Mercury Retrograde in Leo: Realignment of Heart and Mind

Mercury Retrograde in Leo:  Realignment of Heart and Mind

Retrograde pre-shadow began on 7-7

         Mercury enters Leo 12

Mercury Stations Retrograde on 7-25/7-26

         Mercury pauses and shifts at Leo 24

Sun-Mercury conjunction on 8-8 @ 9:05pm CDT

         Interior (Rx) Conjunction at Leo 17

Mercury Stations Direct on 8-18/8-19

         Mercury pauses and shifts at Leo 12

Retrograde post-shadow ends on 9-2

         Mercury moves on from Leo 24

Mercury will station soon in the 24^th degree of Leo, inclining the collective Mind to pause and consider what we’ve been thinking and communicating since the retrograde pre-shadow began on July 7th.  Interestingly, the 7th was the same day that Mars went ‘out of bounds’ by southern declination.  How does Mars Retrograde looping well below the ecliptic at the start of Mercury’s pre-shadow translate to our earthly experience?  In rebel ways, no doubt…and where actions follow subconscious impetus more than what can be reasoned with the conscious mind.  Though I’m sure many of us tried to keep our wits about us.

Mars has been and continues to be both in the spotlight and in the inner workings of our Summer experience, so he is important to note…even as we are focusing upon Mercury just before the total lunar eclipse of July 27^th.  Mercury takes a day to pause and shift …but then Mars will again feature prominently with the full moon at her apogee (Black Moon).  Mars will be conjunct the Moon as Earth’s shadow envelops her for the longest eclipse duration in our lifetime.  And while Moon reddens in our shadow (visible to most of the eastern hemisphere), Mars is at his brightest since 2003 (which was when Mars was the brightest he’s been in about 60,000 years).   Not to be completely upstaged, Mercury Retrograde will also feature strongly in our third eclipse of this season on August 11^th…forming a conjunction with the partial solar eclipse in Leo.

The Opening of Mercury’s Pre-Shadow Period:  The Pre-Show to the Main Event

From July 7^th to July 25^th, Mercury is making his first pass through 12-24 degrees of Leo.  This time period, before the retrograde, is often when we are moving along full-speed ahead, flying through green traffic lights, and missing a few important details in our journey.  Here is a list of the dates where Mercury met up for a first pass with other planets and asteroids during the pre-shadow, associations that will be revisited throughout the coming retrograde.

July 9^th- Mercury square Jupiter Rx (first of three passes)

July 16^th- Mercury inconjunct Pluto Rx (within eclipse cauldron, first of three passes)

July 12^th- Mercury inconjunct Neptune Rx (within eclipse cauldron, first of three passes)

July 21^st- Mercury trine Vesta Rx (within eclipse cauldron, first of two passes)

A quick rundown of these first passes: Scorpio Jupiter was at the end of his Retrograde when Mercury met up with him for a dynamic square.  Jupiter was fixed and focused on his work, establishing new connections for us so that we could share more deeply with each other.  Mercury wanted to outwardly express something and didn’t have the same focus (or patience) at that time.  The lines of communication were not quite established yet.  Essentially, something soulful was wanting to come through.  But there was some inner work that needed to happen first.  The inconjunct aspects after the opening eclipse of this season showed us there were some disparate parts we needed to integrate for necessary growth.  Interestingly, both inconjuncts featured Sabian Symbols that had to do with a choir singing…with Pluto, a hidden choir, and with Neptune, the choir was part of a parade.  Again, something was wanting to be communicated…something transcendent.  But it may have gotten lost in the mix of all that was happening.  The degree where Mercury met in an inconjunct with Neptune (Leo 17: ‘A voluntary church choir singing religious hymns’) will be re-visited as the degree where Sun and Mercury meet for their Interior Conjunction on 8-8.  And finally, the harmonious trine with Sagittarius Vesta recalls Mercury’s retrograde last summer where the two met in a Virgo conjunction as Mercury slowed down to station retrograde then too.  Vesta, the Priestess of the Sacred Flame, gives a similar counsel to Mercury this time:  “Focus upon this sacred flame.  Meditate.  Breathe.  Soon, you will go back and look at things from a different perspective. There are signs you missed that are key to what you need to understand in the near future.  These keys will be of great benefit later, as they are what unlocks the doors to what all life on Earth needs now. For now, though, you must align yourself to prepare for this inward journey.” 

