As the seasons shift, so also do the stars – and as Venus in retrograde takes its final bow in messing with our love lives, another planet is beginning its journey backward to take its place. That's right, folks — Mercury will begin its third retrograde of the year in Sagittarius on Nov. 16, the same day that Venus' retrograde ends. By the time it finishes on Dec. 6, it will be back in Scorpio. If you're wondering how Mercury retrograde in winter 2018 will affect you based on your sign, it's time to strap in.

This winter's mercury retrograde affects everyone differently, but never fear — those handy symbols can tell you what areas of your life to keep an eye on during this time.

Mercury in Sagittarius is a very free-flowing, fiery placement that can be a little scattered for the communication planet's liking, and this one also squares the planet Neptune in Pisces, according to Astrology King. This means our version of reality could feel very distorted at the moment, as Sagittarius is a fire sign based on truth and adventure, but Pisces is a water sign based on fantasy and dwelling, and Mercury and Neptune both highly influence thought and perception.

"Mercury square Neptune distorts your thinking which can confuse and complicate discussions and business dealings," Astrology King writes. "Even giving or receiving instructions can suffer from lack of clarity and misinterpretation."

But hey — going from a fire sign (Sagittarius) to a water sign (Scorpio) will be easier than you realize! Read on to find out what this Mercury in Retrograde will mean for your sign.

Aries Giphy Mercury in retrograde this winter affects your 9th house of philosophy, so you may feel like your worldview is in flux. You'll revert back to a more holistic perspective on transformation and change, as it will be transiting back to your 8th house that rules those aspects of transitions. This is actually very healthy for an Aries — you'll feel slower and maybe hesitant to speak, but this means you're growing to become more thoughtful and deliberate because of energy making you stop and listen to the inner aspects of a metamorphosis at play within yourself!

Taurus Giphy You get the honor of shifting your focus from the 8th house of transformation and change onto the 7th house of partnerships. This means you will be really having to reflect on how you best communicate in all relationships — whether it be your romantic partner, your friends, your family, your boss, everybody. Because you'll have wisdom of contemplating uprooting your communication style while Mercury was in Sagittarius (which is big for a stubborn Taurus like you who tends to resist the 8th house changes), your new Mercury in Scorpio placement will feel a little easier to navigate one it transits your 7th house.

Gemini Giphy You will be noticing some more misunderstandings with your health, as Mercury is retrograding into your 6th house. This is not to say you will experience health problems literally, but you will find yourself more curious about what it means to be living a healthy and productive physical life and find yourself more stuck on communicating that. As a Gemini, you can tend to be stuck in your head a lot, so this is a very good time to muse over what habits you want to bring to make things better in your life.

Cancer Giphy You will be going from focusing on living an active lifestyle while Mercury is in your 6th house, to feeling some conflict and disturbances in your 5th house of pleasure and joy. What brings you personal joy, Cancer? This is the time you will be crawling out of your shell to really find out. Mercury transitioning in Scorpio, a fixed sign, may mean you have to be a little more stubborn in standing your ground and putting up boundaries. But by the time December rolls around, you'll have such a better sense of who you are. So be prepared for some inner challenges that will really shape how you communicate your own personal feelings this season.

Leo Giphy You will be really thinking about what the concept of family means to you while Mercury goes from Sagittarius to Scorpio. While it's still in Sag, Mercury will be in your natural ruling 5th house of pleasure and joy, so you'll be really feeling yourself and expressing that — until you have to go and learn lessons again about valuing comfort and family, which aren't always the easiest for a bold Leo to do! You want to lead the tribe, not always be a part of it, but this season's retrograde will teach you that you don't have to do all the work to help others. This season, communicate and let someone know you need them. You never know how they could surprise you.

Virgo Giphy You're more of a doer than a talker, so Mercury will challenge you to honor your 3rd house of communication by the time it finishes its move backward in December. You are an acts-of-service sort of person, but now you're going to want to acquire the traits of a 3rd-house-ruled Gemini and gab more than you usually do for others to understand you. You'll see more opportunities to speak your mind, and the best way to grow during this time is to not hold back as much as you usually might be tempted to.

Libra Giphy You're all about balance, and this time, Mercury in retrograde is going to teach you all about going from the 3rd house of communication to translating that into your 2nd house of material possessions. You'll find yourself a bit more curious about how the external world communicates around wealth and abundance, and contemplate bringing those into your life. It might be harder to acquire or leave behind your own things during this time, but it is the perfect opportunity for you to do some much-needed winter cleaning. Clearing out physical baggage for you might lead to healing some emotional wounds, too.

Scorpio Giphy Mercury is going to end up right back in your sign, so your communication might not be taking a turn for the worst. Unlike the other signs, Mercury will come back to your 1st ruling house of the self, so everyone is going to feel effects of going back to the intense, fixed, watery sort of talking that you specialize in. It might feel like you're a fish out of water until then, but just hang on tight and keep being your fabulous scorpion self until retrograde ends, Scorpio. You'll be rewarded for being yourself then.

Sagittarius Giphy Mercury in Sagittarius has been a good placement for you, as you've experienced watching everyone be a bit more philosophical in general, like your sign likes! But now, it will go back into your 12th house of the subconscious once it gets back into Scorpio. So you will be faced with a lot of trials to communicate your subconscious fears, hopes and dreams during this time. Whether you're up for the task or not is up to you... just don't lose that spark in December! It'll be your natal sun sign season, so good fortune will still be here. It just might be a bit more frustrating to talk about it, but now is not the time to hold back.

Capricorn Giphy Mercury is going from your 12th house of the subconscious to your 11th house of friendships. You're going to want to figure out the best way to communicate with your community after you stop dwelling in freaking out about the unknown. Take care of those connections! They may need watering. You're the sort of person who will always challenge yourself, so try delving more into the intimacy you tend to be uncomfortable with.

Aquarius Giphy Mercury will be transiting your 10th house of career, so watch out for any pitfalls in talking things out with teammates or bosses. It's a good thing you're naturally inclined to absolutely love community, so use that to your advantage when Mercury comes into Scorpio and you lose your natural groove of Mercury in your 11th house. You'll feel a little more subdued in trying to talk at work, but this is the best time to keep trying!