Virgo Monthly Horoscope

MONTHLY OVERVIEW
Cozy up, Virgo. The Sun spends much of December in Sagittarius, your fourth house of home and family. After a stressful and intense November, the stars give you some much-needed downtime. Roll into your hometown for some fireside catch-up with family and old friends during the first three weeks of December, or catch up on your nesting. Your zodiac sign, after all, presides over the home and hearth! Dust off your Domino Book of Decorating (forever a classic) and freshen up a tired room with new paint and accessories. A few vintage or Anthropologie doorknobs can bring a ho-hum TV cabinet or dresser alive. The December 13 Sagittarius new moon infuses your personal life with fresh energy. Turn over a new leaf with a relative (especially a female one), house hunt if you’re thinking of a move, or hit an estate sale to find new treasures. That antique roll-top desk could be the perfect finishing touch for your entryway.

Is someone ready to say “ma-ma”? The fourth house also rules motherhood, and having a new moon here can bring baby news, either for you or for someone close to you. Also on December 13, unstable Uranus ends a five-month retrograde (backward) slowdown in Aries, your eighth house of sex, intimacy and joint finances. If you’ve been trying to get pregnant since this summer, you’ll have better luck now—so start practicing! Volatile Uranus’ retrograde also left many Virgos in the throes of nasty disagreements and frequent “lovers’ quarrels”—often flaming up from an innocent remark. (Who knew “Pass the remote?” was such a loaded question, and could trigger a fight about whether you’re truly compatible since you like rom-coms and your honey likes indie genre flicks?) Your connections with people overall have been spottier than a dial-up modem at times, which has been tough for a sign like yours that strives to be uber-considerate. Some old trust issues, jealousy or possessiveness may have flared up, too. Coupled Virgos may have fought over sex, money, time and other shared resources (yes, that extends to dividing up bathroom-sink and closet real estate). Or, you may have found yourself in frequent financial flux, with unexpected bills forcing you to tighten your belt. Uranus’ return to direct (forward) motion will help stabilize your money, mojo and mood, and let you plan for the long term.

Ready for romance—or just some good old-fashioned fun? On December 21, the Sun enters Capricorn, your fifth house of passion and play. Grab that half-price mistletoe from the bargain bin and fasten it to your ballerina bun. Dress up, flirt and work it now—as if it were really the end of the world! Oh, by the way, it’s not. The Mayan “end of days” symbolizes an elevation of humanity to a more conscious, unified vibration…the “end” of an age of separation, competition and suffering. We’ll take some of that!

While the world should keep spinning on its usual axis, the year could end on a much more colorful note than planned, thanks to the festive fifth-house energy of Capricorn in your chart. Do your part to spice up the holiday action too! Now that your home looks magazine spread-worthy (it might even classify as interior design “porn” with all the zhuzhing you’ve done), why not host a party or two? Play Cupid for single friends—and for yourself if you’re unattached—by inviting a mix of eligible guests to your abode.

Just one blackout date: the Cancer full moon on December 28. Cancer rules your eleventh house of group activity, which would normally make this the perfect party night. However, this moon will form a tense T-square with shadowy Pluto in your dramatic fifth house and rabble-rouser Uranus in your emotional eighth house. Feelings will be flying around like Santa’s reindeer delivering their eleventh-hour gifts, except the spirits won’t be so bright. Watch your temper, Virgo! This could be the night that you turn into an avatar of a reality-TV villainess, overturning tables or starting a heated shouting match that costs you a friendship. Not worth it—especially since such senseless behavior won’t even score you TV ratings, a cookbook deal or a two-season contract. (It will, however, make you the star of New Year’s Eve party gossip, and probably not in a good way.)

