The Therapy for Black Girls Podcast is a weekly conversation with Dr. Joy Harden Bradford, a licensed Psychologist in Atlanta, Georgia, about all things mental health, personal development, and all the small decisions we can make to become the best possible versions of ourselves.
As we stand on the precipice of a new year, it's a perfect time to pause, reflect, and set our intentions for the journey ahead — and what better way to do that than through astrology? Joining me today to help decode the cosmic currents is TBG’s resident astrologer and returning guest, Mecca Woods. Mecca is a New York City-based astrologer and author. In our conversation, Mecca provides us with astrological context for some of the biggest pop culture events of the year, explains the significance of this year’s various transits and retrogrades, and shares how we can integrate the astrological lessons from 2023 into our aspirations for 2024.
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Day, twenty twenty three. Go buy sofa it feels like yesterday was this July fourth.
Welcome to the Therapy for Black Girls Podcast, a weekly conversation about mental health, personal development, and all the small decisions we can make to become the best possible versions of ourselves. I'm your host, Doctor Joy Harden Bradford, a licensed psychologist in Atlanta, Georgia. For more information or to find a therapist in your area, visit our website at Therapy for Blackgirls dot com. While I hope you love listening to and learning from the podcast, it is not meant to be a substitute for a relationship with a licensed mental health professional. Hey, y'all, thanks so much for joining me for session three thirty nine of the Therapy for Black Girls Podcast. We'll get right into our conversation after word from our sponsors introducing our new Therapy for Black Girls Holiday gift collection. Our new ensemble of drinkwaar totes, journals, and sweaters were made to remind you of the importance of centering your mental health. Purchase your TVG gifts at Therapy for Blackgirls dot com slash shop. Happy holidays, y'all, Remember to take good care and give good gifts. As we stand on the precipice of a new year, it's a perfect time to pause, reflect and set our intentions for the journey ahead, and what better way to do that than through astrology. Joining me today to help decode the cosmic Durrance is tbg's resident astrologer and returning guest Mecca Woods. Mecca is a New York City based astrologer and author. Her writing and astro guidance have appeared in places like Bustle, Essence, and on TLC. She is also the first black woman astrologer to have a nationally syndicated daily horoscope column, which can be found online and in newspapers across the US and Canada. In our Conversation Today, Mecca provides us with astrological context for some of the biggest pop culture even to the year, explains the significance of this year's various transits and retrogrades, and shares how we can integrate the astrological lessons from twenty twenty three into our aspirations for twenty twenty four. If something resonates with you while enjoying our conversation, please share with us on social media using the hashtag TBG in session or join us over in the sister circles to talk more about the episode. You can join us community dot therapy for Blackgirls dot com. Here's our conversation, Mecca. Thank you so much for joining us again this year. It feels like such a treat every year to have a conversation with you, So thank you for joining me again today.
Thank you, Joy. It's always a pleasure to be here. I'm so happy to be back.
Yes, yeah, so you gave us lots of great information when you were with us earlier this year, but we were bringing you back for a conversation to wrap up the year and look toward twenty twenty four. Yeah. So, when you think back over twenty twenty three, what words would you use to describe the year? From an astrological perspective.
I think that this past year, I think it's been a mixture of an awakening. I think a lot of people have been able to say that there's still so much work to be done with regards to the state of the world and where it's at. And I think there were people who didn't realize how serious this work and how necessary this work is. And so I think a lot, a lot of people were very much like, this is what we've been saying for a long time, and now people are starting to pay attention and see with their own eyes just how crucial of a moment that we're all in right now. So I feel definitely there was an awakening period. I think it also felt very chaotic too, like just one day to the next, not knowing what to expect, so the unexpected, like embracing change, embracing the unexpected. I think those are kind of like some of the themes that I think took place this past year.
Yeah, you know, it feels like you've been with us every year, I think for the past what two to three years, And I know we had a conversation pretty early on in the pandemic, and I'm curious to know, like what this three year stretch between twenty twenty and twenty twenty three, because I feel like you said some variation of those same things every year, But it feels like there's an extended stretch of chaos and awakening happening since the pandemic. Can you speak to that a little Yeah?
