Mercury in Virgo will concern work and health, communication, and glitches may occur in any area.
The next three weeks may be a period where things seem at a standstill, especially our outward action. On an inner level however, we can accomplish a great deal.
Mercury turns retrograde 3 or 4 times a year, and generally has a bad name and elicits groans when mentioned. To an extent this is perfectly understandable, as retrograde Mercury is the planet that causes delays, glitches, breakdowns in computers and equipment, relationships, slowdowns and brings hidden factors to the surface. Plans can be put on hold, miscommunication can occur, relationships can end or change, and cars, computers and other machinery can break down at the most inopportune moment.
All of this
will occur, but this period does not have to be the disaster many believe it to
be with some basic knowledge ahead of time.
The four most important things are to 1)understand what retrograde Mercury means 2)know what to expect 3)
know what to avoid and lastly 4)understand what you can gain from it. With
this basic information available, you should be able to make the most of the
time, and benefit from the retrograde as oppose to being caught off guard.
The first step is to know what
retrograde Mercury means. In the strictest sense of the word, the planet of communication does not
actually go backward, it only appears to. This will occur three or four times every
year. A planet is described
as retrograde when it appears to be moving backwards through the zodiac, and
this is referred to as apparent retrograde motion. When planets retrograde, their effects on
humans are different than when in direct motion. Thinking is deeper, situations
often appear to go underground for a time, or change altogether, and sometimes
our focus shifts. Mercury retrograde is the most talked about retrograde,
because it is a fast moving planet that controls our thinking, speech, travel,
and cognitive skills. When Mercury retrogrades, there are several phases.
The first phase is the pre-retrograde shadow period which began July 25 This period is
where Mercurial energy starts to shift and it is time to start wrapping up new
projects for the time being and focusing on what is at hand.
The second phase
of retrograde Mercury is the stationary
retrograde period, when Mercury starts to shift into apparent backward
motion. This occurs August 11-16, when Mercury starts its retrograde. This is the period most glitches start to
become evident, and if you have a prominent Mercury in your chart, thinking may
become foggy.
Mercury continues to retrograde through September 5 when it turns stationary direct September 5-8.. This is the second
period when glitches, breakdowns and changes in direction may well occur.
Mercury begins to move forward again on September 9, but remains in the shadow direct
phase until September 19, 2017. Mercurial
energy does not pick up its normal pace until completion of the second shadow
period. So, the retrograde Mercury period is actually a much longer cycle than
most people understand. Changes will occur at the juncture of each retrograde phase.
The
second step in surviving a retrograde is to know what to expect. What
you can expect and prepare for are slowdowns, delays, miscommunications,
interference with travel and travel plans and appointments, and the breakdown
of machinery, situations and even relationships. If your car has been limping
along and you have been putting off a repair, know this is the likely time it
will become obvious that you have to fix it. If your computer is slow or having
problems be sure and back up everything important. (I learned this one the hard
way several times!) If you are in a relationship that is tottering on the brink
of ending, this may well be the period that can occur, and often does. Of
course, I always tell people, ‘Mercury retrograde is a wild card.” Sometimes,
relationships can be fixed and problems brought out into the open if it is
worth saving. Expect delays, changes of plans and try and not have situations
set in stone. In other words, prepare to
be flexible. Mercury retrograde is often
a frustrating time to be looking for a job.
Don’t give up though, just keep plugging on and stay on top of all
communication. And make sure you are direct and to the point in your
communication with others. If you don’t
understand what someone is telling you, by all means ask for clarification.
The
third and perhaps most important step in surviving retrograde Mercury is to
know what to avoid. Don’t get married, start a new business,
start new projects or begin anything you hope will become permanent during the
most important three week phase of the retrograde. Don’t purchase high ticket
items, important gifts, paint, or anything you expect to be there for
a long time if you can avoid it. Retrograde Mercury is not the time to start
new projects, but rather finish up the old, and redo, re-organize or re-work.
Go against this advice and you may wish you hadn’t. I chose the paint color in
my office on retrograde Mercury just to test it, and as I write this post, I
wish I had time to get out a paintbrush today.
The
fourth step to surviving retrograde Mercury is to understand what you can gain
from it. Know that retrograde Mercury is part of the natural cycle
of life and it is not anything out of the ordinary. Everything serves a purpose
and the point of a retrograde Mercury is to slow down a bit, reflect, rethink,
re-do, re-plan and reorganize and reconsider. It is a period of correction.
Rather than starting new projects it is time to look at what is on the drawing
board. Often during a retrograde, thinking changes direction and a more
appropriate course of action can be mapped out. Often new information comes to
the surface that must be considered.
Sometimes secrets are revealed, and the truth comes out into the
open. The truth may not be what your
want to hear, but it can set you free. Retrograde Mercury is a time to plan,
work on you, and delve into the spiritual side of life. Sometimes important
contacts with people from our past can be initiated, and there is generally a
focus on the past or past situations that can come back up to be resolved. Just
focus on what is at hand rather than starting new situations. If you are forced to start a job during a retrograde,
it could be altered when Mercury goes direct, or you may not have all the
facts. If you begin a new relationship on a retrograde, it may end or change
when Mercury goes forward, time will tell.
All in all, retrograde Mercury is a period where we
should reflect on our current state, and plan rather than initiate new
ventures. Reconsider your options, re-write, re-organize, and re-think. If you
follow these basic principles, I can’t guarantee you won’t experience
frustration, but you will survive the retrograde and perhaps come out of it better
than you had believed possible.
No comments:
Post a Comment