On Saturday, December 4th @ 2:43 AM (EST) there’s a (Total) Solar Eclipse in Sagittarius, the only Mutable Fire sign in the Zodiac. This Eclipse represents the freshest of starts when it comes to venturing out of our comfort zones, arousing our desire to learn, travel, and to broaden our horizons via new experiences. 

Sagittarius is extremely curious and easily bored and, though talkative and personable, gets the most enjoyment out of life by trying out new people, places and things. Sagittarius can get caught up in the heat of the moment—especially with the Sun, Moon and Mercury all in Mars-ruled Decan 2—and rarely spend much time stuck in the present, always looking toward the Next Big Thing.

Daydreaming is a very Sagittarian pastime, but don’t let the space cadet first impression fool you—what seems like spacing out to heedless onlookers is the most crucial step in the Sagittarius “Creative Thinking” Process. Creative problem solving is a Sagittarius forte, and their naturally humorous demeanor only helps them more when it comes to making their fantasies a reality. 

Sagittarius has confidence, enabling them to envision clearly what they want their long-term future to look like. The only hitch with this Eclipse? To quiet our minds in the weeks and months following it, so that we can overcome the impulse control (Mars) and nervous tension (Sun + Moon + Mercury & Uranus) of this period, as it takes time to commit to one vision—let alone get to work making whatever that is a reality. 

—Sun-Moon-Mercury in Sagittarius + Uranus in Taurus—

The astrological alignments of Mercury (conjunction) and Uranus (inconjunct) to this Mars-ruled Solar Eclipse in Sagittarius Decan 2 ramp up the impulsive, frazzled nature of our minds and bodies. A fact about Sagittarius that’s oft-forgotten in the face of their radiant confidence is that underneath their superhuman charisma, there’s a certain shy skittishness about them. 

In the physical body, Sagittarius rules the hips, specifically the sciatic nerve; but Sagittarius, like its opposite sign Gemini, has much to do with the Central Nervous System, as both signs have difficulty achieving a quiet mind (which, in turn, affects the body). 

With the Sun and Moon aligned to Mercury and Uranus, our thoughts may be all over the place re: “what to do next”—there're so many ideas, opportunities and visions of future possibilities that it’s important not to fly away like a hot air balloon.

The devil is in the details, and it’s not worth it to lose track of the practicality of our plans simply because we want to do too many things at once. 

And though it’s not a bad thing that our fantasy lives and creative spark are so strongly triggered at this Eclipse, the need to choose one idea of what (or who) we want to pursue is challenging. How to commit to one person or project when we feel pushed instinctively toward risk-taking, adventurous, expansion-focused activity? 

With this Sagittarius Total Eclipse, it’s as if Uranus in Taurus forces us to deal with some dreadful detail right when we’re ready to fly the coop, or some practicality or another (money/time) yanks us out of our visions of travel, learning and a certain yearning for new experiences and back to the demands of daily routines. 

There’s a desire to escape from (and bitterness toward) anyone or anything we feel tries to curtail our freedom with the dreamy Sagittarius Sun’s restless alignment to fussy Uranus Taurus, pitting Escapist Fantasies against the idea of relinquishing our practical Attachment to Familiarity. 

We have to watch out for manipulative people, especially if you tend towards Impulsivity, or if you find yourself compulsively catering to the every request of close friends, family members, partners or anyone seen as an authority figure. Otherwise you risk exhausting yourself in the months following this Mars-ruled, Mutable Fire sign Eclipse. 

Though it’s a definite possibility to get so unconsciously focused on pleasing a Partner, Boss, Parent or Spouse that we suddenly can’t remember—Forgetfulness is the Sagittarian way—what it was we wanted in the first place. 

Making your needs known; picking battles; not trying to do everything for (or be everything to) someone else—all of these are crucial points of reflection to consider before making any long-term romantic or financial commitments, regardless of how ambitious we might be. 

—Mars Aspects: Adventurous or Out-of-Control?—

There’s no question that Mars is the strongest planet in this Solar Eclipse chart—Mars is the planetary ruler of Sagittarius Decan 2, where the Sun, Moon and Mercury all fall, and it’s in its home sign of Scorpio. Mars in Scorpio lends resolve and determination otherwise atypical with the Sun and Moon right next to Mercury in Sagittarius, scattering our mental energy. 

That said, our passionate sides are fired up, as is our desire nature. This is true with Mars in Scorpio generally, but its tension with Jupiter in Aquarius at this Eclipse makes us believe that we can “do it all.” Impatience is a definite side effect as well, so watch for compulsive spending, dating or overcommitting ourselves to adventures and experiences without considering the potential strain/drain on our emotional and physical resources first.  

When Mars in Scorpio challenges Jupiter in Aquarius, there’s a tendency to become overzealous (read: stubborn) and restless in all our doings. For instance, you may feel like you have to go overboard slaying dragons at work or in your personal life to get your way. There’s a fine line between confidence and arrogance, so try to think of the long-term—of the future effect of your actions now—while living in the present. Not that this is easy of course…

While Mars in Scorpio’s alignments to Venus-Pluto in Capricorn (sextile) support the cultivation of depth and commitment re: our future goals, Mars in Scorpio forms a tense angle to Jupiter in Aquarius that makes us want to go overboard when it comes to getting what we want from life and love. 

When Fixed signs like Scorpio and Aquarius are at odds, the impetus for “going overboard” is directly related to our need for security in some area of life—whether it’s your Career, Relationship(s) or Finances, we’re lacking a feeling of control in at least one of these areas, prompting us to take our goal-oriented/ambitious nature too far. This is especially true for love relationships now, as Venus nears its 6-week Retrograde through Capricorn on December 19th.  

