gal-dem monthly horoscopes: Sagittarius season sees the possibility of an end to the patriarchy
The archer is beckoning boisterous change into our lives as we head towards the festive season.
Marissa Malik
07 Dec 2020
Illustration by Nadia Akingbule
In most non-Western cultures, the New Year isn’t celebrated in December. Even astrologically, the mutable tides of Pisces season in March are what mark the start of a new year, not the rhythm of late-December’s Capricorn season. However, this month’s astrology is so undeniably momentous that the hark of the Gregorian calendar does actually correlate to the spiritual weight of this time.
December begins with eclipses occurring on the Gemini-Sagittarius axis; which is one that has everything to do with truth, learning, knowledge, and value systems. Eclipse seasons bring in rapid, chaotic change, and are non-negotiable in their outcomes. The solar eclipse on 14 December in chatty Sagittarius is set to reveal some major misinformation we’ve been fed over the course of this year, and allow us to move into 2021 with a stronger grasp of what mainstream thought is often guided by.
Ultimately though, December’s astrology is all about Jupiter and Saturn. These two heavyweight outer plants cross paths in the sky on the winter solstice (21 December) in the sign of rebellious Aquarius; a freedom-seeking air sign who hates hegemony and wants to see the fall of capitalism just as badly as we do. From a collective standpoint, this event symbolizes the literal end of an era. An end to patriarchal leadership and futures that can only be imagined through prepackaged lenses that exist around us. This isn’t to say that Wall Street will fall overnight (🤞🏽) but rather that we’re entering a period of time where the global proletariat has more potential to overthrow dynastic powers through grassroots organising than we’ve seen in our lifetime yet.
This all sounds like a lot because it is… a lot! Luckily a great conjunction like this only occurs every 20 years, though. Buckle up and I’ll see you in 2021!
With all of this in mind, here are my thoughts for each of the 12 signs this December.
HOROSCOPES
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Sagittarius & Sagittarius Rising
Happy solar return, Sagittarius! Your season casts an arrow into the horizon of change that we’re all ready to follow you towards. Be weary of your ego clouding people’s ability to come with you, though.
Is your “letting people come to you” technique actually causing them to let go? Friendship isn’t something that can just self sustain in the background; it requires maintenance that isn’t always fun. Your “good nature” or presence on people’s timelines isn’t enough to cultivate platonic love in the way everyone in your life wants or needs. Distance is healthy, but only as it’s balanced with closeness. Get ready for some serious self reflection to come your way on 14 December with the solar eclipse in your sign. There’s a chance that drama will occur which involves you having to analyse your public behaviour from a new perspective as it gets misinterpreted (or just plain critiqued) by your peers.
A few days later on 19 December your ruling planet Jupiter moves into revolutionary Aquarius and helps you evolve your relationship to learning and friendship; moving you through some difficult stages of reckoning with who you’ve been in the past. Then, on 21 December the great conjunction between Jupiter and Saturn asks you to reformat how you do friendship going forward, and be willing to have wider conversations with your peers around what they need it to look like in order for you to balance that out with your needs and boundaries. Your month wraps up with the full moon in Cancer on 29 December showing you who your real ones are, aka who is willing to put in the work of calling you in not for the show of it all, but because they love you.
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Capricorn & Capricorn Rising
You’re allowed to talk about your spirituality in whatever terms make sense to you, Capricorn. The absence of modern witchcraft jargon doesn’t make it less valid.
December is a time where you’re undergoing immense changes in both your spiritual life and relationship to the material world. Almost like a cosmic see-saw that you’re fluctuating between constantly. Remember that it’s okay if people can’t keep up with what’s going on with you. What’s most important is you coming out the other side of this month listening to the lessons of your past. On 14 December, the solar eclipse in Sagittarius wants you to move far away from the resounding pains you’ve been experiencing this year. The ones that you refused to acknowledge hurt you as badly as they did; especially in regards to your partnerships. This solar eclipse is next-level exhausting in how it manifests in your body, too, so be sure to get enough rest around this time.
Then, the great conjunction between Saturn and Jupiter on 21 December brings you into a headspace that’s both comfortable and desperately uncomfortable at the same time. This is because a zone of your sky is being activated that wants you to focus on money and your material world, but simultaneously stimulates your desire to always want more. The next few years are really going to revolve around your finances, so just remember that it’s up to you to reward yourself when you accomplish what you set out to do rather than just bounce to the next task. Mediate negative self talk, and be weary of your tendency to tread too far into the dehumanising facets of capitalism (aka, don’t get greedy!). The full moon in Cancer wraps up your month by allowing you to manifest a new outlook on your intimate relationships, and enter 2021 with a stronger sense of optimism with matters of love than you’ve held for a majority of this year.
