I find it a little startling to be writing my last forecast of the year, mostly because I still remember staring down January 1, 2024, with big, big plans.
Twenty-twenty-four was going to be the year that I finally got my act together. While I accomplished a lot, I regret to say that those Bucket List items are rolling over to 2025: finishing my novel, learning to row, and losing those extra pounds.
How did you fare, stare-gazer? Was 2024 filled with highlights and lo-lights? Did the cosmic rollercoaster derail your best-laid intentions?
As we approach the closing days of the year, I don’t want to suggest quiet introspection, or lists held in abeyance until the clock strikes midnight on December 31. No, I want everyone to start working towards their stretch goals on the first of December — the day of the Sagittarius New Moon.
As the archer’s arrow soars through the heavens, the Sun and Moon conjoin in a new lunar phase. While this lunation has challenging aspects — retrograde Jupiter opposing it and in mutual reception with retrograde Mercury by detriment, not to mention a square to Saturn in Pisces — I still think that some things are worth the fight.
The lunation is separating from a powerful action-oriented and courageous trine to Mars in Leo, suggesting that we have the mettle to pursue our heart’s desire. Although the applying square to Saturn can suggest restrictions on our actions, the lunation has the upper-hand in overcoming them. The Piscean energies underpinning Saturn's current astrological position help our imagination soar, tune us into our emotional needs, and even call upon us to have faith, while Saturn demands that we show up even when all these things are lacking. Without a plan, without doing research, without a roadmap, this could be a tough lunation under which to embark on any self-reinvention, but don’t we all root for the underdog?
A trine from Uranus helps Venus in Capricorn lighten up (Dec. 2), inviting us to let our hair down and embrace unexpected pleasures, whether it’s making an impulse purchase or enjoying a good meal. Try to ease up before a celestial pile-up has us fuming two days later.
Mercury opposing Jupiter tightens its vice grip on our hopes and ideas (Dec. 4). The Sun’s square to Saturn could find us bucking against a sudden obstacle or constraint, while a compassionate sextile between Venus and Neptune reminds us to moderate our white-knuckling tendencies under the sky’s harder aspects. Soft diplomacy and emotional attunement may go a long way in navigating any unexpected detours.
A new cycle is birthed as Mercury conjoins the Sun in the wee hours (Dec. 5). Our window of opportunity is set between now and March 15, 2025, when Mercury turns retrograde in Pisces, to reorient our mindset. How has thinking small served you? Have you lost faith and put too much stock in the harshness of reality than in the empowering potential of creative visualization and an unwavering faith in the authenticity of your beliefs? As Mercury’s new cycle begins, consider how you might stretch your mind and intellectual capacity to embrace far-flung wisdom and paradigmatic shifts in your current outlook. Don’t let the Mercury-Saturn square (Dec. 6) get your hackles up or discourage a flicker of commitment in the right direction.
On December 6, Mars tuns retrograde, thrusting us into an almost three-month uphill battle demanding courage and sacrifice. Mars retraces its first steps in Leo and will station direct again on February 23, 2025 in Cancer— a degree it was last on in October 2024. If you cast your mind back to the autumn, recall any challenges you faced (Mars is, after all, in fall in Cancer). What happened to your energy, creative drive, focus and above-all determination? What struggles lined your heroic journey? Did new insecurities surface? As we navigate the introspective call to rethink our external actions in the world, the key to navigating this draining transit may lie in how we marry courage with compassion.
Although we may not feel a distinctive shift, Neptune turns direct the next day (Dec. 7). As we pick up the pieces from any illusions shattered during its retrograde motion, we can now begin dreaming new dreams, hopefully on a more solid footing after we’ve peeked behind the wizard's curtain.
Meanwhile, Venus’ entry into Aquarius and immediate conjunction to Pluto could see our yearnings deepened and decidedly set apart from societal expectations. It may be tough to acknowledge what we want or need from relationships, in money matters or even in our pursuit of pleasure. Constructs that we’ve come to embrace may fetter our ability to give voice to our needs, especially since Venus in Aquarius has no desire to conform to social strictures. While in Saturn’s domicile, its deep need for long-term stability is forever hampered by its lack of belonging; peregrine in most of the sign, it may feel like something doesn’t fit about its environment.
