The holidays, always a stressful time, have an extra wrinkle this year, as trickster planet Mercury turned retrograde on the 3rd. While it’s great that it will be direct on the 22nd prior to Christmas Day, the 3 weeks we have to plan, shop and travel are going to be touchy.
But don’t freak out!
As I often preach, when the cosmos hands us lemons… well you know the rest. We are going to manage this and do it brilliantly.
This retrograde is supposed to have the worst side effects during the beginning of the month, so as we get closer to Christmas, things should even out. Another event saving us is the Gemini Full Moon. The Full Moon began yesterday as well and the effects will last until the New Moon on the 18th, a few days before Winter Solstice. This energy helps us wrap up loose ends and Mercury retrograde could actually help with that. During this reflective time of year we review the year that has gone by and clear through any debris in preparation of the new energy of the coming spring. Under this energy, any nagging thoughts from the past or unresolved issues will be given the opportunity to be rehashed and released. This opportunity for a fresh outlook on life coincides pretty perfectly with the start of a new year.
Mercury retrograde in Sagittarius brings intellectual confusion and mix ups. Bold statements can be quite mistaken and may need to be totally retracted. Be careful when communicating opinions and ideas, as comments tend to be very direct, sometimes to the point of what others consider tactless. You'll have an opportunity to rethink your moral stance or what might be a self-righteous perspective concerning a specific area of your life. More broadly, people may be less concerned with facts and more likely to lose track of what’s true because attention to the details may be less important than impressions and attitudes. The result can be hypocrisy that appeals mainly to the lowest common denominator of popular thought. Even a preoccupation with intellectual superiority and self-righteous opinions can come across as mere confusion or worse: incessant arguing and creating long-term bad feelings.
In addition to the customary retrograde precautions: back up that hard-drive, double check reservations and have a Plan B, it might be wise this year to also watch our consumption of “holiday cheer”. Chardonnay and loose lips are never welcome guests at a party.