Mercury is about to station retrograde conjunct (next to) Venus, goddess of love and beauty, while being just 3 degrees away from Pluto, lord of the underworld and all things hidden. Mercury will be retrograde until January 18th, 2023. We may have been feeling the intensity of this Mercury, Venus, Pluto conjunction since December 23rd (or a few days earlier).
Expect the classic Mercury retrograde upsets: delays in travel, miscommunications, technology malfunctions, and the returning of merchandise or other things purchased.
More relevantly, in serious Capricorn, we’re about to embark on a journey of intense review and dialogue on who’s most important to us, what we most deeply desire that will stand the test of time, and how we wish to collaborate with others sustainably moving forward.
Capricorn is a sign about the bones of something- the systems and structures that hold us up. Capricorn thinks about the future and will act accordingly to ensure safety and fortitude.
Whatever might have been skipped over, overlooked, or not realized before in relationships is about to get scrupulously looked over during the course of the next few weeks.
Other reflections that might arise include:
-Business deals or agreements (Mercury is planet of merchants): Did you dot your i’s and cross your t’s? Or perhaps you did that too early without all the info?
-Personal beauty standards/feelings of attractiveness (Symbolized by Venus): Do you feel your style is reflecting yourself accurately? Or is there something you want to change to reflect a more mature you?
-Hobbies/how we experience pleasure (represented by Venus): Have your pastimes been as fun lately? Could be time to put time into (Capricorn) some other ways of having fun and experiencing joy
-The aesthetic of your business: It might be time for a revamp of logos, marketing strategies, or website designs
Venus also represents women and the feminine energy. Pluto is a planet about power dynamics, death and rebirth, and the rot (which has potential to turn into gold) that is lurking underground. Don’t be surprised if you hear news (Mercury, planet of messages and communications) about violence against women, women’s rights, women rising to fame or power in some way, or other stories about women/the feminine principle surfacing that were previously hidden (and I’m including ALL folks identifying as women here).
Most notably, we may come across a dilemma regarding our heart’s greatest yearning in matters of love and our deepest needs in connection to others (or one other). This may come up with a flavor of obsession, or of life and death intensity as we reconcile a deep grief (or feeling of crisis) over what we are currently missing or what we never had and therefore never learned to cultivate.
A stark realization of the necessity of partnership, what one needs from loved ones, and deep connection to others may urge us to make changes to our situation. Perhaps our relationships aren’t feeding us the way we need. Conversations may need to happen to reassess terms and agreements with spouses. Maybe thoughts around what you need and want in the longterm from relationships arise. It could be that we realize we need a new friend group that’s more nourishing. Or it’s possible that the reality of our utter alone-ness surfaces up from the depths, as it did for me, and we face the strange existential paradox of going at it by ourselves, untouchable in our own membranes, regardless of the many people who may (or may not) be there to support us.
While these new understandings may feel heavy, there’s usually a way to alchemically transform what’s dead, or at least make use of what no longer feels alive. New life comes from death, just as what is rotting can be used to infuse soil with nutrients for plants to grow.
Similarly, while we are ultimately alone on some essential level, I’m reminded by a friend and partner that we’re also surrounded and infused by something supportive and protective, especially when we can access our center, which to me, is where we may all be connected.
Think roots from your feet delving into the deepest, most core part of the earth (Pluto). Imagine it.
My hope is that this Mercury retrograde period be a time to find your center and roots in the midst of a time where things are wobbly regarding experiencing intimacy, desire, joy, and beauty. Capricorn wants things to last. Pluto reminds us that nothing lasts forever. Our center, however, is a place of timelessness, stability, and a ground that can’t be shaken.
What is that for you?