Here are the latest health tips from Seattle-based holistic astrologer Stephanie Gailing. She's the author of Planetary Apothecary, and keeps the healthy goodness going at her deliciously practical site, also called Planetary Apothecary. Enjoy!

From Stephanie Gailing:

When Sagittarius energy is strong--as it is this month with the Sun and Venus placed in this sign--it expands our vision of what is possible. We're infused with a feeling that we can do anything and seek to gain wisdom through experiences that augment our sense of purpose. This can have positive impacts upon our well-being as it can motivate us to undertake a new mission when it comes to promoting our personal health.

Yet, we need to be aware that while we may feel a sense of Sagittarian limitless, we do have built-in limits, and it's important to respect them. If not, this can have negative impacts upon our sense of well-being. For example, if we launch ourselves too quickly into an intense exercise regimen it can place us at risk for strains and sprains. If we push ourselves too hard at work or take upon too many responsibilities, we may experience a sense of burn-out or amped-up anxiety. If we overindulge in one too many treats or cocktails at the holiday party, indigestion and/or a hangover may ensue. This is not to say that we shouldn't seek to expand our horizons or be infused with enthusiasm but just that we should try to have a pragmatic approach to our arduous pursuits.

Recognizing our limits and the consequences of Sagittarian enthusiasm may be even more challenging now as the Archer's ruling planet, Jupiter, is conjunct Neptune on December 21. Whatever Jupiter touches it expands and when it's connected to dreamy and boundaryless Neptune there's a potential for not seeing things clearly for what they are. So, be open to new experiences and embrace a zest for life, but try to stay focused and clear-eyed as well.

That being said, Jupiter/Neptune energy can also have incredibly positive impacts upon our health in that it enables us to connect to a deeper space within where our healing reservoir resides. Focusing on integrating Neptunian practices such as creative visualization, meditation, and prayer into a wellness-promoting regimen can be especially powerful at this time. They can have profound healing benefits including helping us to stay centered and calm.

This is a boon, of course, at any time but one that may be an especially good goal this month. That's because the energies of Uranus, the planet that often shakes us out of our comfort zones in order to expand our sense of purpose, are very prominent in December (not only did Uranus station direct on December 1 but it also squares the New Moon on December 16). Some of my favorite natural remedies for promoting a sense of internal peace include lavender and chamomile essential oils, the herbs skullcap and valerian, and Rescue Remedy flower essence.

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Illusions mistaken for truth are the pavement under our feet. They are what we call civilization." Barbara Kingsolver, The Poisonwood Bible

Keep your eye on Mercury over the next few days. The tension builds, as he moves into position to confront the "establishment" on Monday. First off, the messenger takes on the cloak of authority in Capricorn starting tomorrow (December 5th, 12:24 pm EST). Mercury has something substantial to say here, and in the bosso profundo of natives like James Earl Jones. This kind of voice seems to rise out of the ancient wisdom of the Earth itself. The real world becomes a preoccupation,and things like the sustaining basics (food, water, air), wealth (currency values, precious metals), resources to live on, government, finances and business in general.

Pluto and Saturn are on a mission to re-shape core structures. That's why it seems as if the institutions that we consider foundational are under threat. At the same time, new visions are dancing (like sugarplums?) across the collective mindscape, inviting us to dream a new dream. Mercury's Monday engagement with these two cosmic heavyweights a challenge to think about what is, against the urgent pressure of what could be.

Already, the messenger has squared off with Uranus to provoke thoughts of rebellion. We are getting a taste of what's to come, when rebel Uranus takes on the fighting spirit of Aries in May of 2010. And Monday, there's a Mercury square to Saturn, and a conjunction to Pluto! Squares are unnerving, because they tend to bring situations to the breaking point. But the square can be the push through a quagmire, too. With Pluto's relentless pursuit of core truth, Mercury can probe deeply into what's dead weight in our current economic-societal structures.

