Mercury Turns Retrograde

Mercury Turns Retrograde - Uncertainty

"A truly good man does nothing, yet nothing is left undone.
A foolish man is always doing, yet much remains to be done"

— Lao Tzu

Mercury turns retrograde in Libra at the beginning of this week. Mercury's square to Pluto increases the intensity of our opinions but a trine to Jupiter encourages us to take a step back and look at the 'bigger picture' In terms of taking any meaningful or decisive actions, this week's mix of energies keeps most of us uncertain, indecisive, or struggling to enlist the kind of support we need. With Mars in Libra, we are more likely to find ourselves trying to work through others but we are hampered by the struggle to clear away the uncertainty that is keeping most of us 'on the fence'. The challenge we face is to understand the perspectives of others so that we are better able to build the necessary consensus for the kind of bold, decisive actions that we believe are important. At various points this week, we may feel ready to take bold action, despite the risks. However, we quickly face the realization that we need more investigation. For many of us, this may result in a considerable amount of frustration. When it becomes apparent that we don't really have the full picture, some will feel exposed or embarrassed - leading to a desire to withdraw. We may turn to attempts to work behind the scenes in order to try to make some kind of progress. However, there is little room to move forward. Under this retrograde Mercury we will need to do further investigation and make an honest effort to better understand the value and importance of the perspectives of others. Even attempts to fall back on tradition or established procedures are unlikely to bring about the kind of lasting results that we are trying to achieve. For most of this now waning lunar cycle, there have been opportunities for us to look at the impacts that our heritage, our history, and our predecessors have had on our current situation. As we approach next Wednesday's Libra Moon (4:05 AM PDT 13° Libra), we will need to take time to allow these insights to meaningfully inform our next steps. We will do better to look for opportunities to share our experiences and our perspectives and actively listen to the perspectives of others. Once we have taken the time to further explore how past decisions and actions have brought us to where we are now, we will finally be ready to make decisions and take actions that will be truly meaningful and most effectively serve the greater good. Ultimately, it is the principle of selfless service that we must seek to understand. In order to make decisions and take actions that will produce lasting results, we must take this time to listen, consider, and reflect on the widest range of perspectives that we can find.

Our minds are stirred on Sunday and we may believe we have found remarkable solutions. However, attempts to implement those solutions only lead to confusion. Monday's atmosphere is cheerful but lasting insights are not likely. We are vulnerable to believing that we know more than we can actually demonstrate. We are likely to feel the need to withdraw on Tuesday, possibly to try to work behind the scenes. However, exposure of manipulation or underhanded machinations will leave some of us embarrassed and even more prone to withdrawal. A Venus-Neptune trine on Wednesday provides some healing compassion and expanded awareness. Remarkable recoveries are possible. Insecurity keeps our feelings unsettled on Thursday. There is little desire to push forward or stir controversy. Friday's scattered and wasteful actions may exacerbate frustration if we can't find a way to stay detached. We will need to allow any of our great ideas to speak for themselves rather that spending too much time on persuasion or promotion. By Saturday, we begin to embrace a more considered approach. We find the necessary space to take a 'deep dive' into specifics and details. We can more easily accept that we won't be able to enlist the support of others until we spend more time getting our facts straight and building a coherent message.

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