Mercury Direct in March-April 2016 - How Will The Superior Conjunction in Aries Manifest in the Future? - Aquarius Papers

by Robert Wilkinson

Following up on the general meaning and function of the "Superior Conjunction" between the Sun and Mercury last week just after the Lunar Eclipse, today we explore specifics of the Superior Conjunction of March 23, 2016, at 4 Aries. This “fusion of life and mind” will impact the rest of the Mercury direct period up to its next retrograde Inferior conjunction coming on May 9, 2016.

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 7 weeks.

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 Solar degree symbol for the Superior Conjunction is the same as the Solar symbol in the recent Lunar Eclipse. As I gave you then, the 4th degree of Aries is “Two lovers strolling through a secluded walk.” In "the Astrology of Personality," where Rudhyar uses the original Dr. Jones' class notes on the symbols, 4 Aries is said to be a symbol of “fullness of conscious participation in life without responsibility” and “closing of a cycle of activity, implying satiation.”

We are told in the Astrological Mandala that this symbolizes "the progressive polarization of energies needed for fulfilling one’s life functions.” We are told this had to do with becoming whole so that we can “respond fully to the potentialities released by a sense of identification with a greater Whole.” This provides a polarity of energies needed to “sustain a resonance” to that greater way of life.

He continues that this may involve withdrawing from routine activity, and constitutes a “dynamic and unresolved polarization” so we may better function in a dualistic world. He says it falls in the span of Realization, and it’s the penultimate (technique) degree in the actional level of the scene of Desire in the Act of Differentiation.

According to Dr. Jones, creator of the Sabian Symbols, this degree is one of “the first innocent rounding out of conscious experiences, and of an unspoiled assurance of personal potentialities for which no immediate sense of responsibility is necessary.” He states that “reality is ever without meaning or power except as it stimulates the self to move in its own interest persistently and continuously whenever the least opportunity offers.”

He offers us the keyword ENJOYMENT. He states when operating in a positive manner, this degree “an utterly naïve assimilation of self into its world and a complete flow of all effort towards some proper end.”

So we'll use the ”fusion of life and mind” through the next Inferior Conjunction to take a new look at techniques of closing old cycles of activity, showing us new ways to be polarized related to the dualities we’ll be dealing with. It implies our experience will be “rounded out,” and we’ll be stimulated to new interests without a lot of responsibilities.

At this conjunction, 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 first third of Aries, take a new look at techniques of “Is-Be-ness,” direct action, new initiative, and ways to get things in motion without excessive consideration about what others think. Ultimately, this symbol of the lovers can show us the “conjunction,” the sacred Union between our Higher Self and our lower self. This is self-initiated Fire that simply and quickly takes care of business.

What’s Up After the Superior Conjunction?

As I pointed out in the first article about the Superior Conjunction, at this Superior Conjunction at 4 Aries 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 Aries.

Natal points in harmony with 4 Aries will see productivity, understanding, stabilization, and unique qualities come forth. Natal points in friction with 4 Aries 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 May 9 at 20 Taurus, a degree that will show us clearly which way the winds of destiny are blowing, and bring many an “ecstatic lightness” of experience.

So this Superior Conjunction is directly related to the Lunar Eclipse, so please study what I wrote about that to understand more what the focus is during the next few weeks as Mercury begins to slow down and go retrograde at the end of April at 24 Taurus. This Superior Conjunction can show us how current views and life experiences are preparing us for things to come. It’s time to focus our “urge to BE” in forms that free us to do what we need to do.

What’s the Backdrop to What’s Happening?

I discussed this in the recent article on the Lunar Eclipse. The Inferior Conjunction falling in Aries makes Mars the worldly ruler of the conjunction. That implies that Mars in Sagittarius is steering this boat, and is one of the dominant energies at this time. As Jupiter in Virgo is the ruler of Sagittarius, and Mercury in Aries is the ruler of Jupiter, it creates a chain of dispositors as the main backdrop to all the planetary functions except Neptune, which stands alone in its home sign of Pisces.

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 at 10:20 am PDT, 1:20 pm EDT, 6:20 pm BST on May 28 at 24 Taurus, a degree of seeing the broader context of our “mission” and defending it as we need to while being alert to overly aggressive social elements. That will give us yet another period where we can learn about how Mercury functions from a retrograde “review and return” perspective.

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 April 13 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," now available as an expanded and improved 2nd edition. There's a lot of material on 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.

Here's the Amazon link to the page where you can order your paperback or ebook copy of A New Look at Mercury Retrograde. It is an invaluable resource for understanding past, present, and future Mercury retrogrades, so get your copy today. Just make sure you get the 2015 edition, and not the 1997 first edition, since the second is a far superior product! It's a great resource to check out possible ways the coming Mercury retrograde effect could play out in May, June, July, and August.

And of course, if you want to know more about this Superior Conjunction, please check out parts 3 and 4 in the recent Lunar Eclipse series, since they go extensively into the Jones pattern, aspects, element balance, and a lot more that this conjunction has in common with that Eclipse.

Comments

Pleh! I am having a surgery 4/13. I've got 6 planets in 3rd house Virgo. Should I be worried about this?

Posted by: ka | March 28, 2016 at 04:48 PM

Hi ka- Medical astrology is entirely different from transit to transit analysis. Just make sure the surgery doesn't have the Moon in the sign ruling that part of the body. The Moon is in Cancer that day. As long as you're not having surgery on your stomach you should be okay.

Posted by: Robert | March 28, 2016 at 05:29 PM

Thank you so much. It's reproductive system to rule out cancer, so maybe it is ok? It will be ok anyway; I am girding myself to just live healthfully and with love regardless.

Thank you as always for keeping us all apprised so beautifully.

Posted by: ka | March 28, 2016 at 05:36 PM