Mercury Enters Capricorn: Wisdom Prevails

On December 31, Mercury leaves the hotheaded energy of Sagittarius and moves into the cardinal earth terrain of Capricorn until January 19. Mercury will no longer be in a “mutual reception” (swapped signs) dialogue with Jupiter in Gemini, taking some of the pressure off communication. We’ve learned important lessons around the destructive energy of duplicity, backbiting and gossip, and are less likely to shoot our mouths off without thinking first.

Although the switch of quicksilver Mercury into the sign of the wise elder may at first feel a bit stodgy, if we work with it we’ll see the tremendous value of applying more caution to our thoughts and words. We’re in a time of contraction after the strong Jupiter influence of expansion. Instead of aiming to shoot between the eyes with our words, we’re thinking about long-term repercussions, and we’re more likely to pause and reflect before speaking in order to consider questions like, “Do these words build on my sense of integrity, or am I just reacting?”

Mercury in Capricorn is also an excellent time to apply ourselves mentally to our work, worldly ambition and practical concerns. We have the patience now to be excellent problem solvers and are more likely to apply a more pragmatic mindset to all correspondence. The restrained energy of Saturn makes it easier to focus, but we may also find ourselves in a more constricted mindset altogether following Jupiter’s sky’s-the-limit expansiveness. Pessimism and even cynicism are potential byproducts of Saturn’s influence, so we may have to work harder to retain our optimism.

Mercury in Capricorn asks, “Is this a practical use of my mental energy?” If yes, then you have the hardworking and steady backing of Saturn. Mercury in Capricorn will next ask you, “Is this a good use of my time? If not, Saturn will encourage you to do something about it. Mercury in Capricorn cannot stand waste. Less is more right now, so limiting the amount of chatter, gab and gossip is also preferred. You may find people cutting down time spent on notorious time-wasting activities that interfere with productivity. Putting some kind of timer on your desk is an excellent way to gauge how many minutes are lost to pointless distractions. The gift of Mercury in Capricorn is the wisdom of living in the present.