Will This Month’s Supermoon Throw Your Holiday Plans Out Of Whack?

As if the holiday season weren't stressful enough, now the cosmos may have something to add to the end-of-year chaos. At least that's what renowned psychic Rose Smith told the Daily Mail Australia this week. Essentially, tonight's supermoon does not bode well for even the best-laid plans. "There is a lot of stress in the ether, and a lot of pent-up emotions built up over time. People have to tighten the reins on their tongues, otherwise feelings might come out all over the place," Smith said. "Christmas is a stressful time anyway, and people say or do things during Christmas they wouldn't normally say. But this Christmas is the last in the cycle; there will be increased pressure." The "cycle" she refers to is a nine-year cycle that began in 2008. Many in psychic and spiritual communities believe that 2016 was predestined to be a year of dramatic completion and subsequent transition (this writer wonders if, in layman's terms, that translates to "a year that resembles an uncontrollable grease fire in a hard-to-reach place," since that's what it felt like sometimes). As the year draws to a close, Smith said we'll probably feel that completion more than we have all year: "I think it will be absolutely frantic." Adding to Smith's fears is the fact that this month's supermoon is the third one in a row: "Supermoons are not unusual — we get several a year — but it is unusual to have three in a row and to have them at the end of the year and at the end of the 'nine' cycle." In other words, this is a perfect storm. Supermoons are said to have a more intense effect on our activities than regular full moons, and according to Smith, this month's will have the energetic momentum of the past two behind it as well. She said that we'll really feel its effects while we're Christmas shopping ("I actually had a vision of people fighting over high heels") and in our relationships ("by hook or by crook, it could be the straw that breaks the camel's back in some relationships"). So does this mean you should get all your shopping done today and go incommunicado until a new cycle starts in 2017? Um, of course not. This time of year always promises unpredictability and an excess of emotions. And, depending on what you believe, this full moon might actually have a positive influence on your personal life. For example, this full moon will rise in Gemini, a sign that actually facilitates communication and collaboration. Among nature-based faiths, the December full moon, known as the Cold Moon, is actually believed to foster goodwill among family and loved ones. If that doesn't convince you, any full moon is kind of a free pass for some quiet self-care — take this as your opportunity to tune out any craziness that may be going on in your life. Of course, it's absolutely possible that Smith's predictions hit home for you — relationship problems and slacking off on holiday shopping are pretty universal issues, after all. But trust us, it'll be immensely helpful if you treat them more like a warning than a definite forecast. Besides, you'll have plenty to worry about when Mercury kicks into retrograde on the 19th. Stay Zen, folks.