We are now heading into the Jupiter in Sagittarius cycle, which will begin around November 9th, depending on where you are in the world. This will bring you 12 months of opportunities, breakthroughs and solutions in one area of your life. Which area? I’ll look at that in a moment. For now, you just need to know the whole (fantastic) cycle begins with really strange weather. As in, Mercury Retrograde weather. In fact, from the moment that Jupiter breezes into this new sign, you hit Mercury Retrograde.
The planet of communication, information, negotiation and transportation is going across Sagittarius from 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and back through 13, 12, 11, 10, 9 between November 1st and Christmas Day, December 25th. As Sagittarius is the global sign of travel, airlines, holidays, vacations, passport control, visas and immigration – we can expect extreme weather, strike action and computer problems to hold the world up at this time.
In other words, the stunning new world of 2019 vacation and holiday options (think, big price drops and easy new rules for travellers) is on hold. We have the hope, we can see the potential, but we don’t get the delivery until Mercury is behaving himself, after Christmas Day.
I’ve edited an extract from my Number One Amazon astrology bestseller, 2020 Astrology, to give you an idea of what to expect from this strange Sagittarius weather, which basically starts on November 1st and intensifies from November 9th. You can read more about how one department of your life is affected, further down. Yet – if you have your personal birth chart by your side now and can see that you have Sagittarius factors at 1-13 degrees you will be affected more than most.
What is affected? Your Ninth House of academia, education, publishing, the worldwide web, travel, foreigners, foreign countries and regional differences. So, even though you get to see how amazing 2019 might be almost as soon as Jupiter arrives, there will be hitches, hold-ups and maybe reversals. Have Plan B, C and D if you are flying or cruising at this time, or even driving across the country. Have the same, if you are enrolling for university or college, or launching a book.
MERCURY RETROGRADE IS MURKY RETROGRADE
Mercury Retrograde used to be a weird inside trick that only pro astrologers knew about, and then at some point in 2015 it became mainstream. It’s on Kate Spade stationery now. It’s gone viral. Music writer Kathy McCabe calls it Murky Retrograde. A good way to remember what murky Mercury Retrograde actually means, is to go all the way back to the Roman definition of the archetype. Mercury was their Messenger of the Gods. You often see him on courier trucks with his winged helmet and sandals. He’s often in 18th century paintings, delivering messages from one god to another. The Latin root ‘merc’ means reward, wages and hire. The English words derived from the Latin ‘merc’ include commerce, commercial interests, markets, merchandise and merchants. When Mercury appears to move backwards and stand still, in your horoscope (and everybody else’s horoscope) we see a state of flux that affects business, the economy, retail and trade. What’s behind this? Sometimes it’s extreme weather. Sometimes it’s a world crisis. Mercury Retrograde coincides with this global mayhem. Mercury rules sales talk, meetings, negotiations, trades, purchases, paperwork and contracts for obvious reasons. When he appears to move backwards, people find the terms change. The talking points alter.
Mercury Chain Reactions in November, December 2018
As Mercury rules core areas of our existence, when these swing backwards and forwards, or even stand still (in a state of suspension) everything and everybody is affected by a chain reaction. The chaos is always set up on the pre-shadow, also called the Retroshade, in the days just before Mercury actually appears to stick on the same degree and zodiac sign, over a number of days. Some astrologers still don’t use the shadow at both ends of the cycle. Others, like me, would not bother to predict Mercury Retrograde cycles at all, without the crucial shadows. The Wall Street Crash on Black Tuesday, October 29th 1929 was the most chaotic event of the 20th century, leading to the Great Depression. It happened on Mercury Retrograde Shadow.
What is the shadow?
The period just before Mercury appears to turn backwards, and just after it appears to turn forwards. The pre-shadow is the period before, the post- shadow is the period after. This is what we see November 1st to 16th, 2018.
Why do we see chaos?
Maybe it’s because a percentage of the astrology-loving population is still following the wrong Mercury Retrograde rules! (Okay I’m being cheeky). Often, it’s because those in charge don’t use astrology. Seriously! Prime Ministers and Presidents around the world have a habit of calling elections and referendums, or scheduling voting, on this chaotic cycle. We end up with voter fraud, wrong results, hung parliaments, spills, hanging chads and all manner of insanity when those at the top ignore the people’s timekeeping – astrology – and… make random decisions.
Google and Mercury Retrograde
Mercury rules the markets. If you’re in the market for business success, especially if it involves travel, don’t make your first trade on Mercury Retrograde. Why? That first moment is the ‘birth’ of your company and if the enterprise comes into the world when Mercury is apparently moving backwards, the cycles of time will not be kind.
Google made its IPO (initial public offering) on 19th August 2004 when Mercury was retrograde. Google’s Larry Page clearly did not have a company astrologer on board, when they decided to organize their company results for 18th October, 2012 when the planet of shocks, Uranus, made an exact aspect or pattern, with Google’s dodgy Mercury.
What do I mean by a dodgy Mercury?
For all of us astrologers watching from London, Google was ‘born’ on 19th August 2004 when Mercury Retrograde was at 5 Virgo, Mars was at 5 Virgo and Uranus was at 5 Pisces. That line-up in the horoscope of a major corporation is what we in astrology call ‘bonkers.’ Google then chose a month when transiting Uranus was at 5 Aries, kicking the whole pattern off, to pull together its figures. Gah! You too can send out an unfinished financial press release by mistake, on this cycle, and that accidental e-mail can wipe $22 billion off your value. Classic Mercury Retrograde.
Choosing a Horoscope for your end 2018 Launch
Is it true that companies, businesses or even whole countries can relaunch, or pursue a new constitution, and thus obtain a better horoscope? Absolutely. A quick and easy way to find a date is simply to avoid Mercury Retrograde because you really don’t want to be hit by recurring computer issues, for the rest of eternity. If you are happy to do a little learning, you can teach yourself astrology and then figure out your own best date for any new enterprise. In this case try to do it after Christmas.
It’s no secret that I set my alarm for some cruel hour, in the middle of the night, so I could wake up and start a petition for the late, great Divinyls’ star Chrissy Amphlett, to aquire her own laneway in Australia. It took a lot of coffee, but I wanted to give our Chrissy the perfect astrological send- off. I still have the chart and it’s a beautiful thing, created to align with her own horoscope. I scanned for Mercury Retrograde first! I am happy to say the petition went nuts within an hour of it appearing online and Amphlett Lane, in the heart of Melbourne, is there any time you want to pay a visit. I popped Chrissy into a story I wrote for Vogue when we last spoke a few years ago. She wanted to make it very, very clear to me that she was a Scorpio and not a Libra – but that’s another story!
The Titanic and Heathrow
Airport Oh, Heathrow Airport, how I love to hate you. You are the gateway to the beautiful British Isles but you are also a nightmare. Why? Because you were ‘born’ or launched on 25th March 1946 on Mercury Retrograde. This is why you see extra problems now.
If you have ever queued (and queued, and queued) for check-in, or your bags, or the lavatory at Heathrow – then you are experiencing first-hand what can happen when an airport – of all things – begins its life with Mercury Retrograde embedded in the chart. Suspensions. Snowfall. Strikes. Protests. Security Scares. Fog. Train delays. Traffic jams on the way to the train. Can we just relaunch Heathrow and elect a new horoscope please? November, December 2018 will bring cancellations or delays!
The RMS Titanic launched on 10th April 1912 on Mercury Retrograde. We all know why it sank, by now, and it wasn’t just the iceberg. The Radio Act of 1912 was passed after the tragedy – probably the only good legacy of Mercury Retrograde.
Mercury and Wall Street Chaos in October-December 2018
Along with computers, Mercury rules radio, because Mercury the Messenger of the Gods rules communication. Throughout history, the technology changes, but the symbolism remains the same. Mercury rules the money news. The Radio Corporation of America (R.C.A.) was the hot tech stock of the Twenties but it plunged in value when the market crashed in October 1929. Mercury also rules cars, because it is also in charge of transportation – the wheels that turn, to carry the news from one place to another. Investors in 1929 went broke with the other hot stock, Ford.
Today, Mercury rules Microsoft Word, Apple, the Internet and your iPhone. Watch what happens to them whenever Mercury is retrograde. We have a double retrograde October 2018, as both Venus and Mercury are trawling in Scorpio, the money sign.
The Ford/RCA story spelled a dreadful double whammy for the mom-and-pop investors of 1929 who lost their life savings. Mercury, the planet which rules commerce, was stalling and then moving backwards, when two stocks ruling Mercury concerns – communication and transport – dominated Wall Street.
Of course, it takes more than Mercury Retrograde Shadow to create a Wall Street Crash. You need other, more serious, background patterns.
Nevertheless, history and astrology tell us it’s true – the old God of commercial interests does coincide with chaos when he’s not moving swiftly and easily across the skies. Between October 24th and 29th, 1929, when the madness was triggered on Wall Street, Mercury moved through 11 through 18 degrees of Libra. He was repeating himself, crossing over the same zodiac sign and degrees he’d passed on September 8th through 15th. This strange backtracking often results in people rethinking, reneging, reselling, retracting, reversing and all the other ‘re’ words that can create a chain reaction of muddle – and worse. We associate product recall with this cycle too. Those old Hollywood films of Wall Street traders in their hats, yelling ‘Buy, buy!’ and then ‘Sell, sell!’ within the space of one screen wipe, are good illustrations of what Mercury Retrograde involves.
Mercury Retrograde Time Warps in October-December 2018
If you really want to tap Mercury Retrograde secrets, go back in time – years if necessary – to see when Mercury was last appearing to move backwards in the exact same zodiac sign. You will soon see the equivalent of a television mini-series on a very long rewind. You will not be surprised to hear that Mercury was at 11 through 18 degrees of Libra in September-October 1922 when the greatest bull market of the 20th century began. Mercury was Retrograde Shadow for some of this time. This was several years before the Crash, but the time warp had devastating consequences. Mercury retraced his steps, retraced his steps, retraced his steps in 1922 and 1929.
The 1987 Wall Street Crash happened on the Mercury Retrograde cycle. On Black Monday, October 19th 1987, the planetary god of commerce and merchants basically rollerskated backwards and fell over.
On May 6th, 2010 the United States saw a trillion-dollar Flash Crash. Once again, Mercury was retrograde. Watch the same cycle October-December 2018!
Only use this astrological secret knowledge in business or on Wall Street if you know exactly what you are doing or have an expert astrologer steering you. People devote their entire careers to specialising in Mercury cycles and money. I am not one of them, but I do want you to know what Mercury Retrograde is about.
Your horoscope is just one tool in the toolkit of your life – and you must make your own decisions. No astrologer can ever make them for you. This applies to every aspect of your birth chart. You are responsible for your own life.
