Mercury retrograde conjunct Saturn, Mars sextiles both | getting serious, thoughts become things, confidence needed, yes - you need a strategy

***by Daizy-M

Today we have a retrograde Mercury (news, information, communication) meeting up with Saturn (limits, responsibilities, authority, time) while both planets sextile (opportunity) Mars (in Libra).

Whatever Mercury retrograde has us - re-working, re-visiting, re-doing, re-thinking, re-leasing - will be front and center now.

Mercury conjunct Saturn is a repeating aspect. We had this on November 28th and it repeats again next month when both planets have moved into Capricorn - that's when we get the final, final.

In the meantime, whatever is happening now will be re-looked at. Maybe some discussion is dragging on. Maybe a firm commitment isn't looking quite so firm or a finish-line has been moved.

Today's sextile (opportunity) with active Mars in diplomatic Libra tells us headway can be made now. If we must deal, yes, one more time, with another tough problem/decision some progress can be made here - you are a General, you need a strategy.

What are your priorities? What are your responsibilities? Where are your boundaries? What action can you take now - remember the Universe can use whatever action you take to get you where you need/want to be.

While Mercury and Saturn are still in optimistic Sagittarius, the way through this is a type of confident and expectant fearlessness. 

And taking action from that space.

Thinking - "of course things are going my way" and then, before we know it, they actually are. Our heads/words (Mercury) are creating the concrete/foundation (Saturn) the next few years are built with.

Realize any delays or slow-downs now are part of the process. Where have our limiting beliefs about what is possible for us kept us boxed in?

There is some connection between that and whatever is happening now.

Notice the way our thoughts become literal things we can touch today - there is magic afoot people!

xo all

Chiron Stations Direct | feeling is healing, sharing what we have learned, make some chicken soup, clearing the ground for our future self to assert her will despite being awkward and feeling unprepared

hoping for a white christmas by photoflake

Chiron stations direct at 24 degrees Pisces (retrograde since July).

Especially if you have planets or points from 24-28 degrees of Pisces (the degrees he traveled during his retrograde) - or the other mutable signs - Virgo, Gemini and Sagittarius - you would be feeling this.

Read the Chiron myth. Remember what a 'myth' is - a myth is something that never happened that is always happening.

It would be a good day to honor the parts of ourselves/our heritage we have abandoned as unacceptable.

Chiron's direct motion today can indicate forward movement around a hurtful/difficult issue. Chiron doesn't heal the issue, but his station direct can create forward momentum. Remember the gifts of Chiron - once the wound is accepted - of compassion, empathy, a capacity to pass this hard-earned wisdom to other people in a way that penetrates them (since we have been there/are there) - we become magnetic.

(and speaking of magnetic - warning shameless plug ahead - I still have a few gazillion of these magnetic lockets to move from my house to someone else's this holiday season and they make wonderful gifts - blog readers get 25% off with the coupon code OliveReader)

Chiron's movement now could focus us, via whatever is happening in our lives, toward a space of vulnerability, a space that hurts, maybe a space where we have a little bit more to give.

Chiron is moving into brave and pioneering Aries in mid-April, so we could be feeling a push to get something wrapped up now to clear a space for that. Next year Chiron will require us to assert our will despite feeling awkward and unprepared.

In the meantime if you are feeling/healing this transit some ideas would be 1. share your journey/story with other people - what have you learned so far 2. be kind - with ourselves and with other people now 3. stay hydrated and get enough sleep - Chiron's station is a good time for physical illnesses to worsen a bit 4. honor the times we have overcome hardship - we are stronger than we think we are

Mercury and Saturn are approaching each other again - exact tomorrow - Mercury is retrograde - this isn't the time for big new moves.

The Moon is in Cancer - focusing us on home, family, real estate, home/family business, renovations, moves, our roots, mothering and trining Jupiter and Neptune. This is perfect energy to release any attachment to the past that is keeping us stuck as we dream and intuit a future of prosperity, security and kinship.

By this afternoon the Moon will oppose Pluto so interactions with other people could be complicated and difficult as we adjust to each other - time could be better spent cleaning out closets, in-boxes, etc. Pluto rules elimination - what needs to go?


xo all

Astrology Forecast for Creatives | December 2017 - a look at the month ahead from big bang to long winter's nap ...

