Your Stars December 2016

As in Britain’s Brexit election, professional pollsters called the U.S. election completely wrong, only this time the astrologers did so too. Not every one of them, but the consensus among star-gazers was that Hillary Clinton had it in the bag. Whether using C12 methods for besiegement battles or modern techniques involving asteroids, astrology mostly got it wrong.

Among the exceptions was North America’s most popular astrologer, Susan Miller, who said some 12 months ago that a recount would be necessary. Perhaps the ongoing investigation into three key swing states, instigated by Green Party leader Jill Stein, will change the outcome, perhaps not.

What of the apparent winner, Donald Trump?

Among the numerous analyses of his horoscope, one notes the remarks of Mexican astrologer Aiesha Cosmos, who uses the Mayan calendar, who said that November 8 was fortuitous for Trump and that the President elect’s ‘inner self sign’ is “Blue self-existing night guided by storm”, meaning he embodies “an inner hurricane of self-contradiction”.

No argument there, no one knows for sure what Trump’s pronouncements amount to, or which of his Gemini Twins might be in control. Using the modern western system, every astrologer has noted Trump’s Leo Ascendant – extreme vanity, Leo at its worst – and his Gemini Sun’s conjunction with planet Prometheus, denoting a maverick who revels in creating chaos.

Your astrologer’s conclusion about the election is that, as noted previously, a politician with a strong Jupiter transit – and Trump is currently enjoying a once-in-12 year Jupiter return – is a formidable animal. Also, that we are still only halfway through the long transit of Pluto through Capricorn; an era of plutocratic might.

December’s planets are a jumble of the hopeful, worrying and indifferent.

sagittariusConfusion is one keynote, thanks firstly to the conjunction of Neptune (planet of misinformation) with the lunar south node (crudely= destiny), and secondly to the imminent retrograde of Mercury (from December 19 to January 8), meaning the usual mix of cock-up and delay during the messenger planet’s three week backslide. Back up your computer.

Other dates: the Midwinter Solstice arrives on December 21 as per usual, the full Moon (in Gemini) on December 14, and the new Moon on December 29. On December 26 comes a rare opposition between Jupiter and Prometheus, a combination described by the late Rheinhold Ebertin as ‘the urge for independence…. inventors, adventurers and fortune-hunters’. As this opposition recurs twice in 2017, in April and September, we might usefully take note of events over the festive season.

I wish my readers good luck with their inventions, adventures and fortune-hunting in the new year. And, of course, a joyous Christmas.

Sagittarius

In astro-think, planets don’t just have characteristics, they have correspondences in the worlds of gems and metals. Saturn, for example, corresponds to lead, dense and heavy. That should give you a clue about what most Centaurs have been dealing with during Saturn’s ongoing transit of your skies in 2016; weighty issues, not necessarily bad but important.

With your birthday Sun joining Saturn this month (their conjunction is exact on December 10), unresolved issues are up for processing; anything involving work, promotion, walking off the job, completing projects. You may also find yourself tweaking your personal image a little to reflect your status – something more mature or official perhaps.

Not everything is weighty of course, and the Sagittarian Sun allows you to cherry pick from the planetary action.   Your home and living quarters for example – quite a puzzle for some of you this year, thanks to Neptune – get the chance of a brisk shake-down after 19 December, thanks to Mars’ arrival. Ruler Jupiter, meanwhile, is super helpful in winning you brownie points among colleagues and keeping the wheels of your social circle well-oiled. Ditto Venus (plus party kisses) once the green planet moves onside at the 8th. Those of you in the dating game look well-catered for, especially on the weekend of the 10th.

More long-term romances are harder to call before the New Year. Saturn and Prometheus make an odd, perhaps combustible pairing. Best go with the flow for now, and avoid the full Moon of the 14th for anything resembling a serious discussion. Happy birthday.

Capricorn

Like a dancer responding to an erratic piece of music, you have to measure your pace with care in December. Having Venus in your skies for the first week of the month is not much of an inducement to crack on with work (though, of course, you will!), more an invitation to slope off to catch a movie, linger over a pleasurable meal or locate a hot date.

Go ahead, indulge. While your ‘scope is promisingly set-up for the things that really matter to life as a Capricorn (Money! Power! Status!), torrential love affairs look more likely once your birthday season is under way. For those unable to wait, the 12th and 16th look amenable.

