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Home / Blog / Astrological Forecasts / Mercury Retrograde & Jupiter Entering Aries (Again): December 16-31 2022 Astrology Forecast

Mercury Retrograde & Jupiter Entering Aries (Again): December 16-31 2022 Astrology Forecast

December 15, 2022 by Benjamin Leave a Comment

Mercury Glyph

2022 ends with a flurry – of astrological events!

The second half of December features Jupiter entering Aries (again), an intricately aspected Mercury Retrograde, and Chiron turning direct. We also have the Winter Solstice chart, a Capricorn New Moon, and two potent aspect patterns!

This forecast covers this half-month’s most important astrological events. Also check out my award-winning This Week in Astrology audio podcast and YouTube video forecasts! Click astrology graphics to see larger images.

Some resource links may occur more than once. This is because many people link to a specific day’s forecast from social media, and might not see an important resource link elsewhere on this page.

As of December 16 …

  • The Moon is waxing (there was a Gemini Full Moon on 12/7).
  • Chiron is retrograde thru 12/23.
  • Mars is retrograde thru 1/12.
  • Uranus is retrograde thru 1/22.
  • There’s a Ceres-Pallas Athena-Jupiter-Pluto Mystic Rectangle thru 12/23.
  • There’s a Ceres-Jupiter-Uranus-Lunar Nodes Hard Rectangle thru 12/26.
  • There’s a Saturn-Uranus-Lunar Nodes T-Square thru 12/26.
  • There’s a Mars-Chiron-South Node Yod thru 2/5.

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12/17 (Sat)

A Lasting Breakthrough and Increased Abundance?

2022 12 22 Thors Hammer Sun Ceres Uranus

Could methodical healing of your old traumas lead to a lasting breakthrough … and increased abundance? This challenging but life-transforming opportunity is suggested by a Thor’s Hammer.

This hard aspect pattern starts today (12/17), peaks on 12/22, and ends on 12/26. It has the Sun and Ceres on the back end, and Uranus at the tip.

Trauma healing and increased abundance are both encapsulated in the grain goddess Ceres. Capricorn, the Sun’s sign for most of this Thor’s Hammer (including its peak), invites a methodical approach. Uranus is the planet of breakthroughs, while its placement in Taurus can help stabilize your new and improved reality. (Until the next breakthrough!)

Abundance comes most easily when you do your shadow work. Unhealed wounds and traumas gunk up the connection between you and your higher self. Shadow work scrubs the pipe, which lets more energy flow through – including the energy of abundance!

My free Healing Invocation has helped thousands heal their old traumas quickly and easily. Click here to learn more!

12/18 (Sun)

Does this “Finger of God” Point to You Stepping Out as a Healer or Wisdom Giver?

2022 12 18 Yod Mars Chiron South NodeYou have a month and a half to more easily cultivate your gifts as a healer or wisdom giver, thanks to a “Finger of God.”

This aspect pattern, also known as a Yod, has Mars and Chiron on the back end and the South Node at the tip. It started on 12/2, peaks today (12/18), and doesn’t end until 2/5.

The South Node, in the Yod’s power position, represents the gifts and talents you brought into this lifetime. The assertiveness of Mars and Chiron’s placement in Aries can fire you up with the energy to accomplish great things. Chiron represents healing, Mars’ Gemini placement represents teaching, and the South Node’s placement in Scorpio can represent positive transformation.

This Yod can also represent shadow work you help others with, or trauma healing you do for yourself. Chiron is the Wounded Healer, the South Node also contains the unhealed traumas brought in from past lives, and Scorpio represents pain repressed into the unconscious.

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12/20 (Tue)

Jupiter Enters Aries — Again

Jupiter GlyphJupiter enters Aries – again – at 9:33 am EST. His first 2022 entry was on 5/10, before retrograding back into Pisces on 10/29. This time, he’ll speed through all 30 degrees of Aries in just five months before entering Taurus on 5/16/23.

One of the most broadly helpful benefits of Jupiter in Aries is expanded energy for new beginnings. Whatever you want to get going, this placement makes it much easier to get a running start!

It’s Jupiter’s nature to amplify whatever he touches. In Aries, this gives you more juju for your actions as a warrior, pioneer, entrepreneur, or sexual being.

Aries’ initiating spark also fires up fresh energy for any Jupiter theme. The solar system’s largest gas giant can help you dive more deeply into higher education, formal or self-guided, as a student. You can also bless others as a professor, philosopher, guru, or other wisdom-giver.

