First I’d like to wish everyone a happy New Year! 2022 is certainly going to be interesting. In this three-part series on what’s going on astrologically over the year ahead, I’ll be looking at the major planetary influences. First up in part 1 will be a detailed outline of the three Mercury retrogrades of 2022, with all relevant dates for your diary. Then there’s a section on the Moon’s North Node moving into Taurus. In part 2, there’s the Jupiter conjunct Neptune transit in Pisces and Jupiter into Aries and then in part 3, we have the Mars retrograde in Gemini and finally our series of eclipses in 2022 in Taurus and Scorpio.
Our Three Mercury Retrogrades
There are three Mercury retrogrades throughout 2022 (well, the final one won’t begin until the 28th of December, therefore it’s technically a 2023 retrograde as we will only see 3 or 4 days of this in 2022).
Mercury symbolises many things for us, therefore there can be a wide variety of goings-on during the Mercury retrograde or other transits to our natal Mercury. Some of the main things Mercury symbolises are our communications and our technologies, therefore communications through technological media are especially highlighted during these times. This includes software, phones, emails and the internet. Mercury also symbolises our mindset, our thoughts and our neurological health. He can also symbolise cars, roads and other forms of local or public transport. With these in mind, it is often apparent that during the Mercury retrogrades, things relating to Mercury become kind of super-charged such that they may glitch, fail to work smoothly or become a little haywire. This can lead to miscommunications, system breakdowns and general delays, to name just a few things.
As well as the Mercury retrograde periods, which tend to last around 3 weeks, each one has both a pre-shadow period and a post-shadow period. During these times before and after the retrograde, there may be some evidence of occurrences popping up that are similar to those during the retrograde, yet not necessarily quite as disruptive (as yet). You can look below to see the dates of all the Mercury retrogrades of 2022, including their pre- and post-shadow period dates here, to add to your diary.
First Mercury Retrograde of 2022
Pre-shadow Period
29th December 2021 (from 24° Capricorn) -14th January 2022 (to 10° Aquarius)
Retrograde Period
14th January 2022 (from 10° Aquarius) - 3rd February 2022 (to 24° Capricorn)
Post-shadow Period
3rd February 2022 (from 24° Capricorn) - 24th February 2022 (to 10° Aquarius)
Second Mercury Retrograde of 2022
Pre-shadow Period
26th April 2022 (from 26° Taurus) -10th of May 2022 (to 5° Gemini)
Retrograde Period
10th of May 2022 (from 5° Gemini) - 3rd of June 2022 (to 26° Taurus)
Post-shadow Period
3rd of June 2022 (from 26° Taurus) -19th June 2022 (to 5° Gemini)
Third Mercury Retrograde of 2022
Pre-shadow Period
21st of August 2022 (from 24° Virgo) - 10th of September 2022 (to 9° Libra)
Retrograde Period
10th of September 2022 (from 9° Libra) - 2nd of October 2022 (to 24° Virgo)
Post-shadow Period
2nd of October 2022 (from 24° Virgo) - 17th of October 2022 (to 9° Libra)
The Moon's Nodes Moving Through Scorpio and Taurus
The Moon’s North Node will enter into the sign of Taurus on the 18th of January 2022, after spending around 1 year and 18 months in the sign of Gemini. During that time, while it has been in Gemini since May 2020, humanity will have been called upon to improve on and work towards all that is the glue that keeps society together during times of crisis. Some of these things are communication and organisation of our local public services, which are also significations under the sign of Gemini. Many times, we have been forced to give up on some of our personal freedoms whilst working towards achieving this, which could well have been a manifestation of the South Node opposite in the sign of Sagittarius. In doing this, we have learned to slow down and appreciate the true value in more meaningful connections with one another, whilst healing some of our resistance and fears of being confined or restricted.
Now with the North Node moving into Taurus in 2022 and the South Node moving into Scorpio, the first thing that stands out to me about this is the fact that Taurus is the Moon’s sign of exaltation while Scorpio is the Moon’s fall sign. Already we will have signs that humanity will be urged forwards in working towards those things the sign of Taurus can indicate, such as stability and structure within our relationships, with valued simplicity in our connections and strong boundaries. Peace and comfort will be prioritised over intensity, thrill and cataclysmic change when we are geared towards seeking value within our dealings with others and we will be called into leaning into the patient side of ourselves instead of that side that desires immediate results.
The North Node will stay in Taurus until it moves into Aries on the 17th of July, 2023.
Esotel talented team of Astrologers are online to answer your questions and give you detailed, honest readings to help you find the answers that you are looking for.
For a detailed astrology reading, visit Esotelcard.com