However, you are on a strict (ish) deadline, with messenger Mercury drawing to a halt in the Goat’s skies on December 19, then spending three weeks in retrograde. Ideally, shopping and holiday schedules will all be done by then, but do have a Plan B up your sleeve and show saintly patience in the queues. That said, consider that nine weeks of Mercury in your skies – from December 3 – is a gift for making your point to the world, and that long lost associations tend to resurface during Merc Ret (worth an extra round of singing Auld Laing Syne).

The midwinter solstice on December 21 puts you in charge of your affairs, with the new Moon of December 29 a seed moment in your personal year, though you can let things drift a little until Mercury’s go-slow is over (January 8) before you instigate your latest plans for world domination. Given the mighty clash of planets presiding over your ‘scope then (Prometheus/Jupiter), you look ready for the role.

Aquarius

Don’t spend too much time wondering what you did right this month – the important thing is to enjoy your moment in the limelight and, in the first two weeks especially, to push boldly on with your professional agenda.

That’ s ‘boldly’ as in overturning the odd table to make your point (if needed). Warrior Mars stomping through your skies until December 18 represents a person (you!) who doesn’t like ‘no’ for an answer, and whose determination to win will not be thwarted. As the red planet lines up obligingly with most of the solar system’s other planets, displays of force and emotion may not be needed – the descent of the ‘red mist’ is always to be avoided – but an energetic approach is right and proper.

Mars is useful for another role – the ardent lover – but since you have Venus in your skies from December 8 right through to the new year, the part of charming seducer is also available, and if that sounds a little ripe, Venus also offers the more gentler role of social secretary, and option of a flamboyant make-over and the chance of a splendid new outfit in the sales.

The sense of good things (including money) flowing your way is enhanced by the ongoing presence of Jupiter, planet of the big shot, in your fellow air sign of Libra. Indeed, Jupiter and Venus align magically on Christmas Day itself, and if you are spending this holiday somewhere abroad and/or exotic, you are in tune with your stars.

In the early part of December you are also in receipt of help from planets in Sagittarius (fire for your air) where your Saturn ruler holds sway, keeping you onside with authority figures (ie the boss) and with your network of colleagues and acquaintances. You look quite the social whirlwind for much of the month, not least at the full Moon of December 14.

Mercury spends all month in Capricorn, a behind-the-scenes spot for you (although many Aquarians have planets in this adjacent sign). The messenger planet’s three weeks in retrograde (from the 19th to January 8) are irksome for all, but for you may spell a welcome retreat from the people-crammed mood of your horoscope. You may also find the ghost of Christmas Past oozing out of the woodwork, whether as a recycled Xmas gift or an actual personage. The new moon on December 29, in Capricorn, means that on New Year’s Eve, Luna is in your skies. Happy New Year.

Pisces

Fasten your seat belt, a little turbulence is promised by the recent (November 29) new Moon at the peak of your ‘scope – nothing you can’t handle, natch, but where work is concerned you are at a point where you have to perform and be seen to perform. Plus, with the mighty Sun joining with Saturn on December 10, heavyweight decisions about career and/or property loom large, perhaps bringing to a climax projects on which you have expended much energy over recent months – a situation especially applicable to birthdays between March 6-11. Take a deep breath, take a reality check and take the plunge.

Things are complicated by the three weeks of retrograde Mercury that begin on December 19, meaning moves are best made sooner rather than later. A backsliding Mercury is not necessarily a deal-wrecker, but delays are usually involved.

A further twist in the tale comes with Mars’ arrival in the Fishes’ skies on December 19 for a six week stay. Since the red planet represents will power and physical prowess, this can be a positive transit but Mars’ impetuous nature can also spell hot tempers and bruised toes. On the physical level, take it easy.

Less easy to call is the recent conjunction of the south node (eclipse point) and Neptune, a planet that remains in your skies until 2025, though it won’t be mixed up with those enigmatic lunar nodes again during that time. The mystics among you (and there are plenty) will doubtless be having intimations of past lives and the like, the rest of you are asked simply to identify your destiny and redouble your efforts to manifest it (simple then!). Late February birthdays are especially involved.

The Sun, that wayward Mercury and the new Moon of December 29 all involve your fellow travellers and professional colleagues and, delays notwithstanding, suggest plenty of support across the festive season and into the New Year.

Romance? With Mars in your skies from mid-month you look quite the go-getter. Ruler Jupiter remains in your ‘scope’s zone of sex and secrets, and given a rare clash between Jupiter and Prometheus at the close of the year, you look primed either for a surprise development in your intimate life (someone gate-crashing your affections perhaps), or an unholy row about the terms on which you conduct a relationship, specifically who is paying for what. Fasten your seatbelts.

