Mercury opposite Saturn

Planetary news this week: August 2, 2021

Astrological forecast by Lynn Hayes

Major events

This week we have the conjunction of the Sun to Mercury, one of the linchpins of the Mercury retrograde cycle (the exact conjunction was August 1st but it lingers into the beginning of the week).  The Sun conjoins Mercury, planet of the mind, once as Mercury travels direct, and then again at the midpoint of the retrograde cycle.  I think of the Sun as the Illuminator, shining a light into the darkness, and the Sun/Mercury combinations bring the potential for realizations and a new kind of intelligence.

That is particularly important this week because the Sun and Mercury also activate the challenging square from Saturn (control and rules) to Uranus (radical change) which is the main story of 2021.  That effect lingers throughout the week, and then the Leo New Moon on August 8th acts as an additional trigger.

What this means is that any structures we have built for ourselves which are eroding and will not fit into the energy patterns of the new world will begin to fall away as new patterns and structures are created.  If we are personalities which embrace change this may come easily and bring exciting new influences.  If we tend to hold onto the past, though, this is likely a difficult time. On a global level the pressure for change is enormous, and this is a good time to remember the Serenity Prayer and think about what we can and cannot change.

Dates and times are given in EDT and UTC, please adjust for your time zone.

Monday August 2nd

Yesterday we had an opposition from Mercury to Saturn which may have created some negative thinking.  Saturn isn’t inherently negative, but it does urge us to face up to reality and […]

Share this article...
By |2021-08-02T07:39:10-04:00August 2nd, 2021|Planetary news this week|6 Comments
Read More

Weekend update July 31-August 1 2021: Sun/Mercury conjunction, and Ceres in Gemini

art by Holly Sierra

The big news this weekend is the conjunction from the Sun to Mercury.  The superior (when Mercury is direct) and inferior (when Mercury is retrograde) conjunctions from the Sun to Mercury are the turning points marking the manner in which the transmission of information is conducted.  This occurs at different levels – the personal: our own individual minds, the things we think about and understand, and the way we communicate with others.  The mundane or political level, where nations and other social structures communicate and develop ways of looking at the world. When Mercury is direct it is ahead of the Sun, traveling at its fastest rate and communication and messaging similarly moves rather quickly in a forward direction.  When Mercury turns retrograde it falls behind the Sun and travels more slowly, with more of an astrological impact.

At any rate, this particular Sun/Mercury conjunction is important because both planets make an opposition (180 degree) aspect to Saturn.  The presence of Saturn at this turning point suggests that there is a reckoning to be made – as the Sun and Mercury race ahead in a feverish pitch of thought and communication, Saturn says “not so fast.”  This is especially true now, with both the Sun and Mercury in the fire sign of Leo which can be impulsive and somewhat self-oriented. Under this influence there may be more difficulty in getting your point across, or even to be able to think clearly.  Expect to have to slow down and take things more deliberately over the next few days, the clarity will come but it will be slower than you might hope for.

Ceres enters Gemini today, bringing its focus on self-care and wellness […]

Share this article...
By |2021-07-31T07:32:34-04:00July 31st, 2021|Planetary news this week|1 Comment
Read More

The meaning of Mercury in Cancer: May 28-August 4, 2020

art by Ellen Uytewaal

Mercury, the planet of messages and information, is typically in a sign for less than a month, but because of the upcoming retrograde it will remain in Cancer until August 4th.  Any retrograde Mercury period is important since a retrograde planet applies greater emphasis and tends to dominate the astrological influences. This year, however, when Mercury turns retrograde on June 18th it will  just one of five planets in retrograde (followed by Neptune a few days later for a total of six).  You may want to catch up on this article about the summer of retrogrades.

But back to Mercury in Cancer.  Cancer is ruled by the Moon, the luminary that governs our emotions and our secret inner selves.  To understand Cancer you need go no farther than the Crab which is one of Cancer’s symbols.  With a soft tender shell in their youth, the Crab is very vulnerable and tender, caring deeply for others and for the world as a whole.  However if the Crab is hurt or wounded it may develop a hard shell in later years making it difficult to express those tender feelings.

Mercury is typically objective and seeks a certain amount of order in our thinking and transmission of information, but in Cancer the need for an open mind can be subsumed by feelings and sensation.  Cancer thrives on a sense of being at home, both physically and with our families or our tribe – the people with whom we feel more at home.  Much is being written these days about our “quarantine tribe” – the people that we are closest to and choose to spend time with even while in quarantine […]

Share this article...
By |2020-05-29T08:17:11-04:00May 29th, 2020|Planetary cycles|3 Comments
Read More