Mercury Retrograde in Aquarius and Capricorn in January 2009, Part 2 - Reorganizing Priorities and Surrendering into Spiritual Victory

by Robert Wilkinson

This retrograde Mercury begins in a separating conjunction with Jupiter at 2 Aquarius. It moves back into a favorable conjunction with Mars as both sextile Venus while the Sun conjuncts Jupiter, showing a time of productive reorganizing, utilizing intuition and closure rituals to set up future expansions.

This is the next natural step in understanding and stabilizing very similar energies related to the last Mercury direct station in mid-October 2008. At that time, Mercury went stationary direct at 8 Libra, exactly trine the point where Mercury will go SRX this January 11-12. Also, mid-October 2008 Venus was in late Scorpio, almost exactly trine where it will be when Mercury goes stationary direct at the end of January.

A few technicals: Besides the very productive sextiles helping us blend practicality and intuition to achieve social or interpersonal reorganizations that further group interactions, Mercury moves from a sesquisquare with Saturn back to a trine to Saturn's stationary RX point, showing major stabilizations and harmonizing of practical necessities that ground the initiative and understandings of November and December 2008.

So the period begins with Mercury sesquisquare Saturn, semisextile Venus, and decile Pluto. These are "minor" aspects that will provide some measure of "agitated harmony" in forward movement.

It retrogrades back to a semisquare to Uranus, showing our need to liberate our mind or view so we can receive the nourishment due us. It follows with a novile to Venus and conjunction with Jupiter at 4 Aquarius, the degree of the healer revealing themselves. We re-experience the semisquare energies but this time to Venus, bringing social decisions on the basis of the alternative views we were just given.

After the Inferior Conjunction of Jan 20-21, Mercury RX re-enters Capricorn and makes a septile to Venus and Uranus, showing a major fork in the road of individuation wherever it falls in our charts. It then retrogrades back through the conjunction to Mars as it sextiles Venus and Uranus, semisextiles Neptune, and trines Saturn.

This period over the last part of the RX period will bring fusions and unified vision around the Aries, Gemini, Virgo, Scorpio, and Capricorn planets and sectors in our chart, building productively with any Taurus and Libra energies we may have active. This period should bring understanding and insight about professional or group energies that began for us in late November and snowballed forward through December 2008.

Because of Mercury's closeness to Jupiter and Mars throughout the period, we can get a sense of how to imagine, communicate, or base future actions from an entirely different angle of view. It's a good time for re-thinking the right means to fulfill our vision while getting a sense of what's to end, and what's to come by late April.

Saturn rules this Mercury RX period, as that planet rules both Aquarius and Capricorn in the mundane world. (Uranus rules both signs in the spiritual realms.) As Saturn is in Virgo, the sign Mercury rules, we call the Mercury-Saturn aspect "Mutual Reception," a very strong self-reinforcing energy. This should show as a very grounded practical understanding of what is being reviewed, reworked, reorganized, or able to be understood now that other factors have transpired since last September.

Saturn will occupy its stationary RX point at 22 Virgo for the entire time, showing part of the larger understanding we're coming to involves what values and standards we're willing to uphold for the long haul. We'll be able to anchor our understanding of what is venerable, and have our merit certified or certify anothers' merit however that's appropriate.

This could yield a glimpsing of our own or anothers' nobility, and the possibility of accepting a "royal office," at whatever level we operate. This is about understanding our "spiritual lineage" and accepting a collective status.

The ever-present "joker in the deck" is that Saturn, ruler of the retrograde span, is re-entering the Virgo zone of the Grand Irrationality by the end of January, again putting pressure on many who will again find themselves at "forks in the road of destiny," directly related to the period from late September through early November, when the pattern was highly active. Later in this article there is a link to a Spiritual Astrology article where you can find out more about this on-going global irrationality.

This specific effect began during last October's Mercury retrograde period, when Saturn first entered the Virgo zone of the Grand Irrationality triggering an influence that will be very present and persistently intense, lasting through early August 2009. Due to the nature of the retrograde phenomenon, it may take us a while to see the results of the choices precipitated by Saturn at this larger "fork in the road of destiny" set into motion Autumn 2008.

