Mercury, the messenger, has dominion over the mental
and intellectual realms; which includes all forms of communication, memory,
transportation, travel, computers and commerce.
Because Mercury and Venus are always close together, areas of
emotionality and relationships; ruled by Venus are also affected during Mercury
Retrograde.
Normally Mercury retrograde affects my hand-eye
co-ordination, and general timing & agility (or lack thereof). I usually have a few minor computer issues,
and maybe a case of clumsiness, those are just the givens, there's
always more, depending on those variable factors of placement. I knew this time was gonna be rough because
this recent mercury retrograde hit in the sign of Pisces, right where I have
four planets nestled together. This
cluster of Sun, Mercury, Venus & Mars is usually a solid source of energy
and ideas; but when Mercury goes retrograde in Pisces it becomes something more
akin to a solid steamroller. Like some
kind of virus, Mercury retrograde affects the nearby planets with it's unique
variety of mayhem and chaos. After a
while it gets to feeling like a standing eight count!
There was no hiding from it, or tuning it down; all you can
really do is just ride it out. That's
why having some understanding of the process helps a little. Despite the bad press it gets, Mercury
retrograde can be a very productive and rewarding time. But first things first, a definition of terms
is in order I think. To begin with
Mercury retrograde happens usually three times a year, being a period of
approximately three weeks when to the naked eye observer, the planet Mercury appears
to move backwards in it's orbital path.
Now this apparent retrograde motion is really just an illusion
created by the dynamics of orbital mechanics; which makes the infamous effects
even more interesting to me!
The period of Mercury retrograde makes a literally perfect
time to sit back and examine choices, decisions and agreements you've made
since the previous Mercury retrograde period.
Examine these things to see if they're working as planned, or if you
need to make adjustments, this is the tailor made time to do it. This 3 week period a few times a year also
serves quite well as a time of spiritual reflection; especially so in
these fast moving and turbulent times of humanity at the crossroads of
evolution, or perhaps, extinction. So,
instead of bracing yourself for a 21 day ordeal of resistance to Mercury retrograde,
go with the flow and use the time to inspect & adjust: Think of it like a
pit stop in the rat race!
It's good to know ahead of time when Mercury retrograde is
going to happen, and it's even better to also note which of the twelve zodiac
signs it will occur in, and what sensitive placements may be there in your own
birth chart. This is why not everyone
experiences Mercury retrograde the same way; and why it effects the same
individual differently from one retrograde period to another. We can get lulled into a false sense of
security from experiencing weak or small effects, only to be slam dunked when
Mercury goes retro right where you live, astrologically speaking.
With this subject, "Go with the Flow" is definitely
the best advice to consider. You can
waste a lot of valuable time and energy resisting or trying to avoid the
prevailing energies of a retrograde Mercury, or you can allow those energies to
guide you to areas that require your attention, and perhaps upkeep. In any event, you will want to take some
basic precautions like double check all transactions, agreements, travel plans,
tickets, and such. Pay close
attention to detail, and try to give others the benefit of the doubt when
mercury retrograde snarls communications; remember, they're probably dealing
with it as well. This is also an
excellent time to finish projects left undone, and to tie up loose ends in
general.
There are some classic "Don'ts" to observe
also, just to be on the safe side. Don't
make any big ticket purchases (don't gamble more than you can afford to
loose), Certainly do not purchase or upgrade a computer during retrograde (that's
just thumbing your nose at it), Don't accept, or start a new job, Do not
initiate or close a major sale, Do not start new projects, or schedule
important meetings, and don't move, add roommates, or make major changes to
your living arrangements during Mercury retrograde.
A few days ago I got to witness why they say Mercury
retrograde adversely affects transportation.
It was a beautiful, sunny California
day and both of my neighbors who are motorcycle enthusiasts each decided to go
out solo for some wind therapy. Next
door neighbor Bob left first on his new BMW cycle, and maybe fifteen minutes or
so later upstairs neighbor Scott departed on his Harley. It couldn't have been more than another
fifteen minutes passed before I saw Bob's wife bombing down the hill in her car
much faster than she normally drives.
