By now, you’ve heard about Planet Nine, the mystery planet on the far reaches of our solar system that has been more or less confirmed by the mathematics of two Caltech astrophysicists. They have not seen the planet itself — nobody has; but they’ve been able to infer from the highly erratic (yet similar) orbits of several other objects orbiting our Sun at vast distances that Planet Nine exists. I think that working to parse out the threads of insight offered by a Mercury retrograde can work similarly (we’ve just come through one of those phases, and Mercury is still slow, powerful and rather Trickster-ish).

Mike Brown, professor of planetary astronomy, points to the gold ring showing the orbital path of Planet Nine at Caltech on Jan. 19, 2016 in Pasadena, Calif. Photo by Patrick T. Fallon for The Washington Post.

That is, sometimes when Mercury takes us on its inward review of our psyches, obvious insights and bits of information pop right out at us. But other times we have to survey our notes about what’s happened and what we think about it, and make some inferences.

We can’t always look directly at the thing that is waiting for us to discover it and integrate it into our personal inner ‘cosmology’. Maybe it’s because that thing is painful; maybe it’s just from a time so long ago, we were too young to have much context for it; maybe it’s something that simply runs so counter to how we’ve structured our lives, that to acknowledge it would ask for some serious rearrangement.

Or, it could be that we’re in the habit of fearing things like success, intimacy and our true potential; because, those things — positive as they are — ask us to change, and to take risks. Risk is stressful, even when we’re pursuing our deepest, happiest desires. The primitive parts of our brains interpret all stress as a threat to our safety, compelling the ego to throw up resistance to change.

Now, in astrology, Pluto is the god of change. Mars relates to our desires and motivation, but Pluto is the planet that demands change as a requirement for living life, and transforming along the way. Life is growth; sometimes you choose growth, and sometimes you are thrust into it. Either way, it happens. And as one new phase of life emerges, the previous phase is left behind. That transition can come with a lot of emotion, yet it can also feel very liberating.

When Mercury — the planet of the mind — conjoins Pluto, as it has been for more than a week, awareness of what is necessary for growth and development increases. Thoughts may penetrate deeply. In Capricorn, those thoughts might concern the past; though when Mercury was retrograde, you might have noticed difficultly in getting much traction to see what to do with your thoughts, beyond simply observing them.

Mercury stationed direct Monday afternoon in Capricorn, conjunct Pluto. On Saturday, the Mercury-Pluto conjunction becomes exact for the second time in just more than a week (12:58 am EST Jan. 30 / 5:58 UTC). This time Mercury will be in direct motion as it retraces its steps through Capricorn and then into Aquarius.

The written readings for all 12 signs of Vision Quest are available for instant access, and Eric is working on the audio astrology and rune readings! Order all 12 signs here, or select individual signs here.

One of the things I see here is the potential for you to dive deeper with any metaphorical puzzle-pieces or intuitive nudges you encountered on Jan. 25 (or at any time during the retrograde). With Mercury in direct motion, how to move forward with your new understanding might seem clearer.

In fact, you might even be able to move past inferences of this ‘personal Planet Nine’ in your awareness, and grasp something tangible about its presence in your life. Further investigation and analysis might be called for, though watch for any signs that you’re obsessing about it; getting stuck on something is not the point — growth is.

When Mercury-Pluto is exact, they are also in a rough T-square with the Moon and Black Moon Lilith (a hypothetical point) in Libra, and Vesta and Uranus in Aries. Notice, Saturday, if you feel any pressure from one side to please others (or the imperative not to, and to stand alone in your newfound truth) — especially in relationship matters. Also, notice if, on the other side, you feel the push of an unexpected creative spark or sense of devotion to reinventing yourself.

Do you dare follow that spark, and your truth (even in a small way, or just within your self-understanding)? Do you cling to the past, even if its concreteness is crumbling to make way for a new structural awareness? Can you let your personal Planet Nine into your cosmology?

By Amanda Painter

We’re in the midst of a few busy days astrologically speaking, with the Sun, Moon and Mercury central to pivotal events. For one thing, the Sun just entered Aquarius yesterday, on its way to a Full Moon this weekend.

Photo by Amanda Painter.

