New Moon in Sagittarius + Total Solar Eclipse | December 2021
New Moon at 12 Sagittarius
Total Solar Eclipse
4 December 2021 at 2:43 AM EST
Our last new moon of the year is here, brave ones. And it’s a big one. This new moon also makes for a total solar eclipse. A solar eclipse happens when the nodes align with the sun and moon, in this case, the moon is aligning between the sun and earth.
This December 2021 eclipse is happening at the South Node, or the “point of our collective past” and is visible in its fullness only if you happen to be a penguin or field researcher in Antarctica. (It will also be visible in the southernmost parts of New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa.
Solar eclipses, which happen only on new moons, are like massive new moons, and a sure sign that something new is afoot.
Eclipses bring intensity, rapid unexpected changes, leaps forward, time bending, pivot points, and transformation. These are windows where the veil thins and change is not linear or gradual.
This is the last eclipse happening on the Sagittarius-Gemini axis for this 18-month period, as the nodes shift to the Taurus-Scorpio axis in January 2022.
This is a time when we are invited to compost the past, and write a new story about the future, particularly around beliefs, ideas about truth and Truth, our myths about the meaning of life, and how we might we step more fully into the nurturance + unconditional love of our own creative brilliance, eternal innocence, and freedom.
Lots of metaphors here, choose your favorite:
Your arrow goes where you point it, this is a major pivot point moment to consider where you are pointing and being pointed next. (especially if you want your arrows to hit a different target).
This is a time to take that first step, like the human above, off the rock of the known and into new waters.
This is a time to plant new seeds in the rich dark fertilizer made from all that has died and is dying.
Let’s break down the energetic signatures in the sky on this New Moon Solar eclipse next, then we’ll talk more about Sagittarius. And last but DEFINITELY not least, we’ll talk about all the cosmic parties happening in the December 2021 astrology.
New Moon Sky Signatures
The New Moon is having a big ol’ Sagittarius party with the Royal Star Antares, some wild cosmic phenomenon known as the Great Attractor, Vesta, Mercury, and the South Node. Let’s look at these new moon conjunctions.
Antares: Royal Star, Heart of the Scorpion Guardian of the West; Archangel Uriel. Stars need the help of planets in our solar system to “activate” their energy on earth. This conjunction is activating Antares, so named in opposition to Mars (“anti-Ares”), traditionally in the West known as “God of War.” Antares is a star associated with transition, liminal spaces, keen minds, courage, and the success that comes after major death-rebirth initiations.
Uriel, its associate guardian angel whose name translates to “Fire of God,” is associated with bringing the knowledge and practice of alchemy to humans, illuminates situations in a prophetic way, and is associated with earth changes through natural disasters, thunder, and lightning. It was Uriel who allegedly warned Noah about the flood. (This isn’t the best time for me to mention the upcoming Neptune- Jupiter conjunction in 2022.).
The Great Attractor: this cosmic anomaly draws galaxies into its gravitational pull at 370miles/second, bends light, and sips on stars all day like margaritas on spring break. This may add to the signature of this new moon the feeling of being swept up by some great receding force, in which case the question might be, in such situations where do freedom, choice + agency live?
Vesta: This new moon activates Vesta, the asteroid of the Virgin/High Priestess. She is whole unto herself; uses her life force energy for self-regeneration and is associated with the principles of focus, commitment and devotion. She asks us to consider our sacred work. Beyond vocation, what is the highest and deepest calling of your soul right now? What would it be like to point your arrow there?
Mercury: This new moon also activates Mercury, bringing into conscious perception what wasn't seen before and asking us to create new meaning-making myths about the Truth of being human. It asks us to write new stories about our souls and lives on this planet.
With this being a South Node eclipse, it is paradoxically highlighting the past; where we have been; inviting us to ponder our old beliefs about what is true and the deeper existential questions.
USA Ascendant: This New moon is also happening exact to the United States, ascendant or rising sign, which is the “life path” of the nation, rooted in new truths. This could be interpreted as a prelude to the birthing of a new path for USA coming with Pluto initiation.
You won’t want to miss my Astrology 2022 workshop, where I’ll talk more about the US Pluto Return.
Venus is applying toward Pluto in Capricorn (conjunction): intensification + transformation of our values + relationships; our desires for depth in love; the call to compost what is not aligned with divine feminine love/wisdom
The asteroid Ceres on the North Node is opposite the New Moon, suggesting that as we shed past beliefs, we step more fully into the nurturance + unconditional love of our own creative brilliance, eternal innocence, and freedom.
Quincunx to Uranus: Uranus has been all up in the mix all year (and a player in several past new moons). This suggests that liberation and change principles at play are redirected, challenged, requiring adjustments, diverted
New Moon in Sagittarius
Any new moon is an opportunity to renew our personal relationship with our own embodiment of that inner archetype, this month being Sagittarius— a masculine fire sign, in service to spirit (mutable) and associated with Jupiter and the 9th house.
With the eclipse, this makes now an ideal time to plant new seeds, re-direct your arrows of truth, and set your sights on the next horizons your soul is meant to quest toward.
If you want to know what area of your life this new moon and eclipse are impacting (and perhaps what realm of your life is ready for a new story), you’ll want to look for the house of Sagittarius in your natal chart. Mine, for example, is in the first house (I am Sag Rising) and so I would want to plant intentions and seed new visions for my personal identity and current life path.
