Dear Friend & Reader:
Welcome to 2017! This first week of the new year also ushers us into the final days of the current Mercury retrograde. And while this could mean that you’re feeling some difficulty in launching (especially if you’ve had significant time off for the holidays), there’s a deeper and more distinct message when Mercury stations direct this weekend.
Mercury has been retrograde since Dec. 19, the day the Electoral College cast their votes and affirmed the Trump presidency. It will station direct this Sunday, Jan. 8, at 4:42 am EST (9:43 UTC).
At that time, Mercury will be in the next-to-last degree of Sagittarius, after having spent more than two weeks moving backwards through Capricorn. (Mercury crept over the threshold from Capricorn through the back door of Sagittarius on Wednesday.)
The last few degrees of Sagittarius are currently populated by several complex and powerful bodies that suggest some very clear and evocative themes. Chief among them are the Trans-Neptunian Object Quaoar, centaur Pholus, and the very core of our Milky Way Galaxy, known as the Galactic Core. These bodies combine to emphasize kind of a two-pronged message for Sunday’s Mercury station direct.
I’ll start with Pholus. This is the centaur that signifies, provokes or suggests the sensation of something being right on the brink of going out of control. Its main key-phrase is, “small cause, big effect.” Think of it as that feeling of letting the genie out of the bottle, with all of the unforeseen consequences that calls to mind.
Mercury is the planet of communication and thought processes. In this week’s Planet Waves FM broadcast, Eric states that Mercury stationing direct conjunct Pholus could indicate you saying something that sends a conversation out of control. Or, even more likely, it may represent the thing that you’re not saying out of fear that it could send the conversation off the rails.
Quick question: What would you truly be risking if that did in fact happen? Can you be certain it would be a bad thing? After all, even uncomfortable events can lead to creative breakthroughs, opportunities and desperately needed shifts in circumstances. Human beings are famous for clinging to the false security of the status quo even when it has become desperately uncomfortable or untenable and is prohibiting growth.
Speaking of security and the status quo: families are often famous for insisting on it. Many people struggle with the fear of being outcast from ‘the tribe’ if they deviate from their family’s way of doing things and thinking.
Which brings us to Quaoar.
Quaoar was the creation deity of the Tongva people of Southern California. Its myth involves Quaoar dancing and singing the sky god into existence, who then helps to dance the Earth Goddess into existence. As each deity joins the dance, they help to bring the next round of creation into being.
As Eric describes it, in modern astrology we can interpret Quaoar in two ways. One is your personal story of where you come from (such as what kind of soul you feel you have, etc.). The other is the collection of stories, usually taken for granted, about how you came to be in the long line of your family’s pattern of ancestry — family mythology that’s often taken on an unconscious level.
Next is the Galactic Core (GC): the center of our galaxy, where we seem to be able to access the most powerful cosmic homing signal. We can’t actually see the GC thanks to all the dust, gases, stars and whatnot between it and us.
Eric often describes contact with the GC as the sensation of finally understanding something profound, but then forgetting what you’ve learned. Mercury stationing direct conjunct such a powerful object suggests that any time you have an ‘a-ha’ moment in the next few days (and especially Sunday), write it down! Even if you are sure you’ll remember it, and especially if it comes through a dream, take the time to leave yourself a voice memo on your phone or scribble down a few words of reminder.
Quaoar and the GC bring out the second major message of Mercury stationing direct: this moment involves groups and families (and their patterns), and potentially some attractive force or even collective awakening. There’s an indication that it will be crucial to make a physical, tangible note about it. You want to be able to use what you learn as Mercury moves forward out of Sagittarius, and re-enters Capricorn on Jan. 12, slowly picking up speed.
A few quick notes about other objects making interesting aspects when Mercury stations direct, fleshed out in Planet Waves FM:
— Saturn square Manwe: tension between religiosity (or the posture of dogma) and the essence of the message itself (or the messenger).
— Eros square Ixion: What can you do to be kinder about sex, rather than getting caught up in the power trip? Can you reject people more compassionately? Can you accept those people you actually want?
— Nemesis conjunct Toro: We have a persistent problem with bullying and machismo, as evidenced by the incoming president. With these points conjunct the Galactic Core, are we in for some kind of transformation or awareness around this topic?
— Achilles conjunct Orpheus: Don’t let yourself be lulled or seduced by your insecurity or false lack of confidence. Insecurity is no excuse for not taking action! Recognize what you’ve accomplished, give yourself credit and take on some challenges.
Finally, just in case you need this basic reminder: the Mercury ‘storm’ phase, which is a few days on either side of Mercury changing apparent direction, is a time to be patient. Stay focused, and move slowly and consciously. You’d be wise to hold off on making any big changes between now and Jan. 10 or so.
Should you have the most brilliant new idea and can’t wait to get cracking on it, remember the lesson of the GC: write it down. You want to be sure it’s still there for you when you’ve sorted through any tangles and it’s truly time to put the wheels in motion. Onward!