Another few minutes pass, when I was surprised to see Scott arrive back
at the house, minus a Harley. A few
minutes later I see him driving his truck downhill towing a motorcycle trailer,
which returned holding two broken motorcycles a bit later on.
The first part of this recent retrograde actually went
pretty well for me despite the expected clumsiness which never seems to
fail. My electronics were all working
good and I somehow managed to turn out a couple of blog posts. Things actually went along quite well for the
whole first week; then suddenly, the honeymoon was over. Out of thin air I started thinking about and
reviewing all kinds of stuff from my distant past; from choices & decisions
I'd made, to the relationships, and marriages which never seemed to work out...all
that old stuff I'd already processed, integrated and gotten closure on years
ago came marauding thru my soul like a surly mob with muddy boots. That just didn't seem quite cricket to me;
after all, the whole reason we process, integrate, and get closure is so we
don't get haunted by this stuff, yet there it was. Mercury is a harsh mistress in retrograde
mode.
Of course, just as I attempt to deal with the marauders I
find my thinking is scrambled & erratic, with my emotions resembling a
minor train wreck. When I found myself criticizing someone for spelling my name wrong on a re-post I knew it was time to take my own advice. I switched into neutral observer mode to ride the flow of this nasty
retrograde, and see what message or lesson it might have for me, only to
discover that my problem all along was that none of my partners were in it for
the love. But then, I already knew
that! What better way to deal with it, I
thought, than to write about it...only to find that my writing ability had
jumped ship, and taken my internet connection with it. Arrghh!!
So, with my ability to create cogent sentences reduced to
incoherent word salad devoid of decent punctuation; and unable to get online
for over 48 hours; I surrendered to the mindless numb of television, about
thirty minutes before the first unscheduled power failure. Such is the way of things when Mercury goes
retrograde. How very odd that an optical
illusion could beget such results in the everyday lives of people.
There will be two more periods of Mercury retrograde this
year that we will have to endure. The
next one will be from June 7th to July 2nd in the signs of Gemini, and Cancer; so those
of you with strong or sensitive planets in those signs might want to make a
note of those dates, or not, according to the dictates of your
sensibilities. The same would then also
apply to the final retrograde Mercury of the year from October 4th thru 25th
in the signs of Libra & Scorpio.
Those of you with Sun and/or Mercury in Scorpio should be really feeling
that one, so buckle up and enjoy the ride!
If we envision our journey in this life as a canoe trip down
a river, then Mercury retrogrades are those times when we are forced to come
ashore, and portage our canoe around a waterfall, beaver dam, or fallen
tree. It affords us an opportunity to
slow down, assess our overall situation, and plot the best course back to the
flowing river. Doesn't it just make
sense to make use of these mental/emotional interludes instead of
just enduring them? We can choose to resist & endure these
energies, or use them as an interlude to know ourselves better...it's only life
after all!
May the Source be with You!
Related Augureye
Posts:
Hi Chautauqua,
ReplyDeleteWelcome back from Mercury retro's grip, when she does an illusionary version of Michael Jackson's Moon Walk. Nothing like a campfire to warm the heart after we've been flung out of our canoes. Sorry the 3D love life keeps surfacing. I often wonder if I knew then what I know now if I'd even have attempted the drama trauma of 3D love. Yeah, you bet, wouldn't have missed it if only for the karma cleanse! Love, Althea
Maybe the Karma cleanse is the reason we come here to begin with?
DeleteThere is also an echo phase before Mercury goes retrograde:
ReplyDeleteJanuary 22, 2014 to February 5, 2014
May 24, 2014 to June 6, 2014
September 19, 2014 to October 3, 2014.
So they say, I've heard the same, but only for a day or so on either side. The time frames you suggest would extend the influence of mercury retrograde far beyond their actual range, and are therefore, a bit unrealistic.
DeleteI know nothing about astrology, but maybe you could give a prediction based on astrology with a date when the world might go to war or when some natural disaster like a huge earthquake or volcano is going to erupt based on the planets. This is where forecasting the future would be very valuable for all of us to know.
ReplyDeleteSorry, I don't do predictions; but the type of forecasting you suggest has been going on for decades. All one has to do is find it, and read it. That's why I invented the internet, so I could retire!
Delete