Your December Astrological Forecast

Chestnuts may be roasting on an open fire and holiday ornaments may be decking the halls, but that doesn’t mean the planets are taking a break from stirring up some cosmic drama. The astrology of December 2022 is wrapping up the year with some major shifts — including a big ingress for Jupiter and one last Mercury retrograde. Thankfully, it also heralds in some sparkly new beginnings that beget exciting things to come as we open our hearts to 2023.

We enter the month with fun-loving Sagittarius season in full swing. The planetary lineup includes Mercury and Venus in Sagittarius alongside the sun, as well as Sagittarius’ ruling planet Jupiter freshly out of retrograde. Good vibes are flowing and sparks are flying, and this exciting fire sign influence helps to add some light to the darkest stretch of the year. Energy begins to shift early on though, as Mercury and Venus enter down-to-business Capricorn on Dec. 6 and 9, respectively. These ingresses give us a taste of what’s to come once Capricorn season rolls around on Dec. 21, the same day as the winter solstice.

On the lunar front, a full moon in Gemini on Dec. 7 brings the potential for drama, while the holiday-adjacent new moon on Dec. 23 encourages us to get a head-start on our New Years’ goals. Big energy shifts are in store once Jupiter enters Aries on the same day as the new moon — and all zodiac signs will be ready to boldly embrace new beginnings. That sparkly Jupiterian excitement is almost bright enough to distract us from the impending Mercury retrograde period, which kicks off Dec. 29 and promises to mix some signals on our NYE plans.

I’d be remiss not to mention that Mars retrograde will continue on through the entirety of the month, but we won’t let that put a damper on the good times. Read on for the intel on all the major astrological events happening in December 2022.

Sagittarius Season Celebrations

The first three weeks of December make up the major part of Sagittarius season 2022, which inspires all zodiac signs to embrace a more spontaneous, adventurous, and open-minded approach to life. It’s a wonderful time for connecting with new friends, pursuing a higher-minded interest, or making travel plans for the year ahead. Despite the days growing darker, Sagittarius’ fiery zodiac energy boosts our optimism and puts us in the mood to celebrate — just in time for the holidays. Mental planet Mercury and love planet Venus are also in Sagittarius for about the first week of the month, so we’ll be expanding our horizons in the way we think, communicate, and conduct relationships.

Neptune & Chiron Wrap Up Retrogrades

Get ready to kiss a couple more backspins goodbye. On Dec. 3, Neptune’s annual retrograde comes to an end after moonwalking through its home sign of Pisces since June 28. The numinous planet of dreams and illusions helps us to face up to reality during its retrogrades, peeling the veil back from our rose-colored fantasies. With Neptune stationing direct, we’ll have a deeper access to our dreams and intuition again, and can work on building a bridge between the mystical and the tangible.

The cosmic momentum will continue picking up later on in the month, too, as Chiron retrograde comes to an end on Dec. 23. Known as the “wounded healer” in astrology, Chiron is a dwarf planet — and its annual retrogrades encourage us to process old wounds and face the painful parts of our psyches. With Chiron stationing direct, we’ll be much better equipped to find strength in our struggles and embrace healing.

Mercury & Venus Enter Capricorn

Get ready for a cosmic vibe check, because personal planets Mercury and Venus are leaving free-spirited Sagittarius and moving into down-to-business Capricorn. Quick-thinking Mercury zooms into the sign of the sea goat on Dec. 6, which helps us embrace a more practical mindset. This transit foreshadows the Mercury retrograde in Capricorn later in the month, so use this pre-retrograde flow to buckle down and make some progress on your goals.

A few days later, on Dec. 9, romantic planet Venus joins Mercury in Capricorn’s pragmatic and earthy lair. This bestows all zodiac signs with a more grounded and no-nonsense approach when it comes to love and money throughout the remainder of the year. We won’t be tolerating any BS in relationships or finances during this transit, as now is a time to invest our energy into situations that align with our values and offer a sense of stability.

The Year’s Final Full Moon

The last full moon of the year is coming up on Dec. 7, and it’s hitting in the airy and fun-loving sign of Gemini. This is a great time for embracing your social side and connecting with people for some festive holiday fun. But beware of drama, as this new moon will be fully aligning with currently-retrograding Mars, aka the planet of action and aggression. This aspect could shine a spotlight on our backspin-fueled frustrations and heighten our emotional reactions to even the tiniest triggers, so we’ll have to work to keep our cool during the December 2022 full moon in order to maximize its extroverted vibe.

Jupiter Enters Aries Dec. 20

There’s a major shift coming up for lucky Jupiter, and it’s one that’ll set the tone for the whole year ahead. On Dec. 20, the planet of growth and abundance will ingress into the bold and brave-hearted fire sign Aries, marking the end of its mystical year-long stint in its traditional home sign of Pisces. Aries zodiac energy symbolizes leadership and new beginnings, so this transit brings loads of potential for fresh starts and exciting new projects from now through the end of 2023. Aries is the first sign of the zodiac, so this also marks Jupiter’s completion of a full cycle through the wheel of the zodiac, which takes about 12 years in total. Get ready for big blessings and lots of luck in the Aries-ruled areas of your birth chart.

Capricorn Season, Winter Solstice, & A New Moon

New beginnings are aplenty during the week before Christmas. The sun will officially leave party-animal Sagittarius territory on Dec. 21, settling into the down-to-earth realm of the sea goat and heralding in the hardworking energy of Capricorn season. Capricorn energy helps us get serious about our goals and make plans for the long term, so it’s the perfect vibe for setting practical and attainable New Year’s intentions.

The sun’s ingress into Capricorn also aligns with the date of the winter solstice, aka the first day of winter. This meteorological event corresponds with the shortest day and longest night of the year, and is also considered a spiritual time for reflection and rituals.

Less than two days into Capricorn season, the December 2022 new moon will rise in the skies, offering us one last lunar moment to manifest with before the year is done. At the time of this new moon, we’ll have a whopping five planets in Capricorn — the sun, moon, Venus, Mercury, and Pluto — all of which will supercharge this lunar reset with a hard-nosed and goal-oriented sense of determination. Think of lunation as an end-of-year reality check that’ll help you get clear on your goals ahead of 2023.

Mercury Retrograde Starts Dec. 29

With the holidays behind us, you may have thought you could sail through the rest of the year drama-free — but 2022 is coming through with one last cosmic curveball. The year’s fourth and final Mercury retrograde begins on Dec. 29, and this one takes place entirely in the practical-minded sign of Capricorn. This backspin could bring confusion in financial matters and career-related conversations, and has the power to throw wrenches into our most well-laid plans. That said, it’s a good idea to put off any big post-holiday purchases and take it slow with new projects or professional plans until Mercury stations direct on Jan. 18.