Deep and Dark December

We are IN DEEP now:  the muck and the mire stirred up by the election in the United States last month, the froth of sludge brewing for years now, wounds festering beneath the surface infected by eons of hurt and trauma.

Let’s be honest.  No magic wand, no one pill or simple solution erases conflicts in one easy swoop, conflicts and strife carried since the birth of the United States, a nation born out of revolution.

If nothing else, astrology is the study of patterns and cycles.  No less than two major revolutions occurred the last time transformer Pluto passed through Aquarius, in the USA and France, breaking with one ancient monarchy and toppling another.  Collectively, we have now returned to that same point in Pluto’s cycle. So it’s best to manage our expectations of how life will follow in the near future.

First:  there is no “normal” or even a “new normal”.  Change is the only true constant in life.  If the Covid pandemic taught us anything, it is to expect the unexpected.  The next five months are very unpredictable and surprising.  Yet, we must live our lives and go about our business as best we can knowing that we are in for months of potential upheaval and chaos, lengthy steps backward to review, recalibrate, reflect, and research what we truly value and ideally, establish goals based on our emerging desires.

December marks the first of these next five months of achingly slow movement.  This is really not the time to push forward with just about anything new:  relationships, projects, businesses and more.  All three interior planets, Mercury, Mars and Venus, will reverse movement through mid-April 2025.  We feel the reverse motions of these planets much more acutely than Jupiter through Pluto.

Now is the moment to deeply dive inward and figure out where to go from here and how best to get there.  The one upside of this is that it occurs all through wintertime ahead, a time of regular down shifting into low gear for wool gathering.

For starters:  Messenger Mercury is moving retrograde as December opens and only a few days into the month, Motivating Mars turns retrograde as well, making the second week of the month the most difficult when both planets are cycling backward.

We will feel this epically slow energy. 

Try not to take it personally if you cannot get anything done or have to re-do everything from Friday, December 6^th to Monday, December 16^th.  You will get very little traction so bide your time and practice a whole lot of patience. 

On the heels of the Thanksgiving holiday, a New Moon in Sagittarius greets us on Sunday, December 1^st. Wedged tightly between Messenger Mercury and the Sun, this fiery New Moon trio demands the truth, whether we can handle it or not.  There is a hunger, a driven quest to pursue the purest understanding of any matter, whether a relationship, a problem to be solved, a legal concern, or ethical dilemma. 

This is Sagittarius:  I understand.  Not because we DO understand; but rather for the sheer adventure to learn under the brightest lamp of knowledge.  Sagittarius IS the journey.  To learn for learning’s sake.  The veritable seeker come to life.

 So as you set your New Moon intentions on December 1^st or 2^nd, ask how you can best learn, grow, or deepen your understanding about the goals you seek to manifest.  This is one very spiritual New Moon as both the Moon and Mercury challenge Taskmaster Saturn in Pisces.  Our heart and mind want certainty even while we are called to surrender to the great unknowns in life.  Our expectations of how life should be are challenged by how life actually is.  Best to step into the river of life’s universal flow and see where it takes you. 

You may very well feel a push and pull, a tug of war within striving for clarity and certainty.  Pay attention to imagery, signs emerging through music, lyrics or while in or around water.  This is Saturn in Pisces.  We are called to accept (if not embrace) all and everyone now.  This challenging angle reminds us of a very certain truth:  that despite our differences, we are all in this together.  We are ONE.

By the next Friday, December 6^th, Motivating Mars turns retrograde in Leo.  For the next two months, through the end of February, we are revisting our creativity, how to make the most of the chances we take, romantic pursuits, and matters with our children.  Until February 24^th, it is an excellent time for stepping back for a thorough review. 

If you can do this by taking time off or time out, so much the better.  The key is to monitor expectations of how much we can get done.  Watch for biting off more than you can easily chew.  Mars is the gas pedal of the zodiac, the god of action.  Retrograde, it is particularly dicey, surly and passive aggressive especially as delays in our progress mount through the wintertime.  Look for such behaviors in others as well as yourself. 

Divine timing is everything indicated by dreamy Neptune turning forward motion on December 7^th.  There is a wiser, more soulful purpose to the massive slow down through next April:  an ancient wisdom that we must collectively shift backward in order to confidently take well-placed steps forward into our future. 

The very same day, Valuable Venus moves into avant garde Aquarius.  Though detached and cerebral in Aquarius, Venus is also innovative and ingenious while in this sign.  You will find yourself gravitating to the smartest people in the room, those with really interesting ideas and maybe a bit off the wall too.  Although great for exploring alternative groups, technology and non-mainstream outlets, the caution here is do your homework. 

Before aligning yourself with anyone or any group on the fringe of society, ask if and how they have your best interests at heart.  Mars retrograde in Leo combined with Venus in Aquarius can draw some pretty radical people into our orbit.  Just make sure who you are aligning yourself with before you get too deeply committed.

Clarity and traceable facts become imperative with the approaching Full Moon on Sunday, December 15^th .  It also happens to be the same day as Mercury shifts direct motion.  Can you say SPIN?!  Both Sun and Moon challenge illusive Neptune in Pisces.  This Full Moon is a con artist’s dream.   Many do not know what to believe, who’s on first, which direction is true north, up, down or sideways.

So Buyer Beware Bigtime!  This applies to ANYthing you are getting involved with:  relationships, projects, finances, health, groups of any kinds, education, communication, and more.

Now is the time to do thorough homework. Ask questions.  Do not worry about what others think of your probing and prodding for information.  Tell them you want to be informed as much as possible. Ask open ended questions:  Why do you think that way?  What informs your beliefs or thoughts about X,Y, and Z?  What brought you to that conclusion?

These are not offensive questions but rather considered and deliberate queries.

Full Moons always shine a spotlight on what must be seen.  In communicative Gemini, this Full Moon brings a major announcement, especially of a legal nature.

By the end of the week, the Sun enters Capricorn on Saturday, December 21^st marking the winter solstice.  We can use every bit of the practicality and pragmatism for which Capricorn is so well known.  Individually and collectively we must rebuild facets of our lives in need of repair.  With long winter weeks ahead of planetary retrogrades, Capricorn offers the necessary energy to support our endeavors. 

This is hard core, hardnosed, long-haul, long-term, quality over quantity fuel.  The very opposite of airy fairy, Capricorn puts the rubber ON the road.  It constitutes the great life ledger taking stock and full inventory of all resources.  Do you have what it takes to meet your goals?  Ask Capricorn.

The darkest days are now behind us; although sufficient light may not shine through the proliferating chaos and confusion, cracks of light do glimmer through the turbulence.  Move toward the Light.

Of Special Note:

The 3 Wise Women is off and running!  Join us!  We are three veteran metaphysical practitioners offering community, conversation and connection via zoom every first Tuesday of the month @6 pm eastern.  For just $10/session, feel safe among like-minded seekers to ask your wildest woo questions and learn from each other.  To enroll:  www.cathyripleygreene.com

Curious about the cosmic energy for the New Year?  Join me for a relaxed conversation about what to expect and how to best navigate 2025 at Peaceful Pathways in Easton, MA, 1:30-4 PM, Saturday, December 28th.  Contact me directly to register:  hilary@hilaryharley.com

Mystical Messages features my monthly astrology forecasts if you prefer listening via podcast.  Also featured are cutting edge healing arts practitioners.  Tune in and listen via: Youtube, Apple or Spotify or hear previous episodes:  www.hilaryharley.com