December 2016 Monthly Forecast

Mercury Prankster – Christmas Fun and Games

December features Mercury Retrograde, which on the face of it seems like ‘OMG!’ during a busy year-end month with more shopping, socialising and communicating than most months of the year, not to mention more mail, parcels and event invites. But is it? What if Mercury Retro could open doors to special Christmas magic?

Mercury when retrograde is notorious for funny business with transactions and arrangements. If you don’t hear back from someone after inviting them to your Christmas drinks, double check they got the invite in the first place. This certainly is a month when it will pay to double-check, even triple-check everything. Remember to recharge your own batteries as well as your smart phone’s, and back up your devices!

Mercury in Capricorn – Reassessing Rules

Mercury spends a lot of its retro time in Capricorn, a practical earth sign to do with time-honoured traditions. If Christmas had to choose its favourite zodiac sign, it would surely choose Capricorn, as 2000+ years of Christmas matches Capricorn’s focus on history and tradition. From that point of view, Mercury Retro in Capricorn helps us not behave in ways that might jeopardise what we cherish about Christmas and instead honour the people and parts of Christmas we would hate to lose.

Yet when Mercury is Retro we tend to review, assess, critique or analyse the themes its zodiac sign represents. Capricorn represents rules, so December’s Mercury Retro brings a critical eye to rules or expectations around Christmas that feel outdated, controlling or even harsh, including themes of have/have-not, inclusion/exclusion. Transformation is around every corner and there are those who have been waiting a long time for change.

Pork with Crackling versus Vegan Raw Foods

So what’s to be done about Aunt Myrtle who insists on roast turkey, ham, pork with crackling, traditional steaming hot pudding, brandied custard, and mince pies, yet knows you can only eat vegan raw foods. She’s not someone who takes kindly to ‘no thanks’ and has been known to wreak revenge on those who don’t follow her rules, and even expects you to eat two helpings of everything. How can you honour her needs as well as look after your own?

Resentment over who is being most controlling could come to the surface. When someone wants things to remain the same they’re seen as controlling. When someone wants to bring in change they’re also seen as controlling. What is to be done? The answer lies in the slowness of Mercury Retro. If tension builds or arguments break out, Mercury Retro advises getting a good night’s sleep to reflect on things, or even just staying quiet for five minutes to let boiling blood cool down in the heat of the moment.

Hidden Hooks and Setting Free

Pluto is also involved in this Mercury Retro, which means sleeping dogs might wake up, and we find ourselves dealing with more emotional history than we bargained for. Yet with Mercury Retro next to Pluto there’s the potential for the great relief of positive turnarounds, even in the most ancient of situations.

There’s usually a blocked pipe when Pluto’s in the mix, which involves finding and addressing any hidden ‘pay back’ attitudes. Mercury Retro has us mulling over anyone we might have on a hook, and also wondering if we’re on another person’s. Is there a way to let each other off hooks? We might walk away from people and not see them for decades, even lifetimes, but if we haven’t resolved our emotions, we haven’t really left, and we ourselves are hanging on a hook right next to them.

This is a precious window to let self and others off the hook, and end the year with truly putting the past behind us and catapulting ourselves into energised new beginnings in 2017.

The Gaze of Respect

Mercury Retro in Capricorn shows that the gaze of respect could change everything. The word ‘respect’ is a very Capricorn word, but also a very Mercury retrograde word. ‘Respect’ means ‘to look back at’, ‘to regard’, ‘to consider’. When we respect someone, we gaze at, look at, view or contemplate the ‘world that is them’ with a curiosity that calms fear of being judged or rejected.

When it’s someone whose life values or behaviours we don’t automatically like or warm to, it can help to think of them as a different culture altogether, as a ‘foreigner’, and rather than reject or ridicule the foreigner, this Mercury Retro helps us show regard and consideration toward what we find foreign in others, and in ourselves.

We don’t have to become best friends with those who are out of sync with our own values or comfort zones, but when we can see their world and understand that their point of view makes sense in their world and is no more or less right or wrong than our own point of view in our own world, sleeping dogs can once again lie. We can live in composed co-existence with those we might previously have not let off the hook for behaviours that displease, offend or even harm us.

The Full Mercury Retro Dates

Because of the pre-retro shadow phase, we start to feel a taste of Mercury Retro right from the start of December. It’s a chance to sample the energies and make adjustments. Pluto’s involvement makes the pre-retro shadow weeks more noticeable than usual. Here’s the dates of the full Mercury Retro:

• 2 Dec, Mercury enters its pre-retro shadow phase while in Sagittarius
• 3 Dec, Mercury enters Capricorn
• 9 Dec to 28 Dec (approx), Mercury conjunct Pluto (closest from 15 to 23 Dec)
• 19 Dec, Mercury goes Retrograde
• 5 Jan, Mercury retrogrades back into Sagittarius
• 8 Jan, Mercury goes Direct
• 13 Jan, Mercury Direct goes back into Capricorn
• 28 Jan, Mercury leaves its post-retro shadow phase
• 29 & 30 Jan, Mercury conjunct Pluto for a final time

Fresh Energy & Wonderful Openings

Mercury is often known as the trickster, and this December the little trickster could create some wonderful openings. Mercury being retrograde around Christmas time allows life to bump you into the right people at the right time, with more socialising, mingling and networking than usual. You could chance upon someone you haven’t seen forever, or cupid’s arrow could touch you. If you’re wishing a synchronicity would turn your life around, do remember Mercury is mostly in Capricorn, so life will check first to see you’ve done the work needed to shift your vibration to match the new love etc.

This month shows us what can be done to improve our vibration. If yours is ‘just right’ for what you have been putting out for, this could be a month of something deep clicking into place. The great thing about this Mercury Retro is that it helps with focussing and zooming in on what’s most important. You could make successful inroads with your biggest priority if you firmly persist, even if emotional waters become choppy, you encounter sabotage from self or others, or life throws you a soul growth challenge.

Supermoon in Gemini – the Last until April

Also starring this month is the final supermoon of three full moon supermoons in a row, and the last one until April 2017, and guess what, it’s in Gemini, Mercury’s zodiac sign, so the communication theme is even more emphasised around the time of the full moon on the 14th. This full moon has a high social buzz with emotion and desire running hot. If someone kisses you will you kiss them back? If someone slaps you on the face will you slap them back? Gemini is a zodiac sign that reminds us that it takes two to tango, so keep your wits about you as there’s a lot of charge in the air.

Having a supermoon in Gemini while Mercury is Retro can open up some deep intimate bonding conversations. If boundaries are in place that help people feel safe, the potential for very special relating moments is strong. Soft sides get opened up and some very deep commitments are made at this time. Mercury Retro helps us practice slow thoughtful communication so we are ready for any sudden spontaneous openings into intimacy.

On the 21st the solstice happens – a day to celebrate the Sun and the year’s achievements – the ancient nature-based holiday behind Christmas. Wishing you a happy solstice!

December’s 1st Quarter Moon

For information on the 1st Quarter Moon in Pisces on 7 Dec, go here around that date. The interpretation will stay online until the next 1st Quarter Moon four weeks later.

December’s Full Moon Supermoon

For information on the Full Moon Supermoon in Gemini on 14 Dec, go here around that date. The interpretation will stay online until the next Full Moon four weeks later.

December’s 3rd Quarter Moon

For information on the 3rd Quarter Moon in Virgo on 21 Dec, go here around that date. The interpretation will stay online until the next 3rd Quarter Moon four weeks later.

December’s New Moon

For information on the New Moon in Capricorn on 29 Dec, go here around that date. The interpretation will stay online until the next New Moon four weeks later.