Mercury Going Direct & This Summer’s Cardinal T-Square

The month of May is likely to be the ‘quiet before the storm’, if not the beginning of that storm. It may have already begun. From June through September we will finally begin the set of transits that are similar to those that occurred last in 1931, which marked the actual beginning of the Great Depression. The times are not the same as they were then in so many ways, so we cannot know how things will play out, but the world is going to be going through great changes and instability. This becomes even truer since one of the planets involved with this 4 planet T-square is Uranus, which is, by definition an indicator of surprises, the unexpected and sudden change. An example of Uranus is the ever-growing oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico which remains uncontained after many weeks. It seems this this shocking event has come out of the blue and we still don’t know when it will the leak will be stopped. No one knows the scope of this disaster or how we will be affected by it over the next several months or more.

Mercury Goes Direct

On Tuesday, May 11, 2010 at 3:27pm PDST, Mercury will return to its direct motion completing the review phase we’ve been in for the last 3 weeks. This means that right now the ‘Winged Messenger’ is moving very slowly and is considered to be stationary. This increases the intensity of any planet doing this, so one’s mental processes and way of communicating can be more intense than usual and the mind can actually fixate on one viewpoint at this time. This is a good time to avoid taking one’s thoughts too seriously. It is best to take note of them, but wait for a few days before acting on them. We need to see what we are thinking after Mercury turns direct or even a couple days after that. Some of those thoughts we may be able to trust. By the same token, the review process is mostly done.

Whatever has changed is not likely to change again, though what one decides to do with what has been revealed, may indeed change. This is something to take a good look at. There is a difference between changing one’s mind or view of something and what one then does as the result of what one has discovered. Mind (Mercury) is not necessarily an indicator of how one ought to act or what one should do (Mars). Often when we wait until we have processed Mercury’s information, we find that the decision about what to do comes naturally, but only if the process in not rushed too quickly. Another way of expressing this is to suggest that the process of receiving new information is about to end, but since Mercury is still in the area within which it retrograded, the ‘what-we-must-do’ part of the process is still yet to be determined. Sometimes, the new information can be a shock and we can be numbed by its effects. Unless you are certain that you must act, if you have been significantly affected by the last few weeks of transits, feel free to wait until you’re really ready before making any decisions on what to do. This is especially true right now because of what Jupiter and Uranus are doing.

A Deeper Look at Uranus

On May 27, 2010, Uranus enters Aries, the sign that can best be described poetically as the archetypal ‘first day of spring.’ Right now, Jupiter is approaching Uranus and enters Aries itself on June 6, 2010. They come together two days later on June 8. With this in mind, I’d like to focus on the nature of Uranus and how its energy is already in play, but is likely to become much more so in the next month.

Let me just express some basic key concepts for this archetype. Uranus is the principle of the unexpected and represents ‘out-of-the-box’ thinking and acting. It is the fringe element that seeks to leave the status-quo behind so as to free itself from the constraints of the ordinary, of sameness and of inertia. It is the principle of rebellion, revolution and seeks to upend the ordinary and wherever we must conform. It is the ‘maverick’ in the truest sense of the word. Uranus exposes us to sudden realizations, the truly new idea, that seems to come out of nowhere. And these ideas are often so far out, that they cannot be accepted since they cannot be proved, at least not yet. Often, great thinkers have Uranus strongly marked in their charts and are often only appreciated years after their lives. Sometimes a person is just so far ahead of the times, that they cannot be seen, certainly not by the mainstream. Of course, the other side of the coin can also be true. This planet can bring about erratic behavior and even extreme volatility; the need to change things for the sake of change, and not really wait to see if the change or the revolution is worth all that will be set into motion if it is carried out.

The most relevant part of Uranus right now is the concept of independence and freedom from restriction. I am often asked if Uranus is conservative or liberal and the answer seems to be ‘both and neither.’ Like the true outsider, Uranus cannot be understood if we attempt to put it in a box, define it strictly and categorize things in an ordinary way. In fact, it works to take us out of any box, label or model. Many conservatives act in a Uranian way when they express their desire to restrict or reduce government so that we don’t lose our freedom. They focus on independence on oneself rather than dependence on institutions to take care of us and they advocate reduced taxes. Libertarians act in a Uranian way when they advocate the legalization of ‘moral’ laws such as restrictions on certain drugs such as marijuana, wanting government to get out of the bedroom by ending all laws on who can get married to whom and the end of nearly all taxation. And liberals act in a Uranian way when they advocate for a humanitarian approach to people who are unable to take care of themselves and the creation of institutions that no individual can do by itself alone.

