For loyal, hard-working, and idealistic Capricorn: Here’s what you can expect to enjoy, work through, and receive throughout the month of December.
December begins with a new Moon in Sagittarius forming a challenging square with your ruling planet, Saturn. While Sagittarius typically conveys an aspirational, energetic spirit, the dark Moon calls us to rest and recovery. Thus, this new Moon encourages a sense of intentional self-nurturing. Dive into your needs the same way you do your professional or social pursuits. Emotional boundaries don’t only have to cover what we choose to put on our plates. It can also refer to the moment we decide it’s time to let go.
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The waxing crescent Moon enters your celestial domain by December 2. This marks a return of the energy lost under the shadow of the new Moon. The aspect between this lunar phase and your ruling planet is more favorable, too. A sextile between the Moon and Saturn suggests an alleviation in work-related burdens. Even if the world doesn’t go away entirely, this cosmic alignment signals that it becomes less arduous. Sometimes, that’s the best we can ask for in life, Capricorn.
The period of December 4 to 7 appears to be particularly potent, celestially speaking. To start, your ruling planet begins this time frame in a challenging square with the Sun. When we wrap too much of our ego into our work, totally natural slip-ups or delays will have an unhealthy impact on our senses of self. Maintaining a healthy distance between your multiple personas, whether the one you believe yourself to be or your professional or familial identity, will help these periods of conflict become less frantic. Instead of affecting every facet of your existence, the problems remain in their respective categories.
Then, Mars turns retrograde the following day, on December 5. Mars retrograde is very similar to Mercury retrograde in that it can decrease energy, cause unexpected shake-ups, and weaken motivation. If you’ve been overworking yourself—no spoilers here, you typically do—then now is a time to rest. Your mind and body will find a way to slow down one way or another, Capricorn. If you choose to take up that cause on your own, you can have more control over how this deceleration looks. That can make all the difference.
Finally, December 7 ushers in both a planetary direction shift as Neptune leaves its retrograde period and a square between your ruling planet and Mercury retrograde. Neptune is a tricky celestial player in this equation. A planet shifting back to a direct motion tends to increase, not decrease, emotional clarity. However, this faraway blue planet tends to adopt optimism that borders on the illogical. Be wary of rose-colored perspectives during this time. You can’t force your problems to go away by ignoring them. Moreover, ignoring them doesn’t mean they never existed in the first place. Much like the cosmic call to rest from the days before, the truth will find its way to the surface regardless of what you say or do about it.
The day before the last full Moon of the year, your ruling planet forms another challenging square with the waxing gibbous Moon. This lunar phase is the “last call” of emotional loose ends. It’s a time to assess your progress thus far. Figure out if you’d like to switch paths under the revealing glow of the upcoming full Moon. Considering its somewhat negative relation to Saturn, this cosmic alignment seems to suggest a cognitive dissonance between where you want to be and where you actually are. This will likely bruise your ego a bit, but it’s nothing you can’t handle. Take the learning experience for what it was and move on.
The following day, the Moon reaches peak fullness in Gemini. Full Moons naturally conjure greater emotional clarity and intuition. This is something that will prove especially useful under a sign as mutable and hard to pin down as Gemini. Indeed, this lofty air sign tends to focus on shapeshifting to their environment instead of letting the environment move around them. While this can be beneficial in some circumstances, it can also be confusing. The stars urge you to stop putting what everyone else wants first and consider what you want. There is a happy medium somewhere. Sacrificing yourself won’t help you find it.
On the same day the Moon hits its most powerful phase, Mercury shifts out of retrograde back to its direct motion. Under the influence of versatile Gemini, this increase in communication power couldn’t come at a better time. Despite all the conflicts pertaining to identity, obligations, and experiences that might be bubbling in the middle of the month, Mercury’s shift forward helps you navigate the tension more deftly. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. If you’re not happy with a vague, open-ended conversation, try to find a way to get closure—even if that means accepting that the closure won’t look or feel like you want it to.
Capricorn season officially begins on December 21 as the Sun begins its trek through your celestial domain. As always, this cosmic season tends to be where you feel the most in control, confident, and sure of the way forward. Use this confidence to your advantage as the last-quarter Moon calls you to let go of old behaviors, ideas, or even relationships that no longer serve you. Indeed, discretion can be harder to find than we might think. Pay attention to your internal cues, and don’t be afraid to adjust accordingly.
Back-to-back squares between your ruling planet, the waning crescent Moon, and Mercury offers one last dose of emotional labor before the year’s end. Translating our past experiences into lessons we can apply to future situations is easier said than done. Nevertheless, with the year ending in a new Moon in your celestial domain, this translation will become critical as you reflect on the past year. What sort of progress (or the opposite) did you make? How can you elaborate on or correct this in the year to come?
Thus concludes your monthly highlights. For more specific celestial analyses, make sure to read your daily and weekly horoscope as well. Good luck, Capricorn! See you next month.
