by Robert Wilkinson
Today we take a look at important Sabian Symbols, aspects, and other important factors in play the next three weeks as Mercury is retrograde in Aries.
This Mercury retrograde began 5:19 pm PDT Mar 22, 12:19 am UT Mar 23. The retrograde moves from 17 Aries back to 5 Aries, with the Inferior conjunction of Mercury and the Sun occurring at 12 Aries on April 1. As this retrograde begins in the second decan of Aries, it deals with the emotional, social, and cultural levels of life, and has a sub-influence of Leo.
The Sabian Symbol for Mercury’s Stationary Retrograde Degree
The Sabian Symbol for the 17th degree of Aries is “Two prim spinsters.” In "the Astrology of Personality," where Rudhyar uses the original Dr. Jones' class notes on the symbols, 17 Aries is said to be a symbol of “poised and dispassionate outlook, involving either great dignity and integrity of self, or inability to live life fully”
In the Mandala he offers that this degree concerns "the ability to transform a natural lack of potency into poise and inner serenity.” He goes on to state that this deals with an inward approach to potency, accepting “a higher, nonbiological polarization.”
He says this symbol “reveals a contrasting potentiality of experience which can be seen to complement or polarize” the previous symbol, referring “to the value of a dignified inward withdrawal.” Rudhyar says it falls in the Span of Examination, and is the counterpoint degree in the Actional-physical level of the Scene of Potency in the Act of Differentiation.
Dr. Jones says this degree symbolizes "an entirely private sustainment of reality,” with “the two sides of self in an eternal pro and con, rejecting all outside judgments in the issue of everyday living and rejoicing in a complete insulation from the passing rewards as well as the unprofitable and self-diffusing superficialities of normal relationships.”
He offers us the keyword DIVORCEMENT. We are told that when positive, the degree is "an utter fidelity to self and all its special idealizations of its own capacities.”
So we’ll be using our retrograde Mercury function to send and/or receive impressions and ideas related to previous things, people, and experiences which show us what we had to withdraw from in the past, or what we now need to withdraw from with dignity. We may get glimpses or roundabout signals about past withdrawals that opened a new life for us, or times when we turned inward and found a greater potency than previously.
This retrograde will slow things down so we can take a new look at recent developments so we can find a new approach to issues of inner or outer space. As with all Mercury retrogrades, some projects may have to be postponed, or a new way found to make something be more relevant to our current life. This can give us insights into why we need to go inward rather than keep going in unfulfilling directions. All of us will get glimpses of how our past experiences and choices since the last Mercury retrograde have led us to a new view of Aries-related things in our past.
Short Term Future Triggers
During this Mercury retrograde period, pay attention to the roundabout signs and signals you’re receiving about past and present times you need(ed) to turn inward. These lessons will be illuminated when the Sun crosses this degree between 2:15 pm PDT April 5 and the same time the next day. The themes of 17 Aries will remain in in focus through the time Mercury re-crosses this degree around May 2-3, when it finishes its 2nd forward motion shadow transit.
It should be a great time to see things we didn’t understand before, or perhaps reclaim something from the past. Here we take a look back and reconsider or renew some prior value. We can find a new angle of perspective on what we need to coordinate our lives to express our Soul, and revise and/or renew some things from the past. I gave you a lot about the themes of this retrograde period in prior articles in this series, so please check them out when you’re done here. Links at the bottom of this post.
As with all Mercury retrogrades, we can use this time to take a look back at whatever in the past has recently begun. This one in Aries helps us re-shape our way of expressing Aries energy in the house where that sign is active in our chart.
Behind the Scenes in this Aries Retrograde
While in Aries, Mercury is ruled by Mars in Capricorn. This will organize and discipline how Mercury works, with a huge dose of Saturn, the ruler of Mars, also in its home sign of Capricorn, acting as a final backstop and backdrop to all Aries energies at this time.
There will be a slight shift when Mars enters the Taurus decan of Capricorn on April 3-4, and again when it enters the Virgo decan on April 23. Still, the strong earth quality will ensure that Mercury’s function is relatively grounded and responsible.
