December begins with Sagittarius the Centaur guiding us toward brighter skies, after a year of deep shadow work. Jupiter has now shifted from Scorpio into Sagittarius, lightening the collective energies. But with Mercury retrograde and Venus returning to Scorpio today, we still have a week to clear up any confusion or turmoil that remains, particularly around communication and relationships. It’s been lonely and challenging times, but we’re now ready to connect with our inspiration, joy, and optimism.

With Mars conjunct Neptune, it could still feel difficult to find our way out of the fog. Luckily, Mercury stations direct the first week of December, helping us find our bearings after six months of retrogrades. This is a good time to set pure intentions for the new year, feeling into our wildest dreams and ideals. Meanwhile, we’re raising our sites from our own navels to our communities and the collective well-being. How can we come together in love, compassion, and healing? Patriarchy is upending and the feminine is still finding her throne. No one is at the helm and our only choice is to listen to our own inner authority—questioning our philosophies and solid beliefs while dissolving our dogma and rigidity.

MERCURY RETROGRADE + VENUS ENTER SCORPIO

On December 1, Mercury retrograde and Venus both reenter Scorpio. We’re wrapping up some deep inner shadow work, while reflecting on issues of love, intimacy, and sexuality. Relationships could intensify, and anger erupt, as we return to old ground. But we’re finally able to answer questions still lingering from September. Chiron is trining the North Node, and we’re healing old wounds—moving forward with a greater sense of tenderness and resolve.

MERCURY STATIONS DIRECT

Mercury stations direct on December 6, concluding six months of retrogrades. The clouds are parting, and with Jupiter in Sagittarius, we can truly begin plowing forward. What have we learned since June? How have we changed, liberated, or deepened? As we prepare for the New Year, we can decide which values, motivations, and desires we’re going to carry with us into 2019.

SAGITTARIUS NEW MOON

The Sagittarius New Moon arrives on December 7, questioning our highest ideals and the places where we’ve been too intellectual, rigid, or sure. It’s time to relax, allowing our intuition to lead us forward. It’s difficult to take action just yet, but now is the perfect time for setting intentions for the New Year. We can think big, dreaming up our brightest futures. Manifestation energies are high, even though we won’t see the fruits of our intentions just yet.

CHIRON STATIONS DIRECT

On December 9, Chiron stations direct in Pisces. The Wounded Healer is prepared to return to Aries, beginning a whole new cycle of healing. Where have we been wounded by materialism? Where have we been overly vain or petty, as the result of mainstream culture? And where are our hearts still broken by the pain of separation? It’s time to embrace our spiritual paths, to allow our hearts to expand into love, as we forgive our own foibles and shortcomings, and accept the full spectrum of who we are. Our pain is ready to dissolve into the ocean of transcendence and universal love, if we can turn off the habitual stories in our minds, allowing true stillness and true healing to take place.

CANCER FULL MOON

A Cancer Full Moon arrives December 22, squaring Chiron and Mars as the Sun conjuncts Saturn. The North Node has just entered Cancer also, beginning a year-and-a-half period of empowering the feminine. As we continue to uproot patriarchy and heal the wounded masculine, we’re ready to embrace the full spectrum of our feelings and vulnerability—recognizing them as true strength. We’re also noticing where we’ve been fearing or repressing our emotions, dislodging notions that our dignity and respectability are defined by repression, personal gain, or closing our hearts. With Uranus sextiling the Moon, we’re ready to break out of the past, liberating from old, stuck karma and allowing our sensitive hearts their full expression.

END OF THE MONTH

By the end of the month, we’re entering a softer phase of love, hope, and even romance. Mercury is touching Jupiter; the Sun is trining Uranus; and Venus—now out of her shadow—is trining Neptune. Mars will enter Aries on New Year’s Eve, and we’ll be ready to move forward with our intentions. Until then, we can embrace our dreams and visions of what could be, enjoying the waves as they wash away our pain, stuck-ness, and closed-mindedness. As we do so, we’ll be sprinkling seeds of spirituality and compassion, with a greater sense of joy, hope, and adventure.

December Summary

The planets this December are ready to connect us with our dreams and ideals, encouraging us to set lofty intentions for the coming year. We’re wrapping up six months of retrogrades, resolving relationship quandaries and confusion after a painful period of recalibration. However, it’s not time to act just yet. Mars is squaring Neptune, and our direction is still hazy. We would be better served using the planetary energies to rest in not knowing, while opening our hearts and minds. We’re questioning our solid belief systems, and releasing our anger and stubbornness into the healing waters of interconnection. How can we weave universal love into the fabric of society? How can we let go of the past, opening our doors of repression so we can feel what we feel without shame? We’re continuing to dismantle patriarchy in preparation for the new paradigm in 2020, and it’s now time for the inner feminine to rise in each of us—restoring balance. The North Node is in Cancer for the next eighteen months, and we’re learning to follow our intuition and hearts, rather than our desires to achieve and emulate the status quo. Any ways that we can dissolve our attachments to selfishness and materialism will be amply rewarded. It’s time to embrace the coming age, considering how we will offer ourselves with true strength, which stems from embodying our tenderness, vulnerability, and compassion.

As clouds hug the snow-covered peaks, may we feel the embrace of love in this human realm. May we remember to always look up as we continue to build enlightened society—making sure that each of us, as well as the Earth and her creatures, are cared for, respected, and nurtured.

To schedule an astrology reading with Juliana, visit here, or write: info@etherealculture.com

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