—Venus in Capricorn: Relationship Tests—

One of the paradoxes of this Solar Eclipse in Sagittarius is the question of how to balance our unquenchable need to have fun—or to be selfish, if you’re the type who rarely takes personal time—with our need to maintain an objective and practical approach, in both Finances and Relationships. 

Venus in Capricorn is a period that puts our financial and romantic expectations to the test, particularly in terms of their long-term, practical viability. And with Venus in Capricorn moving toward a standstill from November 17th through December 19th, it’s impossible not to get entangled in some misunderstanding when it comes to money or love. 

There’s a tremendous egocentricity of the Sun and Moon so close to Mercury, in its Detriment, all in Sagittarius, amplified by Mars in Scorpio’s angles to Pluto in Capricorn and Jupiter in Aquarius, which create tension between our desire to push relationships and financial investments forward at all costs without unwittingly becoming the victim of others’ manipulation. 

Venus’ alignment to Pluto (also in Capricorn) makes us extremely ambitious when it comes to Relationship Goals. As a result, the urge to manipulate a past, present or potential Significant Other to realize a certain vision for our future (as we see it) may emerge with this Eclipse. We want what we want and we want it all—now. This is where Venus Retrograde, in its “Shadow” phase from November 17th until its standstill on December 19th, comes in to slow us down and force us to cool our jets. 

Another potent alignment at this Eclipse in Sagittarius involves Venus in Capricorn’s connection to fanciful Neptune in Pisces, exact on December 1st—the same day Neptune ends its own Retrograde period and, in turn, amping up our fantasy life and, incidentally, desire to dive into financial or relationship “projects” that may not be realistic in the long-run yet tantalizing in our mind’s eye.  

More importantly, Venus’ connection to Neptune, both moving extra slow at the moment, acts to sensitize and gives and gentleness to Venus-Pluto in Capricorn’s all-consuming ambitions re: Romantic (or Financial) “conquests,” or benchmarks we feel pressure to meet at warp speed. 

While this Venus-Neptune alignment holds potential for concrete developments that allow a relationship to deepen on a commitment-oriented level—or to conjure the inspiration needed to go after a committed one if you’ve been somewhat on the fence re: what you want out of a Long-Term Type of Thing—you may at the same time find yourself suffering from Decision Fatigue. To go “all in” with someone, or to wait?

Well, with Venus rapidly approaching the start of its Retrograde on December 19th, whatever our financial and romantic ambitions we’ve committed to will be put to the test until January 29th. Venus Retrograde in Capricorn prompts us to call our values into question. For instance, when it comes to Money, do we say yes to every opportunity? If so, it reflects an instinctual valuing of Money over your Time (and energy). But Time is Money, right? 

If it’s a Relationship Thing, do we find ourselves in Relationships that are more emotionally taxing than invigorating? Are we serial monogamists? Are we afraid of being alone, or craving more emotional boundaries (Capricorn is the Queen of Boundaries)? Or is it a realization that we’ve let Lust, not Love guide us in choosing who we invest ourselves in, placing value on the Surface-Level Stuff—the Image of the Relationship—over the longevity of the Emotional Connection? 

Whether you notice that you’re repressing the fact that you’re not in love with who you should/could/want to be, become disappointed when the Lust-fog wears off, or realize you’ve been delusional about your budget for far too long now, Venus’ Retrograde through Capricorn is the time to reflect on these things—not to beat yourself up. Distinguishing Lust over Love is harder than ever when Venus is Retrograde, as is realizing the Relationship you thought was Something isn’t meant to be more than a Memorable Fling.

How are we supposed to reflect on our relationships (or, more specifically, the long-term viability of them) if/when the wool is pulled over our eyes? If you find yourself forgetting your own agenda running around to please someone you love, then you really have to dial things back, because with Mars’ dominance in this Eclipse chart, you’ll only end up feeling bitter or resentful if you agreed to play that tambourine a little too long. 

The tricky thing with this Solar Eclipse is this: its alignment with Mercury in Sagittarius (the sign of its Detriment) + the strength of Mars in Scorpio as the ruling planet of Sagittarius Decan 2 (where this Eclipse falls) signify egocentric drives and the fulfillment of self-satisfying (or potentially selfish) urges. 

But, on the other hand, we’re so scatterbrained and overwhelmed with visions of possibilities for our futures that we may be easily manipulated by others who pander to our vanity, only to find ourselves going from “eager and willing” to “resentful and bitter” once Venus goes Retrograde in Capricorn on December 19th. 

So, if there’s a willing partner who (seems) game or a complicated yet seemingly lucrative financial opportunity, why not dive right in, right? Wrong. Because when Venus turns Retrograde in Capricorn from December 19th – January 29th, we’ll quickly be faced with every glaring practicality (read: flaw) in whatever idealistic plans we agreed to from November 17th – December 19th. 

For example, we may’ve said “yes” to so many Holiday plans that by the time we’ve realized we’ve stretched ourselves too thin, we’ll want to throw in the towel altogether. The same goes for romantic and financial commitments that may’ve seemed like no big deal (or, at worst, were just lip service) turn out to involve a slew of tedious or sudden, unanticipated glitches.

—Sabian Symbol for this Eclipse—

A great musician at his piano: This is a symbol of individual artistry as the property of all, with its expression of both its strength and the means through which others are encouraged to like accomplishment...The keyword is ACHIEVEMENT. When positive, the degree is the creative assurance which contributes enduring overtones to human understanding. When negative, self-defeat comes [through prioritizing] delight in momentary attention or superficial adulation (Edmund-Jones, The Sabian Symbols in Astrology).