Astrological update for the week of December 11-18, 2022

This week we celebrate Jupiter at the final degree of Pisces before it re-enters Aries next week (read more about that here). Jupiter is the traditional ruler of Pisces where it can amplify the idealism and peaceful hopes that we all share. At the 29th degree there is somewhat of an eruption of this idealism and hope before Jupiter dives back into Aries and infuses the global energy field with a more dynamic and fiery zing.

Ceres in Libra. Meanwhile, Ceres completes her passage through Virgo and enters Libra on December 18th (EST).  Ceres will remain in Libra until it moves into Scorpio on September 15, 2023. I think of Ceres as the place in our chart that connects us to our natural selves through nourishment of the body, mind and soul. Difficult aspects to Ceres show challenges to our ability to feel safe in our bodily incarnation and denote areas where we need to make a more direct effort to honor the rhythms of nature and to feed and nourish ourselves. On a more global level she reminds us that without a connection to nature we cannot as a species survive.

In Libra, Ceres tends to evoke a sense of soul integration with the world through immersion in beautiful surroundings and harmonious connections with others. The dark side of Libra is ignoring our personal needs for the sake of maintaining harmony, and when Ceres is in Libra the effect of this kind of neglect can be a challenge. On the other hand, we can increase our sense of well-being through negotiating our way through conflict to resolution and personal balance.  Spending some time in environments of aesthetic harmony which soothe us will also be helpful.

Ceres opposite Jupiter. Ceres at the last degrees of Virgo is opposite expansive Jupiter this week, suggesting a tendency towards indulgence in things that may feel good but not necessarily be good for us. That’s a common theme of the holiday season, and fortunately Ceres forms a harmonious trine to Pluto to help strengthen the integration of the body, mind, and soul. This will help us to shift easily into the equanimity of Ceres in Libra.

Here’s what else you need to know this week. Dates and times are for the Eastern time zone, please adjust for your locality. 

Monday December 12. The week begins with a supportive Sun/Saturn aspect to encourage focus and attention to detail. Meanwhile the Moon is in happy Leo, inspiring us to find joy where we can get it. Monday is generally a day of balanced planetary energies to help us find stability and inner satisfaction. (Sun sextile Saturn 1:12 pm, Moon trine Chiron 3:25 pm, sextile Mars 8:04 pm, square Uranus 10:46 pm.)

Tuesday December 13. Some cranky feelings may emerge for a few hours when the Moon, still in Leo, faces off against Saturn around 9 am EST. These feelings won’t linger though, and will be followed by a harmonious solar aspect to brighten the day. (Moon opposite Saturn 9:08 am, trine Sun 10:51 am.)

Wednesday December 14. The Moon leaves the open heart of Leo to enter Virgo at 3:45 am EST. The next few days will be more focused on the importance of the small things in life: routines that provide mental and emotional support, the need for clean spaces where everything works well. It may be more difficult to achieve this today under a Sun/Neptune combination which, while enhancing spiritual feelings and the power of imagination, is less interested in details and organization.

This would be a good day to organize creative work in order to unite the need for order with the yearning for magic and illumination. Meanwhile a Mercury/Chiron aspect is beginning to build which will culminate on Thursday, with the potential to bring up old memories which may need to be released. (Moon enters Virgo 3:45 am, Sun square Neptune 12:10 pm, Moon trine Venus 3:32 pm.)

Thursday December 15. The Mercury/Chiron aspect peaks just after midnight today, followed by a series of lunar aspects including a potential challenge under Moon/Mars that occurs around 6:30 am EST. By 7 am the coast will be clear, and with the Moon in Virgo there is a sense of cleaning up any emotional debris and finding new mental pathways to bring us into greater harmony. (Mercury square Chiron 12:21 am, Moon trine Mercury 4:01 am, Moon square Mars 6:29 am, Moon trine Uranus 10:41 am.)

Friday December 16. More lunar aspects on Friday, all before 2:30 pm EST. With so many lunar interactions there may be an increased emotionality, especially if you are a person who tends to respond to the Moon. This could bring some confusion, and desires that are not quite clear. By the time the Moon enters Libra at 2:49 pm EST, some inner balance will be restored and the rest of the day is pretty peaceful. (Moon opposite Neptune 12:40 am, square Sun 3:56 am, trine Pluto 9:24 am, conjunct Ceres 1:39 pm, opposite Jupiter 2:13 pm, enters Libra 2:49 pm.)

Saturday December 17. A Mercury aspect today can be exhilarating and bring in lots of new ideas, but this can also create some mental exhaustion. With the Moon in Libra, we will want to surround ourselves with beautiful things that will help to calm the nervous system. Around 1:30 pm we may find ourselves dwelling on past grievances but this should only last for a couple of hours; meanwhile there are plenty of opportunities to experiment with new ideas and new ways of looking at the world.

Meanwhile the opposition from Ceres to Jupiter described above peaks tomorrow, making it even more important to ensure that we find that place of equanimity to nourish the soul as well as the temple of the body. (Moon square Venus 8:28 am, opposite Chiron 1:28 pm, trine Mars 2:43 pm, Mercury trine Uranus 4:36 pm, Moon square Mercury 8:25 pm.)

Sunday December 18. Today, in the last hours of the Libra Moon, the focus is on Ceres and the care of the soul. Harmonious lunar aspects facilitate our ability to access a portal of healing through which we can find that inner balance which the Libra Moon so craves. We will want to use this healing time to prepare for possible emotional disruption later in the day.

In the late afternoon there may be some emotional disruption for a few hours, perhaps accompanied by a power struggle of some kind. Maybe even in our own minds!  Meanwhile, a potentially stressful Venus aspect which will culminate Monday morning begins to build during the day, and the Moon moves into passionate Scorpio at 10:30 pm. It is a good idea to avoid lashing out at others when we feel this kind of inner stress as that will only inflame the situation. If we keep breathing and find our center, the way forward will make itself known.

 

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