Time flies when life is busy. And when Mercury is moving in retrograde motion, which it has been since Jan. 5th, there can be a strange or out-of-sync quality to our thought and action. The Sun and Mercury have both been in productive and disciplined Capricorn, which is typically helpful in remaining focused on goals and plans we resolved to work toward in the new year. But Mercury’s quirky retrograde movement can play tricks on us, frustrating progress with breakdowns and miscommunication. And while in Capricorn, these frustrations relate to autonomy and self-respect.
The Sun shifted into Aquarius on Wednesday, opening up our awareness from the bounds of reality to a more free-thinking, independent and somewhat irreverent energy. As the weekend continues, the Moon in Leo will reach an opposition with the Aquarius Sun, forming a Full Moon at 8:46 p.m. EST Â tomorrow. This planetary aspect brings up issues regarding where we walk our own walk and where we fit in with others. The Leo Moon really craves affection and attention, but the opposite quality represented by Aquarius– needing space and freedom to be unique and different– can sometimes create some conflict. There’s a strong potential for dramatic self-expression with this intensely personal Full Moon as it urges us to be authentic and present ourselves as we truly are, rather than remaining within the bounds of the structures of our lives.
Meanwhile, Mercury is slowing down to a standstill (from our earthly point of view), lingering at about 15 degrees of Capricorn all weekend long before it finally starts moving direct again Monday afternoon. That means Mercury is exactly at the same degree as powerful Pluto, digging deep into ages of history and buried memories. This conjunction happened first on Dec. 20 when Mercury was moving forward through Capricorn, now Mercury has backed up to the same point as Pluto and will form one last exact conjunction on Jan. 30. This planetary phase has forced a lot of old baggage up to our awareness, asking us to sort through some things we’ve been keeping in a closet for years, maybe even lifetimes. It can feel uncomfortable– Capricorn has a serious tone to it in some ways, and Pluto is the planet that disintegrates and rebuilds. So this is a major “breaking down” time where we may all see some bleak or heavy stuff about ourselves.
The nice thing about this astrology is that it empowers us to see more clearly. With the buzz of the holidays over, and the stress of the new year “to do” list calming down, we have a minute or two this weekend to get centered in our life in the present. It’s a good time to focus on what brings you real joy (Moon in Leo) and freedom to be honest, regardless of how strange or unexpected that may be (Sun in Aquarius). If there are qualifications to those things– if you find you’re maintaining the way things have always been, or behaving the way people expect you to behave, the planets are on your side to break away from these ingrained patterns. Mercury will be front and center all weekend long, urging us to bring what is buried up to a conscious level in order to move above and beyond it.
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