Astrological Aesthetics: December 2017 Horoscopes

Sagittarius (November 23–December 21)

December is a time for wheeling and dealing in the art world, as anyone bound for Miami next week knows all too well, but you are just not up to the task this year Sagittarius. While everyone else is at the fairs, take some time to look over your finances and get them in order. Failing to do so will only make your holiday shopping more harrowing.

Capricorn (December 22–January 20)

Sometimes willingly confining yourself backfires, as the Belgian performance artist Mikes Poppe discovered recently after spending 438 hours chained to a block of marble. However, this month there will be much to gain from spending a lot of time alone, Capricorn, as you do the work to get yourself ready to grab 2018 by the horns.

Aquarius (January 21–February 19)

Everyone’s heard of biennials, triennials, and even quinquennials, but is there such a thing as a hexennial? You’re on the cusp of a six-year cycle of your own Aquarius, and it’s time for a major change. We can’t say exactly what form it will take, but you should probably wrap up all your affairs and pack your bags — you are the Manifesta of hexennial exhibitions.

Pisces (February 20–March 20)

Sometimes you spend ages preparing a project and nothing comes of it, like Marina Abramović’s performance art institute in upstate New York. This will be a major planning month for you, Pisces, and you should schedule your next big project to launch in May, when your astrological momentum will be at its strongest. Just, please, try to think of a better Kickstarter reward than a hug.

Aries (March 21–April 20)

What do you think the holidays were like in the Lawrence-Smith household, Aries? That is, the family of sculptor Tony Smith, his wife, the actress Jane Lawrence, and their daughters, the artists Kiki Smith and Seton Smith. Did they fight over the legacy of Minimalism and the role of feminism in contemporary art while carving a holiday roast? This month, you should take an honest and critical look at your family and let go of the connections that aren’t working. Think of it as applying the principles of Minimalism to your family tree — it will make you much happier in the long run.

Taurus (April 21–May 21)

Every group of artists eventually drifts apart, Taurus, it’s just the nature of aesthetic collaboration and camaraderie. Sometimes it happens because of bitter in-fighting (see the Surrealists and Futurists), and other times the end comes more naturally. You and your cohorts — whether they’re studio mates, fellow members of a collective, co-directors of a gallery, or participants in some utopian experiment in nonhierarchical polyamorous communal living — are approaching a crisis point and it will be up to you to recognize it this month and either prepare for the break or act decisively to prevent it.

Gemini (May 22–June 21)

The Louvre Abu Dhabi opened last month to much fanfare, following many years of reports of human rights abuses on Saadiyat Island. But the spectacle wasn’t enough to distract from the project’s troubled legacy. You are also enjoying a moment in the spotlight right now, Gemini, but it’s important that you own up to the mistakes you’ve made along the way rather than attempting to suppress or dismiss them.

Cancer (June 22–July 22)

Artemisia Gentileschi’s incredible “Judith Slaying Holofernes” (ca 1614–20) teaches us many things, including the point — seemingly obvious yet worthy of repetition — that body and head cannot operate independently. Keep this lesson in mind (and heart) in December, Cancer, as you will likely face some health problems that will require régimes of both psychological and physical self-care.

Leo (July 23–August 22)

We can’t wait to take a trip down to Princeton to see Titus Kaphar’s “Impressions of Liberty” monument, which calls attention to the university’s participation in slavery. It’s the type of act of public and critical self-examination we hope to see other institutions initiating. Though the issues at play will (hopefully) not be quite so traumatic, you should take a long, hard look at your own family’s history this month, Leo, because your perception of your ancestors is about to shift dramatically.

Virgo (August 23–September 23)

The art world is full of unconventional relationships, some more healthy than others. You’re in one such partnership right now, Virgo, and though it needn’t change dramatically or end this month, December is a good time to sit with that specially special someone and make sure you’re on the same page. Who knows, maybe an artistic collaboration will come out of it.

Libra (September 24–October 23)

Whoever bought Leonardo da Vinci’s “Salvator Mundi,” we have a hunch he or she is a Libra, because your astrological outlook for December is all about the need to recalibrate value systems that have gone very badly out of whack. As a corrective measure, why not support some worthy art projects currently being crowdfunded — like, say, Dread Scott’s Slave Rebellion Reenactment?

Scorpio (October 24–November 22)

Did you catch El Museo del Barrio’s Belkis Ayón retrospective, Scorpio? It was an incredibly rich journey through a singular artist’s fascination with a unique fraternal order and its quixotic belief system. Her work is at once ominous and magical, as if each tableau captures the moment before some mystical ritual begins or otherworldly apparition occurs. Your romantic life has gone this way of late, with an intense and practically telekinetic connection stirring up feelings at once thrilling and threatening. That relationship will be radically transformed this month; but don’t worry, just visualize the best possible outcome and you’ll pull through.