing, so go over everything two or three times with a fine-tooth comb. A miscommunication could come up too, so be careful about how you word your messages and how you understand what others say. There are two days that might be especially important to watch for errors, not only due to Mercury retrograde, but because Uranus will be acting up too: December 3 and 17.
On December 3 and 17 you could become distracted and allow errors to slip through, for Uranus, planet of unexpected happenings, will be in a bad mood on both days, first arguing with Mars, and then with the Sun.
If you need to travel on these same days, December 3 or 17, you could have unexpected problems getting there, or once you arrive (if the trip is for work), find that you don't agree with an authority figure, co-worker, or other person you will meet or interact with at the time. The problem need not be centered only on someone you work with on the job. If you hire staff at home, say, a nanny, for example (and that person routinely travels with you and your family), you might have problems with that person on these dates. Try to keep cool.
Mercury retrograde does have its upside in that you will likely meet up with a number of old friends during the month. Mercury in retrograde encourages us to look back and reconnect, at that's true even if it is not holiday time! One sweet girl tweeted me (@Astrologyzone) and asked for more good things that happen during Mercury retrograde! There are many. For example, detectives get clues to cold cases that allow them to prosecute a perpetrator and help the families wronged to find closure. We tend to find things we though we lost - only to stumble over them in odd places and be delighted to find them again!
There is another plus to this phase that will apply especially to you. This month, Mercury will retrograde in your partnership sector, so if you have had a sticky problem to solve with your partner, Mercury retrograde will give you another chance to discuss it and to apply a new solution that you've not tried before. This time you may be relieved to discover you can finally put the matter to rest. Here is a very important point: It will be vital to take your partner's concerns seriously this month, even if you don't see why you should and don't really want to do so. Your partner's perspective will be your reality in December.
When you sign a contract, it is a "seventh house" matter, but with Mercury retrograde in that very same house, it would be the wrong time to make serious promises. You can discuss things and negotiate, but not finalize anything just yet. You need to slow down and read the fine print, and it would be wise to ask a lawyer for advice.
Also, prior to agreeing to any important matter, you would need to see what the January 4 solar eclipse in Capricorn would bring you. This eclipse will emphasize partnerships for you. All eclipses bring twists to the plot we don't necessarily expect. That eclipse might color your thinking, and because it comes so early next month, January 4, you might as well wait to see what happens before you sign. (As a rule, I don't like signing papers on eclipses.) Indeed, matters will be in flux over the coming weeks, but here is the kicker - they won't appear to be changing because it is a little too early to see those shifts! This is why making decisions now is not a good idea. You will see the truth of this in time, but not immediately.
Buying expensive things is not a good idea during Mercury retrograde, and the one category of gifts that is most troublesome to buy is electronics. You can give a gift certificate or cash, however, which I feel would be the best way to go in December. If you feel a gift certificate is a little impersonal, offer to accompany your relative or friend to the store, and have lunch together afterward, turning the purchase into a fun afternoon together. Who would not love a gift certificate to Apple?
You can buy other things - apparel, jewelry, perfume, and the like - from December 1 to 5, but after that I feel you would be getting just too close to Mercury retrograde.
Consider giving your fitness program a push forward after the new moon, December 5. If you are prone to make New Year's resolutions, don't wait to start your health routine (or weight loss program) next month - do it now. In December, you will have the best aspects to make a fresh start. Take a step toward looking and feeling better on December 5 or in the days that closely follow. Medical exams and tests for progress and results should be scheduled any time after the new moon. You may have used up your deductable requirements on your health insurance for 2010 by now, so perhaps you will want to schedule a few exams before the year ends - a good idea!
Mars will visit your relationship sector from December 7 to January 15, and at that time, you will find more time to spend with your significant other. It looks as though that relationship needs attention, and you might find your partner a little needy. Now that Mars, and later the Sun, is moving into Capricorn, your opposite sign, you will begin to notice that your partner will set the pace and tone of your relationship, so you might be agreeable to having your partner take the lead. After all, you are so busy these days.
Mars sometimes will bring to the surface something you were not aware of, however, so your partner might voice a grievance that you have not heard before, and when it comes up, you may be very ruffled or shocked. You will have to pay attention, even though the timing probably is not ideal. After all, holidays will be adding more to your schedule, too.
When Mars joins Pluto on December 13, you may feel that your partner is being too demanding of you and that you are being forced to agree to a plan or terms that you don't like and will want to resist. This might represent one of two circumstances. In the first instance, this may be just a random event that seems out of character for your partner. Or, in the second scenario, this episode might be indicative of your partner's way of treating you lately, and it might be the last straw. In the latter case, you would need to stand up for yourself, and you could be upset enough to consider leaving. Only you would know, and it will be clear on relationship, especially if you were born on or within days of July 4. You may get a proposal, or you may make an extreme decision about a close relationship, one way or the other. See how things go.
