Cosmic Events
- The Sun moves from Sagittarius into Capricorn on December 22nd. The Winter Solstice in the northern hemisphere.
- The New Moon in Sagittarius arrives on December 12th.
- The Full Moon in Cancer arrives December 27th.
- Mercury moves into Capricorn on December 1st. Retrograde on December 13th.
- Venus moves into Scorpio on December 4th.
- Mars is in Sagittarius all month.
- Jupiter is in Taurus retrograde. Direct on December 31st.
- Saturn is now direct in Pisces.
- Prometheus is retrograde in Taurus.
- Neptune is direct in Pisces on December 6th.
- Pluto is direct in Capricorn.
Sagittarius and Sagittarius rising
Adventure and joy are calling, and at just the right time – your birthday! Together, the Sun and Mars in your skies represent a formidable force, when your willpower finds traction. In short, a good time to throw your weight around. The new Moon of the 12th (birthday of the month) is a further cue to make resolutions and head determinedly into the future. Also in play is Mercury in one of its retrograde phases, meaning it arrives back in the Centaur on 23 December before leaving on January 14, bringing recent issues back to your attention while also suggesting you keep your pace steady rather than frantic.
Plus, and it’s a large plus, Venus reaches your skies on December 29th to carry you into a highly social beginning to 2024.
Mixed up in all this is an important long-term theme, which is Saturn at the root of your ‘scope, emphasising security and property. The ringed planet is now moving steadily forwards after several months of backsliding, so attention is due to the grittier issues, especially if you are a November Centaur. Happy birthday.
Capricorn and Capricorn rising
Experience should tell you what to expect in the first phase of December, when the Sun – and this year Mars, are behind the scenes in the zone of your ‘scope to do with secrets and mysteries. Making sure you are kept in the festive loop come Venus, nicely placed in an intensely social zone of your ‘scope, and Mercury, which spends most of December in your skies, before backsliding on the 23rd and not returning to the Sea Goat’s skies until January 14. Patience is therefore called for.
Your birthday season begins with a bang, nonetheless, as the Sun and Mercury entwine at the solstice, to be followed by a full Moon opposite you on the 27th; a moment when relationship issues are likely to reach resolution, one way or another. After that, you look in control, as the Sun in your skies makes multiple helpful contacts around the cosmos, with the emphasis on your social life. Jupiter, splendidly sited in your fellow earth sign of Taurus, wakes up at the very end of December to usher in parties and good times. Enjoy.
Aquarius and Aquarius rising
With Venus coasting over the roof of your ‘scope until late December, you are likely obliged to have a public role; people will be looking to you to supply some of the festive jollies. There is an intensely social theme in play throughout the month; for the Urn Bearer, Sagittarius represents teamwork and your extended network of fellow travellers. A new Moon here on the 12th asks you to reconnect – a message underscored by the back-and-forth movements of Mercury, currently in one of its retrograde phases. With the communications planet in the Centaur across Christmas and until mid-January, old contacts are prone to reappear.
Once the solstice arrives things begin to get less frantic, as the Sun moves into the mind-body-spirit zone of your ‘scope. The full Moon of the 27th further emphasises positive wellness practice. Home may be where the heart is; Jupiter, awakening on the last day of the month, remains sited in the zone of family and domesticity to carry you into ’24.
Pisces and Pisces rising
Providing you can keep pace with public demand for your talents, December looks rosy. The Sun and Mars in Sagittarius hog most of the action, and with this pair at the top of your ‘scope, alongside a new Moon on the 12th, career matters and a high profile are de rigeur. Mercury, in one of its retrograde phases, is also there between December 23 and January 14, calling recent professional matters back into contention – maybe even the promotion you didn’t quite get.
At the same time Venus in your fellow water sign of Scorpio is feeding your social life and sparking any international contacts you may have. The dreamier side of Piscean life is also in the ether, as Neptune, that long term resident in your skies, moves to forward motion and makes multiple aspects to other planets. Trust your intuition.
Once past the solstice the pressure of work eases and you can enter the new year on a socially busy tide. The full Moon of the 27th falls at a canny point in your ‘scope; it seems that someone, somewhere, holds the keys to your heart…or vice versa.
Aries and Aries rising
Be fiery and be patient. The former should be easy enough – Rams are customarily fiery and with the Sun and your Mars ruler both in Sagittarius – a kindred fire sign – you don’t gain anything from being shy and retiring (fat chance). Creatively, big ideas and visionary themes are in favour.
Patience is harder to come by for Aries, but with Mercury turning retrograde on the 13th, consider and reconsider your options, especially any offers that come your way. The full Moon of the 27th may bring added pressure to commit but if you can stall until a few weeks until Mercury behaves, so much the better.
On the last day of the year Jupiter turns direct in your house of resources. In a word- money.
Taurus and Taurus rising
Your ruling planet, Venus, spends almost all of December in opposition, highlighting all your one-on-one relationships but especially romances, making this a month when you can find or rekindle an affair, and make peace with anyone with whom you are on the outs. The Sun and Mars meanwhile emphasise your financial status and the matrix of debts, loans, contracts and credit cards through which it seems you can now carve a course, especially after the new Moon of the 12th.
Underpinning your current horoscope remains ‘lucky’ Jupiter in your skies, with the giant planet waking up at the end of the month to move forwards – and therefore stronger. A moment to count your blessings for sure, especially if you are an April birthday, but also to rediscover your confidence – ‘luck’ doesn’t just happen, it calls for your co-operation.
