by Robert Wilkinson
Following up on the general meaning and function of the "Inferior conjunction" between the Sun and Mercury, today we explore specifics of the current Inferior conjunction of December 4, 2011 at 12 Sagittarius.
Because this particular Inferior Conjunction is an extremely important event due to when and where it's happening, this is a long article that will pull together a comprehensive overview of what's been going on for the past three years.
The inferior conjunction is when Mercury (mind) conjuncts the Sun (life) while retrograde. This indicates that signals, messages, and ideas from either outer sources or subconscious sources will fuse with the life principle, setting the tone for the lessons involving how our minds are relating to our lives during the next four months. Since Mercury is retrograde, the degree of the inferior conjunction shows how our lives will merge with our perceptions and bring forth a new understanding of our light.
The 12th degree of Sagittarius is said to be "A flag that turns into an eagle that crows." In his notes from the Jones class, Rudhyar says this symbolizes "development of consciousness from abstract to concrete, from general to personal," "mounting mastery," and "Extreme good fortune."
He goes on to say in The Astrological Mandala that this refers to the "spiritualization and promotion of great symbols of a New Age by minds sensitive to its precursory manifestations." He states that flags are symbols of nations, and they become "eagles" when it is "made alive by bold and transcendent action."
Eagles fly very high, and are the first to see the rising sun. This implies it's a symbol of peak experiences, and Rudhyar says "it urges us to bring our noblest ideals to actual life through the power of the spiritual will." He gives it the keyword Annunciation.
Dr. Marc Edmund Jones, creator of the Sabian Symbols, says this is a degree of the balance we need to maintain "between the established allegiances which create the substance of (our) conscious selfhood and the idealized ambitions by which (we) are self-sustained as an identity." Here we must conform to what is expected of us, where "understanding is refined through the tireless struggles of the self" in various situations. He says the keyword is ADJUSTMENT, and when positive, this degree is "successful self-establishment through genuine self-expression."
So this is a degree of good fortune, where we can learn a mounting mastery over self and circumstance, and announce the laws and conditions of a new era in our lives. Here we must embrace our ideals and give them wings through focusing our spiritual will.
The next four months are a time to launch our physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual ideals, moving them from abstractions to concrete manifestations of our higher self expression. Here we move from current vision "back to the future," and name a new law in our life that may resemble a prior truth or philosophy but adapted to current circumstances. Or conversely, through the retrograde lens see how this has shaped what has happened in your life before now.
Mercury introduced these energies when it first crossed this degree on November 10-12. The Inferior Conjunction now makes this a "hot spot" for months to come. Important factors at work in the chart for the Inferior Conjunction include Sun tredecile Uranus, Venus trine Mars, Mercury retrograding to a square to Mars, and Jupiter, ruler of the Inferior conjunction, at the "Cosmic Visitation" degree.
We will find that the next 4 months are very important around this set of lessons and challenges. It will definitely stabilize our Aries, Taurus, Libra, and Scorpio sectors as part of a larger transformational process, so consider this a preparation phase for a unique set of serendipitous interactions and gifts that will propel us into the future we've already begun to embrace, whether hesitantly or enthusiastically.
The Inferior Conjunction between Mercury and the Sun is the second step in a two-conjunction process. The first step is when Mercury conjuncts the Sun in forward motion after its retrograde period. Most recently this occurred at 6 Libra on September 28-29, 2011. As Mercury is faster than the Sun, after the "Superior conjunction" Mind again outraces Life, gets ahead of the Sun, and explores ideas and perceptions of experiences yet to occur.
Then Mercury goes stationary retrograde, and moves into the second step when Mercury again conjuncts the Sun while retrograde. This is when Mind is being absorbed by Life, or Life takes on the results of subconscious or collective ideas returning to source. Eventually Life gets as far from Mind as it can, Mercury goes stationary direct, and begins to speed up preparing for the first step anew in a different part of the zodiac.
In an interesting "co-incidence," many recent stationary points and the Inferior Conjunction points trine other points in previous Mercury retrograde periods. Perhaps by studying the sequence of retrograde, conjunction, and direct points we can see how Mercury, a.k.a Hermes, the Cosmic Magician and Guide of Souls, is steering our long range perceptions, understandings, and coordinations toward Soul understanding.
We are told by Rudhyar that 12 Sagittarius is the second and counterpoint step of Abstraction on the Individual, Mental, and Spiritual level of experience within the span of Receptiveness. Here we can find a contrast to our bodily instincts, taking our ideals out into the world and grounding them to help us to a rebirth in our individual lives.
This will give us roundabout insights about things that have happened since Mercury conjuncted Jupiter in Aries back in March 2011, since this Inferior Conjunction makes a waning trine to that point. It should reveal a higher, wider vision so we can see this is the natural truth of what began then, and opens us to a greater ability to give our ideals concrete substance in our world.
