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 Scorpio.
This Mercury retrograde begins at 8:42 am PDT, 3:42 pm GMT on Oct 31. The retrograde moves from 28 back to 12 Scorpio, with the Inferior conjunction of Mercury and the Sun occurring at 19 Scorpio on November 11. As this retrograde begins in the third decan of Scorpio, it deals with the individual, mental, and spiritual levels of life, and has a sub-influence of Cancer with an added dose of Venus.
Mercury going SRX on the same degree it went SD on in December 2018 indicates we’ll get a look back to see how we’ve reconnected with source these past 11 months, and how when we wearied of outer things in the past it allowed us to go deeper within. We’ll certainly get a different look at how we have dealt with losses and death this past year. Many will get a new understanding of their lives wherever they have Scorpio in their charts, with maximum productivity in “shedding skins” helping us get ready for the Great Compression beginning in December 2019 and lasting through April 2020.
The Sabian Symbol for Mercury’s Stationary Retrograde Degree
The Sabian Symbol for the 28th degree of Scorpio is "The king of the fairies approaching his domain.” In the original notes from the Marc Jones class on the symbols Dane Rudhyar published in The Astrology of Personality, he states this degree is about “necessary respect for symbolic values holding vital forces integrated” and “Self-realization through devotion to the One.”
In his masterwork The Astrological Mandala,, Rudhyar offers this degree involves “the capacity in (us) to recognize and to pay homage to an integrating Principle at the core of all existence.” He states this symbol is related to “creatures of a spiritual world” beyond the realm of the ego, showing our “intuitive consciousness” something we should give allegiance to. These “entities are seen as multiple aspects of a central Power and Consciousness,” representing life forms within the unity that humanity strives to experience.
He tells us that the unifying principle is the Higher Self, and “at this stage the presence of a spiritual unifying factor begins to be sensed by the individual perhaps weary of the outer shows of his culture,” where “an inner allegiance begins to polarize the consciousness.” He states that this symbol falls in the Span of Appreciation, the Act of Group Integration, and is the synthesizing degree of the Individual-Mental level of the Scene of Faith.
According to Dr. Jones, this degree is about “the eternal promise underlying all inner self-realization,” since our completeness “is independent of the passing state of affairs in a world of time and space.” He warns us of “the futility of (our) common reliance on people and things through some mere accident of contact.”
He continues “outer reality takes the form with which (we) endow it as (we) exercise (our) sovereignty over its various potentials in the creative realms of (our) own imagination.” He offers us the keyword ALLEGIANCE. He says that when positive, this degree is “special competence of inward vision and a consequent outward perspective of high effectiveness.”
So the theme of this retrograde station is going inward and finding Oneness in Self-realization, and self-realization in Oneness. We now can begin to “sense a unifying factor” in our lives and affairs which will “polarize our consciousness” helping us feel whole and complete. We will have have opportunities to take a new look at whether we’re living our lives focused on the outer rather than the inner, and should see how our allegiances have been shaped in the past by our desires, as well as what we were denied.
This retrograde will slow things down so we can take a new look at recent developments. This can help us find new approaches to recent issues related to Scorpio experiences. 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 Leo and Cancer 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 8:30 am MST November 19 through the same time on November 20. The themes of 28 Scorpio will remain in in focus through the time Mercury re-crosses this degree around December 7, when it finishes its 2nd forward motion shadow transit. These themes will get activated in a big way when Mars transits this degree on December 29, 30, and 31.
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 a feeling of connectedness with other people, the Earth, or even the universal Life Force. As with all Mercury retrogrades, 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 Scorpio helps us re-shape our way of expressing Scorpio energy in the house where that sign is active in our chart.
Behind the Scenes in this Scorpio Retrograde
While in Scorpio, Mercury is ruled by Mars. While Mars is in Libra, that sign will be the backdrop to the retrograde; when it enters its home sign of Scorpio, then we’ll see some serious Scorpio intensity cut loose at the time Mercury goes stationary direct! Libra gives Mercury more balance in its view, and seeks a well-rounded understanding, approach, or process where a hundred small steps accomplishes more than a dozen giant ones.
