Tag Archives: Mercury retrograde

The Summer of Us, 2025

28 Saturday Jun 2025

Posted by in astrology, forecast, Mercury Direction, Mercury retrograde, Mystic Rectangle, Retrogrades + Directions

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‘Summer Night’ By Harald Sohlberg 1899 {{PD}}

By ‘us’ I mean each of us, individually, as the upcoming Mercury retrograde is contained entirely within Leo, focusing our thoughts, concerns, communications, judgments, conclusions, and revelations, whether we want them to or not, firmly on ourselves and our roles, socially, with our families, and within the greater scheme of the Cosmos. Leo intends to show whatever passes through it how to ‘shine’, but that useful reveal could be thwarted by our own reluctance to appear selfish, out of fear if we take our eye off our duties we might fail our relationships or those who rely on us, or from simple modesty–it’s not uncommon to want to inspect ourselves and our Soul’s work privately, and the Leo spotlight may feel not just too revealing, but as if we’re seeking attention–but you need to know, that’s not what’s happening, at all.

Personal enlightenment is one goal during this retro cycle, while gaining a better understanding of ourselves within the current parameters of our lives is another. One mistake easily made is to believe during the cycle we’ll sufficiently understand what we learn and what it means, that we can immediately charge forward (which is something, of course, that saucy Fire sign Leo will encourage us to do). We’ll need both processing time and the perspective that automatically comes when we are a step or two past the retro season. For instance, just as Merc retrogrades it’ll sextile Venus in Gemini–which almost certainly will persuade us we know and understand the ‘lay of the land’ in terms of both relationships and asset earning and usage; we may quite literally believe ‘we know what we think’ (Gemini). The problem is that, just as our capacity to handle things with the mind is withdrawn, we’ll get the impression that we’ve hit on what we need to know about Venusian matters; that’s when we’ve got to remember that feeling, sensation, intuition, sentiment, Love are how we gather knowledge during Merc retro–all else is misinterpreted or incomplete, lacking a full picture, or crucial details, of situations or events.

The moment of retrograde comes on the 18th at 9:45 AM PDT at 15 Leo 34, during a last quarter Moon on its way to the Dark period, suggesting a kind of ‘winding down’, energetically speaking. Merc will turn around sesquiquadrate Saturn, which will go retrograde itself just 5 days before; this suggests that understanding what’s concrete or solid, and what a barrier, rule, or prohibition actually means, may be a significant challenge during this period. Rules may not be clear, and the smartest option may, consistently, be to wait for direction to make a choice, decide, or to inspect circumstances again in a new light. At the time Neptune, which retros on the 4th, will still be conjoined Saturn; use the influence to make dreams a reality, and to give the imagined goal physical form, rather than succumbing to misleading or confusing detritus that only clouds the picture.

And, in less than a day, the Moon in Taurus will move into position to create a brief T-square with Mercury and the Black Moon Lilith point in Scorpio. This may bring feelings and intuitions about stability, security, and resources to the fore, and encourage us to believe this is the whole picture; not only will we be missing the details, we may also be ignoring those things we find less than positive, those things that threaten to destroy our emotional or mental balance, or which through neglect or refusal to acknowledge we have buried like a ticking time bomb somewhere out of sight.

The 29th retro Merc will semi-sextile Jupiter in Cancer, bringing enormous optimism into play. Remember, using the intuition and feeling nature at this time is the way to gain information, with the caveat being that we may accept that as the whole picture–which it definitely is not. This may feel like a high, and could urge us to put things in motion too soon–and the feeling carries over to the Inferior Conjunction, where it just might take on an exaggerated sense of urgency.

The Inferior Conjunction, the meeting of the Sun and Mercury during Mercury’s apparent retrograde phase, occurs on 1 August at 9 Leo. Within the past week both bodies will have opposed Pluto in Aquarius, suggesting interludes of despair, the threat of obliteration, an awareness of mortality or the inevitability of change, or realization of the power to transform–so it’s not like we’re hitting the Conjunction free of shadows, fears, or insecure in some way. With this as background, the Inferior point could see us vowing to overcome, to meet the challenge, or to give up and release ourselves to the flow of events.

For once this Conjunction doesn’t really serve us taking a new perspective or beginning anew; we’d do better to tell ourselves there’s no need to start over, that all that has happened was necessary to deliver us to our current position. Reminding ourselves of the eternal nature of the Soul (Leo) is needed–and if that’s not true, if instead we wink out of existence when it’s all over, that should be in its own way reassuring as well, because in either case, there’s nothing to fear.

Mercury’s direction occurs on 11 August at 4 Leo 14, and there’s an unusual amount of harmony among bodies, even as some of these combos are potent and possibly a little threatening. Mercury turns around at the rough midpoint of the Mars-Uranus trine, is opposed Pluto, and is trine the still extant Neptune-Saturn conjunction–and of course all these other entities make their own contacts to one another, as well. This forms a Mystic Rectangle among Mercury, Mars, Pluto, and Saturn-Neptune. Mystic Rectangles allow the four or more involved energies to function in a way that makes for a larger positive whole than we could’ve assembled from the pieces singly. In this case, we should expect the Truth, how to apply this to what we think and what we do, making areas to transform clear and the path to implement the dream obvious. The one energy left out of this equation, but which still contacts Mercury, is the sextile to Uranus–so the fact of surprise, revelation, innovation, or unexpected upheaval may be the trigger that sets off fate-shaping events.

