On December 15th, adventuring Mars quietly moved into ambitious Capricorn, where it will remain until January 23rd. In the industrious earth sign, Martian drive is both grounded and supported by disciplined Saturn, as the ringed planet is the sign’s ruler. Ordinarily, this combining of the “malefic” planets is cause for concern. But astrology’s tenth sign is an exception to the rule. Capricorn’s cardinal mode encourages Martian impulses for action, and its elemental designation, earth, directs Mars’s drive to pragmatic purposes. Additionally, Saturn’s stewardship provides the structure for otherwise impatient Mars to accomplish its aims. The presence of the passionate planet in the stern sign, throughout the incoming Sun cycle, will inform and fortify forthcoming earth-sign collaborations. On December 21st, the Sun will ingress into Capricorn, as will Venus on December 24th and Mercury on New Year’s Day. Moreover, the Sun, Venus and Mars will conjoin between January 6-8th, under a practical Virgo Moon. As Venus and Mars pass the Sun, they will also begin new synodic cycles, setting longer term patterns into motion. Opposite of a retrograde Jupiter in sensitive Cancer, this is also an opportunity to offload outworn emotional patterns. On January 17th, Mercury will catch up to Mars, one day ahead of a momentous Capricorn new Moon that will clock in at a robust 28°44′. The traveling inner planets will also make their final trines to Uranus in Taurus, and their last sextiles to Saturn and Neptune in Pisces. Serious, austere Saturn tends to bring realism to the equation. Through sign rulership, its presence among the inner planets, along with their earthy connections, will bring material matters into sharp focus. That will prove useful as the calendar turns from anticipatory 2025 to eventful 2026.
On January 19th, the Sun will venture into rebellious, futuristic Aquarius, ushering in a solar cycle that will feature the year’s first eclipse and Saturn and Neptune settling into Aries for the duration of their transits, as one of the decade’s most noteworthy alignments, the Saturn Neptune conjunction, builds to its February 20th peak. As if to underscore the significance of this shift, the Sun will make a truly grand entrance into the fixed air sign, with the 19th hosting an astonishing array of aspects. They include a Mercury Uranus trine, a Sun Neptune sextile, a Saturn Uranus sextile, a Mars Uranus trine and Mars Saturn sextile and, drum roll, a Venus Pluto conjunction, three degrees away from the Sun. That Aquarius Sun will go on to conjoin Mercury on the 21st and Pluto on the 23rd, with a Mercury Pluto conjunction in between on the 22nd. The Messenger’s entry into Capricorn will kick off 2026, infusing the new year and resolutions with some Saturnian sobriety and stamina, along with some Mars motivation riding shotgun. Well ahead of the dramatic changes on the way, the skies are filling spirits with that endeavoring, enduring force we call Capricorn.
Happy Holidays!
