mercury retrograde | December 2023 - taking a step back from our goals and ambitions, a December to remember
Sunday, December 3, 2023
I am going to toss this up tonight, December 6th, and then come back here during the week and flesh this all out (add content and context to the days/weeks) .
With everyone so busy and the holidays approaching I think the sooner we can look a little ahead the better.
December 2023 is all about an important Mercury retrograde that will take us from early Capricorn - collectively this will be about our goals/ambition/career/public life, our paternal storyline - back to the powerful 22nd degree of Sagittarius.
We will go back and forth over the Galactic Center - our collective 'homing signal' THREE times. Ands since this is a 'homing signal' and Mercury rules communication and language - this, just in itself, is a BIG DEAL.
For many people Cappy to Sag and back to Cappy will speak of their holiday activities.
Work to travel and back to work. Work to fun and then back to work. Work to church and then back to work.
For other people, a Cappy to Sagittarius Mercury speaks of a change of big picture beliefs/beliefs about what is possible for us, maybe especially in regard to our career and public life.
Some people will quit a job or retire.
Some will go back to school.
Some will find religion.
We go from an earth sign back into a fire sign, so maybe passions will be re-awakened, especially in regard to our AMBITIONS.
(I am half-watching a football game, and remembering a football-loving uncle who would speak of the players' need to 'play the ball' and not the other person. In Capricorn, and Pluto is getting ready to leave AGAIN - it is not a coincidence we get this important Mercury retrograde here now - we have been taking each other down for hundreds and hundreds of years in our attempt TO GET THE BALL. Cappy is as patriarchal/hierarchical as we get, and our group memories here are TRIBAL and not in line with the more individualistic energies of our newly emerging Aquarian landscape. This 'stranger in a strange land' thing we've got going on now coupled with many withdrawing from those who are different isn't working/computing because our data is OUT OF DATE. Three passes of Mercury over the Galactic Center will help.)
And maybe nothing says CHIRISTMAS more than a return to the more high-flying/good natured energy of Sagittarius after the wintery earth and sometimes dearth of Capricorn.
Of course, the retrograde itself will add some wonk and miscommunications - shop early! Recheck travel plans and communications, back up files - you know the drill.
Rethinking, Revising. Revisiting. Reminiscing. All, par for the course, when Mercury is retrograde.
Something else to keep in mind with Mercury's extended stay in Capricorn is that Mercury in Cappy requires sober/disciplined thinking to avoid depression. Our foray into sunny Sag will hopefully help us avoid much of this. But, keep in mind, if you find yourself reminiscing, and not in a good way, feeling lonely/feeling the winter blues - this too shall pass. Transits are called transits because they are TRANSITORY.
Let's unpack this thing!
NOVEMBER 25th - Mercury reaches 22 degrees Sagittarius - starts walking degrees he will repeat
DECEMBER 1st - Mercury direct enters Capricorn - here is where our words/communications, etc start to become more serious, keep in mind whatever is happening now will have connections to what we have going on later in the month because Mercury will be re-walking these same Cappy degrees two more times
DECEMBER 13th - Mercury stations retrograde at 8 degrees Cappy (hours after the Sagittarius New Moon at 20 degrees Sagittarius)
It is also worth mentioning and we will talk about this in the 2024 posts - Ceres is going to move into Capricorn in early February 2024 and stay there, due to her upcoming retrograde, for almost the entire year of 2024 (thru December 7, 2024). Her retrograde will start in the middle of May on 21 degrees Capricorn, which is pretty much where she was back in January 2020 when "time ran out". I will give that its own post.
DECEMBER 18th - Mercury retro trines Jupiter retro (5 degrees)
DECEMBER 21st - Mercury retro sextiles Saturn (2 degrees)
DECEMBER 22nd - Sun conjunct Mercury retro (0 degrees), Solstice - here is a light on what this Mercury retrograde is about for us, happening at the Solstice powers this all up/extends its timeline
DECEMBER 23rd - Mercury retrograde, backs into OPTIMISTIC Sagittarius
DECEMBER 27th- Mercury retrograde squares Neptune (25 degrees), Mercury retrograde conjunct Mars (24 degrees) - this period of time around the Mercury/Mars, maybe especially in the couple days prior as this conjunction is applying, will likely be the MOST VOLATILE. Now we have Mercury retrograde, so wonky anyway, back in bombastic Sag, squaring illusive Neptune and meeting up with a fired up Mars. Disagreements/misunderstandings are possible. Double check your info and keep your communications short and to the point.