Mercury Stations Retrograde:  Pausing to Reconsider

"Yax" from Zootopia

From July 25^th to July 27^th, Mercury is stationary in the 24^th degree of Leo.  The usually speedy messenger is now paused from our perspective…shifting our communications from outward expressions to inward discoveries.  The Sabian Symbol for this degree is ‘an untidy, unkempt yogi’.  The collective mind, during this shift, is concentrated on spiritual attainment…in this state of meditation, there is some neglect of both bodily appearance and cleanliness.  Of course, when Mercury returns to this degree on September 2^nd, we’ll be better equipped to follow through with that attainment.  However, for now, it holds a key to beginning our inward journey.  This is an opportunity to appreciate communication…by listening in still devotion.  How we’re coming across is of less importance now that we are turning another part of us inward with the retrogrades of this season.  When the conscious mind shifts to the Inner Space, it is the most noticeable of retrogrades.  Mercury has acquired quite a reputation over the ages for his particular wizardry.  But it is the folly of our youth and inexperience that we humans think we know what is real.  Still, each fresh new spring learns from the heart of ancient stone.

As I’ve mentioned in a previous Mercury Retrograde post, “Planetary stations are like cosmic calls for meditative focus, and Mercury’s stations are so noticeable that there’s almost a comic timing to each ‘pregnant pause’.  Oh, you needed your computer to work flawlessly right now so you could go full-speed ahead on what you’re working on? Mercury, in true Heyokah fashion, might interrupt your plans to shift your focus to something that needs your here-and-now attention.  Or…you are trying to schedule something with multiple people?  If it’s necessary at this time…please go ahead (don’t listen to those who warn about scheduling Mercury Retrograde appointments…avoiding interactions for three weeks is ridiculous).  But if it’s not the right timing, be prepared for things to not work out as planned or need a reschedule.”

The day this shift occurs (the exact shift is at 12:02am CDT on July 26^th, just as Sun opposes Mars Rx and Mars is at his brightest since 2003), the global mindset is a bit shaky.  We were just in the middle of things that needed some focus and logical communication to accomplish…and now what’s happening?  Delays, confusion, transportation issues, scheduling snafus, and Murphy’s Law in full effect?  Sure, that can happen as Mercury stations retrograde, but is that what it’s all about?  Absolutely not.  And, does irritation in the daily grind have to be your experience of this time?  Not even close.  It’s all about perspective.

The Retrograde Station (in effect from 12:02am CDT on July 25th to 12:02am CDT on July 27^th) can be like a big screeching halt, when the ordinary activity of the mind—as well as the ordinary conduct of business and commerce—sometimes seems to have stopped in its tracks, unwilling to continue its previous course.  Once Mercury begins moving in retrograde, though, our minds begin to turn toward vistas of knowledge and wisdom that call us from a distant past beyond our present lifetime. And since Mercury retrograde periods often have topsy-turvy inclinations on our minds and communications…rational intellect may be replaced with gut instinct as logic gives way to intuition.  However, during a Mercury retrograde, our actual ability to think and communicate doesn’t slip into reverse—it is our perceptions, assumptions, or projections that will turn things around, for better or worse.  After all, the trickster planet in its orbit stays on a steady course; it never actually goes backward.  It is only from our perspective on Earth that we see Mercury (or any planet in retrograde) appearing to reverse its course. 

Depending on how hard you’ve pushed yourself during the pre-shadow period, Mercury’s retrograde station may feel like one where your mind just checks out for a while…where either the exhaustion catches up with you, or you just take a brief retreat to reconnect with your spiritual side.  If you have other plans, don’t worry.  What does come up or is already scheduled (providing plans aren’t canceled last minute), is likely a necessary starting point to this retrograde process.  Embrace it and make the best of it, as it could prove to be exactly the thing that will open your mind to other perspectives.

Mercury’s Retrograde Journey:  A Collective Soul Retrieval

After the inward shift, Mercury guides us on a journey to recall important things we might have overlooked, ignored, or left behind.  If you are familiar with astrological symbols, you may have already noticed that the Rx symbol for a retrograde is very similar to the symbol we use for a prescription.  It seems appropriate, considering that the initial shadow of the Mercury retrograde often presents us with the root of whatever ailment arises during its retrograde station.  Throughout the duration of the retrograde then, Mercury (who has often been seen as somewhat of a shape-shifter for his associations with the gray area between polarities) becomes the shaman travelling through non-ordinary reality, retrieving scattered pieces of what we left behind in our recent past, in order to provide some holistic healing.  

