This is the free fortnightly newsletter that was mailed out 26 November. Retrograde Mercury … I forgot to post it onto the website, better late than never!
In this newsletter you’ll find –
- All about retrograde Mercury
- All about Sun in Sagittarius
- The Weekly Astrology Blog – what’s the forecast?
- How to gift a Reading or The Astrology Blog subscription as a Christmas present
- Detailed Year Ahead 2025 Readings – appointments now available
RETROGRADE MERCURY
So let’s start with the info about the two crucial turning points –
- Mercury turned retrograde at 22 Sagittarius at 02.43 GMT this morning
- Mercury will turn direct again at 6 Sagittarius on 15 December
This doesn’t mean that everything will start to unravel or that we should put our life and decisions on hold during this time, but it does mean being more aware of how matters that should have been straightforward go pear shaped or how even the best laid plans can go wrong.
22 Sagittarius is the cusp of my natal 2nd House, and close to my Mercury – Saturn conjunction at 25/26 Sagittarius. Story in the blog! Where is 22 Sag in your own chart? In which house do you find that degree and does it link up to any natal planets? Do you have any planets or Angles between 6 and 22 Sagittarius or the opposite sign of Gemini?
Stories in the news always teach us a great deal. Sagittarius is a Jupiter ruled sign, whose domain is the 9th House, which includes things like long distance travel and learning. It’s also where we locate justice and legal concerns of all kinds.
This morning the Menendez brothers are in the news with their bid for resentencing (watch for those “re” words) on the grounds that when they were convicted, over 30 years ago, the evidence and impact of sexual abuse by a parent was not taken as seriously as it would be today. Both brothers have planets between 6 and 22 Sagittarius, and in particular Erik has both these turning points with the Sun at 5 Sag and Mercury at 22 Sag, both in the 4th House where we locate one of the parents. The case has been delayed until the end of January but this astrology suggests that the resentencing will be successful, backed up by Jupiter turning direct beginning of February.
I included the retrograde Mercury checklist in yesterday’s blog and I’ll repeat that here. This is an example of the kind of information included every week in the blog, designed to give you the celestial weather forecast and to help you navigate through the week ahead. Easy or tricky, astrology is a fantastic frame of reference and reassures us that there is a master plan and that it’s working.
YOUR MERCURY CHECKLIST
At a universal level these backward loops (3 times a year, 3 weeks at a time) are when Mercury wears his Trickster’s hat – gremlins everywhere! Compiled from many years of observation these are the kind of themes to be aware of, now and during the next 10 days (up to 15 Dec plus a couple of days) –
- Second chances are there – look at what went wrong the first time and do it differently
- Get back to the conversations and the things you wanted to say but didn’t, no matter how long ago
- Don’t take things to the wire. Allow as much extra time as possible for your “must be done” list on the basis that you could easily be caught out by something going wrong at the last minute
- Similarly, try not to do things when you’re in a tearing hurry – more likely to be easily distracted, forgetful, clumsy
- Be cautious or at least selective in your use of social media. Avoid posting anything too personal or getting involved in any kind of angry debates. Also check privacy settings
- Guard against trying to construct situations or distressing yourself with regard to anything beyond your control. Forcing any kind of round pegs into square holes won’t be worth the effort and could cost you dearly
- Try not to struggle on with things that are clearly beyond your area of expertise. You can’t be good at everything! Ask for help
- Adopt the mantra of one day at a time … going too far ahead creates anxiety, especially with problems which have no clear or immediate answers
- Know that there are things you don’t know – yet
- Try to operate by “re” words – review, revise, research, reappraise, rethink, repair, redress the balance and so on. Also remember rest and relaxation, give the brain some time off and try not to put yourself under unnecessary pressure
- Expect cancellations or rescheduling of appointments or personal arrangements
- Buy yourself time wherever needed – keep options open
- When in doubt, check it out – second hand opinions are a dead cert for getting hold of the wrong end of the stick – and don’t believe everything you hear
- Write things down and double check everything – forgetfulness, being distracted, inattention etc can be a troublesome theme
- Back up all your computer work
- Don’t delete any documents – you may need them at a later date
- Getting back to ideas on the back burner
- Getting back in touch with those who’ve been neglected or important to you in the past – let them know how much they matter
- Keep a close watch on all belongings – especially keys or anything linked to communication such as phones, laptops, tablets, cameras etc and don’t even think about buying new ones for the time being
- The same for cars – it’s best to avoid buying any mode of transport under a retro Mercury BUT it’s the ideal time for doing all the hunting and research
- Plan any journey with extra care, don’t trust to luck or to fine timing, and make sure tickets are covered on your insurance
- Kill your speed when driving – allow extra time for getting there slowly but safely
- Take extra care with form filling/signing on dotted lines – paperwork and admin of all kinds are a minefield
- Decide to ease the pain or cool the resentment. Write the letter you can’t send or you’ll never send – whether it’s to someone you’ve lost or to someone you want to strangle it’s great therapy
- Turning this the other way around you can also write a letter to yourself from someone you’ve lost – which is even greater therapy
- Stop trying to fix others – just focus on yourself. Changes starts with us, and within us, from the inside out, not the other way around
- Assume nothing. No matter how certain a situation might seem there is a good chance that it will morph into something else over the next couple of weeks – the “x” factor is at work …
- Reserve the right to change your mind/keep an open mind. As you start to see something from a different angle the truth, reality or logistics will evolve in a way that you couldn’t possibly have planned or expected
- KEEP A SENSE OF HUMOUR lol
SUN IN SAGITTARIUS
Taken from my book Essential Astrology (Cico Books) – https://tinyurl.com/m9wr7xkb
Spot the Sagittarian
Jupiter is Mr Big of the skies and it’s unusual to find a small Sagittarian. They are either tall, big boned or larger than life. However, even the smaller versions usually give the impression of boundless energy and are often in a tearing hurry.
