During the next two weeks Mercury will be at the heart of a good deal of the planetary action, and its activity has implications for the months, if not years, ahead. On December 5th the Messenger will complete its latest series of mutable sign squares, with one to Jupiter, the next day it will head into conservative Capricorn, and finally, on the 17th, it will make the first of three trines to game-changing Uranus. Concurrently, Wednesday’s full Moon will take place at 16° Gemini 02′. Gemini is one of Mercury’s two homes and where provocative Mars is presently residing, and stirring things up. The confluence of mutable sign activity, including that Mars-charged full Moon, suggests the completion of a cycle. Mercury’s ingress, followed by Venus and the Sun, into cardinal Capricorn portends the initiation of a new phase. The Uranian aspect indicates a wild ride into yet unimagined worlds. Fortunately, there’s plenty of time to consider the various options, scenarios and opportunities that the innovating Mercury Uranus duo is about to present.
Saturn is the planet that represents time, and Mercury will enter its domain of Capricorn on the 6th. Saturn values tradition, restraint and earned rewards, making Capricorn the sign of endurance, achievement and recognition. Its cardinal quality encourages ambition and instigation. Yet, as an earth sign, it demands practicality and realistic attainability of its endeavors. Mercury will be in Cap from December 6th through February 11th. That is an exceptionally long time (Saturn) for a planet that typically moves through a sign in two to three weeks. The retrograde itself will take place from December 29th through January 18th, with Mercury entering the retrograde zone on December 12th at 8° Capricorn 08′and exiting on February 7th at 24° Capricorn 21′. That’s a lot of time (Saturn) to ponder and experiment. Mercury retrograde forecasts are often filled with concerns about travel delays, tech meltdowns and communication breakdowns, and sullen Saturn is renowned for its pessimism. Combine the two and the coming Rx could, at first glimpse, appear daunting and gloomy. However, some cosmic brilliance is brewing before, during and after this one.
It is said that Pluto is the higher octave of Mars, Neptune of Venus and Uranus of Mercury. Mercury and Uranus certainly have a lot in common. Mercury usually moves quickly and Uranus is associated with sudden shocks. The spheres of mental activity and communication are Mercury’s realms while revolutionary ideas and flashes of genius are some of Uranus’s gifts. Freewheeling, flexible Mercury and liberty-loving Uranus will form three exact trines, on December 17th, January 8th and 29th. Any puzzles, or obstacles, revealed by the double retrogrades of Mercury, and Mars retrograde in Mercury’s home sign, will find ample antidotes in the inventiveness and originality flowing from the Mercury Uranus pairings. This week’s full Moon is a demarcation point, new paths are emerging, and Mercury and Uranus are poised to awaken, illuminate and inspire.