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 Inferior Conjunction of Dec 28, 2016, at 8 Capricorn. This “fusion of life and mind” will impact the rest of the retrograde period, and many weeks after.
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 that ties together past, present, and future.
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 Sabian Symbol for the Inferior Conjunction
This is the same Sabian Symbol as the New Moon. The Sabian Symbol we’ve been given for the 8th degree of Capricorn is “Birds in the house singing happily.” In "the Astrology of Personality," where Rudhyar uses the original Dr. Jones' class notes on the symbols, 8 Capricorn is said to symbolize “the happiness that radiates from an integrated personality,” and “firm self-establishment in social comfort or respectability.”
In the Mandala he goes on to say this is a degree of "the wholesome happiness which subservience to the ideals and patterns of a well-established culture brings to those who accept them unreservedly,” and states this is a part of the cycle that brings us power and benefits if we willingly accept certain limitations that will ultimately lead us to a “serene and happy existence.” He says this symbol is one where we learn to “enjoy our life condition by allowing the spiritual values it embodies to fill our consciousness” so we can find “enjoyment in the roles (we) are born to play.” He states this degree falls in the Span of Illusiveness, Act of Capitalization, and Scene of Crystallization on the Emotional-Cultural level.
Dr. Jones, creator of the Sabian Symbols, says this is a degree of “the descent of spirit or intelligence into every last ramification of everyday reality,” and of our fulfillments as we are “successful in shaping circumstances or precipitating events so that they become the ultimate and outward revelation of that higher vision by which (we) continue to be (ourselves) at core.” He says this is about the “impregnable independence of the individual” where we make the world our own and share it with others.
He offers the keyword ESTABLISHMENT. He goes on to state that when operating positively, the degree is “an insatiable urge to put everything to use and to employ every least talent of self.”
So we enter a time of the fusion of life and mind that offers us new insights about expanding our embrace of certain responsibilities, roles, duties, and easing into playing a role we were born to play. Here we get to integrate in an illuminated way and enjoy the limitations that are more boon than bondage. This will yield insights into some form of emotional, social, or cultural power, especially when we see our natural role to play.
Looking Back, Looking Forward
The period ahead will show us glimpses of the future, and ways to live a more purposeful life. Take a new look at things, and what you believe you need to have to do your individual thing on a social level. Remember that due to the Mercury retrograde effect, signs and signals may come in roundabout ways, like echoes from the past, or memories coming up from the subconscious mind.
This Inferior Conjunction can fuse hindsight and life experience to see how new forms of light, life, and perspectives have come forth in collective consciousness the past. The next four months are a time to embrace new ways of managing transitions through seeing the past through different angles and interpretations and finding alternative views or understanding.
A benefit of Inferior Conjunctions is they offer us views of how we prepared in the past for current attitudes and ideals, or conversely, through the retrograde lens see how past attitudes and ideals led us to where we’re at right now. When Mercury gives us a backward look or alternative view and understanding of something from the past, it also in a strange way prepares the ground for the future when other planets cross this degree.
Aspects in Play
Remember that in any celestial event, forming aspects show the future, and separating aspects show the past. All the aspects in play in this chart are exactly the same as the aspects in the New Moon, so please consult that article to learn more. The only significant shift is in the Lunar degree, which is 2 Capricorn, showing we may get flashes of insight into prior ways we or others misused power and damaged a relationship.
Literally every aspect is the same as the New Moon, except for the Moon in this chart is conjunct Mercury, septile Venus, quintile Jupiter, and tredecile Uranus. All of these are powerful, and indicate some forks in the road in our relationships, high specialization for those who can take advantage of Jupiter’s “expansive relatedness” in Libra, and serendipity for those affected by Moon tredecile Uranus.
This opens 5 zones of blessings, and gifts around 1-3 Capricorn/Cancer, 7-9 Aquarius/Leo, 15-17 Pisces/Virgo, 21-23 Aries/Libra, and 27-29 Taurus/Scorpio. Of course these extend to a couple of degrees to either side of these zones, and if you have a planet or angle in one of these, you can expect some unique and favorable events related to your planet or angle.
The element spread is fairly balanced right now, with a balance between Fire, Water, and Air, with a preponderance of Earth. You can find more by consulting the recent New Moon article. Because the Moon leads the Sun, this will be a nurturing and sensitive Inferior Conjunction period.
What’s the Backdrop to What’s Happening and the Jones Pattern
As explained in the New Moon articles, Saturn is the backdrop for the stellium in Capricorn, making it extremely powerful. The only thing that’s different is that in the chart of the Inferior Conjunction, Saturn is 21 Sag, and not 22. This offers us an element of imitation as part of our learning process, and promises an accelerated success for those who can use imagination “to rise to an occasion.”
This Inferior Conjunction occurs during this period where we will have a Bowl Jones pattern for many celestial events in coming months, also explained in the recent New Moon article. Please consult part 2 of that series to find out more about the “Bowl” Jones pattern.