This puts the Sun in the sign of fixed air, and a sign curiously co-ruled by Saturn (fixed structures) and Uranus (spontaneous sparks or eruptions). So there’s an element of something new and seemingly fluid or ephemeral breaking out, and then crystallizing — like your breath on a below-freezing day. Or, think of how new electronic technology tends to burst on the scene, disrupting the way everyone is used to doing things, and then it quickly solidifies its place as the new norm.

This is the new tone of expression for the Sun, which represents your conscious awareness. Aquarius also introduces the question of individuality in the midst of group consciousness, and the way that elite or exclusive groups form — thereby affecting the dynamics of awareness and identity. Eric has often noted the difference between group consciousness (which occurs when several individuals are united), versus mob consciousness (when individual thought is abdicated and one gives over identity and individual power to a group). Sadly, the latter seems to be more common.

Just a few days after the Sun ingresses Aquarius, the Moon enters Leo (the opposite sign) for the Leo Full Moon. That Full Moon is exact at 8:46 pm EST on Saturday (1:46 UTC Sunday).

A Leo Moon relates to display and the dramatic (a desire for attention), pride, expression on the level of personality and leadership. A Leo Moon on a Saturday night is perfect for socializing out and about. Yet, contrasted with the group themes of Aquarius, it’s easy to see how this Full Moon might bring out tension in any situation where you’re trying to stand out from the crowd without actually breaking away from a group you identify with.

Layer on top of that the fact that Mercury stations direct on Monday at 5:50 pm EST (21:50 UTC) — while in a conjunction to Pluto in Capricorn — and some very interesting communication situations could arise. From Friday through the middle of next week we’ll be in Mercury’s ‘storm’ phase, which is the two to three days or so on either side of Mercury stationing. Just as the word ‘storm’ implies, you can expect that anything Mercury related (thought processes, communication, transportation, technology) will require a deeper level of focus and patience from you.

In fact, with communication in particular, you might find that returning to ‘old’ modes and methods of getting your message across are particularly helpful. Mainly it’s Mercury’s presence in Capricorn that suggests this, with the presence of Pluto adding a potentially subversive twist.

The written readings for all 12 signs of Vision Quest are available for instant access, and Eric is working on the audio astrology and rune readings! Order all 12 signs here, or select individual signs here.

An NPR story Wednesday morning rang the bell on this theme for me: Despite the fact that there are reporters on the ground in war-torn Syria, frequent electricity cuts and dropped Internet connections make it incredibly difficult to broadcast news within the country to Syrian citizens.

But a German NGO called Media in Cooperation and Transition has figured out how to use “old-school, analog technology” like satellite and FM radio to get past the unreliable Internet. All Syrian citizens need to hear news being broadcast by nine “pocket transmitters” that have been smuggled in from Berlin is a transistor radio, a car radio or the FM receiver inside a cell phone — items most Syrians have access to.

Should things get wiggy, you can take this idea of using forms of communication that hail from the past, and apply it to subverting or getting under any difficulties you encounter as you try to express yourself this week. Go old-school — whether that means picking up the phone to call instead of texting, making up some paper leaflets to leave on car windshields or doors, writing your thoughts in a note-card rather than an email, or even knocking on someone’s door for the kind of face-to-face contact that has gotten so rare in this digital age.

Trying to make contact with several people at once? The asteroid Pallas conjunct the Sun during the Full Moon suggests you work with a strategy — one tailor-made to work effectively with the group you’re in (keeping in mind the individuals who make it up) to minimize drama.

What’s especially beautiful about this is that with Mercury retrograde conjunct Pluto, you’re in a position to analyze how this has the potential to evolve how you think and communicate in general. When Mercury stations direct Monday evening, listen for the subtle ‘click’ of a new piece of information or understanding snapping into place.

By Amanda Painter

Wednesday a friend of mine recounted a story on Facebook about her morning that seems to perfectly illustrate some of today’s significant astrology. The standout planetary event is that Mercury makes its ‘interior’ (traditionally called ‘inferior’) conjunction to the Sun today in Capricorn. This is the Sun-Mercury conjunction that happens at the midpoint of a Mercury retrograde, so take heart: the retrograde is half over.

Photo by Amanda Painter.

