gal-dem monthly horoscopes: find the bridge between personal and political this Sagittarius Season

Illustration by By Nadia Akingbule

2019 is leaving us with some dramatic last words to consider before we enter 2020. Although another Mercury Retrograde is behind us, and we’re all breathing sighs of relief after the heaviness of November’s Scorpio season, the final eclipses of the year are on the horizon. Get ready for them to shake things up by bringing us some unexpected, and even potentially turbulent, revelations about our future.

My Scorpio season was a hot mess of heated interactions, furtive glances, and meeting folx who (although technically counted as “new relationships”) held a deep connection to my past. Whether it was friends appearing from across the globe, or strange connections cropping up between my creative projects; the recurring theme Mercury Retrograde brought me was acceptance.

I found acceptance in relation to who I was in the past by recognising the reality of how events have shaped me into the person I am today. With this also came acceptance of how there is immense nuance to every relationship in our lives. I truly reckoned with (and even found beauty in) knowing there’s always more to be revealed about someone (or something) as time moves on, and that we often have to play the “long game” for those lessons to become clear. Oh and also – boundaries around secrets are important but oftentimes confusing…

Now that we’ve emerged from the watery depths of Scorpio’s energy, Sagittarius season is here to teach us some hard and fast lessons about how our lives could look like going forward.

Sagittarius is an esoteric goddxss who sits proudly on her throne of knowledge. Symbolised as a majestic centaur shooting their bow into the distance, this fire sign seeks to not only show us new pathways and ideas but also escape routes and hidden channels. Sagittarius rules over a part of our sky that searches every corner of the globe for answers and burns deep wanderlust into our souls. Fierce and flighty, impassioned and inquisitive – all in one brilliant package.

Without this mutable sign’s energy, our minds would never open as wide, and our posture would never be as tall. It’s Sagittarius energy that instils simultaneous rage and understanding within us; allowing for a true bridge to form between the personal and political.

So as Sagittarius takes us back to school with our ethos and recalibrates our sense of who we are in relation to our global communities, it’s time to consider what’s coming with us into 2020, and what needs to go. Keep this in mind especially around the Full Moon Lunar Eclipse in Gemini on 10 December, and New Moon Eclipse in Capricorn on 26 December.

With all of this in mind, here are your final horoscopes of 2019!

See you next Gregorian year but remember, the astrological year doesn’t end until March…

Horoscopes

SAGITTARIUS

We need to talk about your ruling planet, Sagittarius.

This year, your ruling planet Jupiter, the planet of luck and fortune, spent all year in your sign. She pushed you on some quite intense journeys that revolved around your identity and recalibrated how you project your individuality into the world. On 3 December, when Jupiter leaves your sign and moves into Capricorn, get ready for an energetic reset. The skies around this time will push you to focus on the role your work-hustle and possessions manifest for the upcoming year; making 2020 a time for you to do some deep thinking about your relationship to materiality and the types of wealth that matters most to you. The New Moon Eclipse in Capricorn arrives on 26 December and jolts even more energy into this area of your chart as well.

Remember that eclipses bring intense change and unpredictable energy, so if you’re feeling stagnant or stuck in your New Moon intention setting, it could provide you with some productive upheaval or raucous realisations that push you out of your comfort zone. Use Venus’s transition into Aquarius on 23 December to restore your sense of independence in love and romance. When this planet of amorous encounters moves into community-oriented Aquarius, your need to express love for friends and neighbours in your immediate environment will resurface.

CAPRICORN

The period before your season is always an introspective time for you, Capricorn.

This December, you’re ready to spend a lot of time connecting the dots between your various “plans of action for 2020” and trust me – the upcoming year is looking like an exciting one. On 3 December, Jupiter, the planet of luck and fortune, is moving into your sign, allowing you to begin a journey of discovery. You’ll find new passions and activities that make you tick. To prep, indulge in lots of classically Capricorn actions to organise your thoughts: list-making, brainstorming, phone calls with mentors, and making sure you’ve got the right shoes for every type of interview.

It’s also a good idea to spend some time alone (or with people whose words and energy you trust) to keep your head clear and focused rather than buzzing with holiday season chaos. Use the Gemini Full Moon (Lunar Eclipse) on 12 December to get all of those ideas and lists out of your mind and into the world. This will feel like the most epic of purges, and set you up for the new chapter life is bringing you on the New Moon Eclipse in your sign on 26 December.

AQUARIUS

This December and the upcoming year are looking unprecedentedly spiritual for you, Aquarius.

It’s likely that you’ll find any unresolved issues you’ve been experiencing serendipitously settled. With energies focused in an area of your chart that asks for endings and gentleness, your attachment to old habits and toxic cycles is given a beautiful chance at falling away, too. As a nostalgic sign, it can be easier to hold onto the idea of someone (or something) than to look at a situation for what it is. You love connections! But 2020 wants you to seek closure, and the eclipses are asking you to do some serious mental purging to stoke this fire.

