Tag Archives: Mercury retrograde

So, Should We Panic? Mercury Retrograde

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‘The Magdalen Reading’ By Rogier van der Weyden Before 1438 {{PD}}

No, of course not! Mercury’s apparent retrograde happens often, in the larger scheme of things, and is merely meant to make us pause, to consider information we might have sped past, overlooked, or need to edit. There’s no negative intent; the mischief maker comes forward when we try to ignore that need to slow down and consider. The pause in the forward portion of the cycle is meant to make us reflect on how we process communication (both going in and coming out) and how we reason, and we are supposed to ask ourselves a different ‘framing’ question, relative to each element in which the planet backtracks: what do I think? for Air signs, what do I feel? in Water, what do I need, or how is this affecting the material situation? in Earth, and what must I do? in Fire.

This time the retro happens, and stays within, the sign of Aquarius–‘What do I think?’ with the aim for the re-think directly linked to the meanings related to the sign, in this case, mulling the role of and information from the Higher Mind, the new, inventive, or innovative, with the ultimate goal of understanding. This applies specifically to the matters of the House where the retro occurs, and includes consideration of the element-themed question in relation to any natal bodies or points posited in this sign.

There are currently a great many transiting bodies in Aquarius: the Sun, Pallas, Jupiter, Saturn, and Mercury, and that means a lot of contact to anything one carries in the sign could be coming from any one, or any combo of, these energies, aside from the Mercury cycle concerns. Add to this the way a Merc retro period, whether we approve or not, removes the ability to think or reason clearly, and we have the recipe for some confusion and not a little bit of frustration. Our attention is here, in the area of Aquarius natally and on the matters of the House that holds the sign (the Sun), we feel pressure to discern what’s wise or practical in related situations (Pallas), we feel the influence of the social sphere (and maybe have the sense that we’re being observed, even as we may be noting opportunities–Jupiter), and we could experience a pushme-pullyou between Jupiter and Saturn, as the energy of expansion and optimism goes head-to-head with caution, the need for boundaries and security, and the pressure to hold back or apply discipline, in an area of the chart that’s already very busy. We may even feel this as a desire to be free, to let go, vs a fear-based urge to hunker down, conserve, to preserve what is, rather than to let loose.

The thing is, Mercury retrograde asks us to stop relying so heavily on the brain. It needs a break, just like anything else! So our best means of handling the need to process information at a time when our usual channels are more or less ‘down’ becomes one that accesses information through senses other than the mind. We need to practice vetting input via the feeling nature; we need to bypass the brain, and listen to the heart.

We won’t, though, necessarily have a clear conduit there, because in asking Venus and the Moon to step in for the mental faculties, we’re asking ourselves to both accept feelings as valid information (with out the kibitzing of the mind), and do our best not to insist on translating what we perceive into the language of the mind, that is, into words. Not an easy task, especially if we’re naturally inclined to sift everything through the thought processes (I’m talking to you, natal Mercury in Air!)

Too, the Lunar perceptions wax and wane, so that the intuition may not always be available when we want it, and both natal Venusian energies and Lunar ones will be affected by any transits they’re receiving, in effect placing a lens over our perceptual abilities that may make them unwieldy or distort what we can glean from them.

That all sounds so pessimistic–but really, this period asks us to practice feeling, to trust the feeling nature to convey valuable intel, and to let the retro period unwind tangled areas where we may lack accurate understanding (Aquarius). This time Mercury turns around without being in major contact with any other energy, and without forming any new aspects for some time, and that suggests a kind of isolation, a period where the mind will be ‘on its own’, so to speak–and that implies an effect similar to meditation, where contemplation occurs whether we intend it to or not, as the mental faculties are largely cut off from their customary patterns of digesting and expressing.

