Astrological Forecast for November & December 2022

There are times when things flow easily: give a gentle push and the door opens. Other times are more challenging, and everything seems to be a struggle. These aren’t usually our favorite times, but with persistence we can often make great progress - even more than easier times, perhaps. Then there are the doldrums, periods when nothing seems to be happening. Appreciation of everyday life is a blessing of the doldrums, but they might also seem a little boring, and woe to those who want or need to get something done.

We won’t be having much in the way of doldrums as the year ends - in fact it’s been a while since the skies were calm. November continues the blustery celestial weather of October, and December offers us a chance to work constructively and with (relative) ease. Whether that means going forward or simply cleaning up the mess of the past few months, things will be moving a little more freely as we approach the New Year.

November

Relationships are in the spotlight as the month begins. From the 3rd through the 7th, Venus is quite busy, aspecting Ceres, Uranus, and Saturn, while Mercury connects with partnership asteroid Juno. We’ll be talking things out and considering the possibilities, ready to make changes in our romantic connections (Venus opposes Uranus, always an indication for possible change).

The last aspect Venus makes, just before the full moon, is a square to Saturn. The ideas and potentials with which we’ve been playing will have to pass the “reality test” to see if they will fly. With Venus in security-oriented Scorpio and Saturn in socially-minded Aquarius, we’re likely to be balancing intimacy and friendship within a partnership, or the demands of relationship with our greater social circle.

Saturn often shuts things down, but that’s unlikely with a lunar eclipse in Taurus on the 8th. Lunar eclipses are powerful full moons, when things that have been buried come to light. There’s often an emotional release around these times, and while that can be healing, it can also be messy. This full moon is also very close to explosive Uranus, so it will pack some extra volatility.

The first portion of November brings relationship issues to the fore, and we’re quickly pressed to get everything out in the open, especially as Mercury is opposed to Uranus at this time. While relationships are likely to be the prime concern for many of us, financial markets and the overall economy might feel some tremors, too.

A plea for stability comes from Saturn on the 9th through the 11th, as Mercury and the Sun square the lord of time. Things that have gone too far can be reigned in, but avoid restrictions that are too severe. A nice Venus/Neptune trine could help repair any damages done to relationships in the heat of the full moon.

Things lighten up for a bit at mid-month, as Venus makes an easy trine to Jupiter on the 15th, just a day before leaping into Jupiter’s home sign of Sagittarius a day later. Venus is at the tail end of Scorpio - not her favorite place to be, but Jupiter in their mutually adored Pisces is giving her encouragement to hold on for just one more day. With Mercury repeating the connections to Jupiter on the 16th and 17th, this is a time for focusing on and expressing the positive.

Retrograde Mars squares Neptune on the 19th, a potentially problematic aspect that can have folks going off on a crusade, and, in the signs of Gemini and Pisces, possibly acting duplicitously. The key to the 18th/19th is not to get swept up in the ‘cause of the moment’, in your personal life or in the collective. Folks with longer memories can look back to see that they’re getting the second installment of a drama that began around October 12th, but the final chapter likely won’t be written until mid-March of 2023.

Another upbeat shift in the cosmic weather prevails from the 20th to the 22nd, as the Sun trines Jupiter and bounds into Sagittarius, while Mercury and Venus meet in the sign of the centaur. It’s an opportunity to express your feelings, take a leap of faith, and let serendipity guide you.

Jupiter, who’s playing host to the Sun, Venus, and Mercury, is very powerful as he stations direct on the 23rd, the day of the Sagittarius New Moon. Although new moons are typically thought of as quiet times, these energies are very strong. Use the time after the new moon to set intentions for big picture matters - where you’d like to see yourself in the coming year. Don’t worry about the details, Sadge isn’t great for those, and we’ll have opportunities to work them out as time moves on.

As the month ends, relationship comes back into focus, as Venus squares Juno and trines Chiron on the 25th. We’re assessing the difference between what we want in our partnership (Venus) and what we have (Juno). It sounds tense, but with Juno in Venus’ favorite sign of Pisces, it’s likely that tensions can be worked out without too much stress.