What Mercury Retrograde Is Not
A lot of people seem to think Mercury Retrograde is just ‘bad’ and they blame it for their relationship break-up or the fact that Fred won’t sleep with them. Sorry – that is another cycle entirely. Ask Fred if you snore.
Mercury rules deals, discussions, information, communication and transportation. My old Latin tutor from university is haunting me over my shoulder, telling me to remind you of the root ‘merc’ in Mercury which is hidden in merchandise. Buying and selling can be complicated, now. Read the fine print on refunds and delivery.
Mercury is Roman
To really understand Mercury, you must return to the Romans and understand the way they traded and did business, as they gave us the archetype for Mercury in the first place. Our modern astrology comes from them. Roman commerce was down to four things – horses, ships, the abacus and the lingua franca, also known as trade language, making communication possible in foreign negotiations. Roman businessmen were known as mercatores.
On the Mercuralia of May 14th, Roman merchants prayed to Mercury for blessing, despite having cheated customers and suppliers. This is where the centuries-old association of Mercury with liars comes from. It’s still true that on Mercury Retrograde, you can be caught out by a dodgy deal (or dealer). The worst deal in 20th century history, as we will see in a moment, was struck with Adolf Hitler on this exact cycle.
Updating the Roman Mercury
Today we associate equestrians with horse-whisperers but about 2000 years ago, equestrians were a class of elite Romans who made their money from tax, the land and the mining. The horse was their FedEx courier. Today we link Mercury to the global economy and big business. Instead of horses, we rely on planes, cars, trains and buses. Instead of the abacus, we have the calculator. Instead of the lingua franca, we have internet translation and Skype. What happens during the first shadow of Mercury Retrograde? Wheels start turning, but on a vehicle which will stall on its journey, then move backwards, grinding its gears. Watch this with travel, holiday and vacations in November, December 2018.
The e-mails fly, but later on the discussions may prove to be flawed. The numbers add up, but will later change. People start talking, quite seriously, but later on it’s all Lost In Translation. Language will be a real issue in November, December 2018.
It’s not just your local dry-cleaner losing your coat. Mercury Retrograde is national and global. Everyone is affected by six degrees. Watch the extreme weather now.
The most famous example of Mercury Retrograde is the failed ‘peace’ negotiation with Hitler before the Second World War – The Munich Agreement. On the day that British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain met Adolf Hitler for the first time (and took the first plane trip of his life) Mercury Retrograde Shadow ruled. That ill-fated date, 15th September 1938, is in a period when Mercury repeated his position in the world horoscope three times in three months, is on the front cover of the New York Times forever, reminding astrologers that the Mercury Retrograde post-shadow period can coincide with disaster. The British Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain, told the New York Times, ‘I am going to meet the German Chancellor because the situation seems to me to be one in which discussions between me and him would be fruitful. My policy has always been to seek peace. The Fuehrer’s ready acceptance of my invitation leads to me hope my visit will not be without results.’ And what results. You know, I watched the Donald Trump-North Korea peace talks. Hands over eyes time. Face palm. It all began on this cycle in early 2018.
Talk Another Time!
Any negotiation is a classic candidate for Mercury issues, like bare-faced lies, or even simple communication problems (like spam filters): Mercury rules deals or trade-offs. We hit Mercury Retrograde right after 9/11 and because I was in New York, I took notes, working through the night in Greenwich Village (because the military aircraft overhead made it impossible to sleep). That dreadful cycle, including the shadow periods, began the day after 9/11 and lasted until November 7th. I am sure you remember the chaos which surrounded the tragedy. I was standing on Greenwich Street when I saw the second plane hit, and the Mercury Madness began within hours. No money in the banks. The queue for the New York Times went round Astor Square. No flights. The majority of us only experienced minor frustrations, unlike those who carried the full burden of the tragedy. Yet – it was textbook astrology. Again, you have to put Mercury Retrograde in context. It occurred on a far more serious, difficult astrological cycle for the United States and her allies. Watch this! Sagittarius, where Mercury trawls back and forth, is about foreign relations, you see. Foreign relations, diplomats, Brexit talks, embassies and so on are in the 2018 zone.
Mercury is local/global. It’s a chain reaction. It’s way more than ‘Fred just left me and broke my heart’ because if the cycle tallies with something serious in the heavens, the whole planet can grind to a halt. November, December looks globally muddled.
Using Mercury Retrograde
Is Mercury Retrograde always bad? No. It is what it is. Communication, information and transportation delays, alterations and reversals. You have to put it in context with the rest of the chart. You can read more about Mercury Retrograde on my website including all the dates until 2020 with both the vital pre and post shadows. You can also read about the potential positives of the cycle. Why it’s great for dress rehearsals. For first drafts. For initial discussions. Some people deliberately play the cycle. If they don’t want to commit to something/ someone they begin talks or the paper trail from one shadow to the next. Of course, that’s pure evil. Obviously you would never do any such thing, but the cycle is wonderful for creative attempts, research, musing, contemplation, loose talk, brainstorming and the conscious use of your journal for ideas, sketches and the kind of scribbling that you can just erase. November, December is perfect for a dress rehearsal for a book.
Mercury and Your Stelliums
It’s a bigger deal if Mercury passes over a stellium in your chart – one of those heavy clusters in a particular sign and house. Why? Because it’s a bigger part of you and your life, that is affected. Are you strongly Sagittarius? Okay, take a look.
You’ll hear news that is not the final story. Have discussions which get stuck. Get involved in ‘final’ promises or outcomes which come to nothing, later. Have issues with the internet, your phone or the mail which screw things up. Grab your chart. What’s going on with the Messenger of the Gods, the mail, the train, the plane, the car and the internet? Which sign or house is he in? It’s time for rehearsal, now, not delivery or launch. It’s the moment for tentative research, not grand-slam commitment. If you really have to go ahead now? That’s fine, just have a contingency plan. In Scorpio in October-December Mercury is about sharemarkets. Muddle and messiness are typical. In Sagittarius, November-December? It’s travel.
Mercury Retrograde and Your Chart
If you have your birth chart by your side, you can stun and amaze your colleagues or staff, by using astrology voodoo. You’ll just know when to avoid key meetings, contracts, presentations, launches or trips away. If you can’t avoid key plans, have Plan B and maybe Plan C – and double-check more than you usually would. I do not let Mercury Retrograde stop me from travelling, especially because my other job is working as a HarperCollins travel editor on the Holiday Goddess guides to New York, Paris, London and Rome. I just become lightly paranoid and do a lot more pre-planning. I also try to have Cascade Light beer on hand, for emergencies. Always have travel insurance. Read the fine print. Copy crucial documents to a memory stick. Keep back-ups on paper, not just digitally – in a safe place. I am sure you can think of a few more things you could do. Check for extreme weather. Be wary if someone you are negotiating with, already has a reputation for being dodgy or even downright deceitful.
If you are dealing with the news-gathering profession on Mercury Retrograde then you may be dealing with a journalist who literally goes ‘back on her word’ which is an exact description of what happens when Mercury appears to go back over his cycle. Lois Lane may be loose with the truth. Clark Kent may be a con artist. Be aware of who/what suddenly pops up in connection with multimedia, internet or publishing on this cycle. Are you being hacked, for example? When he is moving normally and not triggering anything difficult in your chart, Mercury is the media we need to tell us the truth about the world. When Mercury is out of sorts, I don’t have to tell you what happens. Remember, in your personal horoscope, the times Mercury Retrograde really counts, are when he activates a pattern that’s already big in your chart. If he triggers an aspect that is already pinned in your Third House (Gemini) or Ninth House (Sagittarius) then use your common-sense when you plan commuting, travel, negotiation, paperwork or multimedia. If you have planets or asteroids in Aries in the First House, then Mercury Retrograde in Aries could play havoc with your new Twitter profile, because this house is about your image. You may appear with a random Muppets avatar pinned to your name, and you really don’t want that. If you have Taurus elements, then Mercury Retrograde in Taurus could result in you going to the bank to change your coins into notes, only to find the machine regurgitates your coins. This house rules your cash. The following list shows how Mercury Retrograde in each sign/house can affect you. Check my website to see what sign Mercury is in, at any time. We have a daily guide, so you can see.
HOW YOUR SUN SIGN (SOLAR CHART) IS AFFECTED OCTOBER-DECEMBER 2018
I’ve mentioned your personal birth chart and how factors in Sagittarius in your Ninth House will be at stake on the Mercury Retro cycle of November, December 2018. If you have Scorpio factors in the final degrees of the sign – 27, 28, 29 – you’re also hit. The Eighth House of your chart is about finance, banking, property, charity, business.
Your Birth Chart
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Eighth House concerns will go back and forth if you embark on decisions too late. Late October 2018 is too late, literally. Around October 29th, 30th, 31st be aware. Mercury, the planet of negotiations and paperwork actually vanishes after this. You won’t see him back in your finance zone until December. Expect a rewind. Replays, and even reversals, are likely. Hit Search to read more on this if you wish. Mercury Retrograde in Scorpio-December 2018 will affect the banks. And you. Which areas of your life will be held up, changed or slowed down as 2018 ends?
I’ll focus on the Sagittarius part of Mercury Retrograde because it’s so complex. November brings the classic upbeat new weather of Jupiter. Opportunities ahoy! Yet, you quickly hit the backwards-and-forwards ‘weather’ of December.
SAGITTARIUS The First House
Do you have Aries elements in your chart too? You’ll have a lot to think about where the world of ‘Me, Me, Me’ is concerned, because your physical appearance, your style, and your reputation (the box people put you into) is such an issue. Here’s why. Aries weather is also at large now, also retrograde, so be aware of that.
Whatever your birth chart looks like there are things you can do as 2018 ends. For a simple life, though, you may want to postpone those big decisions about haircuts, eye laser surgery, personalised number plates, business cards and so on, until Mercury is moving forwards, well out of the shadow period after Christmas. You will have an unusually high number of chaotic, shambolic days to deal with at this time. There may be an information overload to deal with (far too many quotes about your new glasses) or you could find that other people are so disorganised, en masse, that the confusion filters down to you. This can make what appeared to be a straightforward dental appointment very complicated. If you buy anything with your image in mind, you may change your mind later (when you see it priced lower elsewhere) or…you may just change your mind, full stop. Getting the right, fair, market price on almost any procedure or purchase connected to your face, body or personal style could be a challenge. You might get it right now, but there are good chances you’ll get it wrong. If you are organising personalised writing paper, a website, a scrapbook about your life, or anything that involves paper, pens, computers or technology, then be very wary. If you’re giving a talk now, check that the microphone works (talks and speeches are showcases for ‘Me, me, me’ so they do come up during this cycle). As with all Mercury Retrograde periods, don’t risk mistakes! Remember, this is the part of you that charges forward, pushes hard, knocks heads together, thrusts herself/himself into battle and so on. Honestly, do you want to do all that now?