Yours & truly,
Short Monthly Horoscope for January 2017, #1133 | By Eric Francis
Aries (March 20-April 19) — Your power to achieve great things this year is only limited by your imagination, which means no limits at all. Yet you need to make a conscious choice to dream of the possibilities and then take action. You can see potential where nobody else can. You can feel your talent, though others might not notice at first. Yet you would be wise to focus your goals into something that you understand and can explain to another person. Many things are possible, and many possibilities are appealing. Concentrate your efforts on your most cherished priorities and you will be unstoppable.
Taurus (April 19-May 20) — It’s time to challenge your beliefs. Your unquestioned ideas about life hold you back or slow you down. It takes special vision and sensitivity to see beyond what was always so, and right now you have that in abundance. So what is your attachment to the past? Sure, it’s familiar. Yet the thing about the past is that it doesn’t require you to think so much. You don’t have to take risks or change patterns or consider what needs to be reshaped and revised. Look around and imagine that everything is subject to improvement. Then dig into the corners and get busy.
Gemini (May 20-June 21) — One central question of your life is how much energy to invest in relationships versus how much in your independent activities. Right now it seems like you really need to liberate yourself and invest some long overdue attention in your career. If you have to remove yourself from the distractions and excesses of other people, make sure you leave the door open for when you want to come back. And remember, when you encounter a person you don’t need to take on all of their problems. Remind yourself to keep some objectivity, no matter how much you care.
Cancer (June 21-July 22) — Your working relationships must take precedence over personal relationships at the moment. If your working relationships are personal, then you’ll need to balance the emotional aspects with the practical ones, though pragmatism and attention to taking care of business will get you far. You will need to be the one who sets that agenda, and maintains it. The easiest way to proceed is that everyone agrees on what must be done and why, and then does their bit. You can think of this as an organizing principle that focuses hearts, and leads to tangible results.
Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — Stay away from making ‘final’ arrangements until the end of the month, particularly on matters involving contracts and financial agreements. A diversity of factors are clouding your view, namely of what’s really your responsibility and what is not. Under current conditions, you might be persuaded to pay, or do, far more than your fair share. A few weeks from now you’ll have a much clearer view and deeper understanding of why you need to be on the receiving end of the agreement rather than the one paying. This theme will come up again — pay attention.
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — If you’re feeling insecure, focus on your wellbeing rather than leaning on someone, or thinking that a relationship is going to transform your life. You would benefit from considering the ideas of several people you trust, though with some detachment. If you’re setting yourself free from one thing, it’s a fixed point of view rather than considering all the possibilities. The solution to whatever puzzle you face is not intellectual; that is, not an idea about what’s right for you. Rather, you need a bold experiment in what you might find fulfilling. Go beyond opinion and give yourself direct experience.
Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — People, circumstances and issues that might have rattled you just a few months ago are suddenly no big deal. In fact, what was previously an annoyance may now be an inspiration. What seemed incomprehensible may now make sense as necessary and helpful. What has changed is that you’re accessing deeper wisdom than ever before. You’re able to reach a new level of understanding and see connections that eluded you in the past. This gives you access to people, to resources and to ideas that you might have ordinarily missed. You possess a transformative power. Use and offer this gift generously.
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — You clearly have something to say, though you might try pictures rather than words, or better, music. Your chart is so rich with creativity right now that words might detract or distract. Your solar chart is more about dancing than it is about writing; more about painting than arithmetic. This is an invitation to get out of your head and into your feelings. The moment that you do, a whole world of potential will open up, and you might find yourself in the company of painters, musicians and revolutionaries. You might decide you’re one of them after all.
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — You’re on a quest to increase your value, which is to say, to get paid more for what you do. That’s admirable; yet you need to ensure that despite your wholesome motivation, you’re thinking clearly. Pushing a lot of motivation into an uncertain mind is like shining light into a fog. You need to develop some clear strategies, one of which is to sustain your drive for financial success over the long run, a little bit every day. Don’t confuse greed with the kind of organic success you’re seeking. You are gifted and that deserves creative and spiritual rewards.
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — Take your time. There is no rush. You might feel like you have to arrive at some clear conclusion on short notice, though that’s unlikely to be true. If you pause, observe and listen, you’ll gather some essential information that will give you an advantage you might not have had otherwise. This information may seem like it’s coming from the world around you, though it’s really a personal revelation, a discovery about yourself, around the time Mercury retrograde ends on the 8th. Inner discoveries are the ones that change everything, because the world you live in is the one in your mind.
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — There’s only so much you want to be influenced by the opinions of others, particularly where a business or creative project is involved. Yet there’s only so much you want to filter out. It’s the oddball, unusual people who will give you the best information and provide the keenest insights — those whose opinions you might ordinarily dismiss. As the old saying goes, God watches over drunks, fools and little children, and those are the people to listen to the most carefully.
Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — There are so many planets in your sign right now that you might wonder how they all fit. Well, you have a lot of space inside you, and you contain all that potential and much more. It seems the thing you’re craving the most is an exchange with people you care about. Stay open to that, no matter what other factors or commitments might distract you. So mix it up. Get with people, and hang out long enough for something interesting to happen. They have something for you, you have something for them, and this adds up to plenty more than double.