Don’t expect it all to be revealed at once, despite the big impact the direction might deliver. The Pisces Moon passes over its own North Nodal point on that day, suggesting we become aware of our life direction in a big, Universal way, as Luna heads toward the upcoming eclipses of September. Don’t expect to enter autumn without having undergone a summer of change, and a reinvigorating of, and reinvestment in, your life.

Your Word Image for this week: ‘Mistaken Identity’

Defining Ourselves

25 Monday Nov 2024

Posted by in astrology, Mercury retrograde, Pluto Into Aquarius, Retrogrades + Directions, Saturn in Pisces

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‘The Butterfly Girl’ By Winslow Homer 1878 {{PD}}

As Pluto moves out of Capricorn (not to return in our lifetimes), we are consumed with ridding ourselves of the last vestiges of institutions, restrictions, boundaries, restraints, barriers, rules, and authorities that seem to be holding us back–but the operative word here is ‘seem’. That final pass of Pluto through the 29th degree of Capricorn, that began in September and lasted through November 19th, ground down on our last nerve and made us feel that if we didn’t throw off our chains, we’d lose any chance at freedom–forever. That’s Pluto at his most dramatic, threatening oblivion and wipe out, when the real agenda is change–or clear the boards–or even transformation, which can be a butterfly-delicate business. Leaving Capricorn means leaving behind much we’ve come to see as steadying, reliable, safe–we understand these rules, whether we like them or not–and entering Aquarius what we are most likely to sense is approaching chaos–and that can make even the coolest of us panic. Every time you feel that fear of anarchy rising, remind yourself that this lack of constraints is something we’ve silently been wishing for–and that what we’re enjoying now is the opportunity for significant Self-determination, the development of our individuality, originality, and expression unique to us. That’s a great gift, if we can release our fear of the unknown and embrace trust in ourselves, believing we’re able to handle whatever comes.

Mercury moves into apparent retrograde motion at 22 Sagittarius 40 on the 25th, and it may take a few hours (or days) to feel it’s moving backward reliably; it’s almost like the stationary period leading up to the retro has been extra trying, making us question what we know and what we believe, and we may remain in that state until it picks up speed (certainly by the 29th, when Merc pulls out of its quincunx to Uranus). That will remove the sense of unpredictability to what we hear, think about, absorb, or perceive mentally–and in its place the way should open to using the feeling nature in making choices and understanding our surroundings (look at the states of natal Moon, transiting Moon, and natal and transiting Venus, for best ways to read, approach, and handle current events).

Remember, trusting our intuition, those things we ‘know but don’t know’, and the feeling conduit we each have that feeds info directly from nature/ the ether/ our surroundings/ people around us to our bodies is vital to accept without letting our mind take over and question those perceptions. We find this knowledge not just in that flood of ‘knowing’ that can occur; it’s also available through the pit in our stomach, the flutter of our heart, the chill to our bones, or the hair standing on end, just to name a few of our most effective non-mental information mechanisms. During a Merc retro period these sensations must be honored as genuine sources of guidance–anything less just means we will turn to the (just for now) incomplete and unreliable mental assessment of the situation–and for the present that’s what we need to avoid.

One other thing I’d like to point out: Saturn in Pisces isn’t getting much contact from other bodies currently, but it’s the kind of energy we’d do well to take active advantage of. It’s offering ways in which we can take ideas into reality, giving the imagination or the ideals concrete, lasting forms. All you need to do is tap into it through appropriate effort–Saturn rewards work–and once you start it can lend an inspired air to what you build or give form, and pulls in some surprising inspiration and support along the way.

Just a thought, but one I think worth mentioning: consider who you are, what you see yourself as, and then consider how that changes when you remove from your definition all the things you are against. Too often we define ourselves via what we don’t want, like, or support–but that focus on a negative can backfire, drawing it to us, making the thing we hate or reject a stronger part of us than we realize. For instance, if you were a cancer researcher, and suddenly a cure was found that meant no one would suffer this disease again, how would that affect your idea of you? Until then you had seen yourself as a warrior against cancer–but with cancer no longer a danger, who do you become, and what do you do with that energy that was dedicated to eradicating something you’d made central to your life? This issue isn’t always that obvious or dramatic, but still worth addressing, as we can all use as much available energy as possible right now. I would suggest allowing yourself to dwell only on those things you want to be, live like, do, while refusing to dedicate any energy to what you find unacceptable–see if shifting your attention to the positive doesn’t lighten the load, and free up energy in unexpected and refreshing ways.

Have a lovely week, everyone!

Mercury Retrograde 5 August 2024 Living With Uncertainty

05 Monday Aug 2024

Posted by in astrology, Mercury retrograde, Sun/Mercury Inferior Conjunction

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Bangasayusang, semi-seated contemplative Maitreya probably from Silla, circa early 7th century. Height: 93.5 cm. National Museum of Korea Korea Open Government License Type I: Attribution.

