One of December’s astronomical highlights happens pre-dawn on 10 December when Mercury, Mars & Jupiter can be seen grouped together rising just before the sun. This phenomenon will continue to play out before sunrise on the 11th & 12th. Over the three day period these planets will remain clustered together but in different positions relative to one another each day. Sunrise is at about 10 to 6 (AEST) on the 10th, 11th and 12th, so find a place with a clear view of a low horizon (facing east) before sunrise to witness this uncommon alignment. We will not see these planets this close again until 2029.
Mercury is the planet of perception and communication, Mars is the planet of passion and action and Jupiter is the planet of beliefs, ideals and vision. All three will be in Sagittarius (Jupiter’s home zodiac sign) at the time of their alignment. Sagittarius is all about adventure, risk-taking and the joy of living. Put simply, it seems we need to take action on new ideals. Planets rising before the sun are emerging from the dark of night. When Mercury, Mars & Jupiter rise from the underworld we are asked to look at life through joyful eyes, not the eyes of the weary or downtrodden (no matter how weary we might feel). We get a chance to shake off our cobwebs and be born again to brighter experiences. The most important thing we can do around this time is be open to new ideas and fresh opportunities. If our intuition sends signals to us through rousing our excitement, no matter how weak that excitement might feel, then we must receive the signals and act on them. The downside of too much Sagittarius can be fool-hardy risktaking and living life through rose-coloured glasses. Check your visions are grounded and not going to put you at too much risk before flying away with them.
December is not only devoted to the fun of going after new visions. Most of the faster-moving planets must cross Pluto and the Galactic Centre this month and as they do, we will be prompted to admit to our most hidden, yet most passionate needs and desires. This is often the uncomfortable part of forging new beginnings. We must face fears of success, brilliance, joy and love in order to bring the things we most desire to ourselves. Venus crosses Pluto and the Galactic Centre on the 8th & 9th (just before the alignment discussed above) and draws our attention to relationship issues. The Sun makes this journey from the 18th to the 20th, and the Moon joins in on the 20th & 21st. The Sun & Moon’s crossing will be particularly powerful because the New Moon (when the Sun & Moon join) on the 20th/21st happens on top of Pluto and the Galactic Centre. Such a new moon alignment brings huge opportunities for rebirth and new beginnings, but we are challenged to balance our masculine and feminine selves first. Finally Mercury crosses Pluto and the Galactic Centre on the 25th & 26th and urges us to break out of old perceptions and instead believe and know we are creators of our reality, not victims of fate.
As creators of our reality, our greatest tool is the energy of unconditional love (aka the Christ energy). This is not about loving others while denying ourselves. It’s about simultaneous love for self and others in every moment. Christ himself was said to be born under the star of Jupiter and Christ’s enduring message is that we each can create miracles, just like he did, from the power of love. On the 25th, Christmas Day, when Mercury crosses Pluto and Galactic Centre we are reminded of this truth and even given glimpses of how to live it. Creating miracles in our lives takes practice. Christ didn’t manage it overnight. Yet in this month of strong Sagittarius energy, if we grab hold of our visions and keep the faith we might just have some big breakthroughs.
Finally, the summer solstice (the longest day of the year) happens on the morning of the 22nd, the day after the new moon. On this day the Sun moves into the zodiac sign of Capricorn and shows us the practical means to make our visions real. The summer solstice itself is also aligned with Pluto and the Galactic Centre. Over the past few years, and for a few years to come, every summer solstice has been and will be aligning closer and closer to the Galactic Centre. This solstice and Galactic Centre alignment has been forming for many thousands of years. It’s an extremely rare alignment and here we are alive and experiencing it! Pluto will remain aligned with the Galactic Centre throughout next year and will no doubt help shed more light on what the Galactic Centre means to us here on earth. But for now, let’s just say that it’s the source point for all life in our galaxy - a big cosmic womb - and with Pluto, the planet of birth-death-rebirth at this point it feels like something profound is brewing!