• Dec 3: Full moon, Mercury Retrograde begins
• Dec 18: New Moon (Sagittarius) … Knowledge Gua
• Dec 22: Winter Solstice and last day of Mercury Retrograde
• Dec 23: Winter Mercury turns direct

December 22, the winter solstice, marks the shortest day and the most yin time of the year in the northern hemisphere. It’s also a study in contrast. Winter, our season of deep inner reflection, begins, while summer begins in the southern hemisphere. Our weather is cold, dark and often wet. Simultaneously, it’s also a festive season of joy and light. At the darkest time of the year, holiday cheer fills many spaces.

This year, December 22 also marks the end of Mercury retrograde. It’s a time to pause for a few days and reflect. Thus, a good time to enjoy the holidays with family and friends, or however you like. If things get sidetracked or delayed for you this month, they’ll likely turn around beginning December 26.

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This month Mercury is retrograde from December 3 through December 22. This is an ideal time to slow down and go with the flow. Otherwise, you may find yourself more stressed or frustrated. The harder you push, the harder you’ll have to push to get things to go your way.

Mercury retrograde cycles occur three to four times annually for about three weeks at a time. During this period the planet Mercury, which rules communications, appears to back up and retrace its path. Patterns show us that more misunderstandings and mis-communications, including electronic breakdowns, occur during these cycles.

This is a month to allow extra time in your schedule. It’s also wise to delay signing contracts and purchasing electronics. December 26th and later would be much better. You’ll also receive after-Christmas sale prices. If you can’t wait, build in some protection of the potential downside with contracts and make sure that you can return products. Check warranties just in case something doesn’t work the way you expect.

The Mercury Retrograde cycles for 2018 are:

• Mar 22 – Apr 15, 2018
• Jul 26 – Aug 18, 2018
• Nov 16 – Dec 6, 2018

The holidays are a wonderful time to enliven your home. Fresh wreaths, greens, poinsettias, a Christmas tree and more bring life, color and scent to your spaces. These help to raise the chi of your home.

Many people bring out treasured heirlooms and add favorite seasonal decorations. If you haven’t used something for many years and you no longer feel an attachment, perhaps it’s time to move it along. You can give it to someone else, donate it or sell it. If you have items that are broken or worn, repair or refresh them.

As you prepare, I recommend that you tuck away some of your year-round items. This minimizes clutter and overcrowding. For every piece that you add, temporarily remove at least one other object. Place them in your holiday storage boxes so that they can be reconsidered at the end of the season.

This is a great month to thin things out and prepare for the coming year. Remove excess paper from file cabinets, desktops, and piles that may be sitting idle. Also, review and delete excess email, text messages, voicemail. Digital clutter accumulates quickly. It’s inexpensive to store and is soon forgotten. Remove or repair things that are broken or need attention.

Look at things that have been sitting around for a while. Such items have lower chi. After 30 days in a space, it’s easy to overlook or ignore stuff. You no longer see it, yet someone new to the space is more likely to notice it.

Keep things that you love and/or use. Put your energy into them and maintain them. Let go of items that no longer fit your business or life. This creates more space for new business, solutions, ideas, customers, opportunities and more to easily come to you.