And so we've arrived at the winter solstice—a turning point when the dark grows the longest and laptops begin to slam shut for the year. Often viewed as a period of stillness and reflection, the solstice marks the unofficial end of the year, preceding the formal (Gregorian) conclusion….as if 2024 needed another reason to be dragged out.

Despite the flailing state of several world governments and the pressures of late-stage capitalism boiling over, pop culture nevertheless soldiered on 2024, faithfully delivering headline after headline, rendering a stream of escapist consciousness that at times felt like a fever dream (can I stop holding space for the Wicked press tour yet?) and others, a necessary (and #brat) breather while we regained our sanity. As an astrologer fascinated by the zeitgeist, I wanted to look back at the year through an archetypal lens, lining up definitive moments (subjectively speaking) that embody how each Zodiac sign showed up for the cultural fabric we share and cloak ourselves in for comfort. It's been an incredible year of reviewing pop culture and astrology with you all, and as a mini preview for 2025, buckle up for a Spring surge of creativity—it will most definitely be bold and explosive. Boom Clap (sorry Gen Z, we Millenials had Charli first).

Aries: The Winner Takes It All

A martial energy that forges ahead with will, ambition, and instinct. The competitor of the Zodiac and the ruler of firearms; a Gladiator in the ring determined to fight to the bitter end for glory (special shout out to Denzel and his earring in the mediocre Ridley Scott sequel). Everything is a challenge met with the allure of competition—precisely why the Paris Olympics delivered on ALL the aura points (no comment on the Olympic Village and the Seine). Not only did sharpshooting dominate the online conversation and Halloween fits, but the world was also introduced to Raygun and the first breakdancing competition in Olympic history (RIP). MOST IMPORTANTLY, the Olympics opening ceremony featured the comeback of Aries legend Miss Celine Dion high up on the Eiffel Tower singing L'Hymne à l'amour as the rightful queen of the world (we don't make the rules).

Taurus: Dress for Success

Ruled by the planet Venus, Taurus is synonymous with art, sensuality, talent, and fashion all in one. With Jupiter, the planet of abundance and expansion, spending the first half of the year in indulgent Taurus through May, the stage was set for method dressing to dominate and reinvent the press circuit as we know it. Zendaya and longtime stylist Law Roach may have led the charge (we're still thinking about those tennis ball heels on the Challengers run), but Jenna Ortega (Beetlejuice Beetlejuice), Daisy Jones (Twisters 2), Ariana Grande & Cynthia Erivo (Wicked), and one blonde Timothée Chalamet (A Complete Unknown) certainly picked up the relay baton in this marathon slay.

Gemini: Girls5Eva

Trendy and chaotic. Fun and free. Rapid fire and whiplash. Stories and lyrical nonsense. Gemini is frenetic, electrifying, and so very brat. Whether on TikTok or IRL, you couldn't take two steps out your front door without the familiar melodic intro to Espresso or the Apple dance flooding your auditory senses. The "girly pop" femininomenon rejuvenated our Summer playlists and flipped the script for music demand and recognition, setting the stage for a potentially historic 2025 Grammy's night with a nominations list dominated mainly by women. The messiness and brilliance of girlhood are here to stay, or at least, been allowed to work it out on the remix and return stronger than yesterday—Britney and Christina would be proud.

Sidenote: We are incredibly disappointed at Girls5eva's cancellation and demand a recount (Netflix, please?).

Cancer: Babygirl

Maternal, homemaking, and "soft" — nothing screamed Cancer like the rise of trad wives (well, except for maybe Nicole Kidman). For those who may have heard the term against your will (thanks algorithm) but are still hazy on your pop culture, "trad wives" describe women who post online content that shows them adhering to traditional slash patriarchal gender roles i.e. effortlessly preparing decadent meals while maintaining the house and raising children…or in the case of MomTok (The Secret Lives of Mormon Housewives for better or worse lives rent-free in my mind), exposing the drama behind the perfectly curated veneers. The question on everyone's minds: Can MomTok (and trad wives in general) survive this? Well, it sure can—we expect this "trend" to explode in 2025 into 2026 with the arrival of Jupiter (expansion) in Cancer. It's time to load up on that milkmaid dress made with "divine feminine energy"—you know, the one—if that's your (homemade) jam.

Leo: Squabble Up

The art of the rap battle soared to legendary heights this year when Kendrick and Drake stepped onto the Spotify world stage. Leo is the sign of leadership, performance, and royalty, emblematic of the showdown between these two hip-hop heavyweights (also fun fact: hip-hop has a natal chart, and of course, the genre is a Leo Sun). The duo traded jabs in a dizzying back-and-forth that began in the Spring and continues to drag out through year-end, with Kendrick releasing his critically acclaimed album GNX, a halftime performance slated for Super Bowl 2025, AND a collaborative tour with SZA. Drake, on the other side of the ring, well… he's suing his music labels for foul play. The battle may seemingly be over, but the war wages on.

Virgo: Very Demure, Very Mindful

On August 2, just before the formal arrival of Virgo season, American TikToker Jools Lebron, a Puerto Rican trans woman, uploaded an efficient 17-second video titled How to be Demure at Work with a follow-up video offering further tips. By the time Virgo season officially rolled around, both videos had amassed over 35 million views, with the catchphrase "very demure, very mindful" solidifying its rightful place in the pop culture lexicon. ICYMI Demure is dictionary.com's word of 2024. While some tried to greedily trademark the phrase (God, I hate it here in this late-stage capitalist hellscape), Jools ultimately channelled the success of her virality into paying for her gender transition. Thank you, Jools and all the non-binary social media influencers, for your service and impact—the ultimate Virgo compliment.

