On the surface, there is confusion, but underneath a variety of important shifts are in process. This week the Moon waxes its way between eclipses while a retrograde Mercury acts as our dishonest guide through this confusingly liminal period. Venus’ mid-week conjunction to Pluto in Capricorn adds more mystery to mood, bringing people into contact with repressed emotions and forgotten feelings.  While the middle of the week may be darkened by Venus’ conjunction with Pluto, the weekend holds both irritations a seed of clarity.  The Sun and then a retrograde Mercury square Mars in Virgo, sparking frictions, while the conjunction of retrograde a Mercury and the Sun on Saturday, provides some insight.

Seasons In The Abyss

This week is solidly sandwiched between eclipses.   Eclipses, as their natural symbolism suggests, are about darkness.  Darkness is what we cannot see, especially those parts of ourselves which are obscure to us.  The eclipses and the weeks they bookend act as doorways between light and darkness, conscious and unconscious, being and non-being- a door swings both ways.

Through that door what is dark can emerge into the daylight world, unconscious material erupting into consciousness, order coagulating from chaos.  Yet what is light can also slide into darkness, pieces of our intentionally structured universe dissolving and disintegrating.

The eclipses open up this exchange between the waking world and the chaotic soup from which it springs and into which it dissolves.  Thus the week has a shroud of mystery laid over, deep changes squirming beneath the blanket like anonymous lovers.

Crooked Paths

Mercury is and will remain retrograde until well after the next eclipse.  Retrograde, the messenger as psychopomp lends more emphasis on what is normally hidden, what can only be accessed via backward pathways.  This emphasis on the exploring what is usually beneath the periphery of consciousness is enhanced further, as Mercury is currently retrograding in Sagittarius, the very sign in which last week’s eclipse occurred.

Ladies’ Night In The Underworld

  Venus, now in Capricorn, also contributes to this focus on half-conscious churnings.  She spends the early week moving toward her Thursday conjunction with Pluto in Capricorn, pulling the emotional energy toward what is deeply felt but poorly understood.  It is easy to access into deep feelings at this point, though you may find more than you bargained for.

Forge Fire

As if there was not enough emphasis on what’s going on beneath the surface, Mars is digging slowly an underworld of his own in preparation for his Winter 2012 retrograde.  Like rich veins of magma, raw martial energy comes to the surface, unexpectedly heating some situations.  It is important to recognize and take steps to compensate for this orney influence, lest relationships suffer as a result.

Clarity, Friction

The Sun in Sagittarius squares Mars in Virgo on Friday, lending the surrounding days a heightened tendency toward frustration and irritability.  Yet Saturday sees a retrograde Mercury conjoin the Sun in Sagittarius.  This short kazimi lends Saturday night a depth and clarity about the confusions this Mercury retrograde has entailed.  We take a step toward clarity here, though it will take another eclipse and Mercury’s direct station on Dec. 13^th to set things straight.  The messenger continues onward after his conjunction with the Sun into a nasty square with Mars in Virgo on Sunday.  With a flammable Aries Moon looking on, it’s a recipe for short tempers, technological problems and miscommunications aplenty.

In The Mouth, Out The…

This week’s challenging configurations catch us in the midst of half understood changes.  The theme here, emphasized on several different levels, is the emergence of confusing thoughts and feelings.  It is especially important that we attempt to gain insight into what what’s going on before pushing forward with situations.  Give important decisions a little time, as the entire picture will not be visible until the lunar eclipse on Dec. 9^th and Mercury’s direct station on the 13^th.

Horoscopes

Horoscopes are not a real chart reading by an experienced astrologer. However, they are fun and can be reasonably accurate. In addition to referring to your Sun sign, read your from Ascendant and Moon if you know them. If you don’t, find out. I’m a long time fan of the free chart generation software at astro.com.

Oh, and if you’re still concerned that your sign has changed, get a little clarity here.

Aries: The Ram

Venus’ conjunction with Pluto in Capricorn this week sensitizes your feelings towards your professional situation.  Don’t kill your boss, even if they deserve it.  Meanwhile, the Sun and Mercury’s square to Mars in Virgo over the weekend highlights both fiscal and physical problems, possibly interfering with travel plans.  Yet amidst the annoyances, a retrograde Mercury’s conjunction with the Sun on Saturday night helps clarify what direction to take things in.

Taurus: The Bull

Venus’ conjunction with Pluto in Capricorn this week highlights your feelings about what direction you’re taking your life.   Meanwhile, the Sun and Mercury’s square to Mars in Virgo over the weekend highlights irritations surrounding your love life and potential partnerships.   Fortunately, a retrograde Mercury’s conjunction with the Sun on Saturday night helps clarify what direction to head in terms of partnerships.

