Here is the Ask the Astrologers Weekly Astro Forecast for the week of Dec 17, 2018 – Dec 23, 2018:
This week starts with a Mars / Pluto sextile on Monday. Pluto is the higher octave of Mars, and these two planets both rule (and co-rule) Scorpio and Aries — two incredibly passionate and powerful signs. Put them together in a harmonious aspect (a sextile) and you have an excellent chance to funnel their respective energies into something meaningful.
Persistence pays off with this transit, especially anything you’re passionate about or that is tied to fulfilling your deepest, most intimate desires. You may be a bit obsessive about pursuing your goals, but the sextile makes this process a bit more workable as it brings the Martian drive and determination into the mix.
On Tuesday, Venus crosses its shadow point, which is at 10 Scorpio, the degree it went retrograde at back in October. In general. even though Venus has been moving forward again for a whole month, it’s at this stage that you can expect to see relationships start to do the same.
Venus is debilitated in Scorpio (the sign of its detriment), and as a result this placement is can express as more forceful, passionate and intense, due in part to preconceived notions about how Venus (the planet of love, romance, affection and beauty) is supposed to behave.
There are many positive aspects with this placement, but because the dark side of Scorpio is prone to trust issues, jealousy, possessiveness and control, it can manifest as less than favorable. Still there’s more passion, depth, intensity and intimacy in this archetype than any other Venus placement, so don’t give into your fears.Venus will remain in Scorpio until January 8th, when it moves into Sagittarius.
The Sun squares Chiron on Wednesday. This aspect can create a need to remedy an imbalance between the desire for self-actualization (the Sun) and the urge for self-sacrifice (Chiron). This emphasizes the need to move past the ego and personal desires, and move toward more humanitarian efforts. Heading up a volunteer program or taking part in something meaningful in your community are good ways to actualize this transit.
On Thursday, the Sun trines Uranus. These two planets make up what is called a planetary pair, as rulers of opposing signs (Leo and Aquarius). Combined with Wednesday’s square to Chiron, this is a tricky configuration, as it emphasizes being progressive and innovative on one hand, and struggling with identity and self-expression on the other.
Consider that the Sun is tied to your life force, will and self-expression, while Uranus is tied to thinking outside the box. These two planets in harmonious aspect represent encourage you to march to the beat of your own drum and express your own unique individuality in ways that inspire rather than shock. But the inconjunct to Chiron can manifest as a need to remedy an imbalance between the desire for self-actualization (the Sun) and the urge for self-sacrifice (Chiron).
We have another planetary pair — Mercury and Jupiter — in aspect on Friday. These two planets are also conjunct the fixed star Antares (the Heart of the Scorpion) at 9 Sagittarius. Here we have two natural polarities — the natural rulers of the 3rd and 9th houses — joined together in harmony. We have Mercury — the planet associated with communications and ideas — conjuncting Jupiter — the planet associated with benevolence, goodwill and generosity.
Among many other things, this transit is good for opening your heart to those you love and expressing appreciation and gratitude for all that you have. It’s good for coming together with others and celebrating your allegiances while honoring and accepting your differences. It’s a time for feeling inspired and optimistic about the future.
Also on Friday, Venus trines Neptune. This is a very pleasant aspect, as Neptune is the higher octave of Venus and these two planets trining one another emphasizes their respective influences. The trine aspect relates to peace and harmony. The Venus / Neptune combination is often present in relationships that are based on spiritual, creative or altruistic notions.
This transit is excellent for tapping into your psychic abilities and can also be instrumental in creating soul connections with romantic interests. There are unconditional love aspects to Venus / Neptune aspects but be careful: they’re also associated with escapism and self-deception, such as relationships where neither party sees the other one clearly.
Also on Friday, the Sun moves into Capricorn, marking the onset of Winter (the Winter Solstice) for those in the Northern Hemisphere. From an astronomical perspective, this is the time when the Sun reaches its southernmost declination and manifests as the shortest day and longest night of the year. (It’s exactly opposite for those in the Southern Hemisphere).
Astrologically it represents the Sun (ego, will, Self, etc) entering the sign of the Sea Goat, the archetype known for its ability to rise from the bottom of the deepest sea to the top of the highest mountain. As we tie up the last few days of the year, we may be all thinking “thank God this one is almost over” and making plans to do more, better and bigger next year.
What better way to spend the longest night of the year than under a gorgeous Full Moon? This one is exact on Saturday, at 0 Cancer 49.
The December Full Moon is appropriately known as the Long Nights Moon (or Cold Moon) in Native American traditions.
The Full Moon provides an overview of the progress you’ve made since its New Moon counterpoint earlier this month. Seeds that were planted then will surely have sprouted; do you need to make adjustments or change your course entirely? Now is the time to think about what you’ve accomplished and where you want to go from here.
Because it’s in the sign associated with home, hearth, family and security needs, we can see how harnessing the Full Moon’s promise can lead to some very good things.
We end the week with Chiron trining the North Node on Sunday. This aspect has been in play for some time. with both Chiron and the Nodes retrograding and hovering around this point. But it’s exact on Sunday and can manifest as a call to align yourself with your soul’s higher purpose.
As the Nodes are said to be karmic in nature, and Chiron is related to working through (and healing) old wounds, this transit can act as a catalyst for standing up to our deepest darkest fears and moving past them.
That’s it for this week. See you next week!
Here is this week’s astro calendar; click on it to view it full-sized.
Weekly Astro Forecast —
Dec 17, 2018 – Dec 23, 2018
By
Thinking about learning Astrology? I highly recommend Stephen Arroyo’s Chart Interpretation Handbook and Demetra George’s Astrology for Yourself.
Don’t forget to check out more Weekly Astro Forecasts and our Monthly Horoscopes too!
Want to see where these transits are hitting your natal chart? Check out our Free Natal Chart Calculator.
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