The usual warnings apply, of course, since an unclear mind is one that shouldn’t be making big decisions or commitments. I’m not as convinced that Merc retro has such a clear-cut negative effect on electronics or communication systems, simply because they foul up, retro or no, so take that kind of event with a grain of salt–it’s a truism that once the retro passes we see events during the retro with a different lens–and that means we won’t be judging well during the retro, and that applies to mix-ups and snafus as much as it applies to our own mental processes.

Mercury goes direct on 20 February–so at worst, we just have to wait! And if you’re in need of information on making a purchase during the retro period, check here–

Mercury Retrograde 13 October 2020 Feeling It

12 Monday Oct 2020

Posted by in astrology, Consciousness Explored, current events in the sky, forecast, future events in the sky, Mercury, Mercury Direction, Mercury retrograde, Retrogrades + Directions, Sun/Mercury Inferior Conjunction, Transits and Cycles

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The Messenger (and Trickster) enters apparent retrograde motion at 6:05 PM PDT of the 13th at 11 Scorpio 40–and his first move will be to reapply by opposition to Uranus, which is also retrograde. That aspect last perfected on the 7th, and perhaps offers a glimpse into this Water (Scorpio) into Air (Libra) cycle.

‘Mercury Sent to Admonish Aeneas’ By JMW Turner http://www.artuk.org/artworks/mercury-sent-to-admonish-aeneas-202360 {{PD}}

Mercury always means review: re-visiting, re-considering, reflecting, and perhaps going over plans or making plans to ‘try again’. We start that period in emotional, intuitive Water, and will initially be asking ourselves, “What am I feeling, and what do I think about that?”

In Scorpio this kind of review involves digging, getting to or acknowledging secrets, assessing our feelings about change and determining what further change we might want. It also encompasses those situations where Power is in play, and any relationships or situations where passions have been stirred, or betrayals have occurred (and remember, the concept of betrayal is seldom objective, when it comes to personal interactions–often it can be a matter of perspective, and this retrograde may bring consciousness of this to the fore).

With the re-visit to the Uranus opposition the first aspect, we may find that something we ‘knew’ (especially something Higher Mind or academically. i.e. fact-oriented) is overturned. We are likely to be surprised by some discovery we make, or shocked at something we witness, perpetrated by others in our direction or by ourselves unexpectedly, that latter as we ‘explode’ from accumulated pressures or act erratically in a bid for freedom. It could be that we wrap our minds around some spiritual concept for the first time (something we may have sensed or ‘known’ but been unable to put into mental forms like words), or we may find that accident illuminates our feelings about something–and so changes our perceptions.

House matters that come forward for this retrograde always have the chance of involving the subjects and energies of the natal Houses Mercury rules, and we must typically add to this the House where Mercury is currently transiting. That gives you some idea of where to be on the lookout for change, research, and re-thinking, as well as the potential ‘surprise’ factor of this particular retrograde, and can offer a head start if you know present circumstances in one or more of these realms are dicey.

The Inferior Conjunction of the Sun and Mercury (‘Inferior’ referring to Mercury’s retrograde status) occurs around the 25th-26th of October, marks a point I would characterize as a ‘birth’ point, where some attitude or mental choice takes form and perhaps is decided upon or simply becomes conscious, and this is based on what’s been revealed so far during the retro. Just remember not to act, yet.

Fountain with head of Mercury on Mercury Street in Pompeii watercolor by Luigi Bazzani from the book “Pompeii”, by Amedeo Maiuri (Pompeii superintendent from 1924-1961) {{PD}}

We re-align our passions, explore what we’ve been hesitant to think about or to really know what we feel about it, and then Mercury retros into Libra–and all the focus moves to our relationships, or, less probably, to financial or aesthetic matters. This occurs in the final few days of October, and is characterized by a back-and-forth square of Mercury to Saturn, which happens one more time after Mercury turns direct (on November 3rd, with the final square very close the 4th-7th).

