Planetary news this week: Sagittarius season and Mars turns retrograde 🤬

Astrological update for the week of December 2-9, 2024

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As we transition from the dark depths of Scorpio season to the jovial season of Sagittarius (Jove = Jupiter, Sag ruler!), beginning with the Sagittarius New Moon on Sunday December 1st as I write this, I wish to share a message of how important it is to believe in the magic of hope. But the New Moon also included a strong square from Saturn, planet of accountability. Hard work without hope will not effect positive change, and neither will hope without the discipline to make things happen. This is true in global politics, and also in our own lives.

It is not too late to create powerful intentions under this Sagittarius New Moon - intentions that brace our lofty goals with a practical plan to achieve them! The energies of the New Moon will linger through the day Monday, and the Moon entering Capricorn Monday night EDT will help us to clarify and add focus to these plans.

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

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Sun conjunct Mercury (cazimi) December 5. The conjunctions of the Sun and Mercury mark the midpoints of the Mercury retrograde cycle, the magical dance of Mercury and the Sun and the ebb and flow of human understanding. Traditional astrology feared conjunction of the Sun and Mercury, believing that the Sun would burn up the influence of Mercury and destroy the ability of humans to communicate effectively. The cazimi, when the conjunction is within 17’ of arc (virtually exact) was supposed to bring heightened awareness and clarity of communication.

This Sun/Mercury conjunction will not in itself cause any problems, but of course Mercury is retrograde still and it is moving into position to form a stressful square to Saturn, the planet of tests and challenges, so communication and information transmission of all sorts could be impacted this week.

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Mars turns retrograde and Mercury square Saturn December 6. Mars will be stationary in the sky as it prepares to turn retrograde this week, and will barely move at all for the next few weeks. Mars is in Leo where we seek to exhibit the best of ourselves as we look for joy and personal satisfaction - this retrograde turn will make it difficult to express our needs and wants clearly which could lead to passive aggressive disputes (you’ll find all the details here about the retrograde cycle).

Venus and Ceres enter Aquarius. When Venus, planet of love and beauty, is in the impersonal sign of Aquarius it can be difficult to find more emotional connections with others. Better communication can help to bridge that gap since Aquarius is an air sign of the intellect. Under the influence of Aquarius friendship and mental affinity trumps more complex emotional interchanges.

Watch for challenges in relationships around December 7-8 when Venus and Pluto converge in the sky and force a difficult situation into the open.

The sign that Ceres travels through describes the influences that will help us to feel more integrated and at home in our physical, mental and emotional bodies. Because Aquarius relies on the intellect and is technologically savvy, using technology to calm and stimulate could be favored here (i.e. meditation apps, smart watches and rings, group activities of healing and spiritual exchange).

Neptune turns direct December 7. Since October, Neptune has been stationary at 28º Pisces, barely moving through March. This heightens its effect, especially for planets in late mutable signs (Pisces, Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius). You might feel lost, face unclear decisions, or deal with mysterious ailments, with deception harder to discern.

Use this time to turn inward, emphasizing rest and meditation, especially if Neptune is transiting your chart right now.

Thank you for reading and following! I hope you have a great week. Paid subscribers, read on for the weekly details…

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