by Robert Wilkinson
Each Mercury Retrograde period is unique, yet related to other Mercury RX periods, usually because the signs are harmonized with those of past Mercury retrogrades. This one begins in Earth (like the past 3), but then moves back into Fire. What does this mean for all of us?
This Mercury retrograde started 4:06 am PST December 10, 7:06 am EST and 12:06 pm Greenwich (Dec 11 New Zealand and points east). This retrograde moves from 6 Capricorn back to 20 Sagittarius, with the inferior conjunction of Mercury and the Sun occurring at 29 Sagittarius at 5:23 pm PST Dec 19, 1:23 am Dec 20 Greenwich.
We have now finished a sequence of Mercury retrograde periods for 2010 where the retrograde span has been entirely in Earth signs. In this one we move from Capricorn back to Sagittarius. In Capricorn we claim personal power from the energies released in Sagittarius in order to become a better world servant in Aquarius.
As this one retrogrades back into Sagittarius, we'll get to research, re-think, rehearse and get a new look at how to initiate needed completions that show us an "illimitability of experience" leading us to a greater fulfillment while sharpening our knowledge. Moving back into Sagittarius, we'll get to review our Sagittarius developments of late November in order to prepare for a new life through being thorough in our actions.
This Mercury retrograde begins at 6 Capricorn, and retraces ground we experienced November 22 through December 10. The degree is "A dark archway and ten logs at the bottom." Rudhyar says this symbolizes a limitless of potential experience once we've completed what we need to, so that "whatever is to be found beyond" can be embraced without unfinished business hindering that entrance.
We are told that this symbolizes "the revelation of a new series of activities just ahead," and that seeds must mature before they can germinate. He says that this degree "establishes a foundation for what will follow," and that here we reach a threshold where we may have to pause to secure further advances.
He says it falls in the span of "Illusiveness," and it's the initial degree of the emotional-cultural level of the scene of Crystallization in the Act of Capitalization. So we'll use our Mercury function to crystallize something involving feelings and our social existence so we can capitalize on whatever has been illusive before now.
This is a threshold point where we take a look back at whatever in the past has been unfinished up to now, and/or finish whatever we need to before we enter a new life in 2011. As this degree was activated in January 2010 when Mercury went stationary direct on this point, it began our time to finish up old business in the first part of this year.
It was then made extraordinarily important in current and future events when Pluto went stationary retrograde on this degree in early April 2010. This "backward looking" Mercury energy will no doubt be in synch with whatever threshold transformational state we've been living with since then. Perhaps we can get new interpretations, or new points of view, about on-going Pluto business while also getting a new understanding of why we had to close some old things out earlier in 2010.
It could also bring returns of something associated with events or people happening when Jupiter occupied this degree (January 2008) or when Mars last crossed this degree (January 2009). You can bet that with Mars crossing this degree NOW and Pluto about to be on this degree from December 22, 2010 through January 20, 2011 that whatever these energies require will be in our faces for the next few weeks! Future hot zones are when Pluto again hits 6 Capricorn (July 6-August 26, October 7-November 23, 2011) and when Mars next crosses this degree in November 2012.
According to Dr. Jones, creator of the Sabian Symbols, the keyword is THOROUGHNESS. He states this is a degree of "the illimitable resources of self in preserving its own integrity through the varying fortunes of everyday living" which promise us satisfaction by consciously directing our destiny. He says this degree helps us to forms of personality fulfillment through our realizing we can use to to explore our limitless potentials.
He continues that this degree tells us to "extend ourselves indefinitely," and that when positive, "the degree is high competence in the interpretation of life's purposes or unusual persistence in employing its ramifying potentials effectively."
So we enter a time of reviewing what must be completed so that we can embrace new potentials that are not limited by old conditions. We can enter a new social-cultural organized effectiveness or authority, consciously directing our destiny by what we finish up in the next few months.
