December 2026 astrology: key dates, Capricorn season, and moons

December 2026 opens in Sagittarius season and closes in Capricorn. The headline dates are Venus entering Scorpio on December 4, Mercury entering Sagittarius on December 6, a new moon at about 17° Sagittarius on December 8, Saturn stationing direct on December 10, Neptune stationing direct and Jupiter stationing retrograde on December 12, Capricorn season (and the solstice) on December 21, a full moon at about 2° Cancer on December 23, and Mercury entering Capricorn on December 25. Every date and degree below was calculated with Astronomy Engine and is given in US Central Time.

As always, this is astrology as a tradition of meaning, not a forecast of events. Use it as a calendar for reflection. For the month that led into this one, see November 2026 astrology.

December 2026 key dates at a glance

Where are the planets at the start of December?

On December 1, 2026 at noon US Central:

• Sun in Sagittarius, about 9.6°
• Moon in Virgo, about 15.7°
• Mercury in Scorpio, about 23.1°
• Venus in Libra, about 28.4°
• Mars in Virgo, about 2.2°
• Jupiter in Leo, about 26.8°
• Saturn retrograde in Aries, about 8.0°
• Uranus retrograde in Gemini, about 3.4°
• Neptune retrograde in Aries, about 1.7°
• Pluto in Aquarius, about 3.6°

Mercury and Venus are both direct now after their November stations. Mars is still early in Virgo, the same sign where it will later station retrograde in January 2027.

Venus enters Scorpio: December 4

Venus leaves late Libra and enters Scorpio at about 2:15 a.m. CT on December 4. In tradition, Venus describes how we value, attract, spend, and bond. In Scorpio it tends to prefer depth over polish: fewer people, more intensity, and a sharper instinct for what is honest versus performative.

Reflection prompts:

• Where have I been polite when I needed to be clear?
• What am I ready to invest in more deeply, and what am I ready to stop watering?

Venus will spend the rest of December in Scorpio. For more on how Venus shows up by sign, see what is a Venus sign.

Mercury enters Sagittarius: December 6

Mercury leaves Scorpio and enters Sagittarius at about 2:34 a.m. CT on December 6. After weeks of Scorpio-flavored thinking (private, investigative, careful with words), the tone traditionally opens toward the big picture: beliefs, travel plans, teaching, and honest opinions that do not need a soft landing.

Mercury stays in Sagittarius until December 25, when it joins the Sun in Capricorn. That mid-month window is often treated as a good time to draft the year-end vision before you turn it into a checklist.

New moon in Sagittarius: December 8

The new moon arrives at 6:53 p.m. CT on December 8, at about 17° Sagittarius. New moons are traditionally times for setting intentions. In Sagittarius, themes include learning, faith, adventure, and the stories you tell about where your life is going.

Reflection prompts:

• What belief about myself am I ready to update?
• Where do I want more room to explore, study, or travel in the year ahead?
• What truth have I been softening because it felt inconvenient?

With Mercury already in Sagittarius, many astrologers treat this as a clean, forward-looking reset rather than a quiet, private one.

Mid-month stations: Saturn, Neptune, and Jupiter

Three slow-planet turns cluster in two days, which is unusual and worth marking on a calendar even if you do nothing else with the month.

Saturn stations direct at about 2:30 p.m. CT on December 10, at about 7.9° Aries. Saturn has been retrograde since July. Tradition reads a Saturn station as a shift from review toward commitment: structures you have been testing start to feel more solid, or more obviously in need of repair. If you are in your late twenties or late fifties, see what a Saturn return is.

Neptune stations direct at about 1:15 p.m. CT on December 12, at about 1.6° Aries. Neptune's station is subtler. Themes include clarifying a foggy hope, finishing a dream-phase, or noticing where inspiration needs a practical container.

Jupiter stations retrograde at about 4:00 p.m. CT on December 12, at about 27.0° Leo. Jupiter retrograde traditionally invites an inward look at growth, generosity, and confidence. Instead of expanding outward, the question becomes: which expansions were real, and which were performance? Jupiter remains retrograde into 2027.