SCORPIO The Second House
There are two key financial cycles in astrology. One is Mercury in the Second House, the other is Mercury in the Eighth House. These are crucial times for fact-finding missions and networking, yet you are going to hit delays, reversals or changes. I once tested astrology out by putting in a mortgage application, when I was a baby astrologer at Elle magazine. Reader, I lost that $600 mortgage application and it was a lot of money at the time! This is a good time to watch, wait and take notes on your next purchase, sale or transaction. It’s not a good time to plunge in and put your savings on the line – or to mess around with contracts, or other kinds of paperwork, unless you are one of those financial astrologer queens like my friend Olga Morales and you know exactly what you are doing. The market is in flux now. Say that carefully.
If your Sun is in Scorpio at the late degrees I mentioned, clipping 27, 28, 29 then watch. You really don’t want Mercury Retroshade crossing any of that, near Halloween. Why not? He vanishes soon afterwards then pops up again in December. Messy. Even if your Sun is in earlier degrees, you still have the other impact of this cycle.
Mercury, the planet of information and communication, is now going backwards in your solar Second House of cashflow, shopping, banking, profits, losses, debts and credits. The chances are high that your best-laid plans may also go backwards. I know very few astrologers who will buy or sell anything in this cycle. Even though this will be a busy time for what you earn, own or owe – take care. Once all the fast-talking and enthusiastic trading is over, you may be left with question marks instead of certainties (or worse, left with a bad result you can’t change.) People are confused, flaky, unreliable, late, unfathomable and uncertain when Mercury goes retrograde. If you work in retail, or trade on eBay, you will be astonished at how people change their minds – or how easy it is for you to change yours! For this reason, astrologers traditionally advise their clients to avoid signing important paperwork when Mercury is going backwards in the Second House. Because the general local and global atmosphere now is so chaotic, there can be a trickle-down effect on your financial affairs, which means the ATM seizes your card, or the online banking system crashes, or the rock-solid deal you thought you had on buying your first home, falls through. Always read the fine print now. Remember, Mercury Retro is about rehearsal, rethinking, review…
LIBRA The Third House
With my hand on my heart, I can tell you that this entire section just vanished. I have a Gemini stellium (many authors do) and just writing about this cycle made 500 words disappear into thin air. As you might have guessed, Mercury Retrograde in your Third House, touching your Gemini factors, is about computers, books, multimedia, publishing, education, language, commuting and travel. (For the record, the bus also stopped running for two weeks, so until Sue turns up with her taxi, I’m stuck at the beach for good.) This is a really good time to organise a first draft of something you want to say, write, sing, film or televise. Allow for one or two revisions. Make sure you allow for changes, delays or reversals which affect your big project or idea. Do not buy a telephone or computer on this cycle or switch to a new ISP unless you have read the fine print on delivery and refunds. Back your content up on a USB stick and as a general rule, have Plan B for commuting and travelling. Allow extra time to get to the airport and be hip to the possibility of flash flooding, train strikes or simple computer issues at the terminal which send you to the wrong gate. Gemini is ruled by Mercury himself, so when Mercury is retrograde in the Third House, ruled by Mercury, you can expect the courier to get stuck or go backwards. The post gets stuck or goes backwards. Mercury moves in a peculiar forwards-backwards motion through your house of speeches, essays, websites, blogs, social media, taxis, trains, buses, cars, planes – as follows.
First he appears to move normally so the plan or loose talk begins. Then he runs on the spot as if he was caught in quicksand. Then he actually runs backwards, retracing his steps. At this point you may want to ‘fix’ things or complicate the issue by adding changes, new plans, extra details. This will add to the situation later on. Mercury then runs on the spot again, before moving forward. At this point a lot of astrologers will tell you he is D for Direct and everything is just fantastic – what a relief! Except your new laptop just spontaneously combusted in front of you. Allow more time. Mercury running on the spot the second time, means he is preparing to lurch forward over the same place in your chart where he got stuck before. The smart way to use this cycle is to factor in changes or delays as part of the actual progress of the project or trip. Look at your chart! Put it all in context. Are there serious issues about Gemini/Third House and Sagittarius/Ninth House too? Then this is also a great concern. Talk to a pro astrologer and make sure she uses the shadow periods. In general 2019 is looking amazing for your way with words. Jupiter in Sagittarius will bring expansion, growth, opportunity and improvement. Yet, this is a sticky start and make no mistake – especially if your Sun in Sagittarius is hit. The Ninth House of your chart may show the Sun at those Sagittarius degrees where Mercury is going back and forth, so this is a double whammy for your website or blog. Travel and travellers, academia and education – it’s all under the Mercury microscope.
VIRGO The Fourth House
You’ll now spend a few weeks obtaining quotes on home repairs, renovations, furniture, domestic appliances, gardening equipment – or more ambitiously, you’ll be researching the property market, as a sale, purchase, mortgage or lease will be on your agenda. The Fourth House also rules your family, and any flatmates or live-in partners who share your home. Expect a lot of phone calls, e-mails and debate, probably about issues which are central to your house, flat or garden – or just as likely, the family itself. Your home town, neighbourhood, homeland and roots, culture and heritage are also issues on Skype now, or your phone. There will be news. Yet – remember – Mercury is flakey now. Astrologers say, don’t sell your house, flat or land when Mercury is going backwards in the Fourth House. Don’t interview new flatmates either. The worst case scenario here is a complete U-turn from one of the people involved (it may be you!) The best case scenario is a period of chaos: too many people coming and going, too much talking, too many questions and not enough answers. There may be a long and drawn out process or, perhaps, an undelivered promise. This general picture of Mercury Retrograde in the Fourth House also applies to almost anything that’s domestic in nature, from the oven that needs repairs, to the new tablecloth you’re dragging home. Prices are reduced, or inflated, with no warning now. People are late for appointments, or don’t turn up at all. Now – do you really want all that stuffing up your precious home life?
If you have Scorpio factors in your chart at 27, 28, 29 degrees then watch this time. Your Eighth House will be affected by these backwards-forwards trends. Be aware. The mortgage, new lease, housing market and so on may well join the dots for you.
This cycle also influences family relationships, and the connections you have with your flatmates, as well as the bond between you and your live-in partner. If you consider your animals to be part of the family, the chaos can extend to them as well. Because there is a general, global increase in uncertainty and instability at this time, the ripple effect can have an impact on your town, your street, and your home as well. That’s why your father can change his mind about the family’s holiday home investment, or your normally reliable flatmate can lose her keys. At its least harmful, this cycle brings muddles, a slightly rushed or panicky atmosphere, and uncertainty. At its worst, Mercury Retrograde in the Fourth House can screw up a property auction. Some people do make this cycle work very well for them. They are astrological professionals or madly psychic – they buy houses cheap, then sell for a profit – rapidly. You truly have to know what you are doing. Don’t plan a family reunion now unless you have beer on a drip.
LEO The Fifth House
If you find yourself doing extra homework about pregnancy, fertility, impotence, termination, adoption, sons, daughters, young relatives, godchildren, sex, intimacy, contraception – or just the whole Lover/Offspring/Youth basket – that’s understandable now. This also applies to the entertainment, interests or sport that brings children and adults together. Kidult entertainment, like TV talent shows, or football matches, which close the generation gap, are one example. So is riding. Save yourself the stress, and tackle important issues about babies or children, another time. This applies to your own sons or daughters, if you have them – or other people’s. It also applies to the world of children in general (for example, any professional connection you might have, to kids). For a few weeks now, or even a few months, you are unlikely to get much in the way of certainty, commitment, security or guarantees. Seek schools, midwives, nannies, adoption agencies, IVF specialists and other child-related professionals another time. Mercury Retrograde brings far too many U-turns and confusion, for you to put your feelings, time or money on the line. I can’t think of too many astrologers who would even pick a babysitter out, during this cycle! The Fifth House also rules sex because of course it is about planned and unplanned pregnancy and also stepchildren, adoption and co-godparenting.
If you are single and speed dating, web dating (or just looking at parties), then it’s a case of buyer beware. You can lose people now – or they can lose you. What appears to be a done deal could be anything but (‘Oh look, there’s my ex!’). The possible complications and ramifications are like every Hollywood romantic comedy you’ve ever seen, but without the laughs. And shall we talk about condoms, HIV tests, the morning after pill, and all the rest of it? Frankly, when Mercury is misbehaving like this, you don’t need the hassle. This planet says ‘Watch, wait, and take notes.’ This strongly applies to your sex life now. It’s also important in terms of your weekend interests or part-time passions. Can you sign or promise another time? Can you at least allow for delays, changes or even reversals? This is often about youth. Young people and their projects, plans, needs and wants and your responsibility. A project may be held up now even though 2019 look so very bright for the results.
CANCER The Sixth House
You’ll probably be involved with some kind of fact-finding mission about your health and wellbeing now. The internet will probably be involved, or you’ll be ploughing through library books, magazines, or the phone directory – as you gather sources and contacts. Sometimes the issue is stuff that isn’t healthy at all. Drugs and alcohol. Addictions to prescribed drugs, even. Over-eating or just cigarette hell. Please allow for plenty of restarts, revisions or ‘definite’ pronouncements which will later be reversed. It does happen. This cycle is also about your full-time or part-time job. If you run the home instead of working, then it applies to your daily routine in the house, or flat. An issue will arise now, which requires a lot of calling, e-mailing, reading, websurfing, or face-to-face discussion.
As you might expect, this is rehearsal time – with rescheduling or rewriting of the story – with the world of doctors, dentists, hospitals, alternative health, gyms, healers, diets and opticians. It’s extremely common for people to join gyms at this time, and resign their membership later. You may want to ‘re’ visit opinions from people in charge of your acupuncture, homeopathy and so on. Workplace shenanigans and chaos are also in store now. Pick another time to hire someone, fire someone, or find a new career because it could go round and round – or seem to be settled, only to be unsettled later on. At its most diluted level, this cycle brings no-shows, reversed promises, and a confusing information overload. The world in general is more chaotic now – in one or two countries, there may even be outright mess. This all has a domino effect, which can result in strange developments in your own workplace. If you have full-time home chores, this also applies to your kitchen-laundry routine. Astrologers say ‘Buy a washing machine at this time, and you’ll be doing your undies in a bucket forever.’ Virgo rules the virginal maiden’s home duties, you see. In general Jupiter in Sagittarius in your Sixth House for 2019 offers you hope. Hugely. Jupiter is a symbol of solutions, breakthroughs, sweeping answers and improvements. In your zone of daily work, lifestyle, your body and regular tasks and duties – he’s big. Yet, he gets off to a messy start, with Mercury holding things up or changing them. A job application, for example, may need watching more than usual.
