The astrology for this week of December 18th through the 24th of 2023 can have us in full holiday regalia as we end the autumn season and begin the winter season and run up to the long Christmas holiday weekend.
We can be highly productive as we start the week, taking care of any number of things in preparation for Christmas festivities. Hustling and bustling and hopefully the spirit of good cheer may transform even the strongest Grinch into a begrudging elf. Although our society seems to have become highly narcissistic and self-involved, this time of year urges us to consider the concerns, needs, and wishes of other people. This is the season of the light being born in the dark.
As we come to the end of the autumn season and before we enter the winter season on Thursday, we might reflect on the people we know, both present and past, and make our own determination as to whom we judge to be naughty or nice to us. There can be a culling whereby we figure those people with whom we wish to engage both during these holidays and in our days ahead and those people left behind to our memory bank, the people we have outgrown or whom we no longer wish to have in our life.
The Winter Solstice triggers a brief Capricorn Stellium. We may be looking to tie up loose ends that we would prefer to complete and leave behind in the year ending to have a cleaner slate as we enter the new year. Closures and completions at the end of the week, whether in practice or in our mind’s firmness of purpose, allow us to fully embrace the gaiety of festivities on the weekend culminating with Christmas Eve on Sunday.
This week is a time when the light is born.
Monday, December 18th – Whistle While We Work – Jupiter, Mercury, Venus, Mars. Monday begins this week with the Moon in Pisces and with the Pisces Moon today sextile Jupiter in Taurus, the Moon sextile Mercury in Capricorn, the Moon trine Venus, and to end the day the Moon square Mars. Mercury trines Jupiter. Monday and Tuesday of this week could be two highly productive days. We can attend to any number of things [e.g., holiday cards, gift shopping, preparations for festive meals, social engagements, completions of projects to be finished prior to the new year, resolutions for the new year, etc.] Monday and Tuesday can be two highly busy days, but we are likely to be loving the energy and all the activities that we’re juggling. The main caveat is not to try and do too much, a liability on both this Monday and on Tuesday. Although we might have a lot going on, it would be far better for us to prioritize our activities, plan things out, and take things one by one, all the while being cognizant of Mercury being retrograde with Murphy’s Law of ‘whatever can go wrong could go wrong’ in effect. Our intentions and time management skills may go a long way to our achieving successful results and getting more done than we might have imagined possible.
Tuesday, December 19th – Drawing Upon the Magic – Uranus, Neptune, Sun, Pluto, Moon Void-of-Course. Tuesday has the Moon completing its transit of Pisces and as it has done over recent months the Moon aspects all three of the transcendental planets today as the Moon sextiles Uranus in Taurus, the Moon conjuncts Neptune, and the Moon sextiles Pluto in Capricorn. The Moon squares the Sun. After the Moon sextiles Pluto, the Moon goes Void-of-Course for over an hour and a half with the Moon making no further connections to the planets as the Moon finishes its transit of Pisces and before the Moon enters Aries late in the day. Yesterday and today can have us operating on all cylinders. Yesterday, we might have been pushed ahead by our own confidence, optimism, and exuberance. Today, we may discover that the ‘Force is with us’ with things moving surprisingly forward expeditiously and in some rather bizarre ways. We do need to be willing to step out of our own way, be open to the magic of these times, and accept beneficial assistance in whatever format or whomever comes forward. We are also ending the Moon’s monthly transit through the Zodiac and beginning a new monthly transit as the Moon exits Pisces and enters Aries. If we can accomplish much of the holiday necessities on Monday and Tuesday of this week, we could launch full force into the joy and celebrations of the holidays during this Tuesday’s evening hours through the rest of week, on into Christmas next Monday, and culminating on Boxing Day next Tuesday, which is also the day of the Full Moon.
Wednesday, December 20th – Checking the List, Checking it Twice – Mercury. Wednesday has the Aries Moon square Mercury. There is not a great deal of energy on this Wednesday when compared to the other days of this week. This is a day for us to go over what needs to be done. Anything that may have fallen between the cracks, we can attend to today. We might feel as though we have everything pretty much in order, failing that one detail and that one item that we forgot about and didn’t take into account. This is a day for us to slow things down, consider our plans and the specifics of our holiday intentions and be certain that we’ve dealt with all that needs to get done. As many of us may be traveling, some of us starting out on this Wednesday, we might experience delays, so it would be wise to add on extra time, have contingency plans in mind, and pack a great amount of patience. We may want to be fast out the door [ah, that Aries energy], but traffic issues, travel problems, infrastructure system breakdowns and any weather disturbances could prove challenging. Let’s do what we can, but let’s also recognize that there are times when we are more subject to circumstances beyond our control than things happening in accordance with our own willpower and what we would want to occur.
