December 2018 astrology

As we begin December, retrograde Mercury is in its final week of the retrograde period in heavy and intense Scorpio. It turns direct at 27 degrees of Scorpio on December 6. Around this time situations and personal directions may change again, new information can be revealed and unexpected situations can show themselves before Mercury gets back to normal. The planet of communication will then re-enter lighter and more expansive Sagittarius December 12, where it will spend the rest of the month. After a year of unusually intense retrograde planets causing delays and obstacles by January 6, 2019,  every planet astrologers use are in direct motion and we will start out 2019 with all systems on go.

Venus enters Scorpio December 2, where it will remain through the first week of January. Venus was in Scorpio during September and October and went through a six week retrograde period, shaking up love, relationships and money. Changes were made, some of them unexpected, and now we may revisit issues or situations that began but were stalled in October.

Venus in Scorpio will be the last blast of Scorpio energy in 2018. Scorpio rules the 8th house of sex, change/transformation and other people's money. 

Venus here is intense and can hold a grudge, but this should nevertheless work well for Water signs. It has bounced between Scorpio and Libra since August, and is still officially in the post retrograde shadow period until December 19. By this point whatever changes were in store to happen have occurred and we won't have to deal with another retrograde Venus for 18 months.

December's New Moon falls at 15 degrees of Sagittarius December 7. Mars is conjunct Neptune creating fog, confusion and lack of clarity. Mars and Neptune do not blend well as Mars rules the ego and Neptune the unconscious. We could be dealing with unknown factors and very unclear situations, and astrologers call Neptune the planet of illusion, delusion and confusion. The new Moon squares this powerful transit and this creates a clash. As Mercury has just turned direct, this can generate even more confusion and I would advise not making important decisions or jumping to conclusions until a few days go by and the fog clears. On the upside we may see creativity and compassion for others and my advice is to place your focus here.

The winter solstice is the shortest day and longest night of the year and it falls on December 21, at 5:23 PM, EST. At this moment the Sun enters Capricorn for the next 29 days and winter is officially here.

December's full moon falls on December 22, at 0 degrees of Cancer. This moon will set the tone for the rest of the holiday season, and Cancer rules the 4th house of home, family and is the most emotional of signs. Mercury is conjunct Jupiter and this provides a light and optimistic energy but can be prone to overdoing things! Venus trine Neptune is generally positive, romantic and upbeat.

December 31, Mars enters Aries, known as the 0 degree world point which can coincide with significant events. Energy changes from an inner to outer manifestation in our lives as well as the world over the next six weeks. Mars at 0 degree of Aries is oriented to the world at large, and can represent a spectacular outrush of energies in the collective. As Aries is a Cardinal sign energies will increase in pace and be changeable. Aries rules the first house or ourselves, and many people will be attempting to put their personal agenda into motion as we enter the new year. 

Those most affected will be Aries, Libra, Cancer and Capricorn. As this is a significant change of energy on New Year's eve be careful if you are out and about as this is worthy of attention.

Some of the more significant dates in December include:

December 2, the Sun trines Mars-positive and energetic.

December 5, the Sun squares Neptune. This can be tiring, if not confusing energy.

December 16, Venus sextiles Saturn. Positive more money, getting things done, people and things from the past.

December 17, Mars sextiles Pluto. Positive and energetic for group activities, easily getting to the bottom of situations through conversation.

December 20, The Sun trines Uranus. electric energy, new opportunities and ways of doing things.

December 24, Mercury squares Neptune. Intuitive and compassionate for some, can be tiring.

December 28, Venus sextiles Pluto. Expressive, feelings will be deep and conversations will not be shallow.

Here's wishing you and yours the happiest of holidays and a very Happy and prosperous New Year.

Full Moon on Black Friday

This month's full moon falls at 0 degrees of Gemini on November 23, close to midnight and in time for the US Thanksgiving holiday. It is a powerful but convoluted full moon.

Gemini rules communication, travel, computers, young people and its planetary ruler is Mercury, which is retrograde and square Neptune. Many retrograde screw ups could occur on this moon, and confusion should be expected!