This back-end bookends the retro period with a hard reality check for each of us, concerning all that we’ve reviewed and concluded over the cycle. Our present realities, as well as any boundaries, limitations, and requirements of duty or obligation come into direct conflict with at least some facet of our thinking–and this is a good thing, meant to show us where we might have slipped into thinking that doesn’t take into account where we really are or what we’re actually surrounded by or must deal with.

Use this retro period to see where you can transform the thinking or perceptions about those things you feel passionate about, have an overwhelming curiosity over, or need to investigate for what’s been hidden from you, and how this can constructively be applied to relationships with those you care about–and be ready for revelation, that can spin the whole game in another direction. The usual admonitions apply, with no signing or buying of major items, unless you’ve already pre-retro thoroughly inspected conditions and agree to them, and with the expectation that any agreements reached or conclusions drawn will likely need review or revision after Mercury goes direct.

A Good Day To . . . 18 June 2020 Planned

17 Wednesday Jun 2020

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, forecast, Mercury retrograde

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By Jan Janssonius – geheugenvannederland.nl, {{PD}} https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9505426

The 18th Is A Good Day To . . . act to make real, permanent change, or to transform what you wish to re-make. Though Merc has just gone retro, we have this single-day window during which we can and should act or choose. The one thing we need to keep central to our efforts is that what we act on today must be something we’ve already determined or perceived, before the Messenger’s retro. That means it needs to be something we’ve already thought-through or settled on, but just haven’t acted on yet. Be cognizant, too, that if we try to be spontaneous, acting from what suddenly springs to mind, we will most likely end up being nothing but destructive, or possibly winning only anger from those who are affected by our choice. Despite the way we are already in the Dark of the Moon (the three days before a New Moon), we are also coming up on a Solar eclipse, which has already been preceded by a Lunar one; in that valley between eclipses, we never really hit a normal Dark period, so that the usual retreat and contemplation energies never take hold–so don’t be surprised if the fatigue that comes with a continuous flow of energy that we can’t seem to escape is at least one of the results.

A Good Day To . . . is based on the aspects perfecting on each day, Pacific time.

Mercury Retrogrades 17 June 2020, And We Re-Think Ourselves

16 Tuesday Jun 2020

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Study for ‘Giotto Painting the Portrait of Dante (Holding a Pomegranate)’ By Dante Gabriel Rossetti 1852 {{PD}}

Merc takes up apparent retrograde motion just before 5 AM UT on the 18th (the 17th, here across the pond, at 9:59 PM PDT), at 14 Cancer 45. First major aspect it makes heading retro (other than contact by the Moon) is a trine to Ceres in Pisces. The entire retro cycle occurs in the Cardinal Water sign of Cancer, and between this and that first contact, suggests to me that the period will involve re-thinking what we care about (especially those things or individuals it falls upon us to tend to or nurture), our emotional and spiritual health, the ways in which we employ the creative energies to express ourselves, and our emotional relationship to Nature Herself. We may look for ways to gain emotional satisfaction from the creative act (and remember, creative energy is actually behind every act, no matter the intent); we may also assess how well spiritual practice and belief specific to our role in the Cosmos (Pisces) serve both the essence of who we are and our happiness in daily life–that is, we may ask ourselves, ‘Is spirit truly an active part of my life, and if so, when am I most aware of it, when do I feel it, and in what way does it move and motivate me?’.

Because the modality is an active one, one that requires a ‘doing’ kind of response, we will be spurred to do something about the things we perceive–but because this is Mercury that we’re talking about, we need to remember that the mind during the retro is quite naturally missing perceptions or information that might otherwise, in direct-thinking times, bring us to a different conclusion. Add to this that the retro occurs in a Water sign ruled by the Moon, and we have a perfect storm generating the kind of events where we may feel and act well before we are able to process what we’ve perceived. You can see the obvious potentials for danger there, so proceed through this retro with real caution, though I have to note it may also be one of the most effective times we’ve seen of late allowing us full emotional range and offering the ability to make post-retro plans to do something about what we feel. Just remember that there’s a Solar eclipse coming on the 20th, which may prompt starts that, in at least some cases involving Merc-feeling information, may be premature. The eclipse may instead ‘clean sweep’ the emotional landscape in the related areas in the natal chart (House where it occurs, and involving any bodies or points contacted and possibly what they rule, contact by aspect, or where they are posited), making new terrain for our emotional exploration–again with the understanding that the mind won’t quite be able to adequately process what’s happening at the time–so be prepared for lots of feeling over the coming weeks, with understanding as to what it means and what we should do arriving significantly later.