Uranus cannot be put into a box and this is exactly its biggest contribution. It is rebelling against any box, any model, any approach because it knows that any structure (Saturn) is not perfect and will inevitably outlive its usefulness. It asks the questions that we ’shouldn’t’ ask, the ones that go against the grain and it is open to the unproven realm of the truly new.

With Jupiter about to conjunct these wild Uranian forces, it will expand all the impulses I’ve just mentioned and much more. Chances are that the polarization we are seeing will increase even more and that many people will feel disenchanted, unheard and alienated. The excitement level is going to be very high and many people may be easily triggered by an event and/or certain passions that could get out of control. But also, new solutions may be considered, the needed paradigm changers, and out-of-the-box thinking may lead to revolutionary changes, technological ones that could change the nature of the game we are in. There are so many ways the coming transit could manifest and all of the possibilities are likely to appear somewhere. The feel of the times will likely be ones of uncertainty, and even confusion as the structures will feel very unstable and unreliable. In other words, the illusion of stability itself will be seen.

I will be describing more as we move into the summer and as always I encourage my readers to take the time to respond if they feel moved to do so. And I also want to encourage everyone to take up the sword of the truly unconventional by being willing to stray beyond the dualistic model that so dominates modern thinking and to ask questions that consider possibilities that are outside the obsolete models we have relied on for so long. Perhaps the conservative/liberal ways of defining things can itself be seen as outmoded and limiting. One of the best images I know of to describe the most positive possibility of the coming transits comes from the movie “Cocoon.” It is the scene where the extra-terrestrials take off their bodies like a suit and are suddenly seen as bodies of light. Now that’s Uranus.

Each of us will respond to this period in ways that do arise from the potentials of our own chart, but there is a good chance that each of us will experience some sort of upheaval that could end up taking us far from where we are now. May we all feel expanded and able to enjoy the ride.

About Writing (and a little on Mercury Retrograde)

I know the title of this newsletter article is strange. But partially because I really love the strange and also because the entire writing process for me and many others is so doggone hard, I thought that I’d express some of my thoughts about the writing process itself. Then I’ll get into the subject of the Mercury retrograde cycle we are about to enter. After all, Mercury is concerned with communication, so why not talk about that very thing.

When I’m staring at the intimidating blank page, everything I thought I was going to write about suddenly comes into question. Is it really the thing I want to write about? Will people like it or find it relevant? How should I go about saying it? And why am I picking this topic and not something else that is equally important or interesting? Then I usually go blank until my thoughts seem to always come back to one basic question. Why am I writing this at all? What is my motive? Then I just go – Hmmm! Part of this question includes looking at not just why I find the subject interesting, but more importantly, why might the reader find this interesting. But the irony is that since I’m not a mind reader, I don’t know, and cannot know, what the reader will find interesting. At this point the mind goes quiet and I just sit. I gradually become quite simple with myself and ‘feel’ my own desire to have an adventure. That’s how it starts for me along with the hope that some of my readers will also have an adventure with me.

One of my favorite writers, Malcolm Gladwell, who wrote a book called “What the Dog Saw”, summarized his thoughts on this very subject as follows: “Good writing does not succeed or fail on the strength of its ability to persuade. It succeeds or fails on the strength of its ability to engage you, to make you think, to give you a glimpse into someone else’s head – even if in the end you conclude that someone else’s head is not a place you’d really like to be.” Having said all this, I can only add my hope that you may enjoy a short adventure into the mind of an astrologer who enjoys giving you a glimpse of what is in his head.

Mercury Retrograde

Many people nowadays are aware of the Mercury retrograde period. It occurs every 4 months or so and lasts for approximately 21 days, more or less. Sometimes, I think of it as the ’scapegoat’ of astrology since so many blame events in their life on this astrological transit. Caught up in the blaming aspect, we can lose sight of the fact that this period is actually quite important, valuable and necessary.