Your ideal date to celebrate could actually be January 1, when the moon moves into Virgo during the day. Host a New Year’s Day brunch or even a little vision-board craft gathering to geek out over resolutions with a couple of close friends. Keep it mellow on New Year’s Eve, or at least on the private side. A Leo moon in your restful, behind-the-scenes twelfth house puts you in a low-key mood. You might even be ready to turn in right after the ball drops! It could be a spiritual night too, so if you love a good ritual, welcome in the New Year soulfully—candles, hand-written 2013 intentions, an altar, your favorite meditation DVD. A little “goddess circle” of your girlfriends might be nice, since the moon will form a lovely trine to Venus in Sagittarius, your sign of home and women. You might even book a retreat or head to a yoga studio that’s hosting a “midnight meditation” type of event. If you find yourself at a crowded soiree, slip off into a private corner as the clock strikes twelve. Take a moment to commune with your soul and let it announce its 2013 desires. Envision guides and guardian angels surrounding you with their support. With this mystical New Year’s Eve moon, your divine cheerleading squad stands at the ready, eager to make your wishes come true.

LOVE & ROMANCE
There’s no shortage of passion this month for you, Virgo. Red-hot lover Mars is in Capricorn, your fifth house of lusty, tangled-sheet romance, until December 25. Mingle your way through the mistletoe, Virgo, because you’re feeling frisky! Add some head-turning glamour to your wardrobe (sequins, high hemlines and heels), and don’t be shy about engaging in a little edgy banter over the fruitcake platter or in those long checkout lines. You’re a witty sign, so don’t hide your cleverness—snappy remarks are total sexy-time currency for single Virgos now. Besides, why would you want to be with anyone who doesn’t adore your geek-chic humor and in-depth knowledge of botany, medieval history and early 1990s hip-hop? Spring it on ’em early so they know they’re dealing with a smartypants…who just happens to have adorable dimples and a baby face too. Some people just get lucky!

Conversation flows smoothly, and might just be the key to a love connection, early this month. Romantic Venus is in Scorpio, your third house of local events, communication and friends, for the first half of December. It’s the perfect excuse to let pals set you up on a blind date, or to make a joke about Santa needing a few more helpers to that Channing Tatum body double when you’re both stuck in the gift-wrap line. Coupled Virgos, you need to drop a cocktail stirrer in your relationship and mix it up. Venture out to find new date spots in your ’hood, or plan a double date with a cool couple you’ve wanted to get to know better. Busy as you and your boo have been, you could use a sit-down to reconnect—just as the best friends that you are. That Michelin-starred new restaurant or the cute little vinoteca that opened up downtown? Make a reservation for a quiet table where the two of you can bond and catch up.

You may indeed have some talking to do, especially after December 13, when change maker Uranus goes direct (forward) in Aries, your eighth house of sex, intimacy and shared resources. Uranus has been retrograde (backward) station since July 13, which may have caused some upheavals in your private life. Your own desires may have been a confusing jumble and your sex drive could have been downright irregular. Perhaps you found yourself fantasizing about clandestine chemistry with a coworker (dare you act on it?), or feeling a strange love/hate vibe with your partner. One minute, you couldn’t imagine life without this person—your heart, your soul, your beloved (sniffle). The next second, you’d glimpse a worn-out T-shirt and flannel pajama bottoms tossed errantly over your gorgeous Chesterfield sofa, and wonder what happened about the “honor and cherish” part of your vows. Overreacting? Maybe a smidge. But with your emotions going from zero to sixty, it’s been hard to maintain perspective. A not-quite-consummated relationship could have been filled with erratic stop-start moments…make up, break up, rinse, repeat. Or, some buried tensions, jealousies and other intense feelings rose up—on both sides. If you were trying for a pregnancy, particularly with IVF (Uranus rules technology), the retrograde may have complicated your efforts. The only good part? Blocked feelings and desires were shaken loose, and you were forced to confront the soul urges you often conveniently ignore.

Now that Uranus is back to its uninterrupted ways, things should settle down a bit. Of course, this planet IS still the ruler of change, so don’t expect to rest on your romantic and sexual laurels. If an area of your intimate life is due for an upgrade, tend to it. Virgo is the sign of the helper, but this noble trait can be abused when you get lopsided in the giving department, leaving your relationships imbalanced. Where do you need to speak up for your needs, both in and out of the bedroom? It could be something as embarrassing and difficult to address as wanting your mate to get better acquainted with a toothbrush or to wear a different cologne. Perhaps you need a mate with a slower hand—or a little Christian Grey–style grabbing (hey, if the master-and-servant bit is all in consensual fun, we’re not judging).

