#342-"So This is How You Pray"--Week of December 8, 2025

This is a week of threshold tensions and clarifications as Mars activates the mutable waters of Pisces and the fiery vision of Sagittarius, while Neptune turns direct at the final degree of Pisces, completing a 14-year collective initiation into dissolving old paradigms.

Meanwhile, Mercury completes its transformative Scorpio cycle and re-enters Sagittarius—shifting us from excavation to meaning-making. Expect friction, truth-revelations, and a growing sense that something long dissolving is now giving way to new direction.

Mon Dec 8: Mars in Sagittarius square Saturn in Pisces

Mars strides toward new horizons, only to meet Saturn as Elder of Sacred Limits asking: “Is your fire aligned with your deeper responsibilities? Are you acting from vision—or from impulse?” Productive friction clarifies the difference between inspired action and escapist momentum.

Wed Dec 10: Neptune turns direct at 29° Pisces

The Dreamer-Mystic pauses at the threshold of a whole era, whispering: “What illusions have fallen away? What soul-truth is emerging from the mist?” A thin-veil moment—intuition strengthens, old confusion clears, and long-dormant inspiration stirs awake.

• Mercury in Scorpio opposes Uranus in Taurus

The Storyteller faces the Awakener for the third time since Oct 29, bringing closure to a revelation cycle. This is the final crack in the old narrative: the truth you’ve been circling now reveals itself plainly. Liberation from a stubborn mindset that has finally run its course.

Thurs Dec 11: Mercury in Scorpio trines Neptune in Pisces

The Intuitive Communicator is blessed by the Mystic Waters of Neptune—insights soften, imagination becomes coherent, inner truth finds language. Clarity through compassion; insight through tenderness.

• Mercury re-enters Sagittarius

Sagittarius welcomes the Messenger home: “Now that you've unearthed the depths, what is the meaning you are ready to articulate?” A new storyline begins—one shaped by wisdom, perspective, and possibility.

Sun Dec 14: Mars in Sagittarius square Neptune in Pisces

The Adventurer meets the Mystic Fog of Neptune—action dissolves into mystery, purpose is tested, motives are purified. A humbling pause that reorients you from fantasy to authentic vision.

• Sun in Sagittarius trine Chiron in Aries

The Solar Truth-Bringer offers warm recognition to the Wounded Healer (Chiron)—your courage and honesty illuminate a healing path for yourself and others. A moment of self-recognition that strengthens inner authority.

• Mars enters Capricorn (through Jan 23)
After the wild terrain of Sagittarius, Mars becomes a Builder as it enters Capricorn:
“I’m ready to commit. What structure will carry my fire forward?” Direction crystallizes—discipline and purpose now support your momentum.

Reflections:

1. Where is friction or confusion revealing the need for clearer alignment?
2. What illusion, assumption, or outdated narrative is dissolving—and what truth is emerging in its place?
3. What meaning or wisdom arises now that I’ve moved through a deep emotional or psychic layer?
4. What commitment or structure wants to take shape to hold my emerging clarity?