Libra: What is Fair May Not Be Just

Look up justice and artistic excellence in the dictionary, and you'll find Beyoncé and Libra side by side. While B is known as a September 4 Virgo, her Libra placements were on full display this year with the monumental release of Cowboy Carter, the pop icon's official foray into country music. In Beyoncé's words, this isn't a country album; this is a Beyoncé album born out of an unsavoury moment when Queen B did not feel welcomed by the country music industry. Cowboy Carter also featured other black country music artists, a dovetail moment and launching pad for one Shaboozey—who dominated charts this year with Tipsy. While Beyoncé might not have gotten any love at the CMAs (not even a single nomination), the album and the ensuing response are essential reminders of how the invisible hand of the American caste system works. Cowboy Carter was more than just a rich, educational exploration of musical history that defies genre, but a political statement that subverts how the mainstream categorizes country music and who it's willing to accept into its family.

Scorpio: Tragic Hero

As a member of one of the most successful boy bands of all time, Liam Payne was in a league of his own. A talented lyricist and with pitch-perfect vocals, Payne's charming good looks and One Direction persona were immortalized in collective nostalgia despite reports over the last few years revealing his harrowing battle with addiction and complicated relationship dynamics. Fans were shocked to learn of the singer's seemingly untimely death in Argentina, with questions still lingering around the events leading up to Payne's devastating fall. Grief is a powerful force that comes in waves, bowling you over in a tsunami of emotion that can sometimes feel illogical and overwhelming all at once. If you found yourself uncontrollably sobbing upon receiving the news, you weren't alone.

Sagittarius: The Truth Will Set You Free

She's beauty, and she's grace, and she's turning shame on its head. Gisèle Pelicot is THAT girl (sorry, Elphaba), an iconic Sagittarius fanning the flames of justice. Sagittarius carries the archetype of a modern-day philosopher here to aim the arrow of truth in pursuit of justice. In Gisèle's case, she wields that torch in a hyper-patriarchal society that inherently deems women marginalized and powerless. While nothing can ever excuse or diminish the abuse she endured at the hands of her monstrous ex (20 years is most certainly not enough) and his incel cronies, like a true Sagittarius, Gisèle alchemized her lived experience into an empowered stance that can help bend the moral arc towards justice and inspire others to do the same. In an eerie coincidence, fellow Sagittarius Zoe Kravitz illustrated a snapshot of the horrors in her directorial debut Blink Twice this year. We did say Sagittarius are truth-tellers who stand on business.

Capricorn: End of an Era(s)

Full disclosure: I did not make it to one Eras Tour live show. I like Taylor Swift, but I don't count myself as a Swiftie, and yet, The Eras Tour was more than a concert; it was a cultural and Switonomical phenomenon. Over 21 months, Taylor played to 10 million fans across 149 sold-out stadiums, grossing $2 billion in ticket sales—doubling the record for any concert in history! How very Capricorn-coded as Capricorn is concerned with legacy, accomplishment, time and eras, and ultimately a grand achievement worthy of blood, sweat, and discipline. Whether you attended, joined a live stream, or swapped friendship bracelets, Taylor created a space where girlhood and local economies thrived while boosting the careers of other tour-supporting acts, including Travis Kelce, Sabrina Carpenter, and Gracie Abrams. True to Taylor's Capricorn stellium, she plays the role of the natural provider all too well.

Aquarius: Assassin's Creed

The end of 2024 ushered us into a pretty dystopian timeline that places us firmly on the set of V for Vendetta. Luigi Mangione, an attractive 26-year-old Italian man from a seemingly privileged upbringing (allegedly) donned a hoodie, grabbed a Starbucks, and shot a healthcare insurance CEO on the streets of New York the morning of a Rockefeller Christmas tree lighting, cementing his status as a TikTok folk hero. You really can't make this stuff up. Whether you view him as "Hot Robin Hoodie," "The Adjuster," or a murderer, one thing's for sure: this Pluto in the Aquarius era is off to a revolutionary start as people demand that their basic needs be met—harkening back to the Haitian, French, and American revolutions of yore. Remember, remember December 4.

Pisces: Sweet, Sweet Fantasy Baby

Pisces is the sign of fantasy, illusions, delusions, and substances. So if astrology isn't real, why did the Willy Wonka Glasgow immersive experience emerge during Pisces season, only for it to be likened to a meth lab—a Wonkafied Fyre Festival for the ages. The event was not officially affiliated with Warner Bros. Wonka, but organizers leveraged AI-generated promotional images that evoked the trippy Wonka-esque attraction as part of its scam. Kids were in tears as outraged parents called cops to the sparsely decorated warehouse with a small bouncy castle and backdrops pinned to the walls. All's well that ends well—the event organizers ultimately refunded tickets and apologized for the horrors inflicted. You get nothing, you lose; good day, sir!

Tasha is a former Wall Street cog turned spiritual astrologer and pop culture aficionado.

2024 As Told Through The Signs