Wednesday, <\/b>the Moon remains in passionate, all-or-nothing <\/i>Scorpio<\/i> all day<\/b> (see Tuesday late afternoon for details).<\/i><\/p>\n

Wednesday around 4:30am EST<\/strong>,\u00a0Mercury enters its pre-Shadow phase when it reaches 24.5\u00ba of <\/i>Capricorn<\/b><\/em>;\u00a0this is two weeks prior to its Retrograde phase (which starts\u00a0on Jan. 14th <\/b>at 10\u00ba of Aquarius)<\/b><\/p>\n

What is the Shadow phase?<\/b>\u00a0The period immediately before and after a planet\u2019s Retrograde phase is referred to as the \u201cShadow phase\u201d; at these times, the planet travels once more through the degrees of a sign (or signs) that it had already passed through before and during its Retrograde phase.\u00a0Mercury is usually in its shadow for about two to three weeks prior to a retrograde, and for three to four weeks after.<\/p>\n

If you want to buy, sell or ship big-ticket items — especially connected to transportation (cars, airline tickets, etc.) or communication devices (phone, computer, iPad, etc.) — be aware of the Shadow periods as well as the Retrograde phases. If possible, get these things done before Mercury enters its pre-Shadow<\/b> or wait until after the post-Shadow phase is over<\/b> — post-Shadow phase will end on\u00a0Feb. 23rd<\/b>\u00a0(in this case \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n

Of course, if there is something that must get done during these phases, don’t put your whole life on hold, just because Mercury is Retrograde or in its Shadow. Sometimes things line up exactly at the right time; as best as you can, trust that it’s all “perfect” \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n

Wednesday early morning, <\/b>a Mercury\/Venus alignment<\/em> in 24.5 degrees of Capricorn<\/strong><\/em> becomes exact at 5:27am EST. We started to feel this aspect build from Monday evening; it will remain strong until Thursday evening. <\/b>This alignment indicates an ability to communicate from the heart — and in fact, connecting to people we have an affinity with is essential.<\/p>\n

This is an excellent time to start sharing about any of the following: teaching endeavors, anything connected to career goals or structures we are building for the long-term, and anything traditional or art-related that has stood the test of time \u2014 architecture, for example).<\/p>\n

We want to be able to connect in a harmonious, peaceful manner, and communicate in a down-to-earth way. We have a strong sense of what connects us to our inner authority at this time, and want to be in touch with people who are reliable and have integrity — in general, we also keep our word and enjoy socializing with people who can support us with a long-term goal. We also thoroughly enjoy the written and spoken word — literature, wordplay, puns, moving conversations — especially if the topics are connected to worldly matters, long-term goals or achievements, or something useful or practical.
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Do you have your Ascendant, Career Point (or personal planets) in 21-28 degrees of<\/i> Capricorn, Cancer, Aries, <\/i><\/b>or<\/i>\u00a0Libra?<\/i><\/b> If so, you will feel this alignment quite strongly; the same is true for those of us with our Ascendant\u00a0or Sun-sign in <\/i>Virgo, Gemini, Libra, <\/i><\/b>or <\/i>Taurus\u00a0 <\/i><\/b>(Mercury is the ruler of Gemini and Virgo; Venus is the ruler of Taurus and Libra)<\/i><\/p>\n

Wednesday evening, <\/b>a challenging Sun\/Chiron aspect<\/em> becomes exact at 6:53pm EST. We started to feel this aspect build from last week, Sunday evening <\/b>(Dec. 26th) on<\/strong>; and it will remain strong until this Saturday evening <\/b>(Jan. 1st). This asks us to stretch ourselves and expand from within. We might feel less confident about who we are, and have a hard time projecting a social “front”. Our conditioning and wounded sense of Self may be out of harmony with each other.<\/p>\n

As best as you can, take this as an opportunity to make space for feeling vulnerable or emotional without seeing yourself as weak or “less than”. It is perfectly ok to be yourself and feel insecure once in a while; as best as you can, bring compassion and love to yourself and others. After all, we are all human\u2026
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Do you have your Ascendant, Career Point (MC), or personal planets in 5-12 degrees of <\/i>Capricorn, Aries, Cancer,<\/i><\/b> or <\/i>Libra<\/i><\/b>? If so, you will feel the effects of this aspect more strongly than otherwise. This is also true for those of us who have our Ascendant or Sun-sign in <\/i>Leo<\/i><\/b> (the Sun rules Leo).<\/i><\/p>\n

Wednesday evening, <\/b>an opportune Mars\/Saturn aspect<\/em> becomes exact at 7:22pm EST. We started to feel this aspect build from last week, Sunday evening <\/b>(Dec. 26th); and it will remain strong until this Sunday evening<\/b> (Jan. 2nd). This aspect brings an opportunity for us to have more self-discipline and self-motivation — we could find we bring more focus to our work and activities, coupled with a sense of adventure and exploration.<\/p>\n

We have a chance to face life with more optimism and maturity. We tend to be more practical than usual, and our progress in most projects is perhaps slow but steady. This can be a very productive time\u00a0for us but\u00a0it is important that we keep looking at the bigger picture.<\/p>\n

Remember: this is an “opportunity” — this isn’t necessarily handed to us, we have to make the most of it. It’s our choice.<\/p>\n

Do you have your Ascendant or any personal planets in 10-14 degrees of <\/i>Sagittarius, Aquarius, Aries, <\/i><\/b>or<\/i> Libra<\/i><\/b>? If so, you may be more aware of this opportunity. This is also true for those of us who have our Ascendant or Sun-sign in <\/i>Aries<\/i><\/b> or <\/i>Capricorn<\/i><\/b> (Mars rules Aries; Saturn is the ruler of Capricorn).<\/i><\/p>\n

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