by Robert Wilkinson
Following up on the general meaning and function of the "Superior Conjunction" between the Sun and Mercury yesterday, today we explore specifics of the Superior Conjunction of December 8, 2014 at 17 Sagittarius. This “fusion of life and mind” will impact the rest of the Mercury direct period up to its next retrograde Inferior conjunction coming on Jan 30, 2015.
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 direct in motion and moving faster than the Sun, it now makes a “superior conjunction” that begins a several week period when mind will race ahead of life, heralding things to come. The degree of any superior conjunction shows how our perceptions have caught up with our lives, which can bring forth a new expression of our light.
The Sabian Symbol for the Inferior Conjunction
The symbol we’ve been given for the 17th degree of Sagittarius is “An Easter Sunrise Service.” In the original Jones class notes published in The Astrology of Personality Rudhyar says this symbolizes “Spiritual living in conformity to natural law,” “coming out of doubt and despair,” and “unwavering faith in a near higher power.”
In the Astrological Mandala, he says this degree involves “the culturally stimulated longing for group participation in a process of rebirth.” He explains that Easter in some way dramatizes deep elements of human nature as they seek direction, meaning, and a greater intensity.
He says this is about “discovering in nature’s cycles great movement that stimulated (our) spiritual quest” for light, warmth, and rebirth. He says it falls in the span of Detachment, and it’s the counterpoint degree of the actional level of the scene of Transference in the Act of Group Integration.
According to Dr. Jones, creator of the Sabian Symbols, the degree is one of our achievement of “spiritual or eternal fellowship with others,” where “the lives of all are seen in their common contribution to the total worth of a human estate” rather than senselessly struggling for “ephemeral rewards.” Here our fulfillment is attained “through the quickening of humanity as a whole.”
He offers us the keyword of REBIRTH. He states that when operating in a positive manner, this degree is "an unusual realization of immortal resources and an ability to employ them wisely.”
So we enter a time of “the fusion of life and mind” that should give us new insights into current and future potential for social forms of rebirth, where we join with others who share an element of our spiritual truth and aspiration. Now mind is no longer following life, trying to catch up to it. Now mind races forward as herald, catching glimpses of knowledge, perception, and understanding that shows us where life is headed in the near future.
This Superior Conjunction can fuse foresight and life experience to see how new forms of light, life, and perspectives can come forth these next few weeks. Because this “fusion of life and mind” takes place in the second third of Sagittarius, take a new look at truth, higher understanding, future plans and visions, and see how to take a broader view to attain a form of rebirth. This is self-initiated Fire that embraces the future in forms of immediate action.
What’s Up After the Superior Conjunction?
As I pointed out in the first article about the Superior Conjunction, at this Superior Conjunction at 17 Sagittarius we will have “a fusion of life and mind” that will help set a platform. In blending these principles we will see a shift in our affairs, attitudes, and understanding about those things symbolized by Mercury in Sagittarius.
Natal points in harmony with 17 Sagittarius will see productivity, understanding, stabilization, and unique qualities come forth. Natal points in friction with 17 Sagittarius will see turning points, blocks, braking action, and release of potential. These are the primary “Life-Mind” fusion lessons through the next Inferior Conjunction on January 30 at 11 Aquarius, a degree that will help us get a new inspiration about how we can best contribute as individuals to a greater collective good.
So this Superior Conjunction should bring a new vision, truth, or inspiration helping us regenerate and renew ourselves, our heart, our love, and our social existence in a dynamically active collective circumstance. This can show us how current views and life experiences are preparing us for things to come. It’s time to focus on visions of the future, and mobilize our skills so they satisfy some future need that’s on the way. Again, this need to “think in the future” seems to be a huge theme for the world right now.
Aspects in Play
There are three major aspects in play. The first involves the Superior Conjunction in a very tight semisquare with Mars, showing the beginning of the end of the old Sun-Mars cycle that began at their conjunction at 29 Aries in April 2013. The second involves the trines to Jupiter, which are highly significant since Jupiter rules the conjunction, and the third major set of aspects involves the Moon at 9 Cancer making another Cardinal T-square with Uranus and Pluto, with the void in Libra.
So it’s the frictional end of an old way of efforting, with harmonious understanding, stabilization, and expansion in our Fire sectors, released through Libra. Keep your balance and sense of perspective, be moderate and diplomatic, and search for elementary understandings that give you a sense of security, or at least a sense of protection as you move through self-transcendence.
When you need to “gather your medicine,” return to the source of your spiritual strength, and remember that your wisdom perpetuates a lineage of that wisdom. Stay open to using your imagination in a playful and creative way, while showing strength and flexibility.
What’s the Backdrop to What’s Happening?
The fact that the Inferior Conjunction falls in Sagittarius makes Jupiter the worldly ruler of the conjunction. That implies that Jupiter in Leo is steering this boat, and is one of the dominant energies at this time, especially since the Sun is in Sagittarius, forming a “mutual reception” with Jupiter, that is a self-reinforcing power loop. This mutual reception, along with Mars in Aquarius in mutual reception with Saturn in Scorpio, and Neptune in its home sign of Pisces, make these planets the backdrop rulers to all the other planetary functions.
From here, even though Mercury will outrace the Sun for the next few weeks, it’s going to slow down in speed, and will go retrograde on January 21, 2015, 7:54 am PST, 3:54 pm Greenwich, at 18 Aquarius, That will give us yet another period where we can learn about how Mercury functions. Mercury’s duality is “Life/Death,” so we can get a new look at how our consciousness and responses are either creative, destructive, or both, to cite the venerable Kabalistic Arhat Paul Foster Case. Mercury is where we learn if our mental processes are creating chaos and disorganized scattered conditions through ambivalence, and thus come to see how to use discernment to coordinate various functions to bring forth perfect knowing how to do whatever needs to be done.
Because we’ll be dealing with Mercury retrograde energies beginning January 5 when it enters its shadow zone, if you haven’t already gotten your copy, you may want to purchase my book A New Look At Mercury Retrograde, where I explain a lot more about Inferior and Superior Conjunctions, and how the mind operates when racing forward and looking backward. It is now available on Amazon Kindle, and I’ve gotten a lot of good reviews from those who have this new expanded 2nd edition.
The book includes a lot more about Mercury Retrograde in the signs, houses, what it means for each sign, when it happens, and Mercury Retrograde celebrities and historical events that you'll never find in any other source. If you want a copy of this resource that you'll use for a long time to come, you can find the direct links to where it can be purchased at Amazon at this link: A New Look At Mercury Retrograde.
Copyright © 2014 Robert Wilkinson
Wow! Thank you.
Posted by: Sarah | December 09, 2014 at 08:37 PM
Fascinating!
Posted by: Dolores | December 09, 2014 at 09:42 PM
Very interesting and clears up a lot of what has been happening. It certainly gives perspective to some of the things happening at this time in my life. It also provides good "coordinates" for navigating this stage of the journey.
Blessings be to all
Posted by: Nic | December 10, 2014 at 05:55 AM