Your Horoscope for the Week of December 4

Happy December, readers! It's hard to believe 2017's finale has begun. So let's review what this week's astrology is telling the 12 signs for the 12th month of the year. First, don't panic, but Mercury is retrograde until December 22nd. This does not mean all communication, technology, travel, commerce, and planning will implode. It'll just slow down. The best way to work with retrograde energy fabulously is to double check details while maintaining flexibility and patience and of course, review. While Mercury moonwalks, Mars was will have a homecoming in Scorpio on Saturday which will increase our resilience and focus in the arena of uncertainty, risk, and slower progress.

~*~SAGITTARIUS~*~

The skies shine for you, Sagittarius! Happy birthday season! Don't let the Mercury retrograde drama stop you from owning this month in glory. Will the retrograde ahead ask you to slow down, re-think, and recalibrate? Absolutely. Does it have to be a birthday buzzkill? Nope! If worked to your advantage, the very best months of your life could be built from this foolproof foundation of self-awareness. Consider a professional consult with a therapist, life coach, or spiritual seeker who can help you finalize the plan with integrity. When Mars enters Scorpio this Saturday, let your subconscious and spiritual wisdom be your guide while you navigate this delicate process of radical self-transformation.

~*~CAPRICORN~*~

Who you gonna call, Capricorn? Ghostbusters! Full disclosure, this Mercury retrograde will reveal shadow figures and trauma from the past that want to creep up on you when you're not paying attention. What's a seagoat to do? Sit with the edge. Don't go numb or ignore it. Say little, forgive much. Meditate. Exercise. Surrender. Begin again. You can do it, child of Saturn. When Mars lights up Scorpio on Saturday, your friendships and community will provide the soft place to fall and will help you on this healing work. You'll know from experience that you keep what you give. Give healing to your friends and the Universe gives it back to you, too.

~*~AQUARIUS~*~

Given your sign's popularity, I'm sure many images of friends come into your mind's eye at any given moment. Mercury retrograde will touch your friendship and community experiences, inspiring you to get in touch and reunite with friends from your past. So if you think of one that you have a rich history with "out of the blue", don't delay. Reach out and reconnect. Who knows what professional opportunity could come out of it? Mars entering Scorpio will set fire to your career and professional ascension. You'll be lifted to even higher places at work and/or in public and given the motivation to handle that responsibility with charisma and power.

~*~PISCES~*~

The ocean's tide is shifting, Pisces. The universe knows you have career plans on your mind and it's self-organizing to make it happen while Mercury retrograde reverses the professional plan. Even if your external reality makes you think you're not making moves because you're swimming against the tide, focus on the conviction that significant career progress and accomplishment takes time. One day you'll realize why it didn't happen overnight, and you'll give thanks to the entire process, I'm sure of it. When Mars joins Sagittarius on Saturday, your optimism and big picture vision will be set aflame which will help you navigate these experiences with worthiness and faith in your professional plan.

~*~ARIES~*~

Hit the breaks, Aries! Mercury is retrograde in your zone of philosophy, travel, and the way you think about the future. In the next three weeks, you'll slowly start to understand how you can think and act more carefully in alignment with your goals. Rams like to charge first and ask questions later. This week will inspire the opposite. Try deep reflections, like "What am I thinking? Are these thoughts helping me?" Mars leaves your partnership sector on Saturday for your sexuality zone and you'll feel like an Aries sheep in heat so experiment with healthy sexual activities and spice it up by introducing new toys or roles in the bedroom.

~*~TAURUS~*~

Feeling a loss, Taurus? Mercury is retrograde when it comes to experiences that will involve a reclaiming of bygone power. You'll want to review and consider ways to take back some feeling, thought, or circumstance that you feel was lost in a defeat. We easily give away our peace of mind to the lowest bidder because they didn't behave exactly the way we wanted to them. Why? Make an effort to own your calm despite the behavior of others. On the topic of others, god of war Mars enters Scorpio, your partnership, romance, and love sector this Saturday. You'll feel more vulnerable and apt for warfare to those you love most. Do try to work with conflict transformation where resolution and understanding is on the other side of the initial anger.

