Your essential guide to the week ahead from Citizen Femme’s resident astrologer, Zana Wilberforce.
It’s a week of clarity ahead as Mercury, planet of communication, turns direct on Tuesday. Hurrah, that’s the final retrograde of the year coming to a close – coincidentally on the same day as the US Election.
Planning a trip with others? Mercury will be in Libra on this day, the sign of balance, offering a chance at verbal clarity. Revisit an itinerary that didn’t seem to correlate a few weeks back.
Rolling into a new month, we’re doing things like a local with a spotlight on London’s soulful neighbourhoods. From historic pubs to chinwag-worthy watering holes, these are the sushi joints and coffee-to-cocktail itineraries to play with according to your (travel) horoscope of the week.
Capricorn: PRIMROSE HILL
December 22 – January 19
Plans have been murky lately, but this is all about to change as communication planet Mercury turns direct on Tuesday 3. As a sign that favours the finer things in life, a ramble around Primrose Hill’s perennial haunts promises a swish day out.
Start at Cowshed for a meditative pamper followed by lunch at Oka, an understated Japanese restaurant (the best kind) serving homemade sushi and springy dumplings. A take-away bottle of organic wine from Bottle Apostle is preferably enjoyed high up the grassy hill, overlooking the tops of trees and London’s vast skyline.
Aquarius: DEPTFORD
January 20 – February 18
The only direction this week is forward as mischievous Mercury turns direct on 3 November. Your creative flair so admired by the masses is, slowly but surely, back in business! With the current restrictions, resist the urge to book an exotic extravaganza in the immediate future.
Break the norm in Deptford’s genre-bending wine bars and multi-purpose taprooms. Badger Badger is Deptford’s latest coworking café and bar that serves crispy Japanese yakitori and too many board games to count. Dine at Marcella for unfussy Italian dishes followed by drinks at The Watergate, a new neighbourhood wine and cocktail bar from the team behind Buster Mantis. The latter is a neighbourhood classic with a brand-new Sunday roast menu.
Pisces: BRIXTON
February 19 – March 20
Mercury’s retrograde will finally come to an end on 3 November after a month-long backspin, bringing clarity in communication, travel and technology. The mood is social, and where better to fuel your endless creativity than Brixton’s gritty pubs and independent roasteries.
Stir Coffee is a neighbourhood favourite frequented by locals, as well as Hootenanny—a family-run music venue and pub with a roster of old-school DJ nights and live performances. Late night ragu at Cattivo, Brixton’s glossy go-to, needn’t go amiss.
Aries: BLACKHEATH
March 21 – April 19
As we move through Scorpio season, self-care is the macro-theme of the month for fiery Aries. Bring on a weekend of pottering and ambling through Blackheath’s pretty side streets. Start early with a creamy flat white from the Blackheath Pantry, a local favourite for its choice of pungent cheeses and freshly baked goods. Le Bar à Vin, formally “Le Bouchon”, is a Parisian-style wine bar in an alluringly rustic setting. Snag a window seat for views across the heath and most definitely sample the Époisses Fermier – which is essentially a more flavoursome brie.
Taurus: BERMONDSEY
April 20 – May 20
Mercury’s backspin through your Scorpio-ruled partnership zone comes to a halt this week on 3 November. Gather your social circle (of six) for a catch up at Maltby Street’s outdoorsy markets and buzzy restaurants in Bermondsey. The smell of delicious food wafts from one nook to the next in a parade of trucks and bars, where you can stand or sit in a socially distanced, alfresco setting. Mentally transport yourself to Barcelona at Bar Tozino, a cosy tapas spot hidden away under the railway arches – or to antiquity at LASSCO, an architectural salvage store selling some serious relics.
Gemini: SOHO
May 21 – June 20
Mischievous Mercury has been retrograde since 13 October, causing all sorts of cosmic commotion in the realm of communication. Clarity begins to take shape this Tuesday as Mercury, your ruling planet, turns direct.
