This Mercury retrograde period is a bit cosmic. The midpoint of the retrograde period lands on December 22 at the solstice point. We all know the story of the solstice, one version or another. It’s the birth of the light. The Sun, which has been sinking lower and lower in the sky, making the days shorter and shorter is miraculously born again into a slow and steady rise which will brighten the skies and bring another round of spring and then summer (even if it takes a while). Even folks who live near the equator celebrate the season. It’s an archetypal moment in the human psyche. What can we take from Mercury highlighting such a moment with a conjunction to the Sun (called cazimi)? Could it be that we need to bring as much awareness and understanding as we can gather to the New Year that will take shape as the days grow brighter? This brief moment of Mercury cazimi, as it sits at the heart of the Sun (which is the heart of the heart of our solar system) seems to be a powerful reminder to listen to the still, small voice within, the one that is easily blotted out by the relentless barrage of noise and distraction. To listen deeply at the solstice is to hear the animals speak, all of nature in fact. Capricorn reminds us or tries that we are part of nature. We benefit from her abundance and we suffer when she becomes sparse or damaged. It’s that simple. To acknowledge this is to settle down in our bodies even as we once again, celebrate the miracle of the birth of the light.
As Mercury enters the shadow of the retrograde it will be in Sagittarius. It will square Neptune and conjunct Mars (which will square Neptune later in December). These are uneasy aspects. As it moves into Capricorn it makes more favorable aspects: a sextile to Saturn and a trine to Jupiter. This retrograde period has two parts: Reminding us in Sagittarius that even if there is a sucker born every minute it doesn’t have to be us. While in Capricorn it shows us that when we align with the natural world, when we overcome the distracting chatter and allow that we are embodied beings, we benefit. As it leaves the shadow it will square Neptune and conjunct Mars once again before finding stability again in Capricorn. There is a heap of information as well as misinformation in this world. Be mindful. And once you make it through the ‘fire swamp’ of the square to Neptune, as January turns to February there are things to be done if we are to be good citizens of the natural world. Tell that to your politicians.
For the exact dates of the aspects you can check the Insights column at my website. To join the alignment event for Mercury retrograde and resonate with the best of this astrological aspect register at www.LightTravels.com
This Mercury retrograde period is kind of low key, taking a back seat to Venus retrograde. Venus has been asking us to take stock of the fun we love to have, the good life we all want to live in light of the planetary realities taking place all around us. It’s not as much of a no-brainer as it sounds. There is a lot to deconstruct in our way of life to make us sustainable on this planet. Mercury in the practical sign of Virgo seems to be in support of any and all initiatives aimed at living more realistically on our planet which includes living with each other as well as other species and life forms.
The only aspect it makes other than the conjunction with the Sun (which always happens) is a trine to Jupiter. (Before the retrograde: August 9th. During the retrograde: September 4. After Mercury goes direct: September 25th. Third time is the charm…) This seems to encourage all efforts in aid of a more integrated life. The strongest hit is on September 4th which is also when Jupiter is stationing. When planets appear to stand still (station) from the perspective of earth, astrologers say they are extra strong.
Maybe it’s time to consider a heat pump or an induction stove, a bit less travel or even simply how to preserve foods for the winter. A bit of canning or drying might be in order!
If it was possible to remind someone of what is going to happen in the future this Mercury Retrograde would be that. Science fiction? More likely the shape of things to come seen through the lens of hindsight. Mercury’s journey will take place over exactly the same degrees as Jupiter will travel between June and February of 2024. And this just happens to be the degrees which Uranus traveled between June 2019 and February 2023. Mercury’s trajectory points backward and forward at the same time!
The degrees and sign in question are between 5 and 15 of Taurus, essentially the first half. We are asked to focus on our values at a personal level and our economies at a collective level. Taurus reaches deep into where climate change and the economy are one.
Uranus reveals, Mercury retrograde reminds and Jupiter expands. You might say: Uranus has revealed the problems we are facing (failing banks, melting ice caps, war and the possibility of extinction). Mercury is asking us to reflect on how these things impact our immediate realities (our resources – more than just money in the bank. Resources are time, energy, money and something we might call love or even pleasure) and Jupiter promises to make things better or worse depending on how we engage this awareness. We have seen the problem, we are being reminded that it is real, and it will get better or worse over the next while depending on where we put our enthusiasm for a world that matters.
Given that most of us don’t rule the world, the focus is on our present individual realities. To have peace I must be peaceful, to have abundance I must be generous, to have stability I must be centered and present. This retrograde offers a good time to survey the landscape of your resources and get as real as you can about how to use them going forward in a time of such great upheavals. Whatever your adventure while Mercury is retrograde keep aware of how it uses resources, your own and the world’s. Don’t judge what you discover about this. You did not create the world’s woes all by yourself. Even so you might consider what you can do, how to do it mindfully and where you can invest yourself to stand with beauty and the perception which comes through your senses not what the algorithm is telling you is real.
