Try as we might to ease into December, the cosmic forces aren’t having any of it. The dance between illusion and reality, what is really going on, kicks into high gear this month. We felt it building all through the fall as Taskmaster Saturn moved into a tight challenge to Mysterious Neptune. The latter, Neptune, the most famous trickster and ringmaster of illusion and delusion tantalizes us with all that glitters. It is up us to decide, discern and figure out the hard way, if what glitters is actually gold. Or not. Do we get caught up and slide into the vortex of what feels really delicious but may be oh, so unreal. Or, do we roll up our sleeves and get down to the gritty work (but immeasurably rewarding effort) of searching for veritable and lasting meaningful truth.
As I wrote this month’s blog I was torn about how to title my message: do I use Shakespeare’s weighty line “All that glitters is not gold…” or the more optimistic, “Seek and ye shall find.” Either way, it is up to us to sift through glamour, fog, and haze of what scintillatingly allures us to find the meat and bones, the structure holding up our lives. As Walter Mondale famously asked, “where’s the beef?” This December more than most others past, we quest for sustained and sustainable substance in our lives.
For those already on The Path, (following their hearts and conscience), their journey will have its challenges this month but not be riddled with eruptions and life interruptions like those who are off path. You know who you are. Are you chasing an unattainable something you think will make you happy…if only you had this job/ car/house/lifestyle, then life would be perfect/good, etc. OR, are you diving down deep inside yourself to figure out your source of unrest and lack of peace? Saturn in Sagittarius demands pure, unbridled honesty with one’s self and others. By the end of December when Uranus turns direct motion, those not following their hearts and conscience will receive a wake-up call for sure.
But first, let’s look at the opening days of December. Saturn tightly conjoins the Sun (our Will) in Truth and Justice Sagittarius, both challenge deceptive Neptune…hence we are asked, invited (or pushed) to examine what is real/true/meaningful and what is not. What will see us through the good times and especially the bad times. Life’s downturns. Driving this message home is transformer Pluto’s increasing challenge to radical Uranus. We must really look hard at our desires, what drives us at our core, and how we can use alternative, untried and perhaps pioneering methods to achieve our goals/desires. A word of caution here: using illegal and unethical means to achieve said desires will fail utterly now. Mercury in truth-searing Sagittarius aligning with out-of-the-box Uranus assures that: we must tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
All through the first two weeks of December, Motivating Mars in Libra tightly challenges Pluto and Uranus. Libra is about relationships, the cornerstone and centerpiece of our lives. If someone or somebodies are not cooperating as you would like or expect them to, it is up to you, not him/her/them, to effectively manage the situation. Alter your tactics. What has not worked before is most likely not going to work now. Time for a new strategy. You do have options: try something new, surrender your expectations, give it up and let go; talk to others in similar situations and find out what works for them and try that; walk away.
December 4th-6th may be especially prickly as the emotional Moon moves toward Mars giving rise to feelings that have been unrealized or unspoken. Suggestion: be gentle with yourself and others during this time. Patience and understanding, putting yourself in another’s shoes will work wonders rather than harshly judging. Libra is about decisions, the process of decision-making and judgment. And if there is one thing about Mars in Libra, you do not want to rush to judgment only to wake up and find you were on the wrong side of the scales. Take your time and evaluate your options, consider your feelings and those of others. Weigh all of the facts carefully and judiciously. After all, what is the rush?
Significantly helping our quest for the Truth now is Venus’ move into psychological Scorpio on December 5th. Scorpio is a veritable detective which plumbs the depths and leaves no stone unturned. If someone is deceiving you, you will get to the bottom of exactly what is going on. Ferret out every last single detail. Fully supporting your efforts is Jupiter in detail-oriented Virgo squaring off with Messenger Mercury in truthful Sagittarius. Those running away will not be able to hide. And anything swept under the rug now will be tripped over as the truth is surely discovered. Own it and own up. Otherwise, face a stiffer penalty.
The point of these converging forces is simple: live your truth. Cosmic energy is not complicated. It is elegantly streamlined. It is just that human beings get in their own way and muddle things. The aim of structural Saturn and dreamy Neptune is to build a solid foundation and dwelling for our dreams. Neptune in Pisces asks us to believe in ourselves and our dreams while Saturn in Sagittarius asks the hard questions: why do you really believe/want/desire this? They ask us to understand what we believe; to have faith but also learn why and how to have faith; to educate ourselves about the very basis of our religion, philosophy, ideas, opinions, principles, theories…
In short, do not blindly follow ANY tenet/system/person/faith. Do so at your own peril. If you have lost faith or trust in someone or some aspect of your life OR are asked to place faith and trust in someone/thing: ask questions. Again, there is no rush. The Mars-Pluto-Uranus trio demand we weigh our options. Do not blindly follow. It may feel radical to question the status quo but going along for the sake of getting along is a dead end trap. The old ways, methods, routine just won’t work any more. Put on your creative hat and find out what will work.
