So...how’s your nervous system treating you today? I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s lit up like a Christmas tree right now - I know I’m two steps away from a nuclear explosion myself, and it’s only the first day of Mercury Retrograde!
Mercury - a planet with the most rapid orbit closest to our Sun, enters the dreaded ‘retrograde’ phase three times per year. During this unfortunate phenomena, it only SEEMS like Mercury is spinning through skies backwards to us down here on Earth, but trust me - the old ‘as above, so below’ adage still applies here super painfully! The seemingly chaotic behaviour of the planet ruling over communication & language, mind & intellect, travel & trade is infamously reflected down on our level of reality as all kinds of shambles, disorder, misfortunes & breakdowns. Technology misbehaves (make sure to backup!), communications go haywire (read that email twice before hitting ‘send’), plans, contracts, transportations all in danger (do not attempt any big travel!).
Over where I’m staying at the moment, drains got mysteriously blocked yesterday, turning a pleasant Sunday into an unpleasant toilet & shower drains excavations. A car repair gets annoyingly prolonged, new problems cropping up left & right. Add to it dealing with a bureacratic hell, joyously snapping at each other & I’m super ready to turn every day into a ‘cocktails’ day.
The good news is: this is the last time in 2021 we’ll be subjected to Mercurial chaos. Starting October, Mercury will also play nicely with Jupiter - a planet of growth & expansions, luck & adventure. This could be a potent time to re-visit, re-think, re-assess our plans, projects & the ways in which we strive to grow, to upgrade, to take chances out there in the world. In this context, Mercury Retrograde can offer some insights into how to approach these in a way that’s more constructive, helpful & beneficial.
Just make sure, you’ll wait to take action, risks & attempt serious changes until we’re through the retrograde! And that’s the bad news: Mercury will station direct again October 18, and then there’s the ‘shadow period’ lasting another two weeks, when we might still experience some disturbances in communication, travel & technology.
Both Mercury and Mars are currently transiting through Libra. Relationships are the key word here. We can expect being challenged to constantly re-balance in between giving & receiving, in between listening & expressing ourselves with love & kindness, letting go of impatience, competitiveness, a need to be right - none of which should have a place in relationships that are nourishing & supportive.
On 28th September, the Third (or Last) Quarter Moon in Cancer invites us to take a closer look at dynamics & relationships that represent family, safety, nurturing & comfort for us. As the light starts to fade, the Last Quarter Moons urge us to turn inwards & reflect. See patterns & lessons that emerged during this moon cycle, decide on which of those are worth nurturing & how could we do better next time. Accept what came to be, celebrate your accomplishments, express gratitude & find ways to give back. With a moon in Cancer, we can expect some triggers popping up within our closest circles, be it biological or chosen family. Both Libra and Cancer are concerned with finding closeness & safety, striking harmony & conjuring good times in their relationships. Being super challenged by Mars in Libra and Mercury Retrograde - remind yourself to keep coming back to your soft center & turn the volume up on compassion, kindness & forgiveness.
“Growth is painful. Change is painful. But nothing is as painful as staying stuck somewhere you don’t belong.”
Sixes in tarot take us on the road. We’ve been through the contractive energies of fives, now it’s time to fill our backpacks with our hard earned wisdom and medicine and step towards the path of integration and growth. Traditionally, Six of Swords announce a rite of passage of sorts ahead of us, we’re on a journey away from our comfort zones, away from the known and towards strange and intimidating land across the sea. We came to a point when leaving the old paradigm behind became crucial in order for us to breathe, but the unknown and unknowable future sits heavy on our mind, as we’re trying to accept that we’ll only understand the potent medicine of this situation from a distance, retrospectively. The important thing to remember is: we’re moving away from the source of discomfort and towards an expansion. The silent growth happening in our suspension, within the chrysalis of Mercury Retrograde, will eventually reveal its true deep expansive meaning, but for now, we are asked to roll with the discomfort, embrace the unexpected and remember that in these next few triggering weeks, we’re building a bulletproof resilience for all the challenges ahead. Allow for guidance and lean into support that’s available to you, even if it seems like a lonely journey. Six of Swords in reversal reminds us we never walk alone and together we will eventually land at the shores of a new world.
For little astro/tarot/lunar tidbits delivered to your inbox, please consider subscribing to my newsletter HERE.
My guide for 'Libra Season' filled with astro/lunar/tarot wisdom, journaling exercises, rituals & guidance is now available HERE.
