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Home / Blog / Astrological Forecasts / December 16-31 2017 Astrology Forecast: Intense Winter Solstice Chart!

December 16-31 2017 Astrology Forecast: Intense Winter Solstice Chart!

December 15, 2017 by Benjamin Leave a Comment

Winter SnowflakesA Winter Solstice chart brimming with both challenge and opportunity highlights the second half of December. Saturn’s entry into Capricorn is another major event with far-reaching effects. Also up: Mercury turning direct, a Sagittarius New Moon, and much more!

Click astrology graphics to see larger images.

12/16 (Sat)

You can shine forth as your unique self more easily with the Sun trine Uranus (24°41′ Sagittarius-Aries). Your intuitive flashes can also come more easily under this aspect. With the Sun in Sagittarius, these flashes might offer guidance relating to religion, foreign cultures, broadcasting helpful information, and more!


Your ability to use Law of Attraction more effectively and experience embodied awakening more deeply are magically energized by a Saturn-Neptune quintile (29°38′ Sagittarius-11°38′ Pisces). The magic continues through 1/31!

12/17 (Sun)

No major astrology events.

12/18 (Mon)

Sagittarius New Moon

12 18 17 New MoonThe final lunation of 2017 packs a punch! This New Moon lines up at 1:30 AM EST (26°31′ Sagittarius). Any Sagittarius New Moon is great for new beginnings in …

  • religion
  • philosophy
  • the meaning of life
  • foreign countries and cultures
  • exploration
  • celebration and euphoria!

Be careful to avoid Sagittarius’ more challenging expressions:

  • excessive righteousness,
  • forcing your beliefs on others, and
  • putting too many irons in the fire.

Aspects

Saturn-Chiron Square

Sagittarius’ natural exuberance is tempered by this New Moon’s conjunction to Saturn and square to Chiron. This Saturn-Chiron square has been in effect all year. It has brought a lot of challenge, which has stirred up a tremendous amount of shadow material individually and collectively.

These old repressed emotions have come up so you’ll have a chance to heal them! My free Healing Invocation has helped many people clear these old psychological wounds quickly and efficiently.

In the context of this New Moon, doing this challenging but very worthwhile self-healing work can radically expand your joy and enthusiasm. Every time you peel a layer of the “Great Onion of Consciousness,” the divine light at your core shines through more brightly. This will give you a feeling of bliss and ecstasy as that layer peels. Even better, it can permanently improve your baseline consciousness for the rest of your life. The more layers you peel, the more spiritually awakened you become!

If you’ve already done enough shadow work, this Saturn-Chiron energy can help you increase your mastery as a healer, mentor, shaman or awakener.

Other Aspects

We should also consider Saturn’s conjunction to the luminaries on its own. Put simply, this will throw up roadblocks whenever you’re doing something out of alignment with your soul purpose. But Saturn will help you structure, schedule and maintain focus on activities that serve your highest good.

Venus’ conjunction to the Sun and Moon supports new beginnings in relationships, creativity and finances. This could be something brand new, or the injection of fresh energy into something that was already started. Mercury’s loose conjunction to the luminaries can open the door to new learning and communication.

Close trines from Uranus and Pallas make it easier for you to assertively “fly your freak flag” and show the world the real you. It can be easier to hear your intuitive flashes, and to serve others using your special gifts that you most love to use.

Sabian Symbol

This New Moon’s Sabian Symbol is, “The sculptor’s vision is slowly but surely taking form.” One of this symbol’s messages is patience, which is also communicated by the conjunction of slow-it-down Saturn to the chomping-at-the-bit Sagittarian luminaries. The other message is to express your creativity, echoed by artistic Venus’ conjunction to the Sun and Moon.

Grand Trine Peaks: Venus-Ceres-Pallas-Uranus

2017 12 18 Gt Ve Ce Pa Ur V2The Venus-Ceres-Pallas-Uranus Grand Trine that started on 12/13 peaks today (12/18) and ends on 12/23. This provides flowing support to broadcast your creative genius to the world. Increase the abundance this brings you by using appropriate assertiveness and strategy.