Sagittarius rules the hips and thighs, so look for that long swinging stride or even the gallop. They may remind you of a racehorse, or of a rather large exuberant dog when they bump into you, step on your feet or knock over your drink. Look for the big smile and the narrow, usually deep set, quizzical eyes that meet your gaze with a disarming frankness.
A quiet Sagittarian is a rarity as most of them are party animals who thrive on the stimulus of company and conversation. Listen for the loud voice, ringing laughter and direct questions. This can come across as rudeness but Sagittarians tend to wear their hearts on their sleeves and forget that not everyone else does.
The Sagittarian Nature
All the fire signs exude an obvious and immediate warmth, but Sagittarians are especially welcoming and cheerful. Friendliness is their hallmark, they expect to be liked and they’re puzzled or hurt when they’re not. They can put even the most uncomfortable person at ease.
Unfortunately they can also unwittingly create discomfort when their arrows of truths hit the mark with a stinging accuracy that can leave their target speechless. They usually dig themselves into an even deeper hole when trying to explain or apologize.
However, there is no malice aforethought. They simply speak as they find and they can dish out compliments with the same outspokenness. Their language is emphatic and peppered with words such as absolutely, completely or totally. They have an infectious sense of fun and can be hilariously funny, either in a clownish way or through wit.
A typical Sag is honest, gregarious and generous. Never ask them to buy anything for you without being very specific. The idea of less is more is alien to them and you can easily end up with enough goodies to lay in for a siege.
Love & Relationships
Sagittarians place enormous value on freedom and their personal space. Marrying too early, unless it’s to a real kindred spirit, can be disastrous as they invariably end up feeling trapped or restricted. Ideally this sign needs to sow more than the average number of wild oats and in this respect it’s not unusual to go through a long period of promiscuity, and broken hearts on both sides, before they find the right partner.
When they are ready to commit they do it as they do everything else, optimistically, enthusiastically and with total loyalty. Even so, the best partnerships often have a flavor of the unconventional as any kind of claustrophobia is such a death knell to their emotional growth and intellectual needs.
They will always respect a partner’s right to their individuality and independence and they are the most likely sign to make a success of a long distance relationship, or a match with someone from a different culture.
Family may be scattered far and wide but real closeness tends to be confined to just one or two special relatives. Friendship on the other hand is hugely important to this sign and typically they have a huge circle of people in whom they invest a great deal of love and energy.
An easily jealous partner would therefore last about five minutes and a true Sagittarian would always choose the single life over the shackles of a controlling relationship.
Vocation
The love of personal liberty can sometimes lead to a somewhat nomadic life and a resistance to taking on responsibilities. In the process, however, the thirst for knowledge, meaning and wisdom will lead restless and enquiring Sagittarians along all sorts of interesting byways.
As the sign of “the higher mind” there is a serious side to their nature, they understand that they need their own philosophy on life and that education takes many forms.
Sagittarius and Jupiter between them have a wide range of vocational concerns. They rule higher education and many gifted teachers, professors or scholars are born under this sign.
Editors, writers, literary agents and publishers also belong here as do all the legal professions, such as barristers or solicitors, and all work connected to humanitarianism, ethics, faith and religion. Here we also find the world of professional athletics and sports, especially equestrianism.
Jupiter and Sagittarius also rule all things foreign, including explorers, travelers or any work linked to overseas. Many Sagittarians find their niche in an expat community or away from their country of origin.
Unsurprisingly, the entrepreneurial spirit is alive and kicking with this big thinking sign, and they relish the freedom that money can buy. What they lack in hard experience they will make up for with powerful intuition and visionary talents.
