The upcoming week is packed with a lot of major astrological events. The New Moon arrives on December 14th 11.16 am ET / 5.16 pm CET at 23 degrees Sagittarius. This New Moon is a Total Solar eclipse. This is a big event. A few days later, two slow moving planets, Saturn and Jupiter, will change signs. Saturn has been in Capricorn for three years. Jupiter has been in Capricorn for one year. So, these are not daily and these are unique transits. On top of that, these two planets will form a conjunction. They form a conjunction every twenty years, so that’s quite rare. On top of that, they will now start to form conjunctions in air signs, while in the past 200 years the conjunctions took place in earth signs. In other words, we will enter a new 200 year chapter. This conjunction takes place on the day of the Winter Solstice, when the Sun enters Capricorn. This week is packed with major shifts! A Solar eclipse, the Winter Solstice and a Great Conjunction. The year is going out with a bang!
First, let’s talk about this New Moon. The New Moon arrives on December 14th 11.16 am ET / 5.16 pm CET at 23 degrees Sagittarius. This New Moon is a Total Solar eclipse and takes place near the South Node at 19 degrees of Sagittarius. Mercury will be at 20 degrees Sagittarius, pretty much conjunct the South Node.
The South Node is known for reducing and taking things away. A New Moon usually signifies the end of one thing and the start of another thing. A New Moon usually is about a new beginning. Solar eclipses bring about powerful new beginnings. Especially a Total Solar eclipse. Because eclipses come with shadows, because eclipses take light away; they often come with some struggle, loss, upheaval or something difficult. With an eclipse near the South Node, there’s an even stronger sense of ‘something being taken away’. With a Total Solar eclipse this taking away is in order to create something new; something needs to be taken away in order to create space for something new. Eclipses want to bring about alignment, the re-alignment of us with our destinies. Eclipses want to push us forward into growth. Releasing the old and releasing the things, places, behaviors, thoughts or people that are no longer of service to us, often isn’t an easy thing to do. Even if something or someone is holding us back in life, we can still feel much love for that person, thing, or circumstance. Thus, eclipses often come with pain. The pain of letting something go that we have trouble letting go off. I want to remind you, though, that eclipses are about re-alignment. I do believe that, in the long run, eclipses bring about good stuff. Solar eclipses mark the beginnings of new chapters. You might not yet know what that new chapter is about. It might take weeks, even up to a year, to see what new chapter unfolds for you on the 14th of December (for clues for topics, check what house in your chart contains Sagittarius).
Eclipses are known for revealing things that were not visible. Eclipses place shadows. Eclipses happen when the light of either the Sun or the Moon is obscured. Light illuminates and light make things visible, usually. But there are some things that we can only see in the dark. Light not just illuminates, light can also blind us. Sometimes, during eclipse seasons, we become aware of the things that have been present in the background of life but not present yet in the conscious mind; or things that were hidden start to reveal themselves.
The Total Solar eclipse takes place at 23 degrees Sagittarius. If you have the ascendant, midheaven, Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter or Saturn at 21-25 degrees Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius or Pisces; the 14th of December is a day to mark in your calendar. The day of the New Moon, or the days surrounding the New Moon, may come with emotional upheaval or challenging events. If you do find yourself in some kind of whirlwind, remember: you’re being pushed forward into growth and realignment.
Astrology Forecast
December 15 Venus enters Sagittarius
Venus enters Sagittarius at 11.21 am ET / 5.21 CET. Venus in Sagittarius is adventurous and optimistic. Matters of love and relating become a little easier now that Venus moves out of the sign of her detriment and into the sign ruled by optimistic and lustful Jupiter. In Sagittarius, Venus likes to explore pleasure and love with a free spirit. Venus in Sagittarius is good for adventurous dates and experimenting in the bedroom. Venus in Sagittarius will lighten our mood (even in the midst of otherwise challenging astrology, we’ll find ways to remain optimistic and have fun).
December 19 10.25 pm ET / December 20 4.25 am CET Sun conjunct Mercury at 28 degrees Sagittarius
Just before Mercury and the Sun move into Capricorn, they will align in Sagittarius. Mercury Cazimi brings us final insights on Sagittarius season. Sagittarius season came with two eclipses. The part of your chart that contains Sagittarius, has seen change and transformation. At the end of Sagittarius season, Mercury gets strengthened by the Sun, for just a short while, providing us with sudden insights. Mercury Cazimi has the potential to bring clarity and has the potential to show you what this Sagittarius season was about for you.
December 20 6.07 pm ET / December 21 12.07 am CET Mercury enters Capricorn
December 21 5.02 am ET / 11.02 am CET Sun enters Capricorn
The Winter Solstice is on December 21st, when the Sun enters Capricorn. Just before the Sun enters Capricorn, Mercury enters Capricorn too. There’s a big shift of energy from Sagittarius to Capricorn, from mutable fire to cardinal earth. When the Sun enters a cardinal sign, there’s a changing of seasons. Cardinal signs initiate, they redirect energy. The Saturn ruled sign Capricorn is focused on building solid and lasting structures. Capricorn is goal oriented, ambitious, practical and hard working. This Saturn ruled sign knows that good things take time.
Throughout 2020 there has been an emphasis on the sign Capricorn. Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto were together in Capricorn for the biggest part of 2020. The story of Covid-19 has been in alignment with conjunctions that have been taking place in Capricorn throughout 2020; starting with the Saturn x Pluto conjunction and followed by Jupiter x Pluto conjunctions. Wherever the Sun goes, he illuminates. Mercury is related to the intellect and communication. With the Sun and Mercury entering Capricorn, we’ll get some insight on what 2020 has been about. How do we look back at 2020 and specifically Covid-19? How do we tell this story, the story of a pandemic that took over the world? What do we understand now, that we didn’t understand earlier in 2020? Capricorn season comes with a better understanding of the past, so we can start to build a new future. What are our foundations? What foundations do we want to renovate? What foundations do no longer support us? What new foundations do we want to build?
On the day of the Winter Solstice, the Great Conjunction takes place. December 21st is a day to mark in your calendar.
December 17 (12.04 am ET / 6.04 am CET) Saturn enters Aquarius
December 19 (8.07 am ET / 2.07 pm CET) Jupiter enters Aquarius
December 21 (1.20 pm ET / 7.20 pm CET) Jupiter conjunct Saturn at 0 Aquarius 29′
Just after Mercury and the Sun enter Capricorn, Jupiter and Saturn will form a conjunction in Aquarius. After having been in Capricorn for about two and a half years, Saturn moves on into Aquarius on December 17th. After having been in Capricorn for a year, Jupiter moves on into Aquarius on December 19th. The two planets will exactly align on December 21st. This is big astrology and quite rare. It deserves special attention and a separate article; I’ll post it soon!
December 23 9.53 am ET / 3.53 pm CET Mars square Pluto
Mars in Aries squares Pluto in Capricorn, for the third and final time. This transit can signify arguments and power struggles. Clashes with authority figures. The need to assert one’s own will. Bursts of anger. Irritation and annoyance. In other words: fun family Christmas dinners, only kidding a bit. The houses that contain Aries and Capricorn in your chart may also give clues in what areas of life you might encounter irritation or power struggles. The effects of this transit are illuminated while the Moon is in Aries (the Moon enters Aries on the 21st and leaves Aries on the 24th).
December 29 10.28 pm ET / December 30 4.28 am CET Full Moon at 8 degrees Cancer
I’ll be back with you soon with info on the next Full Moon.
X Maud