You’d think it would be easy to bring this up, but not for you, Virgo. Blush if you must and forge ahead with this talk. It’s better than cringing when your sweetie pulls you into a hug (who on earth wears Drakkar Noir anymore? Oh, the thrifty guy you married who still has his bottle from 15 years ago. Eek!), or feigning the age-old headache at sexytime. (Nose-hair tickling equals turnoff…but would a classy set of trimmers be an offensive holiday gift? Um, probably.) If you’ve been dealing with trust issues, get to the root of them. A volatile ex may have returned during the retrograde, or perhaps you secretly pined for a hot but utterly unreliable former flame. Chances are, there was some avoidance or inner conflict you were working through. Don’t shoot the messenger—but don’t sleep with him/her either). What was the universe sending smoke signals about—vis a vis the return of an old issue or lover?

You may find out near the end of the month, when Uranus forms a tense square to transformational Pluto in your romance house and a Cancer full moon in your emotional detachment sector. At this December 28 full moon, you could face a crossroads: do you forge deeper into a drama or take a cool-down period? On the one hand, it may seem like there’s FINALLY an opening to talk about the nitty-gritty intimate details, which could lead to a relationship breakthrough. At the same time, you sense the simmering intensity, and can foresee a landmine of triggering topics that could short-circuit a productive discussion, causing it to devolve into a heated argument. Ah, to touch the flame or not?

Your best bet is to begin with one of the less heated points of contention and talk about that. For example, maybe you want to talk about setting up a fair schedule for meal preparation or walking the dogs. If that goes well, THEN ease into discussing that you haven’t enjoyed foreplay since Jennifer Aniston popularized the “Rachel” hairdo on Friends. Problem-solver Virgos love to “fix” everything (and everyone). But don’t try to scale the entire mountain in one conversation. Prioritize. Break the solution down into steps and actionable changes that you both agree to try. Sandwich your complaints between two compliments to make it easier for your dear one to digest.

On New Year’s Eve, the Leo moon beckons you to surrender that which you can not change. Maybe there’s a part of this disagreement that you’re never going to resolve, or a facet of your partner that you’ll never change. Maybe there’s a side of yourself that it’s time to stop “working on” before you’re “ready” for a relationship. Can you be okay with that? Can you love and be loved in this state of imperfection? If the full moon points out anything, it may be a need for greater confidence and a willingness to take a stand for yourself. You’ll have a lot less resentment when you practice neutrally stating your needs, rather than flinging accusations, nagging or stewing in passive-aggressive silence. Easier said than done, we know—but certainly worth a try. ‘Tis the season to make bold resolutions…and then figure out how to pull them off later. You’ve got a whole year ahead to practice. We smell a project!

MONEY & CAREER
Much of December’s emphasis is on your personal life rather than your work. That’s because the Sun and a December 13 new moon are in Sagittarius, your fourth house of home and family. You’re more than ready for some contrast here, because since June, expansive Jupiter has been in Gemini, your tenth house of career and success. You’ve been yanked out into the wider world more than ever, which can be scary for a camera-shy Virgo. Now, you can retreat to your hermit hole for a bit, hibernate and store up your energy for a big debut in 2013. This trend is especially powerful from February through July 2013, after Jupiter ends a four-month retrograde slowdown. Get ready for your close-up then, Virgo—your career is poised to take flight.

Meantime, cozy up in your shearling and sheepskin (or its animal-friendly alternative). Keep your holiday celebrations—and spending—well-edited and personal. Host a gathering of your favorite powerful friends (especially the ladies) and introduce the ones you’ve been meaning to connect forever. The December 13 Sagittarius new moon is a great date to fling open your doors for a good cause. Cut consumerism and do a clothing or gift swap with people who love a gently used treasure for a greatly reduced price (your tribe, in other words). Support a friend’s jewelry line and another’s handmade-silk-scarf business by converting your living room into an artisan bazaar. Who says you have to pay retail to give and get great gifts? And if you do, check out brands and organizations that give back to great causes, like Women for Women International. You’ll feel a lot less guilty for your splurges when you know the money betters lives instead of lining some greedy one-percenter’s pockets with an overblown executive bonus. You’re nobody’s stocking-stuffer sucker, thankyouverymuch.

