This week, the cosmos usher us into 2023 with a tumultuous start. Mercury turns retrograde on the last day of 2022 under Capricorn in the 4th House of Home & Family. As the small nearby planet starts moving backward, its path ends up behind the Sun, opposing a full Moon under Cancer.
Indeed, this celestial alignment is bound to bring significant emotional and communicative shake-ups. It will be critical not to let the small things get to you while the universe unleashes its chaotic, messy energy. Keep a level head—and an open one, too.
How will your sign fare in the first week of the new year?
Choose Your Sign
Part of what’s been so frustrating about this lack of motivation is not understanding why. You’re typically capable of putting aside your emotions and objectively viewing the task at hand. But recently, this hasn’t been the case.
The full Moon offers some much-needed clarity midweek. Pay attention to your surroundings, but, more importantly, keep a close eye on your physical and emotional reactions. Our subconscious minds can get painfully obvious with their hints if we learn how to identify their signals.
Sometimes things go wrong so that we can better appreciate how they can go right. Trial and error is an incredibly effective—albeit not the most efficient—way of choosing the correct path. Don’t be afraid to start over. You aren’t in a race, Taurus.
While this is certainly a more tedious approach, since when are you one to shy away from a bit of hard work? Your future self will be grateful that you took this time to weigh all your options carefully and thoroughly.
According to the stars, all signs are pointing toward introspection this week. As tempting as it might be to jump at the opportunity to help others with their issues, there are more pressing matters to attend to in your own backyard.
Despite what your people-pleasing persona might say about it, this isn’t rude. On the contrary, this type of self-maintenance is necessary so that you can help others in the future. And you can always explain your absence; you don’t have to ghost anyone.
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As cliche as it might seem to look toward self-improvement goals in the new year, this type of metamorphosis seems to be written in the stars for you. A midweek revelation will offer insight into what in your life is no longer serving you.
Then, as your ruling body, the Moon enters under your sign, your emotional intuition will be at its height this weekend. Use this elevated sensitivity to your advantage. There is significant prosperity waiting for you on the horizon, Cancer.
You hate appearing flustered in front of other people, which makes unexpected mishaps all the more difficult for you to handle. The added stress of outward appearances only exacerbates the issues, and you’re stuck with a worse problem than the initial one.
The stars encourage you to practice removing your ego from the situation. Sure, things didn’t go the way you planned. But now you have an opportunity to stretch your creative, problem-solving muscles. Show the universe what you’ve got, Leo.
As your ruling planet goes into retrograde early this week, you’d be wise to avoid making any major decisions. While you might think you have all the necessary information, our minds can often play tricks on us by showing us things that aren’t there.
If something is worth pursuing, then a little extra time away from it won’t hurt anything. In the meantime, you can review your plans, recalibrate with your values, and rest up for your future efforts. The stars are urging you to walk, not sprint.
While it’s true that challenge is an inevitability of life, there is a fine line between something that’s educational and something that’s detrimental. Pay close attention to how this situation or person makes you feel. If it’s anything close to unsafe, then is it worth it?
This doesn’t have to look like an immediate physical danger. It can also mean emotional toxicity or mental instability. As admirable as your bleeding heart might be, you mustn’t let it blind you to reality or cause you to act in naivete.
You are nothing if not self-sufficient, and when push comes to shove, you usually find a way to come out on top—even at the expense of others. This is certainly a useful skill in some scenarios, but not all. And the stars suggest this situation is a part of the latter.
The apprehension you’re feeling towards your emotional side isn’t a sign that you’re making a mistake. Rather, it’s a manifestation of your fear of vulnerability. The prosperity that awaits you will be well worth this temporary discomfort, Scorpio.
As important as professional success may be, don’t forget about the interpersonal relationships in your life. Is the struggle to get to the top really going to be worth it if you’re alone once you’re there? Don’t discredit the importance of these bonds, Sag.
Indeed, every life was born from some semblance of community. You can be both prosperous and kind, productive and patient. It might take a little bit of practice. But since when do you back down from the chance to be good at something?
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Mercury retrograde can be particularly tumultuous for you, a meticulous over-planner. But despite your best efforts, you won’t be able to control the whims of the universe. Sorry, Cap. Instead, you’d be wise to try and roll with the punches as best you can.
Keep close records of your transactions, hold off on making any major decisions, and leave a little wiggle room in your relationships for miscommunications. If you anticipate its arrival, you have a better chance of nipping it in the bud quickly.
New year, new you, right? As an inventive trailblazer, you are no stranger to the occasional reinvention. And now, the universe is offering an opportunity for yet another metamorphosis. It’s your responsibility to make sure you’re ready for it.
You can prepare yourself by letting go of the burdens, doubts, and regrets that are holding you back. There’s no going back, only forward—so, ruminating on what once was is a moot point. Focus on the present while keeping one eye on the horizon.
This new information might not align with your values, but that’s a good thing in the long run. It would have been worse if you bore witness to these revelations and didn’t notice the cognitive dissonance at all. Still, it’s never easy when we realize something or someone wasn’t what we thought.
As an incredibly sensitive individual, it can be difficult to let these falsehoods go. The idea of clinging to our preconceptions seems more comforting. Rest assured, Pisces: that’s just another illusion.