Mercury toward the end of its RX period is in late Capricorn, said to be a span of "Dependence" in the Emotional-Cultural level of "Group Performance." While Mercury occupies these two signs, many will find they are receiving a LOT of mental impressions which require a larger view and taking personal responsibility. Expect a profusion of ideas, communications, insights and evaluations that will take many twists and turns before becoming clear visions of how to decide and what to do.

Mercury goes stationary direct on 22 Capricorn at 11:11 pm PDT January 31, 2009 (February 1 in the mountain states and points east of there.) As noted, when Mercury approaches its stationary direct point, it makes some excellent aspects to Venus, Mars, Saturn, and Neptune, showing widespread harmony across many sectors of our lives.

As the Sun transits the Aquarius span of this retrograde in late January, it will illuminate what the RX was about. Especially during this later period, while the Moon moves through Capricorn, Aquarius, and Aries, it will trigger the Grand Irrationality, showing that time to be a major zone of decision and choice.

During that time 4, 5 or even 6 points of the 7-pointed Star, or Great Septile, will be highly active during the days when the Moon is in these signs. There will be specific points during certain days when the pattern will be activated by the movement of the Ascendant and/or Midheaven, so heads up, since these are very important times! Again, you can find more by referring to the article Spiritual Astrology in November-December 2008 Pt. 2 - The Grand Irrationality and When It Will Be Set Into Motion. I'll be updating the information for the Jan-Feb 2009 lunar hot zones soon, but for now, that article can fill you in on what's been happening.

Of great importance during this retrograde is that Mercury's Inferior Conjunction with the Sun also conjuncts Jupiter, giving us new insights and visions of a greater service or contribution we can make in our world. Many will find powers awakening that allow them to help people and situations achieve a wholeness, or health, they did not have before. Use self-discipline, clear intention, compassion, and a sense of your place in the "Divine Order" to focus spiritual energy.

Remembering that nothing turns out as expected during a Mercury retrograde, and that things take strange twists and turns and there are curious returns of people, ideas, and experiences in new forms that resemble old forms, open to useful but overlooked angles of viewing things, learn and teach through a sense of perspective of how past and present relate in unusual ways, and be alert to roundabout or indirect communications that show things going on below the surface.

All in all, given the aspects between Mercury and the other planets, there will be a lot of productive activity helping us more forward in very organized and disciplined ways setting patterns into motion that will take off in April. We'll have plenty of opportunities to get clearer about our a larger vision of the future related to many things, people, and experiences. This is the practicum of our ability to integrate, harmonize and broaden our aspirations we're in training to manifest during this Saturn in Virgo era.

Mercury going stationary direct at 22 Capricorn on December 31-February 1 shows that through May 6-7, 2009, we will have the ability to move through apparent defeats to achieve spiritual victory. We will be able to win out through conforming to what is established, and through inner strength find resilience and the ability to overcome obstacles and opponents through will and integrity.

This degree is said to be in the span of "Dependence," in the scene of "Group Performance" on the social-cultural level. We can surmise that many of our dependencies will be seen in the light of our greater group connectedness during the next few months, and that will lead to major emotional, social, and cultural changes in our future well into 2009.

Dr. Jones comments the keyword is EXPEDIENCY, and that this is a degree of an "uncompromising loyalty to the long range ends in view," "a self disciplined grace of spirit," and overcoming opponents by finding shared values. We are told that this offers us "a genius for learning from experience and transforming setback into accomplishment."

So at the end of this retrograde period, we'll wind up being clear about our long range views and how to accomplish them, with new visions of group work and how we can contribute to a greater ideal with others. It marks a time of renewal of resolve, perseverence, stable understanding of needing to know (or find) what is personally relevant to us within our larger cultural field, and a recognition that a new day has dawned, with new obligations, responsibilities, and rewards for our faith and persistence.

So it seems that this is the next step in the ongoing Mercury retrograde Air sign sequence, where we'll continue to get new ideas, relationships, understanding, and specialized skills and insights. And we get a sense of practical necessities, as Mercury begins to move into a long term sequence of retrograding back through Earth signs.

