Winter Solstice

Winter Solstice - Intuitive Wisdom

"'Everything I have to say has already crossed your mind.'
'Then possibly my answer has crossed yours.'"

— Arthur Conan Doyle, The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes

The depth and intuitive wisdom of Capricorn is emphasized this week as Mercury retrogrades back to conjunct the Sun on the Sagittarius/Capricorn cusp at the Winter Solstice. While Capricorn is generally considered quite practical and pragmatic, there is also a deep, intuitive element to the sign. Mercury picks up those intuitive elements when retrograding in Capricorn and can help to blend intellectual knowledge and insights with powerful intuitive guidance. Any time Mercury is retrograde, it is especially important to look for intuitive clues since Mercury's intellectual qualities can seem to 'go haywire'. The importance of staying in touch with our 'inner voice' is especially crucial this week. The inferior Sun-Mercury conjunction occurs near the end of the week, producing a significant 'atmospheric pressure change'. Before the Winter Solstice and Mercury's return to Sagittarius, Mercury makes the second of three trines to Jupiter as well as a second sextile to Saturn — while the Sun is still in Sagittarius. We are likely to be focused on 'action plans' and 'next steps' early in the week. But there is a seriousness and caution to our considerations which may some may interpret as stalling. Impatience and impulsiveness swirls but any tangible attempts at direct action is more than likely to just reveal more complications that need to also be considered. We can make the most of our consideration by setting 'markers' — "Put a pin in that!' — while continuing our investigations and considerations. Independence and a strong imperative to differentiate ourselves in some way suggests that we are resistant to compromise, cooperation and collaboration, which may also complicate any attempts to develop that clear 'plan of action' that we are searching for. Once Mercury moves back into Sagittarius, a long-lasting square to Neptune brings further challenges to clear communication. Our ability to communicate our individual, independent perspective is further hampered. Our 'inner voice' — intuition — is where we will find the answers and solutions that we are looking for. Allowing our thinking to be guided by intuition will provide access to hidden strength and capacity. In this atmosphere, it isn't likely that we'll be able to fully explain or describe exactly what we're thinking until after both Mercury and Jupiter turn direct at the beginning of the year. We will need to have faith in ourselves as well as the willingness to give others the same 'space' that we need in order to find the clarity and clear 'plan' that we are looking for this week.

Finding a balance between tangible evidence and intuitive insight is what we need to sort out on Sunday. We are searching for balance, objectivity and detachment. There is caution and seriousness in our considerations on Monday, despite the optimistic Mercury-Jupiter trine. Impatience and impulsiveness seeks to break out of the restrictive approaches, which some may see as stalling. We move toward determined action on Tuesday. Our best hope to avoid impulsiveness is to try to blend 'tried and true' procedures with a few intuitive, creative flourishes. Our progress improves on Wednesday when can effectively balance intellect and intuition. However, it is increasingly difficult to clearly articulate our position or accept the perspectives of others. The Winter Solstice on Thursday signals a significant 'pressure change', increasing the feeling that some kind of action is crucial. We may feel as though things need to brought 'under control'. Things feel even more 'out of control' on Friday. There is a vague feeling of restlessness. We are more comfortable with the week's shifts on Saturday. We can begin to open up to more productive social interaction and engagement.