Jupiter rules foreign travel. This could mean a physical excursion. But with today’s technologies, other countries and cultures can easily come to you. Anything foreign to you, even from within your own country or culture, could fall within this idea.

Do you crave a deeper understanding of life? Jupiter rules religion, philosophy and life’s meaning.

Are you living life as a quest or adventure? Jupiter would love it if you did. And are you experiencing enough celebration, euphoria and enthusiasm? These are Jupiter’s most joyful expressions!

12/21 (Wed)

Winter Solstice / Sun Enters Capricorn

2022 12 21 Winter Solstice

The Sun enters Capricorn, marking the Winter Solstice, at 4:48 pm EST.

For the next month, the Sun’s presence in Capricorn can help you be more mature and responsible. It will be easier to manage your time well, as well as “plan the work and work the plan.” Take enough time to be alone, but also share your wisdom with others.

Winter Solstice

Each seasonal chart gives a sense of the coming three months. Here are highlights from the Winter Solstice chart that everyone can use.

Individual Aspects

A Mercury-Venus conjunction in Capricorn promotes practical, efficient communication. This can be a productive time for writers, artists, and other creators. It’s also a great time to put serious thought into your finances.

A Mercury-Pluto conjunction in Capricorn supports deep, serious thinking on any subject you choose. It’s great for research, investigation, and detective work. You can also focus your mind into transformation or effective shadow work.

A Juno-Neptune conjunction in Pisces can help you blend more deeply in any committed partnership, romantic or otherwise. But be careful not to get gaslighted, or become too enmeshed with people who are delusional or have unhealthy addictions.

Aspect Patterns

The Winter Solstice chart features three strong aspects patterns. Click the links to learn more about them.

A “Finger of God” (Yod) with Mars, Chiron, and the South Node.

A Thor’s Hammer with the Sun, Ceres, and Uranus

A T-Square with the Sun, Ceres, andJupiter.

I interpret the standalone Sun-Ceres-Uranus Thor’s Hammer here.

I interpret the Thor’s Hammer and T-Square as a blended aspect pattern here.

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12/22 (Thu)

Two Aspect Patterns Peak

Two aspect patterns peak today: a Thor’s Hammer with the Sun, Ceres, and Uranus, and a Sun-Ceres-Jupiter T-Square. (Following are the same links from yesterday’s Winter Solstice interpretation.)

I interpret the standalone Sun-Ceres-Uranus Thor’s Hammer here.

I interpret the Thor’s Hammer and T-Square as a blended aspect pattern here.

12/23 (Fri)

Chiron Direct

Chiron Glyph FeaturedChiron turns direct today at 4:31 am EST (11°56′ Aries). The wounded healer has been retrograde since 7/19 (16°26′ Aries).

Chiron retrograde has been a potent time to reflect on your own psychological healing, as well as how you can step up your work as a healer or wisdom-giver. But when a planet turns direct, it’s a great time to turn from reflection to action.

If you already have effective shadow work tools for emotional self-healing, it’s a great time to use them. If you don’t already have a super-efficient technique to clear old traumas, give my free Healing Invocation a try. It’s helped thousands release psychological wounds and traumas quickly and easily.

Capricorn New Moon

2022 12 23 New Moon

A New Moon lines up at 5:17 am EST (1°32′ Capricorn). Any Capricorn New Moon is great for new beginnings in setting boundaries and becoming more mature and responsible. It’s easier to manage your time well, “plan the work and work the plan,” and step into the role of the Wise Elder.

Be careful to keep a healthy work-life balance, and avoid any temptation to wall off your emotions.

Some people have concerns about Capricorn, but it excels at accomplishment! Capricorn Sun celebrities include Muhammad Ali, Jim Carrey, Ellen Degeneres, LeBron James, John Legend, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Michelle Obama, Dolly Parton, Sade, and Denzel Washington.

Aspects

This New Moon includes two aspect patterns I included in my Winter Solstice interpretation. One is a T-Square with the luminaries, Ceres, and Jupiter. The other is a Thor’s Hammer with the luminaries, Ceres, and Uranus. With all these planets connecting to each other, we can treat this as one big aspect pattern.

For starters, there’s great abundance potential here. Jupiter can amplify and expand prosperity, especially in the enthusiastic sign of Aries. Ceres is the grain goddess, associated with harvest and abundance. Uranus is in the money sign Taurus, and can make things happen in a flash!

All these connections open the possibility of rapid financial change. But this could go for better or worse, especially since all the planetary aspects are hard or semi-hard. There’s great opportunity here, but you’d be wise to proceed with caution. The Capricorn Sun and Moon prefer a methodical, well-planned strategy for increasing your wealth.