GEMINI The Seventh House
Gemini, this cycle involves your ruler Mercury, so it’s personal. It involves partners. Your former, current or potential parter is the main focus for you as the year ends. Enemies, rivals and opponents also fall under the rulership of the Seventh House. This may be known opposition. Your former wife or husband? A career rival or foe? The Seventh House rules the scales and much depends on how you have lived your life. If the other person on the opposite end of the scales is your lover or partner, it counts. A happy relationship, balanced and harmonious, offers you so much in the year 2019. Yet, even with this kind of symmetry, you still have backwards-forwards progress. This applies to Geminis struggling with bad partnerships or feuds as well, end of 2018. Mercury, your ruler, goes back and forth November, December so there are rehearsals. Rehearsals, not deliveries or fixed, firm and final results, are a good way to think about it.
November, December usher in the high hopes, great expectations and big plans of 2019. Make no mistake, Jupiter in your opposite sign is seriously good news. Even a feud helps. A weak opposition can make you more popular, for example, or do other favours. This is also the cycle when you fall in love, get engaged or married, or have a child. If things are rocky useful counselling can come your way and maybe an amicable split.
Jupiter in your opposite sign of Sagittarius in your Seventh House is such a great sign. Yet, be sharply aware of the potential for mixed messages, retractions or other mess. Mercury Retroshade and Retrograde is not what you want in your life, yet Christmas calls. From just after Christmas Day when the final replay from November is over, expect news. Proper discussions, arrangements that stick and good outcomes are all possible. If you want to set about separation, divorce, wedding or engagement plans, do be aware! Plan B, C and D is not a bad idea on this cycle which history tells us is full of X factors.
TAURUS The Eighth House
There will be quite a lot of gossip and loose talk now, most of it about a financial, business, charity, retail, ownership or property question which is on your agenda. It will be deadly serious or sexually intimate in nature – a mortgage or life insurance is typical. People will change their minds, or you will change yours – don’t write anything in stone, unless you actually like wasting your own time! The Eighth House typically brings up important questions about sales, purchases, settlements, financial claims, contracts, tax returns, bank statements, and other complex matters involving family members, lovers, partners, ex partners and sometimes hookers and the Mafia too.
If your Sun is at the late degrees of Taurus – 27, 28, 29 – then Mercury Retroshade is big. It moves opposite your Sun around Halloween then disappears. Be hip to what is going on. There may be delays, standstills, reversals or rescheduling not resolved until December.
If you lead a simple life in a share house, and don’t actually own anything at all, it will just ask you to manage complicated questions about the household potato patch. All the more reason to refuse to sign, buy, sell, wheel or deal. At best, you’ll feel slightly lost and confused. At worst, you could lose financially. It really depends on your personal chart. If you have a ton of squares and oppositions to your Taurus factors and Mercury Retrograde lands there – be ultra careful.
Astrologers say, don’t lend or borrow at this time. And on no account bank on anything, even the bank! Always read the fine print on paperwork, and don’t expect computers, the postal service, telephones, or the traffic flow (or airline industry) to automatically smooth the way for you. At this time, Mercury’s chaotic backward motion will affect the entire planet. In the grand scheme of things, your divorce settlement, family inheritance, job redundancy, tax bill or bank loan may well get caught in the mess. If you get off lightly, you can expect at least one person to change their mind about what’s been ‘agreed’ (and it may be you.) How irritating! If you have serious Mercury Retrograde problems, though, you can find that a deal costs you. It’s a fantastic time to rehearse, review, review, rethink, reconsider. Not so great for absolutes and definites.
ARIES The Ninth House
This is a confusing (and sometimes frustrating) period for travel, emigration and relocation. Can you choose another time? If you must be on the move, however, do read the small print, and take sensible precautions before you pack your bags. Have insurance and allow for delays, changes or reversals. Check before you go via trains, buses, certain traffic lanes or the airport. Make sure your passport is updated and be hip to the weather. This is not just you, it’s the entire planet, under extreme weather.
Mercury rules cars, trucks, bicycles, motorbikes, boats, ships, aeroplanes and helicopters – so you can see why its backward motion, in your house of travel, can also turn your life upside-down or at least hold you up. This cycle also describes the relationship you have with people from other cultures and countries. The potential for confusion, delays and chaos is very high with these people now! Give yourself a safety net if a decision is pending. Allow for language issues or time differences – even date differences – and basic communication gah factors.
Education (from weekend workshops to university degree courses) is also affected by Mercury madness at this time. You could enrol in a class and change your mind later, losing your application fee. Or – the professor you thought you were getting, turns out to have changed his mind, and run away to Barcelona with a teenage supermodel. You get the picture. Do you really have to make big decisions, as a teacher or student, now? Religion, or other belief systems (like Scientology, or TM) can also be the route to frustration, or even serious problems, during this period. And finally, this cycle is about publishing, in all its forms. I have seen books be pulped in this cycle – and ‘watertight’ contracts be shredded. Astrologers say, choose another time to publish, sign or print. It’s an excellent time for first draft, second draft. It’s a fantastic time to have a visualisation board or scrapbook, with which to roughly envision your vacation. Just act on things when Mercury is out of shadow after Christmas. Aries, 2019 brings stunning chances to deepen your affection for a distant place. It looks great for books, academia, education and foreign people and places. But… It begins with a really messy cycle as Mercury spins his wheels for two months.
PISCES The Tenth House
Keep your career options open now. There will be a lot of questions, and apparently ‘conclusions’, but they’re subject to change, and you will either alter your decisions at some point, or find other people’s U-turns screw up your own plans! This also applies to your other ambitions and goals, if you are a student, unemployed, retired, or have full-time home duties. Your most ambitious projects and plans can be thrown into chaos during this cycle, thanks to the global domino-effect which is now taking place (there will be pockets of anarchy all over the world) but also because of X factors you cannot see or control. There are easier times to write your resume, apply for a job, ask for a promotion, train for a new career, or call a domestic summit. Can it wait? If it can’t, Pisces, then treat November, December as a rehearsal for 2019. Next year will deliver promotions, awards, hits, hot new jobs and more – but wait. It’s a slow start and you may need to work around in the final two months of 2018.
If you have a part-time or full-time job, the atmosphere will be so frenzied at times that it may be hard to remember where you put your coffee – or your brain. Expect a lot of ‘news’ through the media, about those projects, plans and goals which most concern you, as well as your particular field, industry or workplace. There will also be quite a lot of gossip and debate, but it is unwise to take it seriously when Mercury is misbehaving. What appears to be a done deal (your boss is definitely leaving) or a final conclusion (your old company is definitely expanding) may not be so. This cycle is best used by standing well back, taking mental notes, and waiting for the dust to settle! Then, and only then (when Mercury is direct) should you make costly or complex decisions. It will be a Merry Christmas indeed when he leaves the Retroshade.
AQUARIUS The Eleventh House
Action stations with friends, or for them – but also backwards stations! If an old friend re-enters your life now, he or she will connect you to a large network of people but the wheels may go backwards. 2019 looks amazing for this group – but wait a bit. If you make a new friend at this time, this man or woman will also open up your world, either online, or through a whole chain of invitations and introductions, yet be aware of stray e-mails or missing messages. The Eleventh House is also about existing friends, of course, which might explain why that person who has been there forever suddenly goes to the top of your list, and you find yourself with a larger phone or internet bill; your friend is likely to make waves in your life now, and a lot of questions, plans and mini-adventures will result.
If you have been feeling bored or lonely, this cycle can fix it. A little bit of work on your part can trigger a new social life, if you want it – or a new angle on the old one but do allow for delays. Yet, there may be computer or postal hold-ups on the way.
A group, club, team, organisation, association or social network will also take up your mental energy now. If you are permanently involved with some kind of group, and it’s central to your life, then do use this time to find solutions to all those unanswered questions you may have. This will be a rehearsal, as all retrogrades are. It’s a good time to review, rethink, rehearse the action for later. Next year offers so much.
You will be amazed at the number of resources, and sources, which suddenly become available to do this. Even if you’re not a joiner (and can’t stand group dynamics) you will still find it hard not to cross paths with some kind of people-pack now. An issue will arise which involves a lot of debate or gossip with them – or about them. You really meant it when you told your friend she could borrow your lawnmower, but now your other friend won’t give it back. You believed what your union promised, when you sent them a membership cheque – but it’s been four weeks, and your card still hasn’t arrived. You and your bridesmaids truly, deeply made a commitment to ivory silk and pearl buttons for your wedding – but now someone’s up the duff, and she thinks she’ll look fat in the frock…These are just a few examples of the chaos which can unfold, via friends or groups, when Mercury is Retrograde in the Eleventh House.
If it’s going to cost you time, money or tantrums (or create rip-roaring anarchy in your social life) then consider delaying a plan until Mercury is behaving itself. Astrologers are not alarmists, but there is so much evidence on the chaos that Mercury Retrograde brings, that you really need to approach friends, or group commitments, with your eyes open. If you know that someone is Gemini or Virgo, or you were born under either of those signs, then the potential for trouble is doubled. If you join any kind of group now, it may not last, or you may not last, or it may not deliver what you expected. If you make a new friend, now, he or she could be a complete Cadbury’s Flake, and remain in your online address book for about as long as this cycle lasts. It’s an excellent time to stand back and watch the entertainment, as people run around like headless chickens. Take notes and learn! But why not make your big decisions later? Friends, new and old, may be hit by travel or transport delays. Their computers or phones may act up, which makes your social plans act up. Be aware.
CAPRICORN The Twelfth House
This cycle unfolds two ways. Firstly, Mercury will force you to prioritise a secret plan, or extremely sensitive, confidential issue. It could be anything from a cosmetic surgery procedure, to an affair with a married man. The possibilities are endless! Just because you can’t talk about it, though, doesn’t mean you won’t be doing your homework. For a few weeks, you’ll be gathering as much information as you can, about this rather delicate, hush-hush matter. Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse. Mercury Retrograde means you’re going to hit delays or changes.
This weird end-of-year weather is really about massive opportunities for progress. In 2019 you will see why, as anything which is behind the scenes or hidden gains. It may be counselling for a secret concern you have, or a project where you’re unseen. It may be classified or confidential projects and plans which promise you so much.
If this particular issue would cause serious problems for you, if it was ever made public, then be discreet about your enquiries and your contacts, though, in late 2018. This cycle can also bring a period of hibernation, as you remove yourself from the outside world and turn your attention to your inner world instead. You might take a sabbatical, claim sick leave, check into a spa, or just spend a lot of time sitting in your room with the door locked! You may also be researching a retreat of some kind – a period of time in your life, or a special place, where you hope to find some solitude and privacy. Remember, it takes you past November, December to get things clear.
The Twelfth House rules the time we spend by ourselves, when we discover who we really are, without other people. It describes a private encounter with your own soul. For this reason, you may also be curious about any of the following areas now: dreams, mediumship, tarot, astrology, psychology, hypnosis, psychiatry and so on. Just remember – Mercury Retrograde means it’s all in flux.
