That’s a really old saying, isn’t it? ‘Cool your heels’–calm down, don’t rush, be patient. Nobody wants to hear it, but sometimes it’s the best advice you can get–and post-eclipse, it almost always applies.

The appetite for astrological updates and in-the-moment commentary is endless, voracious, and I hate to say, indiscriminate. The want for more information about tomorrow is understandable, but also typically accompanied by a lack of processing of the current data. That is, people always want to know what’s coming; they’re looking ahead to the change, rather than to what they can do right now. Even when they’ve received info for today yesterday, they’re asking, ‘What about tomorrow?’ And my answer is, ‘What about it?’

I don’t mean to be glib, I mean to point out that alerting others to what’s coming doesn’t really matter if they have glossed over, consumed and discarded, failed to genuinely understand or apply today’s info. In my view, too many people read astrological material with an eye to feeling it strike a cord. That’s a bias that’s useful to a point, but also only tends to reinforce what they’ve already sensed (or, worse, been simply hoping for, wish fulfillment). If one absorbs only what one already ‘knows’ or wants to believe, one absorbs very little.

It’s a challenge to actually stop and think about information you’ve received that you might find uncomfortable, that might contradict one’s wants, that might be hard to hear–and that challenge can be summed up this way, as a question: Do you want to grow?

Here’s a little catch-up, on what the eclipse brought.

Today, the 1st of December, Mercury enters Sagittarius, and the natural tendency is for the mind to reach out, to roam, to look for knowledge–but unless we are willing to actually see and process what’s before us, we end up skimming over what’s presented, only becoming aware of what corresponds to already-held beliefs. Knowing that’s the inclination, we can use this shift in energy two ways: one is to unfetter our usual way of thinking, allowing the mind to genuinely wander–and that invites us into new, undiscovered, stimulating territory.

The other is a means of alignment, a good way to measure what we take in during this transit: is it factual? That’s a Jupiterian specialty, an association likely growing out of Jupiter’s other tendency, to exaggerate. Being careful to sort belief or philosophy (also both Jupiter-oriented) from facts is important, and will pay off; we can’t be misled if we accept info that doesn’t take a viewpoint, that is made up of bald realities. As CNN’s John King said of the election, “It’s not fraud, it’s math.” (And here’s where I give a gentle nudge to those ‘it’s on the cusp’-ers, those who want to read a placement as if it’s the next or previous House or sign if it’s close to the margin: the math tells you where it is, and what to interpret it as–it’s not up for debate).

If you skipped down to that 1st of December listing, because you told yourself you don’t have time for my jibber-jabber, then ‘cool your heels’ is meant for you directly. Or maybe what I can best say is: this blog isn’t meant for you, and you’ll get very little out of it. You’ll be happier and better served by someone my husband describes as ‘blowing sun sign sunshine’, an astrologer who specializes in the massively general and upbeat. There’s nothing terribly wrong with that; it certainly serves a purpose, it’s just not the purpose I want to serve.

So, by the 2nd we either nail down the practicalities or the wise course to take (Saturn conj Pallas), or we suppress what’s smart in favor of bolstering personal authority or ambition (Merc parallel Ceres and nov Zeus). The interesting thing is, we would normally think this could play out either well (if we respect our own inner wisdom) or badly (if we serve ambition or hubris), but this time it all hinges on whether we value our own highest standards and commitments (Venus sxt Vesta). That’s what determines our real-world success or lack of it–so know what you stand for, before you engage.

The 3rd suggests we may become aggressive, or feel compelled to assert ourselves, out of sheer discomfort (Merc sesq Mars), especially if that’s an irritation that comes from the disparities in our own thinking, or our chafing at what is communicated to us. That could seriously threaten health or relationships, or even the financial picture, and could lead to a disconnect between our effectiveness and our highest values (Vesta contra-parallel Juno, Venus contra-parallel and square Hygeia). Put healthy practices, connections, and commitments first, and try to keep irritability in check–you’ll be glad you did.