The Magical Astrology of December Carrying Us Into 2024

After two solid weeks of "growing pains" in November, on December 5th, we turn the corner collectively with the last quarter moon towards our final weeks of 2023 that might just prove to be, well, magical.

Technically this has two parts:  1) the December 5th last quarter moon until the December 12th new moon at 20° Sagittarius next Tuesday and Mercury retrograde December 13th, and 2) Mercury retrograde from 8° Capricorn December 13th until it stations direct on January 1st at 22° Sagittarius. 

Mercury is the magician, and if you just noticed that Mercury is stationing direct just 2° away from next week’s Sagittarius new moon, you’re onto something!  Note also that Mercury stations retrograde Wednesday, December 13th, in supportive aspect to Venus, meaning this Mercury retrograde kicks off with Venus’ blessings. ​

Good things are coming, and some of them are already in play.
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First we had Saturn square everything as Sagittarius season kicked off with the full moon in Gemini late November.  Then, the Mars-Lilith growth aspect that just came exact on Sunday, December 3rd, was an opportunity to do shadow work to free ourselves from lingering feelings of inadequacy and shame, especially around Virgo themes like being overly critical or worrisome, needing to please, and perfectionism.  As squares push us into growth and transcendence by first bringing us to an obstacle, challenge, or energetic impasse, the idea last week was to stay aware and curious to whatever came up and work on self-acceptance and turning those things we once carried shame about and wanted to hide for fear of rejection into super powers with fresh perspective.

That growth aspect climaxed on Sunday, December 3rd, and just as Mars was moving out of that square with Black Moon Lilith, Jupiter in Taurus began applying a trine, exact over December 3rd and 4th. 

This was our first taste of the good stuff coming.  Keep in mind here that while Jupiter is a benefic (a blessing-bringer) and the planet of luck and abundance, it is first and foremost the planet that makes things bigger.  Growth and expansion are the key themes here, and that can be good or not so good - like the difference between growing your wallet and growing your belly.  It’s just energy.  Trines are flow aspects - as a rule they speed things up.  This can again be a good thing or not so good, because they will simply make whatever is happening happen faster, because they remove blocks and speed up the energy.  

The crunch from Mars climaxing December 3rd was the set up.  Jupiter immediately following in trine meant we were primed to really want to break free and not be under any of the limiting beliefs, perceptions, or shame that came up during that week of Mars square Lilith culminating December 3rd.

The next step on the path came up two days after the 12/5 last quarter moon on Thursday December 7th, when Jupiter then made that same trine aspect to Mercury, the ruler of the mind, thinking, and communication - the first in a series of three of these fortunate alignments that will be the key energetic signature of the upcoming Mercury retrograde, with the second one the review of the matter happening December 18th and the final one, the resolution, happening January 19th.

For now and the December 7th aspect, the introduction to the matter, keep in mind that it's linked not just to Mercury, but also Lilith and Venus.  Think about it like this:  Jupiter just picked up a baton from Lilith and is now running past Mercury on its way to Venus where it will hand it off on 12/9, Saturday, and then between Saturday the 9th and Monday the 11th, Venus will be in session smoothing things over with both Lilith and Mercury for the Sagittarius new moon on December 12th. Then Mercury will station retrograde with blessings from Venus on the 13th, only to station direct again on January 1st just two degrees from the degree of this new moon, bringing everything full circle, in a good way.   

We’re getting the healing dose of new, upgraded personal truth, faith, belief, and optimism now.  Mercury (remember ruler of the mind and thinking, and also "the messenger," and "the magician,") will be returning from Capricorn back to Sagittarius to  pick up something important it missed along the way the first time and bring that back before we can really run with this - after that 3rd aspect to Jupiter January 19th.  (Mercury entered the pre-shadow of this retrograde back on November 25th when it passed over 22° Sagittarius - that would’ve been your first clue as to what you’ll be reviewing during this RX.)

Jupiter stations direct on December 30th, right before Mercury stations direct on January 1st, meaning that things will begin to speed up considerably around the first of the year. 

Note that Jupiter first arrived at 5° Taurus where it will station direct at the end of the month the last week of January 2023, and for this aspect it is definitely in the neighborhood at 6°.  There will be a second of these with Mercury retrograde on the 18th with both at that 5° mark, and then a final one mid-January back at the 6° mark, so this is part one of a three-part series, and this is the “good news” aspect, but there will be a review in December before full resolution in January.  Don't worry if whatever came in around December 7th seems to go away.  A new and improved version is quite likely to be back and full steam ahead by end of January.  Hold this lightly - clinging and gripping definitely won't help.

The theme here revolves around tapping into the optimism and future-minded thinking to make plans, negotiate deals, or just get things organized for moving forward.  This is your introduction and initiation to working this out between now and January 19th - a very important time because on the 20th the sun will escort Pluto back into Aquarius for good - which means we begin a new era of our lives in a big way.  (This is why I keep saying it’s a whole new ballgame by late January.)

After the Thursday, December 7th Mercury-Jupiter alignment, the next step on this magical path comes two days later on Saturday the 9th.  Venusian vibes are strong as Jupiter in Taurus shifts from initiating things with Mercury to opposing Venus in Scorpio.  This is the tension in the whole scenario that creates the call to action, but since it is an opposition between the two benefits or blessing bringers, it’s not that bad.  The thing to remember here is temperance and balance.  Remember balance is a very Venusian theme.  With Venus in opposition to Jupiter, we might really want to go right over the top and take things to excess and over-indulge, and that’s exactly what we need to keep in check with this aspect.  There are other things at play here, and they are much more important.  We want to be the alchemists of this energy and mind the magic here.  Anything in excess has the potential to be a poison especially now, so easy does it.  

Just two days later on Monday, December 11th, Venus is going to be entertaining both Lilith and Mercury (about to station retrograde) by sextile.  These little aspects are helper aspects, offering us a way out of the Venus-Jupiter tension, our saving graces so to speak.  Intense Venus in Scorpio first sextiles Lilith in Virgo at 7°, then 12 hours later sextiles Mercury in Capricorn at 8°, the same degree it will station retrograde at on the 13th, and all this is happening just before that Jupiter-ruled Sagittarius new moon on the 12th, an “optimism and faith reset” that we won’t see the full results of until Mercury stations direct in Sagittarius on January 1st.  (And whatever we've begun with the Sag new moon won't culminate for another six months and the Sagittarius full moon.)

Remember that un-shaming that Mars helped us with around Lilith in Virgo the week of 11/28 to 12/3?  Well, Lilith is still in Virgo, and by December 11th/12th, with the help of Jupiter, Mercury, and Venus, you should be not just stepping into more self-value and a deeper sense of self, but the ability to be more authentic AND diplomatic in the way you express yourself and your needs in relationships because of this.
Use the dark moon on the 11th and 12th to help release any lingering blocks to this, and then get ready to allow Mercury retrograde December 13th until January 1st carry you the rest of the way.
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It’s a whole new ballgame by the end of January

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Join the free North Node in Aries Zoom call 1/16

​2024 is going to be marked by a soul growth phase for all of us collectively focused on rebalancing relationships.  

This officially began back in mid-July, but you may have felt it as early as March/April, and runs all the way through 2024 into January 2025, and is helping us balance the "me" and "we" in our lives by first bringing our attention to unhealthy relationship patterns & dynamics, and ultimately by moving us towards more independence, self-reliance, and individualization.  

Healthy relationships, now more than ever, begin with a healthy sense of self.

I'm offering a free live Zoom call on the evening of January 16th going over this astrological energy on all of 2024 for women who want to understand this better and what it means in their lives. 

​Click on here to email for details on how to join.