Venus’ presence can harmonize whatever you’re communicating. From a different perspective, this Grand Trine can facilitate harmonious communication to heal old wounds triggered in a relationship – especially if you use a fresh approach. I highly recommend the book Nonviolent Communication by Marshall Rosenberg. It could take your communication skills to the next level, especially in dealing with conflict.

Finally, Venus’ presence opens the door to enhanced financial prosperity … if you’re willing to take bold action based on your intuitive flashes!

12/19 (Tue)

Saturn Enters Capricorn

12 19 17 Sa Enters Capricorn

When Saturn changes signs every 2-1/2 years, it’s always significant. When he enters Capricorn, the only sign he exclusively rules, it’s front-page news!

Saturn will transit Capricorn thru 3/21/20, then briefly visit Aquarius thru 7/1/20. He’ll pay a farewell visit to Capricorn 7/2/20 thru 12/16/20 before settling into Aquarius for a longer stay.

Saturn’s sojourn in Capricorn powerfully reinforces his fundamental planetary meanings. These include:

  • maturity
  • responsibility
  • good time management
  • skillful planning and implementation
  • organization
  • “the wise elder”

Beware of Saturn’s dark side:

  • workaholism
  • excessive seriousness (you can help balance this with his love of Capri-corny humor)
  • ends-justify-the-means thinking
  • seeing everything as expendable and measurable productivity assets, rather than having intrinsic (and intangible) value in themselves

As noted in today’s New Moon forecast, Saturn challenges and slows down whatever isn’t in harmony with your highest good … and gives supportive structure to that which is in harmony with it.

Your assertiveness, sexuality (regular and sacred) and leadership can be bolstered by flashes of genius as Mars quintiles Pluto (6°21′ Scorpio-18°21′ Capricorn). This aspect can also lend lightning strikes of fresh insight to your shadow work, occult practices and joint ventures.

12/20 (Wed)

Venus makes major aspects to two outer planets today: a Venus-Chiron square (24°25′ Sagittarius-Pisces) and a Venus-Uranus trine (24°38′ Sagittarius-Aries). I discussed the aspects that all three of these planets made to the New Moon in yesterday’s forecast, so some of the following interpretation may feel familiar.

The Venus-Chiron square can cause those close to you to trigger your shadow material, whether they mean to or not. If your reaction seems over the top, it may have to do with Venus’ placement in no-holds-barred Sagittarius! My free Healing Invocation has helped thousands clear their old emotional wounds quickly and easily.

The Venus-Uranus trine can act as a conduit for intuitive flashes that relate to what’s coming up. These can include both helpful insights and suggested calls to action.

These aspects can also support new flavors of artistic expression and creative mentoring, as well as innovative advice around finances.

12/21 (Thu)

Winter Solstice

2017 12 21 Winter Solstice V2The Sun enters Capricorn at 11:28 AM EST, marking the winter solstice. Solstice and equinox charts give a flavor of what’s coming up for at least the next three months.

Winter Solstice Chart

Global Interpretation

First I’ll interpret the winter Solstice chart without reference to houses. This makes the interpretation relevant for everyone throughout the world. After that, I’ll interpret the chart for the US.

The most potent message in the 2017 winter Solstice chart is a nearly exact Sun-Saturn conjunction. It’s in orb by 10′ — 1/6 of a degree! (This conjunction will be exact just 3-1/2 hours later.) Saturn and Capricorn carry the same meaning, and Saturn just moved into Capricorn two days ago. Saturn only enters Capricorn about every 30 years!

All this adds even more power to the Saturn and Capricorn themes I discussed in my 12/19 forecast of Saturn entering Capricorn. Rather than repeat so much material from such a recent forecast, here’s a link.

