Joseph P Anthony – Here we are in the last month of 2023. December is expected to be a vibrant and uncompromising time with just a hint of reminiscing. Of course, this month carries the stamp of the inevitable, a New Year is just around the corner, but it will not be spoiled by pre-holiday hustle and bustle. As we approach the end of the year, the December 2023 horoscope invites us to overcome challenges and find joy in anticipation of things to come.
However, there will be some passion, excitement, and uncertainty throughout the month. At the beginning of December, we are invited to find things that make us happy thanks to the Sun visiting the optimistic sign of Sagittarius.
With Mercury entering Capricorn on December 1st and Venus entering Scorpio on December 4th, December promises to be a month filled with changes and opportunities. These planetary movements will influence how we communicate, relate to others, and focus on our personal goals.
By mid-month, the New Moon in Sagittarius on December 12th will inspire us to dream bigger and explore new horizons, while Mercury slows down to go retrograde in Capricorn the following day. In the last part of December 2023, it is the last chance to review, revise and plan for our future. We’ll be taking a long hard look at all aspects of our lives.
Beginning with the winter solstice (Northern Hemisphere) on December 21st, we’ll need to pay more attention to the details of our communication. On December 26th, the Full Moon in Cancer and Chiron turning direct will bring moments of healing and clarity in relationships and our personal lives. My suggestion as we approach 2024, instead of dwelling on the past, it’s time to tackle our trials and tribulations head-on.
On the very first day of December, we are in serious contemplation mode as Mercury moves into Capricorn. This transit is often associated with getting down to business. Our minds begin to churn with ideas of how to make the world go around. And invariably, these ideas relate to finding the simplest, most practical ways of doing things. Capricorn is an earth sign and its energy is rather heavy, so we may find it hard to actually put things into words.
Fortunately, our passions and desires increase on December 4th when Venus enters the intense sign of Scorpio. Scorpio is a fixed water sign, so when our feelings of love get combined with that energy of longing, we can expect a pretty permanent attachment. Total obsession is more like it. All is well as long as the object of our affection returns the feelings with the same level of intensity.
If they slack off just a bit, those amorous attentions can just as easily turn into jealousy and resentment. Venus in Scorpio does not let go easily, physically or emotionally. Whatever or whoever you decide you have to possess while Venus traverses Scorpio, try to be sure they want to be possessed.
Our imaginations return on December 6th when Neptune begins to go direct in Pisces once again. Neptune is the planet connected to spirituality, glamor, acting, and the arts, to everything that transports us out of our mundane daily lives. Its energy is nebulous, indirect, elusive, and dreamy. It is inspiring but can also be confusing, it is very subtle and hard to convey with words, but when you are tapped into it, it’s unmistakable. Neptune is all about creative flow, intuitive inspiration, and spiritual bliss.
Neptune entered Pisces in 2011 and is going to remain in this sign until 2026. The transit of Neptune through his domicile amplifies, exalts, and enhances the intuitive, empathic, qualities of the archetype. The last sign of the Zodiac, Pisces corresponds to the dissolution of the separate sense of self that has been formed throughout the previous eleven signs, to a state of non-duality and oneness.
Our inspiration grows on December 12th as the New Moon highlights the optimistic sign of Sagittarius. It’s a time when we can focus on some of the constructive traits of the sign of the Archer – positive, enthusiastic, adventurous, honest, outspoken, independent – and consider how to positively incorporate these qualities into our lives.
During the next two weeks, we can focus on goals that will increase our understanding and awareness, give us the courage to expand our horizons and gain confidence and optimism from a broader perspective.
Because Sagittarius thinks in big terms, we may have a tendency to overdo our expectations – something to watch for. We are setting the stage for reaping the rewards from our braveries, as little or big as they may be. This New Moon forms a square with Neptune, and we should watch for trickery, self-deception, and procrastination.
We’ll have one last look at the past beginning on December 13th when Mercury goes retrograde. While Mercury, the planet of communication, transportation, and technology, appears to move backward from our vantage point on Earth, we’re nudged to review, reflect, and revise, as opposed to pushing forward on new endeavors.
Occurring initially in Capricorn, the practical, goal-oriented cardinal earth sign, and continuing through Sagittarius, the wander, knowledge-seeking mutable fire sign. This particular retrograde will stir up thoughts around putting our noses to the grindstone to achieve and earn recognition, as well as nurture our most jovial connections and broaden our horizons.
