Mercury conjunct Pluto today while the Moon has just entered Pisces and is moving towards a conjunction with the Tail of the Dragon or more often called: the South Node of the Moon.
These aspects can be compared to a crocodile in a quagmire; his tail dredging up all sorts of old sediments from the bottom of a dirty pool.
Unpleasant situations will need to be dealt with, secrets could be revealed and powerful opinions will collide.
Anything that has to do with communicating and processing information is receiving a dose of steroids (Pluto) which in turn magnifies the outgoing and incoming messages.
The Moon in Pisces approaching a conjunction to the South Node could mean that we feel helpless or victimized by something out of our control. The South Node is sometime compared to a bottomless pit where we tend to get stuck and where we can feel great dissatisfaction.
This dissatisfaction in turn serves as impetus for change.
The great waters are churning. As we become aware of all the darkness in the world we must not lose faith but push beyond the unpleasant truths emerging at the moment.
The Sun in Aquarius serves as a guiding light shining on our ideals.
The Sun just entered the sign of Aquarius on January 19 where it will stay until February 18.
Before the New Moon in Aquarius on January 27, the Moon will travel through Sagittarius and Capricorn. We can expect the next few days to be full of heated debates and self-righteous dialogues as the Moon applies to a conjunction with Saturn. At its best, Saturn in Sagittarius can be about having faith in our convictions which help fuel our ideas and bring some structure to what we believe in. At its worst, Saturn in Sagittarius becomes dogmatic and fanatical, imposing its point of view in a one way preaching of its truth, testing the solidity and validity of our faith. Since the ruler of the Moon in Sagittarius is Jupiter in the sign of the scales (Libra) the debates and conversations will most likely revolve around equality and inequality, justice and injustice, right vs. wrong, relational issues and the delicate balance of it all.
The Moon will also briefly square Mars at 29 degrees of Pisces as it prepares to ingress in the sign of its rulership of Aries. Note that both the last decan of Pisces and the first decan of Aries are ruled by Mars – emphasizing the martial qualities of this time period.
The Moon moves into the sign of Capricorn on Wednesday January 24 at 17:43 EST and will make some lovely aspects mainly a sextile to Neptune in Pisces and a conjunction to Mercury in Capricorn which could bring some conversations around the topics of healing, compassion and mercy. Thursday promises to be a day filled with challenges as the Moon in Capricorn conjunct Pluto in the early morning hours and then square Uranus in Aries and Jupiter in Libra. Thursday evening the Moon sextile Venus in Pisces, applying a balm on the heat of the last few days.
With the Sun in Aquarius, the desire for freedom and independence is very strong. Freedom of thoughts, freedom of speech and the tendency to rebel against the existing structures while also wanting to reform and bring about new and better ways of doing things. Feeling left-out of the conversation and the impression of not belonging anywhere could permeate the next month while the Sun travels in Aquarius. Themes of exile and frontiers could set us apart which in turn could create a state of disillusionment and alienation.
Take a Breather
The time preceding the New Moon is called the Dark Moon and it describes the Moon when it is invisible against the backdrop of the Sun. It is the last phase of the lunar cycle before it begins again.
Astrologically speaking, the last 3 days before the New Moon represent a time of rest, of letting go, of sorting out and making space for what is ready to begin in the upcoming month. The days leading to the New Moon are best spent nurturing and resting the body in preparation for the month ahead. One of the best way to spend the next few days, is to seek space and get out for a hike, stretch and relax. Stretch the mind, stretch the body and seek openness. The desire for change is strong but judgmental and self-righteous behaviours might be even stronger, creating division and arguments instead of unity. This can be depleting or draining instead of being productive. Use this Dark Moon period to regroup, tie-up loose ends and finish things. New ideas and new ways of doing will naturally start emerging in the process and you will be fresh and ready to tackle February which promises to be a big month.
The New Moon on January 27 at 19:07 EST is in the sign of Aquarius and its ruler Saturn in Sagittarius will be square to Venus in Pisces. This indicate tension between certain structures in our lives, our beliefs, our values and our ability (or inability) to find sweetness amidst the harshness and difficulties of these times. Feeling limited and opressed while seeking or craving beauty and exaltation. Our ability to find what brings us together (Venus) versus what divides us (Saturn) will set the tone for the month ahead. Since Aquarius is linked to innovation, perhaps now is the time to begin applying new and better ways of doing things.