Many could find information or mental impressions showing a need to preserve our integrity while exploring our future purposes and using potential effectively in the house where early Capricorn falls in the chart, These can also work out through the houses with Gemini and Virgo on the cusp.
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. By the time this RX period is done, we'll know what's being finished or is done so that we can find social or emotional power moving forward.
Of note is that this Mercury retrograde period begins with Mercury in a very close sextile to Venus, a close conjunction to Mars and Pluto, a septile to Neptune, a novile to the Moon and a binovile to Jupiter. The conjunction with Pluto and septile to Neptune of course trigger The Grand Irrationality, setting many changes into motion through the forks in the road we'll all find ourselves confronting.
Thus this retrograde period will help us reorganize our lives through the important choices we make, even if it makes little or no sense why we're having to make them. Through the dynamic actions set into motion early in the retrograde period (right now!!) turning points in everyone's destiny will be radically precipitated over the next few weeks.
Related events marking these changes will come to light around December 27, January 17, 2011, and February 8-9, 2011. Of special note is when Venus moves through the Scorpio zone of the Grand Irrationality between December 19-23, since it will make septiles to Mercury's stationary RX point (conjunct Mars and Pluto, remember?!) and biseptile the stationary RX Neptune point. That should be a very intense time!!
The other aspects involving Mercury show productivity between the Mercury and Venus ruled areas of our lives and birth charts, and the novile and binovile will bring things out that have been cooking for awhile, yielding revelations of a spiritual nature. Of course, the Mercury-Mars-Pluto conjunction will show as some fairly extreme circumstances, so get clear about what needs to be done, since it probably should have been done a while ago and now is the time for it to be completed.
Other notable aspects Mercury makes during this RX period feature a semisquare, novile, decile, and semisextile to Venus, squares to Jupiter and Uranus, a quintile to Saturn and a sextile to Neptune. As most of the latter occur from Sagittarius, we can capture productive intuition and gifts of stabilization that help us release unresolved Pisces energies through taking a new look at the future we were shown in November.
Perhaps there is a way of blending those potentials with others we can now see from a different angle of understanding. In any case there will be productive growth between the Taurus and Libra areas of our charts with the Gemini and Virgo areas of our charts wherever we have Scorpio and Capricorn.
Saturn rules this Mercury RX period, since it rules Capricorn and Aquarius in the mundane world. Saturn continues to be a major player while it occupies its exaltation sign of Libra, and offers us a backdrop theme of doing needed repair work, or reconstructing something that was "wrecked by storms."
As Venus rules Saturn's sign, its sextile with Mercury gives Saturn a powerfully productive magnetism where we are enabled to tear ourselves away "from the known and familiar," searching for new values which promise "a more abundant life." This will help us restore something that's been out of balance up to now.
Once Mercury moves back into Sagittarius 6:55 am PST December 18, Jupiter again becomes its ruler. To note, this means that the first 8 days of this RX period is ruled by Saturn in Libra with a Scorpio sub-influence, while the last 12 days of the RX period is ruled by Jupiter in Pisces conjunct Uranus. The first part is balancing, deepening, and purifying, the second part involves saying goodbye, letting go, forgiving, and being a true individual.
While there are no major planet aspects of note except the Jupiter conjunct Uranus, there are two Mars aspects of note. Mars makes quintiles to Jupiter and Uranus on December 25-26, promising unique insights and perspectives that help us find ways to protect our new dreams and possibilities. The other aspect of note is Mars square Saturn at the end of the RX period, marking a point of "first emergence" in the Mars-Saturn cycle that began back at 1 Libra at the end of July 2010.
Mercury retrograde is good for reworking, rehearsing, rethinking, researching, or finding a different approach to whatever is not well understood. It's also great for busting lies and misconceptions, though if you have the misfortune of dealing with someone operating from a delusion, they still may not get what's right in front of their face. In that case, let them go and apply your energies to more worthy relationships and endeavors.
