Mercury Retrograde

Planetary news this week: Solar eclipse awakening and Mercury turns retrograde

Astrological update for the week of April 17-24, 2023

all images on this page by me & AI


Solar eclipse. The big news this week is the solar eclipse at the very last few minutes of Aries. I wrote about this last week but it bears repeating as we enter the doorway to the upcoming pair of eclipses.

Eclipses are often bunched into a series of two or three pairs, but this year the two eclipse pairs operate on their own, without any others in the series. The first of the pair, the New Moon, occurs at 29º 57′ Aries – just three minutes of a degree from being in Taurus rather than Aries. The very last degree of a sign, the 29th degree, is called the “critical” or “anoretic” degree and is associated with the endings of cycles and new beginnings.  In this eclipse the Sun and Moon are a few degrees from the North Node of the future, signifying the pressure to release the past and move into an enlightened future.

The New Moon at the ending of a sign offers a sweeping away of the old and a fresh new beginning, especially with the Moon eclipsing the Sun, stripping away any artifice of conscious awareness and bringing us face to face with the raw truth of our needs and desires as described by Aries. In this moment which is rich with  the power of Mars (ruler of Aries), we can begin to let go of some of our willfulness as patterns are completed.  the Moon slips gently into Taurus just 20 minutes after the eclipse, forming a square aspect to transformational Pluto. We are in new territory, and this anaretic solar eclipse will help (force?) a push through obstacles into a […]

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By |2023-04-18T07:02:24-04:00April 17th, 2023|Uncategorized|4 Comments
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Planetary news this week: The first Full Moon of the year

Astrological update for the week of January 2-9, 2023

artist unknown

Well folks, we made it to 2023: the year everything will change (see this post for more details if you missed it), and the portal to the door of change will begin at the Aquarius New Moon later in the month. Read on to know more!

Mercury is still retrograde and will not turn direct until later this month. In fact, the conjunction of the Sun to Mercury later this weeks marks the midpoint of that cycle. Mercury represents the mind and the processing of information, and it is in Capricorn right now where all of the details are important. When Mercury appears to be retrograde it is closer to Earth than at other times, and all matters of communication and equipment become more important and require more attention to operate smoothly. Most of you know by now not to let that plant a seed of fear – we can still live our lives with a minimum of worry, but our attention will likely keep us drawn back into something from the past that needs to be re-adjusted or re-paired.

Full Moon in Cancer on January 6th For now will open the portal of emotions and feeling to guide us into the high mental vibration of Aquarius. There is a sense here of emotions conflicting with the mind; Mercury conjoins the Sun (the halfway point of the Mercury Retrograde cycle), favoring the thoughts and ideas of the solar consciousness, and opposes the Moon in an attempt to block and diminish the lunar light of interior wisdom.

art by Mickie Mueller

This is […]

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By |2023-01-02T07:51:21-05:00January 2nd, 2023|Planetary cycles|0 Comments
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Planetary news this week: Mercury retrograde and a Pisces Full Moon

Astrological update for the week of September 5-12, 2022

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Mercury retrograde and retrograde update!  Mercury turns retrograde this week (September 9th) which will take us to Peak Retrograde for the year (six planets plus Chiron in retrograde motion!). If you read my September Planetary Illuminations report you may have noticed that I undercounted the retrogrades so the idea of this being a time of reflection rather than action is even more true.

When there is a preponderance of retrograde energy it can feel like we’re spinning our wheels, especially if those planets are triggering something in our chart. Mercury retrograde issues tend to be specifically about communication, but we also have Jupiter retrograde (examining missed opportunities), Saturn retrograde (revisiting our obligations), Neptune retrograde (urging a more creative sense of reality) and Pluto retrograde (the insistence of fate to take the wheel). With the addition of Chiron retrograde (peeling off the scab one more time in order to heal the wounds), there is a great deal of looking into the past that needs to be done.

With Mercury in Libra right now it is easier to see different sides of a situation and that can make decisions more difficult because many possibilities seem legitimate. Mercury will retrograde back into Virgo later in the month, but for the next few weeks with Mercury retrograde AND in Libra we would be smart to take our time to make a decision – considering all the angles doesn’t happen quickly and Mercury retrograde demands additional care in planning.

Saturn square Uranus. The challenging square between these two that was the Story of 2021 keeps tightening and even though they won’t make an exact aspect again during this cycle their […]

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By |2022-09-05T08:13:11-04:00September 5th, 2022|Planetary news this week|3 Comments
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Astrological news this week: Gemini New Moon & a change of direction

Astrological update for the week of May 30 –  June 5, 2022

art by Paula Bella Flores

A New Moon in Gemini, the sign of communication and experiences, offers an opportunity for a new perspective. The ruler of the New Moon is Mercury, the messenger planet, adding to the focus on communication and adaptation. In mythology, Mercury was the only god who was able to travel back and forth to the Underworld, facilitating communication between the gods. Mercury-ruled Gemini teaches us to accept and integrate a wide variety of ideas different kinds of experiences; under its influence everything is considered to have value for its own sake, and there is a keen desire to learn about many things. The Gemini New Moon is the perfect time to set aside our prejudices and look at our world through new eyes.

Making this a little more difficult is the fact that currently Mercury is in Taurus, a fixed sign which does not adapt easily to new situations, and Mercury is retrograde where we are looking more at the past than into the future. There may be some situations that need to be wrapped up before these new eyes can see clearly, especially since Mercury is within range of a square to Saturn which begin in late April before Mercury turned retrograde. Saturn tends to put the kibosh on new ideas, especially if they are half baked, so this is an important time to consider all details before venturing head-first into a new adventure.

The conjunction of Mars (action) to Jupiter (confidence) which dominated the astrology last week is still in effect and can encourage just that kind of head-first impulsivity so care should be taken. Mars and Jupiter […]

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