Mercury Retrograde December 2023 – Jo Tracey Astrology
Mercury has slowed right down and later today (AEST), just a few hours after the New Moon, will turn retrograde at 8 Capricorn 29′.
What does this mean? Well, that’s a tricky question, but to find out more about Mercury retrograde and how to survive and thrive during this period, check out this post. As for what this retrograde means, we need to look more closely at the signs it will be taking place in – Capricorn and Sagittarius.
Mercury in Capricorn likes plans, goals and results, yet when Mercury is retrograde in that sign you might find it more difficult to stick to plans, be more frustrated when a plan doesn’t come together.
Mercury in Sagittarius likes to think big – the sky is the limit … actually even that isn’t a limitation. When retrograde the frustration comes from delays in getting started or perceived boundaries – physical or otherwise.
How to deal with it? Don’t even try to fight it. Despite the fact that you’ve set shiny new New Moon intentions, there may be some delays in getting going – and that’s not entirely a bad thing.
Use the next few weeks to refine and tweak plans and initiatives, tie up any loose ends from your last big project, conduct the equivalent of what us (ex) project managers would term a post-implementation review – ie, what worked, what didn’t – and prepare for your next project.
As Mercury dips back into Sagittarius, there should be some optimism, but for now do your best to go with the flow and don’t put pressure on yourself to deliver.
The area of life Mercury is transiting will be where this is impacting you. It’s where you need to take extra care with your communication, it’s where issues from the past might resurface, it’s also where some re-thinking might be required.
As an example, this retrograde begins in the 11th house for me – friendships, networking, teams, the house of wishes and dreams – and will dip back into the 10th and my career zone. It’s an opportunity to review my thoughts and attitudes to these areas of life and a few weeks to tweak goals and intentions in these areas. It’s also a time where I’ll need to be careful with my communication with friends, and smile and wave if plans to catch-up are delayed or thwarted. Who knows, I could even come across a blast from the past.
The details (dates and times aligned to Brisbane Australia):
26 November 2023 – Mercury enters “shadow” period at 22 Sagittarius 10′
13 December 2023 – Mercury stations retrograde 8 Capricorn 29′
23 December 2023 – Mercury dips back into Sagittarius
2 January 2024 – Mercury stations direct 22 Sagittarius 10′
14 January 2024 – Mercury back in Capricorn
21 January 2024 – Mercury reaches 8 Capricorn 29′ and is out of shadow.
