Close on the heels of the Sun’s journey through the herd of centaurs in Sagittarius and the highly polarizing Full Moon, Mercury is now making its way over the same Sagittarius planets. Mercury represents the mind and how we communicate our thoughts; conjunct some planets that invoke old baggage and the potential for out-of-control consequences, Mercury is signaling to us to monitor our reactions.
In the background of Mercury’s movement, we are approaching the Capricorn solstice (when the Sun enters Capricorn and the shortest days in the northern hemisphere) as well as Venus stationing retrograde in Capricorn — both on Saturday, Dec. 21. The Sun will enter Capricorn at 12:11 pm EST. Venus stations retrograde a few hours later, at 4:53 pm EST.
One take on the solstice and Venus retrograde is the idea of gifts from the past and gifts from within emerging. The trick may be finding the stillness and quiet amidst holiday bustle (or busy mental landscape) to recognize and receive them. It’s worth noting that the sense of an impending seasonal pivot point and an impending inner planet retrograde may feel like pressure. If you’re wondering why the tension of the Full Moon seems to have been replaced with some other, less defined sense of unease, that could be it.
The other factor is Mercury moving through those minor planets in Sagittarius. Yesterday Mercury encountered Chariklo, Haumea, Ixion and Pholus; on Friday, Amycus; Saturday it will conjoin Hylonome and Quaoar. (There are a couple others in the mix, too.)
Those planets are not necessarily ‘negative’, but taken together, they represent a lot of ‘stuff’ coming into consciousness very rapidly, and possibly in a hard-to-untangle mix.
One of the other points Mercury will encounter over the weekend is the asteroid House in Sagittarius. If you’re feeling a vague sense of ‘something coming home’, or if that sense feels like fear, how do you respond to that? Are you able to let down your guard enough to explore it, or do you reach for what Eric has called “the Sagittarius Pollyanna smile” or the “Let’s Be Spiritual” mantra?
For anyone who tends to get stuck in their head, stuck in the past or gets anxious easily, Mercury could be stirring up fear or negative expectations.
If you’ve been noticing that, try to find a healthy outlet. Breathe deeply; practice your mindfulness and gratitude; get outdoors; get creative and focus your mind on something productive. The idea is not to distract yourself from what you need to process or go all Pollyanna, but rather to give yourself a chance to observe your reactions inwardly before unleashing them outwardly.
You’ll want to be clear, and to give things a day or two to settle. Take it easy, but be real — and remember that sometimes, valuable gifts come in unexpected or nondescript packaging.
Thank you for the interpretation, Amanda. I have definitely felt some “deja vu” feelings over the last two days in terms of behavioral patterns (it was like a quick review of life in the last degrees of Sagittarius, which are crucial points in my natal chart), but I’m doing fine now, and I feel like I’ve managed those feelings pretty well. I was real, but I kept a tight rein on myself at the same time.
Pardon my error; the U.S. Uranus IS in the U.S. 6th house, but quite close to the cusp of the 7th house and therefore will influence partnerships with the U.S./be
Took your advice and found some stillness and quiet to check out Serennu’s List Amanda. My mind conjured up some thoughts regarding the U.S. and I’m communicating them thanks to trans. Mercury (who is opposite U.S. Sibly Gemini Mars and square U.S. Virgo Neptune). But it is thanks to the trans. Sun moving over the Galactic Core and conjunct transiting Psyche that I see what I see. Pretty sure anyway.
Noting that transiting Uranian Point Hades has briefly moved off it’s conjunction to the U.S. Venus (Hades now at 2+ Cancer retro while U.S. Sibly Venus is at 3+ Cancer ) and she’s now being influenced by Centaur Thereus at 3+ Cancer rx. Thereus symbolizes concerns regarding status. . how-does-this-look-to-others would sum it up. Conjunct a Cancer Venus that would likely be How Does This Make The Family Look and What Will It Attract? As transiting Uranus in Aries is now in a stationing (and therefore potent) direct mode as he sextiles the U.S. Sibly Uranus in Gemini on the 6th house of “the other”, it might involve the choice of the U.S. representative party going to the Russian Olympics.
So right now Pallas-Athene (the Planner) transits in Virgo square the U.S. Sibly Ascendant in Sagittarius. She also conjuncts transiting asteroid Sphinx a symbol known for tricky riddles, so Pallas-Athene’s plans regarding her challenging square to the U.S. ascendant (window to the world) would involve a possible riddle to be solved. With the Sun conjunct the GC (universal input), Psyche (health of one’s mind) and also transiting asteroid Hildago (promoter of rebellion), might this be the U.S. taking a “stand”?
Yeah, I think so because the present transit of the Sun (+ Psyche + Hidalgo + GC) in freedom-loving Sagittarius is sextile the U.S. Sibly Moon in Aquarius (future oriented). The U.S. Moon, symbol of The U.S. People now has transiting asteroid Aphrodite (who loves you baby) conjunct her. The U.S. Pallas-Athene (defender) at 26+ Aquarius stands by the U.S. Moon emphasizing a militant posture and the sextile between the Aquarius group (Moon/Aphrodite/Pallas) sextile the Sagittarian group (Sun/Psyche/Hidalgo/GC) forms a yod with transiting Uranian Point Vulkanus in Cancer and Vulkanus “makes” things that serve a purpose.
Opposite transiting Vulkanus, now the apex of a yod (with the Aquarius/Sagittarius groups), transits Icarus in Capricorn. Vulkanus is forging something purposeful and is aiming it right at Icarus who blew his 2nd chance. Might Icarus symbolize a certain Russian leader who might be getting a 2nd chance to re-think his opinion regarding the legitimacy of same-sex marriage and gays in general? Hmm. . . Thereus wonders what THAT would look like!
Transiting Uranus in Aries is ready to take on breakthroughs of all kinds, and teamed with the U.S. natal Uranus in Gemini (ruled by the trickster Mercury) apparently is not too worried about whether any foreign leaders can solve this riddle. At least that’s how it looks to me, What’cha think?
be
Ah, this is so great, Amanda! Thank you so much for this.
Until I looked at the chart section here, I hadn’t noticed I’m having a Mercury return exactly now. I’d been feeling a shifting in my mental/emotional landscape – perhaps greater clarity of mind? (I hope!) – & a sense of quickening that as yet I cannot name, nor do I know where it may manifest. It all feels very interesting, & I’m curious. I’m just beginning to learn about the minor planets.
I am rather looking forward to the Venus retrograde, which will span precisely from the end of my 8th house back to my descendant, before it retraces those degrees direct. I have an inkling that although I consider myself “post-relationship”, i.e., not even looking, I may have some work to do, perhaps on healing some ragged emotional loose ends from the past.
The waning moon is high in the sky tonight, close to Jupiter & very beautiful. The Gemini full moon passed quietly for me, but I noticed some other people seemed quite unusually stressed. It does seem to have been a high energy full moon.
Thanks, Amanda. Getting outside, looking up, taking a deep breath does wonders in letting the day’s stuff go.