Category Archives: Retrograde

Mercury, Retrograde

Mercury retrograde is not an excuse for stuffing up!

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I read somewhere the other day about a school teacher who had students using Mercury retrograde as an excuse for not completing homework (http://hibiscusmooncrystalacademy.com/crystals-for-mercury-retrograde/)  … seriously! Take responsibility.  Astrology is not causal, it is just a way of reading the fundamental interconnectedness of all things.  I think of it more like a weather report … if the BOM said it was going to rain, I’d prepare by taking an umbrella (hmm, maybe that wasn’t such a good example!!). An astrology report is the same, it is like an energetic weather forecast … an insight into the art of timing.

Sure things go a bit haywire when Mercury is in (apparent) retrograde motion, but the message is … take more care, be more watchful, double check the details. The important thing about this time is that we tend to be more internally focussed (which is why we might not notice that we’d booked that flight for the wrong month!), so it is a time to sssslllllooooooowwww down.

Mercury retrograde is a great time for working out how you think about something, but not such a great time for communicating that to someone else.  So, if you do need to communicate, double check that what the person heard is what you intended to say.

Mercury retrograde is not an excuse, it is just a caution! An astrological weather forecast …

Retrograde, Saturn, Scorpio

Saturn turns direct, 8th July 2013

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Saturn turns direct on Monday (8th), after being in retrograde motion since February this year.  It’s the same as with Mercury retrograde … the energy of a planet that is going backwards (relatively, of course) is compromised, so whatever that planet rules tends to become more internalised rather than being easily expressed in the outer world.

Natural color view of Saturn, composed from a ...
Natural color view of Saturn, composed from a series of pictures taken by the Cassini spacecraft. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Saturn is all about form and structure, order and planning, responsibilities and restrictions (yeah, it sounds boring … unless you’re a Capricorn maybe).  But Saturn is useful, as it’s the planet that gets us to achieve stuff in a planned and methodical way.  Without Saturnian energy the world would be random, chaotic and anarchic (hmm, doesn’t sound like such a bad idea after all).  While it has been retrograde in Scorpio, it’s likely that we’ve been reviewing plans, looking into the deeper forces and underlying motivations behind them; and now is the time to get moving again.  So, whatever plans you might have put on hold since last November or this February, it’s time to get them activated again.  And now it can be done with a deeper appreciation of what is needed.

Especially for those ruled by Saturn (Capricorn Sun or Capricorn Ascendants) and for Scoprios, the last few months might have felt a bit like trudging through mud while you delved into the murky depths of whatever was holding you back.  For all of us, Saturn going direct is a time to get those on-hold plans happening again, this time with insight.

Astrology, Mercury, Retrograde

Mercury retrograde 26th June – 21st July 2013

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MESSENGER image - First look at side of Mercur...
MESSENGER image – First look at side of Mercury not seen by Mariner 10 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Ahh, Mercury retrograde … it seems I’ve already been hit!  when I checked my ephemeris (the program that tells me what position the planets are in at any particular time) the other day and wrote that the retrograde period started on Thursday, I got it wrong!! Apparently I had used Summer Time, rather than Standard Time.   So, Mercury retrograde begins today, at 11.08 pm, to be precise (in Eastern Australia and I double checked it this time).  The influence of the retrograde does last longer than the three week period when it is happening … there is what is called the ‘shadow’ period.  It’s a bit of an explanation … you can find more about it here – http://www.astrologycom.com/retroframe.html.  So, it seems we are already experiencing the retrograde.

Mercury rules thinking, perception, communication, commerce, education and transportation. When it is retrograde, the energy is directed internally, so the external expression of these things doesn’t work so well … hence, misunderstandings, delays, glitches, breakdowns in any of these areas.  Major traffic disruptions are more common, and I’d be fascinated to know what the experience of the next few weeks will be for those who work in IT … I imagine there will be more call outs to fix stuff that’s not working.

It is not that we shouldn’t sign contracts during this tie, but as our thinking and communicating tends to get a bit foggy, it’s important to double check everything (like the time on the ephemeris generator!). And not everything is negative, this is a good time to be doing internal work, and with the retgrograde in Cancer, an especially good time for emotional processing … just don’t expect to be able to tell anyone else what you’ve worked out!!

The retrograde tends to affect people differently.  Geminis and Virgos, who are ruled by Mercury, are most affected … give them a bit of leeway over the next few weeks, especially towards the end of the period (it turns forward on 21st July) as their words and thoughts get more and more muddled as the retrograde goes on.  On the other hand, people who have Mercury retrograde in their birth chart tend to be more effective than usual during this time, particularly at thinking issues through.  Generally, it is a better time for introspection than for expression.

So, take care, double check the detail and laugh at the stuff-ups … it’s not causal, but it is a useful insight into the art of timing!!