You’re powering into December with the impetus of not only the Sun but ultra-Yang Mars behind you. Mercury has already moved on from Saggo, of course…or has it? Actually, the Eloquence God will return to Sagittarius – in Trickster Mode – from December 23 until January 12/13. Yes, it’s a Mercury Retrograde stunt!

But this Mars vibe is snazzy enough to offset any mayhem – you’re invigorated and invigorating. The most severe Merc-Retro weirding is likely to be people reneging on Xmas/New Year promises to be there/not be there or diverging into gaudy, overwrought monologues.

Your choice: Stage-manage every detail or be outrageously hyper-zen about it all.

December 7-10 is Mercury trine Jupiter, an ebullient few days for self-promo and proposing innovative work/life solutions. They’re most likely to manifest around January 19/20, when this dazzling duo does it again. Don’t stoop to haggle (or even slouch) over the actual Mercury Retrograde in Sagittarius phase.

The Saggo New Moon on December 12/13 sparks a series of sensational Fire element synergies that galvanize slacker suitors and arouse fresh romantic opportunities. It’s also hot for spiritual regeneration, especially around the 20th, when the Sun is conjunct the Galactic Center.

Mars in your solar 12th house for the month arouses contradictory desires – to trek across lesser-known mountain ranges with swooping eagles or hermiting, complete with a power-couch and digital version of a drawbridge…Monochome? Neon everything?

Oscillating between disco-mode and existential-noire is exhausting for a Capricorn. But it’s fantastic prep for Mars in your sign from Jan 5 to Feb 14 – your first such Mars transit without Pluto in tow since 2007.

Self-assertion and the pursuit of ambition need not be synonymous with mind-fuqery/control dramas – that was just the plutonic regeneration. As you’ll get major goal-stalking traction from early Jan, go with the self-questioning – it’s laser-honing your intentions.

Zap into hyperdrive to complete outstanding tasks and deals by Mercury Retro on December 13 or bump them till January if possible.

Most of December features Venus in super-Goth Scorpio and Sorceress Circe conjunct Pluto in Capricorn. Your personal magnetism and social/mating matrix are hyperactivated but real love phenoms only make sense in a big time context.

And, December 26/27 is a friendly Full Moon in your relationship sector. Auspiciously aligned with your ruling planet Saturn, it helps stabilize scenarios that have been too foo-foo for your liking.

You’ve devised your next era ethos and drafted the map (because it’s actually easier to D.I.Y. than follow someone else’s coordinates) but how to present it all?

Venus moves into your solar career + reputation sector on Dec 5, setting you up for accolades and/or rebranding genius.

Dec 5 to 7 is pivotal as Venus trines Saturn in your $$$ sector, just as Neptune turns Direct there. Think unfrozen funds, less sluggish cashflow, a Scorpionic, Saturnine, Plutonian or Capricorn mentor/money maven and/or the forward momentum (finally) of a promising enterprise from mid-year. It seeds good outcomes that will be super-evident over Xmas/New Year.

Could Mercury Retro from Dec 13 till Jan 2/3 stall any of this? Only in the sense that it messes with other people’s competency, communication and connectivity.

Your challenge is to lift your time & efficiency metrics to compensate, without hitting Grudge Flashpoint because you’re supposed to be the wild Uranian Genius with a well-funded secret laboratory/library.

But really, your Mercury Retro is more of a psych trip as you realize/re-realize feelings around friendships, community, covert topics or experiences and the whole Pluto in Capricorn era since 2008. Of course, creative work or secret love weirding may relieve the tension.

Asteroid Eros in Pisces from December 9 until late January is an astral aphrodisiac. It’s aligned with Saturn from the 9th to 12th, softening this stoic influence and inspiring remedies for saturnine scenarios like stiff joints and gloom-mongering.

It’s a good time to wing it with one of your patented stealth charm offensives. A surreal gesture could spark a line of luck or love that develops into something dazzling by mid-Jan.

As Mercury is already in the Retrograde shadowzone at the start of the month, developments since Nov 26 could be flipped or revised after December 13. Be grateful for your fishy Mutability and dial it up to max – think fluid, with multiple options and adapting on the fly if need be.

These are all innate so you may under-appreciate them – partly because others often rename these attributes as ‘a fluke.’ Or, worse, ‘you got away with it.’

Consider turning pro with your Piscean flippiness or at least not indulging the characters who diss it. Under-rating yourself could be a habit you drop for Pluto in Aquarius, aka your (solar) Soul Sector?