A Good Day To . . . 16 February 2020 Mercury Retrograde: Dreaming Backwards

15 Saturday Feb 2020

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, forecast, Mercury retrograde

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‘Dreamers ‘ By Albert Joseph Moore c1865 {{PD}}

The 16th is a Good Day To . . . listen. There’s an undertone to events that sneaks up on us, a dull roar that’s easy to dismiss as just background noise. It starts with a handful of contra-parallels, opposition-toned energy duos that enter the arena but don’t necessarily engage directly with each other: Our love for something or someone, our finances, or our relationships themselves are at odds with our own successful empowerment; the messages we receive or our own thinking fails to correctly understand the value (or lack of it) in what’s happening; and we’re likely to be surprised either by ourselves and our reactions or by what receives scrutiny or ‘the spotlight’–and there’s a chance that light will shine directly on something unusual, unique, radical, or original that we’ve done or are pursuing. Can make for a confusing atmosphere, the kind that shakes our confidence in our own identity or beliefs just enough to make us hesitate–and when we do, we should try the recommended listening, as an internal stillness and receptivity will offer (or make the way clear for) what we need to know.

This isn’t helped by the late afternoon Pacific time retrograde of Mercury in Pisces. It kicks in at 12 Pisces 53, with the first aspect it makes a semi-square to Saturn, and the first aspect made to it a square from the Moon in Sagittarius and then a sextile from Pallas and semi-sextile from Venus (over the first two days of the retro, with the order not being especially important). I see the way the retro period starts as a kind of harbinger of what to expect through the cycle; the ‘birth’ of the retrograde, and so its meaning. This time we have the retro occurring in Water, asking us to re-consider how we feel, with that examination of feelings showing us what values and relationships are making the ‘hard edges’ and difficult circumstances in our world. We have the wisdom and practical orientation to address what we see; at the same time, a flood of emotion bolstered by the square from the Moon in Sag, which we might describe as ‘difficult knowledge’, compels us to ‘dream backward’, that is, to assess the current reality, especially the emotional reality, by reviewing what previous dreams and ideals were chosen, which discarded, and how this built things as they are now. Exercise the imagination in the first half of the cycle, and in the latter half, exorcise it, flushing out delusions, misinterpretations, and untenable fantasies that are standing in the way of what you really want.

A Good Day To . . . is based on the aspects perfecting on each day, Pacific time.

We’re finally moving, so I won’t be able to make daily posts as I won’t have access to my computer, but I’ll do my best to pop in when I can. Once we’re settled I’ll resume some sort of regular schedule–’til then, I’ll miss you all!

A Good Day To . . .13 November 2019

12 Tuesday Nov 2019

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Ogata Gekko’s ukiyo-e print of a dragon rising from the clouds around Mt. Fuji, from his Views of Mt. Fuji. 1896 {{PD}}

The 13th it’s a Good Day To . . . reach for your highest potential, a creative goal, a surprising opportunity, or for the change you’ve been longing for–all are not just possible, at least one of them is practically mandatory! Communication is both effective and realistic (a big surprise, considering the retro) and it’s easy to show restraint or to discipline or control ourselves. Optimism and imagination saturate the mind and look for ways to express–and our inclination is to give them disciplined and contained avenues that lead to tangible results. Today we also enjoy power, especially the power to create reform, in direct proportion to the sureness of our identity and our purpose. That is, if you know who you are in accurate and fairly objective terms, you can really make things happen–in that case, ‘the facts’ are definitely in your favor. One caveat: if you make agreements or sign contracts today, you may still suffer the traditional ‘retro regret’ once the period is over, as a sextile between Mercury and Saturn cements things firmly in place, and Merc’s trine to Neptune says we can be fooled, almost as easily as inspired–so tread (and sign) with care. Good luck, and have a wonderful day!

