Burning the Candle at Both Ends
New Moon in Sagittarius on Social Speed
Sagittarius Season is a bit of a Wild Card. With her New Moon on the 1st during her own Mercury Retrograde, December will be anything but centered and calm.
As the Party Animal of the Zodiac, her celebratory soiree started November 21st with Mercury Retrograde in Sagittarius officially back-spinning Moon-day November 25th. Mercury Rx in Sag will end around December 15th and Sag Season will wrap up on the Winter Solstice December 21st. Seeing as the bulk of Sag Season will be double-troubled with Mercury Retrograde in her Sign, this will be no ordinary December. Sag’s downsides are heightened with the tech-attuned schedule sluts of Mercury, but there’s still a high chance of cheer. It’ll just take a good review of the particulars of Mercury Sag’s backspin along with sticking to the ground rules of Mercury Rx in general (our Let’s Get Retrograde zine is included in the recent Mercury Rx post).
One of the major themes for Sag’s Mercury Retrograde is lack of boundaries with time, energy, effort and, above all, schedule.
As a fun and festive Fire Sign that loves to learn and explore, Sagittarius has a seductive impulsivity that often results in a morning-after smorgasbord of half-baked projects, a full calling card of engagements and parties aplenty. Sag’s do-it-all pizzazz seems effortless from an outsider’s perspective, when in reality Sag can be a hot mess who has tamed a curated presentation. Sagittarius is notorious for burning the candle at both ends. To keep aglow, she wants to accept every invitation, enlivened by experience and unfortunately forgoing rest. Burn-out is alive and well in Sag Season.
And yet, FOMO is an even stronger contender!
Damn, December! Too much of a good thing that usually you become kind of the opposite.
Time is going to fly like the swiftest Pegasus-Unicorn of our childhood dreams before we reach the New Year while we’re distracted by rom-com wishes of romances and not paying attention to our budgets. Most of us will NOT be able to do it all. Furthermore, we will NOT be able to STRESS OUT about it all either (unless aiming for a nervous breakdown). In addition to accepting the reality of limitations in time and energy, you’ll have to choose what to stress out about. You cannot stress out about everything; there are just too many stressors to include. So choose carefully!
This is your life after all. What you say “yes” to is inevitably a “no” to something else.
While Sag loves to show-up with endearing enthusiasm, there is the often ignored side to Sag that pop astrology DOES NOT note and that is a major need for recharge. This collective lack of insight is likely due to Sag being very private about her bed-rot, couch-potato, home life. She is seemingly an Energizer Bunny all the time when truthfully she also needs LOTS OF DOWNTIME. We all do! Holidaze or not… The closed door existence of Sagittarius is an aspect not nearly discussed enough in pop astrology.
Anyone who “does it all” during this time seems suspicious to me and the Myth of “Having It Together” is just that… a Myth. Humans are seduced by various media re: organization, time-management, “life hacks”… and we try, but often “fail”. There is nothing wrong with attempting Life-Work Balance; many of our relationships and families ~if not just our mental health~ requires an attempt at leveling. The October-November-December Trifecta is the hardest for me as it is on hyper-speed with social activity. (And damn the offices that also force you to attend a holiday party in December, too.)
Sometimes the Holidaze makes me feel like I am being eaten alive.
WHAT: Sagittarius New Moon
WHEN: Sunday December 1st, 2024 1:21 AM EST (possibly November 30th depending on time zone)
THEME: Check Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself
Mercury Retrograde in Sagittarius brings out an optimistic social savant we won’t be able to escape and perhaps a renewed energy after an intense Autumn Eclipse Season, the murk explicitly dragged out in Scorpio’s reign, further pulling out our (and others) shadow sides. Relishing in the detective work of hard truths and hidden secrets was perhaps too much re: mental gynmastics. Where many have been burning the candle at both ends for months now, stress and grief seeps into our physical wellness at an alarming rate, inevitably calling for a timeout (Taurus Full Moon at peak exhaustion).
The pre-shadow of 2024’s last Mercury Retrograde was not helped by the all-enveloping darkness, which I am still getting used to (being a person who works outdoors from 6AM to 8PM). The cold has started to creep in and my immune system (and digestion!) did not fare well with Halloween treats. I’ve had my 1st sinus infection that lasted way too long (not COVID, but there’s still time… just kidding, will be careful). I have to admit to being a little bit nervous about getting sick in some way that will prevent me from working. I do not understand nor am I in cahoots with my “winter” schedule yet. We inevitably do tend to shift our daily routines with the seasons.
There’s some strangely ingrained societal expectation to tie-up the loose ends before the Year ends, like you’ll be jinxed in January onward if you don’t. A race to the self-imposed finish line! With connections and care stomped over for some rush that only exists in our minds. Our sense of speed and direction can become deeply scrambled in Mercury Retrograde. Not only does Mercury rule communication, it also rules travel and commerce, 2 subjects hyper-present during the Holidaze and Sagittarius is archetypically already seen as something of a traveler. Big red flags here!
My most pressing concern is that WE ARE TIRED… And yet! The last couple of months of ANY YEAR can be horribly overwhelming as itineraries jam-pack ALL THE THINGS. “Down” time can be hard to find until forced last minute to rest when beyond burnt out. This need-to-feed is a recipe for disaster and a distractive focus when physical and mental health are on the line. As of late, some energy has returned to me personally. I keep thinking of projects I would in theory like to finish but are not nearly as important as going to the dentist or visiting my aging parents, for example. Random energy is tricky like that and I feel I must make the most of it while it’s here.