Gemini: The Twins

Venus’ conjunction with Pluto in Capricorn this week highlights the exchanges of time, money and energy between yourself and others.  Meanwhile, the Sun and Mercury’s square to Mars in Virgo over the weekend highlights frustrations surrounding your living situation.  Yet a retrograde Mercury’s conjunction with the Sun on Saturday night helps clarify some misunderstandings within your relationships.

Cancer: The Crab

Venus’ conjunction with Pluto in Capricorn this week highlights your significant relationships.  You may find yourself involved in rather volcanic eruptions of emotional material mid-week.  Have the patience to understand your feelings as well as that of others.  Later, the Sun and Mercury’s squares to Mars in Virgo over the weekend highlight frustrations with travel plans, technology and humans.  A difficult weekend to execute delicately arranged masterplans.  Fortunately, a retrograde Mercury’s conjunction with the Sun on Saturday night helps clarify what work to focus on, and how to solve some of the small issues confronting you.

Leo: The Lion

Venus’ conjunction with Pluto in Capricorn this week highlights issues with your fiscal and physical health.  By all means address what needs attention, but don’t let the difficulties obsess you. Meanwhile, the Sun and Mercury’s square to Mars in Virgo over the weekend highlights fiscal irritations.  Retrograde Mercury’s conjunction with the Sun on Saturday night is helpful, lending some clarify what, exactly, to devote your energy to.

Virgo: The Virgin

Venus’ conjunction with Pluto in Capricorn this week sensitizes your feelings to what you’ve been investing your time and energy in.  The Sun and Mercury’s square to Mars in Virgo over the weekend, likely triggering an eruption of Virgo-rage or two.  Take a step back and a deep breath.  A retrograde Mercury conjoins the Sun on Saturday night, helping to bring some clarity to confusion surrounding living situations and/or relations with family members.

Libra: The Scales

Venus’ conjunction with Pluto in Capricorn this week highlights your feelings about your living situation, as well as emphasizing relationships with those you share it with.   Later, the Sun and Mercury’s square to Mars in Virgo over the weekend highlighting irritations with friends, peers, contacts and others within your social network.  Yet amidst the irritations, a retrograde Mercury’s conjoins the Sun, lending clarity as to what course to take with problematic contacts.

Scorpio: The Scorpion

Venus’ conjunction with Pluto in Capricorn this week highlights your feelings toward siblings and those you have a sibling-like relationship with.  Later, the Sun and Mercury’s weekend squares to Mars in Virgo highlight irritations with social contacts and fiscal arrangements.   Yet a retrograde Mercury’s conjunction with the Sun on Saturday night helps clarify monetary issues which have been become rather muddled.

Sagittarius: The Archer

Venus’ conjunction with Pluto in Capricorn this week highlights your financial situation this week.  There may some issues to address- if so, don’t let it take your emotions for a ride.  There is a tendency to over-react to financial events here.  The Sun and Mercury’s square to Mars in Virgo over the weekend highlights both personal and professional irritations.  A retrograde Mercury’s conjunction with the Sun on Saturday night helps clarify issues about who, exactly, you’re becoming.  The question is what, or who, you’ll have to let go of in order to become that.

Capricorn: The Goat

Venus’ conjunction with Pluto in Capricorn this week energizes your passions, many of which may not be pleasant.  However, the feelings that surface at this point can be transmuted into a passion for transformation and creativity, a molten flow you can use to heat your forge.  Later, the Sun and Mercury’s square to Mars in Virgo over the weekend highlights confusion about what direction to go with things, as well as what direction to go with yourself.  Yet a retrograde Mercury’s conjunction with the Sun on Saturday night helps clarify some of the stirrings in the back of your brain.

Aquarius: The Water Bearer

Venus’ conjunction with Pluto in Capricorn this week highlights a number of forgotten feelings, triggering some neglected passions. The Sun and Mercury’s square to Mars in Virgo over the weekend highlights irritations surrounding your social circle and the time and resources shared between them.   Amidst the irritation, though, a retrograde Mercury’s conjoins the Sun on Saturday night, helping to clarify relations with friends, peers and contacts- those in your circle.

Pisces: The Fish

Venus’ conjunction with Pluto in Capricorn this week highlights relationships with those in your larger social circles and networks.  You may discover that you’ve been neglecting valuable contacts. Later, the Sun and Mercury’s square to Mars in Virgo over the weekend highlights professional frustrations and tests your close relationships with irritations.  Yet amidst the annoyance, a retrograde Mercury conjoins the Sun, helping to clarify the proper course to take in professional matters as well as in personal relationships.