 |
| Art by Francesco Jacobello |
Mercury Retrograde in Gemini
5/29/2021 – 6/22/2021
How does Mercury express in
Gemini?
Art by Ciro Marchetti
When Mercury is in the mutable
air sign of Gemini (May 3rd to July 11th this year), the planet of
communication is at home…multi-tasking with the myriad of fascinating ideas and
ways of conveying them. Mercury’s
Trickster/Sacred Clown archetype is active in this sign, where important
messages are often relayed through humor and opposites…often so that we may
better think on them without absorbing them through emotional reaction. Appealing to our sense of humor during heavy
times is a clever trick, and one that better stimulates the thought process.
And from May 7th to May 30th,
Mercury the Magician has been travelling out-of-bounds from the
ecliptic…inclining us to follow our curiosity off the beaten path of where
rational thought would dare go. With
this boundless Mercury in Gemini inclination, the Collective Mind is exploring
and expressing much more freedom of thought.
With curiosity piqued, we may follow many fascinating avenues of thought
at once…trying to learn as much as we can at this time.
The Gemini influence invites
us to share ideas with our brothers and sisters, network in our immediate
environment, and communicate as we learn.
Throughout this long stay of Mercury in Gemini, it may feel to some like
too much mental activity to sift through.
For others who work well with a lot of mental stimulation, it will be a
breath of fresh air to ride this wave of information.
What is the purpose of a
Mercury Retrograde?
Mercury, the Messenger, has a
gift for storytelling. The Mercurial function is to spell the
message out in various ways to get the point across…usually from point A (let’s
say that’s you) to point B (let’s say that’s me). But in transit,
bearing the collective message, sometimes Mercury loops or zig-zags back and
forth from point A to point B three times. It is a message so
important that it needs repeating from multiple
perspectives. A Mercury Retrograde expands the message into a
3-part storyline.
From my view as an Astrology
Writer, Mercury’s first direct pass of the coming retrograde degrees is the
Prologue of the story. During this time (May 14 – 29), Mercury
introduces us to the world and the main characters of the
story. There are hints of what is to come, but much of the detail is
left out. Mercury catches our attention, and promises to reveal more
throughout the retrograde. It is a time where, because we were
speeding along in our everyday lives, Mercury invites us to slow down and pay
attention to something we all zipped past without giving much time for thought.
Mercury Retrograde, the heart
of the story, is the Deep Think we all need (multiple times a
year). This part of the story begins during Mercury’s station…when
our Messenger planet appears to slow down to a halt and change directions in
our sky. This, of course, only appears so from our view on
Earth…which is why these messages are so poignant to us
Earthlings. Mercury is also closer to us in proximity during
retrogrades, so it feels more like an intimate Storytime for all of us. And
the closer the degrees to our natal storyline by dynamic aspect, the more
intensely we feel the story and take it all in (as it inspires us on a personal
level).
Because this is true, it means
that the lessons contained within each retrograde storyline are not always so
specific to us. But they will be specific and personal to many…so
the more we interact with others during this time, the more we can learn of the
message. Contrary to popular belief, Mercury Retrograde is not a
time to hide under a rock and cease all communications. Our communication
may not be operating the same as usual, but connections with others bring out
more meaning to the story. However, there is definitely an inward
journey happening during any retrograde. And with Mercury as the
guide, there is great potential to shift our inward thought patterns into
unexplored territory.
Throughout this apparent
backtrack through what was hinted at in Mercury’s Prologue, every aspect (new
or repeated) is given a fuller description. There is time to go
deeper and develop a different perspective on the story. It becomes
more meaningful to us…just as a reader falls in love with or increasingly
identifies with a character. We become more engaged with the
story. We are immersed in it. Mercury has a multitude of
gifts for keeping our attention stimulated throughout.
Within the Retrograde
storyline, there is an Interior Conjunction between Sun and Mercury (June 10th)
that plants the new thoughtseed within each of us that grows, gives, and
composts through the rest of Mercury’s cycle. In a way, this is the
main point of the retrograde…to finish one cycle of thought so another can
replace it. However, the Retrograde story doesn’t end here.
The Retrograde concludes when
Mercury carries our awareness all the way back to the degree where we missed
something important as the Prologue began. This happens during
Mercury’s direct station. The Messenger planet once again slows down
to a halt and shifts directions…but not before pointing us to a priceless
message we need to retrieve and integrate for ourselves.
The Epilogue, where Mercury
describes the events in the story after all plotlines are revealed, is the 2nd direct
pass of the degrees Mercury has traveled thrice. During this time (6/22
– 7/7), we are offered an opportunity to integrate the meaning of this story
into our lives. The events that play out during the epilogue are
signals on how to move forward with what we retrieved of the meaning.
What is the collective theme
of this Mercury Retrograde in Gemini?
Collectively, we’ll all be working
with a theme brought up thrice by the Gemini Mercury square Pisces Neptune
transit. When that transit was first exact, during
Mercury’s prologue, I wrote:
These dynamics can create the
kind of cognitive dissonance that Alice experienced when she encountered
Wonderland. She followed the rushing rabbit (who was full of square energy
imperatives) into a world where everything seemed illogical to what she has
been taught. But in this confusing Wonderland journey, she found herself
changing in imaginal ways.