Sure, So if you may remember the last time we spoke, I was talking a little bit about planet Pluto. I know that astronomers demoted Pluto, but in astrology we still use Pluto as a planet. And I mentioned that Pluto is one of those planets that tends to coincide with like generational events and experiences. So this planet, it's been in Capricorn since two thousand and eight, and it had a lot to do with a lot of the growing increasing institutional power that we've been seeing with regards to like authoritarianism and a lot of governments and companies having more power than they should or that feels comfortable, right. And so whenever you have these really major planets, like a planet like Pluto switching signs or changing signs, that usually marks a new chapter in terms of like our history and our evolution in terms of like human beings and the collective right. And so earlier this year, Pluto had left Capricorn for Aquarius, and if you might remember, I was talking about how Aquarius is a sign that it's connected to the collective, the community, and when Pluto is in that sign, it's a time when we find that people find themselves like fighting back against things like tyranny and corruption and wanting to push back. And we saw a lot of that taking place with the strikes that were taking place, you know, in terms of work in labor. We saw that a lot of people over the past couple of years becoming more interested in politics and government and the way that it works. So when we talk about these things that have been happening since the pandemic, it feels like the business is unfinished because this is a very slow moving planet that we're working with, and that coincides with really big, like I said, generational experiences and events. So this is like continuation of that, and how long might we expect Pluto to kind of right, So the thing with astrology is that because there are more than one planet, right, there's different iterations of the same theme. And like other planets that are doing things that we can draw some information from. But with Pluto in particular, it has such a wide orbit because it moves so slowly. So for example, if we talk about how long it takes for Pluto to make a full cycle around the Sun, that's two hundred and forty eight years. So Pluto can stay in a sign from anywhere between like thirteen to twenty years. That's how wide the orbit is. And so this Pluto and Aquarius transit. We're going to have Pluto Aquarius until twenty forty four, so that's quite a long time, right. So over this period of time while Pluto's and Aquarius, we're going to start to see a lot of different changes in the realm of like technology, because Aquarius is also associated with technology, so we're going to see a lot more revolutionizing with regards to technology. But of course, because Pluto also represents it's like the shadowy side of life, or like the underbelly of life, we can also see the downsides of that, like, for example, I know a lot of people are worried about cybersecurity. Right before when we would talk about, for example, war and conflict, Now it's a thing where you can actually have war and conflict by way of technology and online and things of that nature. So that's the downside of the Pluto Aquarius this transit, but it can also bring about good things too. It can bring about people working collectively together to change things and improve things. So yeah, this is definitely one of those transits that is fueling a lot of what we're seeing right now, and definitely it's a long transit, so it's one of those things where we're going to have to come strap in and really recognize that like this is not It reminds me of the phrase it's a marathon, not a sprint in terms of where we're going and what we're doing right now.
Yeah, got it. So I'm wondering if you could give us some insights based on astrology related to some of the pop culture phenomenon we've seen this year. So the first one is there have been a lot of like celebrity breakups in like relationshipship. Yeah, yeah, what would you say about all of it?
Yeah, So I had attributed to two things. So we had a Venus retrograde earlier this year, took place over the summer. And so Venus and astrology is a planet that is connected to love, romance, relationships, reciprocity, and of course like our personal values, and when we talk about romantic relationships, it's always important that partners share values, right like we care about the same things, we want the same things out of life in terms of having a healthy relationship with a partner. And when Venus goes retrograde, So anytime a planet goes retrograde, the idea is that this planet is retracing its step is going back. We're reflecting or reassessing something that planet represents. So whenever Venus goes retrograde, it's a time when we are reflecting on our relationships. We are assessing what we want in relationship, what we want for ourselves, reassessing things that have to do with like self worth. And it's not uncommon for breakups to happen when Venus girls retrograde because people decide, like I think, I want something different. We're not on the same page anymore. We don't want the same things or I want something. In this past year, if you noticed, Venus was retrograde, So it goes retrograde a different signs, So this past year it was retrograding the sign of Leo. So Leo is associated with like celebrities, actors, creatives, people who are in the spotlight right at the same time, Leo is also a sign that's connected to the self. So you had a lot of people who are like, I'm choosing myself, you know, I'm choosing my own happiness, my own path, my own way. And that was one of the things that I noticed about some of these separations that were happening of people being like I just want to do me right, So that was one of them. The other thing, too, is that we also have the transiting nodes, So the South node in a north node. In astrology, these are points that have to do with where energy is coming in. Like the North node. It's kind of the direction, like our destiny, the path that we're moving towards. The self node represents something that is fading or being weakened or cleared out of our life in some way. And so right now the north node is in Aris and the self node is in Libra, so Aris is a sign that is also connected to the South. It's a very meme me kind of sign. But the beauty of areas is that it gives us, like the confidence, the passion to go for things that we want and to establish our own individuality right, our own personhood. Libra, on the other hand, is a sign that's connected to things like marriage and partnership and relationships, and so, being that the self node is currently in Libra and Venus is the planet that rules over Libra, that also would speak to a lot of relationships right now being dissolved at this time because they're not in alignment with where we're headed in terms of a person's life, it's not in alignment with where someone is headed. So that would speak to like why a lot of these breakups and things like that were happening.
Yeah, okay, I'm also curious if there is any astrological tie into the success of Renaissance, both the tour and the movie.
