Happy holidaze!

It’s another week of action, from the sublime to the ridiculous. Just as the fog from Neptune turning direct (last week) began to briefly subside of the weekend, another delirious wave is scheduled. Mercury is about to turn retrograde, challenging communication and supply chains. Sun squares Neptune at the end of the week — color it all rose.

We are still at the end of the lunar cycle, in the dark about what’s just around the corner. Feelings of listlessness or restlessness would not be uncommon. Mental processes may also be slowing down, as Mercury slows to its next virtual standstill and prepares to turn retrograde on Wednesday. BACK UP YOUR COMPUTERS NOW.

Highlights:

• Venus sextile Mercury on Monday
• New Moon in Sagittarius on Tuesday
• Mercury retrograde begins on Wednesday
• Sun square Neptune on Saturday

It goes like this:

• MONDAY: Moon entered Sagittarius at 6:10 AM with a sobering sigh. Why sobering? Because the Sag Moon’s customary boundless enthusiasm and righteous opinions are tempered by a square to Saturn at 9:13 AM ET. Hopefully you got down to business. Idealism and a cooperative flow of communication are suggested in the afternoon, as Venus (who, what, and how we need to love) sextiles Mercury (how we need to think and communicate) at 2:16 PM ET.
• TUESDAY: In the dark of the Moon you can bet there are plenty of things going on right under our noses. Moon meets up with Mars at 5:05 AM ET, getting the day off to an energetic start. At 6:32 PM ET, light a candle and set your intentions for the New Moon in Sagittarius.

A pause, while we discuss this New Moon, set in Washington, D.C.:

Observations:

• This New Moon is in the 6th house, so from the US perspective, we see seeds planted in matters of labor, health, and service.
• Mars is on the cusp of the 6th house, adding a firebrand, boundary-pushing assertive approach to the these 6th house concerns.
• Mercury is stationary retrograde in the 6th house; Mercury in this chart rules the 4th (homeland; real estate) and 12th (hidden enemies; self-undoing; large institutions) houses. Strikes, anyone?
• Neptune is on the Midheaven, suggesting a projection of spiritual concerns, victimization, healing, drugs, sacrifice, and/or bewilderment in matters related to leaders and public status.
• The Sabian Symbol for this New Moon is a wiggy one, apt for yet another week of Neptune fog, with communication glitches courtesy of Mercury retrograde. “A child and a dog with borrowed eyeglasses.” Borrowed eyeglasses? You know what that’s like, right?  Looking at things through another’s perspective is potentially blurry or dizzying.
• Astrologer Blain Bovee notes that another word for eyeglasses is “spectacles,” so perhaps we’re in for that. This New Moon does fall right on the former guy’s South Node (a point of least resistance/toxic release), within one degree of his Sag Moon and opposite his Gemini Sun. If there is a spectacle, he’s likely to play a starring role.
• You are more personally affected by this New Moon if you have planets or angles around 21 degrees of Sagittarius, Pisces, Gemini, or Virgo. That includes Gavin Newsom, Ron Desantis and his wife, Casey.

Back to the forecast:

• TUESDAY (cont.): Double check directions and remember to FOCUS…or plan your rose-colored escape. At 1:48 AM ET on…
• WEDNESDAY, Moon squares nebulous Neptune and then goes void for almost nine hours. You know the Moon void drill — roll with the twists and flakes that may disrupt efforts to move forward in a straight line. Stick to routine concerns, and avoid impulsive purchases (and certainly avoid tech purchases with Mercury retrograde). At 2:09 AM, Mercury goes retrograde, and there will be no whingeing!

A pause, while we discuss how to handle this Mercury retrograde:

In the language of astrology, Mercury refers to how we need to think and communicate. It refers to all methods of transmitting information (letters, computers, speech, etc.), and transportation (postal routes, highways, etc.). In Roman times, Mercury was associated with commerce (mercantile, merchants, merchandise), and thus in the language of astrology, Mercury refers to the negotiation and signing of contracts.

Mercury turns retrograde at 2:09 AM ET on December 13th. It turns direct at 10:07 PM ET on January 1st, 2024.

When Mercury turns retrograde, it will appear to move backwards in the sky. It’s not really moving backwards, but  that is how it looks from our perspective here on Spaceship Earth.

General coping strategies for Mercury retrogrades:

Contrary to popular belief, Mercury retrograde is no reason to freak out. Mercury retrograde gets a bad rap because we are geared, in this crazy modern age, to always be thinking, doing, moving FORWARD. You know what that gets you? BURN OUT. We need our down times, and Mercury retrograde is a perfect time to give our minds a rest. Why else would your computer, phone and/or car choose THIS time to malfunction? Because you are supposed to be slowing down. And as you slow down, it is vitally important that you FOCUS.

When Mercury is retrograde, be prepared for travel delays, scheduling screw-ups, labor strikes, computer crashes, having to repeat what you’ve just said, misunderstandings, the past coming back for a second look, surprise reunions and having to repeat what you just said. Use your FOCUS and double-check important details, like whether the restaurant you’ve chosen for a meet-up is still in business…or booked for a commercial shoot or a private party — all of which has happened to me during a Mercury retrograde!

