I don’t think I am in the minority when I say 2018 has been a hard year to handle. It was a year of inner growth and patience and it’s never easy to dig into our own closets and unearth and face the secrets and skeletons hiding there. We had much energy that was encouraging us to pause, reflect, and assess our motivation moving forward.
Today on the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year, Capricorn heralds in the winter season. As an Cardinal earth sign, ruled by Saturn and with the goat as its archetype, Capricorn portrays the enduring and irrepressible spirit of nature. In ancient times the goat was a symbol of courage, of high aspirations and a surefootedness that enabled them to climb higher than any other animal. Goats can survive anywhere and on even the scarcest of vegetation. They are true survivors and can endure short term sacrifices and harsh conditions.
We begin December with the last of the retrograde energy to deal with. If this year seemed stalled to you, that because it was. At one point we had 6 planets in backward motion. That is a lot of self-reflection for anyone. But before we can launch into a new year, old friend Mercury is having us take one last look at 2018 by re-entering Scorpio on December 1 for the last 7 days of the cycle before turning direct on December 6. Mercury will be retrograde in Scorpio, a sign that has already seen a lot of action this year with the Venus retrograde here. It seems then, as though the universe would like us to spend some time contemplating issues connected to fear, sexuality, intimacy, and deep bonding. Think back to the summer, what changes has circumstances and/or yourself gone through. Mercury direct re-enters Sagittarius on December 12 and once again we are covering ground where we have wandered before but this time we’re likely to feel clearer about our destination.
On Thanksgiving this year, the Sun moves into Sagittarius and will remain there until December 21st. Sagittarius, with its fiery nature and mutable quality, is the part of us that is the Seeker, after ideas, information and experience. It's more than simple curiosity however; it involves a purpose that transcends mere information gathering as in Gemini. With expansive Jupiter as its ruler, this is about discovering the higher Truth in the facts. In Scorpio, we faced the Dark Night of the Soul in which we questioned and probed into everything we are. In Sagittarius, we now aspire to the heights of human potential, which would not be possible until we've faced the darkness. When confronting our worst nightmares in Scorpio, Sagittarius leads us into a quest for new meaning, new allegiance and a renewal of spirit. In Sagittarius, we envision the best of what is possible. We begin to reassess our potential and find a new direction.
From November 16 until December 1, 2018, Mercury will be traveling retrograde through “nothing but the truth” Sagittarius, before backing into “I’ve got a secret” Scorpio for the duration of its backspin that lasts until December 6. The truth will inevitably come boiling to the surface during this phase, as secrets are revealed and skeletons are forced out of the closet. We may also be asked to review situations that happened last December 3 through the 22, when Mercury was last retrograde in Sagittarius. The silver lining is that this time around we will be better prepared and be more proactive. This transit is going to push us to look at the fine print (Sagittarius hates details and prefers the big picture) and reflect on what we've done and to be extra careful and pay attention to the facts. Mercury’s dip back into Scorpio teaches lessons that will involve going back and uncovering information that we may have been previously unaware of or have tried to suppress.