Venus in Scorpio from December 5 to 30 amplifies connections with a potent ‘like minds’ tone and makes the pursuit of esoteric weirdness or intellectual scenic routes a brilliant way to find/improve love.

You’re in-the-now – everyone knows that – but this month demands a timeline analysis. Mercury zips into Capricorn on the 2nd and is at greatest Eastern elongation on the 4th, visible in a ‘what’s that?’ glimmer at twilight.

Later in the month, it turns Retrograde and is then ‘out of bounds’ – all of this prompts an unusual degree of ultra-insightful vocational journey introspection.

It particularly illuminates your aspirations in light of the cultural-economic evolution from 2005 until 2012. Think it all through for a fantastic entrance into the Pluto in Aquarius epoch from January 19.

You could just barrel through Ramzilla style and the career scene is in morph mode regardless but defining the era that’s ending fuels you for the incoming one. FYI: It’s more advantageous for Aries career and commercial ambitions.

Alternatively, focus on the funky Venusian action – sex and other people’s money could stage an interesting comeback, especially around December 3-7 and 20-22.

The New Moon on the 12th/13th is in a divine trine to the Moon’s Node in Aries – it’s classically good for travel, education, long-distance love affairs and idealistic ventures but anything that starts then could become dramatically amazing at high velocity.

Aside from potential weirdness around the Solstice* on December 22/23, Taureans are set for some super-optimal relationship astro!

Juno, Lilith and Hekate afford extra agency in the realms of fabulosity, performance, allure, fun etc and they align favorably with Venus in your house of love from December 5 to 30.

Additionally, Mercury trines ebullient Jupiter in Taurus twice this month – from Dec 7-10 and again from the 17th to 20th. This equals good news and expansive dialogue but it also transmits your best points to a broader audience.

The Mercury-Jupiter alignment completes on Jan 19-20, making this rut-busting, largesse-toting opportune phenom active more or less the whole time – albeit more difficult to decipher during the Mercury Retro phase (Dec 13 to Jan 2/3.

This vexatious mercurial situation is mostly logistics – etch travel arrangements into papyrus or something else suitably Taurean and not reliant on the internet or electricity.

*The Solstice weirdness is Venus opposite Uranus – fantastic if you want a wild card to sex up a dull game or seek skittish thrills but not crash-hot for sedate comforts, securing a committment or unknown social scenarios.

If you like good omens, a romantic backdrop and a trillion shooting stars to wish on, be sure to watch the spectacular Geminids meteor shower expected between December 7 and 17.

You’re also blessed by your ruler Mercury in sync with Lilith in Mercury-ruled Virgo from December 8 to 17. This works because Mercury will be in your solar 8th sector, the realm of metaphysics, money and soulful sexual affinities.

The smooth alignment with renegade Lilith in your home sector will favor real estate transactions, deepening intimacy with a lover or potential lover and raw magic – house witchery in particular. There is even an outside chance that you or your debts could benefit from a family member.

Mercury Retrograde from December 13 to 23 is brilliant for backtracking over your financial records and shrieking with dark glee as you discover errors or oddities – visual cue: cackling over medieval style ledgers with mead, knights at the ready to charge off and recover funds owed.

Then Mercury backs into your relationship sector for the remainder of December – this is not a good time to reverse into a crappy romantic arrangement but with Mars also there, you’re unlikely to act against self-interest. A healthy ego and the desire to keep things snappy will keep you out of trouble.

Neptune Direct on December 6/7, restores a dream scheme or extensive philosophy. If you’re studying or your relationship is more like some sort of wacky post-grad research immersion, you could even acquire the exact morsel of intel you need to further develop a grand theory.

At the same time, Mercury links to Jupiter as it’s also aligned with Wild God Pan in your love sector. While this emphasizes your poetic or musical talents and reverence for wilderness, it’s mostly a sensual phenom.

A resurgent desire for simplicity regarding romance and pleasure meets expanded social opportunities and voila (!) – anything could spark.

You may not be able to frolick around a fern grotto or formulating wine from bluebells but you can have the flirtation equivalent of a rustic escape, no?

Work is under Mars with cantankerous colleagues, clients, technology etc – anyone who’s instrumental to output  – needing the sort of grippy, claws on management that fuqs with your flow. Handle this sans meltdown until the New Moon on Dec 12/13 and everything improves – you take charge. You prevail.

The early December vexations lead to a greater opportunity, one that you probably would not have glimpsed without them.

