This Week's Astrological Reading
This week in the lead up to Christmas, we are all looking for some relief from the madness that this time of year can bring. Unfortunately there is none to be found among the planets as we will experience a number of significant transits over the next 7 days. Monday the 19th see's us enter into a Mercury retrograde and it will continue its reverse transit through the New Year. This week also brings the southern hemisphere its Summer Solstice on the 21st and that day also marks the sun's move from Sagittarius to Capricorn.
Mercury will resume its correct direction on January 8th and as with all Mercury retrogrades, we can expect to experience a few upheavals, obstacles and failings during this period. Mercury influences our mental chemistry and when it is in retrograde it can create havoc in our communication, technology and day to day life.
We are fortunate that it is occurring at a time when we should traditionally be taking a break from work and relaxing, as retrograde transits are best for rest, contemplation and letting go. As it can have devastating effects on our communication, it would be wise to be mindful of our thoughts and actions over the holiday period when tempers and stress are already running high for so many of us!
This is a good time to look inwards, to re-evaluate our direction, path and desires, it is a time for self reflection and contemplation. As we send off another year and enter a new cycle in our lives, this transit provides us with an opportunity to discover what we would like to take with us into 2017, leave behind in 2016 and create new for the future.
The suns shift into the house of Capricorn on the 21st, this transit further supports this inclination to plan for the future. Capricorn influences us to plan ahead and achieve long term goals. It focuses on results and structure, this mentality can be extremely beneficial at the starting of a new cycle as it help us to implement our plans with a clear mind and focus.
And lastly on Wednesday we will feel the magic that a solstice brings into our lives. The summer solstice marks the longest day of the year, and the word solstice originates from the Latin word solstitium', meaning 'sun standing still'. The ancients believed that the time of the solstice was one in which the sun stopped for three days, and is regarded to be a very auspicious and energetically potent time. Many believe that during a solstice the veils between the dimensions and the higher powers are at their thinnest, meaning it is a time where all things are touched by the hand of the creator or by divine energies.