Planetary news this week: Gemini Full Moon and a dearth of Earth 🌏

Astrological update for the week of December 9-16, 2024

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Things are pretty wild in the world right now, with the regime in Syria collapsing, political chaos in both France and Germany, the Trump administration taking over in the U.S. well before the inauguration. Mars did just turn retrograde in Leo, and some astrologers are blaming the current world situation on this but I do not agree. Mars can instigate trouble, no doubt, but Mars by itself does not topple governments. For this we need a bigger planet like Pluto which just made the shift from Capricorn to Aquarius.

Pluto ingresses, when Pluto moves from one sign to another, always mark a big shift in the global zeitgeist as I outlined in my note here. The sands are shifting and it may be difficult to find our feet.

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Here are the major events you need to know about this week. For frequent musings and updates visit my Astro Notes.

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Lack of Earth. That leads me nicely to the point about a lack of Earth (the phrase dearth of Earth does have a nice ring to it!). As I write this on Sunday December 8th, there is not one planet other than Uranus which is in an Earth sign. Earth is the element that helps us to find stability and orients us to the practical and certain, and when the Earth element is lacking even the most grounded of us may not be able to feel solidly balanced in our Earth bodies. This situation will be remedied a bit when the Moon enters Taurus on the 11th, but only for a few days because shortly after that the Moon enters Gemini and begins to prepare for the Full Moon.

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Right now we have an abundance of Fire and Air, and those two are a combustible combination. We may find ourselves with plenty of energy but no focus through which to channel this energy. This can make for some sleepless nights and bursts of anxiety.

When there is a lack of anything in the chart, either natal or current planetary conditions, it becomes essential to bring in more of that element. Lack of Water in the chart? More baths or swimming is called for. Lack of Air in the chart? Focus more on conversation, writing, or other communication methods. Lack of Earth requires grounding practices: Forest bathing, working in the garden, focus on staying in the body through physical activity such as walking, dance, yoga.

Retrograde update: Mars and Mercury are both retrograde now and yes, you can blame stuff that goes wrong on this. 🤓 It may help a bit that they are in a trine formation so at least they are both getting along, but there will likely be quite a bit of going back over territory that you thought was set. Canceled appointments, errors in scheduling, broken technology - this is all par for the course. With Mars retrograde we can expect old issues of resentment to come up for review.

Mercury is virtually stationary this week and next as it prepares to turn direct on December 15th so continue to practice good Mercury retrograde hygiene! Be specific with communication, pay close attention to anything important and expect glitches and snafus.

Gemini Full Moon December 15. All Full Moons contain a polarity of two opposing signs, and the mission is to find balance and integration there. This can be a challenge with some polarities, such as Pisces and Virgo which are dynamically opposed in their needs and expression. But the Gemini/Sagittarius polarity shares a social aspect to both Gemini and Sagittarius that cannot be ignored – Gemini loves to communicate and share on a verbal level, and Sagittarius is on a quest for experiences that provide expansion and knowledge.

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This Full Moon is squared by Neptune which may cause some confusion and deluded thinking so watch for the rose colored glasses appearing too rosy. In addition, retrograde Mars is heading back to oppose Pluto in early January so the intensity of this fiery dynamic cannot be denied and care should be taken not to inflame to the point of crisis.

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