Cosmic Forecast December 2023
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Illustration by Jess Stanley
The final month of the year is the front porch of an unknown future. Everyone feels differently about the boundary between one calendar year and the next, and each year’s astrology brings a different flavour to this time of transition. December’s astrological energy feels like standing ankle-deep in cool lake water, the ebb and flow gently lapping at the skin. There’s an invitation to be still and soak it all in. Though things may seem placid on the surface, there’s an intensity and a deepening—into intimacy, into self-awareness, and into a greater sense of meaning. Practising presence will allow you to process major shifts and compost old narratives, habits, and ways of being into nourishment.
The Sun’s energy shines through Sagittarius for most of the month like a candle on a dark night. It asks us to embrace uncertainty and to trust ourselves and our judgement. The only thing we can do is take it one step at a time. Sagittarius is the sign of higher learning, life experience, adventure, and travel. It also rules medicine, herbalism, hunting, and prophecy due to its close association with the Greek myth of Chiron, a centaur who was tutored by Apollo in these subjects. The continuum of Sagittarius’ associations encompasses what we do to enrich our lives, increase our well-being, and expand our horizons. During this time, focus on adding more to your life instead of wondering what you need to sacrifice. Give yourself space to go after what makes life feel vibrant and exciting, the things that make you curious, and those that make you feel more confident in yourself.
Mars and Mercury join the Sun in the sign on the 1st. Mercury’s swift movement quickly propels it into Capricorn where it will go retrograde on the 13th, tracking backwards into Sagittarius on the 23rd where it will stay to the end of the month. With Mars and the Sun feeling at home in fire sign Sagittarius, you may feel like the work you’re doing to reach your goals leads to more satisfying payoffs sooner than you’d expected. This is underscored by the fact that at different points through the month, the Sun and Mercury trine Sagittarius’ ruling planet, Jupiter—a harbinger of good fortune.
Venus spends most of the month in Scorpio. The planet of love, beauty, sensuousness, and material needs explores its darker edge in this sign. Scorpio rules death and taxes. It also presides over debt and post-mortem planning and energetically influences desire, sex, and your need for power. Venus is also about what you have and what you want.
During this transit, you may find that your material needs are more apparent and you may get clarity on your financial situation: how much do you really need to thrive? It's time to practise honest gratitude—find the balance between feeling like you have enough and feeling deserving of what you still need. Are there things you are simply putting up with when it comes to creature comforts? Are you mislabelling your genuine need for more money or material support as a scarcity mindset? What does enough truly look like to you?
Venus in Scorpio creates meaningful trines with both Saturn (from the 4th to the 12th) and Neptune (from the 19th to the 31st) in Pisces. Venus is a goddess born of the sea and though the planet is technically ruled by the element earth, we can’t ignore the planet’s mythological links to water. These trines between planets in Scorpio and Pisces invite us to look at our relationship with emotional intimacy (with ourselves and others), creativity (or that which comes from deep within us), and intuition (the connection we have to the irrational). Venus helps us see the world through the heart, rather than the mind or our ego. It invites us to surrender to the impractical, the wild dreams, the unruly desires. During this time, experiment with doing what your heart tells you without inhibition.
Saturn is now firmly rooted in Pisces, freed from its months-long retrograde on the very edge of the sign. It’s an important time because this is when the real work of the transit begins. For those born between January 28, 1994, to April 7, 1996, or in the flickering window of the planet’s last Pisces retrograde between May 21, 1993, to June 30, 1993 (like me!) you’re going through your first Saturn Return. Saturn Returns can be a time of rapid growth and maturation. They test our limits and show us how to walk a path that feels more authentic to us. Saturn Returns can bring significant changes. The lesson of Saturn in Pisces is to listen to your spirit and let your creative impulses guide you to your next evolution. Set boundaries around your softest parts. Work to understand the unmet needs of your inner child and become the parent you needed to blossom into your fullest, most self-loving expression.
The Sun joins Pluto in Capricorn on the Winter Solstice, which falls on the 21st. Like Venus, earth sign Capricorn has mythological ties to water—its constellation depicts the god Pan as a half goat, half fish after all. We tend to think of Capricorn as strict, disciplined, and realistic. But, like a successful stock trader relying on their intuition alongside hard data, the sign blurs the line between practical and fantastical. As we move into Capricorn season, we trail a cloak of magic behind us, continuing the work of connecting with our emotional and creative lives. With Capricorn’s grounded approach, we can do the work of making our dreams a reality. In Capricorn, we’re invited to take steps to manifest the world we want to live in. It’s more important than ever for vision-holders, empaths, and innovators to take the lead in imagining a better future for us all.
Keagan (she/her) is a writer, tarot reader, and astrologer. Find her on Instagram @moonsingemini to book a reading. Subscribe to her monthly tarotscope newsletter here.
Jess (She/Her) is a multidisciplinary artist and illustrator based in Vancouver BC. Her main area of focus is the connection we share with the world around us, from environmental protection to the supernatural and spooky. She’s inspired by folklore and mythology and the way it weaves through our existence. One of her main goals is to make art accessible for all and to prove that anyone can be creative, regardless of skill level or age. She enjoys engaging with the community and bringing awareness to important issues such as the climate emergency and water protection. Follow her on Instagram @jessstanley.art and www.jessstanley.ca.