JANUARY 1st - Mercury stations direct at 22 degrees Sagittarius (hours after Jupiter stations direct at 5 degrees Taurus, the degree of the Lunar Eclipse of October 28th)
JANUARY 8th - Mercury direct squares Neptune (25 degrees) again
JANUARY 18th - Mercury direct sextiles Saturn (4 degrees) again
JANUARY 19th - Mercury direct trines Jupiter (6 degrees) again
JANUARY 20th - PLUTO leaves Capricorn and RE-ENTERS AQUARIUS, now all planets except Uranus (co-ruler of Aquarius) are direct and one week later on January 27th, Uranus stations direct.
So by JANUARY 27TH - all planets are direct, Pluto is back in Aquarius, the future is reaching back to pull us forward and ALL SYSTEMS ARE GO
Note - this 'all systems are go' thing doesn't mean we can sit on the sidelines until the end of January. We have to work the process of these retrogrades in order to be in the right place at the right time - and in the right frame of mind - at the end/beginning of all this.
And, yes, if you feeling a sense of deja vu about Pluto going into Aquarius, you aren't hallucinating. We were here last year around this same time of year dancing this same dance, but now we are OLDER AND WISER and Pluto will make one final pitstop back in Capricorn next fall. Pluto really doesn't want to leave Capricorn! :)
I will add to this post as I go through the week and have time to get back here.
This Mercury Retrograde is a GIFT - we are going from Sagittarius hope and optimism to Capricorn realism and then back to the hope/optimism to iron out a few things/regroup, maybe remember what we were all fired up about in the first place (!) and then finally back to the Cappy realism - with renewed enthusiasm and vigor.
Think - yes, to extended planning and negotiation. No - to contracts and singing on the dotted line (if possible, sometimes it won't be and then you will need to know there will be revisions) until mid January.
xo
weekly astrology forecast | October 30th, 2023 to November 5th, 2023 - november's war zone triggers our triggers and our instinct to stay alive
Sunday, October 29, 2023
Lots of oppositions in November, as the Gods (and those who think they are), battle it out, through us,
with the whole month flavored by an INTENSE Sun/Mars conjunction on November 18th when they (as we) start a new cycle together in Scorpio.
(Sun/Mars conjunctions are important launch pads - four years ago they met in Virgo and we spent the next two years enmeshed, collectively, in health and work matters, two years ago they met in Libra and we spent the past two years enmeshed in balance, relationship and partnership matters and now we usher in two years of Scorpio drama - death, merged monies, transformation, sex, gender, secrets. Oh course Mars was debilitated in Libra and is now strong/stable in Scorpio, that's good.)
We are the heroes we have been waiting for guys, so how are we going to handle these November challenges?
Remember that butterfly effect - the chaos theory thing about a butterfly flapping its wings in one part of the world causing a hurricane in another. Maybe this has been disproven, I don't know, BUT it is certain that small things create BIG things.
If we go back to that sandwich metaphor/analogy (which was it or was it just an imaginary peanut butter and jelly created by my growling stomach) from my last post HERE we might remember that World War I started with the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand when, after several unsuccessful attempts at his life, the killer stopped for a sandwich just as the Archduke's car was turning around right in front of him. The killer then shot Ferdinand and his wife plunging the world into years of chaos.
I am sure a good, properly made sandwich has saved the world many times, too.
If we are haunted right now by the beating of the drums of war, maybe the most important thing we can do - with the Sun in Scorpio - is what we don't do.
Let's not normalize any of this sh*t. Let's catch ourselves projecting our shadow onto THE OTHER and welcome it back into ourselves like we might a long lost cousin. Let's not over-indulge our pandemic weary minds in death and destruction. Let's all let go of something DEAD. Yes, that leather handbag you haven't used for years is a good place to start.
Don't stop there. Clean out your closet. Your inbox. Your refrigerator. Nothing dead gets to stay.
I used to have many pictures of people who had past scattered around my house. Now I have just a few and all in one place and it brings me comfort to go there, but the rest of my house is dedicated to the LIVING.
To life.
(also I have found it helpful to centering my home's energy in the present, to hang more recent pictures of people, instead of mostly pictures of grown people when they were children or old events, etc, we do need roots and need to be rooted though, so see what you think of this - experiment a bit)
Taurus is the house of my gnarly T-Square's empty leg, so I know a little bit about this part.
Bring plants into your home. Get a few of those plant lights - they are not expensive and they work - if you don't have the sun/windows. More life.
We have to untangle this dangerous slow suicide we are dancing with through negative thinking.