When Venus moves into your sign on 23 December, remind yourself of how you feel right now. What do your friendships and relationships look and feel like at this moment? Try making some decisions on what stays and what goes based on what your body is telling you. The New Moon Eclipse in Capricorn on 26 December is likely to surprise you with energy that feels like a book closing or a sense of contentment in completion. Keep tabs on any loose ends in your life to get an idea of what this could be about – there might be some fanfare in the finalé of the year.

PISCES

December and 2020 as a whole are bringing you a big change of scenery in your social groups, Pisces.

You’re at a transitional moment where you realise your values and goals have shifted from where they were at the start of 2019, and it’s time for the people around you to reflect that. This cosmic reset begins when Jupiter moves into Capricorn on 3 December, which brings stability into the new relationships and bonds you’re cultivating in friendship circles and community groups. On 10 December, when Mercury moves into outspoken Sagittarius, charisma is added to your communication style, which has the potential to command some authority at your workplace or in your current creative projects. This is likely to be connected to the new community bonds you’re cultivating, too, so use this power wisely!

The New Moon Eclipse in Capricorn on 26 December is going to reveal a massive truth to you that’s been hidden regarding your place in any groups, scenes, or projects you’re involved in with others, so pay attention to the buzz of what people are talking about around this time. Take healthy distance if you need to process your new discoveries because those truths (needed as they might be) could feel a bit uncomfortable.

ARIES

Your career and reputation for your talents will undergo an overhaul in December and 2020, Aries.

This time of year you usually feel antsy, with the flames of Sagittarius season fostering your love of haste. As you flow with this, you’re likely to find yourself stepping into the spotlight. New opportunities and new cities will present themselves. 2020 is basically looking like the year you really get recognised for what you’re good at. The sociable Full Moon Eclipse in Gemini on 12 December is a great time for you to chat about new ideas with your close friends, and get a gauge for people’s perceptions of you (while still maintaining that IDGAF attitude). It will help you make informed decisions about your next career move.

The New Moon Eclipse in Capricorn on 26 December is going to show you just how powerful you are when an unexpected realisation or power comes your way. Stay in tune with how you show up for others around this time. Support on any new path is crucial and it can be easy for you to accidentally turn that passionate Mars energy into tunnel vision. Keep your friends close as you tread in unknown territory, and make sure you laugh at the absurdity of it all along the way!

TAURUS

December is gassing you up with a newfound passion for learning and travel that derives from a place unrest in your environment, Taurus.

You’re ready to become a student again and find yourself far away from your home. This might feel a bit out of sync with your usually grounded, earth sign tendencies! As these wanderlust energies gradually increase during the month and follow you into the new year, Sag season could make you feel uncomfortable in your body. Remember that embracing change doesn’t mean you can’t still rely on the things you already know and love to maintain a sense of calm and consistency during this season – whether it’s your favourite pair of shoes or your long term partner’s voice.

Use the 12 December Gemini Full Moon Eclipse to do some grounding rituals and spend time with friends. Share your favourite foods, or do some “classic” group activities – whatever they may be! The Capricorn New Moon Eclipse on 26 December really drives the point home about assuming an adventurous, position in life where what you think you know is constantly being turned upside down. Lean into the intense energy of fellow earth sign Capricorn’s eclipse, and remember that what might feel like punishment is going to gear you up for whatever it is you need to overcome in the future.

GEMINI

Sagittarius season has your third eye open, Gemini.

You’re stumbling upon new relationships and exciting connections that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere in the first half of the month, but December as a whole is laying out the groundwork for an ancestral journey that will carry you through 2020. Energies are going to call on you to uproot secrets from the past and reanalyse/contextualise them, as well as explore the deepest bonds you have with people in this lifetime. This battle between old relationships and and new ones will likely drive you to explore emotions that you’ve been tabling in order to focus on career aspirations, and have you on the phone with a distant relative or two.

There’s a Full Moon Eclipse in your sign on 12 December, making it a great time to release feelings of insecurity that might have carried over from when your ruling planet Mercury was retrograde in November. Then, the New Moon Capricorn Eclipse on 26 December arrives ready to resurface old wounds that push you to focus on healing, and looking at your past in a new way that’s less judgemental and more focused on acceptance. It’s all going to be really deep, so be sure to give yourself plenty of time with your journal and a serene, escapist novel to help navigate these murky waters!

CANCER

Sagittarius season has you on your hustle, Cancer.