The Sagittarius Sun + Mars stimulate Eris and the Moon’s Node in Aries, creating an elemental Fire synergy that benefits guess who? Yes, that’s right – Neo-Leo.

Your only bugbear with this is to avoid haring off after a crazed folly when Mercury turns Retrograde later in the month.

The trickiest phase will be when the Messenger God backs into Saggo on the 23rd, presenting you with a plethora of creative, fun options that could burn through your reserves of, well, everything.

Of course it could be fun and people rarely gaze dewily back at their months of common sense and accountability.

But why not save your out thereness for the 17 weeks of Mars in Leo coming up in late 2024? More on this at a later date but you can appreciate that this will be a premium zone for Performance Leo.

You’re also seven weeks away from Pluto taking up (proper) residence in your opposite sign of Aquarius AKA ‘more profound love potential’ or even an activation of the Fate Matrix. This is worth waiting for.

So how to express the extravagant awesomeness of the Fire element zap-ups?

Personal growth – your December is loaded with cosmic self-actualization cues, spiritual signals and Destiny Muses, actual people you encounter and new works by artists/authors on your new wavelength.

Renegade Lilith (gracing Virgo till mid-2024) is a prime mover this month, augmented by Mercury, Venus and Jupiter. It’s brilliant for a completely new image, relationship revamp, travel and upskilling.

The openings that arise play to aspects of yourself that you may not have expressed in a while or have been trying to launch without success.

The things put in motion this December lay the foundation for fantastic breakthroughs in March-April 2024, when Jupiter and Uranus will be conjunct and aligned beneficially with Lilith.

You’re building something unique that draws on your unique attributes and

deploys them in a way that works brilliantly for you and everyone involved.

Remember this if chez Virgo or family theatrics and delays seem overwhelming this month. Mars and – from the 23rd – Mercury Retro may be aggravating enough to summon Saint Virgo out from the vault but a resentment bender would stifle your emerging genius, you know it.

As Mars is in Sagittarius, a simple way to vent would be to schedule solo walks, runs, outdoor time or just movement. You could also emulate this sign’s epic ability to say ‘no’ to things they don’t want to do and without a nano of guilt.

Finally, the Full Moon on December 26/27 is in a supportive config with Saturn, suggesting a desired and tangible outcome for a romantic matter!

In some ways 2023 has been like one long goodbye to certain elements of your past or at least the parts of it represented by the Pluto in Capricorn era since 2008.

This months astro accentuates this sensation as Mercury Retrograde from Dec 13 conjures up all kinds of phantasms from your past. A few may be vaguely discomforting and others a mind-warp but some will be fun and enriching.

Note that with Hekate, Juno and Lilith in your (solar) Soul Sector, you’re hyper-aware and becoming more empowered by the day but also prone to over-analyzing scenarios.

But with the North Node in Aries powered by the Sun and Mars for much of December, this is the time for action – Mercury Retro or not, you’re green-lit to proactively form the kinds of connections you admire.

And even more importantly, to read the signs and ping off the synchronicity as this astro draws people and opportunities you’re meant to meet. If it requires slipping out of a role or habits that are no longer a good fit, do it.

The Solstice phase can feel atmospherically off – like Aries, you’re an Equinox baby – and this month it includes a Venus-Uranus opposition – Dec 20-23.

It’s transient so ensure your rebalancing maneuvers don’t include crazy investments or love stunts!

It’s just seven weeks until Pluto – your ruling planet – returns to Aquarius* and you’re possibly approaching peak restlessness.

The Sun, Mars and New Moon in your $$$ sector make it evident that money could help any existential funk but you’re also less willing to compromise.

It’s a dilemma but Venus in Scorpio from December 5 to 30 can help via heightened sensuality and opportunities for genuine intimacy. Your appeal will run high this month and yes, authenticity is becoming more attractive.

Even leaving aside lusty affinities, you can form fantastic working alliances or acquire excellent input from the correct approach to the right people.

In a world of artifice and ‘the current thing’, the scorpionic mystique is a rare commodity. As for the restlessness, it can actually assist – your new plutonic era will feature some sort of home metamorphosis and a more ‘you’ style of power base.

Your emotions around this are probably intensifying and it could even extend to hyper-awareness of family legacy/your childhood home and so on. This is a big deal to tackle in the month of Yule and Auld Lang Syne etc.

So evade any impulse home moves or policy flips but consider putting your ideals on the record – a mood-board, style book, private digital scrapbook etc.