Merc in Taurus pauses mid-sign and plows in apparent backward motion at 1:35 AM PDT of the 21st, and our feeling may be deja vu all over again: It’s retrograde, again, already? *Sigh* We may be buried in ennui, as the moment of retrograde comes just minutes after the Moon passes over Mercury, conflating thinking and feeling, and confusing intuition and information. The topic is Taurean, but such a blend of mixed communications and emotions could leave us feeling insecure, unsure of those material supports we normally rely on, uncomfortable, and feeling we lack nourishment (especially nourishment of the mind).

The first aspect formed in Merc’s retreat will be a sextile to Mars in Cancer, suggesting that out of the confusion and sense of lack around the retro point emerges actions spurred by or that demonstrate caring. Whatever we go through with Merc’s turnaround inspires efforts, probably along the lines of making the environment better for ourselves or others. Material comforts may become a refuge at this point–take a Cancerian approach and soothe yourself with a few indulgences, the kind that speak to the part of us that needs to feel safe and nurtured, the part that needs to feel mothered/ Part of this retro period may be about seeking out those who are willing to, on occasion, offer that sort of unconditional kindness and support, or being willing to offer it ourselves (best course of action in offering or accepting nurture: do the opposite of your usual–if you normally receive support, reach out and give some yourself, and if you’re one of us who finds it hard to accept caretaking, open your arms wide–you’ll be surprised by who and what fills them!)

With the retro happening in Earth, we get the chance to reconsider what it is that we think we need to feel prosperous, to feel secure, to feel entrenched, but in a good way, a way that supports our creativity and forays out into the world. Merc’s retro mission is always to make sure you don’t think of things the same way by the time he goes direct again, and with his journey starting in (and remaining in) the Earth sign Taurus, we’re likely to re-think our resource and sustenance situation, to rearrange our world, to change our opinions, tastes, and practices so that we end up with a greater sense of security and comfort. It’s important we remember that, during a Merc retro, we can’t rely on the mind for totally accurate perceptions of the world; that’s why using the feelings to guide is not only vital, but able to offer the ‘missing pieces’ of the information pie.

It can help to examine the Sabian for the start of the period, if only to orient us to the tone matters might take. Here it’s, ‘An Old Teacher Fails To Interest His Pupils In Traditional Knowledge’. Are we surprised that we’ll be looking for something new? We shouldn’t be; if Mercury had continued on its previous direct course, it would’ve met Uranus as its next contact. That effectively means that the entire retro is a dance away from and then eventually back to an explosion of Uranian energy, which combined with Mercury suggests revolutionary (for us) thoughts. In direct motion Mercury conjoins Uranus on 4 June–mark your calendars, in more than one way there could be fireworks.

So what starts out as a frustrating stalemate, a re-hash where we’re no clearer on our feelings than we were pre-retro, becomes a revelatory experience–but be aware, this will take time to develop, so give things lots of leg room, lots of freedom to grow and change, and don’t look for any conclusions/ definitive answers before that early June date.

Don’t forget the Solar eclipse of the 19th, poised to wipe the slate clean and set the background noise (and sometimes the main attraction) for the coming 6 months.