The best way to predict the future is to invent it. -Alan Kay
Mercury went direct early this morning in the sign of Sagittarius.
For the next few weeks, it will travel back over the same degrees of the zodiac it was in early December and will meet with Pluto in Capricorn on January 29th.
It could be that something you were working on back in December will start gaining momentum by the end of the month. An internal process is ready to be externalized.
Some ideas are taking shape and gaining traction. Important clues or answers are finally coming to you that will illuminate the path ahead.
Since Mercury is heading towards Pluto, the importance of honesty is crucial. Lying will only slow down the process. Speak your truth even if it’s a difficult one. Taking shortcuts might help you in the short term but at what cost? Be willing to face a difficult process. Acknowledge your progress.
If you find yourself at a crossroad, choose the path that leads you to your heart’s integrity.
We will be entering some dark territories over the weekend. Our relationships will be the prime battle ground for the darkness that is trying to emerge and come into the light. Remember that precious gems are not found above ground. Keep that in mind and take a step back from whatever is happening. There is a New Moon on Monday and a definite shift for the better.
The Moon is in Gemini for a few days and she is ruled by Mercury which is still retrograde in Capricorn. Lots of busy mental power available to us. Using discrimination between the essential and the superfluous will save a lot of time. Do not get fooled by your own cleverness and take time to ponder your decisions.
“We may idealize freedom, but when it comes to our habits, we are completely enslaved.” ―Sogyal Rinpoche
Dedication and Destination
Uranus going direct at the end of December really got us all fired up about the upcoming possibilites in our lives in the New Year. Saturn in Sagittarius ruled by Jupiter in Virgo is offering the possibility to have an organised outlook on the horizon and a good idea of the work that is required get beyond our current situation. Our faith is turning towards the satisfaction that comes with the dedicated attention of working and being useful. We could feel ambitious and work hard to see concrete results down the road. This is a great time let go of instant gratification and integrate systems in our lives that can bring a lasting legacy.
2016 starts with Mercury retrograde at 1º of Aquarius tantalising us with a glimpse of the possible future. Mercury going backward in the sign of Capricorn is like the mountain goat walking the treacherous path of a mountain side: every steps are carefully calculated. With the Sun also in Capricorn and a recent conjunction to Pluto, we could feel extremely ambitious and ready to tackle pretty much anything. Mars in Scorpio is also supporting us with the staying power and resilience needed.
The year 2016 starts with an opportunity to review our values and what we consider important. There is an emphasis on all the little things that makes up the whole. Our attention is on analysis and perspective. The small but important details and the patience required to achieve mastery. The idea here is not to become a martyr but to find greater satisfaction through dedicated awareness in our everyday actions. Negotiating a chosen path requires a little give and take at every moment as we learn to develop a more efficient strategy. Success demands effort, commitment and nerves.
NEW MOON IN CAPRICORN ☾♑︎
The New Moon is at 21:31 EST on January 9th at 19º Capricorn and is carrying with her clues about our role and responsibilities and the place we want to occupy in the grand scheme of things. There might have been some difficult realisations brought up in the recent days around our relationships and habits that no longer serves you. Since this New Moon is ruled by Saturn she brings with her an awareness of time passing and our own or others mortality.
Saturn is currently conjunct Venus which confuse work with pleasure, labour with leisure. Even more so with the square to Neptune which can act as a distraction and a desire to avoid reality all together.
Jupiter just started its retrograde motion through the sign of Virgo and will only turn direct 5 months from now. *Special attention to the nitpickers and perfectionists out there, the possibility to get lost in the never good enough labyrinth is real.
Those planetary aspects, can indicate that we are aligning our work and our beliefs into a more unified version. If only we could find the simple formula that would allow us to combine the obligations of our reality with our inner truth. There is great need to adjust what we do on a daily basis with our beliefs and vice versa. This can create a sort of cognitive dissonance if our words do not match our actions. We are learning to walk the talk and we need to let go of certain habits, situations or people who might be holding us back.
The New Moon in Capricorn supports fresh ideas and concepts that are grounded and achievable. Since Mercury is retrograde for most of January, I would suggest focusing on restructuring the systems you have in place that will allow you to become more efficient. Favour concrete, step-by-step approach and let-go of time-wasting habits without becoming too obsessive.