A square urges us to make
change a necessary action…like the Caterpillar must become the Butterfly. There
is some urgency within a square dynamic, and it is ultimately creative. But it
will also bring up a clash of energy to inspire a turning-point shift.
Just as Mercury and Alice, we
release some of the insistence upon logic, detail, and knowing. And just as
Neptune, we allow for Knowledge to take a trip through our Otherworld realm,
critiquing and questioning until arriving at an expanded awareness from what
was known.
Give yourself more room to
explore the dream you sometimes mistake for reality. Is it really what it
seems? You don't have to answer that definitively...just follow where it leads
you.
Currently, you may be swimming
in the unknown. Find beauty in the weirdness, then let it inspire you to learn
from a different perspective. Follow your curiosity into ‘curiouser and
curiouser’ concepts. You may arrive at something magical beyond the looking
glass.
Have a conversation with what
is otherworldy. Yes, it might be riddled with uncertainties...but the journey
is worth the bewilderment it takes to arrive at a shift of consciousness.
How do I know if this
retrograde relates to me, personally?
'Music of the Spheres' by Fiona Watson
Not everyone speaks the
language of Astrology, I get that. There are ways to learn these
things…but most prefer to just consult an Astrologer for such
advice. That is my job, and I love it. However, I was
born in the Aries season so I also tend to champion the way of
self-reliance. If you’d rather learn to fish, I’m willing to teach
that. But since I have a mixed group of readers and clients (from novices
to professionals), I’ll include more detail than the general
information. I was born at Mercury Cazimi (the Exterior Conjunction
of Sun and Mercury), so ‘show and tell’ is a big part of my personal
toolkit.
If you are familiar enough with
your natal chart, you can first look to the part of your chart where Gemini 17
– 25 is. This will show you the area of life (the Astrological
House) where this story will be set. For example, this retrograde
takes place in my 2nd House…the House of Resources and Values. Then
you may notice if you have any planets or angles in this part of your natal
chart. If you do, you will have some distinctly personal lessons
throughout this time. If you don’t have anything in this part of Gemini,
as it is in my case, you’ll see the lessons playing out by other aspects with
your natal chart.
The next thing to look for is
whether you have natal planets or angles in any of the other mutable signs (Virgo,
Sagittarius, and Pisces) between 17 – 25 degrees. In this case,
Mercury will bring up dynamic square aspects (to Virgo or Pisces) or a tense
balancing act with your personal Sagittarius lessons. For me, transiting
Mercury is very close to opposition with my Sagittarius NeptuneRx, but it turns
retrograde before reaching that degree.
So, that opposition will resonate on May 29th, when Mercury stations
retrograde…but it is something that comes up stronger once Mercury’s epilogue
ends.
For those of us who have it
relatively easy this time, and Mercury is not making any dynamic aspects to
your natal energies, you may find trines or sextiles to natal planets in other
air or fire signs (Aries, Leo, Libra, or Aquarius). In that case of
only harmonious aspects, you may find you float along during this time with a
great deal of ease where nothing pushes you to engage with this
story. It is possible, then, that you will be the one who falls
asleep during this Storytime and you miss the message. Or, if you do
respond to the creative flow and the opportunities this story presents for you,
a lot of good can come from your participatory engagement. For me, transiting
Mercury will be providing some beneficial hints to my natal opposition of
Sun-Mercury in Aries and SaturnRx in Libra.
Taurus, Cancer, Scorpio, and
Capricorn are the parts of your chart that might not relate to this Mercury
Retrograde storyline much at all (as they are non-aspects to Gemini)…but it is
highly unlikely that everything in your chart is only in those signs.
And if you want to get really
Astro-geeky with me, you may find my outline of this Mercury retrograde journey
to be useful for timing purposes. I’ve included Sabian Symbols of
the degrees that will be highlighted throughout as well…which can give you some
clues to the story’s action.
Keep in mind that the degrees
listed are rounded up. So, where the Mercury retrograde station is
in 24.43 Gemini, it is considered the 25th degree of Gemini.
5/14 – 5/29: Mercury’s Prologue (GEM 17 – 25)
5/22: Mercury square Neptune (part 1) (GEM/PIS 23)
Mercury- “Three fledglings in a nest high in a tree”
Neptune- “Spiritist phenomena”
5/29: Mercury conjunct Venus (GEM 25)
“A gardener trimming palms”
5/29: Mercury stations retrograde (GEM 25)
“A gardener trimming palms”
5/29 – 6/22: Mercury’s Retrograde in Gemini (GEM 25 – 17)
6/5: MercuryRx square Neptune (part 2) (GEM/PIS
24)
MercuryRx- “Children skating on ice”
Neptune- “An inhabited island”
6/10: Solar Eclipse conjunct MercuryRx (GEM 20/21)
Moon/Sun- “A cafeteria”
MercuryRx- “A labor demonstration”
6/10: Interior Conjunction of Sun-MercuryRx (GEM
21)
“A labor demonstration”
6/22: Mercury stations direct (GEM 17)
“The head of health dissolves into the head of mentality”
6/22 – 7/7: Mercury’s Epilogue (GEM 17 – 25)
7/6: Mercury square NeptuneRx (GEM/PIS 24)
Mercury- “Children skating on ice”
NeptuneRx- “An inhabited island”
Love and Gratitude,
Felina Lune Kavi
No comments:
Post a Comment