Friday, October 10, 2014

Mercury Retrograde Oct 4 - 25: a survival guide

To effectively communicate, we must realize we are all different in the way we perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others.
Tony Robbins, Motivational Speaker and Teacher

"A word to the wise is enough. The old proverb is, forewarned, forearmed."

©AstroActivator by Kathryn Andren 2001
Now that the recent Lunar Eclipse day has had its day in, or really "out of the Sun", I want to move on to Mercury Retrograde. I'm sharing this information because this particular Mercury Retrograde carries a stronger intensity than usual. Yes...MR can be more intense than its usual craziness!. That intensity mirrors Mercury Retro occurring amidst two eclipses in October.

I must laugh too. Visiting Sri Lanka during Mercury Retrograde has amplified the quintessential  "lost in translation" experience. The nuances of communication here exist in a world unto themselves. Head nods of varying angles say more than words. Thus...I've readily learned to be alert, pay attention to what feels easy or hard, and more than anything else, laugh and go with the flow. For example...my daughter and I are traveling north tomorrow to visit the ancient temple sites of Anuradhapura. Yesterday we learned the trains are not operating in the North due to a train strike. So now we're driving north. Going with the flow. And, I ask myself (good Mercury Retro strategy) "what wonderful spontaneous adventures await us?"

With that out of the way...please read on:
Reflections about the current Mercury Retrograde….



Planetary retrograde periods are times of the "RE", that is redo, rediscover, reexamine, replenish, restore, regenerate, reconsider, rejuvenate and a bunch of other related terms. It's also a time of cleaning up loose ends or finishing projects still in limbo (i made a personal note about what I just wrote as I have unfinished projects just waiting to be completed. ;)

Archetype Mercury in particular rules the realms of communication, commerce, exchange of ideas and thoughts, and information. It expresses this energy through movement, writing, dancing, teaching and sharing. Mercury uses discernment to better understand what is being communicated.

News of late has been filled with a lot of emotional intensity, discord, miscommunication and quick changes. These are strong symptoms of this retrograde cycle.  For example, concern about Ebola has recently reached (no pun intended) a fevered pitch, even though Ebola has been on the radar screen for years. Pluto rules viruses (the hidden) and its domain is Scorpio. This retrograde begins in Scorpio. Hence, the unseen and hidden now come to full conscious awareness for deeper understanding and potential resolution.

Other Mercury Retro signs you may experience include spontaneous meetings, new insights and unexpected connections and changing plans.

In short, during a Mercury Retrograde, the logical side of life takes a breather while the spontaneous/creative side takes the lead. This is akin to leading with the heart instead of the head.

Mercury Retrograde also offers the opportunity to REthink your perspectives of life, including beliefs. For example, shortly after writing this update, the Catholic Church revealed shift in its perspective around unmarried couples, divorced members and gay rights. That's significant for an institution who has excluded these groups in the past.

Note: If you were born during a Mercury Retrograde, this is your time to use your gifts of spontaneity and quick thinking.

If you have significant planetary position in your natal chart between 13 and 29° in the Cardinal signs of Aries, Cancer, Libra or Capricorn, and/or between 0 and 5° degrees in the Fixed Signs of Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius, you are particularly put on notice about the following:

This is the 3rd of 3 Mercury Retrograde of 2014. As with the other two in February and June, it begins in the element of water and ends in the element of air. Water = Emotions and water events. Air represents the ethers where information is exchanged or shared.

©AstroActivators by Kathryn Andren 2001; Image creation by Joseph Mina














Timings: 
 - This Mercury retrograde started to build momentum on Sept 13 when it passed its eventual station direct point of 17° Libra
- Mercury completes this cycle on Nov 10th when it moves direct over its retrograde start point (2° Scorpio). That's 2 months of Mercury challenges and opportunities in the realms of communication, movement and information.
- Mercury moved retrograde on Oct 4 at 2° Scorpio, positioned almost exact to the position of the coming Scorpio New Moon/Solar eclipse point. Solar eclipse periods usually spawn Earth shifts and changes such as severe weather and volcanic and earthquake activity. e.g. the current super typhoon "Vongfong" now headed towards Okinawa, Japan, is the strongest hurricane of 2014.
- Mercury moves back into Libra today (Oct 10). It initially crossed this point on Sept 27th as it entered Scorpio. It will cross this point for its final pass on Nov 8 to bring completion to this cycle.
- Mercury stations direct on Oct 25th at 17° Libra. Station points for Mercury begin 3 days before the actual station (at rest) and end 3 days later. Station periods are more intense. While some think Mercury Retrograde is "over" when it reaches its direct station point...
- between Oct 25th and Nov 10th, Mercury will retrace its retrograde path. Usually an echo or reenactment of events from the actual retrograde period take place during this completion phase.
- Mercury now retrogrades over the same Cardinal energy ground of Capricorn and Libra from the Venus and Mars retrogrades of earlier in 2014, respectively. These were very strong personal retrogrades underscored by the ending of many relationships. Hence, lessons learned earlier in the year in the realms of structure, politics, business (all Capricorn themes) and relationship (Libra) will materialize in the energetic field for deeper understanding and perhaps healthy resolution.

Energetic dynamics and suggestions:
 

Scorpio - invites you into the emotional depths and unseen. It is Pluto's domain of melt down and transformation. It is an intense vibration. Hence, expect stronger than usual emotional responses to human situations. For example recent demonstrations in Hong Kong, or the aforementioned Ebola concerns underscore the volatility of this energy.
- Libra - embraces relationships. Ruled by Venus, it values beauty, artistry and harmony. During this retrograde period, Mercury carries the Scorpio intensity into these realms. Get ready for a wild relationship ride.

- stronger possibility now exists for extreme weather, especially in the water and drought realms 

- In all respects, postpone signing contracts/agreements, or starting a business or endeavor until at least Oct 26. Ditto for making major purchases. As mentioned earlier...this is a perfect time to tie-up loose ends and create completions. 

- In the realm of moving parts, back up your computer/devices, make sure your automobile is in good working condition. Attend to home repairs.  

- In the realm of travel…let spontaneity be your guide. Expect change. Not unusual for travel delays or redirects to occur. If they do, look for the opportunity offered in that moment. There is always a golden lining.

- Women: pay particular attention to your inner signal of "yes" and "no". Act accordingly.

- In the realm of communication…practice conscious listening with your relationships. Be as precise as possible when making plans, or communicating needs. Breathe and practice discernment about what you say "yes" or "no" to

- Because Scorpio is emotionally fueled, take time for:
physical exercise is your friend
Yoga, Chi Gong, Tai Chi etc. and/or meditation
rest/rejuvenate
receive bodywork
and most especially…stay out of unnecessary human drama. Engaging on this level is akin to riding a non-stop roller coaster! It will quickly drain your energy field and bring on body symptoms.

Pure Scorpio thrives when its fuel is channeled into the physical realm of life force. It struggles when it finds its way into the mental realms of combativeness, over-thinking and restlessness. Hence, patience and quiet time can be virtues here.

And in the spirit of Scorpio's intensity…excessive eating/consuming high frequency foods such as coffee, chocolate, hot spicy, etc. can amplify unnecessarily your emotional field.

Lastly, choosing out of otherwise volatile situations can create greater understanding and compassion for yourself in the realms of inner harmony and personal integrity. That's something your inner Libra greatly appreciates.

Aloha from Colombo, Sri Lanka
Starman, Joseph Mina
October 10, 2014

©Gemini Awakening 2014 all rights reserved

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I welcome your comments and feedback. I also moderate the comments to ensure only comments germane to the article are included. Mahalo, Joseph