I know that Beyonce is a Virgo when I think about Venus and Leo, even though Venus was retrograde over the summer. Like I said, Leo is also a sign that's connected to fun, joy, excitement, celebrity, and I think sometimes with retrogrades they can also be a good time to reconnect with certain parts of ourselves as well. And I think coming out of the pandemic with a lot of people hungry for connection and fun and being able to get dressed up and all these kinds of things, I think that might have contributed to some of the success with Renaissance was that people are really hungry for concert, growing experience, the fund and all of that that goes into it.
Yeah, okay, one more, what about Rihanna and announcing her pregnancy at the Super Bowl.
That day in particular, I do remember that's when Jupiter was in Aries, and if I'm not mistaken, Rihanna is an Aries rising and I think she also has a moon in Aries. So like your rising sign has to do with your image, it's kind of part of your persona in terms of your public image. And when Jupiter comes around, Jupiter can be good in terms of sharing big announcements or sometimes Jupiter can also be connected to new opportunities or new beginnings as well, so that could have played a role. I remember she wore a lot of red that night, and red is connected to Aries, so she was definitely like embodying that arias rising of passion and power and confidence. Those are like things that are associated with areas.
Got it? Got it? Okay? So the other thing that we've seen this year is multiple mercury retrograde. Yes, I know you talked about this a little bit the last time we chatted, But what did that mean for our routines this year?
Right? So when we talk about mercury retrograde, the rule of thumb is that it's always about review and reassessment.
Right.
Mercury is the planet that's connected to information and communication. We are ending twenty twenty three with mercury retrograde. So people may have some issues with holiday travel and things like that, or buying gifts, the shipping and receiving, and there could be mistakes with getting double charged because commerce is also a part of something that Mercury has rulership over. So whenever Mercury goes retrograde, you always want to cross your t's dot your eyes when it comes to information communication, dates, facts, figures, because it could be hard to verify those things or you might find it there's like mistakes or errors or delays or things like that when it comes to a Mercury retrograde. With regards to our routine, it's always important to be flexible as flexible as possible because usually Mercury retrograde will bring up things last minute, things that might be outside of our control that we have to pivot, or there could be like last minute cancellations or things of that nature. So I always find that it's really important to be really flexible with our schedule, with our plans whenever Mercury goes retrograde, and also to if it's possible not to pack your schedule too full just in case something comes up, or also to just the Mercury retrograde exhaustion because mercury is also connected to our nervous system, so sometimes when mercury is really busy or active in the sky, it can also be a time where we just feel like overwhelmed, like our circuits are fried. So resting, taking time out, unplugging, all of those things are good things to do routine wise when it comes to mercury retrograde.
Now, Mecca, you given the folks a little bit of travel PTSD because wasn't it last year where people were like stranded in the airports and like these at a time there were no flights? Was there retrograde then too?
Yeah, So mercury went retrograde on December twenty ninth of twenty twenty two, so that would have been around the holiday season right carrying into the new year of twenty twenty three. Yeah, that would have definitely been attributed to the holiday travel mess. So yeah, so we have that coming around again this time because mercury is retrograde this time from December twelfth to January first, So this is definitely going to be a time where people are going to have to be as flexible with their travel plans as possible.
Okay, so Mecca when you're looking at your calendar, what exactly are you looking at? What details are there?
Oh? Yeah, So I have a planetary calendar that tells me where the planets are going to be each day, so it allows me to go back in time and see what was going on a certain day. I mean have an app for that too that I use for looking at charts, and charts have to do with like where the planets are, where they're positioned in the sky, and that gives us information in terms of what's going on from day to day, months and months, year to year, even hour to hour. There's something I don't know if you've ever heard of something called planetary hours, but basically, there's a planet that rules each hour of the day, and based on what that planet represents, if you are doing something during that hour, based on that planet, it can give you some extra help or boost in terms of what you're doing. So, for example, if you're doing something during a mercury hour, it could be good for correspondence and like reaching out to people and phone calls, emails, meetings like that kind of thing. If you are doing something, let's say during a moon hour, the moon is connected to families connected to women, it's connected to emotional wellbeing and nourishment. Food, it could be those kinds of things. So there's actually a couple of different apps that people can use that is specifically for planetary hours if they want to learn how to like work with the planets day to day.
Okay, wow, so we get really granular now, yeah, I love it. So what do we have to look forward to in twenty twenty four in terms of mercury retrograde? It's like, how many should we be expecting next year?
That is a good question. So let me see. I'm looking at my calendar here, so one, two, three, Yeah, we have three. We'll starting the year with a murcury retrograde because right like, it ends on January first, twenty twenty four, and then the next mercury retrograde will be on April first, and that'll allows from April first into April twenty fifth. Then again we have another mercury retrograde that happens on August fourth, and it depends on like if you're on the East or West coast, So like if you're on Pacific time, it's August fourth, if you're on East Coast time, it's August fifth, and that will run until August twenty eighth, and then we end the year again with another retrograde, Mercury retrograde from November twenty fifth to December fifteenth.