Aries

First things first: draw up your list of must-do projects/shopping lists and flash through them at top Aries-speed before Mercury turns retrograde on December 19 to throw a spanner into everyone’s works. Certainly up until then the cosmos is smiling on you. As you are operating under the recent (November 29) new Moon in your fellow fire sign of Sagittarius, with your Mars ruler also handily sited, things promise to fall obligingly in place in the first three weeks of the month.

The period around December 9-10 is especially fortuitous – empowering even – as the Sun first meets Saturn and then aligns with Prometheus in your own skies. The Moon in the Ram’s skies is an added bonus for getting things done on a practical level and for springing any surprises you have in mind. It’s your moment.

The new Moon of December 29, close to the apex of your solar ‘scope, signals a more pressing time on the career front (once festivities are over), and a January full of catch-up, but nothing that should daunt you.

More ambiguous, and way less normal, are relations with significant others – not just partners and friends, but ex’s, enemies and strangers who suddenly become familiars. The maverick planet Prometheus, in the Ram’s skies for the next couple of years, is highly active at the end of December, when it ends several months of backsliding and simultaneously opposes Jupiter.

The latter planet has been in your complimentary sign of Libra for several months now, turning up the heat on personal relations, promising arrivals and departures in equal measure. Under this transit you can forge closer bonds with people you know, find expert help from high-flying professionals (one never knows hen you’ll need a lawyer for example!) and spend way too much money. You can also fall out with friends, or find someone intriguing gate crashing your world (or vice versa).

With your Mars ruler in a secretive zone of your ‘scope from mid-month right through to the end of January, you also need to find room for down-time and me-time, somewhere far from the madding crowd to re-energise mind, body and spirit. A spa treatment for a Christmas present? That’ll do nicely.

Taurus

Money and material assets, which are held to be part of Taurus’s particular interests, are under scrutiny for much of December, thanks firstly to the recent (November 29) new Moon and secondly to the ongoing presence of Saturn in your house of shared resources. Saturn is about restraint and responsibility, so rest assured that any financial transactions, especially borrowing, lending and bequests, will be the subject of scrutiny and obligation – on either your part or another party’s. Best not get cavalier, especially with other people’s dosh. The meeting of Sun and Saturn on December 10 may mark a decisive point in negotiations.

Pressure, not necessarily of a bad sort, comes from your career, where Mars holds sway and where rugged individualism may be called for to fight your corner. Happily, your fairy godmother, Venus, is on hand to help, though you’ll need all your diplomatic skills to schmooze onwards. Any battles ease somewhat after the 19th, when Mars moves on to a more obliging position where you can find help from your colleagues and fellow professionals. If you fancy the role of committee chairman or something similar, it’s there for the taking. Alternatively, those of you in the dating game might find a hot date, perhaps at the office party.

At the same time, December 19, Mercury turns retrograde to slow things down right across the festive season (until January 8). Until then you can achieve plenty – Mercury is sweetly sited in fellow earth sign Capricorn – though not without sweat and commitment.

At the midwinter solstice on the 21st the Sun moves into Capricorn – positive for you and a chance to catch-up on runnings from earlier in the month, before Mercury turned awkward. The new Moon of December 29 is likewise empowering. Mercury might be in retreat – excellent for a revision of plans or a re-write of your masterpiece – but you head into the New Year on a very positive and increasingly public roll.

Gemini

Crunch time? Or time for a romantic lunch? Your stars contain both scenarios. By now many of you will have survived the testing transit of Saturn in opposition, though birthdays between June 6-11 are confronted by the taskmaster planet this month, and can expect to be challenged accordingly, calling for steely resolve, clear-eyed realism and a major decision about property, parents, job or a partnership. If you have the years, events from 1987 may be relevant to what’s going on. If confronted by anything resembling bullying (say by a boss), don’t be cowed. Events around December 10, when the Sun passes Saturn, are especially important.

On very much the flip side comes Jupiter, moving swiftly through your house of romance and pleasure, promising a few bonzer parties at the least, and a burst of creative magnificence for the arty types among you. That you have the two relationship planets, Mars and Venus, on side from another air sign, Aquarius, boosts your chances of an expansive agenda and some cool company to go with it. In short everything remains to play for.

On December 13/14 comes the annual full Moon in Gemini – a fine time to be in the spotlight and extend feelers to folks who hold a certain je-ne-sais-quoi attraction. Your social orbit looks busy and gratifying, even if you are under the hammer from officialdom, but skip the full Moon for full and frank discussions with you-know-who. Give it a few days.

