Cancer Monthly Horoscope

MONTHLY OVERVIEW
To-do list? New filing system? Can-do attitude? Check, check, and double-check! As the bold Sun moves through Sagittarius, your sixth house of gettin’ stuff done, you’re a veritable organizing machine. When it comes to tackling that long, itemized list of goals you wanted to accomplish before 2013--everything from arranging your shoes by hue to dumping all foods with high fructose corn syrup from your pantry—you are uber-capable...and then some. When you’re prepping for a holiday gathering, aim for healthy fare, e.g., mashed cauliflower instead of potatoes or roasted Brussels sprouts and root vegetables.

Of course, when you’re getting your festive mingle on, you’re not going to be counting calories. We mean, hello! Your sign is known for Hoover-like action at the appetizer table—and we love you for your foodie ways. It doesn’t matter if you eat before parties...one look at the baked Gouda and it’s game on. To balance out all the culinary indulgence, get grounded in an exercise regimen now, as opposed to waiting until the new year. When it comes to setting a new health intention--or anything designed to get your physical or mental systems in tip-top shape—you’ll have a Grade A opportunity on December 13, when the new moon in Sagittarius lights up your sixth house of wellness. Been struggling to turn over a new leaf when it comes to exercise? On this day, you’ll be racing toward that type of commitment. Yearlong yoga package, anyone? Remember, make exercise a pleasurable part of your lifestyle, rather than a punitive means to “fix” yourself, and you’ll enjoy getting in touch with your gorgeous, goddess-like bod.

Also on December 13, freedom-loving Uranus moves direct (forward) in Aries, your tenth house of career and authority. Since July, this planetary slowdown has been the culprit of some challenging transitions in the workplace. Perhaps a gig ended suddenly, or a boss or employee has been difficult, but for no good reason...other than to make your life a living hell. Or so it seemed. Looking for steady work? Hopefully, when the stop-start employment trend ends midmonth, you’ll have a better sense of your personal need for freedom on the job...and you can incorporate your cravings for a little fresh air into your actual routine. For example, maybe in lieu of a raise, your employer will let you work remotely one day a week—and you can decamp, laptop in tow, to your favorite hotel lounge (the one with the best french fries and anchovy-laden Caesar salad). You never know until you ask!

Things settle down on the work front just in time for some end-of-the-year revelry. On December 21, the Sun moves into Capricorn, your fifth house of passion and festivities. Pull out the party gear, Cancer! And don’t forget, this day coincides with the end of the Mayan calendar. Spoiler alert: the world isn’t ending (gasp!), but an era of separateness and suffering is. More and more people will awaken to an enlightened, conscious way of being—and if that’s not worth raising a glass of champers to, we don’t know what is! You may not be too concerned with the particulars, but you’re definitely ready to get your groove on and “dance ‘til the world ends” a la Britney. With all this sweet new energy ushered in at month’s end, you’re ready to grab your love and jet off to Vegas to renew your vows...or just make a heartfelt declaration underneath the disco ball.

On December 28, a full moon in Cancer lights up your first house of fresh starts and personal goals. Since your sign is ruled by the moon, this banner day belongs to you. Plans you set into motion around your birthday come into full bloom now. However, the day isn’t all roses and baked apple crisp, since the sensitive moon forms a challenging T-square to volatile Uranus in Aries, your tenth house of career, and intense Pluto in Capricorn, your seventh house of partnerships. Whew! Perhaps you should have your masseuse or BFF on speed dial, just in case. You may feel like you’re underwater, as the demands of your relationship and professional ambition start to interfere with your full self-expression or this blossoming process you began around the time of your birthday. If your job or this partnership is getting in the way of you being “you,” well, you might feel like telling your colleagues where they can get off. But not so fast...this day requires finesse, compromise and diplomacy. Don’t get caught up in the pressure for instant gratification. Instead, honor your awesomeness in private and then try to figure out a way to reconcile your own needs with the demands of those around you.

Counteract any full moon mayhem by chilling out with your family, possibly a close female relative, or spending some quality time in your living room, with soothing music and flickering candles. If you’ve been pushing too hard, you may be missing some receptive, feminine energy...so get thee to a spa! Go within, rather than scattering your energy into all of these external demands.

This action-packed month ends with a celebratory moon in Leo, your second house of luxury, on New Year’s Eve. Break out the Balenciaga and dab your favorite perfume behind your ears; ring in 2013 with suave sophistication. Admission into the VIP section at a swanky party is just what you’re in the mood for tonight. But before you go shimmying past that velvet rope, you may have a burst of productivity earlier in the day. Or, if you’ve had some a-ha moments at the Cancer new moon, you may want to make them tangible, i.e. you decided you need more boundaries within your relationship, and so you take out a fresh sheet of paper and start making a list of said parameters. Accomplish what you must in the day, so that you can be in full-on celebration, ready for that midnight clock to strike.