All this searching, truth-questing and detective work the first ten days of December gradually pays off around mid-month. Scorpio Venus aligns helpfully with Neptune in Pisces, lifting the veil of what confused and confounded us, unifying, clarifying and demystifying answers we have sought, and further refining questions still to be asked, opening up the Path still to be walked. There is tremendously powerful healing energy available to access December 7-20.
These are pivotal days. First, Messenger Mercury moves into Responsible Capricorn at an attention getting degree on December 10. You may very well hear vital news. Capricorn’s key phrase is: I USE. So put all your knowledge collected over the past weeks and months to good use. The very next day is the New Moon in Sagittarius on Thursday, December 11 forming a beautiful angle between the Sun (our will), the Moon (our emotions) and Uranus (our ingenuity). If ever there were a New Moon to say a prayer, make a wish and set intentions for the time to come, this is it!! Our creativity is off the charts now.
Guard your thoughts very carefully and focus precisely on what you DO want, not what you do NOT want to manifest on December 16 and 17thwhen Venus helpfully aligns to the Messenger Mercury-transformer Pluto in Capricorn duo. Venus rules love and money, so laser-like thought focus enables Venus to bring home the bacon and then some. Venus continues to work its magic through the 20th as it makes a harmonious angle to healer Chiron. We will need every bit of her powerful love as the Sun challenges the lunar nodes exactly on the 18th. It is an evolutionary moment for every single one of us: we are invited (or dared, depending on your viewpoint) to step into Love. To unify through understanding and education rather than blindly dividing, further separating. Become whole. Recognize we are ONE. That separateness is a fallacy, a lie, an untruth. That each of us is a mirror to the other, our fellow human being(s).
Hugely emphasizing this is Generous Jupiter’s conjoining of the lunar north node all month long in Virgo. The North Node calls our name, calls us forward to our best selves. Jupiter grants our wish. In Virgo, this duo says through hard work, taking care of our health, being responsible, our wish is the Universe’s command. The lunar nodes are evolutionary markers. As they square or challenge the Sun (our will) in Sagittarius on December 18th, we are called to do the work of telling the truth. To ourselves and others.
The very next day, December 19th, Messenger Mercury joins Pluto in industrious Capricorn to challenge the Moon and Uranus in Aries as the latter prepares to turn direct motion. This is a highly explosive mix as Mercury-Pluto see and hear life in black and white, right and wrong, you vs. me. The Fiery Moon-Uranus duo doesn’t give a darn about black and white, and will boldly strike wherever and however necessary to get its point across. This mix is strong to say the least. Explosive…which can be positive or negative, destroying for the sake of it or creating breakthroughs for the better, love, self-love and healing. Ask: which side do you want to be on? Destructive or productive? To build or tear down? It is a crystal clear moment, as evolutionary, pivotal choices are presented to us. We can unify and heal or perpetuate the illusion of separateness.
By the 21st, the Moon enters earthy Taurus where she is healthfully grounded and makes a gorgeous angle to Mercury-Pluto and Jupiter-North Node duos. This could not be more helpful to us as we enter the heart of the holidays. Our thoughts, emotions, desires and efforts are all brought together, centered and aimed realistically to achieve our highest purpose and fullest potential. It is really, truly lovely energy. Heightening this is the Sun’s entrance into pragmatic Capricorn at an attention-getting degree.
It is the perfect lead-in, almost too storybook in its effect, as the Full Moon falls precisely ON Christmas. In its home sign of Cancer, the Moon is serenely content and may ensure a very sweet, thoughtful holiday with family, good food and lots of heart-felt nurturing. We will need every bit of this compassionate nurturing and otherwise planetary practical focus as radical Uranus turns direct motion the very next day, December 26th. How we have felt up until now, life as we know it may very well be turned on its head as unpredictable Uranus shifts gears. In short, have your ducks lined up and be prepared for anything!
A potent combination supports us as the earth shifts under our feet: Venus moves into adventurous Sagittarius on December 30 enhancing our faith in life and in ourselves, while Jupiter and the lunar North Node converge, making anything and everything possible if we are willing to focus on our to-do list and do the work ahead.
Of special note: I wish each and every one of you a wonderful 2016. These last few years have been very challenging for all of us and we continue to feel the fall-out from the Uranus-Pluto shifts of 2012-2105. I am now a Level 3 Reiki practitioner and am now offering both complete astrological counseling and Reiki services under a new name: Harley Holistic Healing. You may continue to find me at www.hilaryharley.com to schedule either a Reiki healing or astrology reading. It is a the perfect gift for anyone in your life, including yourself! May your holidays bring you peace and contentment and a beautiful New Year.