Mercury began its apparent backtracking motion earlier today at 4 Virgo 05–so what should we expect? This retrograde starts in an Earth sign, one that’s ruled by Mercury itself, one that is focused on thought processes, language, comprehension, mental perceptions, the harvest/ results of efforts, and keeping careful track of these (Virgo). Add to this those things Mercury stands for: quickness, facility with thought and language, on-a-dime changeability, communication, contracts and agreements, and then focus difficulties with or withdrawal of forward progress in these matters through the lens of the natal House where the retrograde occurs. We must also look to Houses ruled by Mercury (Virgo and Gemini) and any aspects transiting retrograde Mercury makes to natal placements. That’s the formula for understanding the personal picture–but there are some general things that apply to the cycle no matter what House it occurs in with the natal chart, or what things it aspects for you personally.

Mercury starts retro motion poised to meet Venus, which has just entered Virgo; they’re already close enough to be considered in contact, and that paints a particular picture, one where we may try very hard to apply the mental faculties to relationship and/ or asset-related matters but find that either the mind is a distracting chatterbox that won’t let us focus, or that we can’t seem to form a clear thought at all. Mercury in Virgo asks us to make an accounting, to keep track, to know where we stand, to know who is entitled to what, and is dedicated to keeping both the facts and the results of our labor distributed accurately–but along comes the retro and we lose our mental grip–and though it’s uncomfortable, it’s supposed to happen. We are meant during a Mercury retro to stop relying so heavily on cognitive functions and open ourselves temporarily to the senses and the feeling nature to gain information.

The Moon will move over Merc just hours after retro, injecting a spark of intuitive insight or information delivered through the emotions, just the kind of thing a retro is meant to bring about. Note how this feels, and use that feeling throughout the retro time; taking a feeling-centered approach will provide your best and most accurate sources of both info and understanding, until Merc goes direct, on the 28th.

The next contact will be a quincunx to Pluto, itself retrograde at the moment. That likely delivers an urge to dig, overturn, reform, resurrect, or stirs our impulse to transform, and this is probably something we’ve either been contemplating through Higher Mind or involves radical alteration or ahead-of-the-pack innovation or creation (Aquarius). These aspects kick off our Mercury in Virgo retro experience, which overall will ask us to review material matters by asking ourselves: what do I have, and what do I think I should have? With both Venus and Pluto involved in the retrograde point, we shouldn’t be surprised that this question will be asked in relation not just to assets and their distribution (Venus, Virgo) but to relationships (Venus) and to big energies of permanent change (Pluto). We could, by the end of the cycle, discover we’ve made up our minds about what (or who) must go, about what must be eliminated, for our own good.

We should note that Mercury will pass back into Leo, where it will quincunx Neptune and then meet the Sun in Inferior Conjunction (the 18th), while at the same time as this latter aspect square Uranus. Moving back into Leo brings the focus back to ourselves as individuals, and asks: who do we think we are? and what do we think we’re good at? The contact to a 29 degree planet of creativity and delusion (Neptune)may be especially stressful, ramping up the feeling both that ‘something’s wrong’ and that we are out of control or unable to receive any info accurately. Again, this is a perception, not necessarily a reality. The Inferior Conjunction marks a point in time where new things are born–in this case, likely new ideas about who we are (Leo)–and the square to Uranus adds the element of surprise, the influence of chaos, or a shock, possibly related to our role within the larger group.

In just over three weeks (the 28th) Mercury will resume forward motion–but that’s the thing: it doesn’t really move backwards at all, it just looks that way from our vantage point on Earth. When the retro occurs we think (Mercury) things are suddenly different, that Mercury-related things don’t work right, are uncooperative, or can’t be fathomed by our mysteriously addled thought processes–and certainly, the feedback we get during the retro reinforces this; the mistake would be to think these things are happening outside ourselves. They are perceptual, and that means they are distortions of the norm, specifically meant to make us pause and re-think, to access and use the feeling nature and the intuition (which in too many of us are neglected, or spurned in favor of more tangible info, even, and particularly, when those feelings contradict what seem to be the facts before us), and access to the intuitive and feeling is spurred by the fact that how we typically process and judge information just isn’t working. That’s the gift of Mercury retro: it slows us down and realigns the ways we take in information. Relying too much on any one thing to process life events, our choices, our needs (the mind, the intuition, the feelings, what others tell us) will hobble the perceptual abilities overall. The Mercury retro helps us break out of those constrictions we assign ourselves. Relax, embrace as many ways of gaining input as possible, and accept that it’s likely we’ll have to wait until after direction to draw very many conclusions or make definitive statements. And that’s the way it’s meant to be.

Lunar Eclipse in Libra 2024 The Power of the Feminine

20 Wednesday Mar 2024

Posted by in astrology, Full Moon, goddess energy, Lunar Aspects, Lunar Eclipse, Mercury retrograde, Sabian Symbols

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‘Portrait of Three Women’ By Charles Giron, before 1914 {{PD}}

The Lunar eclipse perfects just as the 24th becomes the 25th, 12 AM Pacific time (12:12:51, to be precise), but begins at 9:53 PM of the 24th and concludes at 2:32 AM. This is a penumbral eclipse, meaning the Earth, as it comes between the Moon and Sun, with all lined up on the ecliptic, will only block at portion of the Sun’s reflected light; that means the shadow itself may be hard to see, as the Moon will only appear dimmed from our vantage point here on Earth.