After the total lunar eclipse on the 27^th (where Mars Rx again features strongly), many energetic shifts bring an atmosphere of new perspectives during the rest of Mercury’s retrograde:

July 31^st- Mercury Rx trine Vesta Rx (within the eclipse cauldron, 2nd and final pass)

August 5^th- Mercury Rx inconjunct Pluto Rx (within the eclipse cauldron, 2nd of 3 passes)

August 8^th- Interior Conjunction of Sun and Mercury Rx (within the eclipse cauldron)

August 9^th- Mercury Rx square Juno (within the eclipse cauldron, single pass)

         Mercury Rx conjunct Pallas (within the eclipse cauldron, single pass)

         Mercury Rx inconjunct Neptune Rx (within the eclipse cauldron, 2nd of 3 passes)

August 11^th- Mercury Rx square Jupiter (within the eclipse cauldron, 2^nd of 3 passes)

         Mercury Rx-Pallas-Moon-Sun in a Leo Stellium for the final eclipse of the season

August 18^th- Mercury SRx sextile Venus (single pass as Mercury stations)

And these are just the main elements of Mercury’s Retrograde journey…there is a larger story going on this summer involving the Triple Eclipse Cauldron and 6 planets retrograde between August 7th (When Uranus stations retrograde) and August 18^th (When Mercury stations direct). 

First, Vesta brings Mercury a lantern with a bit of her sacred flame to light his way.  Next, Pluto provides a soul piece for collective integration.  Then Mercury returns to the Sun King to retrieve a valuable message as he shifts from Evening Star to Morning Star.  The Sabian Symbol for this Interior Conjunction is ‘a voluntary church choir singing religious hymns’.  This symbol is about togetherness, community, and a sharing of ideals, values, and beliefs.  After this important shift, Mercury makes a couple of single passes with asteroid Goddesses while still in Leo 17:  Juno’s square calls for dynamic action toward feminine empowerment and Pallas joins forces with Mercury to point out the patterns and create strategies as they prepare for the final eclipse of the season.  Together, Mercury and Pallas retrieve another soul piece to integrate from Neptune.  Then Mercury squares off with another dynamic call to action from Jupiter, Juno’s husband.  And in the call back from this journey, during the final station, Venus brings a beneficial opportunity.

Mercury Stations Direct:  Returning with the Medicine

The whole stationary period lasts from 11:24pm CDT on August 17^th to 11:24pm CDT on August 19^th, with the shift that Saturday night.  An hour before that shift, Mercury makes a harmonious contact with Venus in Libra.  

Mercury, paused in the place where he was on July 7^th, is re-emerging to ordinary reality after an Otherworld journey.  The Sabian Symbol for Leo 12 is ‘an evening lawn party’…where last month we may have had a somewhat superficial experience with this degree, we’re now seeing it in a different light.  With Libra Venus in sextile, we are likely returning back to the social sphere.  But Venus is in Libra 12, and the symbol there is ‘miners resurfacing from a mine’…so it echoes the depths we’ve just traveled with Mercury and the re-emergence of our collective mind with something valuable for the tribe. 

Yes, this station can be just as discombobulating as the first.  Shifting from one world to the next is not something most of us are used to doing.  It may feel like your mind was ‘underground’ for a few weeks and then you’re suddenly thrust back into ‘business as usual’ above ground…it could take some adjustment (just like coming out of the darker realms of the eclipse season). 

However, Venus is there to help attract some harmonious opportunity for Mercury to come back to here.  Perhaps the ‘party’ is a little more laid-back this time around.

Mercury’s Post-Shadow Period:  The Collective Integration of Leo Wisdom

You may need a week to get back into the groove of things with this newfound wisdom.  Thoughts have probably changed since your Retrograde experience.  About 11 hours after the Full Moon on August 26^th, Mercury meets Neptune Rx for their third and final inconjunct…and our first opportunity for integration of Mercury’s medicine arises.  About 13 hours after Mars stations direct on August 27^th, Mercury meets Jupiter for their third and final square…and we may be ready to take action to change something that wasn’t previously working toward our collective enlightenment.  Then on the 29^th, Mercury meets Pluto Rx for their third and final inconjunct…and our opportunity to integrate that final piece of soul wisdom occurs.  After 4 more days, on September 2^nd, Mercury returns to that ‘unkempt yogi’ degree and actualizes it in a more substantial way.  We may realize a more healthy self-expression by focusing less on appearance and more on the Leo way of shining our own medicine with heart and mind aligned.

Wishing you well on your own experience of this journey!  As always, look to the houses of your chart that hold 12-24 degrees of Leo to see the area of life where Mercury’s medicine will take hold. 

Love and Gratitude,

Felina Lune Kavi