Molly's Astrology for December 2004

Mark your Calendar!

The best days for your top priority plans are December 4, 5, 11-15, 24-28.

Scale back on your plans and expectations December 1, 2, 6, 7, 29-31.

The final month of 2004. Already. As I look at the calendar, at the astrological influences to come, I see sextiles, lots of them! A sextile is a 60 degree angle between two planets. In other words, the two planets are exactly two signs apart. Astrologers read this aspect as a signal of opportunity. The appearance of sextiles in the skies indicates the presence of open doors, making December a month when you can make good contacts and seek approval for your plans. There’s only one hitch: Mercury retrograde.

As December opens, we see Mercury retrograde in Sagittarius. The word retrograde describes a condition in which the planet appears, from our point of view here on the Earth, to be moving backwards. All celestial bodies, except for the Sun and the Moon, have a retrograde period in their journey. Mercury retrogrades for three weeks, every four months. This period lasts until December 20.

Astrologically, retrogrades signal a change in pattern. The matters in life associated with that planet tend to take a more inward focus. As the planet doubles back over territory it just covered, we also must do things over, go back and reinforce that which we already started. Mercury governs ideas, communications, commerce, and travel.

What does all this mean? Plan for delays. Mercury retrograde signals complications in holiday travel plans. It’s a tricky time when unexpected delays and detours crop up all around, many times connected with traffic, weather, machinery or communication snafus. The goodies are out there, but they may not come in the package you expect. Opportunity may knock on the back door. Keep in mind that help is available if you reach out. Despite, or maybe even because of, this month’s glitches and snafus, you could make some very good connections.

Mercury retrograde comes every 4 months’it’s not the end of the world’but it is wise to understand that you may encounter misinformation, misdiagnoses, and realities which do not fit your expectations. Be flexible during this time, allowing room for misunderstandings and miscommunication. Where precision matters, double check the details. When Mercury is in Saggitarius, our focus tends to be on the forest rather than the trees.

As December opens, there’s a touch of confusion, and the rose-colored glasses go on in relationships. It’s a good time to hang out and be creative, but it’s not advisable to sit down and have a heart-to-heart, or to spend a lot of money. Plan the party for December 3-5, as the Sun sextiles Neptune, compassion, and Jupiter, growth. This is a gold-plated weekend, when dreams can come true, your party goes off well, and your intuition is sharp. Just be mindful, as the Sun activates last month’s Jupiter-Neptune trine, that it’s very easy this weekend to overdo it with intoxicants. Everything in moderation, especially if you’re driving home.

December 6-7, retrograde Mercury will meet powerful Pluto in the heavens. Mercury represents our thinking, and Pluto is powerful, yet inflexible. This is a time of powerful ideas, but also of uncompromising minds. Mercury rules transportation, and Pluto governs death. Most of the time Pluto plays out in a figurative sense. Death of a way of life, an old attitude, etc. But I expect there will be literal death on the highway. Clearly, it won’t happen to all of us, but please do be careful in traffic during these two days. Don’t push your luck. And include our troops and the people of Iraq in your prayers.

December 11-14, solutions appear with the New Moon, as Mercury moves through the Jupiter-Neptune kiss. I expect that art dealers, musicians and retailers will have a very good weekend, especially with the planet of love and money, Venus, in harmony with the planet of long term gain, Saturn. This may be the time for that heart-to-heart talk you didn’t have at the beginning of the month. This looks like an excellent time for business in spite of Mercury being retrograde. Other astrologers may tell you in all capital letters, never to sign a contract while Mercury is retrograde. In practice, that is not realistic. However, it is true that you need to build contingencies into your contract to cover any unknowns. Even in friendly deals, discuss the terms thoroughly or make an agreement in writing to avoid confusion later on.

Take a moment on the 21st to recognize and honor the winter solstice, one of the most sacred of the ancient holidays, and the shortest day of the year. The solstice marks the beginning of the period when the days lengthen; therefore, it is a celebration of inner renewal, marked in antiquity by the Saturnalia celebration (an appropriate name to mark the time of the Sun’s entry into Saturn’s sign Capricorn). Halls were decked with boughs of holly and mistletoe, servants switched roles with their masters for the day, and children got to be the “parents” for a day. The Christmas tree and many of our modern holiday traditions borrow from this ancient celebration of Yule.

Five sextiles bring us through the holidays and the last few days of 2004. Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, and Neptune are the main ingredients in your holiday egg nog. And it looks sweet and friendly. Ambitious business folk will want to take advantage of the good vibes on the 27th and 28th. The 29th has some potential as well, but tread lightly and don’t push the river as New Year’s Eve draws nearer. Red lights come on as angry Mars tangles with rebellious Uranus, exact on the 30th, a very good night to take it easy. Yellow lights are still flashing on New Year’s Eve. Have fun, but keep your wits about you. It’s a weird world out there.

Read more about astrology at www.north-node.com. Need help? Molly is available for consultations. Call (434) 244-0012. Gift certificates for personal readings are available.

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