Your career is one of the most active zones of your ‘scope in the run-up to Christmas. With Neptune, near the apex of your solar ‘scope, reactivated, a mix of glamour and uncertainty prevails. Pushing on, or extricating yourself from the confusion to carve your own path, is something that promises to be a great deal clearer after the festive season, once your Mercury ruler has completed its retrograde cycle. If you can postpone signing documents or agreeing terms (especially financial0 until mid-January, so much the better. You are, as you know, a master of ambiguity.

Cancer

The Crab is habitually a conservative (with a small ‘c’) creature, not given to dramatic changes, least of all when it comes to living quarters. However, your horoscope gives you ample opportunities to make some radical overhauls later in December, more of which anon.

The first part of the month, however, is best used to clear the decks and nail down as many arrangements as possible. Your sixth house of duty and graft is packed with planets and the odd asteroid, while you are in direct firing line from the imminent retrograde of messenger Mercury – from December 19 to January 8 – in your opposite sign Capricorn, a period when significant others (including ex’s) are prone to flaky behaviour.

Personal relationships are certainly in the spotlight this month. Venus and Mars promise tempting offers and bedroom intimacy, though you look somewhat on the back foot in any confrontations. You may have to roll with the punches – metaphorically speaking – until mid-January, when you are promised more clarity about others’ intentions.

Mars’ shift into a fellow water sign, Pisces, on December 19 is, however, an energising, even inspirational influence, especially for those of a musical or artistic bent – painting, photography and movie land are all signalled by the conjunction of Mars and Neptune as we head into the new year (along with too much tequila).

The cage-rattling aspects in your ‘scope also arrive over the festive season. Jupiter in your fourth house of home and family is, as has been noted before, a signature for domestic peace and prosperity. As the giant planet makes a rare opposition to Prometheus over Christmas however, you may find yourself making New Year resolutions about upheaval, either at home or in your career – notably if you have a birthday around July 12. You have options!

The full Moon of December 14 – and the Crab is a child of Luna remember – touches a secretive spot in your ‘scope, but with a still potent Moon in your skies over the two following days, you’re empowered, not least to stand up to flaky partners.

Leo

The expression ”Lionheart” is a useful keyword for you this month, Leo. Sagittarius, the sign that rules affairs of the heart in your solar ‘scope, is packed with planets (plus marriage asteroid Juno) and has just given birth to a new Moon (on November 29), a cue for you to put your desires and feelings ahead of more cerebral considerations.

That notion is fully supported by Venus in opposition from December 3; a cue for the single among you to pursue any head-turning encounters with vigour. Mars is also in opposition until December 19, a less savoury transit to be sure (as noted last month, careful with whom you pick a scrap), but one that, combined with asteroid Pallas, suggests that one-on-one relationships of every stripe (not just romantic) will be commanding your attention in the run-up to the festive season.

The full Moon of December 14 broadens your outlook further, suggesting that running around town greeting all and sundry is a useful investment of your time and energy. Shortly afterwards, Luna reaches your own skies over the weekend of December 17/18, allowing you to hog the limelight with impunity – absolutely Leo’s thing. Dress brightly.

Almost lastly there is Jupiter sailing through Libra (air for your fire) and the zone of your ‘scope where you wheel, deal, ginger up your siblings and expand your online presence. Get voluble.

There are always downsides, of course, and a retrograde Mercury (from December 19-January 8) is unlikely to leave your schedules undisturbed, but this is a minor glitch in comparison to the outgoing mood of your ‘scope.

Over the festive season the wayward planet Prometheus also wakes up, making rare aspects to Saturn and Jupiter. Though these are long-term signifiers, they are the kind to open vistas, especially if your profession is to do with education, law or an altruistic concern helping to keep the world on a sane footing.

Virgo

Planets in other earth signs are invariably supportive, so the first week of December, with fair Venus passing through Capricorn, is there to relish; a touch of Christmas before the real thing arrives, or an excuse for some canoodling over a swanky (albeit super healthy) meal.

That your ruling planet, Mercury, spends nine weeks in Capricorn is therefore also good news, encouragement to concentrate on the activities, hobbies and people that truly delight you. The snag. Of course, is that mercury will be sliding backwards between December 18 and January 8, which at best allows you to slow down and smell the flowers/perfume and to find dear lost friends re-appearing in your world. Still, even your scrupulously organised schedule is unlikely to survive without a snag or two, so a plan B is in order.

In the midst of this spell comes the new moon of December 29, a re-boot for your personal agenda, though what, or who, is on offer may take until January to actually manifest. Take your pleasures where you find them, but do take them.

