( I will be in Santa Fe Dec 9-15th- seeing clients, and speaking with the Santa Fe Astrology Circle on Saturday Night at Sanbusco Center. Please see the link above- 2012: The Big Shift for more info)
The snow glistens, lights twinkle and Jupiter glows brightly in the night sky as the Sun and Mercury in Sagittarius loan an ambient easing, a cheerful flexibility and goodwill (when we choose to use it) to an otherwise thoughtful and willful time. In this holiday season we can usually diffuse otherwise tense situations with humor spoken with a tender heart.
But we need to let people know we’re teasing if they looked confused. We’re in the thick of Mercury retrograde follies, so be a little extra careful and keep that sense of humor nearby; Mercury, patron planet of all communications, transportation, all things lost and found, retrograded (appeared to move backwards) on Thanksgiving and stays retrograde through Dec 15. We can enjoy the funny slapstick of minor mechanical failures, emails sent to the wrong address, coffee spilled in ingenious and dramatic ways during this time, and may deal with exasperation over lost keys, alarms that won’t turn off, appointment times misplayed, but these can usually be ameliorated with a little extra time and planning. Misunderstandings which trigger hurt feelings, arguments triggered because we did not check our facts or ask our friends what they intended will need a gentle touch. But watch out for the more serious accidents caused by mechanical failure or serious misjudgment under this Mercury retrograde, there won’t be many, but they can be a doozy. We need to cut each other some slack as the holiday approaches and let sympathy, humor and extra planning keep the fallout down to a minimum. May our Mercury stories only be comic relief.
Mercury retrograde does have a gift though; it takes us back to images of the past. The wheel turns around and around and we find out selves back at a familiar place on the spiral, the same place but a different cycle. Let’s look at what shows up from our past, notice what’s changed in the interim, and take a fresh perspective. These glimpses from the past may trigger us, but we don’t have to get hooked in the past or get discouraged, now we can approach this familiar point with fresh honesty and with fewer knots in our soul.
This time is not just about holiday lights, snafu and flashes from the past, (though that image suggests a great Christmas special). A dynamic grand trine in earth signs will keep us moving, with work ethic and will-power engaged, ready to make a tangible difference in the work at hand; motivating Mars in Virgo trines powerful Pluto in Capricorn and expansive Jupiter in Taurus. We can get stuff done, but will do better on projects already in the works.
As the weekend begins, a mist of melancholia adds a bittersweet, sometimes depressed tone as Venus conjuncts Pluto in Capricorn and stirs any sense of loss or lost dreams that simmers in our soul. It leaves us thoughtful, maybe a little lost or moody with an existential loneness, possibly reviewing the roads we did not take or the people we miss. Some people will respond by being more thoughtful and appreciative of their special people, others can either get controlling or hold other people responsible for their happiness and find them lacking. If so, forgive them, it comes from their haunted places and leaves them disempowered, but don’t buy into their thought-forms. Before we wind out on any strong emotional reaction, it’s good to check our facts and get more background information, because misunderstandings proliferate under Mercury retrograde.
If we’re feeling lonely, we can assume others are too; reach a hand out to help them and we are soothed. On a more practical level, we may feel like there’s not enough beauty in our world, and be inspired to do something practical about it, like get out the craft supplies and pull out holiday decorations.
The mood is opinionated and action-oriented over the weekend under a shining Aries Moon. We may get a new clue as to what we need to do to make our life more authentically ours but will have to watch that we don’t bump heads with one another. As the work-week begins, let’s not start anything new; instead make solid headway on a project that is already in the works.
Friday, Dec 2: Conflicting needs can set off an internal traffic jam this morning as the Sun and Moon challenge Mars early on. We may sleep restlessly, dream busily or hear strange news. Maneuver carefully around critical conditions this morning, cut the bagel with care and avoid snippy comments; we’re as sensitive as we are reactive. The aspects plow up normally hidden feelings and can help us know one another better, if we listen. Late afternoon is less reactive, more productive. The mood may be tired and wired this evening, keep plans loose and listen to what’s needed
Saturday, Dec 3: Stay away from the big stores if you can, it’s a generous but willful day best spent with room to roam, not crammed into a small space with people elbowing others for product. The mood is funny when we’re able to unfold, intense and inflammable if constrained. We can talk, but may have a hard time noticing our own emotional undercurrents as the Sun conjuncts Mercury. Tonight infuses truth with power behind it, a push for essential self-expression. Catalytic conversations are triggered when memories of the past interact with present perspective.
Sunday, Dec 4: If communication feels strained, take a break and give it room rather than burn a bridge. Transportation can feel limited as Mercury squares Mars and semi-squares Saturn. Watch for mechanical breakdowns and try something more meditative than home repairs. Avoid quick judgments and snap decisions until dinnertime; understanding opens tonight as the Moon trines Mercury and Sun.
Monday, Dec 5: A sybaritic quality can make it hard to get out of bed; our sense need feeding but a busy schedule beckon sand it is not time to drop the ball. Attractions motivate us as Venus and Mars trine this morning; be charming. Midday, trust may be tested, but deepens where it holds true. Possessiveness can jerk our chains and willpower needs a good place to go; it furthers to get physically tired. Heaviness late at night helps us concentrate but may make the situation look worse than it is as the Moon opposes Saturn.
Tuesday, Dec 6: A fortunate day; practical but frugally generous, agreeable if stubborn vibes as the Taurus Moon conjuncts Jupiter. Opportunities open where we don’t push people out of their comfort zone and give tangible proof that new circumstances will be mutually beneficial. Ask for reasonable favors and spill the heart into creative projects. Touch is important.
Wednesday, Dec 7: We can misread signals according to our hopes and fears this dreamy morning as Venus semi-squares Neptune. Check weather, liquid spillage in the morning. Midday is more decisive, we understand a key piece if we ponder the right question. A creative approach with persistence will get us farther than willfulness; good follow-through can carry old plans to new heights.
Thursday, Dec 8: Easy does it. Negotiate patiently through any missed understandings or lost-item confusion midday, and take advantage of an optimistic moment to open minds and share ideas as the Suns challenges Jupiter. Notice and curb a tendency to over-do over-eat when under stress. Follow through on legal issues or an educational opportunity, and ignore little flares of ego. Talk tonight as the Moon enters Gemini, go back to an idea that met resistance earlier and try again.
Starcodes 