Aspects
This should be an extraordinary retrograde period since there is a mixed bag of very favorable aspects, with only a few unfavorable aspects going on. Of particular note is that Mercury makes a sextile to the Moon, a biseptile to Mars, a biquintile to Jupiter, and a trielftile to Saturn before it goes back into range of its square to Saturn and Mars. This shows decisions to be made and new environments and relationships to be embraced in our backward journey to the future.
For the inner planets, this Mercury station shows the Moon septile Venus, quadranovile Jupiter, semisquare to Uranus, and square to Neptune; Venus is tredecile Mars, biseptile Saturn, conjunct Uranus, decile Neptune, and square Pluto; and the Sun squares Mars and Saturn, is quindecile Uranus, vigintile Neptune, and quintile Pluto. Outer planet aspects include Mars novile Jupiter, conjunct Saturn, quintile Neptune, and vigintile Pluto; Jupiter semisquare Saturn, triseptile Uranus, and sextile Pluto; Saturn tredecile Uranus; and Uranus semisquare Neptune.
So we have some powerful releasing aspects, but we also have quite a few harmonious, productive, and building aspects. The specializing aspects are frequent in this chart, showing some very unique times, opportunities, gifts, and interactions during this retrograde. The septile-series aspects indicate another important time of choice and change involving Moon, Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranus. As you can see, this will affect many different life areas in important ways!
The Moon at 11 Gemini indicates we confront “newly opened lands” offering us “new vistas for conscious, concrete development.” Because of the retrograde, we may take a new look at old “newly opened lands,” or get new insights into new “newly opened lands,” or even glimpses of “newly opened lands” yet to be entered. As the Moon, Venus, and Saturn all configure in septile series relationships, pay particular attention if you have planets or points near 19-23 Aries, 10-14 Gemini, 1-5 Leo, 23-27 Virgo, 15-19 Scorpio, 7-11 Capricorn, and 28 Aquarius-2 Pisces.
The Sun is on the degree of identifying with a larger life, and/or becoming a type of “avatar” as an answer to some collective need. So the Light is about becoming greater than we were before, the Moon is about new vistas of development and virgin lands to explore, Mars is about getting away from the known and familiar in a group set up, and Saturn is showing us the need to attune to our invisible helpers. Remember, because of the RX quality, it may a) take a roundabout way to get there, b) require a delay before we understand what those new beginnings are, or c) we’ll see how we’ve begun parts of this new beginning, and now have to connect the dots or do some practical homework.
In future Mercury retrograde articles, we’ll explore the coming Inferior Conjunction and what it means, and what we can expect during the weeks in April and May after it goes direct April 15, 14 hours before the New Moon at 27 Aries.
A New Look At Mercury Retrograde
If you want to know what we can expect from Mercury retrograde in Aries, as well as all the other signs and houses, if you haven't already gotten your copy, please consider getting my award-winning 2nd edition of A New Look At Mercury Retrograde.
The first major work on Mercury retrograde ever written, it offers in-depth information about Mercury retrograde people, Mercury retrograde in the various signs and houses, and what the entire Mercury Retrograde phenomenon is about. If you want to know what we can expect from Mercury retrograde in any sign or house position, it’s all in there.
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.)
Previous articles in this series:
Mercury Retrograde – Time For A New Look at the Guide of Souls
Mercury Retrograde in March-April 2018 – An Overview
The Guide of Souls in March 2018 - Mercury Slowing Down, Preparing to go Retrograde at 17 Aries
Mercury Has Now Entered its Shadow Zone at 5 Aries
Copyright © 2018 Robert Wilkinson
The inferior conjunction at 12Ari today has brought me so much joy. It often does anyway, although sometimes it comes and goes unnoticed. I don't know why it did today - I don't have anything at 12Ari, although I have Venus at 11Aqu. But I'm very grateful for it today.
Posted by: bomega | April 01, 2018 at 03:03 PM