Regarding The Grand Irrationality - this is a huge ongoing influence that symbolizes why our world is spinning in some very weird ways. It shows a long wave period where obsessive-compulsive behaviors are in the air, irrationality pervades the atmosphere, and why humanity is at a major fork in the road of our individual and collective destiny.
Right now in history, the 7 "hot zones" of the Grand Irrationality are approximately 21-24 Virgo, 12-15 Scorpio, 4-7 Capricorn, 25-28 Aquarius, 17-20 Aries, 8-11 Gemini, and 29 Cancer through 2 Leo, depending on the exact degrees of Neptune and Pluto. Whenever something crosses through any of these zones, choices and changes are set into motion that move us into our destiny.
During this 3 week period, the Moon will trigger the irrationality effect several times. It started December 10-11, and continues on December 15, December 19 (Inferior conjunction day!), December 22-23, and December 26-27. These points will be when we can expect dramatic changes connected to the completions that will open more limitless possibilities.
When this retrograde period is over, we'll enter an intense period when Venus trines Jupiter and Uranus, followed by Mercury squaring both as Mars sextiles both through mid-January. After that Mercury transits over its stationary RX degree in forward motion, ushering in a 5 day period where visualization is most powerful due to Jupiter on the final degree of Pisces. After that we're in an entirely new world!
So during the next few weeks as Jupiter and Uranus finish their stay in late Pisces, finish up whatever needs finishing, since December 2010 and January 2011 is a time to finalize some practical things in order to seek entrance to a beyond that's already been shown to us in seed forms during this year.
On a final note for today, during any Mercury retrograde period there are always strange twists and turns and returns. However, if it's not a return of something you should have taken care of before then, remember that whatever happens it probably won't turn out the way it seems at the time.
Obviously there are more Mercury retrograde articles coming in the near future. Other parts in this series will discuss aspects and configurations with other planets, the nature of its coming stationary direct degree influences, how it affects individual birthdays, the coming Inferior Conjunction, and what this Mercury Retrograde in Capricorn is specifically good for.
Other articles explaining Mercury Retrograde:
Astrology and Mercury Retrograde August-September 2010 in Virgo - What Is Mercury Retrograde?
Copyright © 2010 Robert Wilkinson
Season's greetings Robert,
Looking forward to the lunar eclipse on Dec 21st, it appears that Mercury (assimilation, awareness), conjunct the Galactic Center, the Sun and North Node in opposition (awareness) to the Moon (subconscious) and square Jupiter (expansion) conjunct Uranus ( "the awakener" & higher octave of Mercury) is opening each of us up to a greater awareness of our divine nature. The supportive Neptune conjunct Chiron ( semi-sextile and in healing, benevolent mutual reception to Jupiter/Uranus) sextile to Mercury/Sun and trine the Moon gives this holiday season a spiritualized and magickal energy. This is the Universes' awsumb gift to humanity. A joy full season to all as we awaken our greater potential of being co-creators of reality and as we move forward into a brave new world.
Blessings to All
Posted by: Bruce Kaiser | December 13, 2010 at 05:44 PM
This is a pretty crazy time for me with my Mars at 5 Capricorn...I'll be glad when this whole pack of planets moves on!
Posted by: Christine | December 13, 2010 at 07:28 PM
Robert, you wrote about Dec 19-23:"That should be a very intense time!!!"
From distant lands I fully agree with you,as a rule:)
This Sunday we shall have Presidential elections here -"The show must go on"...
It is the day of St.Nikolas thw Wonder-worker in the Orthodox confession, which is widely recognized by local people.
And on Dec23 my dear ASC is waiting for me as well:):)
Thank you for hints\suggestions about possible precipitating turning points...
Posted by: Svetlana | December 14, 2010 at 01:41 PM
quello che stavo cercando, grazie
Posted by: RolibeRobbemy | January 17, 2011 at 10:50 PM