by Robert Wilkinson
Today we take a look at the aspects in play showing us where we can accomplish a lot, and who will most benefit from this retrograde in Leo.
First, a nod to the future. Though it's still a few weeks away, where Mercury goes direct indicates the platform from which Mercury goes forth from early August through early November when it again goes retrograde, at that time in early Sagittarius. So let's take a look at where we'll wind up about 3 weeks from now.
The degree where Mercury will go direct in early August is "an epidemic of mumps.” I'll elaborate on this degree closer to the time Mercury goes direct. For now, some themes connected to that degree we’ll begin living by early August are finding ourselves separated from collective “epidemics” so we can learn to play or be creative without being “infected” by “social diseases” and being able to use the inconveniences of life to further our development without being unnecessarily infected by other people’s or the collective’s problems.
So for now we enter a time of review, reflection, rehearsal, and new insights about things we need to retire from in order to find peace through seeing how we overcame trials and difficulties in the past. This ideally will lead us to new forms of play, creativity, and self-expression as new elements of our individuality burst forth, filling the voids of what we’re retiring from.
Many will find information or mental impressions showing curious returns to prior forms of natural life enjoyment wherever mid-Leo falls in the chart. These can also work out through the house(s) 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 been opened and/or shut down and why so that we can find new relatedness, new compassion, new understanding of deeper or unclear issues around what’s ended, and new views of the ability to function in multiple realms simultaneously in the future.
Of note is that this Mercury retrograde period begins with Mercury trine Uranus. The first trine was July 4-5, the second trine happens on July 25, and the third one when Mercury is again direct in motion will occur on August 18-19.
All three occur from 9 Leo to 9 Aries, harmonizing inventiveness and independent creative thinking wherever we have 9 Aries and 9 Leo in our charts. Students of astrology will note this creates a harmonic void at 9 Sagittarius, showing the understanding to come out of these trines involves both learning and teaching skills that may not be natural, but help us to function in society.
Thus this whole period will be influenced by our power to synthesize the parts into a whole picture, and given the degrees these trines fall in, we’ll begin by seeing the spiritual power in forms of art, and how creative intensity can bring forth manifestations of Soul. With concentration, new focused forms of creative self-expression can come forth, or at least more enjoyment of what is being “lit up” right in front of our eyes.
We got one look earlier in July, will get a new look in late July, and will put it all together in mid-August when Mercury trines Uranus for the third time. Revolutionary ideas will fill the air over the next few weeks, so open to the eternally new in the Eternal NOW!
Besides the trine to Uranus, notable aspects Mercury makes during this RX period feature the close sextile to Venus at the stationary retrograde point (followed by a septile to both Venus and Jupiter as the RX period proceeds), a quintile to Saturn, sextiles to both Mars and Jupiter, and major triseptiles to both Neptune and Pluto, triggering the Grand Irrationality during most of the retrograde period, as well as the period after Mercury goes direct. All in all, maximum productivity, and a reconsideration of critical choices already made with mid-course adjustments before everything moves forward again in early August.
Sextiles offer us times of major productivity where they fall. Trines stabilize and harmonize functions (whether for good or bad!) These sextiles and trines from early degrees of Fire and Air will help all with birthdays in late January, late March, late May, late July, late September, and late November.
If you have Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, or Pluto in early Aries, Gemini, Leo, Libra, Sagittarius, or Aquarius, expect manifestations of Spirit working cooperatively with your personality to propel you into new ideas, new activities, new environments, new relationships, and new life adventures! However, given the way Mercury retrogrades work out in future events, just remember to be patient and take an unusual point of view. Often the future takes unusual routes, or takes some time to come forth in coherent forms, or may come forth in forms that may be unfamiliar or unrecognizable at first.
Remember that Mercury already made most of these aspects in the recent past, so we'll get a review of the lessons associated with these over the next 3 weeks so that we can show skill in these once Mercury goes direct. A retrograde period is a review, or a rehearsal on the basis of new information we didn’t have before, so enjoy re-exploring recent choices and changes with an eye to unusual realizations you didn’t get the first time.
The major non-Mercury aspects are very few, but extraordinary! First, now that Uranus just went retrograde, it’s again forming the square to Pluto. Welcome to phase two of the very wild and unpredictable collision of forces of destiny for the entire world! This period also has Mars in early Libra in the T-square with Uranus and Pluto, challenging us to bring forth positive Cancer energies we rehearsed a few weeks ago when Mercury and then the Sun made T-squares throwing the energies into Libra.