Given your adventurous and changeable nature, Soho’s busy backstreets are Gemini personified. Your fast-moving mind will delight in back-to-back bar hopping, which feels a lot like hopscotching through time in this historic neck of the woods. Think leather-boothed Swift, a modern cocktail bar, versus the historic Duke of Argyll for a trustee pint. Mix it up some more with lunch at Blanchette for contemporary French cuisine.
Cancer: BLOOMSBURY
June 21 – July 22
With the sun still zooming through Scorpio, a spot of solitude in the heart of Bloomsbury is the recharge you require. The neighbourhood’s array of bookstores, coffee pit stops, and literary watering holes are a natural detox. Stop off at Persephone Books for shelves of beautifully restored women’s literature, or London Review Bookshop for a wide selection of contemporary fiction. La Fromagerie has an assortment of artisanal cheeses to take home to Château Cancer at the end of a day well spent.
Leo: PECKHAM
July 23 – August 22
A month of misinterpretation comes to an end this Tuesday as communication planet Mercury turns direct. Travel and technology are part of mischievous Merc’s make-up, meaning once-abandoned plans could resurface. As we spotlight London’s local gems for CF, Peckham’s warehouse ramen joints and rooftop wine bars, including Forza Wine (not to be confused with sibling Forza Win) are tempting. In need of retail therapy? Check out D.A.Y Boutique’s Scandi-inspired clothing and accessories from brands such as Samsøe Samsøe. If you’re currently engrossed in Love Life on BBC iPlayer, a TV series nostalgically depicting the joys of pre-pandemic nightlife in NYC, and, like us, find yourself bemoaning the city’s underground hotspots, make Peckham’s Bar Story your London replica.
Virgo: MARYLEBONE
August 23 – September 22
Your ruling planet, Mercury, has been backstroking through Scorpio and then Libra for the past month. Words are your forte, but what are they worth when meddling Merc’s been sending out mismatched signals? Prepare for change this Tuesday 3 as the third and final retrograde of the year comes to a close. Act like a local in Marylebone by lunching at Kol restaurant ahead of the hype. Chef Santiago’s latest venture showcases Mexican cuisine with British craftsmanship. Shreeji’s ace makeover is the stuff of Virgo dreams—we’re talking multi-functional spaces and pristine design.
Libra: SHOREDITCH
September 23 – October 22
Communication planet Mercury turns direct this Tuesday, 3 November, putting an end to these hazy few weeks. With the sun still zipping through Scorpio, tap into your introspective mood with a lonesome and lazy amble around Shoreditch. Hit up Lyle’s, a stylish restaurant in a former Blitz-surviving Tea Building. Founder and chef, James Lowe, showcases esteemed British cuisine served as à la carte lunches and set dinners. For retail therapy, swan around Redchurch Street and check out AIDA for Scandi-inspired steals on Shoreditch High Street.
Scorpio: NOTTING HILL
October 23 – November 21
Mercury turns direct this Tuesday, 3 November, after a month-long trip in retrograde. As love planet Venus slinks into Libra and your twelfth house of fantasy until November 21, plan a sumptuous outing with your significant other. Notting Hill’s cobbled mews and leafy streets are arguably the most romantic in London. Begin your amorous adventure at Bucket, a beachy, Mykonos-style restaurant serving seafood by the bucket. Boutique shops such as L’Appartement Sézane and Reformation have a way of mentally transporting guests to Paris and New York. The finale: Trailer Happiness, a hidden little rum den tucked in the higgledy-piggledy alleyways.
Sagittarius: HAMPSTEAD
November 22 – December 21
As Mercury corrects course after a month-long backspin, communication and travel plans begin to slowly re-emerge. Though a far-flung destination in the tropics couldn’t be more tempting for restless Sag, dubbed the traveller of the zodiac, embrace this moment of slowness. Local haunts in Hampstead are a refresh from the daily norm. Browse local bookstores such as Daunt Books and tuck into a hefty roast at The Flask. Staying local and embarking on slow strolls amid the leafy open spaces across Parliament Hill could inspire a fresh outlook on travel for future escapades to come.
Any Questions or Tips to add?