Modern Vanitas by Kalico the Kat
We are weighed down, every moment, by the conception and the sensation of Time. And there are but two means of escaping and forgetting this nightmare: pleasure and work. Pleasure consumes us. Work strengthens us. Let us choose.
-Charles Baudelaire
Today, Mercury stations retrograde at 0’ 57 of Aquarius and will be re-tracing the path it took in December until it turns direct again on January 25th.
This could means that we don’t have all the pieces we need to move ahead. We will have to look back to retrieve some important information and perhaps restructure some of our plans. Something needs resolution. We need to back track to move deeper, to heal, to understand. You can try denial but I wouldn’t recommend it. Things will most likely go in an unpredictable fashion and that is part of the revision process. Some things need to die before we can move forward. Wether its a habit, a fear or a cherished illusion. What is the driving force hiding behind your decisions at the moment?
The regular Mercury procedure is: Don’t sign contracts, don’t buy big-ticket items or launch on a new venture. The potential for confusion, complication or things not turning out as planned seems to be higher during this period. Of course you have free will and of course you can do whatever you want. This is an ongoing observed phenomenon.
The first aspect that Mercury makes on its way backward, is a square to Mars in Scorpio. Mars doesn’t back track, it moves forward. What does it mean?
We can speculate.
Mars in Scorpio wants to zoom in on what most don’t want to show. It identifies the weaknesses to annihilate or heal depending on the level of awareness. This means that we have an arsenal of truth serum at our disposal and it needs to be handled with care for the sake of peace and integration.
Mars wants to act but Scorpio doesn’t tell so Mars in Scorpio is almost always about acting undercover without showing intentions. Mars in Scorpio has hidden motivations. Mercury the messenger, connects us to one another. It is Mercury’s job to tell. This could be like an undercover mission gone public, a cover up exposed, an ambitious executioner, a politician who tells the truth. It can cause ravages or it can bring us to the next level.
Without proper considerations this aspect could see us pulling dirty tricks to win a race that is driven by our insecurities. Mars in Scorpio cuts through the thin veil of chatter to get to the core of the issue. Special attention to dialogues, exchanges and negociations in the next few days as the potential for misunderstanding or hurts to surface is very possible.
You might find me overly prescriptive to start the year but knowledge allows us to move with awareness through the battle fields.
Although this is a relatively short aspect, it is worth paying attention to it in the next 24 hours.
Mercury in Capricorn allows us to be ambitious with a clear idea of how to proceed. Mars in the sign of Libra doesn’t find a great expression for asserting its powers.
The image is one of a diplomat pushing for his own agenda while caught in a tense exchange.
We might be quite ebullient about an idea, a project or simply knowing exactly how things should unfold but there is a potential to run against others. It is a great day to organise thoughts and delineate a schedule. Write things down!
Stay away from difficult people if possible as there is a possibility of nit-picking over minor details.
The Moon moves from Leo to Virgo later this afternoon and will probably accentuate the need to have things done a certain way.
The Moon is in Aquarius and there is a definitive Uranian tone to the astrology of the moment. In astrology, the planet Uranus is associated with sudden insights, creative genius and rebellion from the norm. There are some real opportunities this week to tap into our creative juice and set things in motion. Monitor your thoughts and make sure they are updated. New projects, new ideas are floating around. To tap into this astro, favour a rational and detach approach. Be clear and honest in your dealings.
Mercury the planet ruling over the intellect and communications will be in the sign of Capricorn starting today December 9 until January 1.
Capricorn being an earth sign gives us the practical methods to reach a goal. With the Sun in Sagittarius, we might be imbued with a fiery vision at the moment but without realistic planning our dreams can remain distant fantasies.
This is an appeal to use the resources we have at our disposal in a realistic fashion. Delineating, planning and focusing on concrete steps to make something happen.
Mercury in Capricorn has a no non-sense approach and can be business oriented. Because Capricorn is ruled by Saturn, we have to be aware of a tendency towards rigidity in our thinking. Being realistic without being pessimistic and thinking critically without becoming a harsh critic.
Use this month to prepare and plan for the year ahead and what you would like to achieve in 2016.
9th House 