Tag Archives: Sextiles

The Week of December 11th: Mild Weather

Last week’s full moon in Gemini brought with it some huge news stories. In the past few years, there have been very few quiet news weeks, but last week’s news seemed to come at a breakneck pace.

Just in the U.S. alone, the Trump Organization was found guilty of tax fraud and Raphael Warnock won the Georgia run-off on the same day, the day before the full moon. On the morning after the full moon was exact, Brittney Griner was released, and then the next day, Kyrsten Sinema announced she was leaving the Democratic Party.

Not surprisingly, there’s a feeling of a bit of a full moon hangover right now. However, the week of December 11th through December 18th, 2022 is relatively mild, astrologically speaking. 

On December 12th, the Sun, which is in Sagittarius, is sextiling Saturn in Aquarius, so the Sun and Saturn are making a 60-degree angle to each other and having a conversation. The Sun represents the self, and Saturn is about structures, systems, and responsibility. This is a useful aspect for thinking about the rules and the structures you have set for yourself and leaning into the structure, especially where it most benefits you. This is also a time when you may be feeling more authoritative and taking yourself more seriously. You got this. 

On December 14th, the Sun enters a square with Neptune, which is at 22 degrees of Pisces. I’ve written about my Neptune struggles before. The planet is now direct and moving at an agonizingly slow speed over my natal Venus, Mars, and Midheaven. With the Sun and Neptune in a 90-degree angle, you may experience some murkiness and misunderstandings today, and you may find yourself questioning your goals, yourself in general, and/or what you want to do. You may also just feel tired. 

Also on December 14th, Mercury, which is in Capricorn, forms a square with Chiron in Aries. Chiron was once thought to be an asteroid but is now considered a comet, and it’s probably the most commonly tracked non-planet or luminary (i.e., the sun and the moon) in popular astrology. It’s known as the “wounded healer” and relates to our traumas, our sensitivities, and the scars we carry with us. (Read more about Chiron here.) With this transit, you may be thinking about words or actions that sting or haunt you, or you may actually experience some hurtful behavior or hurt others, whether intentionally or not. With both Mercury and Chiron in cardinal signs, it could be a productive time for taking action by journaling about painful thoughts or talking to your therapist (evergreen advice). 

Finally, on December 17th, Mercury will move into a trine with Uranus in Taurus. Trines are generally thought to be the most fortuitous aspect made by two planets, and with Mercury, the planet that rules thinking and communication, and Uranus, the planet of innovation and disruption, in this relationship, it could be a good day for grounded, practical conversations about change, given that both of these planets are in earth signs. You may also experience some good news or unexpected but helpful communication.

That’s it for this week! It’s a nice week of down time between the full moon, next week’s new moon, and some of the more tricky astrology that will occur at year end.

Week of November 27th: Astrological Combo Platter

There is a lot going on in the sky during the week of November 27th through December 3rd. None of the transits are huge, show-stopping moments, which we had a run of over the last couple months, but each brings its own unique qualities, with ups and downs throughout the week. 

One of things that I have found to be very challenging about learning astrology is understanding and being able to synthesize the complexities of multiple aspects occurring at the same time, both in the transits in the current sky and in the birth chart. This week’s outlook has several overlapping transits that speak to each other. I am looking at them both individually and how they interact. 

Mars, which is retrograde in Gemini, will be making a trine to Saturn, which is direct in Aquarius, on November 28th. But Mercury and Venus, both in Sagittarius, are in the mix, as they will be opposing Mars and sextiling Saturn. Trines are transits where planets are at 120 degree angles and are generally thought to harbor harmonious connections between the planets. Oppositions, where planets are opposite one another, are not necessarily difficult but they can often indicate some friction, some oppositional energy. Sextiles, where planets are at a 60 degree angle, are usually helpful in that the planets speak to each other in a way that can help enhance their more positive characteristics. 

Mars is retrograde, so this is the second of three times this transit to Saturn will occur. With both Mars and Saturn in air signs, the energy here is one of innovation, outside-the-box thinking, and communication. Mars, the planet of action, is in a free flowing aspect with Saturn, the planet of structure. Mars and Saturn are considered malefics in traditional astrology, but both planets offer lessons. Mars, which rules action, aggression, physical energy, and war, can be wild. Saturn offers rigidity, structure, rules, and boundaries. In a trine, the rigidity of Saturn can actually help harness the fierceness of Mars and channel it in a productive way. With this transit, it’s a great time for organizing, and thinking and speaking about the structures and systems in your life and how to give them power and energize them. If there are projects you have been thinking about tackling that require organization and working methodically, step by step, this trine can lend a supportive energy for that. 

On Tuesday, Mercury in Sagittarius will oppose Mars and sextile Saturn. With Mercury opposite Mars, you may see friction and the culmination of some curt or tense communication and arguments. Mars is piercing (it rules needles and sharp objects!), so your interactions with others may be a little spiky mid-week. Venus is close behind Mercury and will oppose Mars on Wednesday, so you may experience this spikiness in your relationships. However, since both Mercury and Venus are in a sextile with Saturn, which can help if you ask yourself how you can organize your thoughts and take two beats in a way that can help you temper your temper.

On Thursday, Mercury in Sagittarius will be squaring Neptune, which is in Pisces. This will help smooth the edges of our communications, but again, with Neptune, it can make things a little blurry. The advice most astrologers give when it comes to Neptune transits with Mercury is to double check details and in discussions or agreements with people, if you have to deal with them under this transit, make sure you ask clarifying questions and verify your understanding of the arrangement or situation. Neptune is often associated with deception. It can also indicate heightened paranoia or anxiety, especially in our thinking and even in dreams, with Mercury in aspect to it. Then Venus catches up and squares Neptune on Saturday. Much of the same advice applies with this transit, with particular emphasis on relationships and anything involving finances. You may be well served by waiting to seal any deals until next week. However, with Neptune in Pisces, where Venus is exalted, you may find yourself wanting to explore creative pursuits. This is a good time for finding inspiration and making art. 

Neptune stations direct on Saturday as well, so it will start to retread the territory it covered earlier this year. Let’s hope that will coincide with a shift and some forward momentum in our creative and spiritual lives. It gets close to 28 degrees of Pisces before it begins to go retrograde again in July of 2023.