A Good Day To . . . is based on the aspects perfecting on each day, Pacific time.

See yesterday’s Full Moon forecast here–

A Good Day To . . . 31 October 2019

30 Wednesday Oct 2019

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, forecast, Mercury retrograde

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‘Les Bretonnes aux Ombrelles’ By Émile Bernard 1892 {{PD}}

The 31st is a Good Day To . . . embrace the dark mental precipice we’ve plunged over with Merc’s turnaround in Scorpio. The Messenger’s reversal of apparent direction in Water may make us question our feelings, may make us obsess over a love (or hate) relationship, may make us insist on getting to the bottom of a mystery, may compel us to anxiously shout the question, ‘What’s in the box?’–in short, it will prompt thoughts and situations that ignite a persistent desire to reach an emotional conclusion by taking a deep dive. We assess the subjects of the House in the natal chart where the reversal occurs in light of how we feel–and if we’ve got it together, we use the retro period to make plans to change matters so they better align with how we’d like to feel. It’s a period when we can re-make the life to suit the emotional nature–or at least modify it so that we find a sense of satisfaction in some Scorpio related area, either in the largest way (through subjects that fall under the sign) or through matters of the House placement unique to us and pinpointed by the natal chart.

It’s important to note that, particularly today, we can plan or communicate in ways that lay out great actions or choices to be made in future–and it’s also a day when we can benefit by making the most of current roles, status, or empowerment options. We thrive on Self-responsibility, and we reach the end of the day having modified our beliefs or our social role so that it’s much healthier for us.

See last Sunday’s New Moon here–

A Good Day To . . . is based on the aspects perfecting on each day, Pacific time.

A Good Day To . . . 30 October 2019

29 Tuesday Oct 2019

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, forecast, Mercury, Mercury retrograde

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‘The Tower of Babel’ By Pieter Bruegel the Elder 1563 {{PD}}

The 30th is a Good Day To . . . be aware. Obvious, right? That’s something we’re always trying to do, but today it’s especially important to be conscious of what’s roiling beneath the surface–particularly below the surface of your own mind.

The interweaving of contacts is noteworthy, with a stationary Mercury caught up to and conjoined by Venus in Scorpio, with both opposed Sedna and novile Mars, and then throw in Mercury’s parallel to Pluto. The scenario is one of a becalmed mind filled with a stark and terrible beauty, one that aligns with and reflects our deepest held fears, angers, and hopes, especially those attuned to change, re-birth, and the re-making of our world. Too, this mental outlook rejects the instinctual nature and those things we ‘know but don’t know’; the result may be that rather than this being an entirely contained, individual experience, it is externalized, with other people, circumstances, and events taking on some of the parts. Thinking, then, may be a heavy pastime, one where we chase the same thoughts round and round–or one where we are inspired by relationships, beauty, even financial gain, but find it hard to plot a path forward, so alienated are we from our own instinctual responses, and this is so even as we are moved to act or choose in some pretty amazing, clever, or inventive ways. So, when Merc retrogrades, we may find ourselves in a really good position, without being entirely aware of how we got there! Or we could find we’ve ‘cart before the horse’-d it, and take our revisions from there.

See Sunday’s New Moon here–

A Good Day To . . . is based on the aspects perfecting on each day, Pacific time.

