As we begin the month of December, Mercury is still moving retrograde and rolling backwards into Scorpio. Expect communication during this time to be passionate due to the Scorpio energy, but a bit murky due to the retrograde. It may feel like reading the pages of a book through cloudy water. This energy will lift around December 6 when Mercury completes its retrograde.

On December 2, Venus goes into Scorpio, the sign of her detriment. Our planet of relationships is not happy with this intense, probing energy. Expect a perceptive, focused energy to surround associations with others. This could be useful in business dealings but may feel uncomfortable in personal situations. 

We have a new moon on December 7 when both the sun and moon are in the sign of Sagittarius. This energy encourages a new beginning in the area of our lives that represents far-away places and higher education. This is a great time to start planning for the next adventure. Embrace the energy of the centaur with a new optimistic 28-day cycle.

The sun leaves rebellions Sagittarius for structured Capricorn on December 21 at 5:23 pm EST and ushers in the winter solstice. This is the longest night of the year, when ancient man would dance around a bonfire to encourage the light to return. It is a time to embrace the dark part of the year and perform our own hibernation. Stay inside, reflect, journal and light white candles. Incorporate poses into a yoga practice with a focus on the Capricorn energy, which is connected to the knees. This winter solstice embodies the spirit of commitment, compassion and contentment.

We end the month with a full moon in Cancer on December 22. The moon has great dignity in the sign of Cancer, as it is her home sign. Expect this nurturing energy to intensify the nodes of the moon, which recently moved into Cancer/Capricorn last month. We may feel the push/push between water versus earth, emotional versus practical and home versus career. These themes will be the focus of this full moon. 

December is a time to release those things that might still be dragging us down and prepare to start anew in 2019.

Michele Leigh is an astrologer, author and yoga teacher. A practitioner of ancient techniques, she is an active member of Organization for Professional Astrology (OPA). Connect at [email protected].