Mercury Retrograde of Winter 2016-2017: A Body of Knowledge

Shadow period begins (Mercury’s first pass through Sagittarius 29)- 12/1/16

Mercury stations retrograde in Capricorn 16- 12/19/16

Mercury stations direct in Sagittarius 29- 1/8/17

Shadow period ends (Mercury’s second pass through Capricorn 16- 1/27/17

As we bring one year to a close and welcome another, Mercury is once again in retrograde.  The dates described above not only cover the time period that Mercury is retrograde, but also the shadow zone of this retrograde.  During this whole span of almost two months, the focus is on the physical body and our abilities to condition it past its perceived limitations and past our accumulated habits that inhibit our well-being.

Mercury direct often deals with the conscious mind as well as outward communication.  When it goes retrograde, we tend to delve into the unconscious or subconscious realms of the mind to pick up pieces of memory or knowledge we will need for what is to come.  The communication inward becomes enriched…and sometimes, with that focus, we occasionally see that outward communication becomes more difficult.  You may notice the usual scheduling snafus, communication breakdowns, electronic malfunctions, or transportation issues as can be the norm during a particularly stressed Mercury Retrograde transit.  In those setbacks, it is often because we need to take a step back and think something through that we may have overlooked.  Revision is often the best mindset for such times.

But there is always good reason for these breaks in our usual ways of communicating and relating to the outside world, however illogical it may seem during those initial transitions between our mental states.

Capricorn 16- Boys and Girls in Gymnasium Suits

This symbol has much to do with physical exercise, but also with emotional enjoyment and social interaction.  When you suit-up for something, you are prepared to put forth the effort required…and when you are surrounded by others who are doing the same, there is even more motivation.  At first, though, there may be performance anxieties…something about your physical body seems faulty.  The paradox within feeling this feeling though, is that the effort you put in is directly related to the amount you improve upon not just your physical body but also your mind.  You may not feel you can physically achieve something, but of course you can’t unless you actually do it. 

The station of Mercury here (from Sunday night to Monday morning, specifically, though it can stretch out for as long as a couple days) may be that anxious pause, where not only does the excitement of what could be grows…but also the psyching out of ourselves that often precedes doing some physical task can increase our trepidation.  “What if I fail?” is the subconscious feeling.  “People will see me fail.” Is the accompaniment.  Yet, in the pause, if we listen closely to the still voice within rather than the discouraging din…there is that message from the matrix of our soul that guides us to do and be our best.  If we comply, we have already taken the first step to heal our physical existence by repairing our soul communication within.  Our physical bodies are imprinted with the knowledge that if our soul urges us to do something, we must do it for an optimal outcome.  To impede that progress is to deny our soul growth…and that’s where so many of our problems arise.

“Do or do not.  There is no try.” Perhaps your still voice within talks like Master Yoda.  Sometimes mine does.

Sagittarius 29- An Overweight Child Mowing the Lawn

At the close of this Mercury Retrograde, we come back to something we didn’t quite perceive correctly the first time around (at the beginning of December).  Perhaps it was that the beginning of the holiday season was upon us…but there was likely some over indulgence, or concern about our social standing, or even self-consciousness about our outward appearance.  December, for many of us, is a month that is often full of social interaction with family and friends.  This symbol, on the surface, shows that while on the inside we may be struggling with what society often deems acceptable, we still try to make an effort to keep up appearances and attend to our ‘curb appeal’.  But our focus may have been a little off.  While trying to please others, we may have only done the bare minimum of taking care of our own issues.  The key to this symbol is not in the Sisyphean feat of attending to societal expectations, but in the actual physical effort of our mind-body connection to elevate us to a new level within.  Frankly, it doesn’t matter how we are perceived to be handling things by others.  If we are taking care of ourselves, we can better take care of all else that is important in our lives.  In going through this degree again with Mercury on January 8^th next year, we will be better prepared to keep up with our own wellness rather than just keeping up the appearance of being ‘okay’. 

There is another key here that we’ll be learning along the way during this retrograde.  We have to allow ourselves emotional enjoyment during our physical tasks, otherwise we won’t want to do them.  While, as an adult, you may learn to enjoy something like mowing the lawn (or shoveling the snow as it might be this winter) for whatever reason…if you’re an overweight child doing these tasks, you are likely not enjoying it.  It is difficult then, before our frontal lobe fully develops our reasoning capabilities, to focus on the good that the task is doing not only for your physical body but also in service to others…and service to the maintenance of our mind-body-soul connection. 

You have to enjoy what you are doing in order to continue to do it.  Here, we are finding out our place in society that both contributes to the whole as well as to our personal fulfillment.  Take comfort in your friends and family at this time, as they can amplify the message within you that brings you to where you need to be.

Love and Gratitude,

Felina Lune Kavi