You will go backwards and forwards with a secret, sensitive issue now. This may be a private plan that you cannot tell anyone else about – or it may be a rather delicate ‘thing’ about yourself and your life, that is only suitable for your diary. Expect mild chaos in connection with this, or at worst, a result which is a complete waste of your time, energy and effort. The reasons for this confusion and frustration could be as simple as a change of heart (people are unreliable now, and you are too) or as complex as a power cut, or a transport strike, or a worldwide computer virus. The general madness of Mercury Retrograde ricochets around the planet as a whole now. Along the way, it may touch your private plan, or your big secret. Make your plans accordingly!
The reversals, delays, confusion and chaos will also affect your plans to get away by yourself. If you want to organise a spa holiday, a retreat, a sabbatical or any other kind of solo time, then keep your plans flexible, because what is apparently in place now, could change in the next 24 hours. This also applies to anything already in motion – perhaps your solitary holiday or meditation weekend is already under way. When it is travelling backwards, Mercury has a funny way of up-ending things, though. At best, you can waste your precious time, as you go back to the drawing board, or deal with other people’s flaky behaviour. At worst, everything can go wrong. For a simple life, astrologers suggest that you organise your ‘me’ time when Mercury goes direct again. Yet, after a shaky start, 2019 will seriously deliver.
Hi Jessica! Thanks for this, it sounds exciting and chaotic. I’m curious about the effect of Jupiter on my Fortuna, at 14 degrees – (Once we get through the messy bits!) Do you have any tips for me to think about? Happy spring from downunder~!
Fortuna is really about your ability to blindly affect other people – you don’t see what you do, or know what you do – and in turn, you tend to spin them around. In Sagittarius, you do this when you travel, study, teach, publish or use the worldwide web. Jupiter crossing that suggests it works to your advantage and theirs, yet there may be a stuck or ‘flux’ period when it happens. I sometimes see this pattern with lecturers who have no concept of how much they change their students’ lives.
Hi Jessica,
How does being born with Mercury retrograde impact you? Is it easier to deal with Mercury retrogrades? It looks like this cycle will impact my Neptune at 13 Sag and my Bacchus at 28 Scorpio. I love that you used a picture from the beautiful Moraine Lake in Lake Louise Alberta Canada! Yes the water really is that blue,( just go June – October when it isn’t frozen!).
You were born with Mercury Retrograde in Virgo, so whenever you have a transiting or travelling factor (like the Sun or Mercury himself) going over your Mercury, you are moved to put pen to paper, send emails or organise meetings – probably about work, very likely about your health or fitness – but then you change your mind, or get stuck, or hold yourself up in other ways. The Mercury in Sagittarius cycle will certainly affect your wider plans to travel, study, teach, publish or use the web in late 2018 so be aware of that. I’m glad you like the photograph of Canada – my cousins are Canadian!
Wow, Jessica, another great article! I really enjoy the historical context you give as it really clarifies the cyclic nature of astrology and well, life in general.
Looks like I will need to take a closer look at the influence of mercury retrograde and Jupiter as the main focus of my chart is in this area and these degrees.
As you’ve said mercury retrograde often comes up these days in terms of transits and their effects locally and globally. I would assume being born with Mercury retrograde would also be fairly common. So, my question if you have time to consider it is- what does it mean to be born with mercury retrograde?
You were born with Mercury Retrograde in Sagittarius in the Ninth House of travel, study, education, publishing, academia, religion and foreigners. Whenever you have a ‘hit’ on your Mercury you swing into action. A transit across your Mercury will trigger it. This means you swing, but you swing back and forth. Watch what happens when Jupiter goes over your Mercury, for example. There will be an opportunity to teach, study or pack your bags, yet you may find that you reverse your decision, change your mind or make a mistake which means you have to go back and re-do.
Interesting you were in NY after 9/11 when Mercury was in retro. In the aftermath of the towers’ collapse, the air was loaded with toxic metals from debris, which people were forced to breathe, including…mercury.
Hey there, u almost scared me! I have 5 big planets (big ones included) in saggitarius and i was expecting and waiting for jupiter time to start to see some improvements in my career and my finances. Can I give my exam before nov to get good results to get my career on track? What do u suggest? To get my career on track is a big deal for me now, so updating my credentials to break foot in the door entry back to work after a maternity gap!
Also, i was planning a trip to aus to meet my sister after years’ long gap, but i can avoid that till christmas.
Hope you enjoy this upcoming cycle!
Anu
You do have a stellium in Sagittarius in the Ninth House, Anu, and we associate this with people who are students of life, regular students, and also travellers and migrants. You have gone back to the world of exams and you are also thinking about Australia as a destination – so this all fits. You will be thrilled at your Jupiter Return in Sagittarius so you are on track both for education and travel, but you will need to double-check for delays, changes, oversights, reversals across this whole period as Mercury goes back and forth. It is very likely to be extreme weather as Mercury Retrograde coincides with the height of the summer and winter in both hemispheres. There may be other reasons. Have Plan B.
YEah thanks for this positive note, i am considering it as a green signal for my exam before november so that the ground can be prepared for jupiter to provide me with opportunities and breakthroughs, if any in my career! Happy jupiter return to me!
Thanks for ur valuable and priceless insights, Jessica
Anu
Hi Jessica
This was a powerful article for me … but I’m not sure how if all fits together… I have serious issues in my work place to do with communication styles.
Can you see a positive outcome… or a change in the balance of power ?
There will definitely be changes coming but I’m a little afraid of what they will be and how they will effect my career.
Any advice at this time would be wonderful
Thank you so much
S
Your career is Capricorn, which rules your Tenth House. You have Saturn at 18 Capricorn in your Tenth House of professional life, and you are slowly moving towards your Saturn Return here. At the moment you are also experiencing Pluto gradually crossing 18 Capricorn and this can only happen once in your life. In terms of managing this, S, you need to slow down, get the best advice you can afford and be extremely cautious about how you handle the weather on your mountain. This does work out in the end. Jupiter (solutions, opportunities, breakthroughs) goes into Capricorn from the end of 2019 and by 2020 you will have seen so much resolved. For now, though, know that you have ‘transiting Pluto conjunct natal Saturn’ and also your Saturn Return, if you want to read more about it – and turn to tried, tested and trusted advice on the best way forward.
Hi Jessica, Wow, this is an amazing amount of information to absorb and apply to our chart. If we are looking at each House and it is different from our personal chart, how does one interpret, apply and be accurate? I have the following:
First House Aquarius
Second – Capricorn
Third – Sag
Fourth – Scorpio
Fifth – Nil
Sixth – Virgo
Seventh – Mars
Eight – Nil
Ninth – Gemini
Tenth – Nil
Eleventh – Aries
Twelfth – Pisces
In terms of career, independent consulting or fulltime for an employer, can you provide specific advice on how I can handle the last quarter of 2018. Financially, I have to work in 2019 either in a consulting role or diversify to other verticals. How do you see the retrograde climate affecting this with both Venus and Mercury retrograde one after the other. Thanks in advance.
Your personal birth chart, using the Natural House system, has Sagittarius ruling the Ninth House and Scorpio ruling the Eighth House. In your public chart, or Sun Sign chart, as a Capricorn, Sagittarius rules your Twelfth House and Scorpio rules your Eleventh House. The list you’ve provided uses a totally different system so I can’t comment on that. But – in financial terms – Psyche at 10 Scorpio, Neptune at 15 Scorpio, Panacea at 17 Scorpio, Venus at 23 Scorpio are all in your Eighth House of business, economics, banking and the rest. Mercury Retrograde won’t pass those at all, so you won’t be directly affected, but indirectly – yes – given the job you have, you can expect to see the usual start-stop-pause and perhaps reversals we associate with this cycle, affecting clients, colleagues, employers from the very end of October into December.
Hi Jessica,
I have 5 planets in Saggitarius, including Fortuna and Uranus. This should be an interesting combination, maybe?
At the moment my plans are involved moving back to my home country after living abroad for almost a decade. I am planning to move out before Christmas but I have not arranged an exact date yet. But also I would take an opportunity to move to another country if this offer appears next year or so.
Would be great if you could have a look to my birth chart for any insights.
Thank you,
Justina
Justina, you are strongly Sagittarian and want to move or emigrate. You are feeling Jupiter in Sagittarius before he gets there. You want to do this before Christmas. If you absolutely have to choose that timing, make sure you have back-up plans in case you hit reversals or delays. Yet, from Christmas the coast is clear for Mercury. You will be thrilled at wherever you end up in 2019 as you are meant to be there. It’s time to explore.
Hi Jessica,
An amazing article like always. Any advice on the changes that will affect me?
Thank you,
Alina
Alina your North Node is in Cancer in the Fourth House of home, family, home town, homeland, house, apartment. This matters way more than the Sagittarius weather which will not affect you. From November 2019 the North Node in transit (travelling) goes right back to Cancer so you have what is known as a Nodal Return. By 2019 or 2020 at the latest you may find you are taken back to your roots or family tree, or a place where you once lived, roughly 19 years prior. Why? Karma. You have closure and completion to come with a close relative or flatmate or the actual place itself.
Hi Jessica! I’m wondering how Jupiter will affect me when he transits into Sag and conjuncts my north node and sextiles natal Apollo and then conjuncts the Moon?
Jupiter is at 3 Aries trine your Moon at 3 Sagittarius, so transiting Jupiter will come along and make a stunning trine. The North Node is close by at 2 Sagittarius, so part of this trine – and you have Neptune also in this sign in your Ninth House. This is life-changing stuff, for all the right reasons, with a fascinating part of the world at the top of your plans, and your passion for its history, language, culture or people will make 2019 unforgettable. For more look up the Ninth House on Search and see what you’d like to achieve in this zone of your chart in this superb new weather. Just ensure that if you do apply for study, move, travel, launch a blog and so on across November, December there will be hitches.
Hi Jessica – I have my Sun, Mercury, Neptune and AC all at 8,10,11 of Sag. Christmas looks to be a highly charged week for me already. My ex is taking my 8 year old son to Germany (where he’s from) that week and it will be my first Christmas without him which I’m dreading. Usually I fly to the UK from NY (where I’m exiled because of failed marriage) but being without my little boy and still doing a regular family Christmas will be awful. So to cheer me up Ive been planning to fly to Singapore, where I grew up, get my Mum to fly out there too from London, to meet me there, and spend Christmas in a resort in Indonesia that has huge personal resonance to us both, and to spend time with my true love/first boyfriend and his family there that week. This article sends my hopes for this trip into a tailspin however. It would be such an important time and for all things Re: rekindling, revisiting, rehashing, reliving, reviving. Could that be the significance of this Mercury Retro for me personally, and could it be a good thing in that sense? Or would I be wiser to stop trying to be so optimistic about it (classic Sag always trying to turn negatives into positives) and try to reconsider my options for that week altogether? Obviously I get that my whole attempt to travel might be unexpectedly stymied & I understand the whole plan B / travel insurance thing. I just wanted your thoughts on whether it could still be a good thing in this situation when it sits so directly on my Sag stellium. Thanks so much, as always!