Here are the details: Mercury went retrograde on Saturday night, April 17th, 2010 at 9:06pm, PDST at 12° of Taurus. It continues its retrograde movement until Tuesday, May 11th where it returns to its regular direct motion at 3:27pm at 2°40′ of Taurus. Anyone whose natal chart is activated by the area that is affected by this cycle, will be noticing its effects with more emphasis.

The value of all Mercury retrograde cycles is that it is necessary for us to review and look more deeply at some area of our life involving our thinking and communication with others. The regular motion of Mercury is quite rapid, often moving at a faster speed than the Sun. As such, our minds race forward and if it weren’t for this cycle, we could not only get way ahead of ourselves, but not have the chance to be aware of the need for reflection and reevaluation. This is exactly what is needed for the next three weeks. However, it is also true that this can be an especially active time, even though one would prefer to have time to kick back and ponder. This is due to the fact that another aspect of this period is that one is often going to feel a need or demand to finish a cycle. Often it is accompanied with a feeling that it absolutely MUST be finished. So, we have two contrary forces operating at the same time, rest and reflection - opposed by the need to make an effort to complete some cycle or project. Meanwhile, there is a greater likelihood of things breaking down or needing to be fixed, while simultaneously feeling the need to move forward rapidly, which, of course, is usually not possible. Lovely, isn’t it? So, what are we to do? Patience is what we need here, accepting, if we can, what we are able to move forward on and what are not. Not so easy, though, if you have a very demanding boss who knows nothing of Mercury retrograde and can’t stand hearing ‘excuses.’ That’s one of the problems of living in a culture that does not have a clue about timing.

Since this cycle occurs in Taurus, patience becomes even more necessary than ever. The strength of Taurus is thoroughness, steadiness and not missing the little details that are, in fact, so important. So, this particular retrograde cycle may feel even slower than most of them. If we can accept this, any developing frustration will be mitigated or even non-existent. It can also ask us to closely examine our underlying values so as to help guide us to a deeper understanding of what we really do care about and where we want to spend our time the most.

One astrological aspect this Mercury retrograde cycle will be making is a square to Mars. This will amp up the desire nature and increase our tendency to push-push, no matter what the obstacles. It could even heighten the tendency to become angry and hostile if frustration builds to the breaking point. So, it is going to be especially wise to remain calm no matter what is going on at work, on the road, or in any communication. I’ll be saying more when we get further into the retrograde cycle, especially when we reach what’s called the Inferior Conjunction between the Sun and Mercury, which will occur on April 28th at 8° Taurus.

Soon the Game Will Change

For the past 12-18 months, the underlying transits have all  had a very Saturnian nature. For one thing, Saturn has been in aspect to both Uranus and Pluto for this entire period. In its negative aspect, Saturn can increase one’s pessimism, emphasize what is not possible and all the reasons for why something will not work and provide the sense that life is hard and full of challenge and limitation. An example of this, in my opinion, is the Tea Party movement, which has primarily an anti-tax message. The interesting thing is that taxes for those earning less than $250,000 a year, is less than it was. Also, although there is more we need to know about the details of the bail-out program, it does seem possible that the actual cost will be less than expected. I’m not sure yet what is driving this movement, though in the coming year, I suspect we will learn a lot more about this.

The truth is that Saturn does approach every matter with realism and caution, but this can be helpful. It can temper us, prevent excessive enthusiam and focus our attention on taking care of our obligations (debts). Because Jupiter has been absent from this underlying transit, Saturn has had the dominant influence over us. It is this that will be changing very soon. In late May, Uranus will change signs and enter Aries, which will quickly be followed by Jupiter in early June. On June 6th, Jupiter and Uranus will conjunct in Aries and the energies of life will begin to feel quite different than it does now and do so almost immediately.

Jupiter is about expansion and freedom, while Uranus is concerned with independence, individualism and in Aries, great spontaneity. Together, they are likely to drive the Saturn restraint and caution out of the building. This is one of those transits that everyone will be able to experience personally. It will brighten things up a bit, but also create a great sense of volatility and unpredictability. I’ll have a lot more to say about this transit in the coming months and into the next year as well.

As always, I invite you to respond with your own experiences of Mercury retrograde and urge you to return to the blog from time to time to see what others are saying. I will try to respond to reader questions as much as possible. And if you also would like to share your own thoughts about your process of writing, please feel free to share. I’m sure many of the readers will appreciate it.

