Here we are at the last month of 2018. This month’s astrology indicates that the tides are finally shifting!! The long drawn out retrograde focus finally ends as we look towards the New Year with more hope. Even though we may still feel some of the retrograde influences throughout most of December, we will definitely feel the cloak of retrograde energies becoming lighter and finally being removed by the end of the month. We’ll need to wrap things up this month as major changes appear to be just around the corner in 2019. Important steps in relationships, business and in all other areas of life will be activated. The more we can clear up by the end of December, the more we can be ready for the new clean slates that are waiting for us.
This past year we’ve had bits and pieces of information coming in slowly changing our belief systems and our ideology about “who we are” and what we want out of life. Over the coming months and into the New Year more information will be revealed to us about our purpose and need to explore. One of the reasons for all this exploration will be Jupiter in Sagittarius which will bring in greater opportunity to expand our horizons. During the first week of December we have a sign change for Venus, Mercury goes direct, and a New Moon in Sagittarius to help bring in more faith, hope, and optimism.
It all begins on December 2nd when Venus enters obsessive Scorpio. Deeply passionate relations are the focus with Venus in Scorpio. This is a highly emotional position for Venus. Superficial flirtations and contacts do not satisfy now, as we yearn for “body and soul” contact with someone special–contact that breaks the taboos, that is extreme and intense, and that is unforgettable. This is a highly emotional position for Venus. It is a passionate, sensual, and intense energy. Our relationships are immensely important to us, and we may even feel that they consume us. In fact, we tend to want to be consumed by them! Our drive is toward intense closeness, but blind faith in our partners is extremely hard for us now. Fears of being too vulnerable or of giving up our own power to others are strong. Scorpio is a “all or nothing” energy, and relationships tend to be somewhat of a roller-coaster ride as a result. Disdain for mediocrity and superficiality can compel us to create crises in order to feel alive and vital.
Communications return to normal when Mercury goes direct on December 6th. For a few days before and after this turnaround of Mercury you may find that you can’t seem to get anything done on the project that you have been concentrating so intensely on. Things you think of and suggest meet with inaction at every turn. Don’t let it bother you. It’s just a respite from heavy duty thinking. In a few days, your mental batteries will be recharged and you will make great forward strides once again. Later that same day the New Moon in Sagittarius will be offering us an opportunity to start over and begin to plan for the future.
The New Moon in Sagittarius presents an opportune time to commit to personal goals that express the positive energies of the sign of the Archer. We can too easily get lost in the details of mundane existence. With this potent Sagittarius energy, we can find ways to transcend these details of day-to-day life and nurture our faith, hope, and vision. Because Sagittarius thinks in big terms, we may have a tendency to overdo our expectations, especially with a square from restless Mars to the New Moon. It’s time to be a little more adventurous, and to set the stage for reaping the rewards from our braveries, as little or big as they may be, in approximately two weeks’ time after the Full Moon occurs.
Our thinking is back on track as Mercury enters forward-thinking Sagittarius on December 12th. We’re back to principles, finally. After spending the last month or so re-thinking, re-organizing, and re-creating some tools to make our work and lives flow more easily, we can now move on to the more lofty aspects of what we are doing. Whatever we are spending time on, it will be something we think has philosophical value, not only for ourselves, but to those around us. The expansiveness of Sagittarius is hard to resist, especially by one so inquisitive as Mercury. Our minds wander to far-away places and broad vistas. We want to give the world our truth and see theirs in return. Our words will travel far and fall on many ears. Be sure to keep yours own open though, so you can hear the answers.
The Winter Solstice is upon us in the northern hemisphere as the Sun makes its way into Capricorn on December 21st. As the Sun moves into the cardinal earth sign of Capricorn, we feel the calming energy of the earth and the need to take care of business. Over the next thirty days, we’ll feel the urge to get started on practical, heavy duty projects. This is a serious, no-frills kind of energy. A sense of being responsible and reliable fills the air. We become cautious and keenly aware of the need for safety and security. The sign of Capricorn relates to the process of managing things — businesses, projects, and people. It’s the director, putting all the pieces in the right places. The payoff is big if you do it right.
The following day, December 22nd, we have a Full Moon in Cancer. Luna is right at home in Cancer, the constellation she rules. The crab and the Moon are duly associated with motherhood, emotion and intuition. Cancer’s mantra is “I feel,” and indeed she feels like home. This Full Moon is about home and family. It’s about tradition and commitment. Cancer is rather straight and narrow. They love to cuddle, lounge around and eat everything in sight. They also yearn to put down roots and get settled early in life. As such they gravitate toward relationships and environments which promise longevity, safety and security. A stable partner is (usually) a priority element in what it means to feel settled. This Full Moon will be a culminating force, not only with regards to relationships, but also delivering seismic emotional understanding.
We will end the year on a fiery note as Mars enters its home sign of Aries on December 31st. This is a very impulsive position for Mars. The first instinct for Mars in Aries is to take action. Fiery Aries is a Cardinal sign characterized by immediacy, activity, and pioneering, so Mars fits perfectly into a fast-paced environment. Because there is little resistance during Mars in Aries, it almost feels like our obstacles melt away. But it’s not like they’ve totally disappeared — we’re just too driven and confident to be daunted by them. Even though we’ll probably face these obstacles at some point down the road, Mars in Aries is about pioneering new territory. This transit is not about planning. It’s about moving forward, regardless of what may stand in our way later.
We’ll want to blaze trails, push ourselves, and tone our bodies and minds. We’ll be more likely to do things we’ve never done before during this transit. Mars and Aries is all about trying, not necessarily about winning. Success comes from participating rather than the conquest. And while this incredible surge in energy can be beneficial, it can also become a challenge in our lives and relationships. Because we’re less concerned with consequences, impulsive behavior is likely. We may find that we experience more outbursts of anger, or that our direct approach rubs others the wrong way. Mars in Aries makes us all feel like “it’s my way or the highway,” which means we aren’t willing to meet others halfway. We could end up butting heads more frequently due to the aggressive energy in the air.
All the Best in the New Year!
Joseph P. Anthony
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