Often there is a certain naivety and childlike trust in the world which somehow creates luck, albeit invariably at the eleventh hour.
Health
Sagittarius rules the thighs, including the femur, and the whole pelvic area, including the buttocks and sciatic nerve. They are prone to low back injuries that affect these parts of the body, often through sports injuries or falls. In spite of their athleticism Sagittarians can be clumsy. They tend to look upwards rather than where they are putting their feet.
This is mostly a robust sign but with their natural exuberance there is a tendency to go over the top in lifestyle or diet. They are susceptible to weight gain, exhaustion, addictions or afflictions that arise from excess and over indulgence, primarily liver disease.
However, moderation does not come easily to this sign so they tend to go for the all or nothing option.
In a nutshell: intuitive, spontaneous, optimistic, friendly, enthusiastic, ethical.
Textbook Sagittarians
Billy Connolly or “The Big Yin” (Scottish dialect for The Big One), whose standup comedy routines are characterized by blue language and outspokenness. After years of serious alcohol abuse he turned teetotal 30 December 1985.
Actress, singer and comedienne with the huge personality, Bette Midler is also known as the Divine Miss M and is famous for her extrovert, flamboyant and often outrageous performances.
Explorer, travelogue writer and novelist Mark Twain both made and lost fortunes in his lifetime. He always found a way of paying his creditors in full. He cared intensely about human rights and was an adamant supporter of the abolition of slavery.
OTHER FAMOUS SAGITTARIANS
- Amanda Seyfried
- Billy Eilish
- Brad Pitt
- Britney Spears
- Christina Aguilera
- Emmanuel Macron
- Frank Sinatra
- Jamie Foxx
- Jane Fonda
- Keith Richards
- Miley Cyrus
- Nicki Minaj
- Pope Francis
- Rita Ora
- Taylor Swift
- Tina Turner
- Tyra Banks
- Walt Disney
- Winston Churchill
- Woody Allen
THE WEEKLY BLOG
Looking at the very busy list for this week we can see that Mercury is heading back to repeat four aspects that were first formed in the middle of November –
- opposition to Jupiter
- square to Saturn
- trine to Chiron
- semi-square to Pluto
It’s a big week for the Sun too, making three of the same four aspects as Mercury (Sun trine Chiron will be next Tuesday) but, as the Sun is never retrograde, these are all “one offs”. It’s as if the Sun is highlighting Mercury’s footsteps, with the hotspot being that “cazimi” moment, when the two come together as they always do in the middle of any retrograde Mercury cycle. That will be exact just as we tip into Friday and is one of the most important aspects of the week.
Venus is on the home stretch through Capricorn, picking up aspects to Uranus, Neptune and Saturn along the way, and then moves on into the next sign of Aquarius at the weekend.
This change of sign doesn’t end the helpful mixed reception with Saturn, they are still “receiving” each other as both Capricorn and Aquarius are ruled by Saturn, and Saturn is currently travelling through Pisces, Venus’ sign of exaltation.
The tougher factor is that Venus runs smack into slow moving Pluto, who has also just moved into Aquarius, thus forming the conjunction that happens just once a year. So this is also top of the list of importance, as is Mars turning retrograde, which happens at almost exactly the same time.
Monday 2 December
- Retrograde Mercury 19 Sagittarius trine Chiron 19 Aries (2nd time) 06.16
- Venus 24 Capricorn trine Uranus 24 Taurus 14.44
Wednesday 4 December
- Retrograde Mercury 16 Sagittarius opposite Jupiter 16 Gemini (2nd time) 10.17
- Sun 13 Sagittarius square Saturn 13 Pisces 16.20
- Venus 27 Capricorn sextile Neptune 27 Pisces 18.54
- Moon conjunct Venus 27 Capricorn
Thursday 5 December
- Moon conjunct Pluto 0 Aquarius 04.57
- Retrograde Mercury 15 Sagittarius semi-square Pluto (2nd time) 11.05
- Venus 28 Capricorn semi-square Saturn 13 Pisces 13.41
Friday 6 December
- Sun conjunct retrograde Mercury 14 Sagittarius 02.19
- Retrograde Mercury 14 Sagittarius semi-square Venus 29 Capricorn 09.51
- Mars turns retrograde at 6 Leo 23.34
- Sun 15 Sagittarius semi-square Pluto 0 Aquarius 23.55
Saturday 7 December
- Retrograde Mercury 13 Sagittarius square Saturn 13 Pisces (2nd time) 01.54
- Venus ingress Aquarius 06.14
- Venus conjunct Pluto 0 Aquarius 14.06
- Sun 16 Sagittarius opposite Jupiter 16 Gemini 20.59
- Neptune turns direct 27.07 Pisces 23.45
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CHRISTMAS PRESENTS?
HOW TO GIFT A READING/ or THE BLOG TO A NEW READER
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