Forward Motion: Jupiter and Mercury Direct

On Dec. 30th, Jupiter stationed direct, and the following day, Mercury, too, halted its backward motion to once again speed onward. 

When planets are retrograde, we can personally feel a sense of slowing, reversal, or turning inward. Our endeavors can feel like an upward trudge through mud, with marginal progress and much backsliding.

When planets station direct, they herald progress. With Mercury—planet of thought, communication, & travel—forward motion brings clarity to our thinking; our communications arrive at their intended destination and are received and understood; we feel a freedom of movement. With Jupiter—the planet of luck, abundance, optimism, & wisdom—forward motion brings a sense of hope and serendipity that allows our endeavors, previously foiled, to come to fruition. 

But these beneficial outcomes aren’t immediate. Planets transitioning from retrograde to direct motion appear to hang in the sky, their pause marking a lull before the energetic shift. In the early days of direct motion, a planet seems sluggish, gradually picking up speed. So in the first week of 2024, despite these planets’ newly direct motion, your efforts may still have felt stymied. 

But Mercury and Jupiter have been picking up speed. Today, Mercury enters Capricorn, making a beneficial sign-based trine to Jupiter in Taurus. They will be exactly trine on January 19th and, shortly after on the 21st, Mercury will clear its retrograde shadow, and then on Jan 23rd, Venus will join the party in Capricorn. While Mars is also in Capricorn, it is making a supportive sextile to Saturn in Pisces and also a supportive trine to Jupiter and Uranus in Taurus.

What this means is that from now through about February 13th, the astrology is very supportive of forward motion, accomplishment, harmony, and victory. On a personal level, note how this feels in your body. Do you feel like you’re finally alert, like shaking off the languor of a long sleep? If there is something you want to accomplish, the next 4 weeks are the prime time to do it.

How do you feel called to direct this forward motion?