At least Mars trine Jupiter should show us the natural and easy way to stabilize and/or harmonize the volatile energies of the T-square. Given the great aspects from planets in early Aries, Gemini, Leo, and Libra, it opens favorable energy wherever we have early Fire and Air in our houses. Certainly due to the Mars trine Jupiter we will see patterns as they are “pre-formed,” showing us what we can expect down the road in the way of “ideal patterns” for social interaction and/or display.
Mercury in Leo is ruled by the Sun. Once the Sun enters Leo on July 22, it will be Mercury’s dispositor, and therefore the dispositor of all the other planets except Neptune. That makes the Sun the Final Dispositor of all the other planetary energies at play during this time. And of course, as the Sun moves through early Leo, it will make the same septiles, sextiles, and quintiles to the planets that Mercury makes, vitalizing and integrating those energies in illuminated ways.
I recently posted an article on Venus triggering the Grand Irrationality. Mercury will add to the mix during its retrograde, and set major changes into motion as a result of the critical forks in the road we confront during these next few weeks. So there may be some very strange events, or weird reactions to seemingly normal interactions.
Long time fans of the site know the Grand Irrationality keeps obsessive, compulsive, or non-rational energy in the forefront for our entire world, and requires we not get hooked into believing that things will make sense any time soon. But we can learn to navigate these weird times with grace, style, class, and thoughtfulness which can mitigate the hard edges that seem to pop up on a moment’s notice. I’ll post an update on the Grand Irrationality in the near future, but for now, please reference Astrology in July 2012 - The Grand Irrationality In Motion Triggering the 2011 Gemini Solar Eclipse which also has a link explaining the Grand Irrationality in greater detail. More to come in the near future!
Over the next 3 weeks Mercury moves back from the middle of Leo back to very early Leo, retracing the individual, mental, and spiritual elements of that sign back through the emotional, social, and cultural level back to the actional level of Combustion, where it goes direct. Then in early August Mercury will again re-trace this span throughout August. Retrogrades give us opportunities to look back and claim things from the past we may not have seen before.
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.
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.
More Mercury retrograde articles to come in the near future. Other parts in this series will discuss the nature of how it affects individual birthdays, the coming Inferior Conjunction, its coming stationary direct degree influences, and what Mercury Retrograde in Pisces is specifically good for.
Other articles explaining Mercury Retrograde:
The Guide of Souls in July-August 2012 - Mercury Slowing Down, Preparing to go Retrograde at 13 Leo
Astrology and Mercury Retrograde July-August 2012 in Leo - What Is Mercury Retrograde?
Copyright © 2012 Robert Wilkinson
Greetings Robert,
I wrote you a long ass comment the other day, but when I tried to send it, it went "poof" and disappeared. Thank you, Mercury!
Robert, I love your writing. Your words are profound and vibrate from pure source. You are definitely tapped into the spiral of the Divine.
Thank you for sharing your wisdom, and path.
In profound metta,
Stefanie Krasner
P.S. As a Gemini, with Virgo rising, I am riding the retrograde wave with as much humor and intention as I can muster!
Posted by: Stefanie Krasner | July 16, 2012 at 12:24 PM
Hi Stefanie - Well, it could have just disappeared into cyberspace, or some other thing. I don't know why some things disappear here, but I suspect it has to do with the blogware. Really the best, but nothing is 100% if you know what I mean.
Thanks for your kind words of encouragement. Also very good you are keeping a sense of humor during this time. Now just cultivate the playfulness of Leo to feed the power of Venus and now Jupiter on or approaching your Sun. Time for a new adventure once the harvest of the old is completed!!
Posted by: Robert | July 16, 2012 at 12:31 PM
Thank you, gentle soul.
Posted by: Stefanie Krasner | July 16, 2012 at 12:42 PM
Very interesting as usual.
Interestingly enough I won $2000.00 just as Mercury went rx Saturday night and is the ruler of my diurnal chart. Go figure.
Posted by: Sophia | July 16, 2012 at 02:50 PM
may I also add REJOICE in all that we find as we review,reflect, reassess and retire once acceptance is reached, joy in being is invaluable to create something better I find :)
Posted by: Debbie Eastick | July 16, 2012 at 05:08 PM
ps to my previous comment, for those who like me have lost just about everything and alot of those you love who dont see any reason to rejoice, it took me a while to see I had been given FREEDOM, something worth celebrating. My comments are simply intended to inspire hope for some of us who need to build new from the ground up. Namaste
Posted by: Debbie Eastick | July 16, 2012 at 05:27 PM