HAPPY HERMES, THE ISLAND ASTROLOGER: A Holiday Retrograde
Early in the morning of Dec. 13, Mercury stationed retrograde. As the planet of cognition and communication slows down and turns around from our vantage point, we will all experience, in our own way, a mental slowing down, brain fog, a laziness in communication, travel disruptions or reversals, and a release of discussions that no longer need to be had. Mercury turns retrograde about three times a year for three weeks at a time. When we look at the sky and this planet does an about-face, we can think of it as a deity going on retreat or a temporary loss of archetypal oversight. In other words, we are left to our own devices when it comes to anything associated with the planet Mercury: mental capacities, information gathering, communication, objective thought, socializing, travel and commerce. We are all in for a holiday season under a retrograde Mercury, so be careful about those conversations with disagreeable relatives and poorly translated text messages from friends as you try to plan your events. Use this time to reanalyze your own communication style, rethink how you might want to go about travel and reconsider the information presented to you. A retrograde is a time to slow down and ponder rather than speed up and act. Tread lightly, friends.
Here are your horoscopes for Mercury stationing retrograde. Read for your rising and sun signs.
Sagittarius
Nov. 22 – Dec. 21
It is time to reconsider your values, Sag. What do you put stock in when it comes to your life? How do you weigh what is important? Now is not the time to move forward with any personal purchases or personal financial matters; rather, you are entering a natural phase of rethinking what matters to you and how you might go about surrounding yourself with items that reflect your values. Perhaps an idea for a new income stream is being born.
Capricorn
Dec. 22 – Jan. 19
It’s possible you’re experiencing a lack of confidence in yourself at the moment, Cap. Don’t worry, you’re still a badass. However, you’re entering a phase of rethinking how you are perceived by others and how you express yourself. Everyone goes through periods of reinvention, and now you have an opportunity to reconsider your persona. What do you want to show us?
Aquarius
Jan. 20 – Feb. 18
You are no stranger to solitude, Aquarius. In fact, being independent and living in the margins is a major characteristic of your sign. During this Mercury retrograde station, you are taking some time to reconnect with your “self-in-isolation.” Who are you when you’re alone and how do you use your alone time to relate with yourself? Meditate on your form of meditation and consider changing things up a bit.
Pisces
Feb. 19 – March 20
Time to find a new friend group! Just kidding, that’s a bit drastic. However, it is time to reassess how you spend time socializing, whom you spend time socializing with, and just who your true and healthy friends are. Maybe you just take a step back to appreciate who you have in your life or maybe you gain a different perspective on what friendship means to you and find a new crew. Don’t act now. Just ponder.
Aries
March 21 – April 19
I would not be surprised if you find a new job at the beginning of 2024. You are entering a phase of reconsidering your work life and your public reputation. I would imagine that after this period of analysis, you will either double down on your current career or make a drastic change. For now, however, just let your mind dance through the possibilities, and be extra careful about how you communicate with others at work.
Taurus
April 20 – May 20
Are you thinking about continuing your education? Perhaps there is a grad program or a high-level course that you are just now starting to consider. The time to rethink the extent of your knowledge is now. There is always more to learn, more to experience, and more to discover. How can you ensure that your world is not stagnant? Don’t make decisions now, but seek out future possibilities.
Gemini
May 21 – June 21
How do you invest your time, energy and money? Whom do you do it with? What are your pet projects? These questions will certainly be coming up more and more in the coming days, and for now you simply need to sit with the questions. Reassess your investments and prepare to move some things around if you discover that you are no longer served by your commitments. New year, new allegiances.
Cancer
June 22 – July 22
Relationships come in all shapes, sizes, colors, numbers and sounds. This Mercury retrograde season, you are reconsidering how you relate to relationship, itself. What does partnership look like and feel like? How can you revisit love? You ought not commit to any particular determination in the coming weeks, but let your idea of commitment tumble around in your noggin for a bit.
Leo
July 23 – Aug. 22
When you wake up in the morning, what is the first thing you do? This type of question is bound to come up for you in the coming days because your routines are on the drawing board. Every day, you have a lot of the same things that you need to do: brush your teeth, eat food, get some exercise, clean the house. How you go about doing them is currently up for debate. Just look with curiosity and change things around after the NYE ball drop.
Virgo
Aug. 23 – Sept. 22
Being human is an inherently creative project. We open our eyes in the morning and entire worlds emerge from their slumber. However, there is great import to making something that can be shared with other people. I think you’re starting a journey to reconsider how you create and how you share your creative vision with others. Perhaps a new medium is around the bend.
Libra
Sept. 23 – Oct. 23
What exactly does “home” mean to you and who do you consider family? Perhaps you have the traditional conception of this with your place of birth and birth parents. Perhaps your idea of these concepts doesn’t include any of those Norman Rockwell images. During this retrograde, you are being asked to rethink these important and foundational concepts.
Scorpio
Oct. 24 – Nov. 21
We don’t normally take time to consider what is familiar to us. In fact, something about the familiar involves not having to think about it. It’s just there. Familiar. During this retrograde, though, you will have a compulsion to take a step back and reconsider what is familiar to you. Your neighborhood. Your siblings. Your everyday communication. Perhaps a change is in store, and a new familiar is around the corner.