Is this energy lift really random? Is it anxiety?
Could it be Pluto now in Aquarius? Or simply staying on my toes for Mercury Retrograde? Or Sagittarius Season itself lighting a fire under my ass? Who knows! I do know, though, that as the Holidaze approach, the havoc of busy-ness will just get more chaotic. Devoured by duties, worrying over money, yet wielding a wait list for work (as a petsitter, there is never a booking shortage for November and December), December is my busiest month. This is outside of trying to see everyone in town, sometimes hosting family, always scrambling to figure out meals last minute, grab-and-go for most.
Once upon a time I was a Party Animal. Nowadays I’m more The Sleepytime Bear. And I’m going to honor that even if it takes all my willpower to do so.
Sweetness of the Sagittarius New Moon:
Busy December wants you to pick a lane… or at the very least sit down with your planner and build in time for REST along with your social activities. Sag is the primo philosophical pink pony princesses of the Zodiac, ready to gather round for conversational zest and community-cozy cheer, but she also needs to be aware that she can do too much, too soon, and will be too tired in no time. Make boundaries around volume for your own sanity and the “merriest time of the year” will thank you.
Though Sag Season’s curious conversation is inspo-rich, discussions around religion and politics are likely to get messy. (When were they ever not?!) After the chaos of the US Presidential Election - in which neither of the 2-party candidates were decent - we all have opinions and grievances (especially with the outcome). We may have family members who voted against our own rights. Though I believe it is important to challenge those outside of the echo chamber, you have every right to protect your peace and decide what is worth your time.
Crapitalism’s marketing is working overtime to offer bought dopamine (though fleeting). Beyond asking why we stuff our lives with stuff, Winter’s oncoming penchant for boredom of course encourages devilish distractions. Frigid weather throughout the ages triggers scarcity yet consumer-happy society pushes hoards of gifts and cheerful consumption in the course of one month, greater gatherings in volume than all year combined. This is not only money spent (when heat bills are insane), but TIME, too. Time is only on your side if you treat it kind.
However, DO make sure to build-in time for treats, but also be present enough to enjoy them. Though I repeatedly urge to do less, prioritize, etc. we must remember that pleasure can also be a priority! With many friends who are Sagittarius and Capricorns, they deserve the love, too, and making space to celebrate them during the most hectic time of the year is one way I also treat myself. Treating oneself could be as simple as a helpful gift we’ve been eyeing for months or planning to take some time off in the Spring instead of crowding PTO at the end of the year.
New ideas are info, info in incubation helps them to form more fully. This is a relatively optimistic New Moon that will grant us inspiration, a relief really compared to past Full and New Moons. We will feel aspirations return regardless of the Holiday stress before us and the tensions with family and woes of “cuffing season”. This is another “treat time” I’d suggest making time for: jotting down all the delicious downloads your mind delivers before they are lost to the busy-bee atmospheres! However, now is not the time to act on these ideas, though Sagittarius has the moxie to convince us to move with haste. It’s okay to let an idea sit for a while. More ideas will come to you, fully supported by Mars Retrograde (one of the lovelier aspects of that particular back-spin, soon to be detailed in an upcoming special Substack guide).
December Sag Astrology:
12/2 Venus in Capricorn trines Uranus in Taurus for meet-cute cuffing season vibes that are coming on A LITTLE TOO STRONG. This is one case where there is severe Earth energy and yet some of the discernment has flown out the window. Take care in what has potential vs. what’s just pretty and passionate for right now.
12/4 Mercury Rx in Sag opposes Jupiter in Gemini, one of many in this backspin bonfire, explained further in our Mercury Rx Guide. Love the flip-flop of Signs with their Planetary Rulers! A savory perspective.
12/4 Sag Sun squares Saturn in Pisces for some Bad Mood Bears energy, especially around family or friend groups. Looking to others to make us happy on this day is NOT the way. Self-care calls along with all the cozy comforts that you KNOW you can rely on.
12/4 Venus in Capricorn sextiles Neptune in Pisces for a green-light to indulge in some shopping, a little bit of dopamine for the aesthetic queens, but of course while using your smarts.
12/5 Sun in Sag conjunct Mercury Rx in Sag, deep thoughts are abroad!
12/6 Mars Retrograde in Leo begins! Full Guide arrives 12/1 :) And Mercury Rx in Sag squares Saturn in Pisces for more confusion :(
12/6 Venus enters Aquarius! Not the best blessing for cuffing season as Aquarius Venus can be a bit aloof or unpredictable. The next day on 12/7 Venus Aqua will conjunct the newly Pluto in Aqua. Highly values freedom, which can result in some flippancy, but Aqua Venus will add an air of eccentricity and environmental care to the seasonal cheer.
12/7 Sun in Sag opposes Jupiter in Gemini for an Axis alignment of (seeming) success. Something is coming all together but loose ends will surprise soon. Don’t let the flow of the now go to your head, there’s still more work to be done.
12/12 Venus in Aqua opposes Mars Rx in Leo - more extensively explained in the upcoming guide - plus Mercury Rx in Sag will sextile Venus in Aquarius! Let me say, this one of the better days in December despite Aqua Venus’ connection to TWO RETROGRADES. There is an intellectual edge paired with a playfulness that heats social dynamics up in a really delicious and sexy way. We all deserve some spicy but sweet vibes for the Holidaze and this little Retro-gem of a calendar corner will be honey-ed in hue for the collective and our relationships.
12/15 Gemini Full Moon, full Muse soon - stay tuned!