Gemini and Gemini rising
Sagittarius being your opposite yet complementary sign, there is massive emphasis on relationships across December and on into the new year. The Sun is, of course, always here at this time of year, but right now it’s joined by Mars. The red planet in opposition can signify trouble – someone wants to stir you up but not in a good way – or attraction – a flamboyant presence who stirs you up in just the right way. Or someone who does both – a very Gemini scenario, and keep in mind that the Centaur is, like the Twins, a sign of two halves, in their case beauty and beast.
Adding to the ambiguity in play is your totem planet Mercury. The communication planet is in one of its retrograde phases in December and January – in Capricorn as the month begins, then sliding back into Sagittarius between 23 December and 14 January to raise issues you thought done and dusted, and perhaps give you second thoughts about a certain pal or partner. Adding a healthy dose of romanticism is Venus, which arrives in The Centaur on 30 December for a three week stay when emotions are likely to run high and perhaps contradictory.
While you are juggling with personal (likely very personal) relationships, keep on mind that Saturn, atop your ‘scope, is renewing its demands on profession and property matters, notably for May birthdays.
Cancer and Cancer rising
You may not have as many options as you care for. Your horoscope’s zone of work is packed – duty must be done, contracts fulfilled, homes cleaned. This is a Virgo-like zone, however, so mind-body-spirit matters must also be allocated due time. Furthermore, with Venus – romancer, party animal, lover of luxury – beautifully sited in Scorpio and your house of recreation, you also have a duty to have a good time, to find good company and someone you can hold, even if it’s just your regular squeeze. Since Scorpio is writing the script, we aren’t talking about a peck on the cheek.
Partnerships of all stripes – spouse, lover, friend, open enemy, ex – are brought into sharp focus at the solstice, when the Sun moves into opposition and, more importantly, you have a full Moon in your sign on the 27th. Lunations are a bigger deal for Cancerians than for other signs, and this one is a likely signifier for a turning point in a close relationship. Things are made more uncertain by the retrograde of Mercury in operation across the festive season. The communications planet is in opposition until the 22nd, then backslides until returning to oppose you in mid-January – so decisions may have to be postponed, with the promises of others unreliable.
Jupiter turns to forward motion on the last day of the month, suggestions group activities are a source of strength. Be part of the team!
Leo and Leo rising
Strut your stuff! Your celestial ruler, The Sun, is in fiery Sagittarius and in your zone of self-glorification, the place where you remind the world what a fine king or queen you are; proud but not too much, generous to a fault, and a lot of fun. Mars is alongside the Sun so there is a danger that you might overdo things on the ‘I’m royalty, me’ front, but creativity and bravura performances are to be welcomed, as are parties.
Work must also be done, of course, especially once the Sun moves on at the solstice. With Mercury slipping backwards, arrangements are likely to go awry – double check schedules and others’ expectations rather than assume it’ll all be OK on the night. Work is more than a duty just now – with Jupiter up at the roof of your ‘scope and finally moving forwards again, you should be looking to collect all the brownie points (and promotions) you can muster.
Virgo and Virgo rising
Home and hearth are the customary focus of the festive season, and with Mars alongside the Sun in your domestic zone, the Virgo household looks a pretty lively place – let’s hope for positive reasons. The new Moon of the 12th is a moment to renew your bonds to family and ‘heritage’, however you like to interpret that currently ubiquitous word.
The social scene is supportive, thanks firstly to Venus emphasising everyday contacts, while your ruling planet is highly active in Capricorn, the sign that governs your creative and romantic life. However, Mercury’s backslide – especially the period it moves back into the Centaur between 23 December and January 14 – mean your treasured schedules may be stretched to snapping point. Take it easy. The Sun’s move into Capricorn at the solstice is a different matter, moving you into an outgoing phase where you can hoover up compliments and be mover and shaker, a notion supported by the e arrival of the Moon in your skies on New Year’s Eve. Also of interest, especially to birthdays around September 16, is the turnaround of Neptune – at last you can gain clarity about a partnership that’s been lost in the fog.
Libra and Libra rising
Hold tight to friends and siblings. The Sun and Mars, plus a new Moon, all emphasise the importance of righteous relationships – not really the romantic variety – while Mercury the communicator spends the entire festive season flipping back and forth in the same zone of your ‘scope. Late in the month ruler Venus also arrives here. Keep your lines of communication open, including those to people you haven’t seen for a while. As the saying goes, don’t be a stranger.
There’s also a button being pressed repeatedly on financial matters, and not in any alarming way. Au contraire, with Venus in your cash zone for most of December, and Jupiter about to move forwards in the more complicated area of shared finances, contracts and so forth, you should be able to adjust spread sheets to your advantage.
Finally, a full Moon in Cancer at the peak of your ‘scope, on the 27th, is a sure sign that you will be in the limelight over Christmas and beyond.
Scorpio and Scorpio rising
Feeling in control of your destiny? Your horoscope believe you are. Venus in your skies until the 29th turns up the volume on good times and romance, and suggests you play a happy, healing role over the festivities. At the same time your ruling planet, Mars, is deep into the zone of self-worth and ready assets – let abundance reign, or if you can’t manage that, then let there be enough.
The place where you may not hold all the cards concerns one-on-one relationships. Here, Jupiter and Prometheus present a complicated picture. On the one hand comes ‘lucky’ Jupiter, which springs back into forward motion at the end of December, signifying strong accord and beneficial partnerships, not least for October birthdays. Planet Prometheus does not spark back into full activity until mid-January, but the passage of Venus in Scorpio opposite Jupiter may be enough to bring a decision on a long-standing relationship.