LOVE & ROMANCE
With spicy Mars transiting Capricorn, your seventh house of relationships, two is the magic number through December 25. You daydream about your far-off wedding (while your coworker impatiently waits for that spreadsheet you’ve neglected...). You rearrange the furniture in your bedroom to reflect your need for togetherness. If you’re in a couple, you start speaking in “we” rather than “I” (as in “Oh, we love that restaurant” or “We didn’t like Los Angeles when we went there.”) You’re one step short of doodling hearts and unicorns in the margin of your notebook. But ask yourself: Are you too focused on the act of partnering—at the expense of a healthy intake of the actual relationship? You could come on too strong in the courtship game, determined to get what you want (desires and autonomy of your partner be damned). What’s the rush, o sentimental Cancer? If your end-goal is that walk down the aisle or some form of permanent security, it’s worth being selective. Besides, when you’re overly focused on the future, you can’t be present—which is where the magic of love really happens! One Cancer we know, who fell in love overseas, explained how she and her man met: “Well, he was the only other person in the room who spoke English.” There was more to that romance, of course, but you catch our drift: Don’t drop your standards just to be in a couple...otherwise, the awakening could be rude on the other side.

If you’re already in a committed relationship, you may notice yourself arguing more with your partner, in some cases, just to argue. (Do you really care about adding lemon to the roasted pork loin? Or if the garbage cans aren’t perfectly lined up before trash day? Probably not.) But since aggressive Mars also rules your desire nature, you may feel an increased drive for more excitement, as well as more sex. Since Capricorn is an earth sign, bring some real-time sensuality back into the bedroom. Don’t just talk about getting busy...schedule time to get all tangled up in your sheets (which are preferably 800 thread count). If you must, put “amorous contact” on your sweetie’s calendar.

Adding to the sensual vibe, magnetic Venus is in Scorpio, your fifth house of passion, until the 15th. Get your sexy on, everywhere you go. Perhaps you’ll bump into that hottie from your French class on the street. If you’re taken aback by those bedroom eyes—and how they’re intensely focused on you—don’t be. You’re a hot commodity, Cancer. So enjoy some divine flirtation at holiday parties, and don’t be afraid to get profound with your expressions of affection. Your feelings have depths to rival the Grand Canyon, and now you have the cosmic conditions to let them be known. Can you get a witness already?

After you’ve had some seriously soulful fun, love planet Venus heads into Sagittarius, your sixth house of wellness, on December 15, making this a perfect time to beautify from the inside out. After three days of green juicing, you’ll be glowing...and in the right head space to attract a healthy love. Single Cancers might meet someone special in the weight room at the gym, or in a yoga class. Given the hustle and bustle of the holidays, fitness centers will be less crowded than normal. Hello: optimal time for you to bond with a heavy-breathing hottie over just how committed you are to doing right by your body and mind.

On December 28, a full moon in Cancer lights up your first house of personal identity. As you are set to shine like the lunar goddess (or god) you are, one caveat: The full moon will be opposite transformational Pluto in Capricorn, your seventh house of partnerships, pressing you to overhaul your relationships, so that you feel completely seen, heard and respected. Your sign has a tendency to comply, perhaps a little too easily, with the needs of your nearest and dearest. Around this date, you’ll clearly see all the ways in which your partnership is not fully supporting who you are. Does your honey roll his or her eyes when you speak excitedly about a new philosophy you’ve adopted? Instead of telling yourself it’s no biggie, ask yourself: Is this kind of attitude good for me? If not, how can I change it? You may need to get a little tough when setting up boundaries and standards. After all, unless you feel safe to open your heart and drop your guard, you can’t thrive emotionally. Onward, Cancer!

MONEY & CAREER
You have a one-track mind, Cancer: taking care of business. As the bold Sun moves through Sagittarius, your sixth house of systems, you’re an organizational hurricane, crossing items off your to-do list almost as quickly as you’ve put them on. Now is your moment to streamline your most basic routines. Does your filing system work, or are you just throwing the mail into a heap and counting on your steel trap of a memory to take care of items when they’re due? In a gesture that is both symbolic and materially important, ditch every unwanted, unneeded or unopened piece of paperwork. That painted clamshell your Aunt Agnes sent you eighteen years ago...you can remove it as your office paperweight. It’s only there out of guilt, which is a low vibration energy you certainly don’t need in your work zone. As you go through the process of pitching stuff, remind your normally sentimental self that throwing away the object does not equal throwing away the person. Nostalgia is your only potential slow-down to getting your space into tip-top shape…and turning it into a dream-manifesting zone!

