WEEKLY ASTROLOGY FORECAST | december 26 - January 1, 2023 - Christmas and Hanukkah finish up, Mercury stations retro and Venus meets Pluto as we move into 2023

 


 

Merry Christmas! I hope everyone's day has been filled with fun, food, family and friendship.

 

Can you believe we are headed into 2023 this week? How can this be? Has time actually sped up or is it whizzing by me because I am old now and moving so slow? I can't decide.

 

We start the week with the Aquarius Moon meeting up with Saturn, so we are taking our future seriously right out of the gate. Great energy for groups and friends and making plans.  

 

By Monday afternoon EST the Moon will be void and I wonder how many Christmas trees are coming down? Not mine. So get things done early Monday, not the tree for pete's sake, before that void Moon which will last the rest of the day. 

 

By Tuesday, the Moon will be in Pisces making nice aspects for relaxing/chilling out during the middle of the week, before the Moon moves into Aries and hits her most challenging waters on New Year's Eve squaring Mercury, Venus and Pluto. Party plans could be challenged by work, limits, authority, our responsibilities. Arguments are possible. New Year's Eve also sees Venus meet up with Pluto, dialing the intensity up a notch or two or twelve, so, BE CAREFUL, especially if your intention is to party like it's 1999 - which seems like just a couple years ago, but also something like 100 years ago, both at the same time, but again, this could just be me and the old/slow thing :)


Let's unpack the week!

 

TUESDAY - Juno conjunct Neptune

WEDNESDAY - Venus sextile Neptune and Juno, U.S. Pluto return part III

THURSDAY - Mercury stations retrograde, Mercury conjunct Venus, First Quarter Moon

SUNDAY - Venus conjunct Pluto


On TUESDAY, Juno meets up with Neptune at 22 degrees Pisces. Soul contracts. Spiritual marriage/healing. This might speak of an idealized agreement or partnership, or, alternatively, the quiet ending/dissolving of an agreement/relationship that had previously empowered us. 

 

Remember Juno was part of Friday's New Moon in Capricorn powerful T-Square we talked about HERE. Juno can also speak of a situation where we are dealing with a 'season of life' issue/ typically a loss or something that is outside our control. Her conjunction to Neptune could have us seeing the situation with rose-colored glasses (which may or may not be a good thing, sometimes a little idealism is needed), or, maybe the situation itself (or its power over us) is dissolving. With Neptune we can only go with the flow/let go and let God. Marriage and partnership issues can be exhausting or spiritually connecting. Maybe both. 


On WEDNESDAY, Venus reaches the uber powerful 22 degrees Capricorn (master number/builder, power cemented, reality destroyed from January 2020) and sextiles - creative opportunity - yesterday's Juno/Neptune conjunction. 

 

The last time Venus reached the uber HOT 22 Cappy (last February) she was conjunct Mars and omicron was announced. With Juno's connection to 2020's 'time runs out' and Neptune's connection to viruses/illness maybe another variant is reported. Also last time Venus walked 22 degrees Cappy we saw Mars squeaking past her just as Russia's first bombs hit Ukraine. With our Goddess War chart connecting Juno to Ukraine and Venus to Zelensky, it is probably not a surprise both are very active now at the U.S. Pluto return's final curtain call. 

 

We just had Ukraine's President Zelensky speaking before the U.S. Congress - U.S. ruled by Jupiter freshly minted once again in Aries (war). Zelensky asked for more money (the U.S. Pluto return is happening in the U.S. second house of money/resources with the ruler of the 2nd house - Saturn - in the U.S. 10th house of Congress/the leaders. Note - the U.S. 10th house is ruled by Libra in the U.S. 7th house of partners and Zelensky has a natal Venus/Sun exact conjunction in his 9th house - foreigners). So, this all tied up in a nice red bow, with peace talks once again nowhere in sight, just in time for the holidays as members of Congress finally found something to unite over. No doubt Zelensky/Ukraine are part of this third leg of the U.S. Pluto return. 


Also tossed into the mix as Pluto returns for the final time to his position in 1776 when our forefathers signed the Declaration of Independence (remember this all came BEFORE the Revolutionary War) we find a volatile, repeating and out-of-bounds (not playing by the rules) Mars retrograding over the U.S. natal 7th house Uranus - chaos/trauma/the future - in the sign of other people, partners, open enemies. Sounds dangerous.

 

We also have the Sun conjunct Pholus (of the cork out of the bottle/sudden events infamy) on the U.S. natal Eris. This could speak of disruptive whistle blowers.

 

And we have Ceres conjunct the United States Mid-heaven (with Vesta on the U.S. natal Ceres powering this up) with Jupiter conjunct the IC. These two, Jupiter and Ceres, worked out a complicated compromise that saved the world once (the problem courtesy of Pluto/Putin and keep in mind this is the U.S. Pluto return chart) - the energy is here now for that, too, if anyone is noticing. 

