Happy Holidays everyone! ‘Tis the season to be jolly and in that spirit, I’m being kind to myself. This will be my last newsletter of 2023. I’ve decided to take some time off, and seeing that the Full Moon in Cancer arrives on December 26th, I’ll cover it along with the events and themes that both conclude this year and set the tone for 2024.
New Moon in Sagittarius
Sagittarius is truly the spirit of Christmas, and while I realize not everyone celebrates this specific holiday, the holiday spirit runs through all of us. This is when we think of family and celebrate with friends, when we share our love and generosity. Sagittarius inspires us to look into the future with idealistic eyes.
We light up our houses with strings of color, we watch old Christmas movies. We take comfort in our rituals – shopping, wrapping, planning special meals, wreathing our doors. Shared ritual unites us and if we’re lucky, we’ll feel a sense of oneness – a major theme of the New Moon.
I wrote about Sagittarius in my last newsletter, but to sum up, this is the sign of aspiration. The symbol of Sagittarius is the centaur shooting an arrow toward the stars. That says it all. Sagittarius is the third of four mutable signs, all of which speak of expansion and change. In Gemini we gather information and expand our minds. In Virgo we take a good look at ourselves and our lives and see how they can be improved. In Sagittarius we dream of what could be. And finally in Pisces, we let go of the past and enter the flow of Spirit.
The Sun and Moon come together on Tuesday December 12th, at 20 degrees and 40 minutes of Sagittarius. The Sabian Symbol of 21 degrees is “Child and dog play gravely, with eyeglasses on their noses.” So what are they doing? They’re playing make-believe. Isn’t that a lovely phrase? They’re using their imagination about the future. Although this pair seems to believe the future is a serious thing. It may well be, but the message to all of us is to exercise imagination and let it be informed by the spirit of love. What would a world look like created out of love? Probably something like the Garden of Eden, a place of beauty and abundance. What if we could repair the damage we’ve done and restore not only the glory of our home planet, but our love for her?
Well, spirit and love are two themes of this New Moon. Sun and Moon are squaring Neptune which has just turned direct, on December 6th as I begin to write to you. When a planet is retrograde, its function gestates deep within the psyche. When it turns direct, it is ready to be expressed in the world. Neptune blurs boundaries opening up possibilities for change. He is now headed for new territory in the final degrees of Pisces. Remember, Pisces is Neptune’s domain. This Archetype has been assisting our spiritual awakening. He calls us to surrender, to loosen our grip on our rigid beliefs, or fear-inspired default reactions, and let go. Trust that spirit knows exactly where we are headed and will carry us there.
To add weight to this message, Sun and Moon also square the USA natal Neptune in Virgo, forming a T-Square. This New Moon speaks to our spiritual origins, the cosmic ocean of divine love in which we are suspended. Neptune is the higher octave of Venus, luring our love beyond personal boundaries. Neptune whispers of compassion. Humanity is suffering right now from the trauma of separation, but we have the power to change course. We’ve grown as far apart as we can be on the road to individualism. Know it or not, resist it or rejoice, we are flowing back toward unity now. This is the turning point and next year will determine our future. We can imagine it, dream of it, make-believe that we are already in it, which is another way of saying “live as if” we are already enlightened. Every time we do, we strengthen the thought form in the collective matrix out of which our physical reality emerges.
The Sun and Moon which are conjunct transiting Mars are opposite the USA natal Mars in Gemini. On the one hand we have an opportunity to put on our thinking caps. On another we need to think about the right use of will. Mars is the planet that puts plans into action and gets the job done. How? He charges our will. So what is the status of our will? We tend to underestimate its power. Landing on the Moon was an act of collective and dedicated will. How do we bring our collective will together to reverse and redress our past and prepare a better future for our children and our planet?
The New Moon is also quincunx our natal Vesta, reminding us of what we are devoted to. This is the time of year when the light within is meant to guide us through the darkest time in our seasonal cycle. Saturn at 1+ degrees of Pisces is trine both Vesta at 1+ Cancer and Haumea at 1+ Scorpio, a Grand Water Trine touching our emotional bodies. Saturn in Pisces is encouraging us to manifest spirit in our lives. It’s not enough to just think about it. How do we practice it? What acts of kindness can we perform to demonstrate the harmony of this trine? Haumea reminds us that this is a time of love and rebirth and celebration of diversity.
The New Moon is exactly trine by degree to our natal Chiron signifying its support for healing our collective wounds. We are only four months away from our Chiron Return. Our wounds will be front and center in the news. Obviously we have not healed the wound that manifests as anti-Semitism, or race hatred that spawns police violence against black youth, or xenophobia regarding immigrants or transgender individuals.
