Posted on July 27, 2018 by Henry Seltzer of ASTROGRAPH.COM
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Mercury stations retrograde at 23º Leo on July 25th, 2018, at 10:03pm PDT, and will travel backward through the zodiac until August 18th, where it will station direct at 12º Leo, moving forward again and finally escaping its retrograde shadow on September 1st.
This summer of 2018 is presenting us with some very stormy astrological weather, and this Mercury Retrograde is just one slice of the pie. It’s stationing retrograde just two days before a Lunar Eclipse on the Leo-Aquarius axis (the second of three eclipses), and also joining Mars and four others planets in their retrograde cycles. (Spoiler alert! Venus is ALSO going retrograde in October!) Wow. That’s a whole lot of retrogrades.
Mercury is significant for spoken and written communications, thought processes, and the stories and meaning we’re constantly making for ourselves and for each other. When it goes into retrograde motion, there is a slowing, and an inward turning, a reflective, alchemical process that is taking place. When we can attune our awareness to that process, we can utilize and harness this energy for our development and growth. Yes, Mercury Retrograde is notorious for all the classic pitfalls of miscommunications, plans going awry, technological breakdowns, and so on, but this time is also a rich one for self-reflection, and for pausing to take stock of our lives and our world.
Because of the heavy dose of retrograde energy in the Zodiac and the intensity of this eclipse season, this Mercury Retrograde may take on a deeper spiritual tone and an energetic current of re-evaluating what is and is not serving us on a fundamental level. The mechanism of this is to sift out and presence the energetic ‘gunk’ with ourselves that’s not allowing us to fully step into the highest truth of who we are – as is also indicated by Mercury’s station in very close trine to Eris, which is a warrior energy in support of soul level intention. Because it’s happening in the sign of Leo, ruled by the Sun, there’s also a dimension of fierce individuality, and an invitation to shine our radiant selves boldly into the world – which in order to more fully step into that, oftentimes requires the clearing and healing of past wounds.
Eclipses tend to shake us to the core, allowing to come to the surface that which is ready to be shed, or re-organized and transformed. When we add to this process the other retrograde energies, primarily of Mars and Saturn, we are being asked to bring our awareness to places where we may feel weary, indeed, to constantly travel. Alas, we cannot change a pattern that we refuse to fully presence in our awareness. To do this skillfully, however, asks us to embrace seemingly antithetical qualities. Can we be fiercely unwavering while simultaneously being gentle and kind? Can we hold our seat as the observer of our experience, while also taking actions aligned with our deepest purpose and our most sincere values? Can we hold ourselves in the places of our most profound pain, while simultaneously recognizing and owning our infinite power and grace? Can we be clear and strong in our choices and yet stay soft and supple in our hearts?
On a more mundane level, it is wise not to forget the basics of the Mercury Retrograde time. In its most fundamental principle: try to bring more mindfulness to all that you do, but especially to communications, commuting or short travels, and for heaven’s sake, remember to back up your digital data! It’s not the best time to start a brand new project, but it is a great time to refine and re-design an existing one. It’s not the best time to sign a contract or make a big new purchase, but it is a great time to go through your contracts with a fine-tooth comb and to do some thorough research on that big purchase.
At the end of the day, we aren’t truly in control of much, yet we do have many choice points of how and where we direct our attention and awareness. Through this intense time, may we give ourselves and each other the gift of kindness and caring, and may we be courageous to do both the inner and the outer work we need to persevere through these stormy times.
Image attribution: Citizen59/WikimediaCommons/AllysonFelixRelay4x400London2012
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