Yeah.
So, I mean when we talk about retrograde, like murcury retrograde, it's not uncommon for it to go retrograde about three or four times a year because Mercury travels. It's one of the fastest moving planets that we have, so it's constantly going back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. So usually during those times is when we have issues and breakdowns with communication. Sometimes cars travel, you know, all those kinds of things. So yeah, so those dates or when Mercury will be retrograded for twenty twenty.
Four, got it more from our conversation after the break Okay, Mega, So how else might twenty twenty four look different? From an astrological perspective?
So we have planet Jupiter moving into Gemini in May of twenty twenty four and the May. So Jupiter is a planet that's connected to growth and expansion, some of the ways in which we grow. When we're working with Jupiter, it could be going to school, getting a degree, learning new skills or learning new things. Traveling can also be a very Jupiter thing. Jupiter also helps us to seek out things that inspire us, things that puts us in search for, like meaningful experiences. So with Jupiter moving to Gemini, Gemini is a sign of communication. So the last time Jupiter was in Gemini would have been about twelve years ago, so that would have been I think, what twenty twenty twelve. Yeah, so if you guys can think back to like new experiences or new things that you did back in twenty twelve, if you can think back, like what was happening for you in terms of like school, were you in school at that time, were you interested in trying new things like we did, any like new experiences that you have. Because with Gemini it's a very multifaceted sign. So when Jupiter gets there, we find that we have a lot of different interests all at one time. We may want to try a lot of different things. Jupiter and Gemini also encourage us to open and broaden our mind, so it could be a time for taking classes and meeting new people and engaging in experiences that help us to see the world through a different lens or perspective. Gemini is also a sign that teaches us it's okay to change our mind and that we're made up of all these complex, different moving parts. So when Jupiter enters that sign, it's a time to not necessarily make up your mind about things, you know, is it time to like entertain different perspectives and different schools of thought and to meet different people, go to different places. It can be a really wonderful transit in terms of just like exploration and feed your curiosity.
Okay, got it. I was trying to think, like, oh, it feels like something happened in twenty twelve. I got married in twenty twelve, So I'm like, what a want? What's your what's your rising sign? Again? Now, Mecca, I have no idea. I was on October tenth, so I'm a Libra and already anything beyond.
It because I'm trying to think about, like, so if we just go with your son sign Gemini rules your ninth house to ninth house. Stuff can sometimes be connected to like growth and opportunity or new experiences of course, like we grow, you know, if we get married, like that's something new. So for anyone who's listening, if you want to know what kind of gifts Jupiter and Gemini is going to be bringing you next year. You want to get a copy of your birth chart. You want to find the house or the area of your chart that Gemini influences or resides, and that's where Jupiter is going to be bringing you some joy or some luck or some help next year.
So the other thing that we have happening in twenty twenty four is an election, an election season. So is there anything that you can tell us or anything astrology was that you're thinking about in terms of an election cycle?
This is the problem, right, Like this happened with the last presidential election when you have mercury retrograde, right, And what happens is mercury retrograde like happening around an election usually brings up stuff where the election gets contested in some way. And the reason why is because mercury, like I said, rules over information. Mercury is like the ballots that we cast and the machine is that count the ballots and all of that. So I don't know who does this. I don't know, like why do we plan elections around mercury retrograde? I wish that some of these politicians people in government actually worked with astrolleris to be like, this is not an ideal time to do an election, you know, or something that this is important because we need the planet of information to be strong and moving forward in the sky so that we can make sure that we can verify the votes and the facts and things like that and there won't be someone being like, oh, we need to do over or we're contesting that or whatever. So that is one thing that does give me pause with regards to the election. I mean, just watching some of the stuff that's been going down this past year with regards to the Republican Party and Democratic you know, this is definitely going to be another sort of battleground situation I think where we really are going to have to stay vigilant in terms of what happens, like in terms of the outcome. I imagine that it's going to be another chaotic situation like it was before because again, a lot of the planetary alignments that are in place right now, they are repeating themes that we've seen in the past with regards to like revolutions and wars, and just think that feel scary right now, you know. I think when we spoke before, I can't remember it was this past year or the year before, but I was saying that we have a planetary signature that's taking place that was also happening around back in the thirties and forties when Hitler rose to power. We're having a repeat of that cycle now, which is why we're seeing a lot of authoritarians take over and a lot of these governments taking place in the rise of fascism and things of that nature. And just thinking about all of that with regard to the United States election, I think that we should be prepared for some twists and turns and surprises, and that we're not out as a clear yet with regards to what's going on right now.
So what else might we be on the lookout for in twenty twenty four, Like either things to be excited about or maybe things to be cautious about.
I think it's a mixture of both. I remember having a conversation with someone earlier this year and they were asking me, will this year be hopeful? And I was like, yeah, kind of yes.
Yeah.