Enjoy!

Mercury Turning Direct and a Few Retrograde Stories

Mercury will return to its regular direct motion on Tuesday morning, September 29 at 6:14am PDST. It will have moved backwards from 4 deg. Libra to 21 deg. of Virgo. Right now it is already barely moving so this stationary position may be affecting us in that our minds too are slowing down and possibly repeating or going over some of what we have been thinking about. The main effect though is that we intuitively know that the ‘thinking’ process, which is emphasized during this retrograde period, is about to end so that we’ll be able to resume our usual way of dealing with life.

I’ve had the chance to hear quite a few stories about the retrograde period. Some are posted on this site. In addition I’d like to share one specific example, primarily as an example of the value of a Mercury retrograde period. Yes,  there are the usual stories of Mercury retrograde causing delays with the mail and other deliveries, computers crashing and cars breaking down. They do seem to happen at a higher rate at this time. But as I’ve often said, there is an important advantage to this time as well.

This story is from someone who had been having a seemingly insolvable physical problem for over two years. Several diagnoses were made but none of the treatments worked. It appeared that there wasn’t going to be a solution, resulting in the necessity of having to live with a great deal of pain. It was in the middle of the retrograde period that a visit to the Doctor changed everything. Suddenly the Doctor ‘changed his mind’ and came up with a different diagnosis. He wasn’t sure if he was right but he gave a medication that would prove once and for all whether or not this ’new idea’ was the correct one. If the meds worked, then he had found it. Well, the medication did work and within a few days the condition that had chronically bothered the patient, was eliminated. This is but one example of the way in which Mercury retrograde can work in our favor. A completely new idea comes in and is discovered to be the right one. The truth is that our minds can easily become stuck in the rut of the same thinking. We go over and over the same thought-forms and somehow hope that this time a different result will occur. This is why ‘they’ came up with adage that insanity is doing the same thing over and over hoping for a different result. Mercury retrograde allows us and can even force us to consider some issue in a completely different manner that suddenly will open us up to new possibilities. This is why this period is so important and helpful.

At the same time, progress may not occur in the usual way. We can feel quite blocked if we try to ‘force things’ at this time. We do best when we take what we get and remain alert to any openings, because we can’t act on what we don’t see. I think one of the most difficult things about this time period is when we think we’re done, have had enough and the cycle is still not over. We become impatient and frustrated. This, in fact, may be where many of you are right now. But what I’ve noticed quite frequently is that if we think something is over before it actually is, we lose an opportunity. Here’s why. It is often at the end of a cycle that the most important realizations come to the fore. They occur when we least expect it. It is because we’re not done at all. We just ‘think’ we are. So, what causes us to feel done?

When we are feeling done it means that our usual approach to solving a problem has been completed. We think we’ve exhausted all the possibilities. We’ve thought and thought and what’s come up has come up so we’re done. But something important has not yet occurred. It is only when we have exhausted all of our usual thoughts and patterns that something truly new can come in. What we really need is something completely new. Since many of us may resist the new thought which can be ‘too far out of the box’ for us to consider, we simply won’t allow anything new to emerge. It is when we’ve exhausted all of the usual ways of approaching an issue that we are finally ready to receive a completely new approach.

So, in this last day before Mercury goes direct, I want to suggest that you not let boredom or tiredness prevent you from being open to a completely new idea or way of thinking. If you can refrain from the ‘belief’ that you’re done, maybe something amazing can occur. And when Mercury does change its direction early Tuesday morning, be ready for a shift in your energy. It’s fun to notice the new feeling.

Always love your comments to my post, so feel free to write your own story.

The New Moon & the Inferior Conjunction between the Sun and Mercury

Within a short two day period we will have two significant transits each of which mark an ending of one cycle in preparation for something new to be born. There are differences between the ways these two will operate, but there’s a reason why many of you may be feeling like something is coming to an end, so let’s get to it.