On the other hand, Pallas Athene stations retrograde in Cancer on the 30th, an event that can have us shouting the truth (as we see it). Look for folks to be championing safety and security around this time.

December

November draws to a close with Venus opposite retrograde Mars, an aspect that’s exact in the earliest hours of the 1st. The tension is between commitment and free expression of passion, although in the signs of Sagittarius and Gemini, neither planet is looking to be shoe-horned into a confining situation. Try to open things up and be a bit playful in your partnerships - taking things too seriously could backfire.

The beginning of December is colored with a vague, nebulous energy. We’d like to know what’s going on, but it isn’t easy with Mercury and Venus both square to stationing Neptune from the 1st to the 3rd (the day Neptune stations). Avoid practical decisions as the month begins.

You might want to know what’s happening - in relationships or anything else - but the answers are likely to be elusive. Uncertainty can be unnerving, and at an extreme can breed paranoia and its younger cousin, jealousy.

On the other hand, if we can have a bit of Sagittarian faith and let things go for a few days, this could be a very pleasant time. Use it to get lost in a fantasy, take long meandering walks, meditate, and generally let the world go by. Play with the celestial energy - don’t try to bend it into a hard reality. A Venusian trine to Saturn helps keep us a little more anchored than we might otherwise be, hopefully fending off any extreme negativity.

Fresh from his silver-tongued square to Neptune on the 1st, Mercury squares Jupiter on the 5th. Be careful not to say too much. By all means express yourself, but be aware that you might leak out more information than you intend, and could even say more than you know. Some folks are going to bluster pretty hard from their Sagittarian soapboxes in the first week of December, so take what they say with a grain of salt and keep a skeptical eye.

The full moon on December 8th is in Gemini, and closely opposite to retrograde Mars. This keeps the polarizing energy of the past few days going strong, especially in the collective. There’s potential for explosions with a full moon next to Mars, but hopefully in Gemini they’ll be confined to the verbal realm.

Relationships will catch some of that energy as they come back into focus on the 8th and 9th, with Mars squaring Juno as Venus squares Jupiter. Mars in Gemini is arguing for expanding sexual energy, while Juno is more focused on the spiritual side of our connections. Venus and Jupiter always get along well, especially with the signs involved (Sagittarius and Pisces). This is a ‘go with it if you’re enjoying it, leave if you’re not’ kind of vibe that hopefully will see most of us having a nice time.

Venus climbs into Capricorn on the 9th setting a slightly serious tone to socializing for the rest of the year. Formal occasions and holiday office parties are favored with this placement, and we might take a more sober approach to personal partnership. It’s also a reminder to be a little cautious with holiday spending.

On the 14th, an unrealistic tone prevails as the Sun squares Neptune. Things might seem much better or worse than they otherwise would, and we could shuttle between high hopes and panic around this time. The 13th to the 15th is a great time to do some meditation and introspection, although even in the interior and astral realms we’re liable to misread some situations.

The Sun enters Capricorn on the 21st at 5:47 p.m. Eastern Time, marking the Winter solstice and the start of his long trek northwards in the sky. It’s the shortest day of the year, and as the new moon is only two days later, it will be a very dark night as well. A solar square to Jupiter - who’s just a day into the Sun’s favorite sign of Aries - is the light of faith burning at the end of the tunnel.

Rounding out the year, Venus is once again the planet that gets our attention. She trines Uranus on the 21st/22nd, opening up new possibilities for socializing and romance. Then, from the 23rd to the 28th, Mercury, Venus, Juno, and Neptune all aspect each other, helping us to work through relationship potentials in a realistic, but soft-focused, way. Make the most of it - in the early hours of January 1st, 2022, Venus meets with Pluto, and it’s time to make some heavy decisions.

Wishing You A Happy New Year!

To contact Armand Diaz, PhD visit his webzsite at www.ArmandDiaz.com