Venus opposes retrograde Mars (Dec. 12), potentially seeing our capacity for acting on desires thwarted. Here, the sacrifice may be all about our individuality. Where Venus occupies the sign of the collective, Mars navigates individual self-expression, retreating from its impetus towards boldness in hesitation and circumspection. Though we may feel this area of our lives encounter paralytic restraint, mindful Mercury gets a toehold on its direct motion (Dec. 15), just as the Moon and Sol face off in the sky.
The Gemini Full Moon (Dec. 15), widely squaring Saturn in Pisces, could make for a crunchy plenilunium. We already know that the ruler of this Full Moon is in detriment though direct — an improvement on its condition from earlier in the month. Nevertheless, this is a Mercury that’s finding its feet again and potentially taking a second, crucial look at the state of Gemini-ruled affairs in your chart. Planets direct can also overturn previous decisions, or enact a pathway corrected during their retrograde motion. With Saturn in the mix, we may feel the pinch of rules, regulations, red tape and even the need for flexibility under constraints imposed upon us. Something that may have commenced under the Gemini New Moon back in June may also find culmination, illuminating the net of our intentions and actions.
A Sun-Neptune square (Dec. 18) could see us thrown for a loop as we feel the familiar brush of uncertainty: is everything that glitters really gold? As our solar desires confront the hesitation that comes from doubting what we see, intuitive guidance may be the only answer to navigating this brief, albeit destabilizing transit. Thankfully, a benefic sweep that could bring good luck and a much-needed burst of positivity comes as Venus trines Jupiter (Dec. 19). The airy realm of ideas could see us get creative or seek new sources of inspiration.
Happy Winter Solstice on December 21 as the unconquerable Sun enters the sea-goat’s domain. This is the much-anticipated cross-quarter of the year where we descend into the longest night of darkness. Gaze into the night sky, light copious candles, and find ways to bring light into your life; we do seem to be navigating darker times, both calendrically and in the collective zeitgeist. Let hope for a brighter future be a cornerstone of your celebration if you choose to mark this day.
The balance of 2024 closes under some restless transits, including Jupiter squaring Saturn (Dec. 24), direct Mercury reprising its opposition to Jupiter (Dec. 26), Mercury squaring Saturn (Dec. 27), and Venus squaring Uranus (Dec. 28). These are the telltale astrological signatures of changes afoot — desires to see something different in the face of stagnation. Perhaps we’ll finally stop taking our lives for granted in 2025? Old versions of ourselves and our belief systems may finally be dismantled. Jupiter in Gemini may be challenging our ideas — ideas that Saturn in Pisces was already struggling with under the changing tides of personal transformation. Prepare yourself for feeling the ups and downs associated with needing to do something different.
The year closes on a second lunation — a New Moon in Capricorn (Dec. 30), closely conjoined Pallas Athene. Strategy meets purpose in this lunar event, grounding us in the practical sign of Capricorn, whose raison d’etre is constant striving. A sextile from Saturn aids this lunation, with the ruler configured sympathetically, helping hard work seem less overwhelming. Quincunxes to Jupiter and Mars, however, may amplify the late-December itch for something new. One manifestation of a quincunx can be an intense unconscious drive for change. Remember that these planets share nothing in common either elementally or by modality, making them unnatural bedfellows. In fact, they’re two planets unlikely to share a bed until something changes! Jupiter and Mars can point to the areas of our lives that need the most adjustment under this lunation. As we scrutinize our 2025 goal lists, what modifications can you make to forge a new you in the New Year?
—
*DISCLAIMER: All astrological forecasts are for ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY. Any decisions that you might make as a result of reading this or any other astrological blog entry are YOURS ALONE and the creator of this blog will not be held responsible! For any legal issues, see a lawyer; for medical ones, consult a physician. None of the information in this blog constitutes actionable advice from a licensed professional. Once again, this forecast is for ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY!
Comments