Skip to content

December 2026 horoscopes

December 2026 horoscope for every sign, in real dates.

Every sign change, planet station, Moon phase and exact aspect of December 2026, with the house each one lands in for your sign. Dates are US Eastern, with UTC beside them.

By Shymea Editorial · Dates computed with astronomy-engine, checked against JPL DE442

The month at a glance

December 2026 moves from wide-open Sagittarius to steady Capricorn, and it gives you two clear turning points. The first falls on December 10, when Saturn stops its months of backing up through Aries and starts moving forward again. Plans that stalled since the summer can move again, and they move with fewer shortcuts. On the night of December 12–13 Jupiter turns retrograde in Leo, so growth plans begin a review that runs into spring 2027. Taken together, the month suggests you build on what is already working and leave room to look at the rest again.

The New Moon in Sagittarius on the night of December 8–9 is the month's fresh start, a good night to name one intention for the weeks ahead. The solstice on December 21 marks the longest night in the Northern Hemisphere and hands the Sun to Capricorn, the sign of patient effort. Two nights later the Full Moon in Cancer on the night of December 23–24 is a supermoon, the closest Full Moon of the season, and it lands right before the holidays: a natural moment to look at home, family and what you need to feel safe.

Mercury moves forward all month, so the usual travel-season caution is about pace, not about a retrograde. The best days by our rule are Dec 7, Dec 11, Dec 12, Dec 18 and Dec 31. The take-care days, when it helps to slow down before you react, are Dec 4, Dec 9, Dec 26, Dec 29 and Dec 30. None of them is a bad day. They are days to check details and give people a little more time.

December 2026 key dates

New Moon:
16°57′ Sagittarius, Dec 8, 7:52 p.m. EST (Dec 9, 00:52 UTC).
Saturn turns direct:
7°56′ Aries, Dec 10, 6:31 p.m. EST (Dec 10, 23:31 UTC).
Neptune turns direct:
1°37′ Aries, Dec 12, 5:18 p.m. EST (Dec 12, 22:18 UTC).
Jupiter turns retrograde:
27°01′ Leo, Dec 12, 7:57 p.m. EST (Dec 13, 00:57 UTC).
Winter solstice:
The Sun enters Capricorn Dec 21, 3:50 p.m. EST (Dec 21, 20:50 UTC): the longest night in the Northern Hemisphere.
Full Moon, supermoon:
2°14′ Cancer, Dec 23, 8:28 p.m. EST (Dec 24, 01:28 UTC), 356,738 km from Earth. Perigee follows at Dec 24, 08:38 UTC, 356,648 km.
Venus:
Enters Scorpio Dec 4, 3:13 a.m. EST and stays there for the rest of the month.
Mercury:
Enters Sagittarius December 6, then Capricorn December 25 (Christmas Day). Direct all month.
Mars:
In Virgo all month, moving direct.
Retrograde on Dec 31:
Jupiter and Uranus. Every other planet is moving forward.

Choose your sign

Best days and take-care days

The rule: on each US Eastern day we look at the exact contacts between planets (Sun through Pluto). A trine or sextile is an easy contact; a square or opposition is a tense one. A best day has at least one easy contact and no tense one. A take-care day has a tense contact and no easy one: a day to slow down and check before you react, not a day to fear. A mixed day has both. Days with no exact contact are neither.

Best days: Dec 7, Dec 11, Dec 12, Dec 18, Dec 31. Take-care days: Dec 4, Dec 9, Dec 26, Dec 29, Dec 30. Mixed: Dec 8, Dec 23.