Everyone travels at Christmas and I do too – and I am not worried – just taking extra precautions. Read the fine print on travel insurance, check weather conditions on day of departure, make sure the individual transport connections are working on the day and so on. It’s just common sense really, but you’d be amazed at how many people get stuck on Mercury Retrograde in Sagittarius. We do also have that delightful Jupiter in Sagittarius transit at the same time, so what is very likely to happen is that airlines make massive sale reductions and their websites crash! Or – I am sure you can fill in the blanks, just knowing that Jupiter is about opportunity and Sagittarius/Ninth House is about travel. You are strongly Sagittarius and will see it in a very personal way, yet in 2019 there is no more delay or change from Mercury and you really can afford to dream big about moving or taking an important vacation. Have a lovely time in Singapore and Indonesia but bear in mind there may be rescheduling.
Hi Jessica,
Excellent article as usual, thanks so much!
I have Jupiter (05), MC (05), Uranus (06), Neptune (28) and South Node (25) in Sagittarius should I expect Mercury retrograde issues regarding former/future partners or regarding travel, which I have to apply visa in mid- November to travel in late December.
Cheers !
Thank you. The Mercury Retrograde will affect your visa application and travel plans so have Plan B and C and do more checking than you usually would, particularly with extreme weather, the fine print on travel delay or cancellation insurance, government red tape and regulations on Visas and the rest.
Hi Jessica, thanks once again for the detailed context and insights which are always appreciated! Your advice regarding the recent Taurus, Sag weather plus the crazy Mercury movements this fall have been spot on – plans B, C, D and E have all had to be started and then thrown out on short notice. All of my original plans concerning career, travel and work have been completely upended, and it now appears that my employer, one of the largest companies in our industry with a storied 40-year history, will be shuttered and absorbed into an even larger one right in the middle of the early November retrograde. This does not look promising. I am facing a difficult decision to either continue with this combined entity despite many of my projects, friends and colleagues moving on, or to take a good package and move on as well to seek other opportunities. The astrology around this upcoming period seems so complicated, and I have no idea whether this weather favors a conservative route or jumping in the deep end.
Thank you. I am glad the astrology was useful for your planning. Your company is being merged in November and you must choose to go and stay. For questions about work we go to Capricorn factors in your Tenth House, and for finance, to Scorpio factors in your Eighth House. You have nothing in Capricorn, so this is about the ‘good package’ rather than actual career. You have Uranus at 3 Scorpio, Sun at 6 Scorpio, the IC at 29 and North Node at 21. All eyes on your IC (Immum Coeli) at 29 here, because Mercury Retrograde passes there, but so does Jupiter the planet of opportunity. You also have Uranus (the revolution) going across 3 Taurus in 2019, right opposite your own Uranus at 3 Scorpio. Briefly, if you want to take the package, do it before Mercury starts playing tricks right in the closing days of November. Get things in writing and into your account before that. Longer-term, be aware that (stay or go) you will have uncertainty around your finances as Uranus opposes Uranus. What you gain is freedom and independence from whatever/whomever was keeping you trapped in some way. For example, the Uranus-Uranus Opposition often coincides with people taking redundancy and downsizing, so they ditch a credit card and break free of full time work – they strike a radical new bargain with themselves. You will have your own story here, but I do want to emphasize that if you stay or go, you would still have the financial revolution going on. Do look up ‘transiting Uranus opposite natal Uranus’ online as it’s a famous cycle. In the meantime, if you want that package try to expedite it. If you do have to put up with a delay to actual paperwork or delivery read the fine print carefully and maybe get a second opinion if this is going to drag on past Halloween, as my concern is that the helpfulness of Jupiter in Scorpio in your Eighth House vanishes in early November and then in December what you are left with is a rewrite or replay of what was under discussion back in October, but this time without the Jupiter assistance!
Was excited about Oct/Nov and a little Jupiter magic, hoping to round out Oct with answers on love relationship, get my mojo back, then venture into 2019 with the journey of lifetime you mentioned before.. but suddenly biting my nails…with Venus Retrograde, Mercury Retrograde, the nodes changing and everything dancing all over my chart… I’m now wondering if I need to hide out until 2019. Any advice how to navigate all the activity Oct-Dec?
Other info: I have big work presentations in Oct that need to go well. I will also be seeing that back and forth relationship person (Cap/Scorpio) at a work function where I am presenting. The last time Venus was retrograde in Scorpio/Libra in 2010, I severed my difficult relationship with my parents (Virgo & Libra) after I had eye surgery and they got into a ridiculous fight with my then spouse (Scorpio/Libra), which in turn impacted my homeland as I no longer go there. In 2002 during Venus retro, my husband and I moved into a new home. Further back in 1994, I broke up with my first love (Cap). When North Node was in Cancer in 2000-2001, I got engaged shortly before, and late 2000/early 2001 is when I had the first battle with with my parents who did not come to my wedding, and then was married in Feb 2001. And if I have the dates right, it looks like the last time Mercury was retro in Sag/Scorpio was right after my spouse and I separated in 2012 (there was a lot of other intense Scorpio/Taurus weather/eclipses too during that year of separation and eventually divorce) also impacting home/property, etc. Sorry for the length and extensive detail, but cross referencing all these major life events (some good, some traumatic but undoubtedly some of the biggest moments of my life) with impending weather has me feeling a little like I might throw up. Help.
You never need to hide out with astrology, you just have to reframe your diary. To be clear, you have nothing in Scorpio at those degrees affected by Mercury so there will be no direct financial, business, charity or property delays/reversals. There certainly will be muddled economies and markets in the outside world which may affect you by six degrees, from late October through late December. The Mercury Retro in Sagittarius is in your Ninth House of travel, and travel in the mind, and you are strongly Sagittarian. So, yes, you will feel the November arrival of Jupiter with all his high hopes, big promises, huge potential and feelgood factors. You’re on your way to the trip of a lifetime or a fantastic relocation in 2019. Yet, be aware of the very high chance of delays, rescheduling or even a cancellation across November, December. Simple!
Hi Jessica,
I got a bit confused with this one, possibly due to the latter portion and houses.
In your natural system I was born with Mercury in Cancer. I also have Venus, Saturn, Minerva and Cupido there (4th House?). Jupiter is in Pisces.
My other stellium is Sagittarius: Neptune, Diana, Panacea, and North Node. The opposite factors are Aesculapia, South Node and Descendant.
So I’ve got 4th house and 9th house during this Mercury retrograde/shadow period? When Jupiter comes into Sagittarius, this hits my 9th house stellium. Does it also trigger the 12th house where it was when I was born? This is where I’m getting myself confused.
Thank you for clarifying. I do have a move coming before 21 November (which I’ll aim to have done during October before the shadow!!!) and I’m sensing my health will improve after leaving this environment. 12 years of declining health, worsening over the past 4-5 years. I think rest and recuperation until the New Year it is. I do see myself getting better and this forced change is positive. Something about 8 property numbers that aren’t so positive for me. Maybe it’s just the bad karma with this place and geopathic issues?
I don’t have any Scorpio factors. This morning st all be health and home related. Study will be on hold until I move, get settled and unpack/organise the new place. Wherever that will be.
Things will become much better from now on, won’t they? Home/financial stability and good health would be so nice after a few years of the bad stuff.
Your insights are so greatly appreciated.
L.
You are confused because you don’t actually have a personal birth chart from me, to work with. Translating what you say here, you have a stellium in Cancer in your Fourth House and another in Sagittarius in your Ninth House. Jupiter going into Sagittarius benefits everything ruled by your Ninth House including the North Node, which is karmic and will take you back about 19 years to foreign or regional trips/connections, to your benefit – once initial delays, reversals and other ‘re’ issues with Mercury Retrograde are out of the way. Your Cancer factors are also karmically triggered from November as the transiting North Node moves into that sign and your Fourth House. So – you are destined to move. You’re going back, though, around 19 or 20 years with some karmic rewards you earned then, laid in front of you one more time.
I have a lot of planets in Sag.
Saturn
07° Sagittarius 43′ 09″
ASC
10° Sagittarius 42′ 52″
Diana
08° Sagittarius 51′ 38″
Bacchus
09° Sagittarius 24′ 12″
How will this have an impact on me?
Your personal birth chart shows a big Sagittarius stellium in your Ninth House, at the same time that the world in general is having Sagittarius issues across November, December. Thus, your own situation with travel, study, teaching, the web, publishing will be micro-affected by the macro-changes going on out there. What you will probably see is a huge new launch from airlines (perhaps making flights easier, more affordable or airports and customs control less painful than it is now!) That would be one example of Jupiter in Sagittarius. You are strongly Sagittarius so would be welcoming new foreign or regional visitors in, or maybe packing your own bags. Yet – you hit Mercury delays, reversals, retractions (and all the ‘re’ words) across this period. From January, however – it’s game on. This also applies to education or the web. Something is going to shift out there that benefits you but it may have a shaky start so be aware.
Hi Jessica,
Thank you for giving us warning for the Nov-Dec period.
I am another heavily affected with a Sag stellium and possibly changing jobs (and states) in this period. I have applied for a job that includes a bit of travel. Should I be trying to hold off job hunting until 2019?
Hypothetically, if you accepted a job in October but did not start until November, would the ‘birth’ of that job be October or November i.e. commitment date or start date? I have often wondered this when you discuss the birth dates of countries and so forth.
We are under offer for a house sale that does not complete until Dec 2018 and I have just discovered my Gemini husband has 27 Scorpio so neither surprised nor disappointed if it does not happen.
Kindest regards,
Patricia
Patricia, it sounds as if you are doing the Sagittarius thing, which is great, but have Plan B and C in case you are held up or conditions change. Read the fine print carefully as other people may change their minds, or something as basic as extreme weather may hold you up. If you accept a job in October that’s the ‘birth’ of the new job and yes, it will have its own chart. It is usually when it goes in writing – so the letter of appointment. Your husband’s 27 Scorpio patterns will be helped by Jupiter across 27 Scorpio but it is very late in the sign and does just catch Mercury in the late degrees of Scorpio – so once again, have Plan B and C. Double-check things and be more aware than usual of the potential for a waiting game, or an alteration you did not factor in.
Thanks Jessica.
Jessica, going through all the comments above, I m trying to read it for myself that moving back to my home country in2019 would be a better idea for future, do u think as per my chart, i m guessing right? I m so despate to move vack but situation has changed since when i came abroad, i have no career, no finances and have a baby as well to take care of! I m eager to plan a bright future for me and my family as well.
You are in the best place in 12 years to upskill, study, return to higher education or do part-time training. The opportunities roll in November and then it all straightens out from January. That is the key to everything for you. You need further learning or study, perhaps qualifications and even letters after your name. No short cuts. But plenty of opportunities. If you have a baby you can do that from home. You have your Jupiter Return in November so start there. Look up the Ninth House on Search. That’s your first clue.