Mercury and the Sun make some interesting aspects with other planets, which flesh out the interpretation. Also, Venus and Chiron are active. But first, my friend’s experience.

We just received a few inches of snowfall where I live. Not a huge amount, but enough to make the morning commute messy as sunlight hit the snow-salt-sand mixture and the cars mixed it up. As my friend walked to work, she saw three cars near each other stuck on a particular hill downtown; everyone just drove around them without stopping to offer assistance.

My friend approached a woman who was spinning her wheels, used the shovel that was in the trunk and pushed, but no luck. Spotting the YMCA nearby, she ducked in, grabbed their bucket of rock salt, told the employee she’d be right back with it after helping three stuck cars, and set about sprinkling it beneath the tires of each. My friend writes:

“As I pass the YMCA to get back to [the first car] at the top, the front desk guy comes out in his crisp blue polo and khakis and hollers at me: ‘You know, when you said you were going to borrow it that usually means you’re supposed to bring it back.’ I. Am. Outraged. I drop the bucket at his feet and shout: ‘I saw three people stuck in the snow, I was borrowing it to get them OUT! But hey man, if you want your ice melt back so badly, here you go.’”

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Here we are in a new year, with our intentions, resolutions and reflections gathered and declared in hopes of guiding the next 12 months. Or perhaps you’ve been too busy this holiday season to do much reflecting, intention setting and resolution declaring. That’s okay; if you follow the rhythms of astrology, you know that they only occasionally match up with the civil calendar.
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For many people, this week between Christmas and New Year’s can feel rather like limbo: it’s a vacation week for most schools in the western world, taking both kids and adults out of their usual routines. Plus, our cultural tendencies include both looking backward to review the year that’s ending, and looking ahead to set intentions for the year to come.

Christmas morning by the old Mill Pond. Photo by Amanda Painter.

As a result, potential exists for celebration and optimism as well as for tension or melancholy. The early-week astrology reflects both ends of the spectrum.

First up is a square between Mercury in Capricorn and Mars in Libra, exact Dec. 29 at 9:52 am EST (14:52 UTC). I’ve checked my astrology books looking for constructive ways to take this aspect, and what I’ve come up with is that Mercury-Mars squares tend to produce an active, energetic mind. If you have to apply your thought processes to concrete tasks that you can take the lead on (Libra and Capricorn are both cardinal signs, indicating initiative), this could be useful energy.

This square comes with a warning, however: you may find communications from certain people to be especially irritating, as though everything is a challenge. Don’t be surprised if your thoughts are drawn toward imagining scenarios of conflict and anger, especially if you think you’ll be pitted against established rules and authority with whom you have no real recourse or power.

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Even if you do not celebrate Christmas, you probably have Friday off from work, and there’s a good chance your calendar may have a few social events penciled in between now and the weekend. This is always a crazy, busy, compressed-feeling season; this year, we have a Full Moon — plus Mercury slowing down ahead of its January retrograde — to keep things extra interesting.

Photo by Amanda Painter.

Mercury stations retrograde on Jan. 5 in Aquarius. Right now, it is in late Capricorn — a placement that might have you focusing on the details of holiday preparation, or comparisons with ‘how things used to be’ in terms of traditions.

You might be more concerned than usual that the material gifts you have chosen for others don’t quite fit the bill the way you wish, or worried you won’t get what you truly need or want — in which case it’s time to remind yourself that nobody is omniscient the way Santa Claus is portrayed. Cut yourself (and your loved ones) some slack. You can only do what you can do, and if you’re thinking with your heart, that’s not so shabby.

Mainly, Mercury slowing down in its pre-retrograde ‘shadow’ or ‘echo’ phase is a reminder to implement your usual retrograde protocol, especially if you are traveling this week or next: slow down; stop to double-check that you have everything you need before leaving; check the directions on everything from toys you’re assembling, to the driving route, to the recipe you’ve made a hundred times. I should not have to say this, but: don’t drink and drive.

If you notice you’re making assumptions, ask directly for confirmation. Most importantly, stay aware of surroundings while in transit, and focused on the task at hand. Between now and just after midnight EST Christmas Eve (that is, the morning of Dec. 25) the Moon is in Gemini, a sign Mercury rules — increasing the need to focus your thoughts, and to notice if your emotions are making that harder.