As previously noted, with Saturn now retrograding back into the Virgo zone of the Grand Irrationality for many months, when it's triggered by the inner planet transits you can expect major destiny-producing changes that make little or no sense. By the end of this retrograde period, we shall be on the threshold of moving into an "end game" of things past, preparing to move into a new dream in April 2009.

Mercury Retrograde in Aquarius and Capricorn in January 2009, Part 1 - Signals of A Rapidly Approaching Future Launching in February

Copyright © 2009 Robert Wilkinson

Comments

[Wildhorserunning22]

Hi Robert,

Happy New Year! Buen viaje in 2009!!!

The holidays were interesting indeed. Pluto has entered Capricorn and is sitting
conjunct my Saturn at 4 Cap, in the 3rd house. I made some changes in that area, ref
siblings, and also my Father. Over the last year, I have been "hearing/feeling" underlying communications
with my sisters, and did not like how I was feeling/being treated. So I communicated (finally)
my feelings, which did not go over well with them, but for the first time, I didn,t care.
I also " see" some patterns of my behavior, that are "addictions" and have been actively
been working on "letting go" of the compulsive behavior....most likely because Pluto is helping....

Isn,t Pluto conjunct my Saturn about "breaking away from old structures".....becoming your own
authority? Dreams of "getting out of the Military".....letting go of "following old ingrained
rules-orders"......I escaped before...now it seems I have more inner strength to "face the issue-addiction"
and see it, and choose conciously, and SPEAK!!! Hallalujua!!!!!! ""Feeling stronger everyday"....

Namaste..

[Karen]

Thank you Robert for that wonderful insight. Now I can fully understand why I have been going through and re-going through what I am currently going through at this time.

Your work is invaluable and very much appreciated =)

Many Blessings
Karen =)

[AceStar]

thanks brother :)

Love & Light :)
good luck

[Robert]

Hi all - Still having problems with the blog ware not posting new comments to the sidebar, but I am told Typepad is working on it!

Hi WHR - Happy New Year to you as well. Pluto on your Saturn started early last year, so consider yourself in the middle of the stream, so to speak. Pluto brings long term pressure on things to purify and transform, so yes, that's what's happening to your Saturn. Saturn in the 3rd can show hesitancy about speaking one's truth due to rules laid down when we were very young. Saturn symbolizes our ability to break free of chains we no longer want nor need to wear, and claiming dominion over our affairs so we can "perfect the great work" of knowing how to allow the Spiritual Self to preside over our life choices and responses. Congrats on practicing your path to higher expression!

Hi Karen - Sometimes it's helpful for us to get to examine things from multiple light sources so we may learn how to dispel intellectual shadows. Thanks for your appreciation. We're all in this together.

Hi AceStar - Sure. Blessings be on your new year, since I believe you're moving toward being a more perfect expression of your own higher Destiny in 2009-2010.

[dcu]

Hi Robert. What are your comments about Obama taking the oath of office during Mercury Retrograde? Also, didn't this awesome full moon that we just had make a rectangle with the Saturn Uranus opposition? I try not to put personal stuff about my chart in here, but can't help but note my natal Jupiter at 23 cap in the first just got really energized by the full moon. Namaste. Let there be peace on the Earth and let it begin with me. May the Israelis and Palestinians get over their ancient conflicts.

[Robert]

Hi dcu - Well, we can assume that things may not be as advertised, as well as his need to take care of some things that should have been taken care of before now but weren't. I note that the inaugurations of March 4, 1901 and 1921, as well as Jan 20th in 1937, 1957 (SD), 1969 (SRX), and 1989 also had Mercury RX. Perhaps studying them will give us clues? This is the last one until January 2029. Yes, the rectangle will be most fortunate for those who know how to "tack into the wind" these next few weeks. The coming Mercury-Mars conjunction on your Jupiter may bring interesting insights on what your next two years are all about. Maybe new motives, as well as new ways of communicating subtle or universal things.