 

With sober and, sometimes depressing, Saturn making his slow and steady journey toward the U.S. natal Moon (the people), I hope someone is ...


(we'll talk about this and more in the final installment of the U.S. Pluto return post this week)

 

For us, personally, anytime earth is pulled into a watery situation we can access something more solid/practical/real. Sextiles though are easy to miss. They require action like squares, but they don't create tension/frustration/the push to ACTION, so sometimes they just kind of float on by unnoticed. If you know the themes of your natal Cappy and Pisces houses there is an opportunity to combine something here. In general, and at its best, Cappy/Pisces energy is about building the dream. Venus/Juno pulls in relationship themes and Venus also pulls in our money, resources, values and self-esteem. This sextile is helpful. Give us grounding. Pulls a practical, real-world opportunity into our imaginings. Or, conversely, some idealism, connection, magic and miracles into our practical careers, goals and ambitions.

 

On THURSDAY, Mercury stations retrograde and then connects with Venus - the order of these two events both happening at 24 degrees Capricorn, is important.  


So, now it's Mercury's turn to retrograde through serious Capricorn. Giving us some time to re-vise, re-view, re-invent our Cappy house themes, goals, careers, reputations, etc - before mid-January's all-systems go. Keep in mind as Mercury stations retrograde we now have retrograde Mars answering to a retrograde Mercury. Expect delays, miscommunications and do-overs. Situations can change direction. For some people, old work situations, people and even opportunities will re-appear. Double check EVERYTHING IMPORTANT. 


Keep in mind also that Mercury and Venus are BOTH ON THEIR WAY TO PLUTO (death, transformation, some intense Scorpio theme). 


Mercury turns around - some information, conversation, idea that we ALREADY HAD needs another look. Then he quickly meets up with Venus, who made this same turnaround last winter. They talk relationships, money, resources, values. News and conversations about money, career, goals are likely. News that comes in now is subject to change, so are decisions made. He/she (Mercury) is moving backward now, which speaks of the possibility to CHANGE OUR MIND, see something differently - everyone in my family has lost or broken their eyeglasses this week and that must mean something, other than a large vision center bill on its way :)

 

VENUS, collecting this 'subject-to-change' information from Mercury, KEEPS GOING. 


Note, this is also our First Quarter Moon day - first challenge to our Cappy New Moon last week. The Moon is in independent Aries, the Sun in ambitious Capricorn. Maybe the Sun's propensity to follow the rules and tow the line in sober Cappy needs a push toward something more independent/new/less cautious. The First Quarter Moon is always a CHALLENGE and requires ACTION. It's designed to get us moving and keep our New Moon story growing. Happening as Mercury stations and with Mars ruling Aries and answering to Mercury - I would advise some caution here. Drive safely. Minds and directions will be changing all over the place over the next couple weeks.


On SATURDAY/SUNDAY - Venus, after handing Mercury her list of re-visions, earlier in the week, meets up with powerful Pluto. Venus/Pluto feels INTENSE, situations feel like life and death (and sometimes they are). This energy could give us a laser-beam focus on what we want and access to the ability/skills we need to work for it. Power moves are possible. Strong wants and desires. The purging of dead attractions and stagnant money - good energy for a trip to Goodwill on the one hand or the shopping mall on the other. Empowerment as we step into our goals and ambitions or the possibility of power plays when someone else does. Commitments made now will be very STICKY.


We could be dealing with big money situations - insurance, taxes, inheritance, other people's money.

 

This aspect could also, and this is almost certainly way more common, to pull in lower level Scorpio/Venus themes of love and money. Intense desires. Jealousy. Compulsion. Manipulation. Maybe a focus on what we don't have or what belongs to someone else. Third party situations. Plutonian aspects can be volatile and should be taken seriously and since this is applying on New Year's Eve - DON'T PUT YOURSELF IN DANGEROUS SITUATIONS. Avoid intimate mergers that have any kind of 'last chance' or compulsive life and death feeling to them - relationship, financial, sexual, etc. Venus will be in airy and detached Aquarius almost immediately and the situation will quickly not feel so intimate/intense and when she sextiles Jupiter just a couple days later, we will be wanting our independence or someone else will. 


This is an important week and falling in between the Christmas and New Year holidays when we are all kind of exhausted and wanting to chill out, leaves us even more open to missteps. Take your time. Enjoy that Venus/Neptune dreamy sextile.


I hope something here is helpful. Back with the U.S. Pluto return post and the Merc retrograde posts this week!


xo all - please excuse any typos/mistakes, reads a bit choppy, but too pooped to proof or edit tonight

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