Aries (21 March – 19 April)
There’s no reason to hold back as December begins. This is invariably a busy time of year and the more you tick off your ‘to do’ list in the first half of the month the better. Circle the 19th in your diary as a date to note, especially when it comes to deadlines. This could be the start of the winding down period for you and more likely than not you’ll be ready for a break.
Until the 19th, your ruling planet Mars is in the air sign Aquarius ruling friends, group activities, political and social concerns. This placing of Mars taps into the side of your nature that likes to fight for a good cause and whether you’re an activist Aries, a lover of humanitarian goals or you simply enjoy the charitable side of Christmas, here’s your opportunity to make a difference.
Mars teams up with key planets early in the month; lucky Jupiter on the 2nd, committed Saturn on the 3rd and spontaneous Uranus on the 7th. All these connections are positive, helpful, supportive. This brings people together to do something special, have fun & make new connections. This might be in relation to your work or social events.
Either way, this is the time to spread your net wide, use your social connections, network and team up with people of like minds. This theme keeps repeating throughout the month because the Sun in Sagittarius also connects with Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus from the 9th to the 12th.
The Sun in Sagittarius rules travel and study in your chart, the bigger picture, where you find meaning and purpose. This is one of the reasons why you’re coming together with other people now, to fulfil your goals, to create or implement your bucket list.
Fire your Sagittarius arrows high into the sky and line up a 5-year or 10-year plan. The last month of the year is always a vital time for reflection, considering the year that’s gone and lining up new activities, new intentions for the year ahead.
The Full Moon on the 14th is part of the plan as it lights up the travel and education sectors of your chart. This would be an excellent date to book a special event, arrange a holiday or trip with friends or think about new activities to do with your partner, the one you love.
Yet there’s another planet in Sagittarius as the taskmaster of the heavens, Saturn, has been in this sector of your chart for most of the time since December 2014 and Saturn can play out two ways. It can make it harder to do what you want; for example, you haven’t been able to get away on holiday or complete a course or qualification. It does work well for commitment and discipline however so you might have been head down working hard on a major project over the last couple of years.
Even though Saturn remains in Sagittarius until the end of 2017, there’s a very different vibe moving forward which means that support is on hand and wherever you’ve experienced delays or obstacles, you can start to make steady progress.
IChristmas itself is most impressive in this respect because on Christmas Day, December 25th, Saturn in Sagittarius teams up in a dynamic planetary aspect with Uranus in your sign of Aries. Together these two planets help you move things forward in your life, find new ways to do what you want. This isn’t about giving up but instead doing things differently, exploring new options.
Plus the following day, December 26th, Jupiter in Libra opposes Uranus in Aries. So freedom is a theme for you at the end of this year and breaking free from restrictions. To complete this picture of change, Uranus turns direct in your sign of Aries on December 29th.
This is brilliant for saying Yes to some bold and audacious plans for 2017. This might involve emigration, taking a sabbatical, moving to the other side of the world to be with the one you love. Jupiter in Libra flags up your relationship sector so it’s here where the themes of freedom and foreign connections are emphasised.
Add to this the fact that love planet Venus is in action on Christmas Day, connecting with all three slower moving planets, Saturn, Jupiter and Uranus and the festive season is lining up to be a time to remember.
Yet sometimes life steps in to bring change your way with such big planetary aspects so it’s important to be ready for the unexpected too. Plus there are two other key factors this month which can help you make sense of what’s happening on a deeper level.
Firstly, communication planet Mercury is in Capricorn and your career and vocation sector from the 2nd but on the 19th Mercury turns retrograde and will be on go slow until January 8th 2017. On the same date, Mercury turns retrograde, your ruler Mars moves into Pisces and the most hidden sector of your chart.
Both these events move you out of the public arena. You might choose to go on a retreat or slow things down. There might be a specific reason why there’s a lifestyle shift, for example caring for someone close or needing to take good care of yourself.
Either way, everything is building towards a significant chapter at the end of this year and the final New Moon on December 29th is an important for you. It takes place in Capricorn, shining a light on your future goals, your career and vocation. The period between Christmas and New Year is perfect for reflection and tapping into your imagination, your creative nature to look at where you’re heading and why.
This is not a time in your life when you want to be held back or play small. There’s a bigger agenda up for grabs and it’s up to you to decide whether you’re ready to take a leap of faith once January 12th comes around.