The New Moon

At 11:44am PDST on Friday September 18 we are having the New Moon at 25 degrees of Virgo. It is in a very tight conjunction with Saturn which makes this cycle a focused and potentially very serious one. Saturn can be so exacting and demand that we approach every matter with so much realism that it feels cold, impersonal and severe. Yet, I used the word ‘demand’ for a reason. Saturn does not ask or request. We can interpret it that way if we want to, but the fact is that when Saturn is in charge, it will control the situation and demand that we show up fully, balance our accounts and if necessary pay for our mistakes. If a person has Saturn in significant aspect in their chart, they are going to be the responsible serious ones who make the sacrifices knowing that the day will come when everything balances out. They know that one must earn the reward in order to keep it. Saturn is exalted in Libra, the Scales, and so rules an impersonal justice that we may not ‘like’ but which we must handle. The coming month will have this theme as an underlying tone and since it is occurring when Mercury is retrograde it will ask us to take a look at any areas of our life where something that hasn’t been completed. In other words, it is an ending phase of a broader cycle. Endings are the phase prior to new beginnings and that’s exactly where we are cosmically.

The key principle whenever we are in an ending stage is ‘letting go.’ It’s all we can actually do, but it is human nature to try to hang on as long as we can and resist surrendering to the inevitable. The conscious and aware use of this time period then is to consciously let go of what you already know in your heart is dying or ending. This is rarely done at once, but is a process. How easy or difficult that will be depends, of course, on what it is that might be ending, bit it is important to realize that it is not a trivial process. Often we hear people saying to a ‘friend’ that they should just get over it. As if they didn’t know that. The truth is that it is helpful to remember that one is a process and that it will work its way out organically, if we let it.

Mercury Retrograde and the Inferior Conjunction

With Mercury retrograde nearing its conjunction with the Sun we are also in the middle of a cycle where we need to complete something which will take us to the emergence of the new. On Sunday September 20th at 3:05am PDST retrograde Mercury will align with the Sun. This phase of the cycle is an important one but is often difficult to see. It is like a New Moon, often called the Dark Moon because one cannot see it. The Moon is so close to the Sun that its image is washed out. We cannot see the Moon until a day or two have passed when we can see the tiny crescent in the early evening sky. It is also considered a dark period because it contains the seed of a new idea. In fact, the nature of the Inferior Conjunction is that a new ‘seed idea’ is born into us. But like a seed that is planted in the earth, we may not know its nature until enough time has passed. It will need time before it can emerge.

Ten days have passed since Mercury went retrograde and we have had to review areas of our life where decisions must be made or reviewed. We have gone over and over our options and may now have to make decisions. This is when we may do this. And when we do, something new is also born. One business owner has to decide whether he must close his doors. The decision has been in the air for months, but now the time has come when waiting is no longer an option. When the decision is made, it will begin a new cycle for him with many more decisions to be made, but the critical moment has now arrived. This is the type of thing that may be occurring for many people. Others who have been able to see the trends coming their way are prepared to act and move forward in a new direction. Depending on where this occurs is one’s chart, the shift may be big or small, but no matter how subtle, it is helpful to notice what is happening in one’s thoughts right now. What you are thinking the most about this weekend is apt to inform you of something that will be emerging in the near future.

On September 22nd Mercury retrograde will conjunct Saturn bringing more reality into any situation one is facing. After this one will know pretty clearly with what one is dealing. Planning can then begin. Yes, Mercury will still be retrograde meaning that a bit more will have to be reviewed, but the new cycle will have begun and we will feel clearer than we may be feeling now.

Mercury goes direct on September 29th which will be when things are likely to be fully clarified, but we’ll deal with that then.

I have written quite a few articles on Saturn. Why? Because it is often regarded as forcing us to deal with something we wish we could avoid. But Saturn is also the archetype of subtlety. It asks us to master something. So the question to ask right now is this. What am I being asked to master? Know that when you face whatever is happening, one’s life will improve. Perhaps slowly, for the processes of Saturn do work slowly. But inevitably and inexorably. There is a wild and crazy truism about Saturn. The more we deal with it openly and truthfully, the less we feel its oppressive side. When we deal with it head-on, somehow it goes away and life move forward again with amazing ease. Dealing with Saturn is in fact the line of least resistance and the way to bring peace into our lives. I love and hate this irony.

The Process of Progress- More on the Mercury Cycle

When we look back on decisions we’ve made, we have a tendency to forget that the idea that was the basis of that decision did not come to us fully formed. Rather, decisions and the ideas that sparked them are developed through a process. They rarely are fully developed from the beginning.