A Lunar eclipse is, always, a Full Moon, with eclipses occurring at points when the transiting lights are close to the Nodal axis points (the Nodes are determined by the points at which the Moon crosses the apparent path of the Sun). The opposition between Moon and Sun occurs at 5 Libra 07, with the Moon widely conjoined (but moving toward) the South Node and the Sun in Aries approaching conjunction with the North. There are only a few aspects to what I consider major bodies, so I played around with some of the named asteroids, a consequence of my computer failure and astro program then being unavailable, and my need to use other than my usual sources, a kind of serendipity, I suppose, that takes us on a female energy-oriented path expressed through this Lunar culmination.

Pallas in Sagittarius forms a sextile to the Lunar eclipse, suggesting that a matter of wisdom and/ or practicality will be part of what motivates our response to events; we find ways to answer what comes forward using our beliefs (which either shows their validity or shows their need for revision) or using our own knowledge and the facts at hand. The knowledge we have (or lack) is instrumental to both the source of the Full Moon event and its resolution. The opposing Sun is conjoined Hera (the Greek version of Juno) in Aries, suggesting a kind of Solar power (that is an animus-aligned, ‘doing’ power) displayed by the goddess, the queen of Mt. Olympus and all the gods–but a queen known for her response to being disrespected by her husband-king. She gained a reputation for enraged vengeance–but how can we blame her, as her actions arose from a sense of powerlessness within her particular situation? So perhaps we should ponder where in our own lives are we in a position where we should be able to exercise real power and choice, but are prevented from it, by uncooperative partners or others who don’t respect us.

The eclipse also forms a wide trine to Pluto in Aquarius, which itself happens to be conjoined Psyche. Again, we see a kind of victim motif, one where we’re being ‘kept in the dark’, as Psyche was by her husband Eros (Pluto as the dominating, ‘dark’ male, the one with the power to destroy, change, or control. See a theme here? I think it’s ‘The partner who exerts power by disregarding and disrespecting, with a little gaslighting thrown in!’ And with Pluto involved, this may feel like an intense, life or death situation). Eros is at 16 Taurus, conjoined Jupiter with both quincunx the South Node and sextile Venus in Pisces, forming a Finger of God–and Venus is Eros’ mother, the one who both instigated the string of events that inadvertently brought Psyche and Eros together, and the one who views Psyche as a rival, as she not only took away Eros’ attention, she was as beautiful as Venus, validated by Zeus when he made Psyche immortal and allowed her to taste the Ambrosia of the gods.

Add to this that Cupido–Cupid is the Roman name for Eros–is in Cancer, sextile Juno, quincunx Pallas, and square the Lunar eclipse, suggesting that how much the partner cares will figure in to how smart their response to the scenario will be. In this myth, Venus displayed some of those negative Venusian traits: jealousy, envy, vindictiveness, aimed at the mortal who dared to replace her (speaking from Venus’ viewpoint). So, we have a dynamic energy in play that mirrors at least some of the eclipse energy: exaggerated passions/ sense of ownership, control of the partner, ‘rights’ and privileges trampled and conferred, and secrecy (Jupiter-Eros) combines with jealousy or envy, or possibly beauty or reward/ value (Venus) to create a familiar partnership, relationship, or Arts-oriented situation from the past (South Node in Libra).

If an eclipse is a wipe-out energy, we may wonder why it’s returning us to something already lived. We can’t forget that Merc is due to retro on 1 April, with the Solar eclipse due a week later; the turnaround of Mercury will occur in Aries and remain there for the entire 3 weeks, and this happens to be the sign of the Lunar Sun and Solar eclipse. That points us toward a larger theme of reconsidering ourselves, our Self-image and Self-concept, our actions, choices, and motives, about who we are and how we think about ourselves, with the Lunar eclipse a kind of kick-off point for the journey, where we start by considering our partnerships or other alliances, and what they may impose on us.

A few more interesting tidbits: Sappho is conjoined Pallas and so sextile the Lunar event=passion, and passion for the Arts, align us with what’s wise at this point, though we can too easily tip into potential Self-sacrifice, if we take things at a dramatic (that is, exaggerated) level. Nobody needs to throw themselves off a cliff, no matter how nasty the relationship with the partner reveals itself to be. Circe is quincunx the eclipse from Pisces=Circe is the enchanter of men, who rather ruthlessly turned them to pigs, in a part-punishment, part humiliation that allowed her to keep total control. I think we need to see this not as a woman seeking power over men (though that’s definitely part of the context), but as someone in a traditionally disempowered role (that of a woman) calling the shots and then going a teensy bit overboard. This harks back to Hera, to the attempt to right wrongs (or at least to extract a measure of vengeance and satisfaction for oneself). I’m seeing this as a kind of warning, an admonition: extremes won’t give us the satisfaction we desire, and ultimately, won’t give us what we want (remember, Odysseus and at least some of his men escaped Circe’s domain). And we see Diana, Huntress and goddess of the Moon, sextile the Lunar eclipse from Leo=here’s an example of a woman empowered in herself, as an individual force. She’s a specific kind of Nature goddess, one who reigns over animals, the woodland, and fertility, with her Lunar association suggesting she is tuned in to the rhythms of both natural and planetary cycles. Her role here might be to remind us that our expressions of power are most effective in the right context–that is, in the areas and roles where we best ‘fit’ in life. That requires of us a good understanding of who we are, and what we are adept at–as always, knowing ourselves is more helpful than almost anything else.