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Aquarius & Aquarius Rising
Shock value is easy to create. It’s your true weirdness that holds the potential to evoke more than briefly gaping mouths, Aquarius.
December has you dreaming in a direction you often don’t let yourself go in. This says a lot given your natural tendency to be an endless hotpot of creative ideas. The solar eclipse in Sagittarius on 14 December highlights this by lighting up an area of your sky that sees the bigger picture in life, and can thus help you release the anxiety you may hold about being judged for individual actions. Lean into those “fuck it” moments you have around this time. Say the controversial opinion you’ve been holding onto. Post that risque selfie you’re worried will break the internet. Trust the overarching vision you have for yourself over the fleeting thoughts of others.
The great conjunction between Jupiter and Saturn on 21 December occurs in your sign, Aquarius! This means that change is being activated from the foundation of your being. The conjunction is a major cosmic event which makes it clear that the version of yourself you’ve been stifling is ready to finally take the reins and present itself fearlessly. This might look like a reinvention or major “glow up” from an outside perspective, but it’s really just you becoming more you. Don’t worry about being consistent for other people. Now is the time to follow your desires even if it only makes sense in your head. Find your flow on 29 December when the full moon lights up the sky in water sign Cancer. This lunation brings with it a new ability for you to integrate these new expressions of self into your daily routine.
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Pisces & Pisces Rising
Capitalism is cringey, and so is how you put limits where you think your talents can take you, Pisces.
Sagittarius season is a time for you to strut into the spotlight and trust what you can do. Although Sagittarius energy might seem immensely different to yours (and it really can be), it still shares an ability to shapeshift and accept multiple realities at once. You’re both mutable signs, and your adaptability is a superpower. The Sagittarius solar eclipse on 14 December marks a moment where you’ll need to utilise this confidence to make it through the chaos happening around you, and figure out why you’re at the center of it. You’re not innocent all the time, and the tenacity that can resound in your voice when you’re mad can make this evident. Venus enters Sagittarius the next day on 15 December, helping you solidify exactly what it is you need to say.
You’re no stranger to spiritual rebirth, Pisces, but the type of rebirth that’s coming your way on 21 December is pretty unprecedented in your life. The great conjunction between Jupiter (one of your planetary rulers) and Saturn occurs in a zone of your sky that’s cerebral and mystic; dark and uncharted. This means that it’s important to pay attention to all matters of the occult and messages from your ancestors not only on this day, but for the next few years to come. Your intuition will be operating at an all time high, so don’t question it. Remember that death isn’t always as literal as losing someone; it manifests in many ways. Try to reach peace with this fact. The full moon in fellow water sign Cancer on 29 December opens a brief moment of bliss before 2021 begins. Use embrace this warm energy by being childlike and naive in how you have fun. Dance, sing, and don’t be afraid to look dumb in front of people.
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Aries & Aries Rising
Your month is defined by an eager yearning for a future you know doesn’t exist yet, Aries.
There are certain ways you realise you’ve been lied to by institutions you once trusted over the course of this last year. Instead of letting anger towards them manifest in petty ways, you’re finally ready to develop a strategy for not only releasing it, but harnessing it as a form of drive. Your 2021 is going to be about action (not reaction), and this month gives you a snapshot of what that feels like. From this, December brings change that’s reflected in the way people are drawn to you through your values. There’s always passion behind your words, and the political undercurrent from which they derive takes precedence over your tendency towards reactiveness. It’s time to move past the satisfying emotional spikes of “I told you so” moments, and into behaviour that is longitudinally rewarding.
The solar eclipse on 14 December marks a teachable moment you will return to again and again. Who (and what) you should trust as reality is set to undergo a major shift and the drama happening in your environment under this Sagittarius eclipse will also help you make an informed choice about whether or not you should leave.
On 21 December when Jupiter and Saturn cross paths in the sky, expect to have your relationship to your community completely uprooted. This major cosmic event bolsters your need for people’s words to reflect in their actions. It’s time to stop settling for people whose words don’t reflect in their actions, and move in a direction where you see the same effort being put into a cause that you contribute to. Just be weary of navigating people’s physical/mental capacities before judging their outputs. Let the full moon in Cancer on 29 December call you home and extinguish the exhausting fires alight from the social unrest you’re enveloped in.
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Taurus & Taurus Rising
No matter how tightly you hold onto something, it can always slip away, Taurus.