Some possible themes for this showdown are:

• A day when earth citizens find their voice.
• Confronting the unfair co-opting of natural resources.
• Challenging laws that are inherently corrupt.
• Putting forth ideas for re-structuring that rattles those who fear change.
• Facing authoritarian agendas, especially veiled ones.
• Daring to face an abusive person in your life.
• Speaking up about an unjust situation at work.

Mercury in Capricorn helps us stay grounded in what's real, at a time when that's not easy. If we're rooted in the depth of the real (Pluto Capricorn), with a command of the facts, and an instinct for what's just (Saturn Libra), then Mercury's words take on monumental power. With your natural authority as a citizen with inherent rights, you're ready to speak up to re-shape your world.

The Fifth House is about total engagement with life. It's the vitality that comes from being centered in your unique subjective experience. As children, we naturally live this way. Then as we figure out how to "be" in school, the work world, we play ourselves off external influences. I've always been fascinated by school yearbooks, and how utterly lit up we start out in the early years. It's the Leo (ruler of the 5th House) shine that says, "this is me!" As the years go by, too many of us lose the spark, the eyes grow dull and distant, and by high school, it's replaced by a mask of detachment.

Planets in the 5th House, or the sign on the cusp, tell the karmic story of becoming the truest self. The astrologer Ellias Lonsdale calls the 5th House a formidable life stream. And it's turned into a heroic struggle when there are hard aspects to planets there. I had an epiphany last night in a class called Springing Karma about my own 5th House. I've got Sun and Mercury Rx in Cancer in the 5th, so that means I've got core identity lessons there.

The cluster is squared in on both sides by Saturn in the 1st House (in Aries) and Mars in the 8th House (in Libra). I grew up being severely criticized in a harsh way when I was simply speaking my emotional truth (Cancer). My vulnerability was mocked, and there was physical punishment like stinging face slaps and switches across the legs. It was brutal for a Moonchild, and at an early age, sent me deep within myself. I was one of those high schoolers with the lost look.

But hitting bottom early in life, with a dark depression that had settled into my spirit, meant that things could only get better from there. The path to myself was about finding the emotional courage to face all those feelings I was carrying within. It struck me as meaningful that due to outrageous technical difficulties with Skype and my husband's computer, I couldn't share my thoughts with the class. The word "submerged" came to mind, and it took me back to that place of being lost.

But astrologer Mark Borax said we're never really lost to who we are, it's just the perception that we are. That even when we're restlessly looking everywhere but within, we're still connected to those authentic roots. The 5th House, then, said Ellias, "is to bring ourselves all the way here. It's to show up with passion." It's a house associated with risks (Leo) of self-expression, which can mean dying to old ego selves. To be true, we often have to die to who we think we are, or who others want us to be. The 5th House vitality emerges from what Ellias calls a foundation of cohesiveness that uses the raw material of the subjective experience. It's the fully lived life with all its drama, and uniquely our own. And that's the stuff of great art and an artfully lived life.

What's in your fifth house?! To find out, look at your birth chart. if there are no planets there, look at the sign on the cusp for the overall atmosphere for this house (or life sphere.) We are being urgently summoned says Ellias, to live as our authentic selves now.

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There's a lot of erratic currents firing every which-a-way today. The Moon in Gemini engages with the biggies Neptune (Aquarius) and Uranus (Pisces), opening unusual channels of thought. While you're going about your business, the imagination wanders off by itself into strange territory.

The upside is that the solutions for stuck situations can come out of the blue. Uranus stationing direct is a major event that's associated with quantum leaps. The square to the quick Gemini Moon busts the dams that hold back your stream-of-consciousness. You might want to:

• Have a journal handy to jot down what's coming.
• Or use a small recorder to catch the genius, surreal, far-fetched, whatever....
• Be sure to back up your work, since computer crashes are possible.
• Don't judge yourself or others for crazy ideas.
• Dare to loosen any fixed perspectives you're holding.
• Find ways to reassure yourself, to deal with the uncertainty.
• Use a grounding stone like hematite, or a calming essence like lavender.
• Yawn or take deep breaths if you're overwhelmed by anxiety.

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