The Planets This Week – 11/18

A good week for a couple reasons.

First, Friday, Sagittarius season begins when the sun transits there at 9:30 AM EST. Happy Solar Return to Sag! The sun will be lighting up people born in early fire and mutable signs through this month.

Second, this is it. This is the week.

Mercury finally goes direct and won’t be retrograde again this calendar year!

WOO-HOO!!!!!

This was a tough Mercury retrograde year! First, we had Mercury in triple-debilitation in Pisces conjuncting Pisces’ ruler, Neptune. So not only was communication muddy, blindsiding happened more to people affected. Then, we had Mercury start its retrograde in Leo, but go back into Cancer, making 2-3 conjunctions to debilitated Mars – very aggressive energy for those affected. Finally, this stinker of a retrograde aspected Scorpio’s ruler, Pluto, who loves endings and exposing hard truths.

It aspected Saturn and Neptune last week, creating some illusion and restriction around communication for those affected (mainly, people who were born in the middle of Cardinal and Fixed signs and who have planets there felt it the most).

Mercury is never happy in water signs. It’s great for imaginative communication and creative storytelling in a natal chart (or in Scorpio’s case, investigative writing and research), but in transits? It causes emotional misunderstandings, a lack of clarity, and some nasty surprises.

I’m seriously glad retrograde is over. However, we’re going through it again next year; Mercury will, again, be retrograde in water signs, adding to the major conjunctions and the Venusian and Martian retrogrades both happening next year.

Also, Scorpio season is sort of over this week. The sun moves into Sagittarius on Friday, but on Tuesday, Mars will move into Scorpio. Both Mercury and Mars will be in Scorpio until Mercury enters Sagittarius December 9. Mars will be in Scorpio for the rest of the year, entering Sagittarius January 3.

This week, Mars’ transition will impact people born in the first few days of Scorpio, Aquarius, Taurus, and Leo (or have planets in the first few degrees of those signs), giving them some powerful energy. For those in Scorpio, it will be harmonious, and will give you an extra boost for a project or some household chores. For other fixed signs, you can find yourself with some unfocused energy that needs an outlet this week!

That’s it for the planets this week. Stay tuned next week for Neptune going direct and the new moon in Sag!