14 December is when the month’s cosmic activity really kicks off! This is when the solar eclipse in Sagittarius illuminates a zone of your sky that rules your long term relationships and deeper bonds. This eclipse presents a lesson to you in how you create distance in these partnerships, and whether or not it’s working out the way it should. Ask yourself – what are your obligations to the people you care about? Do you uphold them? Is there enough space for independence in your bonds? Expect clashes between people who come from different eras of your life to occur.
The next day on 15 December romantic Venus moves into Sagittarius as well, asking you to make some difficult decisions about where you let love take you. Remember: When in doubt, always plan ahead.
The great conjunction on 21 December symbolises a moment for you to reinvigorate your career path and aspirations for the ways in which your public reputation manifests. Visibility isn’t always an easy thing for you to embrace. Remember that it’s about doing it in your own way and not adhering to the influencer-politics of our current social media landscape. Strive for authenticity over marketability and watch the tides shift in your favour. The full moon in Cancer on 29 December will be a great time to check in with your friends about how this new approach to visibility has been working out for you, and what their advice/opinions are about what you should do going forward. Remember that their critiques come from a place of care.
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Gemini & Gemini Rising
You might be great with words, but you’re clearly not a fan of labels, Gemini.
December’s energy has you meditating on how the people in your life relate to what you represent ethically, and you’re afraid to admit some hard truths about it; especially when it comes to partnerships. On 14 December, the solar eclipse in your opposite sign Sagittarius creates a rupture in a romantic entanglement you’re entertaining. When this dramatic event occurs, remember that the source of how it perturbs you has less to do with the other person’s actions and more to do with unresolved feelings you hold about relationships. Don’t deny a reality that’s sitting in front of you because you’re scared of what to call it. English isn’t a great language to define love through, anyway. Seek out other tongues when looking for the right words to say during this time. When Mercury moves into Capricorn on 20 December and activates your researching spirit, this will be an easier task to complete.
On 21 December the great conjunction between Jupiter and Saturn occurs in your zone of knowledge and higher philosophical intentions. This intense cosmic event recalibrates your relationship to the systems of knowledge you always relied on as cornerstones of your ethics. Have you transformed into the teacher rather than the student without realising? Watch out for ego flares when taking on new roles where you have elevated power in the near future. The full moon in Cancer on 29 December provides a final moment for you to envelop yourself in soft, sensual pleasures before the reality that 2021 has actually arrived hits you a few days later.
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Cancer & Cancer Rising
Life doesn’t run on a set timescale regardless of how many scheduling apps you use or socially “normal” milestones you complete, Cancer.
December reminds you that there’s a lot of physical and emotional tidying to be done before 2021 is allowed to grace you with its slightly ominous presence. Your Sag season revolves around a false sense of urgency that makes you feel like you’re running out of time, so make sure to pace yourself while completing these tasks. On 14 December, the solar eclipse in Sagittarius beacons you to tie up loose ends, but doesn’t create a very inviting environment to do so in given how intense this fiery eclipse energy is. Take note of what needs to be done, but hold off until around 20 December when communication planet Mercury moves into steadfast Capricorn before you move forward into them.
The way that you relate to your ancestry and the people you hold closest in your life can’t maintain in the configuration that you’re expressing it now. There’s an imbalance occurring where you’re either giving too much or too little, and your measure of care is becoming transactional. On 21 December, allow the great conjunction between Jupiter and Saturn to guide you towards a new approach in these facets of your life. Whether it’s new rituals and boundaries with your family, or more space for your day-one’s to be present with you, welcome in deeper transformation. Then finally on the 29 December you’re blessed with a full moon in your sign that helps you retreat back into your emotional world and expel whatever you don’t want to carry into 2021.
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Leo & Leo Rising
Do you realise there’s a difference between people liking you, and people liking what you create, Leo?
December inspires you to make things in the strangest of ways, but the main road block you encounter with these projects is how the expression of this creative energy intersects with your current public reputation/persona. There’s a chance that what you’re generating now looks very different from what you were doing even just six months ago, and that’s okay. On 14 December when the solar eclipse in Sagittarius blazes into your sky, you’re encouraged to release insecurity around feeling like people just won’t get it. Remember that although not everyone will follow you on this new artistic journey, new people will enter your life who do.
A relationship reset is coming your way on 21 December when the great conjunction occurs between Jupiter and Saturn in one of your zones of partnerships and love. This poses a chance for you to release pessimism you’ve developed over the past few years about what you think you can and can’t achieve in matters where other people’s input and care is equally entangled with your own. It also marks a moment for you to release the narrative that every battle you fight is one you have to go alone. Focus on sharing space in your dreams. It’s not always about you. The full moon in Cancer on 29 December shines in an uncomfortable area of your sky that might leave you exhausted. Take extra time to recover during this period, but don’t sit with your own thoughts for too long. Reach out to people who feel safe to work through those difficult moments of nostalgia.