That process related to the development of ideas is replicated by how we understand Mercury’s movement in relation to the Sun. The Sun moves steadily forward around the sky, covering about a degree a day in the astrological chart, which is a map of the sky from our viewpoint here on Earth. Mercury, however, appears to speed ahead of the Sun until it slows down and reverses direction, going backward to meet and then pass the Sun. Eventually, Mercury again slows down and changes direction, back toward the Sun. This whole cycle repeats itself about every four months, with Mercury always staying within 28 degrees of the Sun.

We can begin to understand the cycle and relate it to the formation of ideas by dividing it up into its parts, and we commonly define eight stages to the cycle. They are:

1. Pre-retrograde to Stationery Retrograde station. (The Shadow)
2. Mercury retrograde Station.  (The definition. of a ‘station’: When a transiting planet, as it changes its direction, is momentarily not moving or stationary.)
3. First half of Retrograde period.
4. The Inferior Conjunction – when Mercury conjuncts the Sun while in its retrograde period.
5. Second half of retrograde period.
6. Mercury stationary direct.
7. Mercury stationary direct to the Superior conjunction – when Mercury conjuncts the Sun while moving in direct motion.
8. The Superior conjunction to the beginning of the next Shadow period.

There is an area of heightened focus within this larger cycle, however. Because of Mercury’s movement forward and backward, Mercury spends about two of the four months going over the same 21-degree area of the chart, first forward, then backward, then forward again. Those 21 degrees are focused on and represent an opportunity for review, for reflection, and for potential conscious change in the areas of our lives that those 21 degrees represent for us.

Indeed, Mercury has just entered this band upon which it will next focus. On August 17, Mercury was at 21 degrees Virgo. It will continue moving forward to six degrees Libra before it retrogrades back to 21 degrees Virgo, where it will change direction again, and go over the area between 21degrees Virgo and six degrees Libra for the third time. This will take two months; Mercury returns to six degrees Libra on October 13.

The period of the first pass through this band, from now until Mercury turns retrograde on September 6, is commonly called the “shadow” period; one would say that Mercury has just entered its “shadow.” Because Mercury will pass over the area twice more in the next two months, our current perceptions, decisions, and ideas will be reviewed and revisited in the coming weeks. Although I am personally not convinced that the image of a “shadow” is the best image to relate to this period, I will call it that for the sake of a common term. It is the first of the eight-stage Mercury cycle that we will look at.

The shadow period is a time of anxiety if we are not aware of its purpose. We tend to rush forward to complete things, or we act out and make rash reactionary decisions. Somehow, it seems as if we can sense the upcoming retrograde and realize unconsciously that things may have to be looked at more closely, or again. Our reaction then, with an anxious mind, is to try to shortcut the process and jump ahead by making the decision, change, or statement we are thinking about. We don’t want to go through the process since we feel we know what needs to be done, or what the correct answer is.

But if we are conscious of this period and what it represents, we can let go of the anxiety. There is no need to rush to complete things because we know that whatever we are thinking about now will likely have to be revisited in the coming couple of months. It’s just part of the process of progress. And we can guard against rash reactionary outbursts and actions as well by being careful. We understand that we may have to eat our words later as things are revisited.

What area of our lives is up for review will depend on our own personal astrological chart, but it is also visible on a societal level by looking at the astrological signs Mercury is focusing in on and where the other planets are in relation to that band of 21 degrees. The most obvious “ripped from the headlines” example of this at the moment is the debate surrounding health care reform that the country is currently engaged in. As anyone can readily see, this debate will undergo a lot of review, revision, and change in the coming months as the country moves (or doesn’t move) in the direction of more affordable and available  health care. The themes and style of the debate relate perfectly to Virgo and Libra matters, such as equality, health, fairness, criticism, balance, service, indecision, giving too much credit to your opponent, collaboration, compromise, giving too much attention to detail, and what is practical.

This particular cycle also involves Saturn, which is also in late Virgo right now, as Mercury conjuncts it three times from August 17 to October 7. This by itself might give additional focus to our ideas, help us think logically and look at details, and it may do so by making us focus on the reality of the situation. But things are changed considerably when taking into account that Uranus and Saturn are opposing each other and Mars is squaring both of them. So, Mercury’s conjunctions with Saturn may act as a trigger to unleash some of the explosive energy, passion, and even anger involved in that formation. We’ll keep an eye on these things as we continue to look at Mercury in upcoming articles.

