“…And Mama in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap, had just settled down for a long winter’s nap.” – Clement Clarke Moore
The stillness of Winter. The deep crisp air and quietness as we snuggle up and settle into the Winter Solstice here in the Northern Hemisphere. December 2023 shifts back from the fiery optimistic Sagittarian energy to the earthy and chilly Capricorn energy. The winter solstice occurs when we have the shortest day of the year as the Sun moves into the Saturn-ruled zodiac sign of Capricorn on December 21st. Yes, it’s the time of year when we peer into the darkness after a filling dinner, yawn….and say, “Yep time for bed! And it’s only 7PM LOL. Not only does the sun make a make a big move this month, but a whopping 4 planets turn around and actually change direction this month as well. Mercury, the planet of communication, graces December with his last Retrograde of the year starting December 13th, which will go for a little over two weeks, so take EXTRA TIME when traveling, double check travel plans, and if you’re planning on purchasing any electronics as gifts this year, I HIGHLY recommend purchasing them before Mercury turns around and does his backward dance as Mercury rules travel, business, and electronics. Neptune, Chiron and Jupiter also make BIG moves turning DIRECT after being retrograde for quite some time. We are finally coming to the end of the powerful retrograde party we experienced in late summer so by the time the new year is upon us, we have fresh forward momentum. We also have a spicy New Moon in Sagittarius which gives us the optimism and motivation to set those New Year’s Resolutions, followed by a BEAUTiful full Moon in Cancer which highlights a 3-day energy portal of beautiful, romantic, creative, and joyous energy surrounding Christmas Day. Let’s take a look at the big transits of the month:
Dec. 1st – Mercury enters Capricorn – Time to take a more strategic and practical approach to things this month. Start thinking about the goals you want to set for 2024.
Dec. 4th – Venus enters Scorpio – the planet of love gets deeply passionate this month. Here the goddess of love and beauty visits the underworld so prepare for deeply intense and passionate encounters in your relationships this month.
Dec. 6th – Neptune goes Direct in Pisces – Neptune rules over our spirituality, creativity, intuition, and ways in which we choose to escape – Neptune moving Direct in Pisces will bring a shift in the Pisces area of your chart so check which house Pisces rules. You may finally get some forward movement, clarity or experience some profound spiritual growth in this particular area.
Dec. 12th – New moon in Sagittarius – The New Moon in Sagittarius is aligning with Mars and having tense conversations with Neptune and Uranus. Use this new moon to be optimistic and go after what you feel passionate about – just be careful of unrealistic expectations and Uranus says “expect the unexpected” as to how it manifests.
Dec. 13th – Mercury goes Retrograde in Capricorn – Mercury will backtrack from Capricorn to Sagittarius for about 2.5 weeks so double check travel plans, communications, business contracts, sales and backup all files. Many people choose to travel over the Christmas holiday – take extra time, double check itineraries AND the time your expected at Moms for Christmas dinner 😉
Dec. 21st – Winter Solstice – Sun moves into Capricorn marking Capricorn season – Happy Birthday to all the Capricorns out there! As we start something new (the days start getting longer after Dec. 21st) it’s time to turn that new page.
Dec. 25th – 27th – a 3-day portal of joyous, creative, and positive energy:
Dec. 25th – Venus trines Neptune - Romance is in the air and creativity abounds.
Dec. 26th – Full Moon in Cancer – having beautiful conversations with Saturn and Jupiter, this full moon can solidify relationships, bring miracles, and create a feeling of home and love with family and friends.
Dec. 27th – Sun trine Jupiter – a day filled with optimism and hope, you can expect opportunities (possibly business-related), success and overall good luck. Chiron goes DIRECT – The wounded healer moving forward in the sky allows us to heal some self-worth issues, get vulnerable and re-connect from a more intimate, healed, and wholesome space.
Dec. 29th - Venus enters Sagittarius – the goddess of love bursts from the depths of Scorpio with a breath of fresh air and says, “time for an adventure.” So, take a risk, ask your crush out, and consider that out of the norm relationship or perspective on life.
Dec. 30th – Jupiter goes Direct - The planet of luck, abundance, expansion and growth moves forward in sky creating momentum for opportunities and success to arrive.
That’s all the alignments for December – See you all next year in January 2024!
Image Credit: Pinterest