Jupiter’s tight T-Square to the Sun and Moon invite you to get serious about any of its themes that resonate for you. Is there important information you want to learn or disseminate? Is it time to travel abroad or open yourself to foreign influences? Do you crave a deeper understanding of philosophy, religion, or the meaning of life?

Uranus is the wild card in the mix. He could launch a lightning bolt out of the blue to disrupt something that doesn’t serve your highest good. He could pop down an intuitive hit to send you in a new direction. Or he could inspire you to incorporate your authentic self more fully into your everyday life.

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12/29 (Thu)

Mercury Retrograde

2022 12 29 Mercury Retrograde

Mercury turns retrograde at 4:32 am EST (24°21′ Capricorn). The winged messenger will turn direct again on 1/18 at 8:12 am (8°8′ Capricorn).

Any Mercury retrograde is a good time for reflection and introspection. Mercury’s sign and aspects as it turns retrograde indicate what topics are especially ripe for contemplation.

Capricorn

Mercury’s entire retrograde takes place within Capricorn. This makes it a good time to reflect on how well you’re embodying this sign’s higher qualities. These include maturity, organization, and time management, as well as planning and implementation.

Are you balancing time alone (the hermit) with sharing your insights with others (the wise elder)? Are you keeping a healthy work-life balance, and avoiding excessive ambition and bossiness?

Aspects

Mercury makes six tight aspects as it turns retrograde.

The theme of relationships is doubly emphasized, due to Mercury’s nearly exact conjunction with Venus and its sextile with Juno, the asteroid goddess of committed partnership. With Venus in Capricorn, are your relationships helping you move toward your goals? With Juno in Pisces (and conjunct Neptune), are you making appropriately deep energetic connections in your committed partnerships?

With Mercury conjunct Pluto, how are you handling wealth and power? Have you definitively declared to the universe precisely what kind of wealth you want? (Wealth can be anything you value, not just money.)

How fully have you healed the old traumas that have stopped you from stepping fully into your personal power? And have you clearly decided whether your path is service-to-self (power over others) or service-to-other (power shared with others)?

With Mercury sextile Neptune, how important is a conscious connection with your Divine consciousness, and how deeply have you developed it? Are you manifesting the divine inspirations you’re receiving? And are you able to consistently maintain “flow state”?

Finally, Mercury squares Mars and opposes Pallas Athena. Can you comfortably step into the roles of warrior, pioneer, entrepreneur, and sexual being? And are you “working smart” by using strategy, diplomacy, and negotiation?

With so many aspects, this Mercury retrograde offers a wealth of themes to reflect on. Pick the most important ones from this smorgasbord of possibilities and dive in!

The Usual Advice

As always, it’s best to avoid starting major new ventures or making big purchases while Mercury is retrograde. Make sure you’re understanding and being understood, and double-check any travel arrangements.

However, Mercury retrograde is a great time to finish what you’ve already started and make repairs. Finally, as I said above, favor reflection and introspection over new action when possible.

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Whatever your Sun Sign, my forecasts can help you make the best use of the current astrological energies.

All dates and times are in the U.S. eastern time zone. Events are most powerful on the dates listed, but their influence will be active for at least a week before and after.

Everyone is affected by these global transits. However, you’ll be most powerfully impacted when moving planets activate sensitive points in your natal chart. Discover how these transits will personally affect you by booking a session with me.

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Recent Forecasts

Check back around the 1st and 16th for updated forecasts.

Astrology Forecasts
See all forecasts
  • July 1-15 2025 Astrology Forecast: Uranus Enters Gemini (written)
  • June 16-30 2025 Astrology Forecast: Jupiter Square Neptune
  • June 1-15 2025 Astrology Forecast: Jupiter enters Cancer & Squares Saturn (written)

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Filed Under: Astrological Forecasts Tagged With: Capricorn New Moon, Chiron direct, Jupiter in Aries, Mercury retrograde, Winter Solstice

It Always Gets Better Than This: “Awaken, Heal and Thrive!” Podcast, Episode 12
Mercury Retrograde & Jupiter Entering Aries (Again): This Week in Astrology, December 16-31 2022 (#616)
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About Benjamin

I offer the soul-level insights of astrology, the healing power of shamanism, and the life-transforming support of life coaching. My podcast won a Top 10 Astrology Podcast Award, and I was a Best Astrologer winner three years running. After 10,000+ sessions, I can help you master challenge, embrace transformation, and enjoy a more wonderful life! Click for more detailed bio.

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Astrology Forecasts

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