It didn't didn't sound very convincing.
I know.
I know for me, when I think about what to look forward to, like I said, I think the Jupiter and Gemini transit can be something to look forward to because wherever Jupiter goes and brings some gifts with it. And I think this could be a great time to engage in activities and interests that like feed your curiosity. Things you want to learn, new things, you want to try, new places you want to go. Right, that could be a place where we can derive some joy or pleasure from. I think that when we talk about the idea of hope, like after just watching certain things transpire over this past year, you know, hope is one of those things we're definitely going to have to work at.
You know.
It reminds me of another planetary transit that's taken place where we have Saturn and Pisces. And Saturn is a planet that has a lot to do with hard work, responsibility. Saturn is the planet that helps us to achieve goals, but in order to reach those goals, it often requires a lot of time, sweat, discipline, reality checks, if you will. Pisces is a sign that is connected to dreams, things that we envision, inspiration, hope, spirituality, and while Saturn is in Pisces, they moved there earlier in the spring of twenty twenty three, and it'll be there until early twenty twenty six, like around the spring of twenty twenty six, And while Saturn is in Pisces, we might find that we might not feel as joyful that finding like that sense of inspiration, finding compassion, even maybe something that's a little difficult to do with all the things that are going on in the world right now. But when we deal with Saturn, Saturn rewards us for the hard work that we put in, right, and that's usually that satisfaction of achieving a goal, like I've been through this, I put in the time, and now I've mastered this thing, and now I'm here right like that started from the bottom. Now we hear. That's kind of like the Saturn model, right. And so I think when we talk about what to look forward to this year, I think we're really going to have to invest time and energy into creating things to look forward to. I was talking to a friend of mine last night and they had experienced like a really bad health crisis this past year, and we were talking because they were considering moving to a new state. And as we were having a conversation, I was saying, you know, I think that for black folks, black women, where we're at in terms of thinking about the future, I think it's important to still dream and to still envision something beautiful, right because I think those are things that keeps us hopeful, that keeps us going and wanting to see tomorrow. So I think, you know, as we think about this new year, this could be a good time to think about what do you want to create for yourself? You know, what do you want to create for the future, and also not only just for our own personal lives, but also like, is it something that we can share with others. I think when we talk about the idea of hope right now, this is something that we're going to get from each other, watching each other when and work together, and sharing our energy and our courage to change things or to live a better life. So yeah, I don't think it's impossible, but I do think in terms of like creating something better, I think it's definitely going to take time and effort.
Got it, got it? Thank you for that. So I want to ask you about some major themes in our lives and see if you have any ideas about what we might be paying attention to or need to think about in twenty twenty four, So what major themes arise when you think about our love lives in twenty twenty four?
For love, I think that again, So I'm just thinking about like the South nodes, because we'll still have the South Noe and Libra. We'll also have some eclipses next year. So like every year we have eclipses, and eclipses, they always bring change. They have like a collective meaning in terms of what they mean, but they also have more personal meaning depending on where those eclipses are activating someone's birth chart. So when we talk about the collective meaning of these eclipses, especially with Venus ruling that South node and Libra being on the South node and South node energy being weakened right now, I think that what it is going to do in terms of helping us in our love life is to change old patterns when it comes to love and dating and relationships, like helping us to improve our love lives, helping us to get clearer about what we want with regards to love and relationship. I think a lot of people coming out of the pandemic are now in a place where they're kind of like, I'm not willing to compromise on certain things that I may have compromised on before prior to the pandemic, right, like it was a make it or break it moment for many of us. And so with regards to love and romance, I think that it's going to be crucial to be very thoughtful and intentional about that part of our lives. For sure. I think it's just going to be important to be very intentional there. What about money, money, So, like I said, one of the plans that we look at when it comes to money is Jupiter. Jupiter moves into Gemini when we get to the Spring in terms of money, so money could probably come through just thinking about like where people can find money. It will most likely come through perhaps freelancing or working like a side job or side hustle. Because again Gemini is multiples, so when we talk about making money, you may need to think about having multiple streams of income for next year. Also thinking about different skill sets that you have that you might be able to utilize and putting to work tech, education, communications, media. These are also going to be areas to watch worth regards to employment or making money and things of that nature. Jupiter and Gemini also makes me think about how important it is not only to diversify your streams of income, but also thinking about different ways to save your money too, so like having like different accounts for different things, Especially because right now people are really trying to figure out money and like the financial market has been so up and down. I think it's going to be important to think about diversifying where you're making money, how you're spending it, how you're saving it, those kinds of things.
So you've already talked about this a little bit. It sounds like in the money answer, but anything to add related to a career.