A final contact, and maybe the most important one, is a sesquiquadrate of Uranus to the Lunar eclipse. Uranus rules the transiting Pluto position, that dynamic, dark force in the current Lunar equation, and promises the unexpected, the unanticipated, the shocking, the surprising, the revolutionary and revelatory, coming from difficult or unpleasant facets (the sesquiquadrate) of this event. Brace yourself for new, forward-oriented, innovative aspects to figure in, even to seemingly come out of nowhere, at this time.

The Sabian for the Full Moon is, ‘A Man Watches His Ideals Taking A Concrete Form Before His Inner Vision’. This is about seeing those vague spiritual and creative ideals we carry inside take on a physical form that we can then use to translate them into the world. If we can see it clearly with the inner eye, we can make it happen in a way that materially impacts the world, simple as that. The Sun Sabian is, ‘A Square, With One Of Its Sides Brightly Illumined’. The thing about squares is that each side is exactly the same as the others; it’s their sense of absolute equality among the parts that draws our attention–so what does it suggest when one side is illuminated? We might observe that some gain the spotlight even when they seem no different than anyone else–but we should look again; they are successfully ‘shining’, precisely because the role they are playing completely fits their assets, talents, and abilities. This harks back to our consideration of the ‘Diana’ energy, a knowing who we are that surpasses any ‘shape’ others may want us to take. This eclipse gives us myriad examples of power expression of the anima, ‘being’ energy–it’s up to us to choose carefully among them.

Sorry there’s no chart this time. I’m working on it!

Highlights of the Current Picture 4-12 December 2023: Emotional Grounding

04 Monday Dec 2023

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‘A Storm in the Rocky Mountains, Mt. Rosalie’ By Albert Bierstadt 1866 {{PD}}

We’re at the midway point with the Moon between Full and New, currently in Virgo, aspiring to organize, account for, and produce (good goals all, though we carry inhumanly high expectations for ourselves and our output in this sign). This is the point where we start to feel our energy wane, a little more tired each day, a little slower to recover, until we hit the Dark of the Moon and go into mini-hibernation (as we should! That lasts midday the 9th through New Moon on the 12th).

What I really want to talk about, though, is a Water Grand Trine formed by Venus, new in Scorpio, Saturn in Pisces, and Vesta in Cancer. This may feel like ‘new’ emotional territory, feelings from the depths, from and about things you never imagined and that reach into your core and into whatever you call ‘home’. In that way, what comes up may be a little scary–but also revelatory, giving us a way to ground ourselves through the experience of feeling. Usually we’re disoriented by such a wash of emotion; this time it brings a kind of stability, simply through giving us clarity about our feelings, and by showing us how strongly we actually feel, and in that way can act as invaluable guidance to matters facing us right now.

Pallas and Black Moon Lilith are sextile, with BML trine/ Pallas opposed Jupiter in Taurus=our wisdom and our desire to banish certain factors from our lives are both exceptionally strong at present; what we need to know is that we tend to exaggerate both our smarts in handling things and our need to rid ourselves of certain elements, and that can lead to, say it with me, overdoing our response. It doesn’t help that Sedna hovers at 29 Taurus trine Pluto in Capricorn=this feels like a crisis in the reliability of our own instincts and inner knowledge, with the fear that destruction of what we rely on for support may ensue, if we can ever see clearly what’s happening! We may be far more vehement at this time than is necessary, which can lead to burning bridges we may someday want to cross again. Realize that everything is heightened currently, both our perceptions and our reactions, and tone down responses–it may seem fireworks are called for in our answers, when being mild may actually go a lot farther.

What current conditions really call for is an ability to live with uncertainty. This will feel contradictory to all those intense feelings will have, but the reality we might want to aim for is this: feel the feelings, but don’t think you have to do something about them right away. Blame it on Mars in Sagittarius squaring the Black Moon Lilith point, and then see that, by definition, Mars in Sag encourages actions and choices based on facts and knowledge, or based in faith. Just be careful that we don’t confuse what we want to be true with what is–if you believe it, make sure the facts back it up.

The 7th through 12th Mercury in Capricorn gives us an Earth Grand Trine with the Black Moon Lilith point and Jupiter. That’s the period that promises we’ll understand the real-world impact of what we’ve been feeling, and also when we’ll understand what we think of things, and what of those thoughts need to be shared with the wider world, what needs to be ignored, for now. By the 12th Mercury will have stationed in preparation for its retrograde, which occurs just before midnight PST of the 12th. A retro in Earth suggests we will re-think our material position, our surroundings, what we are materially creating in our world, and how and whether this truly suits us. The retro beginning just hours after the New Moon implies that what new feelings are born or direction taken will require this re-think–so proceed over the next week-and-a-half knowing that fresh positions and fresh attitudes will come about, can’t be hurried, and knowing that, at least some of the pressure to act on feelings may be relieved, as we see that responses may all be a little premature.