Thursday, December 21st – Born into the Light – Mars, Pluto, Sun, Venus, Uranus, Mercury, Saturn, Winter Solstice, Sun Capricorn. The Moon finishes its transit of Aries with the Aries Moon today square Pluto in Capricorn and the Moon trine both Mars and the Sun both in Sagittarius. Late in the day, the Moon exits Aries and enters Taurus. Venus opposes Uranus, and Mercury sextiles Saturn. The Sun exits Sagittarius and enters Capricorn [10:27 PM EST] at the Winter Solstice ending the autumn season and entering the winter season. Our focus on this Thursday may be to spread our wings, whether literally by traveling out of town or figuratively in engaging fun activities and holiday festivities. There could be issues with relationships, a push – pull between individual needs and the wishes of someone else. Let’s avoid personal dramas that often turn out to be manipulative maneuvers to win attention. We also need to be careful with purchases today. What seems to be a bargain may turn out to be good in price, lacking in value. The entry of the Sun into Capricorn creates a brief Stellium in the Cardinal Earth Sign as the Sun joins Mercury and Pluto in Capricorn. We can take a practical approach in all our doings if we don’t get snookered by either the hype or the bright, shiny appearances. In the northern latitudes, this is the darkest day of the year. From here, the days grow brighter in light culminating with the Summer Solstice in June. Literally, and we can embrace it figuratively, today indicates that the light is born.
Friday, December 22nd – Finishing Touches – Mercury, Saturn, Jupiter, Sun. Friday has the Taurus Moon trine Mercury, the Moon sextile Saturn, and the Moon conjunct Jupiter. The Sun conjuncts Mercury. We are coming into the long Christmas holiday weekend, and we could use this day to complete finishing touches. Whether we are preparing for our own in-house festivities, traveling, or addressing mundane matters, this Friday is a day when we are effectively able to address specifics, attend to details, and conclude outstanding matters. Not only are we likely to be successful in our endeavors. Our presentations can be appealing. Today, we seem to have it all together. Competence and style. Yes, Mercury is retrograde, and we need to keep in mind that Murphy’s Law of ‘whatever can go wrong could wrong’ is in effect, but with proper planning, time management skills, constantly reevaluating our progress and a desire to accomplish our tasks, we may check off all the items on our ‘to do’ list and feel proud of our achievements in doing what we set out to do.
Saturday, December 23rd – One More Thing – Uranus, Venus, Neptune, Mercury Sagittarius. Saturday continues with the Taurus Moon with the Moon today conjunct Uranus, the Moon opposed Venus, and the Moon sextile Neptune. Mercury retrogrades back out of Capricorn and enters Sagittarius [1:18 AM EST]. With Mercury entering Sagittarius, the Capricorn Stellium of three planets in the Cardinal Earth Sign ends, and Mercury moves into a Sign of its Detriment where our thinking can be diffuse and scattered. At the same time, Mercury in Sagittarius can have us blithely oblivious to any serious concerns. On the contrary, we might be feeling upbeat, optimistic, and confident whether we have cause or not. No matter how good our planning might be, unexpected developments may arise that force our attention and remind us that often there is one more thing to do that we had not accounted for. No matter our intentions for this day, we could find ourselves being impacted by the conditions of the moment, circumstances we were unable to anticipate but need to address. Instead of grabbing at anything, let’s be judicious in our decisions. The evening hours can be pleasant social interactions spent with family and friends. Celebrations are in order. It’s Christmastime a time for good feelings and good cheer.
Sunday, December 24th – Forget the Scurrying and Hurrying – Pluto, Moon Void-of-Course, Saturn, Sun. Sunday has the Taurus Moon trine Pluto in the early morning hours. The Moon then goes Void-of-Course for an hour and a half as the Moon finishes its transit of Taurus without making any further connections to the planets and before the Moon enters Gemini. The Gemini Moon squares Saturn as we awaken, and the Sun sextiles Saturn. Late Saturday, early Sunday can have us putting the finishing touches on our Christmas plans. We might have exhausted ourselves with the runup to this Christmas Eve. While our mind could be racing with all sorts of thoughts, even entertaining concerns about whether we have covered all the bases for our Christmas festivities, we may be physically totally depleted. The mind might be willing, the physical body unable. There is something special about Christmas Eve. There is a sense of quiet that envelopes the world. Much of the holiday frenzy can die down as we take the time to enjoy the peacefulness of this time of year. There is something magical about this day, heavy with the anticipation of the gifting and blessings that Christmas brings. This is a good day to put aside the scurrying and hurrying, instead embracing the wonder of this holiday. By taking the time to relax and enjoy the company of family and friends, we can more deeply appreciate all that has been given us, all that makes our life special and living a magical, mystery tour. We might realize our spiritual nature and could resolve to put our spirit into action in the coming year.
