Mercury enters Capricorn: tangible thoughts

Mercury ingresses Capricorn today at 5:12 am EST, joining the Sun, long-term resident Pluto, and retrograde Venus. The sky is shifting from the intense dose of centaur-influenced soul shake-up and clearing we experienced as the Sun and Mercury traversed Sagittarius, to something perhaps a little more tangible and practical. And all of it is building to the Capricorn New Moon in eight days.

If Sagittarius is suffused with cosmic mystery, you could say that Capricorn is the bricks and mortar of the zodiac. It’s the sign of established institutions and structures, thereby implying what was done in the past (the building and shaping phases). It’s also the sign of the practical, the sign of business, and leadership based on delegated authority (as opposed to Leo’s kingly divine right, according to Isabel Hickey).

This being Christmas Eve, and without actually preaching religion (but rather, treating Christian religion as another myth, like the ones astrology is based on), one might think of it this way: the Sun in Sagittarius is that mystical word of god being whispered into Mary’s womb; the holy spirit in its process of being made flesh. The Sun in Capricorn is Jesus out in the world, the leader with humility, who washed the feet of a whore and cleansed a leper.

No, we’re not going to go all ‘Pope Francis’ suddenly. But as Mercury in Capricorn approaches the Uranus-Pluto square (Mars is already there, by way of Libra), there’s the potential for a similar shift in our own expression. We’ve come through a couple weeks of what was, for many, intensive work with shadow, ancestral baggage, recurring healing themes, a sense of big cosmic mission/love, and the highly polarizing energy of the Gemini Full Moon — which kind of plugged it all into a light socket. With Capricorn comes the opportunity to put what we’ve learned to tangible use.

The Sun and Mercury are in contact with the Aries Point (the first degree of Aries, and by extension, the other cardinal signs: Cancer, Libra and Capricorn) where personal and collective intersect. The Sun and Mercury are headed for the Uranus-Pluto square, although Mercury will get there faster (this weekend) and Mars is already there.

On one level, this is the opportunity to put thought into action in the world around us, whether in our personal lives or in a more political/community-oriented fashion. It’s being the change you wish to see in the world — kind of like Jesus was.

More immediately, Mars is opposing Uranus right now (exact tomorrow at 3:33 am EST). This suggests using caution if you travel for the holiday; the only thing worse than traveling in bad weather (if that’s the case where you are) is succumbing to road rage in bad weather, especially on the way to something that’s ‘supposed to be happy’.

Once you’re at your destination (especially if it’s with extended family), be mindful of the potential to push others’ buttons or to have yours pushed. Lots of people may still be tender from the Full Moon plus the typical holiday stressors; not everyone is actively aware of their underlying ‘stuff’ and trying to process it.

Finally, there’s something about Mercury in Capricorn reminding us that the thoughts we think become our reality. Thoughts become concrete. The term ‘thought forms’ suggests their structure is something more tangible than we tend to give them credit for, but perhaps that concretization is what enables us to see our ability to have agency over them, by choosing them.

In which case, it pays to choose carefully. As mentioned, Capricorn is associated with the past. If you’re choosing thoughts from the past to inhabit your present moment and lay the foundations for your future, consider carefully what you’d most like to build, and then choose accordingly — knowing that as Mercury squares Uranus, your mind may surprise you.