Pointing Out the Magic, Pointing Out the Poison

07 Thursday Sep 2023

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, Finger of God

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‘The Magic Mantle’ By Isobel Lilian Gloag 1898 {{PD}}

Neptune is involved with a pair of Fingers of God, once as apex, once in the base, but both times posing a question: how much of what we think we know is real? We have the Black Moon Lilith point in Leo sextile Ceres in Libra, with Neptune in Pisces apex, suggesting that those things we’ve ignored or denied, those things we’ve crushed down and hoped not to have to deal with (and they’re things about who we are, they concern what makes us shine, what we present to others as a genuine way of Being–Leo), combined with our sense of personal authority and autonomy, those instances and circumstances in which we call the shots, hold power, or have the power to negotiate, and this may involve areas where we hold sway over others (particularly the partner or spouse–Libra). Our personal authority meets those things about ourselves we’d rather pretend don’t exist–and voila! We are either shown how we have met these challenges in ways that conform to our ideals, in a perfection of the spiritual and the creative, or we are shown how misguided we have been, how we have fooled ourselves–and in each case, we are given the way to make the most of where we find ourselves.

The other Finger has a base of Neptune with Pluto in Capricorn, apex the Black Moon Lilith point. Here are related energies, and so related opportunities, in this case to take what we find, the magic of the ideal within us, or the poison of delusion we’ve accidentally consumed, and we have the chance to transform it, with the way out via Black Moon Lilith–that is, the way out is through, found in confronting whatever it is we’ve been avoiding.

I hear a groan rising through the ether. We are tired; we need rest, and positivity, and a sense of hope, you might assert–and I agree, though I would say that what we really need is positivity that reflects the real: real assets, real talents, our most genuine qualities, and a sense of hope that isn’t waiting for rescue, but that is instead founded in our own willingness to embrace the power and make the transformation happen ourselves (Pluto in Capricorn). These Fingers are pointing the way: to what we are, what we need to do, to what we can become. That’s a very useful and promising place to find ourselves.

Pallas is also opposed Neptune=if we’re willing to set aside our fantasies, to see clearly, to be practical, willing to accept that certain kinds of magic are real and that the ideal really can be our daily guide, we’ll have direct access to wisdom, within and without, a set of directions aimed at a successful harvest and accounting (Pallas in Virgo).

There are actually two other Fingers of note: Neptune sextile Uranus, apex South Node-Zeus, and Black Moon Lilith sextile Vesta, apex Pluto. With Neptune-Uranus we are given the sudden revelation, one based in ideals or in our own creative outreach to the Universe, which together offer reassessment of the past and how that shaped/ shapes our desire nature and current ambitions, especially concerning aesthetics, the Arts, and/ or our partnerships or romantic relationships (SN-Zeus in Libra). We’re offered a chance to perhaps change our interpretation of our own past behaviors; I would hope that means we will judge ourselves more kindly than we might’ve previously.

With BML and Vesta we see how those things we’ve avoided dealing with on the domestic scene, in our most serious and passionate commitments, and in those matters we find sacred, have become somehow unavoidable at this point–and we are seeing it’s a do-or-die moment, a time to come clean, transform the energy into something powerful (because the Truth will always generate an incredible engine for righteous change), a time to make permanent improvements, or to get rid of some troublesome issue entirely (Pluto as apex).

We also have Eris conjoined the North Node in Aries, which may give us the impression that making change will stir up a veritable sh*t storm–but the only sh*t flying will be stuff that needed to come out in the open and so lose it’s stink. We may fear anything that makes others angry is our fault, but that’s just one of those Aries-tinged egotisms–people will be angry on their own, without any help from us. Not totally reassuring, but we should proceed knowing that fear of what might come out is overblown, and the need for it to come out is overdue.

Mercury is still retrograde through midday Pacific time of the 15th, so we’re going to have to remain aware the thinking may be unreliable until Merc’s in good forward motion, but Venus has recently gone direct, so that the feeling nature may be freshly tuned-up and ready to go–especially when those sensitivities are applied to the Self (Venus in Leo). Uranus has recently gone retro; with the slower bodies those shifts in direction are more subtle, the station-change-station pattern playing out over more time, and so not felt as acutely. In this case Uranus is backtracking in Taurus and perhaps bringing our attention to material matters we haven’t really been seeing the actual state of or details surrounding, particularly those related to the matters of the natal House where Uranus is currently in transit. There will be some surprises, of course, some shocks, a few revelations–but what we must avoid is bullheaded pushing forward, rebellion for rebellion’s sake, that can become so tempting with Uranus in retrograde, and especially when Uranus makes hard contact during that backward journey to other transiting bodies (that affects all of us) or to our natal placements (a little static electricity generated just for us).

Mercury Retrograde 23 August 2023: Look To The Moon

23 Wednesday Aug 2023

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‘Reaching for the Moon’ By Edward Mason Eggleston {{PD}}

Mercury has just begun one of its periodic apparent backward journeys, at 21 Virgo 51, right around 1 PM Pacific time–so we brace for the usual reviews, retreads, reorientations, reminiscences, and with any luck, can avoid most potential regrets, by proceeding with the awareness that the mind is not a suitable device for understanding or comprehending at this time. That awareness, this time around, is doubly difficult to grasp, since the retro happens in one of Merc’s own signs, the earthy but mentally-attuned Virgo. We feel the urge (and our surroundings naturally prompt us) to use thoughts to discern the truth, rightness, or validity of things, and yet that’s the very instrument we should avoid using!

