We’re halfway through the retrograde!
On December 21st, the Sun moves into the responsible, ambitious sign of Capricorn.
This is the person who will always make sure that you have motivation and proper direction in your life.
It wants everything in your daily life to function to serve your Highest good.
And Capricorn energy never wants to be too far outside of the box.
To them, structure provides its own sense of freedom and allows for life to flow more smoothly.
There is safety and purpose in a responsibly lived life.
Mercury has also been in this sign, which has added a bit of practicality to the blurriness of the retrograde.
On December 22nd, we reach the halfway point in the retrograde cycle, also known as the Mercury Cazimi.
This is a beautiful transit where the Sun and Mercury meet together and lift the veil so that we can see and think a bit more clearly.
However, that night Mercury treks backwards into Sagittarius and things get a little wonky.
Mercury is known to be in its “detriment” while in Sagittarius, meaning that it doesn’t feel as aligned and its values aren’t as easily expressed.
Mars is also sitting in this sign, adding fuel to the fire.
So, you might find yourself at a family gathering, itching to chime in and start a fight over misinterpreted words.
You may feel like you’re constantly having to bite your tongue or that it’s finally time to call that family member out.
At the end of the day, you have free will, but during retrogrades we aren’t able to communicate to the best of our ability and things don’t always deliver properly- even if we feel like it could.
If you find yourself wanting to address something or have a hefty conversation, consider doing it after the retrograde when you can articulate your point more effectively and have a better shot at a productive conversation.
Approach the holidays with grace and deep breaths.
Then on December 26th, we’ll have a Full Moon in Cancer.
This is the day to lay low and give yourself much needed self-care.
Take time to recharge from all of the holiday activities and cleanse your energy.
Explore anything that you need to let go of in order to feel emotionally fulfilled.
Is there anything that’s causing you to feel unsafe in your environment or are there ways that you are neglecting your own needs?
Check in with your emotional body and see what she needs going forward.
The following day, December 27th, Mercury conjoins with Mars, making this a great day to ponder intentions for the new year.
We are still in the retrograde, but this positive moment can allow us to see how we need to alter anything that is getting in the way of our goals and manifestations.
Mercury then goes direct on January 1st, kicking off 2024.
We will still have the shadow period until the 10th, but it will get easier and more clear each day.
It may not feel like a full charge forward on our New Years visions, but this doesn’t have to be a bad thing.
Sometimes it’s actually better to take things slow, allow our intentions to sit, and begin by taking slow steps towards what we want.
We will have a New Moon in Capricorn the day after Mercury stations direct, setting us up for the perfect reset.
Use this moon to really launch your manifestations.
Script out exactly how you would like to feel this year, and make your manifestation list accordingly.
The Sun then moves out of Capricorn and into the idealistic, intelligent sign of Aquarius on January 20th.
Typically, as we near the end of the retrograde things seem to start picking back up and getting back into order.
But this one is reversed, so the second half is actually where things go haywire.
For many this is a time of celebration and holiday, and throwing a chaotic Mercury backspin in the middle of an already stressful time period isn’t how many of us would like to spend the end of the year.
Although, keep in mind that retrogrades are extremely useful for pausing and reflecting, giving us the perfect opportunity to reflect on the year and how far we’ve come.
Especially since we began 2023 with a retrograde in this sign, so it's a wonderful time to review the same themes you were exploring while setting your 2023 intentions.
Look to see what house Capricorn rules in your chart to understand more about how it is showing up in your personal world.
It may feel a bit bumpy coming into 2024, but it will settle down and January will be an extremely motivating, uplifting month that is great for launching our newest desires.