On December 21st the Sun moves into the cardinal earth sign of Capricorn and we begin feeling the calming energy of the earth. During this transit, we’ll feel the urge to get started on practical, heavy-duty projects. This is a serious, no-frills kind of energy. A sense of being responsible and reliable fills the air. We become cautious and keenly aware of the need for safety and security. The sign of Capricorn relates to the process of managing things — businesses, projects, people. It’s the director, putting all the pieces in the right places. The payoff is big if you do it right.
On December 24th Mercury will re-enter Sagittarius. After some time spent moving backward in Capricorn, which was a time to review and revise our construction plans, Mercury’s return to Sagittarius brings a time to revisit the reasons for building our temples in the first place. Sometimes you just need to rest your brain, and that time is now. Go out and play in the snow, go to a party, and watch something mind-numbing!
The last Full Moon of the year will take place on December 26th in the nostalgic sign of Cancer. This Full Moon is about balancing our commitment to our careers and families. Something has been building inside of us, and now is the time when the energy of the cosmos fairly demands that we let it out. Over the next two weeks, we will discover what this means for us. For now, we can’t sit on our feelings. We need to express ourselves.
Something is exposed or illuminated, prompting us to get in touch with those things in our personal lives that we may have been neglecting or putting off. With so much attention to our relationships, careers, and personal plans these days, a push for considering our emotional needs occurs now.
This is a time to clear up past patterns that have been holding us back from personal fulfillment, particularly those that are home or family-centered or that revolve around our work-home balance and attitudes toward comfort and responsibility. This Wolf Moon harmonizes with Jupiter and Saturn, and we’re ready to produce. Our revelations are pivotal and growth-oriented, even if we’re temporarily focusing on the past.
We start feeling a bit more optimistic on December 29th when Venus enters Sagittarius. Venus is the planet that describes what makes us feel happy and content. When she moves into Sagittarius, we can expect to feel a more playful, exuberant energy. Sagittarius is full of zest and excitement, so Venus here is in love with fun and games. A wide variety of playthings is an absolute necessity.
Sagittarius is a mutable fire sign, meaning that flexibility is combined with a brilliant display. Like a spreading wildfire, it’s here, it’s there, it’s everywhere. And Venus here thrives on chasing the flames as they jump from one place to another. Don’t expect to make any permanent commitments while Venus is in Sagittarius. Having the freedom to roam is of paramount importance as our lady of love rides away on the back of our seductive centaur.
Finally, on December 30th Jupiter begins to move direct in Taurus just in time for the New Year celebration. With Jupiter in Taurus Direct, we function at our best when we feel comfortable, autonomous, and secure. Jupiter in Taurus brings opportunities related to patience, building and strengthening efforts, and focusing on comfort, stability, and longevity. There can be a delight for sensual pleasures and a desire for the “simple good life” with this transit.
We value steadiness, persistence, longevity, predictability, naturalness, self-willed efforts, and determination during this Jupiter cycle. Our attitudes and values concerning religion, moral conduct, education, and politics are pragmatic and conventional. We prefer that people are natural but polite and not unnecessarily crude. We embrace what’s natural, established, long-lasting, and straightforward. We respect tradition, consistency, loyalty, honor, and durability. This will all change on May 25, 2024, when Jupiter enters Gemini. Make the best of what you have while Jupiter is in Taurus.
December 2023 Aspects
Dec 01 – Mercury enters Capricorn
Dec 02 – Mercury sextile Saturn
Dec 03 – Venus square Pluto
Dec 04 – Venus enters Scorpio
Dec 05 – Venus trine Saturn
Dec 06 – Neptune Direct in Pisces
Dec 07 – Mercury trine Jupiter
Dec 09 – Venus opposite Jupiter
Dec 11 – Mercury sextile Venus
Dec 12 – New Moon in Sagittarius
Dec 13 – Mercury Retrograde in Capricorn
Dec 16 – Sun square Neptune
Dec 18 – Mercury trine Jupiter
Dec 21 – Venus opposite Uranus
Dec 21 – Mercury sextile Saturn
Dec 21 – Sun enters Capricorn
Dec 22 – Sun conjunct Mercury
Dec 24 – Sun sextile Saturn
Dec 25 – Venus trine Neptune
Dec 26 – Full Moon in Cancer
Dec 27 – Mercury square Neptune
Dec 27 – Sun trine Jupiter
Dec 27 – Mercury conjunct Mars
Dec 28 – Mars square Neptune
Dec 29 – Venus sextile Pluto
Dec 29 – Venus enters Sagittarius
Dec 30 – Jupiter Direct in Taurus
SF Source Planets Within Dec 2023