Yeah, So the other planet I was talking about a little bit is Saturday m Pisces. Those two planets are often associated with career and like aspirations, and I think that we've been already kind of seeing this shift, especially like with the year of like the Great Resignation, where you had like people leaving their jobs because they were like, you know this, this makes me miserable. I'm not into this anymore. So I think as we continue on, as we go into this new year, I think a lot of people are going to be thinking about what is fulfilling to me? What do I want to do? With my time and energy, not only just for a paycheck, but that I feel fulfilled in what I do and that it feels meaningful to me. And I think that's going to be a continuation of the themes that people are going to be thinking about in terms of career and.
What about travel with travel.
So it was interesting. I was on social media last night just looking around, and I had saw a tweet about how Brazil is reinstating their visa application, like if you are traveling there for less than ninety days, you have to complete a visa application in order to get into the country. Apparently they were saying that this was like a new thing because this goes in effect, I believe on January tenth, twenty twenty four, and a lot of people were thinking that this was new. But from just doing a little bit more research, I had found out that this was something that was in place prior to the pandemic and that it's being restated again. So you might see a lot of companies, especially with the different conflicts that are going on in the world right now, you may see companies, I'm sorry, countries being a little bit more stringent about like their borders. You know, in terms of being able to freely move and getting in and out of the country, So that could be something that could affect travel plans. You may have to planned more in advance, you know, in terms of whatever like visa requirements or entry requirements that countries might have. I think that when we talk talk about like the travel industry as a whole, it's still going through a lot in terms of infrastructure and labor shortages and things of that nature. So that definitely is going to continue to be something to be mindful of as you're planning travel. So again, I think, you know, when it comes to travels is really going to be about being as flexible as you can with regards to like your plans and travel dates and things like that. And there could be like last minute cancelations and delays and worse than we've seen before. So yeah, got it.
Got it? Okay, so buckle up, everybody, because yeah, a little more. Yeah, So I want to read off each of the signs and see if you have any keywords that you might highlight for each sign for twenty twenty four, So what about for aries?
So for areas, I think this is going to be a year to really build and grow community. Areas are also going through a period two because I was talking a little bit about that North node being in aries now and like how the north node points us into the direction that we need to go, kind of like our north star. So a lot of areas, you know, they're going to be coming up in terms of like career, money, love, Like this is a time for there's things that you want to accomplish, things that you want to do. The Cosmos is really behind areas right now in terms of being able to get that done and having community support, being more involved in your community. Like these may also be themes that you see playing out over this new year. What about Taurus for Taurists, So money, money may improve for tauruss I know this past two years or so, since like November twenty twenty one, tourists have been going through a lot of change, a lot of ups and downs. So they may finally start to see some of that settle, which I know a lot of tourists is like because Taurus is like stability and comfort and peace of mind. So things have been really in flux for tourists, you know, over the past couple of years, So they may start to see things quieting down a bit in their life and money can definitely be something that they can improve for this year.
What about Gemini, So Geminar gets.
Jupiter, right, So every time Jupiter visits your sign, which is once every twelve years, you get some extra luck or opportunity. It's almost like being visited by Santa Claus for the year. So with Geminis and Gemini, Risings also will experience this. But getting Jupiter means that this is a great time to think about self development, self growth, and expansion, new things that you want to try and do. You'll have more going for you this year in terms of like being able to get some of those things off the ground.
Okay, what about cancer.
Okay, so let's see with cancers right now? Cancer cancer risings right career right now is a big focal point for them, So this could be a time where they can really level up in their career, or maybe they're thinking about switching careers and going in like an entirely new direction. This will be a great time for them to do that. Just thinking again about the Jupiter and Gemini, this will be a great time to go back to school or to even do some self study. In terms of like a new interest or topic or field that you want to get into. This can be a great time to invest in like your skills and learning training or just seeing like where your ideas take you.
Okay, what about for Leo?
Leo? So I'm thinking about where those areas and liber eclipses are happening for Leo for this year. So Leo travel definitely is going to be a big thing for Leo's this year. Traveling if you work in communications or media or even thinking about maybe there's a book you want to write, or thinking about a podcast you want to start, or places that you want to go, this is a year for like more adventure and exploration.
Okay, what about for virgos?
Virgos? So, Virgos right now are working through some relationship stuff and like redefining what partnership and relationships mean to them because they have Saturn and Pisces hanging out in their partnership zone right now, and whenever Saturn visits your partnership zone, it's a time when you are working on relationship issues, So how to strengthen them. Perhaps there's maybe more boundaries needed with regards to relationships because Virgos tend to be people who love to help others and do things for other folks, sometimes to their own detriment. And so now that Saturdays in Piscy, Saturdays is like, Okay, do you have enough time and energy? Like are you over extending yourself? Maybe we need to step back a little bit and allow other people to take care of themselves.
So this could be a.
Time where virgos are working on improving their relationships and making their relationships better.
Okay, more from our conversation after the break. What about libra libra?
