December launches the Season of Light, illuminating dark spaces in our lives to show us the way, the truth and the paths of possibility. This December shines particularly bright as it marks the shift of taskmaster Saturn from Scorpio into Sagittarius. For the past two and a half years, Responsible Saturn has cycled through heavy and intense Scorpio requiring each of us to do a LOT of inner work. Now, this month, Saturn’s move into fiery, adventurous Sagittarius is timely and natural but will feel nothing short of remarkable. Saturn’s shift is especially notable as it occurs on Christmas Eve no less, only three days after the New Moon on a highly attention getting degree of Capricorn which takes place on the winter solstice.
A rare event indeed.
The combined effect of this sets the stage for 2015: dense, wet internal energy evolving into fire, action, motivating external energy.
As December opens, we already have a taste of the positive shift to come as four planets are in the sign of Sagittarius: Messenger Mercury, the Sun (our will), Nurturing Ceres and Vivacious Venus. Blazing the trail, adventuring forth the first week, we already itch for freedom. After Thanksgiving, did you find yourself to be more curious, interested in larger, broader questions about life? Want to know the why and how of the world, provoked by November’s Scorpionic deep dive into life’s mysteries…what actually lurks behind the curtain of life’s illusions?
Sagittarius and Jupiter which rules it are generous and expansive energies. They want the good life for us. And yet both are at once philosophical, spiritual and intellectual. No shallow force is this. The Great Humanitarian, Sagittarius asks us to think as much about our fellow man as we do about ourselves. Step out of our limited vision and think, act inclusively. So it is no surprise that Sagittarius is the Educator of the Zodiac. Insatiable wonder best describes Sagittarius.
So with four planets tightly conjoined in this sign from the outset of December, you may very well step out of yourself. Study anything, a foreign language, new books, a course, choose to travel, engage people who broaden you and your views. You will feel nurtured by any, all and more of the above. The sky is the limit, says Sagittarius. Know no bounds. Freedom-loving Sagittarius says Don’t fence me in…and with Venus in the mix, you’ll feel a surge of self-confidence to take risks with relationships and new ventures, especially as Venus makes a very beneficial angle to Jupiter in Leo on December 4th.
This is an “I can do/be anything!” energy. And super for heading into weeks of holiday revels, festivities and parties, which is particularly pronounced under the spotlight of the Full Moon on December 6th. Can you say F-U-N? With the Full Moon in chatty Geminii, socializing, talking, variety-is-the-spice-of-life takes center stage. We’ve been sooooooo cooped up and weighed down by the intensity of 2014 that is more than OK to let your hair down. You have full permission to let go, go for it, take a walk on the wild side.
A number of helpful alignments further enhance this witty and engaging Full Moon. First, the Sun (our will) and Moon (our emotions) beautifully align with the lunar North Node in artful Libra. Art, beauty, relationships, attractive people and surroundings figure into this equation. People who impress and change your mind, open you up to new ideas, connect you to other people who will help you. In short, this is an amazing time for networking, growing and developing yourself and projects. With the Full Moon directly opposite Messenger Mercury and the Sun, we consider possibilities and opportunities that either hadn’t occurred to us, were not available before or that we dismissed out of hand as completely impossible. If you thought you were too small, too insignificant, or your goal and vision too far fetched to even think about accomplishing: Not Now. Revisit all of yourself and your dreams. December entices us forward, onward. Feel the fire?
Bating us on is the final element in this Full Moon equation, radical Uranus. Building toward its next to last challenge with Pluto at mid-month, we are virtually dared into action. With its incredibly supportive angle to the Moon, Sun and Mercury, the Great Awakener Uranus shows us what we may never have thought of before. It asks: what have you got to lose? Your pride? Time to say goodbye to that! Consider this moment your engraved invitation from the Cosmos. Leap! There is a magical signature to this Full Moon. Any changes you have been working toward especially on the home front come to fruition now. There is a fated and destined quality to this Full Moon. You may feel inexplicably drawn into situations. The right circumstance, person, place, timing come together at exactly the intended moment. It is very exciting. Opportunity is nigh.
Just after the Full Moon, Abundant Jupiter turns retrograde motion in Festive Leo until April of 2015. Creativity burns inside of us, neither dormant nor full throttle forward. Think of this as a more considerate and thoughtful form of creativity and invention. By December 11, Venus enters pragmatic Capricorn where she gradually joins Pluto for the remainder of the month, lending solid practicality to our desires and grounded realism to our goals, like devising a how-to guide for accomplishing what we want to achieve. Venus softens the edges between Pluto’s challenge to Uranus on the 15th, reminding us that as much as we don’t like to admit, hard work and elbow grease, good old-fashioned ingenuity are the only ways to get anything done. Capricorn is the Great Manifestor. When Messenger Mercury also enters Capricorn on December 17th, aligning our thoughts with our desires (Pluto), it is an excellent time to vision forward: what do you want to manifest in 2015?
Around the same time mid-month, Motivating Mars cycles through early degrees of Aquarius. The unusual, the inventive and ingenious feel right to us now, whereas in other days and times it would have felt weird, too strange. Mars in Aquarius heightens our intuition as well. We may not be able to put our finger precisely on why…we just know. Trust your gut. This only serves to open us up to those people and situations we haven’t considered before. Fresh, out-of-the-box energy, concepts, draw us out just as we are drawn to them. Apply these new approaches to your 2015 plans.
All of this constructive and intuitive energy is perfect to build what you seek in your life. And as the planets would have it this magical month, they leave no stone unturned. Because just think about the timing: how amazing is it that the winter solstice occurs exactly on the New Moon at a spotlight degree of Capricorn? Don’t just stand there, says this New Moon. Build, baby, build. And if this energy doesn’t catalyze and galvanize us into action, Uranus, the Great Awakener in fiery Aries turns direct motion on the same day to kick us in the pants.
WOW.
Significantly helped by its flowing angle to Motivating Mars, Uranus shows us the answers, the possibilities, our greatness. Eureka
Only two days later, Responsible Saturn finally enters sagacious Sagittarius. Just in time for Christmas and Kwanzaa. Sagittarius rules spirituality and we may connect to Source and The Force in ways that have eluded us until now. Remember, you and the Source are One. The Force is within you, just waiting to be discovered….
Leading into New Years, the Moon enters earthy, sensual Taurus forming a healthy aspect to the Sun conjoining Pluto. This first quarter and later waxing gibbous Taurean Moon deliciously invites us to plant the seeds we wish to grow and watch unfold in the coming year. With several planets shifting from intense water signs into hot, fiery action signs over the next few months, 2015 promises excitement, the bold and brand new, enticing us to really live and to understand precisely what that truly means.
Of special note:
A big shout out to Lees Yunits and Patricia Murphy: Thank you for inviting me to discuss astrology on Easton (Mass. ) Cable TV’s “Yoga Talk”. It is wonderful to share the amazing gift of astrology with a larger audience! I will post the link to the video on my website as it becomes available. To learn more about these incredible yoga instructors and healers, please visit their websites: www.leesyunits.comand www.yoga.justiceofthepeacene.com!
Also, please MARK YOUR CALENDARS! I am presenting a workshop on Saturday, March 28, 2015 on Creativity, Moon Cycles and Self-Expression at The Sanctuary for Yoga and Reiki in Watertown , Massachusetts