Winter Solstice, Mercury Retrograde, and Astrology Forecast December 18-24
By Leo Knighton Tallarico
This week we experience changing planetary winds: Mercury Retrograde, Winter Solstice, 4th quarter Moon, and Mars in Pisces.
Inward and Yinward is the prevailing theme of this week’s turning point energies.
Winter Solstice takes us into the darkest day of the year. The 4th quarter Moon takes us into the darkest phase of the lunar cycle. Mars leaving Aquarius for Pisces takes us more inward into deeper consciousness. Mercury Retrograde turns us more reflective and inner directed.
Mercury goes Retrograde on December 19 at 5:55 AM. It will stay Retrograde until January 8 2017 when it goes back Direct.
The 19th is also the day that the electors cast their votes for President of the USA.
Back on November 7 of 2000 on election day, Mercury was changing direction from Retrograde to Direct.
On the day Mercury changes direction from Direct to Retrograde or from Retrograde to Direct, it can be quite a confusing day.
That day in 2000 media anchors kept going back and forth in announcing victory for Bush, then Gore, then Bush, then Gore, etc.
It was many weeks afterward when Bush was declared President.
So it does seem meaningful that the electors cast their votes for President on the day Mercury changes direction.
This certainly does not mean that the vote will be reversed and the Presidency will be taken away from Trump.
But it could very well mean the day will bring some confusion as to what is happening with the votes. Already this electoral vote is more controversial then past electoral voting, as some electors have already promised to change their vote or to abstain from voting.
And the questioning of the Electoral College being used instead of popular vote is already happening. So you can see Mercury doing its job as we get closer and closer to the day it goes retrograde.
The Mercury Retrograde time period shows us a shift in our mental perceptions and a questioning of previous mind frames, paradigms, decisions, and beliefs.
Mercury Retrograde also can kind of rewind the clock of our lives, bringing back old memories through dreams, daytime thoughts, and from people actually showing up again in our lives. This rewind can help us to better put our current lives in perspective, and provide us with deeper insight into current issues and relationships.
Mercury Retrograde also can bring spaciness, forgetfulness, difficult communication, and challenges with technological communication networks and equipment.
Mercury Retrograde is not usually a good time to make big decisions or to start important new projects.
On January 8, when it goes back Direct, clarity begins to form again. It is interesting that the results from electoral votes on December 19 will not be reported until January 6, just before Mercury goes back Direct again.
Mercury Retrograde is best experienced from a reflective inner directed mind. And inner direction this week is not just shown by Mercury but also because the 4th quarter of the current lunar cycle begins on December 2o.
This 4th quarter Moon is in Virgo and suggests we need to become more discerning and simplified- in contrast to the rising flames of intution from the Sun in Sagittarius.
So there is more inward and yinward energetic movement. This 4th quarter lunar phase, when lunar light gets darker and darker, ends with the New Moon in Capricorn on December 28/29.
And there is even more turning inward as we experience the darkest time of year just before the Winter Solstice.
The moment we symbolically turn back again to more light every day is on December 21 at 5:44 AM EST.
This lead up to the Winter Solstice and the day of the Solstice is a very solemn time period.
We may experience deep feelings like sadness and grief, yet if totally present internally we may feel the hope that comes back as the light returns on Winter Solstice.
Every day light will get more time until Spring Equinox when light and dark are equal.
Christmas is aligned with the Winter Solstice in that Christ is considered the light of hope for people, especially those who suffer in their darkness of their suffering.
The Sun moves into Capricorn on Winter Solstice and begins a month of feeling responsibility, rules and regulations, desires to build and accomplish, needs to be disciplined and organized.
But more inward movement is suggested with Mars moving into Pisces on December 19. It will stay in Pisces until January 28 when it goes into fiery Aries.
From December 19 until January 28 Mars will be swimming in watery Pisces. Neptune, god of the ocean, is the “ruling” planet of Pisces.
Mars is usually a very active planet, self assertive, action oriented, willful, and forceful.
But in Pisces it is more peaceful, inner directed, flowing, passive, and self sacrificing.
It seeks to take it easy, to go with the flow, and explore inner dimensions and spiritual worlds.
It is not a great force for new beginnings or willful forcing of what one desires.
But it is great at diving into psychological insights, and processing deeper emotions and thoughts.
So almost all the planetary aspects this week suggest it is best to slow down, relax, go inward, and feel your feelings.
For many there is more time to do so now, as they have holiday season’s slow down of work from their jobs.
Do your best not to run around and stress, instead remember that deeper values are what the holidays represent.
And though many are feeling really down about the election, Standing Rock, Aleppo, and where our country and world are headed; remember that the Nature of the Universe is bringing us through transformation into a New World and Age.
Though it may seem like darker days for humanity are upon us and will continue for a long time, in actuality beyond the TV screen of our world and outer lives we are awakening and evolving.
More and more people are breaking the chains of societal programming and leaving the herd that is walking off the cliff of an old human paradigm for living on this Earth.
The return of the light on Winter Solstice shows us not the hope of shifting the results of the election, but instead the hope that no matter what the election results show, there is no stopping the train into the Age of Aquarius.
Till next week,
Leo
Soon we will put out a YouTube video Astrology Forecast 2017.
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