So libra are also another sign that's impacted by these libra and areas eclipses. Right now, Libras are also thinking about partnership, but from a different perspective. I think with libras it's going to be being more intentional. I think about partnership because libras tend to be very social, very social, very friendly folks, but sometimes I find that they can be a bit indiscriminate about who they allow out into their life or their circle. So I think this is a good time to be a little bit more intentional about who you're partnering with and pitching your wag into. But there can also be some key partnerships that you can make throughout the year that could also like help you to further your goals.
Got it? What about Scorpio.
It's a couple of things that come up when I think about Scorpio. I'm just thinking about Saturn being in Pisces for scorporeal risings, that's impacting their zone in their chart that has to do with creativity and romance. So romance may be a little bit like right now for scorporalizings, but with Saturn being in the picture, it could be a wonderful time to really work on or invest in something creative, like your creative project that you might be working on, Like maybe if you're a musician or a writer or a dancer, Saturn being in that part of your chart can be a wonderful time to really like invest time in something that you want to share with an audience later. I think also too, when we talk about these eclipses for Scorpio, it's going to be taking place in their health and wellness zones. So this might be something that they might want to think about, like is it time for a lifestyle change, which just thinking a little bit more about work life balance because most Scorpios that I know they will push themselves into their batteries are completely empty, and so doing things in that kind of extreme way may not work right now in terms of thinking about like how to have a little bit more balance.
Okay, what about Pisces.
Pisces right now? So they have Saturn right so they're dealing with Saturn. Pisces when Saturn visits your sign, and this may be true for all the mutable signs. So like when we talk about Pisces, there's also Virgo, Sagittarius, and then Gemini is the fourth one. When Saturn visits, it's not really a fun time unfortunately. You know, Saturn is like, you know, you gotta work, you have responsibilities. So I think with Pisces right now, if you're not having any fun, I'm sorry. I know it's because Saturn is in your sign. But know that whatever you're working on right now, whatever you're investing time and energy into, this can be a wonderful time to really build yourself up and make something of yourself, depending on what it is, whether it's building a business or building more self confidence or building better relationships, like whatever it is that you like, I want to fix this. I want to change this. I want to make this better, or I want to succeed or I want to accomplish this. Saturn will help you do that. But know that it's going to feel like I don't want to do this work, but I know that it is necessary. But know that when you're done with Saturn, you're going to be in a much better position than you are now. So that's the thing to keep an eye on.
Okay, what about Aquarius.
Aquarius has Jupiter and Gemini in their fifth house, right, Charis gets to have more fun this sh So when we talk about the fifth house, this is an area of a life for folks that have to do with things like romance, creativity, love, pleasure, enjoyment, taking risks. So when Dribridg gets to Semini, you might find you're going to be having a little bit more fun, a little bit more romance, maybe more creative inspiration. Sometimes this area of life can also be connected to children, So maybe there are Aquarians who are starting families this year, so making an addition to the family. So yeah, I think that this will be a little bit more joyful than it may have been over the past couple of years. And then you have Pluto Pluto going into Aquarius. So for a lot of Aquarians, it's going to be like the person that you were before versus the person that you're becoming. It's going to be very, very different. So you're undergoing like a total rebirth transformation, which can be really exciting.
Okay, what about for Capricorn.
With Capricorn family, home and family are probably like the big things right now coming up for Capricorns. Most Capricorns that I know are very goal oriented people. Capricorn Capricorn Rising mostly their goal oriented people. I know that when you read about them, they'll talk about like how they like work a lot, and they're very business oriented, business savvy and things like that, and that can be true. Not all Capricorns care about work at the end of the day. It's more about caring about being the best at whatever it is that they do, whatever they're passionate about, and may not necessarily be connected to like work. But when we talk about this year, Capricorns are being encouraged to invest more in like family connection, building a support system for themselves, maybe thinking about moving or relocating. That could be a part of it. In terms of like home, they could also be Capricorns also thinking about starting families, but also too, I think above all and a lot of Capricorns always do this, I think is paying more attention to your emotional well being. That's going to be huge for sure.
Okay, and then Sagittarius, Sagittarius, that's my sign, shout out to my fellow sages.
So what do we got going on? Well, when we talk about that Saturday and Pissy story, that's taking place in a lot of sagt Sagi rizings in their home and family zone. So a lot of sages might be feeling like they have a lot more family obligations and responsibilities right now, or like home related things happening with their home or living situation that might be kind of stressful. I think that for sages this is going to be a time to kind of approach life more from a place of planning versus just going with the flow. Because as Sagittarians, like, part of our gift is that we take risks and we just say like, all right, let's just do let's just see. We're not a signed that necessarily unless our chart says otherwise. But we're not necessarily a sign that looks before we leap. So what's and being in even with Jupiter and Gemini will be helping us with regards to bringing in support and bringing in help from other people because it'll be in our partnership and relationship zone. So it can be an opportunity to get more comfortable with asking for help or receiving support from other people as opposed to like trying to do everything on our own. But I think part of the year is also going to be about like having a plan for something, so being more thoughtful strategic about our decisions and choices and thinking ahead versus just doing things.