Using the mind is especially seductive as Mercury turns around and runs right back into the arms of Pallas, which will be the first major non-lunar contact after retro. That says we’ll try our damnedest to be smart about things, to access wisdom, to be practical, to respect our own skill set–and yet we are doomed not to see things clearly–the song that plays during every Mercury retrograde.

We’re hobbled by the unexpected; normally during a retrograde of the Messenger we can turn to the feeling nature of Venus for perceptual info, for using the barometer of what’s dear to us to make our choices fit a context we can’t quite otherwise see–but now we suffer from Venus retrograde, as well, and that just sends us looking for another faculty with which to assess the landscape.

We find it in Luna. The Moon offers us a more fluid feeling ability (it’s in Scorpio as Mercury starts to back up) and it throws in the bonus of intuition, accurate if the Moon’s not aspecting something in our natal chart that’s reactionary in the presence of emotion and emotional perception. This suggests that we should look to our own inner emotional tides for illumination of other circumstances; rather than thinking, we go within and feel, trusting our emotional perceptions to convey the information we need, that we’d normally glean from the mind.

This can be harrowing, especially for those who are ‘married to their minds’ (have lots of natal Air placements), but should provide a field day for those who are Water-attuned; they’ll quite literally be ‘in their element’. I would suggest that as the Moon progresses during the approximate 3 weeks of retrograde we continue to check its position, and particularly the sign it’s in, daily; though the Scorpionic urge to depth of feeling echoes throughout the Merc retro period, the daily placement of Luna will add its own qualities and viewpoint to our attempts to process information, and conscious awareness of these qualities will only help us navigate and get the most from our intuitions and feelings. And, if the transiting Moon at any point forms a hard aspect to a natal point or placement, you will know that for a few hours ideas and impulses around the placement’s concepts or related to House matters may be unreliable, overly emotional–so that you can then defer related choices until the Moon passes.

It’s notable that the Scorpio Moon in the Merc retro chart is opposed Uranus and essentially forming a T-square with the Black Moon Lilith point. Be ready during the retro for emotional revelation, for the surprising and unusual, for those things ignored or denied to arise once again and demand attention–and look to the material realm (Taurus) for the messages it sends, the symbolisms it lays at our feet. The same rules apply: use feeling, use intuition, use emotional intelligence (otherwise known as maturity) to the greatest extent possible, and you’ll come out the other side of the retro if not unscathed, at least much much wiser.

Expect a difficult, emotionally tense situation on the day of Mercury’s Inferior Conjunction with the Sun, 6 September. It’s a new seed point for something driven by feeling, as indicated by the transiting Moon’s square from Gemini to the Sun-Merc combo (and at this point Venus will have stationed direct, perhaps giving us access to the feeling nature in a way that makes us think it’s an ‘all clear’ for making decisions). The temptation will be to believe the head over the intuition–just remember that things processed mentally now will be missing some key information, or we will be unaware of some important circumstance, that might otherwise change our assessment of them.

When Mercury stations direct, on 15 September 2023, it does so at 8 Virgo 00, primed to be sextiled by the Moon, once again in Scorpio, on the 18th, but otherwise not forming any aspect anytime soon. We may have to feel our way in the post-direction period, as well, with the themes of depth and change still present from retro times–and that suggests we might almost undergo a purge of sorts, a re-making and re-forming of our feeling sensibilities, by the time all is said and done.

Mercury Retrograde 21 April 2023 What, Again?

19 Wednesday Apr 2023

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‘The Thistle Flower House’ By Paul Klee {{PD}}

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.

A Resurgence of Love: Mercury Retrograde 29 December 2022

28 Wednesday Dec 2022

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During this retro and the lead up to it, we’re going to see the gaps in our close relationships, and awareness of that distance will probably be a little scary.’The Early Lovers’ By Eastman Johnson 1870 {{PD}}

Mercury technically switches apparent direction in the wee hours of the 29th PST, at 1:32 AM, but as per usual, it’s been stationary for a bit, so that we know what’s coming, whether we admit it or not. We’ve been previewing change and shifts in what used to make us feel secure, particularly in the realm of relationships and who holds the power. Merc officially takes on retro status closely conjoined Venus, with an exact meeting scheduled right after the retro. This confirms that Love, especially in partner relationships, is on the agenda, hinted at in the run up to the retro by Merc’s sextiles to Neptune and Juno in Pisces (we see where our empowerment in partnership might be a fantasy, and we become aware of what might be ideal), and involvement in a Cardinal Grand Cross with Zeus, Eris, and Pallas (we’re consumed by the conflicts among what we desire, what’s wise or practical, what’s worth going to war over! and what discord has been beneath the surface all along. Note Pallas moves on but this remains as a T-square for New Year’s, suggesting desires and related strife will still be on our minds, and in the air).

