Thoughts on Mercury Retrograde
- In the Sun Sign of Aries -
(March 22 - April 15)
by Elizabeth Stone
Hi! My name is Elizabeth Stone and my natal Mercury is in the sign of Aries. Before you judge, know that I’m working hard to clear up any subconscious/karmic blockages that might add to the mele during the coming Mercury in Aries. I’m not one for transitions so...
Before we delve into our upcoming opportunity for Mercurial growth and expansion, let’s do some prep work:
First, a friendly reminder that Astrology is the Magickal Person’s(Everyone’s) tool for empowerment. It seems, for some, the idea of a natal chart is to quantify how far along on the ascension ladder you are. However, the Heavens and Universe have been laid out like the Arthurian round table, round and cyclical, spiraling. The round natal chart is like a snowflake, and like the infinite amount of snowflake patterns, there are as many possible planetary combinations and aspects for an individual’s chart. The most wonderful knowledge is to know that within each natal chart lies your specific instructions to “become a fulfilled personality”, tailored to your specific path. This is only for you. It is of little use to compare your chart to another. For even if there is a similar planetary alignment there will be one million different aspects which cause the one compared alignment to mean something completely different.
And for those who feel like they were dealt the “yo, you got work to do” chart (my hand is up), listen here angels... Your higher angels say that the role of astrology is here for your transformation. Understanding your chart is understanding where your Karmic blocks and barriers reside in order for you to take an active role in dissolving that which is holding you back.
So, if when I say “Mercury retrograde is happening March 22nd 2018,” you threw your hands in the air, know that this is a great place to start investigating what is causing the riff! Go deeper into what makes this time inhospitable for you. In doing our work, we can create a shift that may lessen the challenging effect of each MR experience from here on out.
What do we know about our close neighbor Mercury? Allow me a moment to procure some empathy from you for poor Mercury! He gets a bad rap. Did you know that Mercury had his crust blown off completely? What you see now is his vulnerable core. He’s had some challenging moments in his 4.5 billion years of life. No wonder he speeds around. He knows that life is short and apt to change. Now that we have garnered some compassion for Mercury, we can look at how he affects us.
We know that Mercury...
Rules Gemini and Virgo: The first words that come to mind for these two signs? Loquacious and Details.
Virgo is an Earth Sign and so Mercury rules the mundane on the physical plane, that which we do on a daily basis... work, family, errands, school
Gemini is an Air sign...Mercury is the Bearer of Messages which hold Communication
Rules systemizations and operations. He is the coordinator: Bureaucracy, Government, Law.
Now we can layer what we know of Mercury with the characteristics of a planetary retrograde.
When any planet begins their retrograde motion, the inherent characteristics of the planet takes on a trickster attitude and can work in the opposite way they usually work. For Mercury, this means a delay in plans and travel, an inability to understand or convey what is being communicated. This is why you might have heard it is wise to avoid signing legal contracts since miscommunication abounds. Where Mercury is fast and to the point, during retrograde, projects might appear slow and with more than usual roadblocks.
The practical Taurus Sun in me was so excited to write this article as it is in my very DNA to apply the practical to all things, including Mercury Retrograde. So, from the tip of my horn to you, some interesting advice in order to remain calm and stargaze on while Mercury is in Retrograde:
Take the time to notice the Wise…(Whys). If Mercury Retrograde seems to affect you, try and notice why/how it affects you. If, for example, you had an enormous fight with your partner because you/they misunderstood something you/they said, then you may want to focus on your communication throughout the rest of the three week retrograde. Breathing, taking communication slowly, being concise and exact with your word choice, a healthy dose of tact, etc., may ease your Mercurial communication bottleneck.
Slow down if you can- most of the challenges we might face will in some way be connected to our inability to slow our furious new world order pace. Slow down during this three week retrograde, if you can, while driving, talking, thinking, or moving. Give yourself that extra 5 in the morning so that you don’t have to hurry to work/school.
Recognize each challenge as a beneficial road sign. This is lovingly placed on your path to point you in the direction of your Karmic work and as a gentle request for you as a willing participant. If you are presented with the contract which has to be signed, or the house that must be bought, or the marriage that must take place during this time, it is so for a reason. Fully cognizant of the affects MR had on me personally, I once agreed to sign an important contract during a Mercury Retrograde... my marriage contract. Fifteen months later I was divorced and today my life is going in a completely different direction which would have never been possible within that relationship. I would remind anyone that this was my path and I’m am only relaying my personal experience, although extreme.
Mercury will be in pre-shadow phase starting March 8th, stations retrograde March 22nd & 23rd, and commences with retrograde March 24-April 14th. Then stations direct April 15th with the post shadow from April 16th - 30th. Days to pay closer attention would include March 8, 22, 23, 24 and April 14,15,30.
This retrograde, starting in March, will transit the Fire sign Aries for the entire three weeks. This could give a fiery additional kick to our time walking backwards with Mercury. As this retrograde harbors the spring equinox March 21st we can see a call to action to cut away any dead fall and burn it so that it may become the nutrients needed in order to fully establish the beginning of the new. All three of the Mercury retrogrades will transit a fire sign this year. Get ready to align more fully with your Phoenix communion, burning away what no longer serves.
Finally, I encourage you to do some sleuthing and find out who you are astrologically, especially if you feel retrograde transits deeply. Again, these are bread crumbs along our path pointing us to our work for this lifetime. When you do your work, life unfolds like our Milky Way Galaxy with infinite expanding arms reaching out into the Heavens. Peace.
ABOUT THE AUTHORESS
Elizabeth Jean Stone
An activist at heart, Elizabeth has worked for women’s reproductive rights as well as advocating for women’s safety as the new intern at the Alliance Women’s shelter(LatinX division) in Waynesville, NC. Currently working on a B.A. in Spanish, Minor in LatinX studies with a concentration in Ceramics.
She is in the midst of developing her astrology business, Karmic Astrology that focuses on the aspects in one’s natal chart that gives wonderful ques as to where things can be edged, shored, explored, celebrated and overhauled. Please email me for a reading and discussion!
Elizabeth identifies at the moment as Pansexual and has girlfriend/not girlfriend, loves to ride waves of gray in life rather than be defined by the black or white.
Elizabeth has started to record and produce meditation music with Japji Prayer for content.