Your December Astrology Forecast

Welcome to the final days of the year, star babes! There are some important cosmic energy shifts coming soon, so here’s how the major astrological events of December 2024 will impact your holiday plans. This December’s astrology is filled with action from start to finish — literally — as the month is bookended by powerful new moons. They’ll grow your aspirations to new heights, and pull the roots of your goals deeper into the earth.

Mercury retrograde rages for the first half of the month, making holiday shopping, travel, and socializing extra messy until Dec. 15. Mars retrograde joins the party on Dec. 6, potentially making you feel a little disconnected from your passions, but also inspiring you to find motivation in new places.

Also on Dec. 15, the full moon in Gemini will light up your mind with new connections and conversations, while an auspicious trine between heart-eyed Venus and lucky Jupiter a few days later will make romance and pleasure feel larger than life.

Next, Capricorn season and the winter solstice hit on Dec. 21. This seasonal shift serves as a grounding force to help you find your footing. It’s officially time to buckle down and get serious about your goals as you approach a brand new year.

There’s even more going on in the cosmos — this hardly scratches the surface of this month’s planetary hustle and bustle. For the in-depth scoop, read on for December’s full astrology forecast.

Sagittarius Season & A New Moon

The first three weeks of the month make up the bulk of Sagittarius season, sprinkling a happy-go-lucky, adventurous, and open-minded vibe over December’s landscape. The days are getting shorter and darker as the winter solstice approaches, but Sagittarius’ fiery and free-spirited nature delivers a much-needed dose of good faith and cheer — despite Mercury retrograde causing a ruckus alongside the sun in this mutable fire sign’s realm.

The solar season hits its stride as soon as the month begins, though, as the inspiring new moon in Sagittarius rises at 1:21 a.m. ET on Dec. 1 (a Nov. 30 peak for folks on PT or MT). Under these open-hearted lunar vibes, nothing will stop you from visualizing your big-picture goals. Channel this season’s boundless optimism and shoot for the stars.

Mercury Retrograde Rages On

Mercury retrograde in Sagittarius started on Nov. 25, but it’ll carry on through the first half of December. This backspin has a tendency to mix up logistics and cause communication issues, so take precautions when making holiday plans or purchasing gifts.

An important moment of the retrograde comes on Dec. 5, when moonwalking Mercury crosses paths with the sun to form a Mercury cazimi. At the time of this alignment, Mercury and the sun will be locked in a T-square with go-big Jupiter and get-serious Saturn, so expect life to feel extra heavy and exaggerated this week. Thankfully, the retrograde ends on Dec. 15 — and then you’re off the hook until the next one begins on March 15.

...And Mars Retrograde Kicks Off

On Dec. 6, warrior planet Mars will station retrograde in the creative and regal sign of Leo, where it’ll backspin through the rest of the year. This transit can put a damper on everything from your libido to your motivation, and you may feel physically drained to boot. Slow down a bit to avoid burning the candle at both ends.

With less energy to work with, Mars retrograde is a time to turn your focus inward and reconnect with your passions. Where does your confidence come from? What desires are actually driving you? These are some ideas to explore over the next two months.

Love Gets Quirky

Amorous planet Venus shimmies into eccentric, counter-culture Aquarius on Dec. 7, which can inspire you to embrace your more unconventional values in love. Perhaps you find yourself craving some rebellion alongside your romance. Use this transit as an excuse to experiment.

Venus makes some important connections this month, the first of which is a face-off with Mars retrograde on Dec. 12. This asks you to balance your desires with your values. A week later, the romance planet makes a gorgeous trine to jovial Jupiter, raining indulgent energy over all things pleasurable. Toward the end of the month, Venus will squabble with unpredictable Uranus — Aquarius’ ruling planet — so prepare to break free of restrictive relationship dynamics and fight for the freedom to love as you please.

Neptune Retrograde Wraps Up

Neptune has spent the past four months backspinning through its dreamy home sign of Pisces, where it’s pulled off the rose-colored glasses and forced you to look at things through a more logical lens. But once this ethereal blue planet stations direct on Dec. 7, you’ll feel a much stronger connection to your spiritual side and be able to pull deeper meaning from the invisible world. Neptune’s annual retrograde is a time to reflect on your psychic downloads. Now that it’s moving forward again, you can put these mystical musings into action.

The Year’s Final Full Moon

A thrilling full moon peaks on Dec. 15. This month’s brightest lunation takes place in the quizzical and curious sign of Gemini. With the energy boost from Mercury (this sign’s ruler) stationing direct, focus on communicating your feelings openly and clearing the air of any retrograde-fueled drama.

Capricorn Season & A Solstice

On Dec. 21, the sun leaves wild-hearted Sagittarius and settles into grounded Capricorn. This hardworking, no-nonsense earth sign energy helps you get serious about your goals and responsibilities, so it’s a perfect time to get your finances together and set New Year’s intentions.

The beginning of Capricorn season also marks the winter solstice — the first day of winter in the Northern Hemisphere as well as a spiritual time across many cultures. This solstice brings the longest night and shortest day of the year, so prioritize inner reflection and celebrating the light in your life as you embrace the darkness.

Touchy Squares Bring Tension

The afternoon of Dec. 24 finds over-the-top Jupiter squaring off with restrictive Saturn. Mental Mercury will be in a joint squabble with both planets at the same time too, creating a swirl of conflicting energies. Be cautious if you’re dealing with frustrating family disagreements, as this cosmic clash could cause tensions to rise and make people act especially stubborn or self-righteous.

Four days later, loving Venus makes another challenging square aspect with unpredictable Uranus, which could cause curveballs relating to matters of the heart. This planetary quarrel ups everyone’s need for freedom, so anything that limits your pleasure or forces your values into a box will need to be shaken loose.

A New Year’s Eve-Eve New Moon

December begins with a new moon, and it’s ending with one too. On Dec. 30, the sun and moon meet in Capricorn, bringing everyone an opportunity to set one last round of lunar intentions before they embark on 2025’s journey. Capricorn energy is industrious and business-minded, so this new moon is a great time to put together a long-term plan. And for those of you who are in the eastern half of the United States, it’ll technically be the second new moon of the month, which earns it it the title of a rare black moon. Make it count!