Get ready for a wild turkey of a weekend! This year, Thanksgiving Day is bookended by two big cosmic events, which could make for a few surprises. We’re definitely having Stove Top instead of potatoes in 2011, people.

On Wednesday, Mercury goes retrograde (backward) in Sagittarius until December 13. Mercury is the planet of transportation and communication, and its backspin (which happens three or four times a year) can cause delayed flights, bickering or misunderstandings. Deep breaths around the table, friends. Sagittarius rules long-distance travel, so there’s a double whammy of a chance that reaching your destination could have some … interesting … challenges. Mercury was retrograde in Sagittarius last Christmas, when folks around the world were stranded at airports due to crazy snowstorms. Here’s hoping the airlines learned from 2010 and are prepared just in case.

Thursday features an intimate Scorpio Moon in the daytime, making afternoon celebrations all about bonding and deep conversations. By the evening, the Sun moves into Sagittarius, the sign of abundance. Fourth helping of turkey, anyone? Sagittarius is over-the-top and optimistic, so go around the dinner table and say what you’re grateful for, even if it seems corny. Since we’ll all have overindulged, balance it out with the Sagittarius party spirit. Turn on some fun pop music and dance off that dinner instead of slipping into a tryptophan “turkey coma.”

On Friday, a new moon solar eclipse falls in Sagittarius. Black Friday indeed! Solar eclipses occur when the Earth is directly between the Sun and the Moon, blocking out the light. This means the rules are suspended temporarily. We all may be a bit disoriented about our limits. In some ways, this is good: We human beings impose limits on ourselves based on fear. A positive use of this eclipse would be to take a risk (Sag is the gambler) and do something radically out of the ordinary that you’ve always wanted to try. Since Sagittarius knows no limits, leave those credit cards at home when you hit the Black Friday sales.

Saturday and Sunday find us more earthbound, when the Moon and harmonious Venus move into traditional Capricorn. Since Cap is the “father sign,” and Venus rules love, there may be some old-fashioned fellas asking Daddy permission to propose. You might get the urge to do something nostalgic, like taking pictures with Santa, going to a tree lighting or making a favorite family recipe. On Sunday, a grand trine in practical Earth signs between the Moon, Venus, Pluto, Mars and Jupiter (whoa!) turns our attention to security. We could have a serious case of buyer’s remorse after a blowout Black Friday spree. Save your receipts! Since Earth signs like order and structure, this is also a great day for cleaning, organizing or a massive home improvement project.