Mercury Retrograde
Dec 12 Mercury enters shadow 8 Cap 08
Dec 29 (1:31am PST) Mercury station retrograde 24 Cap 21
Jan 18 (5:12 am PST) Mercury station direct 8 Cap 08
Feb 6 Mercury exits shadow 24 Cap 21
You know what is a fun way to wrap up 2022? How about a good old fashion Mercury retrograde? Yeah, why not. On December 6, Mercury entered sober Capricorn during the exuberant Sagittarius 29-day lunar cycle. Mercury in Cap is a nice grounding component during Sag’s big ideas, big doing, big big cycle. But now we are in Capricorn’s “party’s over” 29-day cycle. We are getting to work, we are focused on our goals, we are looking at our life and feeling like an executive and fixing stuff; and in that environment Mercury is turning retrograde from 24 Capricorn and will go all the way back to 8 degrees of Cap. On a good Cap cycle, we are always double downing in our goals but with Mercury, the brain planet, turning retrograde in Cap, we really mean business about the business of our life. Mentally it is a sober three weeks.
Impacting this Mercury retrograde is the conjunction with Venus. Venus rules our values. Everyone thinks Venus rules love and it does, but it is because we value someone, something that is why we love it or the person. Venus rules creativity and money as well. A lot about this Mercury retrograde is about our values. If we are not amplifying our values, we may feel a major disconnect. The creative person who feels trapped in a grind it out environment. Or the person undervalued and not paid enough. Or the employee who takes advantage of an employer’s largess. Or the person who is not being loved in the same way they give love. There is a lot that will come up during this mercury retrograde about values.
Our inner CEO got tapped once the new moon launched and now on the retrograde, the boss we carry inside of us, is looking at everyone’s job performance. Our friends, our family, our loved ones, the dude at the gas station, the new mayor, we are squinting at everyone wondering, “What kind of job are you doing?” Of course, our biggest critic is in the mirror. Where have we dropped the ball? When did we choose the easy road and are we paying for it now? Where did we give up on a previous goal that was a good and a solid ambition, but we weren’t up for the hard work? Or were we naïve about something that now under a somber eye we need to make adjustments that are more sensible. Of course, this is a Mercury retrograde where all good plans go awry so any goals we made before the retrograde may be sensible but if anything is ‘off’ in our thinking it will probably come up for us between December 29 and January 18.
Boss stuff, dad stuff, authority stuff can trigger some old debris. Mull whatever is going on and see how it can be adjusted or fixed. While Mercury in Capricorn understands goals and ambition, it is also very modest. It can do a lot with a little. Mercury in Capricorn leans into executive skills, tapping the right person to do the right thing. Mercury in Capricorn never goes to the car repairman and asks him to fix the toaster. Cap knows who is right for what job, that is a talent that others do not always understand. But during this retrograde we can use the energy to figure out the right person for our right goal. This is a gift.
The last time Mercury retrograde was entirely in Capricorn was December 2009 and January 2010 and the time before that was January 2003. Think back on what was going on with you then. What were your big plans then? Did you have success? What worked. What did not work? Did you waste some of your energies on a goal that later was not worth it? What would you tell the person you were then with the wisdom and knowledge you have now? What can you learn from then to assist you now?
As with any Mercury retrograde, double check all paperwork. Take care before making big purchases. This is an excellent retrograde to research. Do your diligence before doing anything, that is Cap’s preference. And remember your values will tell you what you need to know whenever you are confused.