Sagittarian Venus is conjunct the Sun and Saturn, about 4-1/2° away. This amplifies relationships, creativity and finances. The fact that Venus is in an applying conjunction suggests that these Venusian matters are already in the works, and will soon start or reach fruition.

Other significant aspects in this Winter Solstice chart that affect the Sun and Saturn include trines from Uranus and Pallas, and a square from Chiron. I discussed these in my 12/18 New Moon interpretation. In fact, everything in the New Moon “Aspects” section applies to the Winter Solstice chart, except the reference to Mercury. Here’s the link.

Jupiter forms a T-square with the lunar nodes. This is a great time to reality check whether your religious beliefs and life philosophy are in harmony with your life purpose. The South Node is in Aquarius, and the North Node is in Leo, so this T-square also gives you plenty of energy to put your unique gifts into the spotlight! This assertive self-exposure is also supported by a tight square between Scorpionic Mars and the Aquarian Moon.

Finally, a tight square between Neptune and Sagittarian Mercury can increase the power of the divine messages your higher self is sending down – and boost your ability to receive them! This square also supports inspired thinking and creative writing.

US Winter Solstice Chart

Casting the Winter Solstice chart for Washington DC customizes it for the United States. Most notably, this creates a Pisces rising chart and tucks 12th House Neptune just 2° from the Ascendant.

The direction of the US is inextricably tied to its president. The main Piscean and Neptunian qualities demonstrated by Trump so far include endless lies, fuzzy directionality, and his insistence on living in a self-serving fantasy world that often bears little relation to objective facts.

The Ascendant creates the first impression people get about you, so Trump’s delusional narcissism is clearly visible for everyone to see. Barring a miracle, these low-side Piscean and Neptunian attributes are likely to remain prominently on display throughout the winter.

More positively, this Pisces/Neptune setup also support the broadcasting of spiritual and creative energies from the US  to the world. One example: in most of my free weekly EASE calls, we flow powerful spiritual energies as a blended group consciousness to help bring in the new global Golden Age. The US spiritual and creative contributions make fewer headlines than Trump’s tweetstorms, but have a positive cumulative effect.

Two Sagittarian planets in the Winter Solstice chart show the United States’ relations with other countries: Venus and Mercury. Venus is the natural ruler of relationships, and is prominent due to her conjunction to the Midheaven early in the 10th house. Mercury, ruler of this chart’s seventh house of important relationships, is also conjunct the Midheaven.

So US foreign policy will have high visibility this winter. If the current Trumpian trend holds, it will also show certain Sagittarian qualities: fiery, unsubtle and over-the-top.

The final message I want to bring forth in the US Winter Solstice chart is the loaded 10th house. It contains Sagittarian Venus and the Capricornian Sun, Saturn and Pluto.

This could represent a country with a reputation as the mature, responsible wise elder. Under Trump, a darker side seems more likely to show itself: a country obsessed with gaining power over others, and willing to use any means it can get away with to achieve it.

I’m not trying to be a pessimist here, just reporting the trends I see. As I said in my free 2018 Full-Year Forecast Video, Trump is acting as a perfect catalyst to bring all the dark energy that needs to be seen into the light, so it can be processed and cleared by the collective. The shift from a dark age to a Golden Age can be a messy business, but I’m convinced that it will ultimately end well!

I interpreted today’s Sun-Saturn conjunction (0°11′ Capricorn) as part of the Winter Solstice forecast directly above.


Abundant creative inspiration and expanded divine awareness can flow in on a cloud of pixie dust with the Sun quintile Neptune (29°42′ Sagittarius-11°42′ Pisces).

12/22 (Fri)

Mercury Direct

Mercury GlyphMercury, retrograde since 12/3, turns direct today at 8:51 PM EST (13°0′ Sagittarius). The coast is now clear to start taking action in the life areas you’ve been reflecting on.

In my 12/3 Mercury retrograde forecast, I suggested reflecting on Sagittarian themes. As a reminder, these include religion, philosophy and life’s meaning. Questing, adventure, foreign travel and unfamiliar influences are also included. Fleshing out the list are exuberance, enthusiasm and joy!