Mercury-Neptune transits relate to confusion, lack of clarity and lies.  All you hear may not be true, and some people may change their mind on issues or say they committed to one course of action when they did not (or vice versa).

The Moon opposes the Sun and Jupiter, and Moon-Jupiter has a tendency to over promise or blow things out of proportion, although it can be positive.

The bigger picture is this moon squares Mars, the 'God of War'.

As the Moon rules women and family, issues may arise at family gatherings, and more than a few may blame Mom for something. Interactions can be intense, and people may seem agitated and upset.

Of course, Black Friday, the consumer driven 'holiday' will be special this year, with retrograde Mercury and this full Moon. Can you imagine the Christmas gifts that will be sent back? People could also get nasty trying to get what or to where they want.

Outside of this and all kidding aside, this full moon presents its challenges with a square to Mars. The 0 degree Moon is a powerful aspect and it would be easy to set off an argument, and care should be exercised in communication with others. Men and women may not communicate well.

This moon will play out on the world stage in terms of important and volatile news we will hear over these few days. We will be lucky if we don't hear of violence as we so often do these days. Mars rules young men, guns, police and weapons and the Moon rules women.

Mars enters Pisces and squares Jupiter: situations out of control

Mars entered Pisces November 15, and is in a square (clash) with Jupiter through the full moon, November 23.

Pisces rules the 12th house of endings, things secret and hidden, Dr.'s, hospitals, places of seclusion. Pisces planetary rulers are Jupiter and Neptune. Neptune can involve great creativity and imagination or it can represent illusion, delusion and confusion, as well as drugs, alcohol, and religion or spirituality. Pisces is one of the most compassionate of signs and its element is Water.

Mars is square Jupiter, the planet of expansion and gain and many things and situations can become blown out of proportion.

With Mars in Pisces and Jupiter in Sagittarius, we could see confused or incorrect information and situations getting blown up and of control, like the out of control wildfires in California. Sagittarius is the most expansive of signs and tends to take off in its own direction. With Mercury retrograde (in Sagittarius) the direction could be confused.

Expect to see major events in the world over the next week, and is often the case these days, especially in politics.

Mercury retrogrades by sign

Mercury retrogrades one last time this year, from November 16 - December 6. Each year, Mercury retrogrades 3 or 4 times in a particular element, this year’s being Fire. Mercury turns stationary retrograde at 13 degrees of Sagittarius on November 16, at 8:33 PM, EST. That is also the same day retrograde Venus turns direct!

Venus turns direct at 25 degrees of Libra in the early morning hours (EST) of November 16, and we may feel a surge start to move forward but by evening, as Mercury changes its course, we should bear in mind while the planet of love, beauty, money and values is direct, we should exercise caution in beginning new ventures and making new starts with a retrograde Mercury. 

The sign Sagittarius is ruled by Jupiter, the planet of expansion and gain, and also rules the ninth house of education, courts, travel and world view, so these are the areas that will be affected overall. Jupiter also rules doctors, lawyers, and foreigners, and the collective may be paying attention to politics more than usual during this period.

What to Expect from Mercury Retrograde

Retrograde Mercury is part of the natural cycle of life, and it is time to re-do, re-think and re-vamp what we are already working on, rather than begin new ventures. It is time to slow down, correct matters at hand, re-do, re-access and re-think where we are going and why. Mercury is the planet of travel, communication, young people and pets.

This is not the time to buy electronics, big ticket items, start new projects, get married or engaged, or begin a new business. It is not an ideal time to start a new job, but I tell clients if you need a job and get an offer, don't turn it down. That said, many things could occur. The job could be different from what you thought, there could be delays, or at the very least, it will likely not be the last job you ever have.

Retrograde Mercury is a wild card. As Mercury rules the mind, we could have trouble concentrating, become forgetful, or we could experience this through other people.

