The Week Ahead (12.18.23 through 12.24.23)
On the Sun's shift into Capricorn, unexpected insight, and accountability.
The Astrology Forecast
Hi friends! Guess what? Capricorn Season begins this week. Can you believe how fast the time goes?
So, how are you doing? Like, really, how are you doing? From last week’s powerful New Moon in Sagittarius to the beginning of Mercury’s retrograde motion to the tense square between the Sun and Neptune, the energy has been abrasive, overwhelming, confusing, and disorienting. Compassion, patience, and gentle kindness are so important right now. I hope you’re able to invest in a little extra self-tending as we navigate these turbulent times.
This week’s celestial happenings invite us into intentional self-exploration and illuminating dialogue. While the intensity continues, the Sun’s movement into pragmatic Capricorn will equip us with helpful tools to manage our confusion, big emotions, and lengthy to-do lists.
On Thursday, December 21 at 2:04AM ET, Venus at 19° Scorpio forms a dynamic opposition to Uranus at 19° Taurus, creating a powerful 180° relationship that wants to shake things up. Venus—the planet of love, beauty, values, and finances—is currently camping out in intense, mysterious Scorpio, compelling us to prize loyalty, honesty, and depth. Uranus—the planet of ingenuity, sudden change, and revelation—occupies Scorpio’s opposite sign, Taurus. In this sign, Uranus is earth-shaking, with its rebellious tendencies being intimately tied to the material world of finances and environment.
When Venus comes in contact with Uranus, we can expect to experience surprising insight, undeniable urges, or inspired creativity. However, in the fixed signs of Taurus and Scorpio—which do not like to be caught off guard—this atmosphere can feel destabilizing, uncomfortable, and tense. New information related to your relationships may emerge. Secrets, stress, and diverging opinions are likely to be highlighted in unexpected ways, compelling you to try a new approach to your relational rhythm.
What you deem valuable and how you manage your finances may also be put into question. You may discover that something you’ve been investing in—whether it be a cause, an idea, an organization, a subscription, or a partnership—no longer aligns with your core beliefs. While we all have the tendency to become defensive and reactive in the face of unanticipated insight—especially under the celestial power of Taurus and Scorpio—it’s important that you approach newfound information with integrity and patience. It’s okay to take time to process what’s coming your way.
In fact, if you’re receptive to Uranus’ shocking nature and open your heart to the unknown, you can utilize this energy to infuse your day with creativity and excitement. Revitalize your relationship with a healthy dose of spontaneity, have an impromptu girls night, pull out your paints and put brush to canvas—you get the idea! Uranus wants to break away from the status-quo, so if you can find a way to stray from your routine and embrace unlikely invitations, you’ll feel reinvigorated and inspired.
On a global scale, this transit has the potential to unearth scandal, manipulation, or under-the-table deals, so pay attention to what’s going on collectively. Know that your voice is powerful. No matter how big or small, it’s always important to take a stand for what you believe in.
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On Thursday, December 21 at 10:27PM ET, the Sun officially shifts out of Sagittarius’ adventurous domain and cruises into the hard-working, disciplined realm of Capricorn. The Sun represents identity, will, vitality, and joy. In the sign of Capricorn, it desires to be seen and appreciated for its tenacious spirit and its capacity to build a meaningful legacy. Symbolized by the sea goat—a mystical creature with the head of a goat and the tail of a fish—Capricorn is skilled at traversing both the steep faces of a mountainside and the mysterious depths of the ocean. The sea goat represents Capricorn’s mission to integrate the tangible and the abstract; the practical and the emotional; the logical and the creative.
But, wait… how did we get from Sagittarius’ expansive realm to the world of the sea goat? How do we continue to foster passion-driven exploration and adventure, while simultaneously stepping into the Capricornian desire to invest fully in a singular, determined trajectory? What if we lose our sense of spontaneity and youthful abandon? When we venture into Capricorn Season, it’s important to note that we’re called to create containers for our passions—not abandon them entirely. While the unencumbered quests of Sagittarius Season bring us much-needed insight and growth, at some point, we must return to ourselves and consider what we’re going to do with all the experiences and knowledge we’ve gained.