5 March 2019 Mercury Retrograde: Re-Visiting A Dream

04 Monday Mar 2019

Posted by in astrology, Born Today, current events in the sky, forecast, Mercury retrograde, Retrogrades + Directions

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‘Dreamers’ By Albert Joseph Moore c1870 {{PD}}

Mercury stations retrograde at 29 Pisces 38, and a vision appears–but is it because Merc’s change in direction has pulled back the curtain, moving some obstacle out of the way of our perception, or is it because our mind is forced back in on itself, and so seeing what’s been there all along? This may come as a dream or a waking dream, through a reverie that takes us away, through an ideal realized, or in a technicolor display that plays out before us in real time in the material world, in events that may even include us—but in any case, depicts something visionary and highly personal, something we may re-visit, or that may coalesce for the first time, making itself apparent as a goal or ‘perfect concept’ against which we can measure our progress; most of us will experience the retrograde through an emotional lens, or through a Collective one, oriented toward the House Merc is now traversing, which also happens to be the House where Pisces resides.

In shorter-term news, we’re in the Dark of the Moon, awaiting the Pisces New Moon. Along with current, mostly minor transit contacts, today is likely to be low-key in a somewhat stressful way, as we strain, metaphorically speaking, toward the soon-to-arrive renewed light. Issues revolve around things like authorities trying to mess with your life direction, confusion over commitments and values with resulting unwise conclusions; but on the other hand, these conditions may lead to realizing the ideal commitment for you, the righteous cause driven by a vision, and may show clever ways to gain in Love or Money, so don’t give up, just because of the retro–Merc in apparent backward motion is always a time to plan, to review, to re-think–use the day wisely.

(Mercury stations retrograde, Ceres sesq NN, Neptune conj Vesta and contra-parallel Pallas, Sun semi-sq Uranus and nov Venus)

Setting the table for your year ahead. Art by Peter Ilsted {{PD}}

Happy Solar Return to those born with the Sun at 15 Pisces! (See your birth chart for your Sun degree!)Your Solar year, beginning with your birthday, starts in a ‘dark period’, not much activity, not much movement (or a chaotic thing, where you might as well be in the dark!) This doesn’t last too long, but might feel dispiriting as it rolls by–and yet, this could be a period of incubation, if you dedicate the time to visualizing and then, when the light returns, acting to give the dream or vision a solid, real-world form. Think of this year as a Visionary One for you personally; expect inspirations galore, some testing of commitments and values, and a really prime opportunity to put the highest order of your dream in motion.

10 February 2019 Talk It Out

09 Saturday Feb 2019

Posted by in astrology, Born Today, current events in the sky, forecast, Solar Return

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‘In the Conservatory’ By Édouard Manet 1879 {{PD}}

Juno enters Gemini, tilting our empowerment options/ needs toward discussion, networking, and pondering; do we really need to make that ‘statement’, put our mark on things, speak up, or sign that agreement? Maybe–just be aware that Merc retrogrades in just under a month, and today enters its shadow, suggesting that unless we are very clear on things, we’d best use the imagination, and/ or the Higher Mind, to get some idea how it all might pan out, because in the end, we’re going to feel some kind of pressure, push, or desperation around making up our minds or settling the matter, and better to do it while still clear-headed and feeling empowered (Mercury enters Pisces, before retrograding on March 5th at 29 degrees).

Setting the table for your year ahead. Art by Peter Ilsted {{PD}}

Happy Solar Return to those born with the Sun at 21 Aquarius! (evening Pacific time of the 9th through evening of the 10th) This year communications/ thinking becomes a source of spontaneous genius or chaos–your choice, just know it’s driven by unattended hurts and/ or some real resistance to doing what you know is wise or practical–and that means it can’t be sustained, so take the great idea, or climb out of the fray, and move on–don’t try to milk it, or hide in it. Skills may be tested, and who you are at core will undergo a kind of change–but is it transformative, re-making who you are, or will it destroy some part of the identity that up to now has been vital to your concept of the Self? Again, it’s up to you and the responses you choose; consider that the emotional viewpoint will be very much one centered on the Self, and your Will and wants, which may be a sometimes lonely stance, but that this is the way it’s supposed to be, for now.