Feel free to start taking action in any of these areas. You can also now go ahead with any major purchases or contracts signings that you’ve been delaying because of Mercury retrograde. (To find the absolute best time for an important purchase or contract signing – or any other major event, such as a wedding or elective surgery – check out my Event Timing (Electional Astrology) service.


Service to a higher cause is harmoniously empowered by a Pluto-Vesta sextile (18°27′ Capricorn-Scorpio). You can also use this aspect to fine-tune your service abilities, or to engage in sex magic. This uses the power of arousal and orgasm to energize your Law of Attraction manifestations.

12/23 (Sat)

No major astrology events.

12/24 (Sun)

Creative inspiration can flow like magic on Christmas Eve with Venus quintile Neptune (29°45′ Sagittarius-11°45′ Pisces). This energy can also help you deepen your spiritual awakening, or more easily connect with the divine essence in everything around you.

12/25 (Mon)

Your Christmas Day relating could be a bit more serious or businesslike this year with Venus entering Capricorn and conjoining Saturn.

Venus’ transit of Capricorn lasts through 1/17. This can bring challenge to the areas of relationship that need healing or release. But this transit also supports business relationships, and the practical side of all types of relationships. Whatever serves your highest good in a relationship will receive strong foundational support.

Capricorn and Saturn share the same interpretation, so the Venus-Saturn conjunction (0°39′ Capricorn) simply reinforces these themes.

12/26 (Tue)

No major astrology events.

12/27 (Wed)

Grand Trine Begins: Mercury-Ceres-Pallas-Uranus

2018 01 03 Gt Me Ce Pa Ur V2Would you like an easier flow of abundance? A Mercury-Ceres-Pallas-Uranus Grand Trine can help you!

First, request and listen for intuitive flashes (Uranus) to support prosperity (Ceres), and be willing to take an unconventional approach (Uranus again). Focus your thoughts enthusiastically on this strategy (Mercury in Sagittarius). Finally, use appropriate assertiveness and strategy (Pallas in Aries).

This Grand Trine begins today (12/27), peaks on 1/3 and ends on 1/8.

12/28 (Thu)

Sacred sex, chi gung, yoga, ecstatic dance … and everything else that consciously merges prana and physical action … is smoothly supported by a Mars-Neptune trine (11°49′ Scorpio-Pisces). This aspect can also make shadow work and personal transformation processes easier.

12/29 (Fri)

No major astrology events.

12/30 (Sat)

No major astrology events.

12/31 (Sun)

No major astrology events.

Void-of-Course Moons

It’s best to avoid starting important new projects or making major purchases during void-of-course Moons. “Business as usual” is the optimal strategy. Void-of-course Moons occur when the Moon has made her last major Ptolemaic aspect, but has not yet moved into her next sign.

December 18, 8:10 AM – 8:33 AM, Capricorn
December 20, 10:37 AM – 9:29 PM, Aquarius
December 23, 5:13 AM – 9:42 AM, Pisces
December 24, 9:48 PM – December 25, 7:27 PM, Aries
December 27, 3:57 PM – December 28, 1:23 AM, Taurus
December 29, 9 AM – December 30, 3:31 AM, Gemini
December 31, 6:38 PM – January 1, 2018, 3:11 AM, Cancer

Whatever your Sun Sign, AstroShaman’s 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 several days 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. Learn more about my Astrology+ sessions.

Recent Forecasts

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  • July 16-31 2025 Astrology Forecast: Mercury Retrograde & “Gods of Change” New Moon in Leo (written)
  • July 1-15 2025 Astrology Forecast: Uranus Enters Gemini (written)
  • June 16-30 2025 Astrology Forecast: Jupiter Square Neptune

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Filed Under: Astrological Forecasts Tagged With: Mercury direct, Mercury retrograde, Sagittarius New Moon, Winter Solstice

2018 Full-Year Forecast Video
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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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