Anyone born in the 1960's with Neptune in Scorpio, maybe I am especially talking to you - stop idealizing death in any way you are idealizing death. Pray. And you, Pluto in Scorpio generation (roughly born 1984-1995), we need your power and not your manipulations, please bring us your best and highest selves. And the Uranus in Scorpio generation (roughly late 1974-late 1981) - the world needs you to show us how to change! What do you need to change?
This won't be about stuffing what is uncomfortable because Sun/Mars with that Scorpio vibration for the next two years tells us the dead are not going to stay buried. The North Node in Aries is answering to Mars, so this all matters more than ever. There is only one way through - NEW ACTION. Courage. Yes, maybe fighting. But we don't have to kill each other. Yes, Scorpio rules death. But, Scorpio is also the phoenix rising from the ashes. We can TRANSFORM each other.
There's a Full Moon in Gemini at the end of November. Let's see where all this stands/where we stand when we get there.
In the meantime, as the Sun/Mars/Mercury oppose Jupiter in the beginning of the month - ask yourself, where is my blind conviction? What am I not seeing in my own life?
As the Sun/Mars oppose Uranus - DANGER WILL ROBINSON - next week and in play starting this week - ask yourself - where is my finger on the trigger due to old trauma/woundings? How can I release this tension in a healthier way?
From mid month on as Mars/Sun square Saturn and hopefully bring some restraint and limits to whatever the hell is going on in the world - ask yourself - how do I need to restrain/limit myself?
At the end of November and into the middle of December as Sun/Mars trine Chiron - ask yourself - how can I learn to live with these very old/unhealable wounds? so I can get my FINGER OFF THE GOD DAMNED TRIGGER?
Let's unpack the week.
TUESDAY - Venus trine Uranus
WEDNESDAY - Mercury inconjunct Chiron
THURSDAY - Vesta stations retrograde
FRIDAY - Sun oppose Jupiter, Venus inconjunct NN, Venus opposes Neptune, Venus semi-square Jupiter
SATURDAY - Saturn stations direct
SUNDAY - Mercury oppose Uranus, Third Quarter Moon in Leo
MONDAY - We wake EDT to a void Moon, so we are kind of floating through the morning. Get routine tasks attended to early. The Moon moves into Gemini at 11:07AM. Now we are nurtured through ideas/learning, conversations, variety, versatility, humor/logic, pairs of things, interactions within our local community, with our siblings, our tech/transportation, commerce (sounds random, but think about Mercury/Hermes, ruler of Gemini, our fleet footed and trickster messenger and about how ideas and other things spread). Luna immediately is met with a square to Saturn - an obligation, limit, boundary, block, authority. Saturn is strong now, preparing to station direct in a few days. The morning's flow hits tension/frustration. This is pressure/can feel depressing. We will just have to deal with it/work within its limits. The Moon will be in Gemini for a couple days, squaring first Saturn and then Venus and finally Neptune. Things won't be totally comfortable. Tension/frustration, the need to be versatile and go with the flow.
TUESDAY - Venus trines Uranus. 21 degrees Virgo and Taurus. Forward movement. Changes that click into place. This is about real world practical things. Take advantage. We just have to keep a heads up that we don't overdo something/count on something that isn't real - because we can see Venus's next aspects are an inconjunct to Chiron - something hurts - and an opposition to Neptune - illusion/burst bubble.
Take things one step at a time. See how your energy feels - do you feel energized or exhausted. Let that guide your actions here. Lean into what is exciting/forward feeling, but don't jump off a bridge with it. For some people, this could be good news with love or money.
Usually trines keep us going in whatever direction we are headed, but Uranus is a wildcard. EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED.
WEDNESDAY - Now Mercury in Scorpio is between his square and opposition to Uranus - that rock and a hard place aspect called an inconjunct. This is Scorpio/Aries. Both powerful Mars signs. Words can hurt. News can be painful and feel personal even if it isn't; triggering other times we have felt unsafe. Mercury in Scorpio doesn't mince words. Drive safely. Think before you speak.
THURSDAY - Vesta, stations retrograde at 7 degrees Cancer. We are going back over the home/family/real estate/mother/family business/home business/safety situation we have been obsessing over - the thing that has been keeping us up at night. She will re-enter Gemini on December 20th when old conversations and ideas are pulled into the mix and finally station direct at 21 degrees Gemini on February 8th, when we start to cover all of this all over again. This is where Venus was during a Sagittarius Lunar Eclipse in 2021 and connects to ancestral healing. This is also the degree Venus started and ended her Gemini retrograde in May 2020 when we were all locked down and enough people charged with changing our values to shift things and THAT ONE - link to post HERE - was connected back to 2012, so I would anticipate Vesta's retrograde now and into 2024 to matter. This retrograde will also connect back to late August 2023 when Vesta first crossed 21 degrees Gemini. If a home/family situation slows, stops or turns around now, know this is going to be a long journey where the conversation/ideas will change.