The season of Sagittarius, before the solstice on December 21, looks a little bumper, pushing you to complete deadlines and, especially around December 10, handle awkward demanding people (probably the boss). Nothing that should disturb you overly, but stay on your toes. Saturn has already put you through quite a testing year professionally (especially this autumn) so expect more of the same. The full Moon on December 14 restates this theme, albeit offering you the chance to parade before your adoring public. You may find yourself in the spotlight whether you seek it or not.

December’s is a chequered picture, however. August birthdays remain confronted with the tricky combination of slippery Neptune conjunct the lunar south node, a somewhat karmic combination that calls for you to scrutinise any less than satisfactory relationships for signs of deception. Boundaries at which Virgoans are generally good, need to be clearly marked. Virgos don’t indulge themselves overly, so why exempt others from your standards?

Mars moving into opposition and reaching Neptune at the end of the month is double –edge. Is that figure coming over the horizon a thrilling lover, or a troublemaker to be kept at arm’s length? You have all of January to make up your mind.

Finally there is the re-awakening planet Prometheus to consider – the oddball planet makes a couple of key aspects as 2016 draws to a close, both concerning money and property. No need for alarm (though spend spend spend isn’t your best plan of action just now), more case of drawing up a new year’s resolution where your money goes.

Libra

If Santa Claus had an astrological signifier it would surely be Jupiter (cheery, generous), and since Jupiter is in your skies this particular yuletide, the onus is on you to supply plenty of yo-ho-ho, preferably without maxing the credit card. This particular festive season is special, more of which anon.

First things first, and the recent (November 29) new Moon sets the tone for the early part of the month, asking for you to focus on intellectual projects, teaching gigs, and the power of the written and spoken word. Saturn’s ongoing presence in the zone of your ‘scope concerned with such things (as well as the internet and digital realm) is enhanced when the Sun conjoins the ringed planet on December 10, an intriguing date for professional developments. Ditto for the full Moon of the 14th.

Before then – from the 8th – your fairy godmother Venus moves into the pleasure zone of your ‘scope – not mindless pleasure (though that’s available), but the satisfaction that comes from creativity, sportsmanship, good friends and dashing romances. Christmas itself marvellously starred, as Venus aligns sweetly with Jupiter. Spread your magic.

For singletons, the entire festive season looks full of opportunity, for those of you in more volatile relationships, the closing week of 2016 brings, uh, more volatility as Jupiter in Libra’s skies opposes Prometheus in Aries. Sudden bust-ups and equally startling arrivals are described by this duo, not least for birthdays around October 14. With Jupiter on your side, you look in a win-win situation regardless of what happens.

On a practical level, the long dawdling of Mercury at the root of your chart is a chance to get truly grounded in home and family. Mercury is the planet of organisation, so its retrograde phase (December 19-January 8) is a chance to restructure your domestic life and expedite a purge of items that will never make you smile, however valuable. The new Moon of December 29 repeats the message.

Scorpio

Count your blessings, and along with them count your pennies. The Sun and Saturn in your cash zone – the pair meet on December 10 – look like something of a crunch point in the pre-Christmas cash flow, as does the full Moon on the 14th. It is worth looking back exactly 12 months when a similar showdown was in action.

Next year should be a different story, as Jupiter, the money planet (and ruler of your cash flow) will be in your skies. Until then, Jupiter remains behind the scenes in your ‘scope, though the giant planet’s encounter with maverick Prometheus at the end of the month may trigger an unexpected windfall.

Happily, your horoscope also has less mundane matters in mind. Venus remains in highly sociable mood for the first week of December, and with Mercury also emphasising your friendship circle all month (and beyond), you shouldn’t lack for support and company. The three weeks of Mercury in retrograde (December 19-January 8) promise the usual mix of delays and dodgy software, but may also being an old chum or two into your world.

December 19 is a key date for another reason, as your ruler Mars moves into Pisces for a six week residence. Since the sign of the Fishes represents the pleasure zone of your horoscope, the festive season and all of January promise sensual delights and, with Neptune involved, an infatuation or two. Those of you in the coils of a less than satisfactory romance may also find the courage to cut loose (or at least confront) over the always-emotional midwinter celebrations. Lance the boil (ouch).

For sporty and creative types, Mars’ transit through Pisces should find you in inspired/unbeatable form. That wayward Mercury, along with the new Moon of December 29, also support hauling out discarded manuscripts and canvases for re-consideration. Any teaching or studying role is also favoured during the next two months.

At Christmas itself, the Moon is in Scorpio’s skies to make you the star of the show, and with fair Venus secure in your house of home and family, there should be peace in the valley.