In the moment. Got it. So you've given us so much information, Mecca. As we wrap up twenty twenty three and look into twenty twenty four, how can we take some of the lessons from this year and use that to kind of move into the new year.
Oh that's a great question. I think that one of the things that keeps coming, like one of the phrases like I get like sometimes like thinking phrases. I don't know, maybe it's because I'm a gen X kid growing up watching sitcoms and commercials, Like it just makes me think about, like, you know, I always have like these pop culture phrases or things that I've heard that I kind of use. But the idea of like taking things one day at a time, I think that that's probably going to be really necessary in terms of getting through a lot of the humps and hurdles and being able to take advantage of like opportunities and new experiences that come our way. I think that the downside of being steeped in internet culture is that it makes everything so immediate, and we get inundated with a lot of news and just seeing all these different things that are happening all at one time, and it can often lead to this feeling of helplessness, like how can I do something to change if everything is on fire all at one time? But I think again that just speaks to what I've been talking about before about like how this is going to take a village. It's going to take a community for us all to work together in our own individual ways to make change wherever we can, in any way that we can, so especially for black women, because oftentimes we're the first to jump in when people need support and help, but we don't always feel like we get that same support reciprocated. And I know with a lot of different things going on, both in our personal lives and also in the world at large. It can feel really overwhelming to feel like, oh God, Okay, here's another battle that I need to fight, or here's another thing that I need to show up for. But I think that again, taking that one day at a time approach is going to be really helpful in terms of maintaining our own sense of sanity and well being right and just thinking about what is in within your power to control, What do you have within your power that you can do something about, whether it's within your own life or for something for the greater good, and not feel like you have to shoulder every single burden, take up every single mantle that you come across. So really taking your time, especially like I said, because Jupiter will be in Gemini next year, and sometimes Gemini energy can be very like a lot of things going on at one time. So taking that slow, steady, pacing yourself approach, I think is going to be really helpful for us.
All beautiful, Thank you so much for sharing all of that, Mecca, So remind us where we can stay in contact with you. I people want to work with you, get a reading done. Where can we buy your books tell us all the information.
Sure, So you can find me at my website. It's my life Created dot com and that's where you can book a reading with me. You can also find my social media handles on my website as well. I also do monthly horoscopes for a Scape, so if you want to check out what's happening from month to month, you can check out my monthly scopes Thereandscape dot com. And my books, which there is a couple of them. The first one is Astrology for Happiness and Success, which is out wherever books are sold. And then I also have another book called the Astrology Journal for those of you who are interested in journaling but also want to know how the stars apply to you Like that's a really good, like useful tool to use. And then I also have adult coloring books for each of the zodiac signs that you can also find as well. Yeah, that's where you can find me perfect.
We will be short to include all of it in the show notes. Thank you so much for spending some time with us again today, Mecca. Thank you, I had a pleasure, always a pleasure. Thank you. I'm so glad Mecca was able to join us again for this episode to learn more about her and the work she's doing. Be sure to visit the show notes at Therapy for Blackgirls dot com slash Session three three nine, and don't forget to text this episode to two of your girls right now. If you're looking for a therapist in your area, check out our therapist directory at Therapy for Blackgirls dot com slash directory. And if you want to continue digging into this topic or just be in community with other sisters, come on over and join us in the Sister Circle. It's our cozy corner of the Internet designed just for black women. You can join us at community dot Therapy for Blackgirls dot com. This episode was produced by Frida Lucas, Elise Ellis, and Zaria Taylor. Editing was done by Dennison Bradford. Thank y'all so much for joining me again this week. I look forward to continuing this conversation with you all real soon. And before we wrap up today, I want to share a special message from two very special guests who I have the joy and honor of sharing the microphone with for the last episode of every year.
Oh wasn't that a great Christmas yesterday? I hope y'all all got some good times yesterday and got to Spamcoim with your family, and then twenty twenty three go by so fast it feels like yesterday was this July fourth. Now we all should love Christmas and Santa, be kind to everybody and speak up in speak out, and when you're nervous to take a deep breath and embrace your feelings. And then when you have courage this bring it all out onto the stage. And we love everybody equally. You should love your parents too, equally, So just walk it off, don't listen to what other people say, and remember that you are the one that you need. Happy New Years.
Would you like to see Jackson?
Well?
Over this past year, I've learned a lot not to take something for granted. Like my dog. I thought Arlo would live for ever, or at least until I'm getting out of college, and then on a Wednesday in September slept us and it was heartbreaking. So with that, remember to spend the time with your loved ones because tomorrow or three years from now, they might be gone. Merry Christmas, Happy New Years. Love Jackson,