Signs that may feel the cluster most: Aries and Leo (where Saturn/Neptune and Jupiter sit), plus Libra and Aquarius as the other cardinal and fixed air/fire partners in the conversation.

Capricorn season begins: December 21

The Sun enters Capricorn at about 2:50 p.m. CT on December 21, the same afternoon as the December solstice in the Northern Hemisphere. Capricorn season is traditionally associated with responsibility, long-range plans, craftsmanship, and the quiet satisfaction of building something that lasts. Happy birthday, Capricorn.

Sagittarius season ends here. If November and early December felt like a brainstorm, Capricorn season is when many people start sorting the list into what they will actually do.

Full moon in Cancer: December 23

The full moon falls at 7:29 p.m. CT on December 23, at about 2.2° Cancer, opposite the Sun in early Capricorn. Full moons traditionally highlight culmination and awareness. This Cancer–Capricorn axis is about care versus duty: home and family on one side, work and public role on the other.

It is a natural moment to notice whether your year-end plans leave room for rest, whether your caretaking has crowded out ambition, or whether your ambition has crowded out caretaking. Neither pole is the villain; the full moon simply lights both.

Mercury enters Capricorn: December 25

Mercury joins the Sun in Capricorn at about 12:23 p.m. CT on December 25. Thinking traditionally becomes more practical: budgets, timelines, resolutions that can survive January. If you like writing intentions at the turn of the year, this is the tone many astrologers prefer for the draft.

The slow planets and a Mars preview

• Mars in Virgo continues the focus on precision, health routines, and useful work. It will station retrograde on January 10, 2027 at about 4:00 a.m. CT, at about 10.4° Virgo. The late-December stretch is often treated as a last push to organize systems before that review period.
• Jupiter in Leo, now turning retrograde, keeps the emphasis on creativity and visibility, but with a more reflective edge.
• Saturn and Neptune in early Aries, both now direct, ask for courage that is grounded rather than purely visionary.
• Uranus retrograde in Gemini continues until February 2027.
• Pluto in Aquarius stays direct.

For the year's full retrograde list, see 2026 retrogrades and what Mercury retrograde means.

December 2026 by sign: a quick guide

These themes use whole-sign solar houses from your sun sign. For more personal timing, read your daily horoscope or look at your own chart with the birth chart calculator.

How to use December 2026, week by week

• December 1–7: Sagittarius season continues. Venus enters Scorpio on the 4th and Mercury enters Sagittarius on the 6th. A good week for honest conversations about values and for widening the map of what you want next year.
• December 8–14: The Sagittarius new moon on the 8th, then the Saturn, Neptune, and Jupiter stations. Set a bold intention early in the week, then give mid-week to reviewing structures and beliefs rather than launching everything at once.
• December 15–21: Momentum gathers toward the solstice. Capricorn season begins on the 21st: start sorting vision into plans.
• December 22–31: The Cancer full moon on the 23rd and Mercury into Capricorn on the 25th. Balance care with ambition, then write the practical year-end list.

If you have a birthday this month

Sagittarius birthdays (through December 21): your solar return lands with the Sun still in your sign and, for many of you, with Mercury also in Sagittarius after the 6th. Tradition suggests a birthday that names a direction, not only a mood.

Capricorn birthdays (from December 21): your season starts at the solstice, with Mercury joining Capricorn on the 25th. Many astrologers read that as a clean, builder's start: fewer fireworks, more foundation.

Common misconceptions about this month

"Three stations in one week means chaos." Stations mark turning points in a planet's apparent motion. Tradition treats them as moments of emphasis and review, not as guarantees of disruption.

"The Cancer full moon only matters to Cancer and Capricorn." Full moons are traditionally felt across the axis they fall on, and in whichever house of your chart holds early Cancer.

"Capricorn season is only about work." Capricorn themes include craft, patience, and responsibility to what you love, not only career metrics.

The takeaway

December 2026 moves from Sagittarius vision into Capricorn structure. Venus deepens the emotional tone early in the month, the Sagittarius new moon opens a fresh intention, the mid-month stations ask you to get honest about commitments and growth, and Capricorn season plus the Cancer full moon close the year by balancing duty with care. Plan reflection mid-month, and save the checklist for after the solstice.