Hi Jessica! I am curious how this weather will play out for me as a Capricorn with a Sagittarius stellium. You mentioned my 12th house and I do have a secret plan I’m working on. I recently completely changed careers from years in healthcare to an operations manager at a gift boutique store (Saturn in Capricorn I guess). I’d love to buy this store and at this point I’m just in the collecting data stage. The business has been mismanaged and could be a huge success with the right ownership. Any insight on how this weather may effect my future plans? Thank you for your time as always.
You are right about your Saturn in Capricorn cycle and Pluto is there too. The South Node also moves into Capricorn in November 2018 and from the end of 2019, Jupiter goes into Capricorn, dominating 2020 – so your Tenth House of ambition and business is loaded. If you are after a slow but steady result you would be better off as Saturn tends to drop the pace, put obstacles in your way and test you, so that you are truly sure of what you want to do. It is like climbing Mount Everest one step at a time. You have Capricorn factors evenly spaced across the whole sign so this is exactly what it will feel like. Collecting data is part of the climb, yet if you are on the right ‘mountain’ you will begin to succeed from the end of next year with a real peak experience in 2020 itself.
Hi Jessica
Thank you for the very informative article. I realise I have a lot of Sagittarius in my chart and wondering about how this will effect my ambitions. I’m currently living in a foreign country however my visa expires at the end of the year. I have to move onto a different type of visa in order to be able to stay here which is what I want to do. This means I need an employer who will sponsor me to stay on. I’m going to start applying for jobs soon and also speak with my current employer about the possibility. How does my chart look in terms of supporting my ambitions? Kind regards, Aquarius Dreamer
You are strongly Sagittarius and are in the right time and place in 2019 to emigrate, have an extended stay in a foreign country, study or upgrade your skills. From November the future looks a lot brighter in respect of that – even though there may be delays, changes in November, December – you are eventually on track after Christmas and in 2019 one door after another will open. It’s a very good time to learn a second language or become more skilled with it and also to fully embrace a new country/culture generally.
Hello Jessica,
Thank you for this great article. I have 7 planets in Sagittarius and in previous comments you have mentioned big opportunities coming up with my Jupiter return which all sound wonderful and exciting . I have been looking at where/when this might happen and I can’t see anything yet. With Mercury retrograde also in the mix – I’m beginning to wonder if I’ve missed the boat?
Thanks for your advice.
Agnes
You’re too early Agnes. Jupiter does not enter Sagittarius until November 8th/9th depending on your time zone. There will be a mixed start as Mercury is Retrograde but from January 2019 it’s game on.
Hi Jessica
This is all so interesting. I am trying to interpret how my IC at 10 Sagittarius will be impacting me over the dates you mentioned. I remember you saying that the IC is our family roots and where we come from and who we are descended from. My MC at 10 Gemini is opposite conjunct Aesculapia 10 Gemini.
Thank you for all the enlightening information you share with us on your website.
Best wishes.
Hi jessica
Another great read , thank you. I am wondering how this will effect me , i have heavy stelliums in Capricorn and Scorpio with stelliums in virgo, leo and libra.
I am looking for a new job , promotion and have been stuck going back and forth ( Karma) now for several years …. i sense this will change soon but keen to now what dates to avoid and when to push myself forward 2018 or 2019 ? Desperately need my current position to end and to move on. I am also planning on going back to university next year to finish the PHD i started , which again has been stop start for several years but now I feel the time is right ?
The time is absolutely right to finish your PhD and also to take a passionate interest in another region or country (and its locals) which spells so much happiness for you.
Hi Jessica. I have 8 planets in Sagittarius, and I had been so looking forward to Jupiter arriving…now I am scared! I have been feeling stuck and in a weird state of ‘here we go again’ all year, and I can’t tell you the amount of times I have thought, oh 2019 has got to be better. But now I wonder what the end of 2018 has in store for me. The big themes in my life this year are my home and where I live, and wanting to be settled (can a Sag ever feel settled I wonder?) my marriage (to my Gemini husband), and feeling stuck financially. I feel itchy and unsettled in so many areas of my life. Will the New Year finally bring some welcome change? Thank you x
I am not sure why you would be scared. Mercury Retro is just common sense. Volcanoes explode, ash clouds descend and yet – you have your travel insurance so you are fine. Snow halts planes at Heathrow, but you already had Plan B in your handbag so – you are fine. You are asking about things that aren’t really connected at all to this article. Marriage, money, home are huge swathes of your birth chart and nothing to do with Mercury. The issue has actually been children all along. You do not say if you have them, want them, do not want them, can have them, can’t have them – and so on. Yet, this is at the core of the instability in everything. It is over March 2019.
Thanks Jessica. Apologies I incorrectly interpreted the article, it feels like a heavy year with more to come at the end, being so heavily Sag. Thanks for the clarification on the common sense. Yes I have 3 young children. I will continue exploring your website, you’ve been writing all year that this year for me is about the kids but I still can’t quite see in what way. Thanks for your time!
It certainly is about the children, right up until March 2019 when Uranus changes signs. This may also be about other people’s children or youth as a whole, but your own son or daughter is the link.
Eeeeek! I’m very Saggi and will be taking a break from work and travelling nearly all of November and December. I’ll be sure to launch website in 2019. Besides the usual murky retrograde precautions, is there anything else to be aware of? Eeeeeeeeeeek!
It really depends where you’re going. Europe and Britain look like a dead cert for border, visa, passport confusion as Brexit draws closer. Extreme weather – heat – seems very likely across Australasia. Mercury is a trickster though and sometimes the delays or changes to your schedule do not come from where you expect. People can change their minds and that affects you. Or, what you get sold on Air BnB is not what you get. Just read the fine print, extra carefully!
Hi Jessica,
Thank you for a another great article. I just recently discovered your site and from reading the various articles the it feels like the puzzle pieces are finally starting to fit together. Even though my sun sign is Leo, I’ve never truly felt like a real Leo. I always felt more earthy. Could be that I have stelliums in earth signs?
I have been trying a career change. In fact, it seems that I keep trying various things. Mostly to do with the interned. Yet it still does not feel right. I keep feeling I am on the brink of something but I can’t see because of the fog that surrounds me. Any thoughts about my chart would be most appreciated.
Thank you.
You’re far more Capricorn than Leo. Thank you for the compliment by the way. Capricorn is indeed an earth sign. You are trying for a career change with Saturn, the planet of everything that is slow, stuck and serious in your Tenth House of success, status and professional life. Saturn hangs around for most of 2019 and is gone by Christmas 2020. That year, 2020, is much easier as Jupiter, the planet of opportunity, hope, growth, expansion and optimism comes along – also in Capricorn and your Tenth House. You are ambitious for higher status and success and will find it.
Fascinated by your article Jessica. Detailed and accurate as always!
I feel so intrigued by your posts. I can’t help myself and not post!:)
During Saturn’s transit to Sag i was literally locked in my house! I was recovering from my parents’ loss, my job loss (especially in a country like Greece where the unemployment rate is so high), and the end of my relationship. But I met astrology & yoga!! Felt so lucky.. the calm effect was so rewarding.
Astrology helped me set new goals! I lately got an interesting job as a journalist in a tourist newspaper. I am also trying to put an order in all the sectors of my life and remain rational (Sun and Venus in Capricorn) and positive though I feel that the only thing I haven’t overcome yet is my past relationship even though I am trying.
My natal moon is conjunct natal Uranus (maybe that’s why I can’t help myself and post comments) both in sag in 19th degree sextiling Jupiter in Aquarius also in 19th degree. My natal Saturn is in Sag in 5th degree and Juno in 1st degree also sag. What do you think that transiting Rx mercury in Sag may bring in my life??
I am also about to experience a Rx Venus in Scorpio conjunct natal Pluto and south node in Scorpio in 7th degree.
My love & blesses!
Thank you. Your Moon and Uranus in Sagittarius, along with Saturn and Juno, suggest your life with astrology and yoga (both Indian in origin – Sagittarius rules foreign people and their beliefs and culture). You are also a journalist for a tourist newspaper – more classic Sagittarius. Look up the Ninth House when you finish reading this, because that’s where you live. You will adore 2019 despite the shaky start in November, December, when nothing runs on schedule or to plan. Yet, keep the faith, as your job will expand and improve, or you will be offered a superior position along similar lines. You will most certainly have the holiday or a lifetime or even move. It’s more than a change of location – it changes your entire world view.
HI Jessica,
Thanks for this amazing article. Lots of details!
However, I am a little bit confused how to read it, especially the latter part. I am an Aries with Leo ascendent. We are planning to try IVF again this mid Nov. But from what you wrote, for Leo , it seems like a really bad time :( My husband is living overseas and he has to fly more than 20 hours just to come back for one week for the IVF cycle. I was hopeful initially and now I am so worried ! Could you please advise? If not Nov, when will be good time?
Thanks in advance for your advice !
Okay, I.V.F. is ruled by Leo and the Fifth House so I am not sure why you think Scorpio or Sagittarius retrogrades would affect the process of trying to have a child. You have Saturn at 10 Leo in the Fifth House. Saturn is patience and effort – often difficult life lessons about the real world – and a certain amount of acceptance is required. Saturn in Leo in the Fifth House is about your capacity to lead, mentor and guide a younger generation, usually your son or daughter, but sometimes via a children’s charity, a course or class involving young people, nieces and nephews, stepchildren or adopted children too. You also have your Ascendant at 0 Leo, so you will not be surprised to hear that the North Node (karma from previous lives) has been going through Leo, right across Saturn at 10 degrees – and in November it passes your Ascendant. This is the very last time you will have to deal with karma around parenthood for another 19 years. You are right on cue with your chart as you are trying I.V.F. again in the same month that the North Node crosses 0 Leo. All I can to you is that this is past live debt and credit, repayment and reward, with you and your husband and you have been dealing with the issue of fertility, unplanned pregnancy, parenthood and all those complications that come with it, for many lifetimes. It should come as a relief to you, to know that one way or another, you can close the circle in November and complete the karma. From that point on there is no more going round and round. If you are curious about your chart look up Saturn and also the Fifth House, and the North Node too. I wish you the very, very best of luck, no matter how you end up being ‘Queen’ to a younger court.
Hi Jessica,
I cannot tell you enough how much your detailed posts help me in planning life and avoiding drama.
I need to make an important travel trip in December to hometown India. I am expecting a good amount of communication among family members, strong opinions about each others life trajectories, some heated conversations. Would absolutely avoid the Merc Retro time-frame. But still, is there a recommendation you would make like “travel after Dec 7th” or “all important conversations after December 15th” – something like that? I am Sun virgo, moon Gemini, NorthNode Taurus.
