Hi Everyone

It’s hard to believe that this is the last Astro Doings for 2018. December is pretty quiet by comparison to other months this year. Once again, there are no planets in air signs (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius). Air is the element of archetypal ideas and breath.  Air signs can be very detached, very mental and lacking in emotional depth. Their detachment can allow them to work with others, even if they don’t agree with them.

Mercury will station direct (start moving from east to west) on December 6^th at 4:22 p.m. ET. He’ll be at 27⁰ Scorpio and will move into Sagittarius on December 12. He’ll be right next to (conjunct) Jupiter for the rest of the month. Sagittarius is a fire sign that enthusiastically seeks Truth, so our ideas (Mercury) may be bigger than life (Jupiter) and not always “realistic.” In the beginning of the month, up to the Winter Solstice, the Sun will also be in Sagittarius. The only other planet in fire is Uranus, retrograde at late degrees Aries. Aries is the sign of the warrior and a quest for expression of his/her true self, without much consideration of others.

There are currently three planets in water signs: Venus, Mars and Neptune. Mars and Neptune are in Pisces, and Venus will enter Scorpio on the 2^nd.  Water represents emotions and psychic information and is one way to put fire out. (The other, of course, is earth, but we’ll get to that a bit later.) Emotions, as they have been for a while now, may continue to run high. However, Pisces can be the sign of empathy and compassion, an understanding of others, not from a mental perspective, but from our feeling nature. Mars is not happy to be in gentle Pisces. He rules Aries, after all, and he will enter Aries on the 31^st at 9:20 p.m. ET.

The Winter Solstice is December 21^st at 5:23 p.m. ET when the Sun enters Capricorn and we celebrate the return of the Light. Saturn and Pluto join the Sun in Capricorn. (You’ll recall that Saturn, planet of restrictions, lack, fear, and spiritual lessons, rules Capricorn, so there is a very easy flow of energy here.) Capricorn is a sign of planning, caution, ambition, and patience. Capricorn’s planning and patience can make him/her seem slow and unwilling to change. Not so, but Capricorn people don’t go willy-nilly into anything, like Aries people might. They understand the value of repose, which I believe most of us struggle with at times. Hence our dislike of Mercury retrograde periods. Capricorn knows how to step back and evaluate before moving forward.

The New Moon occurs on December 7^th at 2:20 a.m. ET. She’ll be at 15⁰ Sagittarius. The Full Moon occurs on December 22^nd at 12:49 p.m. ET. She’ll be at 0⁰ Cancer.

I hope you have a most joyous holiday season celebrating the return of the Light and a healthy and prosperous New Year.

Peace and abundant blessings,

Margaret