One other interesting thing about Mercury right now is that on the Day of the Full Moon (Friday), it is exactly square minor planet Eris in Aries. This looks to me like some inner tension between your ideas about upholding holiday traditions and the established order (in your family or any organized institution) versus your recognition of how those structures do not leave room for some facet of your identity.

That is, you might notice the urge to do something differently so it fits ‘all of you’ better. If so, see what happens when you communicate directly and bring your full self to the conversation, rather than ignoring that little voice and having it come out reactively or passive-aggressively.

As it is, the Cancer Full Moon brings emotions to the forefront Christmas Day. This is the Moon in Cancer opposite the Sun in Capricorn, exact at 6:11 am EST (11:11 UTC).

(Freddie) Mercury and the rest of Queen in holiday attire…

Around the zodiac in the four cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn), there’s a veritable stable of planetary critters in close aspect to the Sun and Moon. They include Vesta, Logos, Hebe, Makemake, Amycus and Chariklo, plus a hypothetical point called Hades.

Without delineating each of those objects separately, I see a general theme emerging apropos of gatherings of people where there may be a fair amount of ingrained behavioral and emotional patterning, for better or for worse. In part, the Full Moon configuration speaks of the potential for co-dependency and self-sacrifice — and its flip side: the potential to get to the heart of the matter of your emotions and of how things got to be the way they are; to hold space for others in ways both personal and impersonal; to understand healthy boundaries and the proper way to treat others, and the consequences of not doing so.

Best of all, with these planets early in cardinal signs, the emphasis is on initiative. That is, you can take the initiative in these matters should they crop up for you, dealing with them directly and clearly — whether within yourself or with others.

Emotional energy is building between now and Friday morning around the ideas of home, tradition, mother, caring for others in ‘domestic’ ways, and managing time and material resources. The intensity should ease up as the Moon moves out of alignment with the Sun, but the Moon will stay in Cancer until early Sunday morning.

Whether you see yourself as rational and another person as overly sensitive, or yourself as ‘the only one who cares’ and another person as ‘all business’, see if you can take a few steps back from anything polarizing to view the situation from the other person’s perspective. ‘Tis the season to cultivate peace in your heart, even if you do not see it widespread on Earth. After all, those early cardinal signs are where the personal meets the political or collective. Peace starts with you, but it certainly does not end there.

Eric is planning to publish the written readings for all 12 signs of Vision Quest, the 2016 annual edition from Planet Waves, by New Year’s Eve (audio readings and rune readings to follow in January). You can still order all 12 signs, which includes all audio, written and musical features, for the value price here. Or choose individual signs of Vision Quest here.

Today at 11:48 pm EST (4:48 UTC Tuesday), the Sun enters Capricorn for the solstice. The shortest day and longest night of the year here in the Northern Hemisphere; after this, the days begin getting longer — though it takes a while for the effect to be noticeable.

This year’s addition to my Christmas tree, courtesy of Planet Waves; photo by Amanda Painter.

This year, these longest nights are graced with a waxing Moon that will reach its Full phase at 6:11 am EST (11:11 UTC) Dec. 25 — Christmas Day. It’s not the same thing as having a couple more of hours of daylight, but as a metaphor, it’s encouraging: the Moon in watery Cancer reflecting the Sun in earthy Capricorn. Along with the flow, there is grounding.

I’ll have more to say about the Full Moon chart in Thursday’s blog post. For now, keep a finger on the pulse of your emotions and anything that feels like it could become a bone of contention or polarization.

If you celebrate Christmas and are navigating family traditions (with the attendant expectations, warm nostalgia, difficult baggage and new curveballs), keep the Full Moon in mind. Emotional energy is peaking all this week, layered on top of the practical demands on your time, attention and resources.

Speaking of emotions and stress: this time of year it can seem as though everyone is too busy and wrapped up in familial and social obligations to stop and notice when others are truly struggling; the holidays can be a brutal time of year for many people. If you’re doing okay, I’d encourage you to stay tuned to subtle clues from those you interact with that everything is not all right; a little authentic empathy can go a long way.

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