Porcelain by kamakebelieve

I thought I would put up a monthly for those who like to look ahead.

I will still be writing the dailies, but the Sunday weeklies will probably need to be put to bed for December to make way for my holiday shipping - time to make the donuts.

(Note - blog readers always get 25% off in both my Etsy shops with couple code - OliveReader - Polarity and Uncorked)

Below is pretty much the gist of what I would likely be writing about in the weeklies anyway except for the Moons which I will try to work in somehow.

We have a couple more weeks before Saturn comes home to Capricorn and the planetary energies are doing their best to bust us out of any comfort zones before the cement gets poured!

With Saturn in Capricorn we will be building from the ground up - it is never to late to start anew. How do we want to spend our precious days on planet Earth? What would we be happy if we never had to do again? What do we want to build this time? It is Sagittarius season and there is a whole big world out there.

December starts with a BANG.

On DECEMBER 1st, Mars (in Libra) opposes Uranus (in Aries). This is an abrupt change (unexpected action) or some kind of big push forward into new territory. No one will want to be caged in. No one will want to play by other people's rules - or any rules! Lack of progress can be frustrating. Mars in Libra wants things to remain balanced and diplomatic, but Uranus has other ideas.

We will likely get a clear look this weekend at the price we are paying to remain comfortably housed in our box. Don't worry. Wood crates are so last century - boxes are mostly made of cardboard these days - and we can bust our way out of those!

This energetic shift (this has been in play all week and for a few more days) will solidify something in our Sagittarius field by the time Mercury meets Saturn again on December 6th.

These energies don't always play nice. Keep in mind that we and other people could be impatient and even confrontational. Something started at the end of March 2017 could reach a testing/tension point this week. I have a friend who quit a new job she worked hard to get after one little thing went wrong yesterday - not such a good use of this radical energy.

People prone to making unpredictable moves (likely strong Uranus) or people whose "go-to" emotion is anger anyway (likely strong Mars), could really muck this up. But we all could, so stay frosty.

Mars/Uranus always brings the possibility of violence or an argument, so do your best to out-maneuver anything too wild and erratic. Take care with fire, electricity and power tools. Drive carefully. Look before you leap. This could be just what is needed to kick-start a stalled project/relationship as long as we are willing to try something new AND not take things too far too fast.

Venus moves out of her detriment in Scorpio and into sunny Sagittarius! Sagittarius Suns and risings become more attractive - both easier on the eye and able to attract what they want. All of our Sagittarius houses become more attractive, too! Where is Sagittarius in your natal chart?

We will be attracted to bigger and bolder and more adventurous people and schemes. Venus in Sagittarius is naturally hopeful and idealistic - this, especially coupled with its kick-off Mars/Uranus energy - will encourage us to explore a wider vista. Maybe sometimes the grass really is greener on the other side.

Venus themes - love, money, women, beauty, self-esteem, our values and resources - could offer us some kind of escape now - it is the season after all! - maybe something impractical or exaggerated. This might be just what is needed for now to get us unstuck from something else.

Don't use his energy as an excuse to buy more/bigger than we planned to buy. We don't want to be over-spending on holiday gifts now because the month is going to totally flip around on us later and we will probably come to regret it.

On DECEMBER 3rd, we have a Full Moon in Gemini and Mercury (Gemini's ruling planet) stations retrograde. Mercury is still conjunct Saturn (karma, limits, authority, structure, time) and the Moon and Sun are square to fuzzy, dreamy Neptune.

Most people think of Mercury retrograde as the time he/she is backtracking, but the story is LARGER than that - his journey (inside us) actually takes us over situations and issues THREE times - we go forward, we go backward (doing the "re's") and then forward for one final time after we've had time to re-access, re-examine (whatever the situation calls for) whatever is happening.

It brings delays and slow-downs. Stuff that is usually fast moving (Mercury is the fleet footed messenger), that carries us/our thinking/our belongings from space to space, gets wonky. Anticipate postal delays and shop early. Insure your packages. Double check your travel plans. BACK UP YOUR COMPUTER. This is not a good time for any large purchases, especially of complicated items.

I remember when most people had never heard of Mercury Retrograde and now it seems like poor Mercury (planet of communication and MAGIC) is being shamed/blamed for everything that goes wrong! This is probably because 1. the internet has exposed many more people to astrological teachings 2. most people are moving so fast now any sort of slowdown feels like a problem  3. it's a convenient excuse when stuff falls to shit (pardon my french), especially stuff that would normally be considered our fault.

