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

Posted on May 9, 2010
Posted by Jim Sher

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.


Astrology Jupiter Mercury Mercury Cycle Uranus
Jim Sher

Jim brings over 35 years of experience as a therapist and transformational counselor to his practice of astrology, metaphysics, meditation and philosophy. He operates as a teacher and counselor and specializes in the use of discourse as a part of his teaching approach.

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10 responses to “Mercury Going Direct & This Summer’s Cardinal T-Square”

  1. donna@donnaaazura.com' Aazura says:

    Thank you again Jim for your brilliant insights. Yes, Uranus…my Aquarian Planet. You are right on Jim with your descriptions. I can feel the upheaval already and they can be surpising to say the least. For me personaly, what I am finding is that as an Aquarian with Uranus as my ruling planet, there is no box big enough anymoe. I must live in a much freer environment and create my personal reality that way without walls, they only crush you when they crash down anyway. I have noticed an intensifying of this natural tendancy and have been living it successfully for the last several months. And it is now about to expand as I step into new movement in my life.
    Namaste’

  2. kcdecker1@sbcglobal.net' Ken says:

    Hello Jim,
    As always, I truly enjoy your insights and you are on point-again. I am a Taurus (May 3, 1960-11:38pm), My relationship with my Lover (Pisces) has been strained and with an unbelievable amount of dis-connect. No matter what is happening, we have been unable to connect or even re-connect on some of the most trival issues.
    Furthermore, it seems as if when I even look at her she will have an adverse reaction and feel attacked.
    This transitionary period has been one of the most difficult times in our relationship.
    Personally, except for my relationship with her, things in my own life are gliding along without too much drama or unexpected events.
    I know it takes two for a relationship, but with the planets in the position they are in, it seems as if there are more than two of us.

    I agree with Debra, “Keeping one’s balance is more important than ever.”

  3. debra.bentzen@sympatico.ca' Debra says:

    Interesting times we all are living in….I see the oil catastrophe in the Gulf as a symbol representing a hemorrhage of the entire financial structure in the US and the world. So far it has been impossible to stop much like the continued downward spiral of the financial markets. The Statement,”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” Things have to change, they are not working anymore despite the desire to keep the status quo. Keeping one’s balance is more important than ever.

  4. Thanks for your great insights on the coming Uranus Jupiter conjunction in Aries.

    I’m excited about this conjunction because of the understanding I have of this combination of planets as well as the degree they’re meeting on. I remember reading many years ago that this combination of planets was known as ‘the thank-the-lord’ aspect. I have the square in my natal chart, and find that generally I land on my feet through some pretty hair raising circumstances! However, the conjunction might be less dramatic, as well as the fact that constraining Saturn is there to keep things under ‘control’.

    The 0 degrees of Aries is also known as the Cardinal Point, the gateway into Samsara (or the wheel of life), the cosmic portal where Universal energies enter to keep us awake, reminding us of our Universal presence. Wow! Fascinating…perhaps the whole shake up that’s happening in Britain is a symptom of this blurring of what has been solid status quo, and now under question.

    Also, I wonder if the horrific oil leak could be related to the Neptune/Chiron conjunction?

  5. dawnaleigh@featherriverproductions.com' dawna says:

    Thanks again, Jim, for the updates and insights. I feel pretty fluid with things as they are occurring and the possibility of upcoming extreme events. That’s today, of course! LOL
    Overall, the Merc retro period in my life, my marriage and in business, which my husband and I do together, has been fair. Some much needed changes have been integrated, our Zen practice has been fruitful in seeing rather than denying or avoiding potential pitfalls. The urge to move forward has been tempered by the wisdom to be still before taking action. We encountered some old patterns, particularly as expressed by/within client relationships, and each one had a favorable outcome. My Sun is in Aquarius and James is Libra.
    Our hearts go out to the folks and creatures in the Gulf, and I am aware of so many efforts by citizen groups to provide aid to the clean up.

  6. greg@feeltheabundance.com' Greg Phillip says:

    Thanks Jim. I take greast hope in reading this today. This last Merc retro cycle has been an intense time, on top of an already intense time for me. I’m releived it is ending tomorrow.

    But what has me really excited is the news that Uranus is FINALLY leaveing Pisces (my sun sign) where it has truly shaken me to the core. It’s movement into Aries, along with my beloved Jupiter, is really and truly “Good tiding” to me. Where as Uranus has been shaking up my core — profoundly changing my very being and ways of being, leasving me unable and unwilling to take many actions (cause they’re completly unknown) — I welcome the shake to move into Aries, where, in my life experience, things begin moving again for me. Even if they are radical and “out of the box”.

    This is a huge relief. Thank you!

  7. LTDennison@yahoo.com' Linda says:

    I think the oil spill is Plutonian, not Uranian. The unknowingness is because of Neptune: it happened in the sea and there are many veils of confusion and deceit surrounding it.
    Uranus, to me, is the rebel with or without a cause and an anarchist! He blows much needed and permanent changes into the areas of our lives that he transits…usally things we knew deep down we needed to overhaul, overthrow, or throw out (some Pluto in there) but were resisting doing.
    I always say that if you don’t do your transits, they will do you…and might just do you in!

  8. tessast.touch@yahoo.com' Tessa says:

    Thanks so much for this insight Jim! As you know my twin brother and I have been having difficulty communicating and actually hearing what the other is going through, thus causing me to get physical with him which goes against my very nature. With that said we had another falling out just before mother’s day and even though I was very tempted to write him or call him and make matters even worse, I refrained finally and took a deep breath and asked for help. I asked my fiancee and my sister for some insight and of course their words of wisdom was to let things lie. They both told me in their own words that I had to be the bigger person and apologize for my behavior and then maybe just leave it for him to make the next move. Well I thought this best after three days of going over in my head all the things I wanted to say to him, and how he made me feel, and wished he could just listen without taking what I said out of context! But Mother’s Day came and I went to my parents home, where he too resides. For the first couple of hours I successfully avoided speaking with him, and then finally I had a moment where I went up to him, told him I was sorry, and that no matter what I loved him. The tension eased and the day went off well, which pleased my mother the most. I still feel hurt by him, like the close relationship I have shared with him for 30 years is now coming to a close and my new life with my fiancee is about to begin. How do I go from here? Are we to become fair weather friends that only see each other on holidays and only talk about the weather? I feel like I am loosing a part of me!

  9. lvq12@hotmail.com' linda quakenbush says:

    thanks jim for the (usual) thoughtful insight. it is a comfort to digest what you describe in terms of their positive potential.

  10. bjbournewriter4u@gmail.com' bjbourne says:

    This has been an unusually difficult period for me since around 4/25/10. I started feeling funky and out of body, dreams are extremely bizare and intense. I live on the Gulf Coast and about the time of the oil spill we had overcast, rainy days and the water was really choppy. I started falling into a severe (not usual for my sunny self) depression which continued to get worse. My neighbor said she felt “off” also. By Friday, May 7th, I reached a point where I was overwhelmed by simple tasks and would cry at the drop of a hat and had to leave work early. Now I am climbing out of it and it seems to get better every day; however the pace of life has quickened to the point of exhaustion. Sometimes I sleep 10 hours a night and then other times I sleep 4 wake up for 2 and go back for another 3 or 4. I have considered myself a stable, sane person but at times I am totally confused which is not a good thing because I do work full-time. My habit is to write in my spare time but can’t seem to find the energy to be creative. My co-worker seems to be going through tough times also. Several people I know have had their computers crash out of the blue. Has anyone else had similar things going on? I may need to have my chart done again – please contact me.

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