But as December progresses into the new year, your mind is driven by the part of your life that puts emphasis on your relationships; both romantic and platonic. What’s important for you to remember is that your priorities will always look different to anyone else’s, so don’t let people judge you for placing lots of energy on your lover(s). We live in a capitalist system that often only relates love to consumption, so prioritising your love of others can actually be a radical act of resistance rather than a personality flaw.

On 10 December Mercury moves into Sagittarius and helps you speak confidently about your work, while simultaneously engaging your abilities care for others – a blissful combo! Then on 23 December Venus in Aquarius has you progressing on this theme about your relationships by thinking of your important bonds with people in a way that asks you some difficult questions. Are you fulfilled by them? Do you need to ask more of your partner? Anything could be on the table; just remember what your needs are. During the Capricorn Eclipse, practice walking away from overwhelming dynamics and asking for space before returning to a difficult conversation. When things get heated, ‘toughing it out’ isn’t always the best option.

LEO

Your day-to-day routines are shifting, Leo.

Energies in your life that arrive in December are asking you to recalculate how you nurture yourself through consistency and also how you nurture others with stability. The big word you’re reckoning with this month (and will keep coming up against in the year ahead) is dependability. Put some serious time into thinking about how you show up and whether your loyalty is felt through reliability. Get back in touch with what’s going on in your body. The winter months can make us feel stagnant, especially given the lack of Sun – a crucial element of your sky! Put aside some time to think about the care you need to give your physical form, whether that’s a trip to the gym or a long, warm bath.

The Full Moon Eclipse in Gemini wants you to reconnect with groups of people you’ve not seen since the Mercury Retrograde in November. This retrograde had you on an anti-social streak and the seasonal change on top of this amplified your lion-like moodiness. Be sure to remind your mates that you’re still there for them with just as much love as ever! The New Moon Capricorn Eclipse on 26 December is going to shake up your day-to-day activities and the types of care work you do for others. Look out for signs on what direction this needs to move in when you spend time with your chosen family on that day and around that holiday week as well.

VIRGO

Things that used to bring you joy might not anymore, Virgo – and that is ok!

December will bring you the highs and lows that define your 2020 through a big renegotiation around the types of activities and attitudes that empower and excite you. While this might be difficult and frustrating at times, it’s also going to be amazing. New sexual experiences could be on the horizon, or even new types of love that you’ve never experienced before. The challenge will be navigating the give and take of it all – the ups and downs that come with the unknown.

As this month’s sociable energies amp up around the Full Moon Eclipse in Gemini on 12 December, remember to keep on top of your workload and career aspirations. Things will be trying to distract you and the holiday season buzz won’t help. Stick to your schedule at all costs. The eclipse in Capricorn on 26 December is looking like a great time for you to take risks in doing new activities, so don’t shy away from them if they come. Just make sure you’re doing lots of grounding activities in the meantime to supplement your earth sign need for the ground to be solid under you.

LIBRA

2020 is the year your feelings about home change, Libra.

While you’re loving the flirty, inquisitive vibe of Sagittarius season, as December progresses, more and more aspects of your life have you focusing (and leaning on) your chosen family members. This shift makes you think about the role your home plays in your happiness and who in your life feels like home. A new fire is beginning to light under you that makes you realise moving house might be on the horizon, or a big change in your immediate family unit is possible.

The Gemini Full Moon Eclipse on 12 December is a time for you to research any ideas or important concepts you’ve been exploring in relation to your home(s), be it a new type of studio practice or a way of arranging your space to help create energetic tranquillity. Empower yourself to shift things around and finally address that pile of random stuff that seems to have cemented itself into the corner of your room. When the New Moon Eclipse in Capricorn occurs on 26 December, expect the universe to reconnect you with who the “real ones” in your life are and who is in your life in a more superficial way. While those truths might not be easy to swallow, they’ll certainly create space for more honesty and love in the year ahead.

SCORPIO

You’re entering a new workflow, Scorpio.

The season after your own always feels like a time where you need to take stock of your possessions and focus on the more practical aspects of life. While you do this, remember to maintain a pace that won’t make you crash and burn before 2020 has even begun. With your sights set far into the distance and your ambition at an all-time high, it can be so easy for you to overdo it without even noticing. As cliché as it may be, submit to the slowness the holidays impose on you. Help yourself to a second plate and sink three feet deep into the couch. Your mind is moving rapidly enough without the buzz of everyone else’s thoughts around you, so give yourself space to find moments of genuine rest.

On 26 December, the New Moon Eclipse in Capricorn bursts into your life with news about friends and neighbours that want to (re)connect with you. If you haven’t by this time already, pick your head up from your laptop screen or diary and devote some time to seeing them. Any creative ruts you may be stuck in or writer’s block that won’t seem to go away could be resulting from your lack of contact with peers and mates who have valuable feedback to offer: feedback that could make or break your output.

Read more about Marissa Malik and horoscopes here