Mercury in Capricorn: the Weight of Words

Mercury’s post-shadow phase: Transformative Insights and Revelations

Mercury, the planet associated with the rational mind, inductive learning, short-term travel, and commerce, goes retrograde three to four times every year, and its apparent backward motion lasts approximately three weeks. In Astrology, Mercury has to do with language, with our ability to articulate and verbalize what is going on in our heads in a way that is understandable to others, and with our capacity to listen to and understand what others are communicating to us. 

Mercury was in retrograde motion from December 13 to January 1, and this retrograde period began when Mercury reached 8°29′ of Capricorn. Until Mercury hits 8°29` Capricorn again, we are still experiencing the aftermath of the retrograde, navigating a time technically known as the post-shadow phase. The post-shadow phase is all about the integration of the insights we gained during the retrograde, an opportunity to make adjustments in our lives that reflect the way our perspectives and perceptions changed.

Mercury is now traveling for the third time in the early degrees of Capricorn, the degrees it went over before and during the retrograde. As the retrograde period is now over, we have opportunities for a better understanding of what took place during the retrograde and chances to clear any misunderstandings that happened.

The post-shadow phase of the recent Mercury retrograde cycle lasts until January 20, a particularly potent date this year. On January 20, both the Sun and Pluto enter Aquarius, bringing an intense energetic shift that invites us to quantum leap toward the future. The invitation for us, at this time, is to embody the evolved version of ourselves. Around this date, there is a higher likelihood of experiencing revelations, breakthroughs, and turning points that accelerate our evolution. The visions and ideas that emerge have the potential to transform our lives in unexpected and unimaginable ways.

Mercury in aspect to Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, and Chiron

During its journey through Capricorn, Mercury is going to align with Saturn and Neptune in Pisces, Mars in Capricorn, Jupiter and Uranus in Taurus, Chiron in Aries, the Lunar Nodes in Aries and Libra.

On January 18 Mercury forms a sextile with Saturn in Pisces, the planet that rules Capricorn. Mercury and Saturn already aligned twice, on December 1 and December 21. This alignment invites us to question how we bring our visions down to earth and explore new approaches when it comes to the manifestation of our ideas into form. The Mercury-Saturn sextile supports all pursuits that require organization and strategy and inspires us to keep our word and match what we say with what we do. 

Mercury trines Jupiter in Taurus for the third time on January 19. Mercury and Jupiter already aligned on December 8 and December 18. The Mercury-Jupiter trines have been inspiring us to broaden our mental horizons, invest in our learning journeys, and challenge our beliefs and assumptions. This last alignment between the two planets will increase our intellectual inspiration and is likely to facilitate breakthroughs and a new understanding of what we have been learning and studying.

On January 26, Mercury squares Chiron in Aries, and on January 27, Mercury crosses Mars in Capricorn: these days, we are going to experience a Mercury-Mars conjunction square Chiron. This configuration brings our attention to challenges with self-assertion and communication and offers us opportunities to observe how we tend to affirm our opinions, ideas, and desires. While our minds and our speech will be energized, we will have opportunities to practice communicating both assertively and tactfully. We will be able to work on insecurities that impact our ability to share our thoughts with confidence and clarity and affect our capacity to trust and assert our desires.

Mercury in aspect to Uranus, the Lunar Nodes and Neptune

On January 28, Mercury perfects a square to the Nodes of the Moon and a trine to Uranus in Taurus, while still conjunct with Mars and square Chiron. Mercury’s square to the Lunar Nodes highlights karmic and developmental blocks connected with experiences of feeling silenced that impacted our ability to speak up for ourselves. Opportunities to heal and chances to deepen our awareness will be available: the activation of Uranus, supporting our objectivity and movement toward the future, increases the chances for breakthroughs and aids our liberation from the chains of the past.

On February 2, Mercury forms a sextile with Neptune in Pisces. This alignment inspires us to blend linear and non-linear communication channels, facilitates poetic and artistic expression, and supports our ability to convey our feelings and ideas in abstract ways. The Mercury-Neptune sextile reminds us of the value of communicating with kindness, increases our capacity to be empathetic toward others, and helps us see the world through their eyes.

Mercury in Capricorn: the Weight of Words

Mercury’s transit through Capricorn is an opportunity to continue the mental restructuring process that began with the retrograde and to deepen our ability to be mentally disciplined. This combination of energies favors our efforts to gain mastery over our thinking patterns and inspires us to develop a new and more empowering relationship with the voice of our inner critic or inner judge.

Mercury in Capricorn also reminds us that words have power, words have weight, words have an impact: this transit invites us to be responsible for the words we choose, for the tone of voice we use, for how we deliver our message, and also for the words we don’t say.

These days are also a powerful time to reflect on our relationship to silence and observe when we feel drawn to silence ourselves, when we feel drawn to self-censor, and when, on the contrary, we speak too much, we speak unnecessarily, we speak without intention or awareness. Mercury’s recent retrograde through Capricorn and Sagittarius offered us opportunities to reflect on our communication habits, on our beliefs, and on our thinking patterns, and we now have chances to practice what we learned in the past weeks and make changes aligned with the insights we gained.

Crystal Pick for Mercury enters Capricorn: Blue Onyx

Onyx is a Capricornian stone of grounding and strength, and in blue, it brings those qualities to the throat and mind, aiding in clear, grounded communication, and helping to align your words with your deeds. This makes it the perfect stone for harnessing this Mercury in Capricorn energy, to bring order to chaotic or confused thinking, and integrity to your words.

A soothing crystal to usher in calm, peace and patience to your communication during this transit, blue onyx helps ground and secure the throat chakra so you can express yourself with ease, confidence, and clarity. It connects to both the Earth and the ethers, helping you connect with cosmic wisdom and bring it down into your body where it can be expressed and acted upon.

Blue onyx can help you overcome past struggles and difficulties and move out of victim mentality into self-responsibility. It helps you process through old pain and retain the lessons learned from it, while at the same time opening yourself to a new way of being. Use it to help you in moving on from the past and making wise choices for your future as you’re thinking about your long-term goals and the legacy you’ll leave behind during this transit.

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