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Virgo & Virgo Rising
Humans aren’t machines, Virgo. No amount of consistency creates a 100% guarantee of the same outcome every time.
December offers you a space to feel the depth of hurt that your closest bonds can bring you. Family matters occupy a majority of your thoughts, and the eclipse 14 December represents a breaking point in these relationships. Allow yourself to make a difficult, final decision around this time that serves you over a dynamic that’s been hurting you for years. Remember that Sag season’s energy is liminal and muatable. It won’t be here forever, just like you and the people you love who are hurting you right now. Anchor yourself in tasks that make time feel slow when you need it to stretch, and fast when you just want things to move on. Hug your softest pillows as tightly as you can.
Do you work with your body, or fight it constantly? The great conjunction on 21 December symbolises a moment where you’re pushed to evolve your relationship to time, ritual, and your physical form. This dawning of Aquarius energy tells you to throw away the rulebook when it comes to your bodily needs and listen to what you know gels best with you. Stand by your unique workflow, and stop treating yourself like a pack mule. Don’t just listen when that inner voice tells you to stop – act without judgement. The full moon in Cancer on 29 December creates an optimistic moment for you to envision a future that has a glowing silver lining, and all the sentiments of what family are supposed to offer you.
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Libra & Libra Rising
In the process of trying to say too many things, you might end up saying nothing, Libra.
Your chattiness is something that’s valued by your peers, dear Libra, but there have to be times where you get to the heart of matters. Where words can’t just be space holders or fluff during a hang out. On 14 December, the solar eclipse in Sagittarius makes it clear to you that your friends or siblings really want you to deconstruct a difficult narrative with them. During this time, it’s essential that you have a strong grasp of what you think on a matter. Don’t just regurgitate what everyone else is thinking. Trust that your opinion on something is not only valued by who you engage with, but needed in the flow of ideas that are being circulated.
Pleasure and creativity are undeniably linked. How does this manifest in your artistic outputs? Is it something you embrace, or deny? The great conjunction between Jupiter and Saturn on 21 December wants you to stop jumping from socially acceptable box to box and just be your fucking weirdest self. This doesn’t mean you need to edgelord your way into people’s hearts and social media feeds; it just means stop restricting your ideas before even getting the whole idea down on paper. Release that noise project you’ve been sitting on for years. Wear that coat you’re worried people will think is hideous. There’s no more room for faking what you like and dislike anymore. The full moon in Cancer on 29 December lightens the tone of your month and gives you the energy to celebrate in style. Stunt in a safe way. Let your socials know that you have a-rrived!
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Scorpio & Scorpio Rising
As much as you’d like to incorporate a hot take or sultry mystique into everything you do, it’s not always possible, Scorpio.
Sometimes, life requires you to do boring tasks where there’s no mystery involved. For you, dear water sign, December feels like a housekeeping month with the volume on loud. The Sagittarius solar eclipse on 14 December shines a light on all of those little things that you’ve been ignoring for ages that are reaching critical mass. That’s right – it’s time to call the pharmacy and replace your prescriptions, email back your boss, and order that new bedframe from Ikea. The common thread between all of these tasks is how you’ve been navigating your finances. It’s time to come to terms with the fact that most of the income you receive simply can’t be spent on luxury items (at this stage of your life, anyway). Don’t forget to remind people that your love language involves gifts on 15 December when Venus also moves into Sagittarius. It’s the perfect time of year for it anyway, so you won’t look weird.
On 21 December, the great conjunction between expansive Jupiter and rulemaker Saturn tells you to stop searching for a home in other people and start working in the space in front of you. Make financial decisions that help you nest and invest in your own environment; not a pre-packaged one that comes with the cutie you’ve been seeing. Trust that your nurturing side does exist and treat this as a chance to highlight it in a way you’re often not willing to be vulnerable enough to show. The full moon in Cancer on 29 December has you reminiscing on the philosophical changes that have occurred for you over this past year. Express gratitude for the people you find yourself surrounded with who represent the evolution of this journey.
Learn more about gal-dem’s monthly horoscopes
gal-dem horoscopes: this Spring Equinox, move forward with clarity and intention
This aquarius season is all about moving forward
gal-dem horoscopes: ease into the new year this Capricorn season
gal-dem horoscopes: dim the noise and be intentional this Sagittarius season
