The Astrology of December 2021
Well, 2021 is going out with a bang. I know we're all looking for a relaxed, happy holiday season, but... December is quite intense. But then, 2020 and 2021 have been nothing but intense!
The Sun, Mercury, and Mars in Sagittarius
Thankfully, we have a healthy dose of the positive Sagittarian energy through the month. The Sun and Mercury will both be in the Sign of the Archer until Dec. 13. Mercury will then carry on into Capricorn, but Mars will be joining the Sun in Sagittarius on the same day, Dec. 13.
This brings a much needed burst of positivity and lightheartedness, mostly through the first 2 weeks of December.
The last week of December is dominated by the Capricorn energy though, with the Sun, Mercury and Venus all in responsible, serious, “lets-get-down-to-business” Capricorn.
Jupiter moves back into Pisces on Dec. 28, which is good news for Pisces, Cancer, and Scorpio (and those whose Ascendant is in these signs).
Neptune Turns Direct
Neptune, the planet of compassion, empathy, creativity and illusions turns direct on Dec. 1, after 5+ months in retrograde. Neptune retrogrades are not as noticeable or impactful as, say, Mercury or Venus retrograde. But, the days Neptune slowly repositions in the skies before it picks up speed again are great for creativity, spiritual pursuits, and manifestation. This year, this period will last until Dec. 13.
But, keep in mind we're still in the eclipse season....keep reading.
Still in the Eclipse Season: Powerful but Unpredictable
The first week of December, we’re still in the eclipse season, building to the New Moon/Solar Eclipse in Sagittarius on Dec. 3/4 (depending on your time zone).
It’s a great energy for those comfortable with risk: eclipses open a portal that can propel you years into the future, as far as your goals go. But, the eclipse energy is also very unstable. There may be many twists and turns, and the outcome may not be quite what you expect.
We’re all affected by an eclipse to a degree. If you find yourself edgier than usual, and your decision-making not as reliable, it’s because eclipses pack a powerful punch of de-stabilizing energy.
Traditional astrology recommends avoiding major decisions during the eclipse season, as new information can come to life that will change your course anyway.
Sagittarius-Gemini eclipses, which we’ve been experiencing since 2020, ask us to examine our beliefs, and so they can be deeply polarizing. There can be escalating riots and protests – and we experienced all of that, with the vax/anti-vax debates and anti-Asian racism protests, to name a few.
The eclipse on Dec. 4 can bring one final rush of energy along the same lines, but 2022 will be a very different territory, with another set of issues electrified by eclipses in Taurus and Scorpio.
If you missed my post on the current eclipse season, you can find it here.
New Moon/Solar Eclipse in Sagittarius: Dec 3 2021 at 11:43 p.m. PDT
More details about the Solar Eclipse:
If you're a risk-taker at heart, intentions set on a New Moon that is also a Solar Eclipse can manifest fast – but also in an unexpected way. If you don’t mind the Universe in the driver’s seat, while you’re hanging on and bracing for twists and turns, this New Moon in Sagittarius is THE day of the year to ask for a boost of positivity, joy, and luck in your life. Those hoping to publish a book or an online course - Sagittarius also rules publishing, so throw in some intentions for publishing success.
Interested to learn more about harnessing this powerful energy? Join me for my New Moon workshop.
Venus Goes Retrograde: Dec. 19
Before Venus turns retrograde, we get a short but very beneficial stretch mid-month, on Dec. 10-11. Venus conjoins Pluto during a waxing Moon in Pisces, while Mercury sextiles Jupiter. It’s a great couple of days for deep love and real connections. Relationships started on these dates can be soulmate connections.
It’s also a good time to interview, write resumes, sign contracts, and give presentations.
After, Venus goes retrograde on Dec. 19. Dec. 19 2021 - Jan. 29 2022 is not the best time for marriage proposals, weddings, big-ticket purchases, or major financial decisions. Read full details, including the best dates for love and romance, here.
Saturn-Uranus Square Peaks: Instability and Uncertainty
The eclipse season and Venus Retrograde would have made an impactful month on their own. But, there is more to December.
