Welcome to the ocean. Now that Mercury is in Pisces and already hitting the shadow zone of the retrograde coming up, you may be noticing the shift in energy.

Pisces energy is nebulous and unstable, to say the least. It’s more of a mood than an action. I love the way Jean-Marc Pierson phrased it:

So you’re disoriented. This is pretty normal.

As a Pisces myself I welcome this energy like I might a refreshing swim. However, I don’t want to completely lose my grounding during this time. For that, I think it’s important to remember something about Pisces: it’s ruled by Jupiter, and Jupiter is spending most of the year in Capricorn.

Capricorn and Pisces work pretty naturally together. Earth and water are both receptive elements who are sensitive to their environments, and impacted by them in a way that fire and air signs seem to be able to shrug off. We’re talking foundational, primordial energy.

Working with Capricorn (and where it is in your chart — look no further than my consults for some insight there) is a great way to find your footing during a disorienting time. Pisces is full of magical potential, after all, and it can be a real gift to work with if you’re able to stay centered within yourself and true to your goals.

Some natural check-in points you might use during this time are when the Moon passes through earth signs. These phases will give you an opportunity to ground yourself — with the possible exception of the full moon in Virgo, which I’ll tackle in its own post!

• February 9–10: Moon in Virgo. Mercury in shadow zone but not yet retrograde; plan ahead!
• February 18–19: Moon in Capricorn. Great days to revisit 2020 goals.
• February 28–29: Moon in Taurus. Focus on physical presence, attaining stillness in meditation; pull back any energy that’s been scattered.
• March 8–9: Moon in Virgo. The full moon is the 9th, same day Mercury goes direct; expect nothing to go as planned but be prepared to talk to people! Mercury will actually be in Aquarius again here, a social air sign.
• March 16–18: Moon in Capricorn (until the evening of the 18th). Mercury is direct now, and once again this is a great goal-setting lunar phase — now with the wisdom that the retrograde had to offer! Where are you going from here? It’s almost the spring equinox: how’s the next season looking for you? Where do you want to be by summer?

Looking way ahead: On April 7, Mercury sextiles Jupiter from the late degrees of Pisces. The two don’t make an exact aspect like this during Mercury’s retrograde, so in a way this is like two friends catching up after not seeing much of each other for several weeks. This is a great day to write things down, and to talk about your dreams and wishes. Themes that emerged during the retrograde are easy to build on now (if you wish to!).