December’s Cosmic Dance

Despite some spicy astrology rumbling away in the background December starts in buoyant Sagittarius, slows down mid-month when Mercury goes retrograde and grinds to a halt on the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year, on 22nd December.

Go BIG or go home, it’sSagittarius Season ♐️

Expansive, generous, freedom loving, restless, clumsy, sociable, optimistic and frequently lacking boundaries the sign of the Archer is all about faith, the bigger picture and a search for meaning. Occasionally evangelical, often blunt and never knowingly understated, life for Saggies is about expanding their mental, physical and spiritual horizons and the emphasis is firmly on the journey, not the destination!

With hard-working, serious, sober(ish!), tradition-loving Capricorn looming on 22nd December use Sagittarius season to look on the bright side, think big, learn something new, plan a trip, connect to your truth, find meaning-making systems that align with your brightest vision for the future and most importantly, have some fun! Read the full Sagittarius blog here

The slow down begins…

We end the year as we began, with Mercury the planet of connection, communication and commerce retrograde in Capricorn from 15th December -1st January.

As astrology gains popularity retrograde cycles, which in the case of Mercury happen 3-4 times every year, have become feared, dreaded and frequently used as a scapegoat for when things go wrong (guilty!). However, all planets retrograde, or appear to move backwards, as part of their orbit so far from being some sort of cataclysmic event they’re actually pretty normal.

Mercury is the quickest of all the planets

taking only 88 days to orbit the Sun, compared with a staggering 248 years for dwarf planet Pluto.
Because of it’s agile, forward-moving energy the areas Mercury rules - communication, travel and commerce - can feel like they’re stagnating or have ground to a halt altogether when it retrogrades.

The shadow phase + why it’s important

Before and after each retrograde is a ‘shadow period’ where the planet slows down in preparation/speeds back up. Often the themes that crop up during the pre-shadow period are glimpses of what’s to come during the retrograde itself, so by paying in the weeks before we can anticipate the areas of life that might need some extra care and caution. Similarly, we can tie up the loose ends, integrate the lessons and find closure in the post-shadow.

Mercury Retrograde December 2023 Key Dates

25th November - Mercury enters shadow phase

13th December - Mercury stations (stands still) and prepares to begin retrograde motion

1st January - Mercury stations direct

20th January - Mercury leaves the shadow phase

How can we use Mercury RX energy positively?

Go with the energy rather than against it

Rather than trying to push forwards, take some time to review, revisit, reset, recalibrate, reinvent….basically anything that starts with RE…the areas that Mercury rules which are communication, travel and commerce.

Be Prepared!

☿ Re-read and re-check emails, texts and letters
☿ Review your plans and schedules and allow extra time for travel
☿ Back up important documents
☿ Dot the i’s and cross the t’s on any important correspondence
☿ Call instead of text to avoid the lost in translation effect
☿ Be patient with yourself and others and repeat yourself as often as necessary!
☿ Don’t sign any contracts you can’t easily get out of until 2nd January

Rest, rejuvenate, recalibrate

Mercury rules the nervous system so as we approach the darkest day of the year this is the perfect time for a mental, physical, emotional and spiritual reset…
☿ Switch off your phone (if it hasn’t stopped working already!) cancel as many plans as you can (if they haven’t been cancelled already!) and be discerning about the media and information you consume.
☿ Re-connect with practices that ground and centre you, like spending time in nature, meditation, yoga or breathwork, all of which bring us into our parasympathetic nervous system and the all important rest and digest state…crucial for navigating Christmas shopping, family get-togethers and party season with ease and grace!
☿ Re-commit to your daily health routines and rituals, hydrate properly and choose foods that nourish and sustain you, especially with the inevitable excess of Christmas!
☿ Re-evaluate your professional obligations and review your current work life balance - can you work smarter rather than harder and carve out space for quality time rather than the daily grind?

And most importantly view it as an opportunity rather than an obstacle

When we remember that cosmic cycles, even the ones with a bad rap like Mercury Retrograde, are happening FOR us not TO us we can reframe our perspective and embrace them as an opportunity to slow down, rest and re-evaluate the areas of our life that might not be working so well.

Our thoughts create our reality, so by choosing to perceive retrogrades as times of heightened awareness of ourselves, others and the universal energies at play we can move into a growth mindset and begin to understand ourselves and those around us on a much deeper level. Sounds like a no-brainer to me!

Aaand STOP!

On 22nd December, the Winter Solstice, the Sun reaches it’s lowest point in the sky

The word ‘solstice’ means ‘sun set still’.
On Litha, the Summer Solstice around 21st June the Sun is at it’s highest point and we experience the longest day and shortest night.
On Midwinter’s Day, or Yule, it’s reversed and we have the longest night and shortest day.

Spiritually it’s a time of stillness, reflection and ritual to honour the fertile darkness in which we can sow our seeds of intention for the coming Wheel of the Year cycle.

It’s one of the holy days of the astrological calendar, marking the beginning of winter and heralding the return of the light as the days slowly begin to get longer and brighter (hallelujah!) as Mithras, the mythological Sun King is reborn. Most Christian, Islamic, Buddhist, Hindu and Jewish holidays are rooted in astrology and Christmas is no exception, with the birth of the baby Jesus borrowing heavily from the Mithras myth.

To honour the solstice I'd love you to join me at Align Studio in Hampton Hill TW12 on Friday 22nd December for a Candlelit Pause, Rest + Reset, a slow, deep and nourishing class to deactivate your nervous system and move you into a state of bliss and rejuvenation. It's suitable for all levels and includes yoga, somatic practices, breathwork, deep rest, meditation and a wintry playlist to bring you home to yourself. I hope you can join me! BOOK HERE.

Slow Down, Descend into Darkness, Welcome the Light