Equipment and machinery has a tendency to breakdown at this. It could be your car, your washing machine, computer or coffee pot. Hopefully, none of these things will happen, but this is one of the reasons retrograde Mercury elicits groans when mentioned.

Retrograde Mercury has a tendency to take us back to the past in different ways. This can include people, possessions, and past projects can be reviewed.

The stationary retrograde period is where we start to notice a big shift in Mercurial energy, things change and for a few days may seem to go haywire. Meetings get cancelled, calls don't get returned and delays occur.

But, as part of the natural cycle, new information is also uncovered that is needed. During a retrograde Mercury we often find out information we need to make progress in the future. Retrograde Mercury uncovers information we need and may not have been aware of before the retrograde.

The Stages of Mercury Retrograde

Retrograde Mercury is a process. The shadow period of the retrograde where things start to change in a subtle way began on October 29. The stationary retrograde period where the energy clearly shifts occurs November 16 - 20. After that, Mercury goes through a period of apparent backward motion (it does not actually move backward) until December 6, when it officially turns direct - this is called the stationary direct period, which lasts until December 9. Then, there is another shadow period as all things straighten out that will last until December 25.

During this retrograde we will mentally travel through two worlds as Mercury will move through two signs. It will remain in Sagittarius until December 2, then it moves back into Scorpio. Scorpio rules the 8th house of money, sex, and change and transformation. Scorpio is deeper and more intense than Sagittarius and ruled by Mars and Pluto which are harsher, more malefic planets. Thinking will be heavier. Mercury turns direct in Scorpio and will remain in this sign until December 12, when it re-enters Sagittarius for the rest of the year.

2018 has been a year of intense retrogrades. Both Mars and Venus were retrograde this year along with 6 other planets, and there have been many delays.

The good news is this is the final retrograde of the year, and we will be moving full steam ahead into 2019. As of January 6, 2019, all planets are direct, and we will move unfettered into the new year.

Mercury Retrograde and Your Sign

Look below to see which house Mercury transits through your chart. Use your ascendant if you know it and if not your Sun sign.

Aries - 9th house of travel, education and world view to 8th house of money, other people's money, sex.

Taurus - 8th house of money, joint finances, sex to 7th house of partners/marriage.

Gemini - 7th house of marriage/partners to 6th house of work/health

Cancer - 6th house of work/health to 5th house of love, friends, children.

Leo - 5th house of children, friends, love to 4th house of home, foundation, family.

Virgo - 4th house of foundation, home and family to 3rd house of immediate family, trips, neighbors.

Libra - 3rd house of immediate family, neighbors, co-workers, trips to 2nd house of money/income.

Scorpio - 2nd house of money to 1st house of self, personal interests.

Sagittarius - 1st house of self and self-interests to 12th house of hospitals/seclusion, hidden matters, subconscious mind.

Capricorn - 12th house of seclusion, hidden matters, the subconscious mind to 11th house of friends, hopes and wishes.

Aquarius - 11th house of friends, hopes and wishes to 10th house of business and career.

Pisces- 10th house of career and priorities to 9th house of travel, education.

Mercury (retrograde) square Neptune: Lies, cheats and misinformation

Mercury turns retrograde this week on November 16, the same day Venus turns direct, which will probably be a once in a lifetime coincidence. As Venus turns direct many situations that have caused you to feel stuck may start to resolve, but it may not be instant as Mercury turns retrograde in a tight square with Neptune that will last until from November 12 until about the 21st.

You can expect to experience confusion, lack of clarity, misinformation and in some cases depression as Neptune clouds the issue and is considered the planet of illusion, confusion and delusion.

A clear head will be needed over the next 10 days. Don't take everything at face value and at the same time don't assume the worse, either.

People may change direction once again, walk back previous decisions or deny having ever said certain things. They could also over promise, over commit and make decisions  without all the facts.

This will play out in the world as scandals, lack of transparency and lies. Situations may be revealed such as the actual voter counts in Florida and Georgia, as well as those who try and repress the information

Weather conditions could be affected adversely as well and the potential of flooding exists in some areas.