Capricorn serves as a powerful reminder that we cannot aimlessly follow our whims forever. We need structure. We need purpose. We need to be tethered to a mission that’s greater than ourselves. We need to take responsibility for our life’s trajectory and learn the value of hard-work, self-discipline, and delayed gratification. Capricorn wants us to build something that we can be proud of, and that will continue to tell our story long after we’re gone.
As we kick off Capricorn Season, consider how your adventures from Sagittarius Season inform your long-term goals. Which passions are closest to your heart? In what ways will you begin to build on the insight you gleaned throughout the past four-weeks? How can you integrate passion and creativity with responsibility and self-discipline? Throughout this season, Capricorn is tasked with bringing us back down to earth and molding our philosophical musings into something meaningful.
We’ll be sharing Capricorn Season horoscopes for paid subscribers later on this week—If you’ve been considering supporting The Curiosity Report, now is a perfect time to join for just $5!
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Your Mercury Retrograde Horoscope
Your Guide to the Astrology of 2024
Finally, on Saturday, December 23 at 1:17AM ET, Mercury Retrograde enters spirited Sagittarius. It was just last week on December 13 that Mercury began its infamous backwards dance at 8° Capricorn. For the past 10-days, Mercury Retrograde in Capricorn has encouraged us to get serious about the ways in which we accumulate, synthesize, and disseminate information. It has prompted us to reconceptualize our goals and update our organizational systems accordingly.
With Mercury entering a new zodiac sign, its invitation shifts. Sans retrograde, Mercury in Sagittarius is straightforward and inspired in its communication. It has the skills to generate expansive, illuminating discussions, but it can also be brash and insensitive. What’s more, Mercury is considered to be in detriment in Sagittarius, meaning there’s inherent tension between the planet’s need for clear, precise communication and Sagittarius’ abstract, big-picture thinking.
Interestingly, this transit harkens back to what we just left behind. As Mercury cruises through Sagittarius’ familiar domain, consider how the lessons you learned throughout the season of the centaur are shaping your communication style and your desire to express yourself. You may find that you’re gaining perspective on conversations, articles, or social events from the past four-weeks.
Mercury in Sagittarius—retrograde motion or not—often has difficulty listening, so this transit doubles-down on the call to invest in your receptivity skills. Don’t simply hear what people are saying. Make an effort to actively listen. Ask people to repeat themselves, or pose follow-up questions if you need clarification. Throughout this transit, it’s important to listen more than you speak.
At the same time, Mercury Retrograde in Sagittarius invites us to tell stories from the past, to find inspiration in previous life experiences, to reminisce on our journeys of growth and healing. In fact, this planetary movement will ring in the New Year—Mercury goes direct on January 1, 2024—so consider this your invitation to have a lively bash with friends and family before the end of the year, celebrating everyone's achievements and passions.
In Constellation Club, we’ll gather on Thursday, December 21 at 8PM ET to celebrate the Winter Solstice, prepare for the upcoming Full Moon in Cancer, and perform a dynamic manifestation ceremony to honor the transition from 2023 to 2024. We hope you can join us! (P.S. replays are available!)
Card of the Week
Burdens (from Kendra Austins’s The Realest Oracle Deck)
Looks like Cap Season is hitting us hard! This card indicates that we’ve got too much on our plates and we’re feeling overwhelmed by our responsibilities. Plus, with Mercury Retrograde, we may have a hard time organizing, prioritizing, and asking for help.
In the swirl of the holiday season and shopping for gifts and festive parties and familial expectations and taxing traditions, burnout is real. Between work and social obligations, we’re all feeling overextended, and something’s gotta give. This week, tackle your to-do list in a different way. You do not need to check off every item on it. Try a creative approach to daily tasks, and prioritize the duties that absolutely need to get done, saving the rest for the New Year.
And frankly, you’ll probably need to call in some extra assistance. I know asking for help is hard, but it’s a skill that we all need to improve. Plus, you deserve the support! Challenge yourself to delegate tasks and trust your loved ones to help you fulfill your responsibilities. As they say, many hands make light work.
Aliza’s Mommy Updates
Katrin connected with Aliza to learn about her first few weeks of motherhood and newborn Talula.
You’re embarking on your third week of motherhood—congrats! How are you doing? How is Talula doing?