On December 1st, the New Moon occurred in Sagittarius. This lunation prompts a new beginning and awakens the adventurer in us. There is a focus on goals that increase our understanding and awareness, give us the courage to expand our horizons, and confidence and optimism through a broader perspective. With potent Sagittarius energy, we discover ways to transcend the details of day-to-day life and nurture our faith, hope, and vision. It’s the first of two New Moons in December this year.
This New Moon forms a trine with Mars, supporting our energy and motivation levels. Then a square with Saturn suggests blocks to our efforts to begin anew.
On December 6th, Mars stations and turns retrograde and will remain retrograde until February 23rd, 2025, beginning in the sign of Leo and returning to Cancer in early January. We are now in the position to re-assess our projects and our approach to getting what we want. With a retrograde, Mars energy is turned inward, intensified, and personalized. There can be more passive-aggressive behavior during this cycle. We may be instigating problems or arguments rather than dealing with issues. However, this can be a good time to learn more about our inner motivations and desires, and a good time to reconsider old projects and interests.
The first part of this retrograde is in the sign of Leo. Pride can push us to greater heights, but it can also keep us from expressing our true feelings or learning from our experiences and others. With Mars retrograde in Leo, we might see more sulking or pulling away to make a point. Leo rules children, creativity, recreational pleasure, entertainment, and romance and we may need to reassess our approach to these things during this time. We might feel some frustration or anxiety about these matters. Health issues may be a factor (especially in areas ruled by Leo, including the heart), and accidents are a possibility throughout the Mars retrograde period.
On December 7th, Neptune stations and turns direct after retrograde motion since July 2nd. We may begin to face some illusions we’ve held onto, confusing situations may become clearer, and our creativity soars. We are more inclined to apply our creativity in the real world. We have more faith in our dreams and visions, in others, and in our belief systems. We are seeking inspiration from external sources.
On December 13th, Jupiter forms a minor aspect with Pluto, and events or circumstances can subtly challenge our beliefs, causing a need for an attitude change. We might struggle between the desire to learn through experience and the need to follow our ambitions. It’s important to find a balance in our journey of growth and advancement. Taking shortcuts or pushing too hard can set us back. We should avoid exaggerating our importance or power to ourselves, as it’s easier to make costly mistakes this way.
On December 15th, a Full Moon occurs in Gemini and this lunation can bring sudden awareness to our lives and an urgent need to know. We may want to get an important message across, finish a project relating to communications, or make an announcement. Travel and communications are in strong focus. Gemini’s ruler, Mercury, stations and turns direct on the same day as this Full Moon, skewing perceptions.
On December 15th, Mercury stations and turns direct after retrograde motion since November 25th. Mercury moves in direct motion over the same degrees it traveled in retrograde motion until January 2nd–this is also called its post-retrograde shadow. We’ve been in a good position to reevaluate our projects, visions, and goals, and we’ve given more thought to their meaning. Now, Mercury retraces its steps and information unclogs.
On December 24th, Jupiter forms a square with Saturn. This is the second of three perfections of this outer-planet transit with longer-term influence. The previous perfection was on August 19th, and the next and final one is on June 15th, 2025, although the third perfection will occur while Jupiter is in Cancer and Saturn is in Aries.
With this transit, we are presented with an opportunity for personal or professional growth, although the rewards may be delayed. We must restructure our lives or plans in accordance with rules, laws, limits, and the demands of reality. Ultimately, this process can lead to a stronger, more resilient version of ourselves or our projects.
This can be a time of fluctuating finances, increased personal commitments, sudden obstacles to our goals, energy dips, or ups and downs with our faith or outlook. We might be asking ourselves, why am I doing this or what’s the point?. There can be a sense that we’re not in the right place at the right time during this phase.
During this period, it is crucial to breathe new life into old plans rather than create a new plan altogether. We may need to make sacrifices in one area of our lives to grow in another. It’s important not to overextend ourselves and to avoid easy fixes or shortcuts. The need to adjust our expectations is part of the process, and with patience and perseverance, we can confidently navigate obstacles and challenges.
On December 29th, Chiron stations and turns direct after retrograde motion since July 26th. Emotional truths about matters we’ve been avoiding or confused about begin to emerge now and in the coming weeks. While not always comfortable revelations, they can serve to motivate us to take appropriate action.
On December 30th, the second New Moon of the month occurs in Capricorn, stirring a new beginning. We recognize that having some boundaries and rules in place frees us up to enjoy ourselves as we tend to our responsibilities. This lunation offers us the opportunity to set practical, attainable goals and work on developing maturity, self-discipline, and common sense. We’re prompted to prepare for the future.
Winter Solstice
In the Northern Hemisphere, shortest day of the year is the the winter solstice. This year, the solstice is on December 21, 2024. It'll start at 4:21 a.m. EST. In the Southern Hemisphere, the winter solstice is in in June, on Saturday, June 21, 2025 at 02:42 UTC.
In winter, the Northern hemisphere is tilted away from the sun, which means fewer hours of daylight overall. After the solstice, there starts to be a little more light in the Northern hemisphere every day.
This will continue until the summer solstice, which is called the longest day in the year, because it is the most hours of sunlight a single day will see.
Although the winter solstice itself lasts only a moment, the term also refers to the day on which it occurs. The term midwinter is also synonymous with the winter solstice, although it carries other meanings as well. Traditionally, in many temperate regions, the winter solstice is seen as the middle of winter. In some countries and calendars today it is seen as the beginning of winter.
The winter solstice has been a significant time of year in many cultures since ancient times and has been marked by festivals and rites. It is the symbolic death and rebirth of the Sun. The gradual waning of daylight hours is reversed and begins to grow again. Some ancient monuments such as Newgrange, Stonehenge, Cahokia Woodhenge, and Ahu Tongariki are aligned with the sunrise or sunset on the winter solstice.
This year, Yule occurs Sat, Dec 21, 2024 – Wed, Jan 1, 2025. Yule is a winter festival historically observed by Germanic peoples and was incorporated into Christmas during the Christianization of the Germanic people. In present times adherents of some new religious movements, such as paganism, celebrate Yule independently of the Christian festival. The term Yule is still used in some countries to describe Christmas and other festivals occurring during the winter holiday season.
More about the Yule and the winter solstice here:
https://1111beginnings.com/blogs/news/the-winter-solstice