Here I’ll introduce something of great importance. Because Jupiter leads the planetary parade for many months to come, we are being taught lessons involving Wealth v Poverty, and how our consciousness shows whether we are “grasping circumstances with abundance or neediness.
Open to using time, energy, or money in balanced ways, and open to the eternal abundance of the Universe and accept what we need when we need it. And because Jupiter always searches for truth and bestows mercy according to our faith, be led to forms of your “sacred self,” and open to new archetypal adventures and truths.
So Just How Does the Process Work?
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. This is called a “Superior conjunction.” Most recently this occurred at 5 Scorpio on October 27, 2016.
That “fusion of life and mind” marked the beginning of Mercury getting out in front of the Sun. That has given us “glimpses of permanence” and a sense of how long it takes to achieve stability in natural forms since then. Now we are in a different Sun/Mercury phase of operation, where we confront a time of seeing many different ways to play roles we were born to play. Some will adapt past roles to the present, and some will reshape current roles to prepare for a future that is still on the way. The “pulses” of the Inferior and Superior conjunctions of the Sun and Mercury constitute an entire field of research unto themselves.
As Mercury is faster than the Sun at any “Superior Conjunction,” after that event Mind again outraces Life, gets ahead of the Sun, and explores ideas and perceptions of experiences yet to occur. That’s what we experienced between late July and mid-August before Mercury began to slow down.
After Mercury gets as far forward from the Sun as it can, it begins to slow, eventually going stationary retrograde. By then it is slowing rapidly. That marks the second step that leads to the point 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.
Then Mercury, still slow in speed, becomes distant from the Sun anew as the Sun moves forward while Mercury is still retrograde. 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. I explain this process in greater detail in A New Look at Mercury Retrograde.
Mercury, or Hermes, the “Guide of Souls”
All Mercury retrograde periods teach us 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.
As the backdrop to how our mind and life relate to each other, perhaps we can learn how to deal with Mercurial energies in ourselves or others from a different angle of view, organizing or reorganizing or ideas, perception, interpretations, and way of communicating. As this Inferior Conjunction falls in Capricorn, it should provide us new ways to understand, communicate, or interpret the signs and signals of our existence through looking back on the discoveries we made and views we acquired in past cycles when Capricorn was prominent.
All in all, the coming 4 months will bring interesting returns, reflections, and rehearsals of how and what we’ve dealt with in the realms of what we are learning about how to use Capricorn energy productively. This includes all the usual Capricorn keywords, such as diligence, efficiency, practicality, organization, responsibility, and wise use of power.
So the new views, understandings, and reinterpretations shown by this inferior conjunction should be considered in the light of the house in which this retrograde and inferior conjunction is happening. We can see our ideas from a different angle, find a new focus, and make progress in some form of transforming initiative that will be the source of much information and activity in the next few weeks.
Once the Inferior Conjunction happens, whatever has seemed delayed, postponed, or dragging along will move forward soon. This can bring forth a greater holistic vision of how events and people are connected, as well as why we must rethink some things, people, and plans.
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 past couple of weeks, 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 echoes in the future that take different shapes, or different functions related to the original intention.
A New Look At Mercury Retrograde
Because we’ll still be dealing with Mercury retrograde through January 8 (and to some extent for the 2 weeks after that while Mercury is still in its shadow zone), if you haven’t already, you can find out all you need by getting a copy of my award winning 2nd edition of A New Look At Mercury Retrograde. It offers in-depth information about Mercury retrograde in the various signs and houses, and what the Mercury Retrograde phenomenon is about.
By knowing more about 2015’s Mercury retrograde periods in Aquarius, Gemini, and Libra, as well as 2016’s Mercury retrograde periods in Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn, you may see patterns in what was going on in your life, what you were taking a new look at and why, and how this "looking back" influenced your choices as you moved through past events. And taking a look forward beyond the current retrograde we see Mercury retrograde in Taurus and Aries in April-May 2017. It’s all in the book!
Here's the Amazon link to the page where you can purchase a paperback edition of A New Look at Mercury Retrograde. You can also get a Kindle ebook at that site, or go to Barnes and Noble for a copy on Nook. (Please note that if you go to amazon, make sure you're ordering the 2015 edition, and not the earlier one. There are plenty of used ones for sale, but they are far inferior to the newest edition.)
And as usual, here are links to recent articles on what this December 2016- January 2017 Mercury Retrograde in Capricorn and Sagittarius is all about:
Mercury Retrograde in Capricorn in December 2016 and January 2017 – Training for a Group Work
Mercury Retrograde – Time For A New Look at the Guide of Souls
Copyright © 2016 Robert Wilkinson
Thanks Robert, you tied it so neatly with the New Moon information that it all can be read as a continuos post informing of what is at play right now.
Blessing be to all.
Posted by: Nic | December 29, 2016 at 03:48 AM
i am a regularly reader of your blogs and i love it .
if anyone wants to take an astrology advice please visit to dr vishal gupta who is a astrologer in pitampura
Posted by: astrovishal | December 29, 2016 at 04:11 AM