Sun and Moon are also trine our North Node suggesting that this new lunar cycle is supporting a harmonious future. And it is sextile the South Node which is moving toward a conjunction with our natal Juno. Positive change requires commitment and fidelity to our highest principles. Juno conjunct natal Saturn in Libra tells us that manifesting peace and justice in our nation begins with healing our broken relationships. 2023 has been a year of releasing old baggage to lighten our load and prepare for 2024 when we have the opportunity to shift our timeline.
There is such an abundance of aspects in the chart for this Sagittarian Moon, but I will only mention two more. The New Moon is quincunx our natal Vesta which is being activated by transiting Uranus as it retrogrades through Taurus. Exact conjunction takes place on December 17th and again on March 6th next year, after Uranus turns direct. Uranus can provide insight and energy to our sense of what’s sacred and worth our devotion. Most of all we must keep our hearts open and tend that inner flame.
Finally, transiting Jupiter is sextile its natal position. This is a powerful time for spiritual awareness to expand. Jupiter is also conjunct our natal Salacia in the 5th House, expanding our creativity and capacity to imagine a better future filled with love and delight. Natal Jupiter is conjunct our natal Venus and transiting Jupiter is opposite transiting Venus, a double message of how love expands through the Feminine. We don’t need to do anything, we just need to open our hearts and receive the blessings of love.
Mercury Retrograde
Eight hours after the New Moon, Mercury turns retrograde giving us permission to slow down and contemplate. Perhaps look back on our journey through 2023, or forward to our goals for 2024, but most importantly, to do some daydreaming and make-believe.
Mercury stations at 8:29 Capricorn, dipping back into Sagittarius to meet up with the Sun and begin a new four-month cycle, which brings us to our Chiron return, by the way. Capricorn asks some serious questions. Who’s the master of your Fate? What have you mastered so far? How much responsibility do you take for the circumstances of your life? How integrated are the many parts of you? Have you learned right use of will or are you addicted to the harsh patriarchal paradigm of control and enforcement?
The Sabian Symbol for 9 degrees of Capricorn applies here: “An angel carrying a harp comes through a heavenly lane.” Rudhyar interprets this as “the basic harmony of fulfilled selfhood. Realizing harmony in everyday life through detached and lofty understanding.” May you be “lofty!”
Such rich themes to ponder as Mercury takes us back over the last 16 degrees to 22 Sagittarius. It turns direct on January 2nd as we begin our new year.
The Winter Solstice
That brings us to December 21st when the Sun enters Capricorn and appears to stand still before it heads back north. 0 degrees of Capricorn falls in our 1st house of identity. We are asked to remember our national heritage and the purpose of our experiment in democracy. Our freedom is essential to our evolution.
At the moment of the Sun’s ingress into Capricorn, Mercury is only 1-1/2 degrees away. The two meet up the next day to begin a new synodic cycle. Watch for the themes that arise in your own life around your evolving identity and the gifts and talents you can share with the world.
I find it significant that Mars is at 20 Sagittarius, the same degree of the New Moon. Those themes will get another boost at Solstice.
Pluto has entered the final degree of Capricorn, where its expression is most intense, before it crosses the threshold into Aquarius on January 20th, and remains until the New Moon in Virgo on September 2nd. We will get nine months to align with the Aquarian spirit of diversity and inclusiveness before Pluto makes its final visit to Capricorn, reminding us at election time of what we can leave behind. We have a clear choice ahead when Pluto hands us our final exam. Will we choose to preserve our democracy and move forward to meet the climate crisis or will we give up the American Dream of freedom and equality and turn our country over to a dictator? Bright future or a second Dark Ages? Pluto enters Aquarius on November 19th suggesting the end of power-over politics and the restoration of power to the people.
We get a helping hand from the Saturn/Sedna sextile. Sedna is also quincunx Haumea while Saturn is trine this dwarf planet of regeneration. The quincunx works in the recesses of the sub and unconscious parts of our psyche. We won’t know what’s going on in our depths, but Sedna and Haumea are forging the path to spiritual rebirth. With Saturn in the mix from Pisces the theme includes recognizing our interdependence, a perfect prelude for Pluto’s shift into Aquarius.
The Moon has traveled in 9 days to form a perfect trine with the Sun from 0 degrees of Taurus. The heavens keep flashing warnings – don’t forget the Earth! Moon in Taurus suggests we make time to enjoy the simple pleasures of being alive.
The Moon also squares Pluto making us more receptive to messages from our own depths. Jupiter is slowing down and preparing to station direct a day before we enter 2024. This is another great omen – Jupiter, the planet of hope and faith, spiritual inspiration and abundance ushers in the new year at its station. With so many planets hovering around the first or last degree of signs, themes of endings and beginnings are at the forefront.
