Mercury Retrograde in Sagittarius and Scorpio in November-December 2018 – Revisiting the Power of Our Spiritual Ancestry - Aquarius Papers

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 Sagittarius and Scorpio.

This Mercury retrograde began 5:33 pm PST on Nov 16, 1:33 am GMT on Nov 17. The retrograde moves from 14 Sagittarius back to 28 Scorpio, with the Inferior conjunction of Mercury and the Sun occurring at 6 Sagittarius on Nov 27. As this retrograde begins in the second decan of Sagittarius, it deals with the social, emotional, and cultural levels of life, and has a sub-influence of Aries.

The Sabian Symbol for Mercury’s Stationary Retrograde Degree

The Sabian Symbol for the 14th degree of Sagittarius is “The Pyramids and the Sphinx.” In the original notes from the Marc Jones class on the symbols, Rudhyar says this is a degree of “achievement based in past greatness,” “power of the countless dead upon the living,” “vast resources in selfhood,” and “antecedents.”

In the Astrological Mandala he goes on to say this is a degree of "the enduring power of occult knowledge and of its quasi-divine Custodians, “Seed Men” of a previous cycle of existence.” He says the Great Pyramid and the Sphinx are symbols of an “Original Tradition based on the perfect knowledge of the archetypal principles and forms which underlie all manifestations of life on Earth,” and that this “archetypal knowledge remains the foundations upon which (our) minds can still build solid and valid formulations.”

He offers that “occult knowledge and the traditional process of acquiring it is still available, and that by accepting their principles modern (humanity) can best meet the challenge of our present world crisis. This symbol … points to the greatness of a Soul’s past achievements and the value of trying to re-evoke this past,” revealing “the power of spiritual ancestry.” He states this degree falls in the Span of Receptiveness, Act of Group Integration, and Scene of Abstraction on the Individual-Mental level.

Dr. Jones, creator of the Sabian Symbols, says this is a degree of “the ultimate criterion of reality provided by the common or physical world or normal experience,” as shown in our enduring works. He speaks of these works as “testimonials to human genius” across the world, and they “provide the fabric for a fellowship of creative capacity and give even the least of individuals an assurance and a self-sustainment as they continue to make a new or better mark on the face of events.”

He offers us the keyword CERTIFICATION. He offers that when this degree is operating positively, it indicates “effective practicality through a gift for bringing real imagination to everyday living.”

So the theme of this retrograde is the same as last December’s direct station, since this degree is the same as it was then. This is a look back at how we have returned to ancient wisdom forms or our “spiritual ancestry,” where we can either find inspiration in the enduring inspired spiritual touchstones on our Earth, or we can begin to create these in our lives, or in the lives of others. Express your genius! Open your imagination, go deep into your ancestral wisdom, and bring it forth in an enduring form!

It also means we now get a new look at the period since December 2017 where “the Guide of Souls” offers us the ability to use our Mercury function to find ways to embrace a blessing of greater truth, freedom, or possibility. We can now look back with a greater understanding, and can see how our wisdom has led our “horse of personality” to a “spiritual home.”

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 get a new angle of seeing things, going 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 Sag-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 your concentration and focus inward. These lessons will be illuminated when the Sun crosses this degree between 9 pm Dec 4 and the same time Dec 5. The themes of 14 Sag will remain in in focus through the time Mercury re-crosses this degree around December 4, 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 spiritual 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 Sag helps us re-shape our way of expressing Sag energy in the house where that sign is active in our chart.

Behind the Scenes in this Sagittarius and Scorpio Retrograde

While in Sagittarius, Mercury is ruled by Jupiter in Sagittarius. This sign gives Mercury a broader view, a more open imagination, and higher truths and awarenesses. This is a very expansive energy, and as Mercury and Jupiter rule opposing signs, when they’re in the same sign it brings a lot together, in this case all things Jupiterian!

There will be a shift when Mercury retrogrades back into Scorpio on December 1, since then Mars in Pisces will rule Mercury. This will move the backdrop from Mutable Fire to Mutable Water! While Jupiter’s nature is both Fire and Water, and Jupiter rules Mars as long as Mars is in Pisces, that makes Jupiter the “King of the Hill” and the “behind the scenes” energy to Mercury the entire time. So get used to Jupiter both directing the play and stealing the scene over the next few weeks!

Aspects and the Moon

As this retrograde is taking place during a Full Moon, you can find out all you need to about all the aspects in play by consulting those articles. We have a lot of Octile series aspects going on, as well as quite a few which are specializing and will bring gifts and unique situations. Please take a look at recent Lunaton articles if you want to know more about all the aspect action going on now.

The Moon at 11 Pisces conjunct Neptune at 14 Pisces indicates a very dreamy and “end game” Mercury retrograde period. We will definitely be led through the dreamscape into new “sanctuaries,” where we will see our need to rise to the new era. We are all being guided into a time of testing, especially our willingness to open to a more Soul-ful life. As it makes some extraordinarily good aspects, do your closure rituals, see what needs to be blessed to flow down the time stream, and say goodbye to old ghosts and hello to new spiritual group awareness!

Remember, because of the RX quality, it may a) take a roundabout way to get there, b) require a delay before we understand what these things are about, or c) we’ll see how we’ve begun parts of our training and preparation, and now have to connect the dots or renew something we neglected.

A New Look At Mercury Retrograde

If you want to know what we can expect from Mercury retrograde in Sag and Scorpio, 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 or ebook edition of A New Look at Mercury Retrograde. Just make sure you get the 2015 edition, and not the 1997 Weiser edition.

Previous articles in this series:

Mercury Retrograde in Sagittarius and Scorpio in November-December 2018 - What it Means for Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces.

Mercury Retrograde in Sagittarius and Scorpio in November-December 2018 – An Overview

Mercury Retrograde in November 2018 – Time For A New Look at the Guide of Souls

The Guide of Souls in November 2018 - Mercury Slowing Down, Preparing to go Retrograde at 14 Sagittarius

Mercury Has Now Entered its Shadow Zone at 28 Scorpio