The Year's Final New Moon Is On The Horizon—Here's What To Know

With just a couple weeks left of 2025, it's time to start mapping out your New Year's goals and resolutions. And the good news is, the final new moon of the year is the perfect time to do it.

It's coming up this week, and in the sign of optimistic and progressive Sagittarius, no less. Here's what to know about the astrology behind this new moon, plus three rituals to work with it, from astrologers.

The astrology behind December's new moon

This month's new moon will be exact on Friday, December 19 at 8:43 p.m. EST in the sign of Sagittarius, and according to the AstroTwins, it's going to bridge borders and inspire cross-cultural collabs.

"Better yet? Harmonious, loving Venus is co-piloting the mission, helping patch over any conflicts that may have flared during last month’s Mercury retrograde," the twins recently wrote for mindbodygreen.

Keep in mind as well that Sagittarius rules travel, so switch to a wide-angle lens and zoom in on other parts of the world, the twins explain. If you've caught a case of wanderlust, for instance, this is a great opportunity to plant seeds for travel plans in the new year.

Not only that, but the twins say goals around education, entrepreneurship, and personal growth are also favored right now. "Even taking one small action to move the needle today can send a strong signal to the universe that says, 'I’m ready for this journey!'" the twins note.

But with healing Neptune and serious Saturn squaring the new moon, they add, be sure not to gloss over any structures that need to be put in place moving forward. "Don’t skip the fine print or cut corners. Every vision needs structure if it’s going to last past mid-January and become more than just a great idea."

3 rituals to work with the Sagittarius new moon

Sagittarius is a sign all about optimism and luck, and we can all tap into that expansive energy by thinking big—and dreaming bigger—when it comes to this new moon's manifestations. "Give your vision some thought today," the twins say, advising to ask yourself what benchmarks you would love to achieve over the coming six months.

Speaking of intentions, what better way to amplify them than with some candle magic? (An especially good idea, considering this is a fire sign moon.)

All you have to do is light a candle and hold your intention with it, thinking of your intention and/or visualizing it as you watch it burn, perhaps even reciting it out loud and paying attention to how the candle is burning.

When you're done, don't blow it out so as not to blow your intentions away—always snuff out your candle when you're done burning it.

Lastly, pulling a tarot spread is always a good idea under the new moon, and this one can even serve as a New Year's tarot spread. Grab your favorite deck and give the following four-card spread a try:

The takeaway

As we prepare for a new calendar year, Sagittarius invites us to dream big and hold our vision for the future. Be sure to take time under this moon for a new moon ritual or two, and allow Sag's optimistic spirit to inspire your wildest dreams.