In 2020, we had very powerful and oppressive energies of Pluto, Jupiter and Saturn all reinforcing each other in Capricorn. It was the energy of hardship and “spreading”, which played out as a global pandemic.
In 2021, the backdrop of the year has been a destabilizing Saturn-Uranus square, peaking 3 times.
A square is a tense energy, pushing us out of the comfort zone and into a new territory. It generates massive personal growth, as two celestial heavyweights battle in the skies, prompting us to look at the world in a new way. Uranus is the planet of change, and Saturn is the planet of conservative “status quo”.
“Nope, there isn’t going to be any certainty for you just yet,” says this planetary energy. “There is going to be some economic instability, supply chain disruptions, and just the overall sense of instability– especially around agriculture, food and money”.
Are we out of the woods with COVID yet, or will yet another variant, just discovered, become a global threat?
The energy of the Saturn-Uranus square has been intensifying over the past couple of weeks. It will peak on Dec. 24 2021, but we will likely feel its effects until the end of January 2022.
You can find my earlier post on the Saturn-Uranus square here.
And what's coming after? Stay tuned for my 2022 forecast, coming out in a couple of weeks.
Full Moon in Gemini: Dec. 18 2021, 8:36 p.m. PST
This Full Moon is for you if you’re suffering from a digital media addiction 😊 It’s the sign of the times – we have a panic attack when we leave our cell phone at home. We can’t stay away from checking messages. We feel guilty if we don’t respond to texts right away. If that’s you – set intentions on this Full Moon to let go of the inability to shut off your brain, having too many things on the go, and the tendency to second-guess yourself.
Mercury: Communication, Legal Contracts, Vehicles, Electronics and E-Commerce
Mercury spends the last 2 weeks of December in optimistic, visionary Sagittarius. Nov. 24 – Dec. 13 is an excellent time to do some blue-skying, in your personal life or at work. What is the biggest, boldest version of your life you can imagine? Or of your professional career? Or your business?
Mercury will move into Capricorn on Dec. 13, so the second half of December is excellent for giving those big dreams some practical structure, and establishing some actionable steps that will take you there.
Key dates for Mercury-related pursuits (all dates for Pacific to Eastern Time):
Dec. 7: Mercury square Neptune. A high chance of mental fog. NOT a good day for launching your blog or an advertising campaign.
Dec. 10-11. Venus conjoins Pluto during a waxing Moon in Pisces, while Mercury sextiles Jupiter. It’s a great couple of days for deep love and real connections. Relationships started on these dates can be soulmate connections.
It’s also a good time to interview, write resumes, sign contracts, and give presentations.
Dec. 13: Mercury enters Capricorn.
Dec. 26: Mercury sextile Neptune. Good for creative writing, especially fiction, or for launching a creative advertising campaign.
Dec. 29-30: Mercury conjunct Venus and Pluto. Great for deep conversations with your partner, about love or finances. An excellent two days to reconnect on a very deep level.
Career, Business and Money:
The Saturn-Uranus square can bring financial volatility, so don’t put all your money into one basket, so to speak. Who knows what the markets will do, but there was a market downturn soon after the square peaked in August, with another dip happening just this past week.
The eclipse season is not the best time for making major decisions, so proceed with caution if you’re looking to change jobs or start an important project between in the first week of December.
Key dates (all for Pacific to Eastern Time):
Dec. 6: Waxing Moon in Capricorn makes a number of positive aspects; Mars sextiles Pluto. A good day to push ahead with projects already in progress.
Dec. 7: Mercury squares Neptune; Mars squares Jupiter. A high chance of over-optimism and inability to see things clearly. Not a good day to commit to anything big.
Dec. 11: Mercury sextile Jupiter. A good day for a presentation, a sales pitch, signing contracts, negotiations, and other Mercury-related pursuits.
Dec. 19: Sun sextiles Jupiter. Beneficial for business and career.
Dec. 20: Mercury trines Uranus. An excellent day for brainstorming and looking for innovative solutions.
Dec. 26: Mercury sextile Neptune. Good for creative writing, especially fiction, or for launching a creative advertising campaign.