FRIDAY - the Sun opposes Jupiter, Venus opposes Neptune and inconjuncts the North Node. Venus semi-squares Jupiter.
The Venus/Jupiter semi-square is kind of telling us here that the Jupiter aspect with the Sun and Venus's aspects with Neptune and the North Node are all part of the same thing. So, we had that trine from Venus to Uranus earlier in the week - the brakes came off something, we slipped right into change/the future with something. Now we get to see pretty quickly if this is all a delusion or just all too exhausting.
The Sun's opposition to Jupiter - combined with Venus's challenges - warns against over-spending (if, let's say that earlier Venus/Uranus brought in some unexpected money, don't run out and spend it all on something you don't really need - take a breath with it), counting chickens before they have hatched. Things could feel very all or nothing, but what is actually real here? Oppositions are like Full Moons. Something is illuminated.
Exaggerated and unbalanced situations (sometimes big lessons with Sun/Jupiter) are CULMINATING. Some will get lucky with this energy though. Here's hoping it's you.
SATURDAY - Daddy's home as Saturn stations direct - even, if this year, daddy's drunk (Saturn in Pisces), has a head cold or is slightly off his rocker. Still - here is a REALITY CHECK - and another reason not to elope to Vegas with the Sun/Jupiter, Venus/Uranus. Saturnian situations can turn around - particular our career/ambitions will start to PROGRESS AGAIN. If some kind of ending was held back with Saturn retrograde, here is where we might get it. Limits are imposed, but they likely won't be rock solid with Saturn in Pisces.
Keep in mind Saturn is slow moving and will take some time to get up to speed. Cappy risings will probably feel his change of direction first.
SUNDAY - Mercury opposes Uranus as the Moon in Leo squares the Sun in Scorpio. Mercury/Uranus here is unexpected news, an ending or a monkey wrench. Plans change. Expect the unexpected. There is tension/frustration around change or money/values situations. At the same time we get our Third Quarter Square Moon - an adjustment needed after last week's Full Moon in Taurus. The Moon in Leo pulls our ego into the mix. External validation vs research/shadow work/what is hidden. The pull will be toward the external - maybe getting credit?, but ultimately it will work out best to keep those cards closer to our vest for now ... let's see what the Mercury/Uranus shakes loose FIRST. The Moon in Leo looks plenty challenged with multiple squares. Better to deal with the Moon in Virgo next week's better aspects if you can. If not, know they are COMING.
I hope something here is helpful.
Just keep in mind, we can't avoid the challenging squares and oppositions that take us to the smooth trines and sextiles - we need the timeline shifting challenges to line up with better/smoother situations. The chickens have to come home to roost. They have nowhere else to go.
The Eclipses have ended, but their ramifications continue to roll out. Remember that last Eclipse, the one in Taurus, ends with an empowering trine to Pluto.
November looks challenging.
I don't want to sugar coat it.
Pace yourself. Maintain your boundaries and filter the collective news when you need to. Forewarned is forearmed. We are going to be triggered and confronted and how we will respond will matter as much as that sandwich did to Ferdinand.
Small things are big things.
Stay in your own shoes.
xo all
please excuse any typos or nonsense, too tired today to reread
the astrology of venus cazimi | August 13th, 2023 - laying it all on the line
Saturday, August 12, 2023
weekly astrology forecast | July 24th to 30th, 2023 - the fate train rolls on ....
Sunday, July 23, 2023
Last week and this week's energies with their 'cosmic course correction' aspects to the nodes have an Eclipsey/other-worldy feel to them, don't they?!
We have a few inconjuncts this week, so we know we are going to need to be making adjustments. This doesn't work, so we try that. That doesn't work, so we do this. We could feel between rocks and hard places. Nothing will feel settled. And, this is making me think of something I said to someone last week about how there isn't really a solution to problems anymore. The solution just creates a new problem. Which I guess is what happens when we are operating at a higher level, and I guess the solution is still a solution of sorts, but still ... again, nothing feels settled.