Hmm, your Moon in Gemini will possibly be opposed by Mercury Retrograde, although I have no idea, as you don’t say which degree (number) your Moon is and I can’t see a chart. In general, just have Plan B, C, D for your trip. Stupid things like turning off the alarm clock and sleeping in, and then having to race for the plane. It is often the tiny things on this cycle. Just do more checking than usual. Safe trip and bon voyage.
Hello Again,
I feel a bit guilty always commenting but I am a little obsessed trying to get my head around all of this and excited with learning more about myself.
I am new and sometime I get a little swamped with all the info.
My question is, I am sun Libra and have Sagittarius and Scorpio Stelliums as you can see in my chart.
So the above information do I read Libra in the third house. I have nothing in Gemini so how does all this affect me?
It’s probably a silly question and an easy answer I just get lost!
Thanks in advance.
Kane
The website is there for you to explore, Kane, and as a Premium Member your chart always appears when I look at your questions and comments, so it is easy for me to see at a glance what you need to know. Don’t feel guilty! You sound confused about the houses. I use two house systems. Your Sun Sign house horoscope, or Solar Sign horoscope, is based on you being a Sun Libra. This is the public you. It shows what publicly happens to you. So in this chart, Sagittarius does indeed rule your Third House of internet and short-distance travel, commuting and communication. As a Libra person in November, December, you are very publicly going to be affected by delays and reschedules with all these matters. Your car may have go go in for repairs, for example, or your computer. There may be a project or concept you have been working on, or a course, or big idea – where it all goes back and forth. In your personal birth chart which you have as a Premium Member I use the Natural House system which is different. This shows life behind what is obvious or public. You have the Moon, Neptune and other planets in Sagittarius here in your Ninth House. Mercury going retrograde in Sagittarius will privately and personally cross your Ninth which rules foreigners, foreign places, travel, publishing, education and academia and the net. You are going to hit changes, delays or rescheduling here too. So in general, Kane, if you are planning to take a vacation or go home for the holidays November, December have more back-up plans than you would normally bother with and pay more attention to weather conditions, transport strikes and so on, than you would normally. If you are involved in college or university courses, the publication of a book or website, or part-time education you may also want to allow for ‘re’ to go in front of everything – so rescheduling, relaunching, rethinking, retracted statements and so on. You are generally in a good place as Jupiter (opportunities and breakthroughs) is in Sagittarius and in fact will love 2019 for the trips and head trips you take. Yet – the year ends with a shaky or uncertain start, very likely because of extreme weather, which would suit this time of year, no matter which hemisphere you are in. I hope that helps. For more, hit ‘houses’ or ‘natural house system’ or ‘solar sign houses’ on Search.
Hello Jessica, a very interesting article, thank you! I am so happy to have found you, I love how practical and helpful your work is in navegating through life. I am still working on getting a feel for some of the asteroids though, so I would really appreciate hearing your description of Mercury retrograde opposing my Gemini stellium, plus my MC/IC involved. It’s also going to be crossing my husband’s South Node at 7° Sagittarius, if you could also give an indication about that. Merci!
Thank you. You and your husband will certainly be affected by Mercury Retrograde as the year ends. You more so than your husband, if that is the only Sagittarius placement he has. This is likely to be about a project or plan, probably digital (Gemini) and you may find the computer or phone is the issue, or communication with the people concerned. You would gain from seeing this as a dress rehearsal or work in progress and treating it as something which goes through 2 or 3 different stages before launch or completion. If other people are involved and you have no say on timing (and they don’t use astrology, the silly duffers) then you may have to put up with the inevitable muddles, mess or mayhem of Mercury but as you use this website you will have already sneakily set aside Plan B, C and D for such occurrences. Gemini patterns, of which you have a great many, are also about getting from A to B with the bus, taxi, car, short-haul flight, boat and so on. Have a look at that as well. Don’t just assume it’s going to be the way it always is – there may be weather, for example, getting in the way of some plans.
Hi Jessica,
I am a Pisces woman dating a Leo man for the last 2.5yrs. Our biggest hiccup has been agreeing on children. We have gone back and forth and broken up multiple times about this. He does not want any children and I do. It looks like the wrong time for any decisions now. Is November and after better for any long term decision making? What do you mean by karma being done by November? I feel like he and I have this deep soul mate connection but our personalities are very different. I almost wonder sometimes if things were never meant to be. Help?
What do I mean by karma in November? Look up the North Node, Leo, the North Node in Leo and the Fifth House on Search as I’ve written long pieces on this. Your Leo man has unfinished past life business involving fatherhood and it will not finish until November when the North Node in Leo finally changes signs. You are acting too early at the moment according to all the laws of astrology. The wheel has not yet finished turning for him.
Hi Jessica.
Reading the above I have just realised Venus is retrograde on the new moon in October. Not a good time for new business or is it?
I was planning to create my new website then But I am nervous now. I really need to give this the best start.
To create a great website to help others. Are there any dates at all that would be good to get going?
Love & Blessings
Louisa
If you can launch at any time at all you may prefer to wait for Jupiter (good outcomes) to be in Sagittarius (worldwide web publishing) without any interference from Mercury Retrograde in Sagittarius – so right after Christmas Day. You don’t actually have any factors at all in Sagittarius and the Ninth House so it’s not your natural path in life. You are strongly Gemini, though, so communication is your thing. See how you go in 2019 – there may be an aspect of the internet which would normally be part of a larger website – like podcasting or just Twitter – which grabs you more…
Hello Jessica,
Firstly , thank you for replying. It gave meas hope when I could see nothing ahead. I continue to work on my self initiated academic research writing that I will submit to my professors to add to my research funding application. Now, two days ago something happened and I am terrified whether I made a mistake. My computer has been giving intermittent problems but I continue to work using it as its what I have. Sep 30th Oct 1st 2018 I completed phase 1 of my research work. My computer was acting up so I decided to back up all my data. I completed the back up, on my drive and then when I removed it after ejecting the drive, the computer gave the message don’t remove. I put the computer to sleep , after a while when I resumed to use , it was not smooth and I inserted the drive to check for data abut it got hung, Windows explorer got hung. I immediately put the computer to sleep using power button and removed my drive.
Every single work Ive done all my data is in my drive and now I am in a state of extreme worry and terror that my data is fine. its my life’s work. I am not going to use the drive again now. Its scaring me to use it here.
I’ll inform my professors (have yet to get back to them, was on an enforced break for these 2 /3 months because of very necessary home and health issues I am dealing with, overcoming fear. I live on my own. As well, my computer wasn’t working and had to the hardware part replaced. I got it, and now it isn’t smooth again) and work with the funding applications accordingly. I just am so terrified of what I did. Your wonderful detailed essay above on retrograde from Oct – Dec 18 affects computers, tech, MS Word (all my research work , god, 700 pages of my groundwork excluding all my previous essays and applications writings , everything I’ve written) makes me think what has happened here?? I’m just so scared. My computer isn’t working well. I need by backup drive all good. I want to move ahead with all this good. Am terrified, Jessica, hence seeking your say please.
I’m the one here: https://stg.jessicaadams.com/2018/06/12/your-tarot-and-astrology-july-december-2018/#comment-138040
Thank you.
You have anxiety, which is an illness, just like the flu (I am sure you know this) and some people would say, far worse than the flu. This is your body playing tricks on your mind. Please go to YouTube and listen to Dr. Claire Weekes’ videos which are free. She was an Australian doctor who specialised in treating anxiety disorder. Do not be scared. You need two things. Expert help with your computer and communication with your professors. Before that even happens, you need to feel free from anxiety, which is making an issue feel far bigger than it actually is. So start there. Then do the other two. I have drawn the Tarot card 9 of Swords for you, which shows someone who cannot sleep, full of worries and fears created in their imagination. This confirms what I thought. You are keeping yourself awake at night, making yourself extremely anxious, with thoughts and ideas, and worries, which are purely in your head. They are not real. So before you do anything else, find a way to deal with that. If you don’t relate to Dr. Weekes, then try other YouTube (free) techniques as so many people have generously put on mindfulness, meditation, calmness recordings up there. You have plenty of time to have your computer issues sorted out – Mercury Retroshadow does not begin until October 29th.
Hello, I am also about to go ‘live’ with a shopping section on an existing website. Been working on it for ages, already had a lot of back and forth. Have I left it to late? I want to go live sometime on the 15th Oct. Thanks
Your timing is fine, although the actual relationship involved may go back and forth. Mercury himself is not yet Retroshadow and you still have Jupiter there with all his offers and options. It is amazing how late in the story Jupiter can come in, actually.
Hi Jessica,
I hope you do see this message. I have factors in Saggi and I am hoping that Jupiter moving in wil put the spotlight on education and academia and clean it out of all the wrong doings just like the #metoo movement. Is there any hope on that one?
Many thanks Jos.
You are in the right place for improvements with education and academia when Jupiter goes into Sagittarius. It’s not just you. It’s actually bigger than you, because there are whole generations of people born with Uranus in Sagittarius, and Neptune in Sagittarius, and Pluto in Sagittarius – who are all set to experience Jupiter conjunct their outer planet placements. That’s a wave. It’s a big wave. It’s about global knowledge exchange.
Thank you so much. Have been very nervous.
Dear Jessica,
I love your writings abs explanations.
I have many places in my Sagittarius one off them is Jupiter. The last couple of years where heavy for me. Cheating partner, lost loved ones including my young cat last month. And financial hard.
I feel like the need to travel and move. And enjoy more things. I like truly believe that one day it gonna flow more easily.
Now I hope & wonder if the coming Jupiter return will be financialy beter so I can do these things.
My birth date 10-10-1983 17:00
Nijmegen Netherlands
If you have your Jupiter Return and you are based in the Netherlands, the time is almost here to explore Europe or your own region more widely. I am sure you do this anyway as it’s so easy to hop on a train or plane where you live, yet you will benefit hugely from the big changes coming to Europe in 2019, likely a drop in some currencies which makes previously unaffordable vacations highly affordable – and new travel rules. I am sorry you have had so many losses and problems but you will love next year.
Hi Jessica
Fascinating content here. I so thoroughly enjoy your in depth entries. Always looking forward to the next one.
I’m curious to know what you might think about Jupiter in my chart. Natal Jupiter 0 degree 21 Sag Second House
Thanks
☮️
You have Jupiter at 0 Sagittarius in your Ninth House of ‘travel and travel in the mind’, but also rather a lot of factors at 0, 1, 2, 3 which is also important. Your whole life changes from November 2018 as transiting (travelling) Jupiter returns to his original spot in your birth chart, and you seem certain to relocate in an unforgettable vacation, or even move. It will be an education, either because you are absorbing new knowledge or exchanging it with the locals. You also have the Moon in Sagittarius in the Ninth House so Jupiter will land here too in 2019. November sets you up for a departure. The other factors across 0, 1, 2, 3 will be aspected by Uranus (the revolution) so it’s all change for you.