  1. Friday, December 4

    Take-care day

    Mercury square Jupiter (2:03 a.m. EST); Mars square Uranus (2:28 p.m. EST)

  2. Monday, December 7

    Best day

    Mercury trine Neptune (5:15 a.m. EST)

  3. Tuesday, December 8

    Mixed day

    Mercury opposite Uranus (5:29 a.m. EST); Mercury sextile Pluto (2:32 p.m. EST)

  4. Wednesday, December 9

    Take-care day

    Mercury square Mars (8:41 a.m. EST); Venus square Pluto (1:38 p.m. EST)

  5. Friday, December 11

    Best day

    Mercury trine Saturn (8:25 a.m. EST)

  6. Saturday, December 12

    Best day

    Venus sextile Mars (4:15 a.m. EST)

  7. Friday, December 18

    Best day

    Sun trine Jupiter (4:21 p.m. EST)

  8. Wednesday, December 23

    Mixed day

    Sun square Neptune (6:37 a.m. EST); Mercury trine Jupiter (1:03 p.m. EST)

  9. Saturday, December 26

    Take-care day

    Mercury square Neptune (2:47 p.m. EST)

  10. Tuesday, December 29

    Take-care day

    Sun square Saturn (6:28 p.m. EST)

  11. Wednesday, December 30

    Take-care day

    Mercury square Saturn (6:55 p.m. EST)

  12. Thursday, December 31

    Best day

    Sun trine Mars (7:03 a.m. EST); Mercury trine Mars (6:30 p.m. EST)

All 29 dates of December 2026

9 sign changes, stations and New and Full Moons, plus the quarter Moons and every exact aspect between planets. Each sign page shows the house each date lands in for that sign.

December 2026

  • · 1:09 a.m. EST · 06:09 UTC
    Last quarter Moon in Virgo9°03′ Virgo
    Moon phase
  • · 2:03 a.m. EST · 07:03 UTC
    Mercury square Jupiter26°54′ Scorpio – 26°54′ Leo
    Tense contact
  • · 3:13 a.m. EST · 08:13 UTC
    Venus enters Scorpio
    Sign change
  • · 2:28 p.m. EST · 19:28 UTC
    Mars square Uranus3°18′ Virgo – 3°18′ Gemini
    Tense contact
  • · 3:33 a.m. EST · 08:33 UTC
    Mercury enters Sagittarius
    Sign change
  • · 5:15 a.m. EST · 10:15 UTC
    Mercury trine Neptune1°37′ Sagittarius – 1°37′ Aries
    Easy contact
  • · 5:29 a.m. EST · 10:29 UTC
    Mercury opposite Uranus3°09′ Sagittarius – 3°09′ Gemini
    Tense contact
  • · 2:32 p.m. EST · 19:32 UTC
    Mercury sextile Pluto3°44′ Sagittarius – 3°44′ Aquarius
    Easy contact
  • · 7:52 p.m. EST · Dec 9, 00:52 UTC
    New Moon in Sagittarius16°57′ Sagittarius
    Moon phase
  • · 8:41 a.m. EST · 13:41 UTC
    Mercury square Mars4°53′ Sagittarius – 4°53′ Virgo
    Tense contact
  • · 1:38 p.m. EST · 18:38 UTC
    Venus square Pluto3°45′ Scorpio – 3°45′ Aquarius
    Tense contact
  • · 6:31 p.m. EST · 23:31 UTC
    StationSaturn turns direct7°56′ Aries
    Planet changes direction
  • · 8:25 a.m. EST · 13:25 UTC
    Mercury trine Saturn7°56′ Sagittarius – 7°56′ Aries
    Easy contact
  • · 4:15 a.m. EST · 09:15 UTC
    Venus sextile Mars5°45′ Scorpio – 5°45′ Virgo
    Easy contact
  • · 5:18 p.m. EST · 22:18 UTC
    StationNeptune turns direct1°37′ Aries
    Planet changes direction
  • · 7:57 p.m. EST · Dec 13, 00:57 UTC
    StationJupiter turns retrograde27°01′ Leo
    Planet changes direction
  • · 12:43 a.m. EST · 05:43 UTC
    First quarter Moon in Pisces25°17′ Pisces
    Moon phase
  • · 4:21 p.m. EST · 21:21 UTC
    Sun trine Jupiter26°58′ Sagittarius – 26°58′ Leo
    Easy contact
  • · 3:50 p.m. EST · 20:50 UTC
    Sun enters Capricorn
    Sign change
  • · 6:37 a.m. EST · 11:37 UTC
    Sun square Neptune1°39′ Capricorn – 1°39′ Aries
    Tense contact
  • · 1:03 p.m. EST · 18:03 UTC
    Mercury trine Jupiter26°50′ Sagittarius – 26°50′ Leo
    Easy contact
  • · 8:28 p.m. EST · Dec 24, 01:28 UTC
    Full Moon in Cancer2°14′ Cancer · Supermoon, 356,738 km
    Moon phase
  • · 1:22 p.m. EST · 18:22 UTC
    Mercury enters Capricorn
    Sign change
  • · 2:47 p.m. EST · 19:47 UTC
    Mercury square Neptune1°40′ Capricorn – 1°40′ Aries
    Tense contact
  • · 6:28 p.m. EST · 23:28 UTC
    Sun square Saturn8°16′ Capricorn – 8°16′ Aries
    Tense contact
  • · 1:59 p.m. EST · 18:59 UTC
    Last quarter Moon in Libra9°05′ Libra
    Moon phase
  • · 6:55 p.m. EST · 23:55 UTC
    Mercury square Saturn8°18′ Capricorn – 8°18′ Aries
    Tense contact
  • · 7:03 a.m. EST · 12:03 UTC
    Sun trine Mars9°49′ Capricorn – 9°49′ Virgo
    Easy contact
  • · 6:30 p.m. EST · 23:30 UTC
    Mercury trine Mars9°52′ Capricorn – 9°52′ Virgo
    Easy contact