The December Solstice is a sacred time and Uranus comes into conjunction with our natal Vesta on the Solstice, promising positive change when we embrace, and hold sacred, our inner light. Vesta is a devoted servant of this sacred flame and she transits our 5th House inspiring creative self-expression with a sense of childlike wonder. Venus on the Solstice is opposite transiting Uranus and natal Vesta, shining her brilliant morning light on our devotion, and reinforcing the spiritual message of these holidays.
Sedna and Pluto are trine, both at final degrees of Earth signs. This is her final retrograde in Taurus. She re-enters Gemini on April 27, 2024, where she will work on our beliefs and perception for 41 years, until 2065. Remember that Sedna is the new known boundary of our solar system and a symbol of our evolved state of consciousness. There’s a vast amount of space in which to grow and expand our awareness. She and slow-moving Pluto made their first trine on February 5, 2023. The final trine in our lifetime will be on November 4, 2025. The next trine will take place 250 years from now. How perfect the timing for humanity, that these two profound planets work together in harmony as we transition into the Aquarian Age!
Full Moon in Cancer
The day after Christmas, the Moon comes full at 5 degrees of Cancer conjunct our natal Jupiter and sextile transiting Jupiter. This suggests to me that Jupiter has great plans for us in 2024. Since he is in close conjunction with our natal Venus we may see a flowering of beauty, love and peace. At least there is the potential that each one of us can embrace.
When we consider the themes of the New Moon, what does the Full Moon reveal about their fruition? I can’t predict specifics. There is always the shadow side to deal with. As I write this, we have just learned of another dreadful shooting on the University of Las Vegas campus. When energies of transformation are strong, like now, some people don’t know what to do with it. They make precipitous choices and cause great grief to others.
The other day I got a newsletter from Stephen Forrest, Evolutionary Astrologer, which focused on the Sunspot Cycle of approximately 11.1 years. Sunspot activity ebbs and flows, but when it reaches its peak, emotions erupt into forces of change. He cites the social revolution of the 60’s as one example. Next year will be the peak of sunspot frequency as well as potency. Anything can happen. An increase of energy will take us further in the direction we are going. It’s up to us to set the course. Maybe we will put an end to patriarchal domination and reclaim our sovereignty. Just a thought.
Then today I read that on December 2nd a huge hole opened up in our Sun’s corona the size of 60 Earths, allowing unimpeded solar winds to blow radiation our way. If you live in the North, you probably got to see some Auroras. The good news is that the Sun has rotated this hole away from Earth by now. If the past week was intense, now you know why.
I see the theme of this Full Moon as nurturing. The Moon is in her domicile of Cancer, activating our natal Jupiter and Venus. Ceres has just crossed our Ascendant reinforcing the theme. Ceres expands our awareness of how we are nurtured through our symbiosis with Mother Earth. In Sagittarius, intimately tied with our new emerging identity as visionaries, she is nurturing the possibilities of who we can become. Venus at the same time is moving toward our natal Makemake, the higher octave of Uranus, helping us reframe our reality as we perceive the bigger picture. Mercury is two degrees away from Mars and approaching a conjunction the following day on December 27th. They will come together again on January 27th after Mercury turns direct.
All the inner planets are involved here so this Full Moon is inviting our participation. Our first house is packed. Personal planets plus Ceres in Sagittarius, Sun conjunct Ixion at 4+ degrees of Capricorn, with Pholus and Quaoar a few degrees away. Ixion at a low vibration is a trouble maker. We may see some “conservative” extremism as we approach the New Year. But at a higher frequency, Ixion gives us the courage to follow our passion and that’s the message we can embrace. Democracy requires participation. Covid put us all on the sidelines watching in horror as our society crumbled. This Full Moon is telling us to search our hearts (Venus) for our true calling (Makemake) and to allow Mars to put into action the principles by which we live, allowing our imagination free rein. Sun/Spirit is energizing Ixion and giving us permission to follow our passion. This is what the world needs from us – our best, our authenticity and our passion to create a new collective identity, offering our skills and talents in service of the collective.
What an amazing climax to 2023 and prelude to 2024! In the spirit of Cancer Moon and Ceres on our Ascendant, may we nurture each other, ourselves and our spiritual passion.
I know this is a lot of information. Just take the events one at a time. Maybe print this out and consult each event as it arrives. It has been a privilege to travel through this year with you. I wish you all a blessed holy time and a joyous New Year. I’ll be back for the New Moon in Capricorn on January 11th.
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