Grace McGrade is an intuitive astrologer and priestess based in Los Angeles. She is the host of the podcast “Bitchcraft: Spirituality for Bad People.” Her sessions include birth chart readings, tarot, energetic clearings and psychic consultations. For more astrology, read her guide to risings signs and moon signs.

December propels us into the New Year as fiery, independent self-starters and closes out 2023 with a bang. With the break-ups and breakthroughs of Eclipse season behind us, in December we are double-checking our resolve to leave broken dynamics in the past. It may feel as though time has accelerated, as we move through significant energy shifts, and the outer planets station direct. We begin the month blazing through adventurous Sagittarius season, ready to take brave leaps forward. As the final fire sign of the zodiac, Sagittarian energy amplifies steadfast opinions and our appetite for excess. We want to say that shocking, true thing, even if it creates chaos. We want to test our limits, to experiment with our faith. Driven by far-off pursuits of philosophies and foreign landscapes, we are thrust into new territory. We are inspecting our year, looking for hope, clarity and answers. 

Mercury enters Capricorn on the 1st, helping to counterbalance the dare-devil attitude Sagittarius season brings. We are discerning what bridges to burn, whilst accounting for holiday celebrations, eager to be close to our nearest and dearest. Lady Venus moves into sultry Scorpio on the 4th of the month, and our love language takes a darker turn. We are over being light and polite, and want to get to the bottom of things, inspecting our relationships like detectives. The way we relate is transforming, as we receive deep intuitive insights about what we take on from others. Mercury stations retrograde in Capricorn on December 12th, encouraging us to exhibit more integrity and revise forgotten responsibilities. We are mastering honesty, and discerning pragmatic steps towards our goals.

With Neptune stationing direct on the 6th of this month, we are in the receiving line for magical and intuitive information, travelling into unknown realms and dimensions. A New Moon in Sagittarius on the 12th encourages us to expand our outlooks and find a higher calling. What is our spiritual purpose? What quests have we put off embarking upon? It’s time to become gaudy truth-tellers and theatrical seekers. We can embrace this wanderlust through meditating and imagining our ideal future. 

On the 21st, the Sun enters nonsense-free Capricorn and we ground into a season of increased action, examining our long-term goals and the steps needed to get there. Capricorn rules our ability to show up in the world at large, our ambitions and the public sphere. We are curating lasting resolutions for the year ahead, bestowed a pragmatic, even cynical outlook. The year ends with a weepy full Moon in Cancer on the 27th, increasing our nostalgia for home and childhood. This lunation may perhaps bring antiquated family dynamics to our holiday gatherings. This acts as a cosmic exit valve and ensures we aren’t carrying heavy emotions into the year ahead.