If you are looking for a job, Mercury retrogrades are a perfect time to reach out to people from your past. REVIEW your address book and RECONNECT. Trust that your contacts will be happy to hear from you. However, do not be frustrated if your target is away on vacation or keeps rescheduling meetings. Also, triple-check your emails and resumes before you hit “send,” as there is a higher probability of typos and other sloppy snafus.

In your business, make sure all communications sent have actually been received — and are clearly understood. Be mindful of the higher potential for communications equipment to go on the fritz. MAKE SURE YOUR FILES ARE BACKED UP! Also be aware of a higher than average probability for delays in shipping and travel arrangements. For this you will need an extra dose of patience — and planning. Example: ship your holiday gifts before December 13th!!

You may find it profitable to REview a project from the past. Maybe you shelved it then, but now is the time to REconsider. However, be advised that a spontaneously, “out-of-the-blue” idea for advancement may not be so sound when Mercury turns direct. This is why the conventional wisdom advises against finalizing and/or signing contracts on deals during Mercury retrograde. An exception might be supported if you are REnegotiating or RElocating. If you absolutely must close a deal, triple check everything. The key is not to RUSH.

This is a good time to schedule a corporate REtreat. Any activity that affords the opportunity to REview past performance is encouraged. REsearch on a new strategy is also favored.

Mercury retrogrades are not favored for launching a new website or a new communications system. There is a higher than average probability of technical glitches and confusion. REvisions, however, are A-OK.

In general, adopt a playful attitude of flexibility to whatever twists you encounter, especially if you’re in transit.  Avoid making major purchases (especially electronic ones), unless your A/C unit has died and there’s a heat wave.  Sometimes you just have to buy an appliance, Mercury retrograde or not. This is life. Don’t sweat the small stuff.

Don’t believe everything you hear or read in the papers when Mercury is retrograde. Rumors have a higher probability of spreading. Avoid losing patience — that’s a big one.

When in doubt, be silent!

Do plan on RElaxing, REviewing, REsearching, REorganizing, REgenerating, REconnecting and REcreating.

Mercury turns retrograde at 8 degrees of Capricorn, which is where it turned direct on January 18th!  Sounds like the Sabian Symbol for this degree would be good to know about, as it is clearly demanding our focus twice in one year!  It is “an angel carrying a harp.” Astrologer James Burgess opines that this Symbol calls our attention to being attuned. What channel are you listening to — or watching?  A heavenly angel or a rapacious harpy? Who’s stringing us along, defining what’s what, hmm? Astrologer Blain Bovee advises us to be aware of the challenge of “innocently reaching into realms of powerful potentials; of discriminating between sublime messages and pointed barbs.”

Look back to what was going on around January 18, 2023,  and see how themes of tuning in may be recalled now…and again around January 30, 2024 (when Mercury will be back at 8 Capricorn). You are more personally affected by this Mercury retrograde if you have planets or angles around 8 degrees of Aries, Cancer, Libra, or Capricorn.

• WEDNESDAY (cont.): Moon enters Capricorn at 10:31 AM ET, now looking to Make Things Happen, and its proactive drive receives support from business buddies Saturn and Jupiter at 1:38 PM ET and 8:50 PM ET. I see strong potential for achieving goals of purchasing magical holiday gift items, if you ask me.
• THURSDAY: Mercury retrograde snafus aside, the Capricorn Moon travels through this day with no speed bumps. Moon meets up with Mercury at 12:46 AM ET and sextiles Venus at 5:55 AM ET. Reaching across the aisle is possible in the afternoon, reflecting the unconventional alliances favored by Moon’s trine to Uranus, exact at 7:59 PM ET.
• FRIDAY: Note your dreams, courtesy of a hyperactive Neptune carrying the next two days or carrying us away. At 11:03 AM ET, Moon meets up with Pluto for a potent power play. Two hours later, at 12:55 PM ET, Moon enters Aquarius, looking to network and REconnect with old friends. There’s a holly, jolly, holiday vibe running through the day, reflecting the buoyancy of Moon’s square to Jupiter at 10:52 PM ET.
• SATURDAY: Moon squares Venus at 12:32 PM ET (a stubborn challenge of aesthetics or social expression). Action gets a cooperative boost from a sextile to Mars at 3:52 PM ET. Moon’s square to rebel Uranus at 9:53 PM ET suggests a potential disruption to the status quo. At 10:43 PM ET, Sun squares Neptune — the perfect pattern for a trek to the dazzling light display in Dyker Heights.  Here are headlines from last December’s Sun-Neptune square, so you know what to expect.
• SUNDAY: Sun sextile Moon at 7:03 AM ET suggests a balanced flow to the early morning…followed by a sigh and an eight-hour Moon void. At 2:38 PM Moon enters Pisces, seeking to work with impressions and empathy. Moon meets up with Saturn at 6:31 PM ET, infusing the afterglow of the yesterday’s Sun-Neptune square with a bit of sobriety.

Beth Owl’s Daughter’s Tarot Card of the Week is spot on for current planetary patterns: mystical, magical, intangible…hard to know what to believe…but driven — especially by the Moon in Capricorn midweek — to get to the top of the mountain…or tell it on the mountain, as it were.

To be continued….

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Thank you for reading this forecast.