This Inferior Conjunction of mind "looking back" into life will help us reinterpret experiences we've had which showed us what we needed to do to embrace a new future. This would imply that either a) we can examine how we previously found ways to launch our ideals to demonstrate our developing consciousness and mastery as signals for the future, or b) we need to get back on track through examining how the past 9 months have shown us the way to resurrect past ideals and truths in new forms perfect for what is to come over the next 4 months.
The fact that the Inferior Conjunction falls with the Moon at 4 Aries would imply that through the "looking back" and alternative views and understandings, we will get new glimpses and information about the revolutionary new developments related to the Summer of 2010, when Jupiter went stationary retrograde on that degree. These new developments were launched in a big way between January and March 2011.
This continues to put the focus on our "emergent individuality" so that we can embrace a new way of being, living, self-awareness, and/or pioneering entry into a new world. At this stage of the game, we are being freed from old responsibilities so we can realize who we are in consciously polarized ways. As an aside, the last Inferior Conjunction had the Moon at 1 Aries, the same degree as the Uranus in this chart.
1 Aries shows us how we have been insecure about embracing a new life due to the ghosts of our past clutching at our ankles, or how we may feed new self-revelations in ways that help us play or be creative in knowing what's important and what's not. This degree gives us a new perspective on our potential, and offers us the need to emerge from the collective and realize a new facet of our Self for the first time.
This can help us express unconditioned elements of our Soul in new self-initiatives, where we can reflect on and find forms of the interdependence of "the emotional and purposeful aspects of self." Dr. Jones gives this Uranian degree the keyword REALIZATION, and says it can bring "an illimitability of experience" which we can take advantage of "under any and all circumstances."
The Moon brings forms through reflection. The Inferior Conjunction is about making our symbols real, and launching a new set of ideals and life standards that announce a new era. It is interesting that the Lunar degree at this Inferior Conjunction is the exact one where Jupiter went retrograde in the Summer of 2010, just after it conjuncted Uranus in June 2010 at 1 Aries (also the degree where Uranus went stationary retrograde in early July 2010). So this Inferior Conjunction period to come will nurture and/or bring forth new forms of those initiatives set into motion through those previous Jupiter and Uranian critical points.
The Inferior Conjunction is ruled by Jupiter, making Jupiter a very powerful factor in coordinating events so we can be led to our Soul. As Jupiter's duality is "Wealth/Poverty," we will see how our ways of thinking and living bring us abundance or deprivation, prosperity and growth or the barrenness of small minded thinking.
As the backdrop to how our mind and life relate to each other, perhaps we can learn how to deal with Jupiter's energies in ourselves or others from a different angle of view, lighting up what needs illuminating so that we can see what parts of our "garden of personality" we have and have not nourished, and allowed Nature to cooperate in bringing forth "wealth" or "poverty."
Forming aspects show future conditions. This Inferior Conjunction has several significant aspects, including those mentioned a few paragraphs back. In the chart we see Moon trine Mercury and the Sun, square Venus and Pluto, and triseptile Mars, Mercury square Mars and semisquare Saturn (echoing the Sun square Mars and semisquare Saturn just past,) Mercury trine Uranus, Venus tredecile Jupiter semisquare Neptune, Sun quintile Neptune, Mars semisquare Saturn, and Saturn triseptile Uranus and trine Neptune.
So Mercury brings these energies dominating this event into the forefront, offering us retrograde glimpses into the recent past about decisions and shifts related to the long wave Saturn triseptile Uranus at work during this time in history. So this irrationality pattern will be highly active during the next 4 months!
All in all, the coming 4 months will bring solid understanding, stabilizing emergent developments that will require us to assert ourselves and awaken self and others to some critical developments. Find the central anchor that helps you relate all of the partial and scattered tendencies to a core spiritual power within you, and be practical in assessing what you need to respond to and what you don't.
Reinterpret recent events as symbols of a greater life already upon us, look at it all as a great ritual of relationship, get beyond fear, and accept the challenge of self-transcendence. As we learn reasonable forms of self-discipline and claim an aspect of our Divine Self and its powers, we shall move easily into unknown zones of Self-awareness and self-expression. Here the past feeds that which seems new, but is actually already a significant part of our lives.
Don't get deflected or diverted into quarrels and disputes that only serve to pull you away from your inner work, avoid getting bogged down in aggravations that only narrow your perspective, and be inventive in seeing new ways to express your heart, courage, and love creatively. This period can bring unique gifts and circumstances, and promises a great good fortune for those who launch their vision, or give their ideals wings.