Besides looking at your natal house of Sagittarius, you can also simply consider your relationship to the following aspects of your own inner being.
Illumined expression of Sagittarius
has a deep love + devotion to seeking the ever-expanding horizons of truth
able to access the widest possible view
wildly passionate, enthusiastic + inspired
open and curious
on a spiritual quest for the meaning of life
freedom from dogma and dualistic thinking
honest, direct, straight-arrow bluntness
cares more about the journey + experience gained than the result
cares more for the truth than what will keep them comfortable
seeks expanded states of consciousness
boldly trailblazes new territory
the one in us who is called to grow
Distorted expression of Sagittarius:
dogmatic, fundamentalist, extremist and polarized
scattered; disperses energy + diffuses life force
restless; can't sit still; can't stay
difficulty with completion and sustaining
light-focused; spiritual bypassing; resistance to incarnation, shadow
lack of courage to see the truth
outdated or false beliefs
blind attachment to a single version of truth
imposing your truth on others with force + coercion
How do you relate to this archetypal energy of Sagittarius in your own life?
To add another layer of nuance for you to muse with, let’s take a look at the chandra symbol for this lunation.
New Moon Chandra symbol
SAGITTARIUS 13
An embalmer at work on a mummy.
Death manifests among the living in myriad forms and guises. It is unforgettable in its imprint. Those who are drawn to get close to death and to get involved with it have their own set of challenges accordingly.
Will they get wrapped up in the lesser levels of death and turn into habitual trapped creatures, or will they extend the range of their affinity and allegiance to encompass the redemptive and the regenerative aspects of death?
Being magnetized to relive previous deaths, to learn the ways of death and to fathom its mysteries, and being able to move among many sides of this equation.
[A call] to open up the space tremendously –– to collaborate with the lively ones among the dead, and to discover that in their world, they celebrate free becoming more fully than anybody else.
Death creates the illusion of complete isolation; yet this symbol highlights the deep connectedness that is always there between each and every one of us, and always waiting to be seen and experienced beneath the illusion of separateness.
I invite you to pause on this one a moment, bonus points for pulling out your journal and musing on paper.
December 2021 Astrology
Looking forward earlier this year, I saw October and December as power-packed months of cosmic flurry. October was a legit sh!tshow in my world, so I am hoping at least December’s flavor of intensity will be different.
I lovingly joked (joked?) to myself that I really should hold a retreat this month during which we all just curled up in the fetal position in a warm, dark, cozy place and listened to soft beautiful music. Translation: this is a good month to be extra good to your nervous system and love on your being extra sweetly. For real.
But really, it might be a pure delight of a month, who can say?
Astrologically I can say that December is busy like pre-pandemic malls on Black Friday (I feel like that trend is shifting though eh? that’s something…)
The astrology of December 2021 includes Neptune and Chiron stationing direct, Venus stationing retrograde conjunct Pluto in Capricorn, the Total Solar Eclipse in Sagittarius, and the third and final exact Saturn-Uranus square (although they will come within a 1° square of each other in October 2022 and the energies here may last into 2023). Jupiter also leaves Aquarius and ventures into Pisces this month.
December 1: Neptune direct. The planet of dreams, ideals, visions, creativity and the mystical…as well as illusion, escapism, and lack of clarity, Neptune is stationing direct just before the eclipse/new moon, amplifying it s energies within and among us.
Dec 3: Venus at her brightest as evening star. Venus is reaching the end of her evening star phase for this Gemini meta-goddess journey and is preparing to go retrograde later this month, and head into her crysallyis phase before beginning a new cycle. More on that during our 2022 Astrology call.
Dec 4: Total Solar Eclipse and New Moon 12º Sagittarius
Dec 6: Venus-Moon conjunct at Soul Star Gate in Capricorn: Our two classic divine feminine heroines of the sky meet up at the 8th chakra center, known as the Ba in ancient Egyptian energy tradition, or the Soul Star Gate, in the archetype of the wise elder.
Dec 11: Venus conjunct Pluto #1
Dec 13: Mercury into Capricorn; Mars into Sagittarius
Dec 18: Full Moon at 27º Gemini
Dec 19: Venus retrograde; Chiron Direct
Dec 21: Winter Solstice; Sun into Capricorn
Dec 24: Saturn square Uranus #3. This is the third exact square between these two planetary players, reflecting the dynamic tension and crisis dynamics between freedom and control, the old and the new, what has been and what is becoming.
Dec 15: Venus conjunct Pluto #2
Dec 28: Jupiter into Pisces
Dec 29: Mercury, Venus, Pluto in Capricorn
While I can’t go into detail about all of this (because its almost my bedtime as I write this), all to say that there is a lot happening in the sky this month. Take it easy and be good to yourself.
Join our 2022 Astrology workshop
I’d love for you to join me at my regular annual year-ahead workshop later this month. We’re gonna talk about the astrological themes of 2022, this new Venus cycle, the US Pluto return, and more. You won’t want to miss it!
If you enjoyed and received value from this blog, please share it with a friend. I pour a lot of time and energy into these offerings and would love for them to reach the people they can support! Many thanks!