Life doesn't stop because Mercury (or any other planet) is retrograde. Yes, it's not a good time to sign an ironclad contract (but how many ironclad contracts will we sign in our lifetimes anyway) because conditions will change later and we might be stuck.

But for most things that come up during Mercury Retrograde, we can change our mind later (yes, we're human, this is usually allowed). We can also wait. If we do buy something big now, especially something with fast moving parts, we can keep our receipts and we can buy that service contract we always refuse to spend the money on. If our hair colorist is on vacation and the substitute gives us a really bad vibe, maybe our roots can wait until our colorist gets back.

Yup, there's that waiting thing again.

(now life is tricky and Mercury is actually known as 'the trickster' and also a genius and knows that the best - and possibly only - way to develop patience is to encounter situations that require this of us - life sends us an opportunity to learn patience by practicing patience - in other words - delays, traffic situations, time spent waiting - you get the picture)

If we obsess over everything that can go wrong during a Mercury Retrograde we will miss our chance to experience everything that can go right.

This is the time we get sightings of what's arriving. Mercury says .... "hold up there a minute sister, don't rush forward too quickly. This may take a little time". With Saturn sitting pretty much right on top of him/her this is especially true now.

The Full Moon is too complicated to toss together in a paragraph, but here goes. It will be confusing. How confusing? Well, if you have any planets or points around 11 degrees of the mutable signs - Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces - you can tell me when it's over!

There could be choices. There could be fiction presented to us as fact. There could be fact that looks like fiction The Full Moon will bring something to light or to a conclusion, but we won't know if it is the real deal or more sleight of hand. Things that look over might not be. Things that look full steam ahead might not be.

The Moon is inconjunct Jupiter so we will probably want whatever we are hearing to be true, even if all kinds of buzzers are going off in our head that this is too good to be true.

With Mercury stationing retrograde at the same time we won't be able to sweep any inconsistencies under the rug because we will be hitting this degree (walking this path, opening this door) two more times! Let things unfurl a little here. A Full Moon in Gemini is great energy for second chances and multiple options - just keep those options open for a bit ...

On DECEMBER 4th, we have the first of three highly anticipated trines between Jupiter (in Scorpio) and Neptune (in Pisces). This is our dreams on steroids encouraging creativity, spirituality, compassion, romance. Angels are standing by. Ask for assistance.

The fly in the ointment with this (you can always count on my Mercury in Capricorn to point out the flies!) is Sunday's confusing Full Moon in Gemini.

We could spend this energy trying to figure out what everything that is happening actually means. 

If you find yourself pleading with life to tell you what the hell life is trying to tell you "what the hell should I do?" and not getting any answers - stop doing this and clean your closets. Give stuff away. The Moon is Full - create some space. Then ask again from a more sacred, humble place. xo

On DECEMBER 5th, Chiron stations direct at 24 degrees Pisces. Especially if you have planets or points from about 24-28 degrees of Pisces - or the other mutable signs - Virgo, Gemini and Sagittarius - you would have been dealing with this since late June/early July when Chiron stationed retrograde. By mid April 2018 Chiron will be completely finished with these degrees and yes, moving on into Aries. Do I hear a collective Pisces cheer? I thought so!

Sometimes Chiron transits show up as physical illness and could be especially felt around the times he stations (standing still/changing direction). We might need to take special care of our physical body now and/or give ourselves a mental health break.

We move through whatever pain, wound or vulnerability we are dealing with by A. surviving the transit and B. getting in touch with the real root of the situation, which often involves an old wound the current wound is reactivating. Often feeling is healing, sometimes it is more about managing the pain. I am sure Chiron (as well as Neptune) moving through Pisces has played a big role in the current opioid crisis.

The mid 60's born Chiron in Pisces group currently experiencing their Chiron return are invited to turn their erratic and painful (60's energy) "poison" into "medicine" and offer it in the spirit of healing and service now in whatever way is appropriate within each person's purpose and vocation ... hopefully we have enough left and awake in this generation (working through the collective separation from spirit/invisibility) to move the needle.