Generally, the 11 days before the inferior conjunction (fusion) of mind and life is a good time to take a new look at how you can bring out your inner wisdom by adjusting to a future vision or broader perspective that's opening for you. It's also good for getting a new point of view regarding what your imagination is willing to consider and how to coordinate your life to reorganize it productively.
It's great for intuitive flashes, insights into the larger collective consciousness and unconsciousness, and seeing how you're being led to see elements of your Soul you may not have recognized before now. So think back on what's happened in the week and a half, and find a new way to view how those things may symbolize the future somehow.
Just remember during retrogrades, especially Mercury retrograde, that often things that don't turn out one way lead directly or indirectly to other things somewhat related manifesting down the road. It's as though nothing should be taken at face value, and often what we do or think during Mercury retrograde creates odd echos in the future that take different shapes, or different functions related to the original intention.
And as usual, here are links to recent articles on what this December 2011 Mercury Retrograde in Sagittarius is all about:
Astrology and Mercury Retrograde November-December 2011 in Sagittarius - What Is Mercury Retrograde?
Copyright © 2011 Robert Wilkinson
Hi Robert--So, when I do a chart for Jul 10, 2011, I find Mercury at 13 degrees Leo--not crossing 12 Sag ... When you say: "Mercury introduced these energies when it first crossed this degree on July 10-12. The Inferior Conjunction now makes this a "hot spot" for months to come." are you speaking of a different year? Or am I lost somewhere? Thanks :-) V
Posted by: Virginia | December 04, 2011 at 07:33 AM
Another great one. Gosh, you are good. What I've been getting is that I am distilling down. More settled. I am not leaping out of my body all the time to meet situations. That exhausted me into an eventual fetal position(The rebel rebels against herself, can my war with myself actually be over?).
If I have to handle a crisis situation, I can do it more calmly and deal with it as it is, rather than pouncing myself silly. And it is so important to allow air space so that I can meet situations more calmly, rather than scheduling myself in a knot. Less seems to be more somehow. Calmer is gooder.
Posted by: caliban | December 04, 2011 at 08:37 AM
Hi Virginia - Good catch. It should have read November 10-12. I've corrected it. Thanks.
Hi Caliban - Always good to have self control over the breath and mind even in crisis mode, since that's the beginning of mastery over the lower self and its instincts. This is a good time to practice such things. It's always intense when Mercury is retrograde AND there are things like Eclipses going on! It's going to be quite a strange time over the next few weeks, since even as Mercury begins to speed up, Uranus will go stationary direct, then Jupiter will go stationary direct, then Mars will begin to slow, getting ready to go retrograde just before Saturn goes stationary retrograde. Strange days indeed!
Posted by: Robert | December 04, 2011 at 08:54 AM
Thank you for another great post. I have natal saturn at 1 Aries (conjunct chiron, sun).... I can't wait for all this planetary action to move along. Not sure if it's related to Uranus sitting there, but I have a hair trigger. Unable to relax or calm myself down when stressed (which is not normal for me). Is there relief coming?
Posted by: L31 | December 04, 2011 at 11:23 AM
This is a work of art, Robert! Still amazed at the accuracy of your article and its relevance to my life.It feels as if you have been watching over my life, its so close!!! November 10-12 was highly significant for me and not only because Nov 10 coincided with my birthday. It set the wheels in motion for the next chapter of my life which is still a mystery of course! The canvas is still almost blank with only a few strokes and no idea of the finished picture. Almost like creating a jigsaw! Exciting but a little scary also. Look forward to your next one, and wish I lived closer to your part of the world to be able to come to some of your workshops....this is the next best thing. Hope your angels are watching over you too, my invisible friend...
Posted by: Elizabeth | December 05, 2011 at 05:25 AM
Dear Robert ,
As what Elizabet mentioned, what can I say I am also Nov 12
I've been reading your wonderful articles from the start of your blog. You are indeed a thoughful being, I was just finished reading the section of "please read before you comment" could't notice that even there people don't .leave you in peace., more light to you.
When look in the past transits and what you already said comes to eclipse.. I had "cosmic encounter"
on my this past birthday, not only the occation but also with a person whom I have karmic ties.
He has sun 12 Gem , his ruler dancing backward making t sqare his natal pluto 12 virgo.
He's going through life changing decisions, He had eclipse on his sun this year, Pluto back n fore his 2 degree Asc since 08
One thing I experienced with some hard aspect , that they bring positive situation.
I would like to read your thoughts regarding connections with NN, asroids or other chart points, like vertext, if not here may in future articles I would be very grateful.
Posted by: mina | December 05, 2011 at 10:50 PM
oops sorry for bad spell, 1 a,m. Est.
Typing on my mini cell, needless to say, my natal mercury rx conjunct my neptune 9/10 scorpio
Goodnight
Posted by: mina | December 05, 2011 at 11:02 PM