by Robert Wilkinson
Today we explore specifics of the Superior Conjunction of 7:21 am PDT June 21 at 1 Cancer. This “fusion of life and mind” will impact the rest of the Mercury direct period up to its next retrograde Inferior conjunction coming on Aug 26 at 4 Virgo.
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 Superior Conjunction
The Solar Mercurial degree symbol for the Superior Conjunction for the 1st degree of Cancer is “A furled and an unfurled flag displayed from a vessel.” In the original notes from the Marc Jones class on the symbols, Rudhyar says this degree is one of “a nascent desire to align oneself with a larger and more significant life trend,” “compelling decision,” and “repolarization.”
In the Mandala he states this degree is one of “a radical change of allegiance exteriorized in a symbolical act: a point of no return.” He states that in the larger cycle that began at 1 Aries, “this is a moment of crisis, a turning point” on “the ‘ship’ which symbolizes the ego-consciousness floating … on the sea of the vast Unconscious.”
This is a turning point in the larger cycle, where “the ‘collective’ will gradually overcomes the ‘individual,’ even though at this stage the power to make a decision based in free will is most powerful. He says here the “consciousness accepts a process of fundamental reorientation, implying the stabilization of (our) energies.” He states this degree falls in the Span of Expansion, Act of Stabilization, and is the first degree on the Actional level of the Scene of Decision.
Dr. Jones says this degree is about a “the extremes to which an individual will go in the practical allegiances” we meet in life, and of our “capacity to compromise or reverse any stand (we) may take whenever this suits (our) ultimate ends.” He states this is a degree of “inflexible determination to further every ambition, and (our) consistent preparation for every eventuality that might be anticipated.”
He offers we will not be happy unless we can feel “a step ahead of ourselves,” and offers the keyword ADAPTABILITY. He states that when this degree works positively, it is “a gift for highly profitable adjustment in every developing relationship with others.”
So we'll use the ”fusion of life and mind” through the next Inferior Conjunction to make crucial decisions to align ourselves with a larger life, and reorient how we see and think about things to allow an expansion to take place. Here our “Light of Mind” should show us how to maneuver to further our ambitions, and prepare for what we may encounter in the future.
What’s Up After the Superior Conjunction?
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 Cancer, it represents a time of seeing how we may become the articulation of the Light fused with “the Guide of Souls” to mobilize toward a greater security as we turn a corner at the intersection of Fate Street and Freewill Street on Eternity Boulevard.
As I have pointed out in the first article about the Superior Conjunction, at this Superior Conjunction at 1 Cancer 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 Cancer.
Natal points in harmony with 1 Cancer will see productivity, understanding, stabilization, and unique qualities come forth. Natal points in friction with 1 Cancer 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 August 26 at 4 Virgo, a degree that will bring us some form of natural intimacy that can free us from old prejudices.
The Moon is at 25 Taurus for this Conjunction. That means there will be a lot of stability and capacity to enjoy life during the next few weeks. As it falls in the third decan of Taurus, there is power and authorship to be established through steady, solid focus.
The Sabian Symbol for the Moon implies there will be benefits from finding strength through enduring cultural symbols and areas and activities of collective enjoyment. Those who go to a “well-kept public park” will find enjoyment in ways they could not create for themselves alone, so allow yourself some recreation, as well as some form of practical welfare on behalf of others.
What’s the Backdrop to What’s Happening?
The Superior Conjunction falling in Cancer makes the Moon the worldly ruler and the Sun the spiritual ruler of the conjunction. That implies that the Moon in Taurus provides the worldly backdrop texture to this fusion of life and mind. As the Moon is ruled by Venus in Taurus, the forms of enjoyment we find may be tinged with a sense of spiritual isolation, or that we are in possession of more gifts, knowledge, and skill than we can easily utilize. When in doubt, remember that the old answers cannot confirm the new conditions of our existence.
From here, even though Mercury will outrace the Sun for the next few weeks, it’s going to begin to slow down in speed, and will go retrograde at 6:01 pm PDT, 9:01 pm EDT August 12, 2:01 am BST August 13 at 12 Virgo, a degree of unveiling something to see individuality or how things fit together more clearly. That will give us yet another period where we can learn about how Mercury functions from a retrograde “review and return” perspective.
As I explained in my new book Saturn: Spiritual Master, Spiritual Friend, 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 July 23 when it enters its shadow zone, please take a look at the appropriate chapters in my book A New Look at Mercury Retrograde. You can find out all you need about Mercury Retrograde in Virgo and Leo, as well as the houses it occupies in your chart.
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.) It's a great resource to check out possible ways the coming Mercury retrograde effect could play out in August, September, October, and November 2017.
Copyright © 2017 Robert Wilkinson
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