Mercury Turns Direct

Mercury Turns Direct - Turning a Blind Corner

"Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore."

— Wizard of Oz 1939 Film

Mercury turns direct this week, stalled in a somewhat daunting quincunx to Mars, which has still not picked up significant direct motion. This quincunx aspect, which lasts all week, can contribute to a feeling that we are turning a blind corner, making it very difficult to understand exactly where we are going. Even though the overall mood is pushing for action, we still don't have the clear sense of direction that we need in order to make a lot of progress. The swirl of ideas and visionary planning is intense, stirred up by the general Mercury-Mars interaction. However, this quincunx is also producing a shift in awareness this week that shows us an 'on the ground' perspective, rather than a visionary 'broad overview' — and things can look vastly different 'on the ground' than what our visionary planning has led us to expect. This week's shifts and new perspectives could easily feel quite overwhelming. Doubts and insecurities surface when we aren't quite sure how to operate in the new landscape we can begin to see in front of us. Mercury turns direct just as the Sun reaches a conjunction with Pluto, which increases the demand for responsibility and clear commitments. However, Mercury and Mars are still rather stuck stuck (stationary) and we aren't able to — either emotionally or intellectually — effectively establish a workable set of priorities. We are prone to find ourselves riding a roller-coaster of highs and lows this week. We may be stirred to great expectations but daunted by an overwhelming array of raw materials that seem to demand extraordinary effort to make use of. At times, our energy and stamina seem to evaporate. When we begin to doubt our ability to follow-through on our vision, we may even start to become disillusioned. But the Sun arrives in Aquarius by Friday, which begins to offer us some hope of getting our minds wrapped around how to make use of raw materials, new information, and new capabilities we have begun to identify within the shifting, uncertain new landscape that we can see unfolding before us. Saturday's Aquarius New Moon (12:53 PM PST 1° Aquarius), in a mind-expanding sextile to Jupiter, helps us begin to adjust to the shifts that are taking place. Uranus, the only planet still retrograde, is stationing direct by Saturday. As we end the week, there is an inescapable awareness that there is no turning back. We are likely to feel at least a bit less overwhelmed and a bit more excited about the opportunities and possibilities that lay before us. The path may still not be clear but we can finally begin to fully shift our focus towards the future.

Impulsiveness or reckless determination can easily cause us to lose any big picture perspective. There are temptations to blurt out inappropriate demands or desires without laying any groundwork. Monday's significant confusion creates frustration. We have difficulty setting priorities. There is a more optimistic atmosphere on Tuesday. However, new ideas and 'Great Expectations' can be quite intoxicating but may not bring significant 'follow through'. Mercury's direct station on Wednesday comes with overwhelming intensity. We may tend to obscure any doubts or insecurities. There isn't really much help getting a handle on the expanding sense of possibilities on Thursday. There is some potential for disillusionment. The Sun arrives in Aquarius on Friday, bringing some welcome adaptability. Excitement helps to erase disillusionment. Saturday's Aquarius New Moon brings both emotional and intellectual transformation. We recognize that, in fact, there is no turning back.