Events found with astronomy-engine, then each re-solved on JPL DE442 (skyfield): geocentric apparent positions, true ecliptic and equinox of date (tropical zodiac); stations from the zero of the longitude rate; times to the minute, degrees to the nearest arcminute. Times are rounded to the minute. Eastern dates fall a day earlier than UTC for evening events, so the New Moon, Jupiter’s station and the Full Moon each carry two dates. Supermoon means the Moon is closer than 360,000 km at the Full Moon.

December 2026 astrology questions

When is the full moon in December 2026?
December 23 at 8:28 p.m. EST in the US (Dec 24, 01:28 UTC, so December 24 in the UK), at 2°14′ Cancer. It is a supermoon: the Moon is 356,738 km from Earth.
When is the new moon in December 2026?
December 8 at 7:52 p.m. EST in the US (Dec 9, 00:52 UTC, so December 9 in the UK), at 16°57′ Sagittarius.
What are the astrological events of December 2026?
Venus enters Scorpio (Dec 4), Mercury enters Sagittarius (Dec 6), the New Moon in Sagittarius (Dec 8–9), Saturn turns direct in Aries (Dec 10), Neptune turns direct (Dec 12), Jupiter turns retrograde in Leo (Dec 12–13), the solstice as the Sun enters Capricorn (Dec 21), the Full Moon supermoon in Cancer (Dec 23–24) and Mercury entering Capricorn (Dec 25).
Is Mercury retrograde in December 2026?
No. Mercury moves forward all month, through Scorpio, Sagittarius and Capricorn. The planets retrograde at the end of December are Jupiter and Uranus.
Should I read my Sun sign or my rising sign?
Both. Each sign page counts whole-sign houses from that sign, so it works for the Sun sign and for the rising sign. The rising-sign reading is closer to how the houses fall in your own chart; if you know it, read that page too.

Keep exploring

Get my free birth chart

In the Shymea app

Read your whole chart, every day

The Shymea app computes your Moon, rising and every house from your exact birth time, then reads it for you daily — and Ask Shymea answers questions about it.

Download on the App Store