~*~GEMINI~*~

Ninety four percent of communication is nonverbal, Gemini. While Mercury is retrograde in your partnership and romantic experiences, you have to pay attention to unspoken communication like body language, tone, and cues. I know you live in words but it's important to hear people on the silent level they're speaking from, too. You might disclose your feelings to a possible partner or discover them from someone else. When Mars enters Scorpio on Saturday, your work load is about to get more active and your to-do list a lot longer. You enjoy staying busy, so be prepared proactively to effectively time manage so you can deliver on your expectations and promises.

~*~CANCER~*~

Before you rush off to the doctor's office, Cancer, is there a new way to look at an old health concern? Your nutrition and wellbeing is top priority this month but Mercury is retrograde in this area, so you might receive wrong intel from a well meaning health professional. Given your intuitive sensibility, go within and self-research on holistic, complementary medicine for your highest health-related outcomes. Especially because when Mars enters Scorpio on Saturday, your passion and mojo will be off the charts. You'll want to be at your healthiest to experience all the romance, play, and pleasure the universe has in store for you.

~*~LEO~*~

Lucky you, Leo. All the universe wants from you during Mercury retrograde of all transits is to experience more of life's joy and increase your creative talents by pursuing your pleasure. Not bad! The Leo grind is unrivaled but you need to schedule some time to let joy take you in its arms so you remember why you're working so hard to begin with. Life is meant to be both pleasurable and taken seriously. You have the serious part on lockdown so go have fun now. When Mars enters Scorpio on Saturday, you may want to include your family and/or mother figures in your itinerary because this transit will inspire action around your royal family and your devotion to home.

~*~VIRGO~*~

Family issues got you down, Virgo? Mercury is retrograde in your familial, home, and maternal experiences which calls forth new thoughts and emotions from the past family stuff. Perfectionism is your go-to defense mechanism, but this Mercury retrograde wants you to accept the imperfections in your family first so than you can be a force for good later. But first: acceptance. Everyone has family trauma, Virgo. You're not alone. When Mars joins Scorpio on Saturday, you'll start learning more ways to serve and problem solve, which Virgos do so well. Just be careful not to self-identify with your beliefs too loyally or take it personally if someone disagrees with you. Stay curious, not confrontational, while you're still in this student mode.

~*~LIBRA~*~

I don't want to send your naturally indecisive identity into a tizzy, but did you know that quantum physicists argue there are an infinite amount of outcomes to any decision we make? With Mercury retrograde in your zone of consciousness, communication, combined with the way your mind experiences an experience, it's likely that you'll be collecting inaccurate data and connecting dots that aren't there. So with an infinite amount of outcomes to any decision or internal story you write in your own head, simply ask "Could I be mistaken?" before you're off to the races. You probably are, and that's okay. It's not up to you to decide which one of the infinite outcomes are best during the retrograde. On Saturday, Mars enters Scorpio and gives your healing, closure, and intuitive side the Martian mojo it needs. Pay attention to your gut instincts, dreams, and visions that are trying to help you navigate the confusing times in which we live. Stay unattached to decision or conspiracy, but be flexible, compassionate, and mentally empty of assumptions.

~*~SCORPIO~*~

Creativity gets the coin, Scorpio! I'm sure you're worried about financial security — which is a demon we all face — so Mercury retrograde will inspire a careful and creative reconsideration of strategies to increase cash flow in the bank of Scorpio. I'm sure a sign as resourceful and survivalist as you are can imagine and implement many ways to keep your financial security protected. Get the creative plan finalized by Saturday when Mars enters Scorpio and gives you the push to make your dreams manifest. Mars in Scorpio will help you pursue your passions and purpose without apology or fear. Beware the temptation to steamroll! Just stay focused and secure in your power and the universe will have no choice but to give it to you.

Colin is a literal Gemini Twin Astrologer from Long Island, New York and a two-time graduate of the New School with his Bachelor's in Literature from Eugene Lang College and Master's in Fashion Studies from Parsons School of Design. A passionate student of astrology, A Course in Miracles, and other systems of personal-growth, Colin founded QueerCosmos to meaningfully contextualize queer identities across the zodiac and universal spiritual themes. Additionally, Colin leads private natal chart readings and horoscope columns with international publications. For more, head over to QueerCosmos.com.