Dear Readers,
Early yesterday morning, the Moon crossed from deep and intense Scorpionic waters into the optimistic and idealistic heights of fiery Sagittarius where it had a scheduled rendez-vous with the Sun this afternoon. Mercury then stations retrograde1 this evening. Our Sagittarius New Moon is thus sharing the spotlight with Mercury.
I already wrote about these two events in my last post, but I thought I’d pop into your inbox with a reminder since it’s been over a week and things could be messy for the next few days.
This New Moon is restless, passionate, visionary, and spiritual. The archer is aiming his arrow at a vision or an ideal, but it’s in a challenging square with Neptune, and Neptune isn’t interested in precision of any kind. Neptune is imaginative and spiritual. It dissolves the edges of things and deforms—similar to the way that looking into water distorts the way objects appear. Who hasn’t seen a fabulous rock or shell in the shallows, reached in to capture the prize and discovered it was rather ordinary once out of the water? Though this kind of disillusionment can be frustrating, it serves a purpose. The vision the archer is holding is important, but perhaps his ideas about how it can be achieved are crystalized, too restrictive to allow for the dreaminess of Neptune’s way of working with our imaginations, or perhaps we’ve allowed ourselves to be taken in by delusional ideal, one founded in zeal or fanatacism—one of the pitfalls of Neptune. Strong Neptune can, however, be an invitation to surrender to the unknown; to allow the concepts and beliefs which we previously considered sacrosanct to morph, allowing for more possibility in our lives. We get to decide.
In the case of Sagittarius, which has a shadow side of righteousness and dogmatism, this Neptunian effect can soften the shell around firmly held notions, enabling us to open to the higher expression of Sagittarius grounded in the expansiveness of love. I see this as a fist uncurling to reveal an open palm or the feeling of tightness in the heart softening, allowing for broad-mindedness, forgiveness, generosity of spirit and tolerance.
When any planet stations retrograde or direct its effect is felt most strongly, so here we are at the station, likely to be wading through Neptunian fog while juggling Mercury’s propensity to serve up mix-ups, misunderstandings and miscommunications.
At a New Moon the seed of a story is planted for the next lunar cycle. Thus, it seems safe to bet that this will be a rather Neptunian next four weeks—which might not be a bad thing over the holidays if we’re comfortable releasing our need to control things. With Mercury retrograde however, it would be wise to check and double check holiday plans and perhaps build in extra time to account for Mercurial shenanigans.
This Mercury retrograde encompasses two very different signs. It begins in serious and strategic Capricorn on December 12 and is well supported there by Saturn. Reviewing and revising the structures we depend on, like inspecting the foundation we’ve built our lives upon seems prudent. Planning and reviewing long term goals are also supported in Capricorn. Consider a first draft. We’ll have another chance to make revisions as Mercury will cover this part of the chart again once direct.
The Sun leaves Sagittarius, crossing the solstice point at 0° Capricorn on the evening of December 21, marking the longest period of darkness in the Northern hemisphere. The solstices (and equinoxes) are powerful energetic portals that mark turning points when we experience the extremes of light and darkness. (At the equinoxes it’s balance of light and dark.) At this time of year, we note the dormancy in the natural world. Life seems to be hanging in the balance like an indrawn breath. Though it may take a week or two after the solstice for it to be noticeable, in our hearts we will know that the tide has shifted, that roots and buds will soon be swelling, and light and life will once again reclaim the land and its creatures.
On December 22, also at 0° Capricorn, Mercury, in retrograde motion, meets up with the Sun. It seems particularly auspicious that this cazimi happens at 0°, immediately following the solstice. It’s truly a threshold moment. A Mercury cazimi marks the beginning of Mercury’s next cycle with the Sun. It’s when Mercury goes through his rebirth and reempowerment in the heart of the Sun. The old has been burned off, making way for new ideas and realizations. This is when we can be captured by an idea. Something grabs our attention—a revelation, like a gift from the god. A seed is planted. We can choose to pursue it, then follow the development of the idea over the course of the upcoming Mercury cycle, approximately 116 days. Who knows? It could be the best holiday gift we’ve ever received.
Mercury then backs up and re-enters Sagittarius where we can once again expand our horizons built on a more secure foundation. In Sagittarius, Mercury is enlivened by the fire of knowledge and wisdom. He’s interested in making meaning from the experiences of our lives and the higher ideals we seek to live into. Perhaps these too require revision or reconsideration. Do they still apply, and do they inspire? Or do we need a new vision for the new year?
But this Sagittarian part of Mercury’s retrograde period comes with peril as well. As Mercury backs up, he’ll run into Mars shortly after Christmas. Mercury and Mars in a fire sign can provide support for our idealistic actions, but it can also intensify conflict—particularly verbal conflict. This period, immediately before Christmas until a few days afterward, is a time to be particularly mindful about choosing our battles wisely.
Mercury turns direct on January 1 at 22° Sagittarius. If you’re in the habit of doing a year-end review before making new year’s resolutions, this couldn’t be a more perfect time for reflection.
The gods willing, I’ll be back in your inboxes before then, but for now, I wish you all a beautiful holiday season whether you’re celebrating Hannukah, Solstice/Yule, Christmas, Kwanzaa or simply a peaceful December.
This fall, I’ve had the pleasure of consulting with some of my readers. It’s such a treat to put names and faces to the email addresses on my list. If you’d like to begin 2023 with a better understanding of yourself or what the year might hold for you, I’d be delighted to serve as your guide to the current astrology and how it relates to you personally. 2024 promises to be a big year astrologically and I love doing private consultations.
If interested, please email me: camelliablossoms@gmail.com
I love the idea of Mercury Cazimi as the best holiday gift of all time... yes please! Lovely writing ♥️