On DECEMBER 6th, Mars sextiles (opportunity) Saturn and Mercury conjuncts Saturn (again). Our Mercury retrograde story gets another jolt of reality, takes another karmic hit (can you feel the deep gunk being shifted?). Sober up. The sextile promotes taking action that creates long lasting results. Serious words, serious action produces real results over time.

Two days later on DECEMBER 8th, Mars moves out of his detriment in Venus ruled Libra and into Scorpio, a sign he used to RULE. Our power, courage and tenacity increases. Probably 10 fold. Well, Mercury is still retrograde so maybe 6 fold.

The next week is kind of quiet with exact aspects - keep in mind that, yes, Mercury is still retrograde.

On DECEMBER 18th, we have the New Moon in Sagittarius. Fire sign New Moons are especially effective "starter" energy. This one is conjunct Saturn on the uber powerful last degree of Sagittarius and squaring Chiron. This sounds like the final birth pains as we walk the very, very end of Sagittarius - with the energy around "counting our blessings" tossed in at exactly the most appropriate time of the holiday season. What have we learned about ourselves during the last 3 years as Saturn moved through Sagittarius? What beliefs have shifted? How has our Sagittarius house been impacted? How has our, and the collective's, working through issues dealing with the Sagittarius themes of religion, foreign travel, foreign people, higher education, expansion, faith, publishing, the media, our brother and sister-in-laws, weddings - changed us during this time?

This will be a big week.

On DECEMBER 20th, Saturn comes home to Capricorn until January 2020. This is the biggest astrological news/shift of the year. This is about integrity and responsibility - putting on our big girl pants and handling whatever it is we need to handle. Buy yourself a few pairs. Getting serious. Getting credentialed. Getting down to business. Facing reality. Whatever these words are bringing up for us will probably be on our agenda plus a whole bunch of stuff we can't see past the 'hoops we will have to jump through to prove ourselves and stay afloat' to know about them yet.

Capricorn rules winter and this is going to be a LONG one. If we haven't made a holiday gimme list for Santa yet - we need mittens. And a hat. And actually the coal we are usually hoping isn't tossed into our Christmas stockings will be a good idea this year. Hang onto the coal.

#kidding #notkidding

Keep in mind our Capricorn house is already where we take things seriously. Whatever area of life this is impacting for each of us, and I will do a post, has never been a walk in the park for us anyway. 

I don't think Capricorns have anything to worry about, since they have been marinating in this stuff since birth. So don't fret Cappys - you've got this thing!

Saturn transits "grow us up". And the things we commit to during Saturn transits will not be easily discarded. That's why we have been ' working through' following our heart for the last year and finding our flock the year before to get us in a better position for this cycle.

If we have to be poured into concrete at least we want to have a nice view of the ocean (or whatever our heart answers to) and to maybe not be standing next to annoying a--holes.

If you are already exhausted and these words make you want to lay down, believe me you are definitely Saturnian enough - I can tell without even looking at your chart - to survive/thrive your way through this one

(since, like the girl who brings her laptop on vacation, you have been working when you could have been drinking mojitos on the beach - the mojitos may be gone now, but you won't notice because you weren't drinking them anyway).

This is excellent energy for laying strong foundations and building things that last from the ground up.

Saturn (authority) has just been through the Galactic Center and Capricorn (Saturn's sign) has been pummeled by Pluto for years (since 2008). Authority isn't what it used to be. The limit that has been holding us back - which was never really real to begin with isn't even there anymore. It gets clearer everyday that the emperor isn't wearing any clothes. The Saturn archetype we carry IS a new man even if he still looks like the same old man on the outside.

Within the collective we'll get to experience how this all plays out - there is much karmic reaping and sowing during Saturn in Capricorn. And yes, we have a front row ticket. AND yes, we are also working the ticket stands and sweeping out the stadium. Maybe cleaning the ladies room, but I hope to hell not.

On DECEMBER 21st, the Sun moves into Capricorn kicking off the Winter Solstice and we all start burning Capricorn fuel. I am not going to say the word serious again (although I guess I just did) - this is winter we are talking about - our ancestors froze to death in their beds if they hadn't prepared well. We probably won't, but please prepare well because you never know.

The next day on DECEMBER 22nd, Saturn offers one final test as he semi-squares Jupiter (in Scorpio) and the following day DECEMBER 23rd, Mercury (in Sagittarius and answering to Jupiter) stations direct. Do I hear a Hallelujah that this happens before Christmas! On DECEMBER 24th, Jupiter squares the North and South Nodes challenging our sense of direction.