On December 13, the Sagittarius new moon in your sixth house of support could herald the arrival of helpful people in your life: employees, assistants, service providers. If you could use a helping hand—perhaps a new babysitter or housekeeper—now is the time to hire. If you have had your eye on an efficiency-boosting gadget, snap it up. Since new moons are an excellent time to set intentions, think long and hard about what would make your life run more smoothly overall, and then set an intention to attract the support in real-time.

That same day, rabble-rousing Uranus moves direct (forward) in Aries, your tenth house of professional honors. Since the famously volatile planet went retrograde (backward) in July, your career path has looked less like the yellow brick road and more like a pothole-laden detour at times. Perhaps a prized gig came to a screeching halt. Maybe your once-cool and efficient boss started flaking, or challenging your ideas, rebelling just for the sake of...rebellion? Hopefully, this period, via the example of difficult situations, taught you all about where to respect your inner authority and when to break from the ranks. With Uranus back to forward motion, you stop being your own worst enemy, sabotaging things with your need to compulsively let a little air into the (board)room. The stop-start employment trend ends—before you suffer whiplash. And now you can focus your change-making instincts in a productive way, receiving accolades for your ingenious ideas. Web-based and technological aspects of your job could suddenly zoom ahead. If you’ve been wanting to launch, say, a decorating blog or a Tumblr page, consider this day your green light!

On December 28, the full moon in Cancer packs a galactic-powered punch, especially since it squares unpredictable Uranus in Aries, your tenth house of ambition. Prepare to be swept away by a desire to revolutionize your career path, so that it’s a full expression of your truest, highest self. Whenever Uranus is involved, it’s best to not to hypothesize on how this desire will reveal itself, but to humbly assume the mantle of change that the universe is so boldly conferring...even if it shakes you up a bit. If you’ve been doing the nine-to-five grind, perhaps you’ll make a clean (and possibly sudden) break from your full-time schedule, so that you have more time for your dreams. Perhaps you’ll leave your lucrative design career to launch the lingerie line of your dreams.

HEALTH: MIND, BODY & SOUL
Purge, Cancer, purge! As the Sun travels through Sagittarius, your sixth house of health, now is the time to give your physical and mental systems a tune-up. While everyone else is popping Lactaid to settle their stomach after the eggnog and gruyere fondue, you may just opt for seltzer and celery. As the seasonal festivities place pressure on your schedule, carve out space for exercise and other wellness activities that will center you through the holiday haze. On December 13, the Sagittarius new moon offers a golden opportunity to turn over a new health leaf. Get yourself on that treadmill or assume downward dog, as a symbol of your commitment to your own vitality. Whereas you may have been able to indulge before, now you’ll feel every extra packet of sugar that goes in your coffee, every glass of wine beyond that which your body can handle. This sensitivity is a blessing, so adopt a more healthful way of living, Cancer, so that you can take care of it.

On December 15, beautifying Venus heads into Sagittarius, your sixth house of wellness, adding an aesthetically-pleasing element to all wellness activities. As you focus on creating a stronger body, your health-focused efforts will show in your appearance, i.e. the more kale you eat, the more people will start asking you where you get your chemical peels (true story from a friend!). This is also a great influence for making your abode more eco-chic. Have you stocked up on enough mesh totes for grocery shopping? Have you sorted out your recycling system? Conservation efforts get an added boost and soothe your conscious soul.

On December 28, the intense full moon in Cancer forms a challenging square with Uranus in Aries, your tenth house of public recognition. Since the moon is opposite shadowy Pluto in Capricorn, your seventh house of partnerships, you may just have one of those “Calgon, take me away!” moments, as the stresses between work and relationships mount get pitted against an overwhelming desire for authentic self-expression. The antidote to this year end stress is self-nurturing, so take extra special care of yourself. Cancers live to nurture others. It’s like your form of oxygen, when you can serve up a hot plate of gnocchi to a friend, or even just listen compassionately as a relative talks out a stressful situation. If you’re not the best at applying those self-soothing techniques to your own life, now is your chance. Book some time at a local spa, perhaps indulging in a tranquil afternoon, where you’re sweating out any latent anxieties. A nice, indulgent soak in your own tub can do just the trick. Add lavender-scented epsom salts, which are said to clean one’s aura of any errant worries or baggage your receptive sign may have picked up from others. If you’re a social worker or work in a helping profession, you might even want to double up on the baths to release the pain and stress you’ve absorbed from others. Though this moon might bring an urgent need for self-care, you may also want to figure out ways to make it part of your life when things seem relatively calm. You can’t really be there for others (which is your lifeblood) unless you’re coming from a balanced, grounded place.