On Monday, the Moon in Libra is floating between SUNDAY'S Sun/Moon trine and Tuesday's sextile to Mercury, so it's a good day for Libra stuff - socializing, time with partners/collaborators, time with women, work that makes the world (and notably your own life) more beautiful
That same Libra Moon goes void at 11:05AM EDT on Tuesday off a tense/frustrating square to Pluto - remember with Pluto back at the very end of Capricorn most planets leaving signs will be dealing with him in one way or another on their way out - so although the morning can start off smooth, there is some kind of hiccup here. Could be more than a hiccup if this is hitting your chart, but then Luna goes void, so things ease up. She is void for a couple hours - take a long lunch, you won't miss anything and might need the break - before moving into Scorpio where our emotions intensify anyway. By tonight EDT she is squaring the Sun - this month's First Quarter Square Leo/Scorpio. This is crisis that triggers action. The bright and fun-loving Leo Sun doesn't want to see what's in the shadows, but we are going to need to look at it/deal with it. Maybe we can sleep through this one and let our dreams handle it!
The major aspects this week are:
THURSDAY - Mercury conjunct Venus (retro).
Mercury, on his/her way out of Leo, meets up with a retrograde Venus just getting started with her backtracking. Someone/something we used to love can have our attention and/or we might be re-evaluating old creative projects, people from our past, etc. Conversations, communications, information, ideas - all have their roots in the past now. We could feel very nostalgic.
FRIDAY - Mercury trines the North Node/sextiles South Node, Mercury enters Virgo, Pluto squares North and South Nodes
Off his/her nostalgic meeting with the lovely - and dramatic in Leo - Venus, Mercury is in smooth flow with our fiery Arian future. Something is lighting a fire under us, hopefully it's not the forest! Pay attention to what comes to your attention now. News. Conversations. Information. There is a flashing green light here somewhere. This is Leo/Aries so BOLD and fresh.
Then Mercury comes home to Virgo. Time to get back to work. Time to get organized. Time to clean up the mess. Time to fix something. Mercury will be in Virgo until the beginning of October due to his retrograde next month, so whatever needs cleaning up with out daily habits, work, health will get cleaned up.
With Mercury in Virgo, our thinking, writing and communication will be more practical and commonsense. We will be all about the details. Nothing gets by Mercury in Virgo. But lots of things get dismissed. If it's not real/not factually stated/if it doesn't work - it's outta here.
This is an excellent transit for organization, cleaning, paperwork, taking care of our health, the ins and outs of our work and daily routine, our pets.
We will see all the little problems, but still need to avoid nitpicking. Leo to Virgo is 'creating to critiquing' and that is natural/cyclical, but with everything all of us are dealing with, and with Venus retrograde, we need to be gentle with each other. The biting criticism (that will look to us like practical advice) that is right on the tip of our tongue might need to be swallowed sometimes. Gulp.
The details. One thing at a time. Lists are good. Practical ideas, solutions and fixes can pop right into our head.
Pay attention to your language - we want to be precise now.
We want to honor Mercury (trust me on this, he can cause us oodles of damage and danger when we don't). Think about what you are thinking about. Watch what you are watching.
What you are reading, talking about, hearing - will matter now. Virgo rules our digestion - what we put in will be what we get out and impact how well we can function.
Notice how you verbally get in your own way - use unnecessary negative words (like saying something "isn't bad" when you mean it is good), double speak, babble, gas-lighting, lies. Avoid that "sorry" thing some people say moving through life. We aren't really sorry anyway right - so why are we saying it.
Words are powerful. They are some of the most powerful tools we have to move through life on planet Earth - let's not hold ourselves back by tossing around stuff we don't mean/don't want to have/don't want to be.
At the same time Pluto is making ANOTHER exact square with the Nodes of Fate. They are moving together right now, so this is pulled from last week and in play ALL WEEK. We are releasing what is dead ... permanently. Power struggles can move us in new directions. Collectively this is about MAJOR shifts with our goals, ambition, career. Personally much will depend on your natal Cappy house theme. So, we've got something CLOSING OUT/pushing us through tension/frustration toward something NEW - remember Pluto is retrograde this is OLD/deep/intense stuff - and we've got Mercury trining those same nodes, so conversations, information, IDEAS pointing us in brand new directions! And then Mercury moves into his home sign to get this whole thing rolling. Note - this 'rolling' thing is going to take some time.
Venus is retrograde now. By next month Mercury will be, too and most of the planets. We have had this the past few years - big retrogrades in the summer and things start moving ahead in the fall/winter. Get your house in order. Plan accordingly.
xo all
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