Mercury – Messenger of the Gods

Most people, even those not interested in the study of astrology, have some awareness of Mercury retrograde. Awareness does not equal understanding, however. Indeed, Mercury retrograde is generally misunderstood only as a time when things go wrong, when we shouldn’t travel, when we should decide anything or when our computer or car breaks down. It has become a scapegoat, something to blame when things don’t go right. Of course, in reality this is an overly simplistic and therefore incomplete understanding. Mercury retrograde is best viewed as part of a broader Mercury cycle. There are eight stages to that cycle and each one of them (including the time Mercury is retrograde) represents an important stage in the development of ideas and other Mercury-related matters in our lives. We’ll look at each of the eight stages in upcoming articles, but initially, let’s take a closer look at Mercury itself.

Even though Mercury rules two modern astrological signs, and therefore is the chart ruler of about one-sixth of the planet’s population, it is easy for astrologers (and those interested in astrology) to overlook the significance of Mercury in a person’s chart. Perhaps it’s because Mercury is in the shadow of the Sun, literally and figuratively. Because Mercury and the Sun are never very far apart from each other, they are often located in the same sign, and Mercury may suffer from a lack of attention for that reason. In the sky, Mercury is the hardest inner planet to see with the naked eye, as it’s often so close to the Sun that it can only be seen either right before sunrise or after sunset, depending on where it is in its cycle. Or perhaps rather it is because astrologers are often more intrigued by the effects of what they consider the deeper, more intense, more transformative, and more emotionally and spiritually-charged outer planets. In contrast, Mercury is often regarded as shallow, simple, and straightforward. 

But Mercury should neither be overlooked nor taken lightly. Few things are more fundamental in a person’s life than the areas Mercury influences – how they think and communicate. It is as basic to our existence as breathing, which it of course also rules. Mercury provides the language needed to define our perceptions, so that we can understand ourselves and our world. Mercury can transform us through self-knowledge and understanding, and where it is placed in our chart tells us about our ability to make sense of our perceptions, to make sense of our world, and to communicate that both to ourselves and to others. In short, Mercury rules understanding on all levels, and to understand how Mercury influences us can unlock our ability to understand not just the other planets in our charts, but everything else.

In mythology, Mercury (Hermes) was a “messenger god,” and he is often portrayed communicating the proclamations and orders of Zeus, his father. It is he, for example, who is credited with giving the ultimatum of Zeus to Prometheus. Hermes mediated between worlds, bridging easily the world of the gods, the world of mortals, and the underworld. In our modern lives, we can also look at Mercury as a bridge. How an idea comes into our consciousness is a mysterious and amazing process, and Mercury is the bridge along which ideas, or the seeds of ideas, travel from the unconscious to the conscious mind. We commonly think of “having” ideas, but we don’t often delve into the origin of those ideas, how they came about. For example, think for a moment about how you decided to get married, or not, change careers, move to a new city or state, and you will realize that the idea was connected to an internal process, and not entirely a conscious one, at least not initially.

Moreover, this fundamental influence regarding the manner in which we think and communicate is unique to us. By way of example, imagine a group of people at a wedding. Now imagine what some of the individuals are thinking about as they wait for the ceremony to begin. One person is admiring the flowers, and likes how they are arranged. One person is thinking about their failed marriage. One person is eyeing the crowd for someone to flirt with later. One person is thinking about the things they need to do at work. One person is just listening to the humming in their head. One person is whispering loudly to someone across the aisle, unaware that everyone in the room can hear her. And so on. This example, although a bit superficial, highlights that people experiencing the same event can perceive it, or react to it, very differently. This is due to Mercury, as it rules our perceptions. By becoming aware of how Mercury acts in us, we can begin the process of awareness in all other aspects of our lives. Mercury is easy to watch in action for it is a quick moving planet with a reliable eight-stage cycle over each 4-month period in relation to the Sun. Look for more discussion of Mercury in action over the coming weeks as we watch Mercury through its upcoming retrograde cycle in Virgo/Libra.