A December Month of finding Joy and Hope within the Pain

The December month features an extremely prominent presence of Uranus in Taurus, continuing to promise the unexpected, along with a strong and optimistically oriented Jupiter, located in the same sign, plus the Sagittarius New Moon taking place on December 12th in the sign that Jupiter rules. And these are combined as well with the introspective period of the last two thirds of the month, brought on by Mercury retrograding through the sign of Capricorn, and then Sagittarius, beginning on the evening of the 12th, right after the New Moon. The month of December also comes in on the heels of a difficult time for the world, and likely for each one of us personally. The recent weeks before it began brought forward potentially painful process with Chiron prominently placed in both the October 14th solar eclipse and also in the subsequent mid-November Scorpio New Moon. The Chiron/ Eris midpoint, featured in the October lunation by being at 21 Aries, closely matching the eclipse degree in opposition, then shifted backward to 20 Aries in the timing of last month’s Scorpio New Moon, again matching precisely the degree of the Sun and Moon, making a close inconjunct or quincunx aspect. Chiron and Eris, about 8 degrees apart, and highlighted in these recent lunations, are planetary archetypes that go to depth within the psyche. To me, their recent prominence, in addition to symbolizing painful realizations that we all share, offer as well the potential for healing by finding within ourselves the courage to face the painful past with a drive to move past the wound and into at least a recognition of where that wound has illuminated a course of action for the future. In the light of this understanding and resolve, we might begin to take the necessary actions to make our move toward greater healing, both in global conflicts and for our own lives as well, as these continue to develop and evolve.

The December 12th New Moon is very interesting in terms of the planetary archetypes that are made prominent in this significant lunation. The Sun and Moon come together at 20 Sagittarius, closely sesquiquadrate to positive thinking Jupiter in Taurus, and quincunx Uranus there as well, so that surprising events and realizations are likely to continue. The Sun and Moon are also quintile Saturn indicating a certain degree of sober-minded responsibility in the mix of energies now and for the remainder of the month, and trine Chiron, Eris, and the Chiron/ Eris midpoint, so that the above comments still apply. Inner wounding can lead to concerted action on behalf of eventually progressively purposeful outcomes. There is also a transformational quality to this New Moon, because Pluto and the Sun are parallel to the minute of a degree! In another harbinger of constructive solutions, Jupiter and Saturn are also closely parallel.

In addition to these strong indications of a powerful mid-December New Moon, the new Nature planets Haumea and Makemake are both emphasized, in different ways, in this configuration. These KBO planets stand for recognizing our profound connection to Nature as human beings, and as well our understanding of an inherent moral code that corresponds to natural law; meaning to right action and to telling the truth. Haumea in early Scorpio is precisely trine Saturn in Pisces, suggesting commitment to moral purpose, and bi-quintile Neptune, while Makemake is squared by a stationing Mercury. This latter aspect suggests that a great deal of introspective thought is available to us now for activism in support of social needs and earth issues such as those regarding the environment. Indeed we might all be able to reflect upon the urgency of our situation, both culturally and environmentally, and begin to request of our political leaders that they take stronger stands for doing something about it.

The self-reflective period of the Mercury Retrograde that begins on the late evening of the 12th is also a strong factor in general, applying over the last two thirds of the current December month. Mercury stations to direct motion on the evening of New Year’s Day, which is itself a peak moment of the retrograde period, with Mercury only re-entering Capricorn and recovering its lost zodiacal ground three weeks into January. All this time, we might find ourselves in a process of meditation, mulling over – as appropriate to the timing of the year – where we are heading in this life, and why.

Another chart that we will want to pay close attention to as we contemplate 2024 is the Capricorn Solstice Chart – with the Sun in that chart, at 0 Capricorn, closely conjunct Mercury still in retrograde. We also find Haumea, closely opposed by a Taurus Moon, trine Saturn and square Pluto, again reminding us that we have to trust our internal guidelines for doing the right thing when the choice comes up. The year to come is thus a thoughtful one, with a mandate to do something about the rather dire cultural situation that we find ourselves in, upon the global stage and within American borders.

That the New Year’s Day chart features a Mercury stationing to direct motion might also remind us, as this holiday moment nears, that it is by a thoughtful reliance on what our hearts are telling us that we can innovate our way out of our present world-wide dilemmas. Albert Einstein, that early 20th century paradigm-shifter, has something to contribute to our current one. Adept at overturning the tenants of a simpler and out-of-date physics, he mentioned as well the trenchant statement that one cannot expect to solve a problem under the same assumptions that created the situation in the first place. As we head into a volatile and startling 2024, perhaps it is time that we change our assumptions.

A December Month of finding Joy and Hope within the Pain

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