Mercury Turns Retrograde

Mercury Turns Retrograde - Deeper Investigation

"…re-examine all you have been told in school or church or in any book, and dismiss whatever insults your own soul; and your very flesh shall be a great poem, and have the richest fluency, not only in its words, but in the silent lines of its lips and face, and between the lashes of your eyes, and in every motion and joint of your body."

—Walt Whitman
Preface - Leaves of Grass

Mercury turns retrograde in Sagittarius at the beginning of the week, followed up by Jupiter's station retrograde on Tuesday. These 'stationary' planets aren't especially comfortable as they undertake their review process. Mercury isn't terribly comfortable in Sagittarius anyway and this particular 'station' is likely to leave us initially feeling rather 'lost', at 'loose ends', or generally lacking a clear sense of direction. Perhaps the only escape from the initial discomfort is through service to others — stepping as far outside of our personal bubble as we can in order to connect to a deeper sense of purpose through our connections to those around us. Mercury, in tandem with Mars in Sagittarius, can quickly provoke some defensiveness when our mind isn't offering as many 'answers' as we would like. Jupiter's station in Cancer seems to push us even further towards defensiveness and increase a feeling of isolation. Jupiter's expansiveness can feel restricted as it retrogrades in Cancer, suggesting a turn inward. But Mercury's second (of 3) exact conjunctions with Mars, occurring on Wednesday encourages us to find a 'Megaphone' — our 'voice' — and 'turn up the volume'. The first Mars-Mercury conjunction occurred last month in Scorpio and was rather subdued — more interested in laying foundations than making pronouncements. While we may not actually have a clear message to deliver quite yet — our first attempts to deliver our message this week are likely to 'fracture' — we do quickly begin to adapt (as we move through the week) to the new 'review process' that has been initiated. While there may be significant discomfort — the waning lunar cycle suggests a dimming of our 'light' — the review process that we begin this week will help us to find increased connection and embrace a deeper sense of cooperation with others. Mercury's retrograde motion, from Sagittarius back into Scorpio, will help us to re-organize our idealistic ideas and intentions into a determined new way forward. We may struggle to clearly see or understand how any momentum that develops this week will ultimately unfold. Nonetheless, we will see that this week's efforts flow directly into next Wednesday's Scorpio New Moon (10:46 PM PST 28° Scorpio). Our determination and follow-through will be unmistakable and the new lunar cycle will give us the traction that we seem to be lacking this week. The Sun is beginning to connect to both Jupiter and Saturn in a Grand Water Trine, producing an increasingly intense flow of emotion heading into next week's New Moon. That emotion will be combined into this week's steadily building stream of connection and cooperation, unfolding into a cohesive and productive flow of new information once we begin the new lunar cycle.

We may feel lost or at loose ends on Sunday. Perhaps the only escape from the discomfort is through service to others — stepping as far outside of our personal bubble as we can in order to connect to a deeper sense of purpose through our connections to those around us. There is quite an emotional roller coaster of frustrated, ego-driven independence on Monday. Nonetheless, with enough awareness, we'll recognize the need to back off and allow everyone the space to have their 'say' without too much righteous judgment. Accepting outside help is difficult on Tuesday. The key is to set aside the self-serving defensiveness and recognize the importance of making connections to others and finding ways to be of service to a 'higher purpose'. Although we may believe that we have found a 'Megaphone' on Wednesday, our ability to convey our message seems to quickly 'fracture'. However, we do find a 'thread' of meaning to follow that we aren't inclined to set aside quickly. There is a surprising and unexpected level of cooperation that we can begin to see unfolding on Thursday. However, we may not see how all of the pieces will fall into place productively. Emotions stabilize on Friday with sharp, clear-eyed analysis. As we move past our defensiveness, we can gain better insight into how to be of service to others. We get a strong reminder of our need for others on Saturday. Nonetheless, we may need to guard against pushing too hard or expecting quick resolutions.