What have we been seeing about the partner or other intimate? We’re seeing the places where the foundation might be shaky, where our accord might not be as solid as we thought, where we may not be able to count on them as we have in the past (or conversely, we see that we can count on them, though our contribution or attitude must adjust to current conditions. We may become aware of weaknesses in them, not just in our relationship). These conditions won’t be found just in relationships, but may also be seen in any structure, system, status, condition, or hierarchy we’ve been invested in and relying on–we need to be willing to see the reality of it, as any attempts to deal with matters will collapse if our choices aren’t firmly rooted in real-world circumstances, and the ways these are changing, or need to change, in order to function effectively.

The moment of retrograde, which gives us a snapshot of what to expect over the retro period, shows a Pisces Moon at 29 degrees–it’s painful when our fantasies are shredded, but it’s worse when reality seems to ‘come out of nowhere’ to blindside us, so see the emotional upset as a gift that points directly at what needs attention. ‘A Store Filled With Precious Oriental Rugs’ is the Sabian for both Mercury and Venus at the time of retro=we see the worth of what we hold, see the value of what we have, of what’s ‘contained (the store) in our reality. The emotional impact of all this is shown by the Sabian for the Moon at the time of retrograde: ‘A Majestic Rock Formation Resembling A Face Is Idealized By A Boy Who Takes It As His Ideal Of Greatness, And As He Grows Up, Begins To Look Like It’. If we are willing to see what is in a creative way for what it symbolizes, we’ll find inspiration toward making our ideals a reality, toward growing into our own brand of greatness. If we live our lives as if our ideals are real, embracing them as we act and make choices and interact with one another, we can’t help but become what we revere. It’s a recipe for moving the world toward what we’d like it to be–don’t close the door on these potentials just because some of this will be messy, difficult, and will require recognition of vulnerabilities and feelings we may have lately been sweeping under the (Oriental) rug.

What this time offers us is a chance to revitalize Love, as it lives and breathes in our daily dedications, of energy and attention, effort and interaction. And this retro is also a good time to reconsider what institutions, rules, and boundaries we support, and which need to be retired as irrelevant to our current world.

New Year’s Eve we see a Taurus Moon which will trine the Sun just after 2023 begins (Pacific time). That says spend the evening on celebration that feels like a reward, that feels sustaining, nourishing, a treat for the senses, while the Sun’s square to Chiron and quincunx to still retro Mars tells us to avoid dwelling on, assessing things by, or reacting from our wounds–any attempts to right related circumstances will misfire and aggression will definitely be aimed in the wrong direction. Welcome the coming year with a lighter heart–we’ve made it this far, and that’s something to celebrate.

See the recent New Moon here–

Mercury Retro May 2022 Reconsidering Revolution

09 Monday May 2022

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Mercury, now stationary, goes into apparent retrograde motion at 4:48 AM PDT 10 May at 4 Gemini 51. This point gives us a kind of ‘birth snapshot’ of the retro period–and in this case, offers commentary on the atmosphere that will surround the second eclipse of the set, due late PM Pacific time of the 15th.

Turnaround occurs just after Merc was squared by the Virgo Moon and just as Merc begins to pull away from a semi-sextile to Pallas, and at the point the Moon sextiles Hygeia and the two act as base to a loose Finger of God, apex Venus=emotional conflict (or an intuitive critical take on that conflict) moves away from a Warrior stance, the kind we might’ve taken automatically in supposed defense of our rights, and toward something healthier, something that rewards via better relationships or some other sort of pay off.

Happening in Gemini, this retro period asks us to re-think, and it does so after giving us a feeling-based critique or conversation, or offering a fresh accounting or new contacts–and that means best results come if we’re willing to cast a thoughtful, critical eye on proceedings of the House(s) where Gemini sits in the natal chart–and should perhaps consider using this period for making plans or laying out the narrative we want to follow post-direction. The first thing Merc does in retro is re-initiate that semi-sextile to Pallas, suggesting that re-consideration of matters brings a wise viewpoint into perspective–what more could we want?

That query is answered by a square to Juno that doesn’t perfect before retrograde. That implies conflict over empowerment and personal authority, especially over oneself, may go unresolved, for a while longer. The Sun and Mercury meet in Inferior Conjunction at 00 Gemini, just after Merc has been sextiled by Jupiter and just before the Sun sextiles Jupiter. This may inspire a kind of ‘last word’ in beliefs that undergoes stark examination under the light of the Sun–with thoughts then two days later plunging into the experience of sensation and instinct–and it feeling as if we must understand something visceral, primal, and necessary to our survival–which is likely to make us both a little irrational and a little testy (Merc conj Sedna at 29 Taurus).

The Sabian for the turnaround point may tell us something, especially in terms of setting our expectations for progress/ change: ‘A Revolutionary Magazine Asking For Action’. There’s an irony in something as staid as a magazine advocating for upheaval of the status quo and thorough change–and another point: if, say, a manifesto for revolution appears in a magazine, how much action would you expect that to prompt in this day and age? We may spend the retro seeing this kind of discrepancy, noting how the words don’t match the medium that delivers them (making it hard to take them seriously, or at least hard to be inspired to extremes by them); those words for revolution may in fact be pre-approved by the powers-that-be, change that only touches surfaces and keeps those who hold power in place. It may be that we must adjust our expectations: though we may long for revolution, the time may not yet be right–we are in the planning stage (Gemini)–we still need to get in touch with our gut (Merc’s retreat into Taurus) before we’ll know what to do, what to think, how to respond.