Mars trines (brakes off) dreamy Neptune on DECEMBER 28th - I'm planning a movie marathon or long nap for this one. 2018 is going to be huge and we'll need it!

And yes, I realize I just flew through the last week and it is too big for that!

We will talk about all of this as we move through it with the dailies.

We will get through this together and always keep in mind that even in the coldest days of winter there is hot cocoa and warm blankets and good books.

Winter has always been a good excuse to cuddle/huddle together with those we love. There's that, too.

xo all

Mercury Conjunct Saturn | black hole Tuesday, the rising divine masculine, stepping into our responsibility, will the center hold

take the spring by GlareUsy
Today we have Mercury and Saturn meeting up at 27 degrees Sagittarius. Yes, that is the degree (27-28) of the black hole at the center of the Milky Way Galaxy, that houses all the planets in our solar system including ours - the Galactic Center. 

This is the place where time and space were created so you and I would have a place to learn and grow and work and play.

Saturn (security, stability, the patriarchy, the rules, duty, judgement, authority) has spent quite a bit of time on or near the Galactic Center this year - getting a makeover or maybe I should say a make-under. And now he meets Mercury here.

The people and structures that carry the greatest load of the old Saturn archetype have felt this first. Everything that isn't solid as a rock has fallen or is falling. Our big institutions are on shaky ground. Our heroes have fallen from their outgrown pedestals (as they are stripped to their humanity). Our safety net has holes large enough that even our winter backsides, holed up with a hot chocolate and cider donut, can slip through easily.

(think about how the safety net has morphed into the internet as we have moved into the Age of Aquarius and the pros and cons of that)

As Saturn morphs and speaks to/through us via Mercury, as the divine masculine rises (it's not a coincidence Mars is in Libra answering to Venus today), as we are all handed back the stuff (responsibility for creating our own lives) that, through our patriarchal paradigm, Saturn has carried for us - THANK YOU SATURN - we are ready (ready or not) to take back the controls.

The life we begin creating now, the life we will be living in a few months, a few years will be all on us. Does this thrill or terrify us? Did you just scream "BOTH!", smart reader?! Yes, I will second that one!

Astrologers believe that planets are 'discovered' when humans are ready to use their energies. Saturn (limits, time, the father) used to be the farthest planet we knew about because he is the farthest planet that can be seen with our naked eye. Then along came Uranus and Neptune and Pluto. And Saturn became a bridge (along with Jupiter) from the personal planets to the outer planets. Now there are new planets being 'discovered' all the time and humanity is changing at an unprecedented rate! Saturn has been trying his best to hold onto his position during all this time, but he is tired or maybe out-"manned" now or it is just his time to let go of the reins a bit.

This is his final stop before he comes home to Capricorn in late December, whether he comes home a new man or an embittered one trying to hold onto something that is slipping away, is totally up to us.

In our personal lives today's energy - Mercury meeting Saturn - could be felt now as a stepping into our responsibility

(I have been writing about this for years - my Mercury - writing - is in Capricorn answering to Saturn and Saturn is one degree from my natal Sun in my 3rd house - ruled by Mercury - believe me I have felt this, even as I pushed the stuff I didn't want to be responsible for/look at in myself, onto other people anyway)

by having to speak clearly and seriously, come to terms with reality, set firm boundaries, make a verbal or written commitment, hear or say NO.

Something is officially stated here (I am, quite appropriately now that I think about, renewing my driver's license tonight). Something is slowed down. Something hits a wall. How big a something is happening for us depends on how far we need to shift right now.

AND, keep in mind Mercury is about to go retrograde and will walk this same degree next week and then will meet up with Saturn again in mid January when they are both in Capricorn - maybe that is the final, final grade. I wrote about this HERE - check Tuesday.

Between now and then whatever we think is finalized will likely evolve a bit - more choices, more questions, more facts to be sifted through.

And in some way, with whatever situation we find ourselves in now (situations all created by our previous beliefs, thoughts and actions), each one of us is asking ourselves, "will the center hold?"

xo all

let's tend to our words now - they are literally the building blocks of our future lives - and maybe because my natal Venus sits right on the Galactic Center, too - let's celebrate her/us!!