Grace McGrade is an intuitive astrologer based in Los Angeles. She is the head astrologer of the app “Stars Align”. Her sessions include birth chart readings, transits, energetic clearings and psychic consultations. For more astrology, read her guide to rising signs and moon signs. Read an overview of what 2025 has coming up for us this year here.

December opens in lively Sagittarius season, adding an optimistic atmosphere to the end of an astrologically exhausting year. Sagittarius is the philosopher-clown, the divine troublemaker, and the Archer – the only zodiac sign that comes with a weapon. For Sagittarius, the pursuit of wisdom becomes an extreme sport. The Archer points its weapon beyond the known world, insisting that all risks are worth taking, consequences be damned. Like an arrogant guru at the end of a vision quest, Sagittarius cannot be bothered with filters. Its gospel is delivered loudly, boldly and inappropriately. This is the time to place complete trust in the wild trajectory of our impossible ideas.

With Venus dancing through Sagittarius for most of the month, the holidays swell into a technicolour carnival. This is festive excess in its purest form: champagne optimism, reckless generosity, flirtation as a sport. The energy is bright and jovial, as the Archer amplifies our appetite for celebration, with the risk of going a little too far. No sign is better at blurting out the truth, whether it’s inconvenient, hilarious, or a little too sharp for comfort. Expect family debates, blunt confessions, and the classic drunk uncle moment or two.

Mercury may have stationed direct in Scorpio on November 29, but the Full Moon in Gemini on the 4th stirs up even more conversation, movement and mischief. This lunation brings sudden realisations and a confession of words we can’t take back, but perhaps needed to say. Mercury in Scorpio isn’t afraid to say what stings, and its suspicion can quickly veer into hyper-fixation as we become attuned to every nuance, motive and emotional shadow in the room. This sharp perceptiveness can reveal truths we’ve been avoiding, but it can also pull us into spirals if we’re not careful. When Mercury moves into Sagittarius on the 11th, the mood lightens, as we trade suspicion for humour and faith, adopting a more generous outlook.

This is festive excess in its purest form: champagne optimism, reckless generosity, flirtation as a sport

As Neptune and Saturn continue their journey through Pisces’ final degrees, reality takes on a surreal, almost illusory quality, guiding our intuition toward what we’re finally ready to release. This is the last sweep of a long spiritual tide, pulling buried feelings to the surface so we can let them go before the new year begins. Watch how you move around authority figures, particularly on the 8th, when a square between Saturn and Mars provides a reality check. We may be asked to reassess how we pursue our goals, as Saturn exposes the assumptions we’ve been making about ambition, effort and self-assertion.

Mars enters Capricorn on December 14, sharpening our focus and helping us set our sights on the year ahead. Sagittarius shoots the arrow toward the horizon; Capricorn figures out the budget, the timeline and the long game. It’s the perfect moment to pair our grand vision of the future with the necessary action, turning ambition into something tangible and achievable. The Sagittarius New Moon on December 19 further strengthens our resolve for an abundant 2026, pulling us toward new horizons. 

Business beckons when the Sun enters nonsense-free Capricorn on the 21st, restoring the practicality we’ve been missing. The party’s over, the lights have flipped on, and suddenly it’s time to clean up the mess. Capricorn season ushers in discipline, stamina and sober self-assessment, reminding us that grand visions require structure and execution. The glamour of Sagittarius gives way to the harsh truth that nothing magnificent survives without maintenance. Capricorn doesn’t ask for your dreams; it asks for your commitment to them. As 2025 comes to a close, we’re taking a look at our habits, priorities and goals, ready to step into the new year with the unmistakable power of someone who knows exactly what they’re building, and why.