by Robert Wilkinson
Next week I'll begin the Mercury retrograde series of articles, but for now let's take a brief look at what's up with the Grand Irrationality.
If you haven't read them lately, you may want to go back and re-read the two Spiritual Astrology articles concerning the Grand Irrationality and what's up during these waning months of 2010. I've put links to these articles at the end of this one to make it easy to take a new look at what this years-long phenomenon is about, when it's activated, and so hints about how we can best deal with this irrational, obsessive-compulsive energy.
For now, though, we'll take a brief look at how the Grand Irrationality will be related to the coming Mercury retrograde in Capricorn and Sagittarius. Mercury will be a little of "back to the future" this time, since it goes retrograde at 6 Capricorn, a degree that's been activated by various transits over the past two years.
As it is conjunct Pluto and septile Neptune during the time it's in early Capricorn, many will confront critical choices and changes wherever they have Capricorn that will profoundly affect the life areas (houses) ruled by Gemini and Virgo. It will also mark a major turning point for those with planets and sensitive points around 4-8 Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn.
It will also bring inner changes for those with planets and points around 19-23 Scorpio and Aquarius, and to a lesser degree to those with 19-23 Taurus and Leo active in the chart. And of course, it will activate planets or points also in the 7-pointed Star pattern around 26-30 Aquarius, 17-21 Aries, 9-13 Gemini, 1-5 Leo, 23-27 Virgo, 14-18 Scorpio, and 5-9 Capricorn, give or take a degree to either side of these degree spans.
Ordinarily, Mercury conjunct Pluto would be enough for us to get lots of Mercurial signs and signals about the larger global changes indicated by Pluto. That it goes retrograde conjunct Pluto shows that we'll all be getting different perspectives about what has ended and what seeds have been sprouting the past two years.
Given that Mercury retrograde periods link past lessons with future lessons, this Mercury conjunct Pluto will seem to last a lot longer than those of previous years. It will have implications for months down the road, and show itself every time 4-8 degrees of the Cardinal signs and 19-23 degrees of the Fixed signs is activated by a transit.
What makes this coming Mercury retrograde conjunct Pluto even more powerful is the associated Mars conjunct both, also in Capricorn. Thus Mars adds another dimension to the energy, ratcheting up the Grand Irrationality in major ways! Expect some very Mercury retrograde events to be evident boosted by Mars' usual assertive/aggressive style.
Obviously, this begins a new Mars-Pluto two year cycle. Expect a tremendous amount of assertiveness to be in the air the next two years! It will be a time of major clashes between forms of authority, and it won't be theoretical. This is the activation of larger Plutonian seeds at the close of the old Mars-Neptune cycle.
As with Mercury activating the Grand Irrationality through the conjunction in the Capricorn area of our chart affecting the houses Mercury rules, so the Mars conjunction will also boost the Capricorn area activity. However, it will also work these profound reorganizational changes in the areas where we have Aries and Scorpio houses. Thus this Mercury-Mars-Pluto conjunction septile Neptune will affect half our reality, that being wherever we have Aries, Gemini, Virgo, Scorpio, Capricorn, and Aquarius!!
From this we can see that new Capricorn transformative energies will be highly active while old collective Neptunian Aquarian ideals are brought to an end over the next 2 1/2 months affecting more than a few areas of our chart. In mid-February, Mars will conjunct Neptune while making a waxing septile to Pluto, showing the first "action beat" in the new Mars-Pluto cycle while beginning a new Mars-Neptune cycle.
I'll explore more about this when I compose the next series of Mercury retrograde articles coming in a few days, as well as the next series of Spiritual Astrology - Grand Irrationality articles later this month. In any case, this is a heads up that we have some very volatile energies about to be set into motion that will profoundly affect 2011 and 2012!
Copyright © 2010 Robert Wilkinson
I'm gonna fasten myself in real tight for this one!
Posted by: Kip | December 02, 2010 at 07:56 AM
Robert! KAPOW! my natal mercury is at 4 d cap! In the fifth house! I have my dc at 23 aquarius and my saturn is at 29 aquarius!!! Ouch and it will hit my ic and my venus and my neptune in scorpio not to mention my 2nd house and my 11 houses are ruled by gemini!
That is a lot of stuff. Not including all the other transits happening. Phew.
Thanks for this article.
Posted by: Micheline | December 02, 2010 at 04:20 PM
This should be quite a potent Mars-Pluto cycle since Mars is in his exaltation... and what a lead-up to eclipse season!
Posted by: Matt | December 02, 2010 at 05:58 PM
Hmm, thanks for the heads up on the potential flare-ups, Robert. My natal mars is 6 Cancer so I had better be careful and keep myself centred and grounded. Been doing well with that lately so hopefully this won't catapult me into over-reaction!
Thanks so much for your wonderful writings. I love to come here and just soak in good vibes and wisdom and awareness that we are all inter-connected and there are ways of navigating through these strange times we live in!
Posted by: Mary | December 03, 2010 at 02:30 AM
Thanks for this and for what is to follow on the subject, Robert. Transiting Mercury-Mars-Pluto will contact my natal North Node/Toro, with several other natal planets activated by the grand septile. Time to batten down the hatches for the duration! Sensing the tension in the air already, I've been cautious in my interactions and plan to keep a low profile for the next ten days or so even while active. Yet there has been some real sweetness of late, together with the obvious heaviness. And odd mixture. This trio of planets is also closely conjunct the transiting North Node, signifying this event has to do with propelling us forward. There seems to be an opportunity here to transmute the way in which we channel our personal power by integrating our conscious and unconscious drives, or aligning our ego's will with that of our higher Self or Soul. This passage feels singularly important, even with all of the other dramatic astrology going on concurrently.
Posted by: Elizabeth | December 03, 2010 at 11:17 PM
Just a minute to says..THANKS!!!..your articles help make sense of the world, give an understanding, and assist. Since 11 years old, I have had a love of this modality-Astrology, the gift of the heavens. Love your "aquarius papers"!! I am sending you and yours Much LOVE & LIGHT for this "Santa" season. Santa seems like the "spirit" persona that embodies all the Love, Light, & Peace that so many beliefs set out to express at this time of year. To all of us that share your wonderful site, and appriciate the energy we share here!!! Peace, Love, Light, & HAPPY SANTA SEASON TO ALL!!! and may that energy be with us all year through!!
Posted by: Deb in OKC | December 04, 2010 at 12:27 AM
I can't wait to see what you think of the fact Mars the activator is also dashing into Cap at the same time as all this. my Mars is 0º Cap so obviously i'm having a Mars return. and an eclipse too. woof! i'm ready!!
Namaste :)
Posted by: Valerie | December 05, 2010 at 04:53 PM
Robert, great guidance as always. You refer to the new Mars-Neptune cycle as being the activation of larger Plutonian seeds at the close of the old Mars-Neptune cycle. - going back two years, when Mars was in Sagittarius/Capricorn and Neptune was still in Aquarius (Dec. 2008)... is that when the previous cycle began? I want to know what I'm coming out of, aside from the other things you've mentioned.
Posted by: Christine K | December 10, 2010 at 09:06 AM