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| | | | | | Hi Friend,
Last night I was doing a routine computer back-up and I hit a glitch. My first thought was "Oh I might have guessed… Mercury is retrograde now"! Which just goes to show how quickly our minds will impose a pre-conceived idea (in other words, a conditioned response) onto the existing reality! But it got me thinking… what exactly IS Mercury retrograde and why is it a cause of distress to so many astrologers and non-astrologers alike?
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| First of all let's look at what we mean by 'retrograde' planets… that's where they go backwards right? ;) Of course we know that planets don't really go backwards but from our perspective here on Earth, during a retrograde period, they appear to go backwards*. And they stay in the same sign for longer, because of it. So what effect does that have? The most obvious answer is that we get more of it! I like to call it a 'double-scoop' of ice-cream! But not only do we get more of it, there is an intensity to it, because of the increased focus.
As a kid did you ever pay with a magnifying glass to focus the rays of the Sun? I know I did. We used to climb on the roof of the shed, and use a magnifying glass to melt the tar and write our names! What we noticed was that if you moved the glass around, so the point of light kept moving, not much happened. But if you held it in one spot for a long time the heat would build and the tar would melt. Then you could write your name. Now some people might say we were being naughty, but that was elementary science!
So back to retrograde planets, even though they really aren't going backwards, due to where they are in relation to earth we do receive more of their energy during a retrograde period. It is considered to be a more introspective, reflective, form
of that planets energy.
So what about Mercury? Well we know Mercury 'rules' sales, commerce, short-distance travel, communication, exchanging information (like backing up computer information!), sales, commerce, our speech, learning, mind and mental processing. So we can expect all of these to take on a quieter, less frenetic, more reflective tone during a Mercury retrograde period. Esoterically Mercury has a very important role to play in our Soul's growth and development, and is said to play an important role in the formation of the antahkarana (Rainbow Bridge), the bridge between lower and higher mind.
When our Mercurial energy moves out into the world we have the activities of Mercury mentioned above: communication, learning, sales, commerce, the exchange of information, ideas, goods, money etc.
When we turn our Mercurial energy inwards something very sacred and beautiful happens: we have the ability to be aware of ourselves.
We have the ability to observe and learn about our own minds and mental processes. We have the ability to self-reflect, observe ourselves, practice mindfulness, and become self-aware. It is the activity of Mercury in our inner world, that makes our spiritual journey possible, and when Mercury is retrograde we have an increased opportunity to go deeper into self-exploration and self-awareness.
No accident that in mythology Mercury's Greek predecessor Hermes was a messenger of the Gods who was also responsible for guiding Souls to the underworld. Of all the power and awe of the Olympians, Hermes (Mercury) was the only one with this ability to travel freely between the ordinary world and Hades (the underworld and word of Souls). It is when Mercury is retrograde that we have an increased ability to listen to our own inner guidance, and truly receive 'the messenger of the Gods'.
A Mercury retrograde period needn't be a cause of anxiety. Yes there can be some disruption to the outer activity of Mercury, as our energy changes direction and moves inwards. The tide has turned and, just like when we work late at night under artificial light we feel off-balance because going against nature disrupts our circadian rhythms, so we will be most challenged by Mercury retrograde if we insist on going against the tide!
During a Mercury retrograde period it is more natural for us to be quieter and reflective. It is a perfect time to plan spiritual retreats and anything that is more contemplative and designed to open us up to our inner world. Mercury retrograde is a natural period of much-needed downtime when our inner world, and Higher Mind, can really open up to us if we go with it, rather than push against it.
During this current retrograde Mercury period (October 4th-25th) you have a great opportunity for more awareness and enlightenment if you set more time aside for your meditation, and
listen to the voice of silence.
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That's all for now see you next time, and in the meantime... happy exploring!
Best Wishes, Ruth *There isn't enough space here to explain why retrograde motion happens but here's a great article with animation if you're curious!
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