Health and Healing (dates for Pacific to Eastern Time):
Dec. 1-2: Neptune turns direct; waning Moon in Scorpio. An excellent couple of days to “cut ties” with a bad habit (or a bad relationship). Neptune in direct motion helps us to see things clearly; the Scorpio Moon strengthens resolve and helps to end things once and for all.
Dec. 9-10: Waxing Moon in Pisces. Circle these dates for creative projects or spiritual pursuits. Meditate. Do some yoga. Work with energy. Book a reading 😊
Dec. 11-12: Sun square Neptune. Low energy day.
Dec. 24-25: Waning Moon in Virgo. While it’s an excellent energy for starting a cleanse or a weight loss program, it falls on Christmas this year 😊 Chances are, our calorie intake will be skyrocketing instead over Christmas dinner.
Daily Planner – for those who prefer a chronological format (all dates for Pacific to Eastern Time):
Nov. 15 – Dec. 7: Eclipse Season. This is a very powerful time of the year, but also very unstable. Start new projects or make major decisions only if you’re open to some changes to your plans, or if you don’t mind the results manifesting in an unexpected or even a turbulent way.
Dec. 1-2: Neptune turns direct; waning Moon in Scorpio. An excellent couple of days to “cut ties” with a bad habit (or a bad relationship). Neptune in direct motion helps us to see things clearly; the Scorpio Moon strengthens resolve and helps to end things once and for all.
Dec. 3/4: New Moon/Solar Eclipse in Sagittarius. Set intentions only if you’re comfortable with some risk – they can materialize in an unexpected way. A New Moon in Sagittarius is for setting intentions for increased luck, joy and positivity in your life.
Dec. 6: Waxing Moon in Capricorn makes a number of positive aspects; Mars sextiles Pluto. A good day to push ahead with projects already in progress.
Dec. 7: Mercury squares Neptune; Mars squares Jupiter. A high chance of over-optimism and inability to see things clearly. Not a good day to commit to anything big.
Dec. 8: Waxing Moon in Aquarius sextile the Sun and Mercury, before it conjoins Jupiter. A good day for networking and social media marketing.
Dec. 9-10: Waxing Moon in Pisces. Circle these dates for creative projects or spiritual pursuits. Meditate. Do some yoga. Work with energy. Book a reading 😊
Dec. 11: Mercury sextile Jupiter. A good day for a presentation, a sales pitch, signing contracts, negotiations, and other Mercury-related pursuits.
Dec. 11: Venus-Pluto conjunction. Wow, so powerful! If a romantic prospect comes into your life today, it can be a past life soulmate connection.
Dec. 12: Sun square Neptune. Low energy day.
Dec. 13: Mercury enters Capricorn. Think long-term. What is your biggest ambition?
Dec. 13: Mars enters Sagittarius. Get fired up about your dreams! But, don't push your beliefs onto others.
Dec. 18: Full Moon in Gemini. Release what didn't work for you in 2021, as you're heading into 2022.
Dec. 19: Sun sextiles Jupiter. Beneficial for business and career.
Dec. 19: Venus stations, about to turn retrograde.
Dec. 20: Mercury trines Uranus. An excellent day for brainstorming and looking for innovative solutions.
Dec. 21: Winter Solstice. The Sun enters Capricorn.
Dec. 24-25: Waning Moon in Virgo. While it’s an excellent energy for starting a cleanse or a weight loss program, it falls on Christmas this year 😊 Chances are, our calorie intake will be skyrocketing instead over Christmas dinner.
Dec. 25-26: While Venus and Pluto are closely aligned in the cosmos, they will also be supported by the Moon in Virgo. It’s a great couple of days to purge your physical and emotional space of any painful reminders of past relationships.
Dec. 26: Mercury sextile Neptune. Good for creative writing, especially fiction, or for launching a creative advertising campaign.
Dec. 28: Jupiter re-enters Pisces. Pisces, Cancer, Scorpio (or those with the Ascendant in these signs) - rejoice!
Dec. 29-30: Mercury conjunct Venus and Pluto. Great for deep conversations with your partner, about love or finances. An excellent two days to reconnect on a very deep level.