Podcast Poem: 5 AM in Pinewoods by Mary Olive

Transcript

0:07

Hello, welcome to Astrology Alchemy. I'm Sheila Bellagio, your host for this podcast. Alchemy is defined as a seemingly magical process of transformation. Spiritual alchemy is the process of pursuing the gold of your true nature. By transmuting the unrefined limiting parts of yourself. In this podcast, I'll offer you inspiring insights from current astrology cycles that support your path of turning your personal lead into gold. More resources are available at the website on the edges of change.com. Hello and welcome to episode number 342 of the Astrology Alchemy Podcast. I'm your host, Sheila Baer, and this is for the week of December 8th, 2025. Here's a phrase from this week's podcast poem, so this is how you pray. This is a week of threshold tensions and clarifications as Mars activates the mutable waters of Pisces and the fiery vision of Sagittarius. While Neptune turns direct at the final degree of Pisces, completing a 14 year collective initiation into dissolving old paradigms. Can you feel it inside and see it outside? Absolutely. Meanwhile, mercury completes its transformative Scorpio cycle and crosses the threshold back into Sagittarius. Shifting us from excavation to meaning, making expect friction, truth revelations, and a growing sense that something long dissolving is now giving way to new direction. On Monday, December 8th, Mars in Sagittarius squares, Saturn in Pisces, they're at a 90 degree angle in the heavens. Mars is the adventurer strides towards new horizons, only to meet Saturn as the elder of sacred limits. Asking, is your fire aligned with your deeper responsibilities? Are you acting from vision? Or from impulse, productive friction clarifies the difference between inspired action and escapist momentum. On Wednesday, December 10th, Neptune turns direct at 29 degrees of Pisces, the very last degree of this zodiac sign. Neptune has been retrograde since early July and will complete its transit of the Pisces signed by late January of 2026. It began in Pisces in this current cycle in 2011, the dreamer mystic Neptune pauses at the threshold of a whole era whispering what illusions have fallen away. What soul truth is emerging from the mist? This is a thin veil moment. Intuition strengthens old confusion clears, and long dormant inspiration stirs awake on that same day. December 10th. Mercury in Scorpio opposes Uranus in Taurus. The storyteller Psycho poem, conductor of Souls Mercury faces the awakener, Uranus for the third time since October 29th, bringing closure to a short but potent revelation cycle. This is the final crack in the old narrative. The truth you've been circling now reveals itself plainly. Liberation from a stubborn mindset that has finally run its course is here. You might reflect since late October, what has been waking up in you about how to change old narratives that are too small for your soul and includes our collective journey as a country. On Thursday, December 11th, mercury in Scorpio, trines Neptune in Pisces. Mercury is a kind of intuitive communicator and is being blessed by the mystic waters of Neptune. Inside Soften, imagination becomes coherent. Inner truth finds language clarity can come through compassion. Insight through tenderness, unique, transformative prayers may arise in your heart and your mind on that same day, mercury reenters Sagittarius from its retrograde cycle back into Scorpio. Sagittarius, the sign of the truth Seeker welcomes back the messenger, mercury home. Now that you've unearth, unearthed the depths, what is the meaning? You are ready to articulate? Possibility of a new storyline begins one Shaped by wisdom, perspective, and possibility. On Sunday, December 14th, Mars in Sagittarius squares, Neptune in Pisces. Mars is the adventure now meets the mystic fog of Neptune. Action dissolves into mystery. Purpose is tested, motives are purified. This is a humbling pause that reorients you from fantasy to authentic vision. Mars is an action taker and sometimes can connect us with our wounds of anger and frustration. And yet Neptune helps us dissolve old stories, old patterns, helps us break spells so that as we go forward, we have a clarity. What is our true vision? The same day, December 14th, the sun in Sagittarius, trines Chiron in Aries. The solar truth bringer of the sun offers warm recognition to the wounded healer. Chiron. Your courage and honesty illuminate a healing path for yourself and others. This could be a moment of self recognition that strengthens inner authority and recognize whenever Chiron is part of a cycle, we are open to the deep healing of ancestral patterns and open to the deep support of the holy ancestors in our lineage. Whether it's family, spiritual, energetic. Let the light shine and bring the healing to you and the world. Same day, December 14th. Mars enters Capricorn and will be there until January 23rd After the wild terrain of Sagittarius, the archer, the quester Mars now becomes a builder as it enters the earth sign of Capricorn. I'm ready to commit. What structure will carry my fire forward? Direction, crystallizes discipline and purpose now supports your momentum. When Mars is in Capricorn, that part of ourselves and the world says, all right, roll up our sleeves. We have sacred tasks to accomplish. Let's be focused and let's go forward. May our world feel. The positive gift of this shift during this week, here are some reflection questions for you to be with. Where is friction or confusion? Confusion, revealing the need for clearer alignment. With this question, you could ask, what part of me wants to move forward and what part needs grounding, honesty, or restraint? Another question for this week. What illusion, assumption or outdated narrative is dissolving and what truth is emerging in its place? This is particularly in attunement with Neptune going forward in Pisces getting ready to finish its 14 year journey, you might reflect, what have I been shown these last few months that I'm finally ready to admit A third reflection question, what meaning or wisdom arises now that I've moved through a deep emotional or psychic layer? This is attuning with Mercury's move from Scorpio back into Sagittarius. You might also be with, how does my understanding expand when I step back and see the larger pattern? In a fourth question, what commitment or structure wants to take shape to hold my emerging clarity? Here's a reflection question to align with Mars and Capricorn Fire meets form. You might be noticing what's already emerging as practical steps or boundaries that would support the vision that's trying to take root. So there you have it dear. Ones a powerful week as so many are, especially as Neptune is completing its journey. In Pisces. So here's a poem To really honor these changes of dissolving old ideas and patterns of waking up a dream that is bigger than our small little personalities, it's big enough for the world. This is a week that invites you. To be open to what's a dream, what's dreaming you. So I want to bring to you one of my absolute favorite Mary Oliver poems, 5:00 AM in the Pine Woods. I'd seen their hoof prints in the deep needles and knew they ended the long night under The Pines walking. Like two mute and beautiful women toward the deeper woods. So I got up in the dark and went there. They came slowly down the hill and looked at me sitting under the blue trees, shylee. They stepped closer and stared from under their thick lashes and even nibbled some damp tassels of weeds. This is not a poem about a dream, though. It could be. This is a poem about the world that is ours, or could be finally one of them. I swear it would've come to my arms, but the other stamped sharp hoof in the pine needles, like the tap of sanity. And they went off together through the trees. When I woke, I was alone. I was thinking, so this is how you swim inward, so this is how you flow outward. So this is how you pray. 5:00 AM in the pine woods by Mary Oliver. So as you journey through this week, you might notice what wants to come into your arms and as a dream, as a vision, where do you wanna have a sharp, poof? The tap of sanity, waking you up to illusions and spells. Notice what supports you. To swim in Word and to flow outward and to notice the unique way that your being wants to offer up prayers of any kind right now for yourself, for nature and the animals, for all the peoples of the world. For the deep transition we are in now, the deep initiations. So this is how you pray. Thank you so much for the gift of your time of being with me with this podcast, and thanks. Big shout of gratitude to all those who are supporting the podcast through donations, telling other people about it, spreading the word. I wanna let you know about a special free webinar I'm offering in December. It feels like I wanna give you a little gift in the middle of the craziness that can happen this month as we go towards the end of the year. It's a free one hour webinar called What If You're Not Stuck. You're Standing at a threshold. Simple Ways to break free from Toxic Mindsets and reconnect with your inner wisdom. I am offering this as a gift to help you notice if you feel like something old is dissolving inside of you, you're questioning who you are and what's next. You want to reclaim your intuitive knowing, but you don't know where to begin. This sacred hour is for you because you're not broken, you're just at a threshold. It is on Saturday, December 13th from nine to 10:00 AM Pacific. Go to my website on the edges of change.com. On the homepage, you'll see a link to register for free play. Give yourself a sacred pause in mid-December to know you're not stuck, you're standing at a threshold. Thank you. You have been listening to the Astrology Alchemy Podcast with your host, Sheila Lange. Resources are available at the website on the edges of change.com. Thank you for listening. Bless your alchemical journey to embrace the gold of your true nature.