Besides, you’re ready to replace financial chaos with some overdue calm. Since July, your expenses may have swung wildly out of control at moments. Or, some of your more reliable revenue sources may have gone AWOL. That’s because unstable Uranus was retrograde in Aries, your eighth house of long-term and shared finances. A business partnership may have been plagued by disagreements. Perhaps you even discovered that you had dramatically different visions. Coupled Virgos may have felt the weight of being a sole earner, or perhaps you dipped into savings for a questionable investment. The sale or purchase of property could have had some unforeseen curveballs. Since Uranus is associated with technology and electricity, you may have had to rewire your house, buy new appliances and gadgets, or find a better backup system for your important financial and business files.

Fortunately, Uranus goes direct (forward) on December 13, making it easier to “agree to disagree” with business and romantic partners. Your own ideas will be much clearer, and if you’re looking to launch a product, campaign or business, especially online, there will be far fewer hiccups. You might even explore some investing software or financial management apps. Check out great tips for money clarity at DailyWorth.com—a Virgo-owned-and-operated company.

You may also need to detach from a dramatic person or situation, especially near the December 28 Cancer full moon. This moon spotlights your eleventh house of teamwork. However, its difficult angle to volatile Pluto and Uranus could stir up some tough group dynamics. You may feel someone is trying to get you to be on his side, pulling you into a divisive power play. Should you get involved or should you stay neutral? It’s never too late to call a time-out, and if things get heated, you might want to do that.

This full moon could reveal a side of someone you though of as a friend or ally that feels a bit unsettling. Or, you might just realize that you need to ramp up your own confidence and assertiveness if you want full membership in a powerful new circle. Like it or not, it’s about who you know—or, as the cliché goes, your network determines your net worth. While you don’t want to pretend to be someone you’re not, you might need to step up your participation so that you feel more tightly bonded with a group. It’s worth the effort (and possible investment) if people are hooking you up and spreading the word about your talents, Virgo. Why go it alone when others are thrilled to act as your champions and human PR bureau? Self-promotion CAN be a win-win when your talents and services make other people’s lives better. If you still feel guilty asking for support, set up an affiliate program so that your promoters can share in the profits.

HEALTH: MIND, BODY & SOUL
Emotional indulgences have been your weakness for the past couple of months. That’s because energizing but stressful Mars has been visiting the most personal houses of your chart, stoking your urge to self-soothe. Whether that meant inhaling a tub of Haagen-Dazs in one sitting, retail therapizing (and then plummeting down the emotional sinkhole of buyer’s remorse), or having one too many glasses of wine (hey, it’s the holidays), your sensitive constitution and worrisome ways can handle only so much. Conscious indulgence is one thing, but if you’ve been buffering yourself against stress with these avoidance tactics, you may start to feel the impact this month.

Hang tight—and have another cookie if you must. On December 25, you get the gift of fitness when go-getter Mars begins a six-week visit to Aquarius, your sixth house of health and wellness. Virgo is the ruler of the zodiac’s sixth house, so you’ll be in your element, primed to dive into those post-holiday exercise and eating resolutions like you mean it. Top your gift list with fellow Virgo and prevention pioneer Kris Carr’s new best-selling cookbook Crazy Sexy Kitchen. Even if you don’t go totally “plant-empowered” (as she dubs it), Carr’s explanation of acid-versus-alkaline foods, knife skills and healthy cooking techniques will inspire you to add more natural and local flair to your palate…perhaps even to cut back on meat and dairy.

Just pace yourself, Virgo. Impatient Mars can cause us to rush or set the bar too high. This is not a competition; it’s a lifestyle shift. Go gently into your gym or yoga studio, and be sure to stretch those muscles, warm up and cool down. Avoid drastic changes to your diet or other things that shock your system. Easy does it! Catch yourself when you start trying to fix yourself instead of having fun.