During the retrograde journey there are days when Mercury makes aspects to other planets which will accentuate the themes:
April 23: Mars sextile Mercury: How does your exploration of Mercury retro themes encourage action?
May 1: Sun conjuncts Mercury: What are you learning or could you learn about values, money, economics?
May 12: Mercury sextile both Saturn and Venus: Given that you can’t change the world, what opportunities are there to engage the world around you responsibly as well as esthetically?
Having Mercury stationing retrograde as we step into the New Year is a reminder that life is full of paradox and ambiguity: the very stuff of human life. Who doesn’t love a good mystery? Last year we started off with Venus retrograde in Capricorn. This year it is Mercury in Capricorn.
A Mercury retrograde New Year is less about our expectations and more about the need to take inventory (which may already be underway since Mercury entered the shadow around mid-December). Capricorn suggests an inventory of nuts and bolts, the foundations or supporting structures of your life. As Mercury journeys it will make mostly favorable aspects: A sextile to Neptune around the station and a trine to Uranus at the Full Moon. Nobody likes hard times, this is true, but most of us look back on our difficulties – the ones we made it through – and recognize a sense of being fully alive when the stakes are high, when we are focused and determined toward an outcome. Perhaps our inventory should take those times into account and remind us of how well we have done, and how it feels when we focus our intention as if it really matters. Our storehouses aren’t just full of stuff but also of abilities and strengths and most valuable, the wisdom that comes from experience.
These next few weeks might ask us to consider how we might offer ourselves, our gifts, our resources to the collective for the Good of All. Capricorn is a cardinal, universal, earth sign. Put these qualities together and you have a dynamic ability to steward resources for the benefit of the group, not just your group but the entire planet. What if humans are the Universe becoming conscious? If you knew this to be the truth (and you can’t say it isn’t) how would you then focus your attention, your intention?
Join us for a repatterning to align with the best of Mercury Retrograde June 29 2026 at 6:00pm Eastern (Via Video Conferencing) Register Here…
WELCOME!
We are keeping tabs on the trickster planet and creating coherence for moving through the retrogrades with grace and ease.
It's not always easy as those stung by Mercury can atest. We hope the information you find here will help you to get the most out of Mercury Retrograde.
Aligned for Mercury Retrograde 
Flavor of Mercury retrograde December – January 2023
This Mercury retrograde period is a bit cosmic. The midpoint of the retrograde period lands on December 22 at the solstice point. We all know the story of the solstice, one version or another. It’s the birth of the light. The Sun, which has been sinking lower and lower in the sky, making the days shorter and shorter is miraculously born again into a slow and steady rise which will brighten the skies and bring another round of spring and then summer (even if it takes a while). Even folks who live near the equator celebrate the season. It’s an archetypal moment in the human psyche. What can we take from Mercury highlighting such a moment with a conjunction to the Sun (called cazimi)? Could it be that we need to bring as much awareness and understanding as we can gather to the New Year that will take shape as the days grow brighter? This brief moment of Mercury cazimi, as it sits at the heart of the Sun (which is the heart of the heart of our solar system) seems to be a powerful reminder to listen to the still, small voice within, the one that is easily blotted out by the relentless barrage of noise and distraction. To listen deeply at the solstice is to hear the animals speak, all of nature in fact. Capricorn reminds us or tries that we are part of nature. We benefit from her abundance and we suffer when she becomes sparse or damaged. It’s that simple. To acknowledge this is to settle down in our bodies even as we once again, celebrate the miracle of the birth of the light.
As Mercury enters the shadow of the retrograde it will be in Sagittarius. It will square Neptune and conjunct Mars (which will square Neptune later in December). These are uneasy aspects. As it moves into Capricorn it makes more favorable aspects: a sextile to Saturn and a trine to Jupiter. This retrograde period has two parts: Reminding us in Sagittarius that even if there is a sucker born every minute it doesn’t have to be us. While in Capricorn it shows us that when we align with the natural world, when we overcome the distracting chatter and allow that we are embodied beings, we benefit. As it leaves the shadow it will square Neptune and conjunct Mars once again before finding stability again in Capricorn. There is a heap of information as well as misinformation in this world. Be mindful. And once you make it through the ‘fire swamp’ of the square to Neptune, as January turns to February there are things to be done if we are to be good citizens of the natural world. Tell that to your politicians.
For the exact dates of the aspects you can check the Insights column at my website. To join the alignment event for Mercury retrograde and resonate with the best of this astrological aspect register at www.LightTravels.com
Warm regards,
Julie
www.juliesimmons.ca
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