Moon Mondays: Saturn, Mercury & Staying True to Yourself This Holiday Season
As Saturn and Mercury both station direct this week, our minds and systems start moving forward again. Our structures and foundations begin to stabilize, and life picks up speed—right on cue for Thanksgiving here in the U.S. and the kickoff to the holiday season.
And as the holidays heat up, so do our triggers—especially the ones connected to our families. This is a prime moment to get curious about your boundaries, your old stories, and what you need to stay grounded as we head into the holidays.
For years, I dreaded going home for the holidays. Weeks beforehand, I’d already be spiraling—rehearsing conversations in my head, bracing for criticism that hadn’t even happened yet. I’d slip right back into my childhood self before I even got there: small, insecure, already convinced I was failing the unspoken test of not being good enough.
The truth is, I was judging myself long before anyone else could. Deep down, I still believed I sucked—just a leftover belief from the trauma I’d carried since childhood. My inner critic was merciless, echoing voices from the past. I’d walk into family gatherings armored in defensiveness and shame, ready for battle but really just praying to survive.
It took years of inner work to see that what hurt most wasn’t my family’s behavior—it was my unconscious limiting beliefs running my show underneath. Once I began recognizing those hidden stories and nurturing for the scared little part of me, the dynamic began to shift. The holidays became less about bracing for impact and more about learning to stay true to myself—even just trusting myself enough to stay true to myself.
This week’s astrology mirrors that shift perfectly.
Saturn stations direct in Pisces on Thanksgiving Thursday, helping us integrate the emotional lessons we’ve been working on since summer, when Saturn stationed retrograde. Saturn represents boundaries, responsibility, maturity, and foundation. It’s the inner authority that says:
I get to decide how I show up.
So—how do you want to show up this holiday season for yourself?
Then Mercury stations direct in Scorpio on Saturday, kicking off a brand new Mercury cycle under Scorpio’s influence. As I mentioned last week, Venus and Mars are soon traveling behind the Sun—also known as traversing the underworld. We have a unique opportunity to focus on shifting a habit or pattern that’s blocking our forward progression.
A Scorpio Mercury cycle helps us become more conscious—aware of how we’re getting in our own way so we can actually change it.
And truly, nothing like the holidays to make you aware of your internal crap, right?
Together, these planetary shifts mark the energetic green light of the holiday season. Life starts moving more quickly, and so do we. But Saturn’s reminder still stands: forward motion without self-awareness (Mercury’s territory) can quickly pull us back into old patterns.
The cosmic invitation?
Hold your center, even as the world—and your family—start spinning faster.
Your Astrology Life Coaching Practice for the Week
Before you head into your family time, take a few mindful moments to check in with yourself.
Here are some reflection prompts:
- What shadow belief about yourself still gets activated around your family?
(Examples: I’m not good enough, or I have to be a certain way to earn their love, or I’m too much.)
- Where do you feel that belief in your body when it surfaces?
Your body carries the blueprint of everything. It often speaks more clearly than the mind, which loves to overthink and spin. Feeling into your body can increase your awareness on its own.
- What boundary could you set—with yourself—to stay grounded in your adult self rather than collapsing into your childhood role?
- What would it look like to bring self-compassion into your holiday experience this year?
Saturn says: Hold your own authority.
Mercury says: Speak with awareness—including cognizance of how you speak to yourself.
Together, they remind us that healing isn’t about changing our families.
It’s about staying true to ourselves.
Next Monday, we’ll explore the upcoming Gemini Full Moon—a chance to have some real fun and get out of your comfort zone. It’s a nice follow-up to Thanksgiving and the little breather we get before the next round of holidays.
I’m Sheridan Semple, Astrology Life Coach and Moon Sister Circle Guide, here to help you move from feeling stuck to finally getting traction—freeing yourself from old patterns (like scrolling your nights away or downing a half bottle of wine more often than you really want) so you can live with more space, ease, and authenticity.
You can download my free moon guide to live in sync with the lunar cycles here. And if you’re ready for deeper connection and support through the holiday season, consider joining my Moon Sister Circle (link at the button below). We’re in the final days of joining at the reduced first-year launch member price as we approach one year of the Circle. Jump in now if you’ve been wondering about it and keep your price locked in.
Wishing you well, happy Thanksgiving, and I’ll see you next Monday.
✨ With love,
Sheridan
Astrology Life Coach