The Guide of Souls ruled by Mars in Libra, itself ruled by Venus in Sagittarius, makes Jupiter the final dispositor. As we go deeper into our review and reconnection with the source of Life, remember dues are being paid in a setting where we can learn to dance with life’s infinite potentials, laughing at the absurdities while being free to enjoy the ride into a greater, wider, more open future. There are radical openings promised in the near future, which is why we’re all going to be a bit more diplomatic and “ambassadorial” in our public interactions by the time this retrograde is finished.
Aspects and the Moon
As this retrograde is taking place only hours after its conjunction with Venus, it’s sure to be socially intense! There’s also a partile separating Moon conjunct Jupiter, so expect “sheer good luck” to manifest in some way, or a true happiness when with others. You can find out more about the powerful outer planet aspects in the recent articles on the Scorpio New Moon.
Primary aspects in play involve the Moon semisquare the Sun, bielftile Mars, conjunct Jupiter, quadraelftile Uranus, binovile Neptune, and quindecile Pluto. This shows the need for leaps of faith in order to master a duality, letting things cook over time. Other primary inner planets aspects include Mercury novile Mars and tredecile Neptune; Venus novile Mars, quindecile Jupiter, semisquare Saturn, triseptile Uranus, tredecile Neptune, and septile Pluto; the Sun is semisquare Jupiter, trine Neptune, and quintile Pluto; and Mars is sextile Jupiter, Pentelftile Uranus, quincunx Neptune, and square Pluto.
This means Venus is triggering the Grand Irrationality, since it makes 7th harmonic aspects to Uranus and Pluto. This will put relationships at a fork in the road related to wherever we have late Scorpio, late middle Capricorn, and early Taurus. As it involves two outer invisible spiritual planets, expect some forces of destiny to be moved in definite directions!
Hot zones include 27 Scorpio-1 Sagittarius, 19-23 Capricorn, 11-15 Pisces, 3-7 Taurus, 24-28 Gemini, 15-19 Leo, and 6-10 Libra. If you have anything in these zones, expect Venus to trigger all kinds of notable developments.
Taken together, while there’s some friction as a result of consequences of past actions and inactions, this is a time when compassionate mediation will accomplish miracles which will yield fruit for months to come. Go deep and listen. Reconnect with Source. Many things will be reviewed and seen in a new light in coming weeks, and a sense of humor or irony about what’s been lost or gone will foster growth. This retrograde will help us look back on what the 11 Cancer Solar Eclipse in July has recycled in our lives so we can go forward unencumbered with those feelings.
Mercury and Venus are tredecile Neptune and the Sun is quintile Pluto. This will be great for serendipitous reconnections giving us forms of emotional rebirth, and the Solar Light will shine brightly so we should be able to see clearly to the heart of any matter. Extraordinary gifts of insight will be available, especially if you have planets or points near 7-11 Scorpio, 19-23 Capricorn, 1-5 Aries, 13-17 Gemini, or 25-29 Leo.
Magic is in the air for those with planets or points near, 1-2 Sagittarius/Gemini, 4-8 Capricorn/Cancer, 10-14 Aquarius/Leo, 16-20 Pisces/Virgo, 22-26 Aries/Libra, and 28-30 Taurus/Scorpio. Again, magical blasts from the past should help us all feel more centered and connected with great happiness for those who have released the past.
The Moon at 24 Sagittarius is on a degree of “A bluebird standing at the door of the house,” indicating the focus of this retrograde is to cultivate happiness! Be true to yourself while experiencing your connection with others, especially your spiritual group. Welcome experience and the rewards it brings, or take a look back at those times you welcomed new experiences and received rewards! Be alert to the signs and signals life will send, and reap “good fortune” by generating “radiant good will” which finds recognition in the service you do.
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 Scorpio training and preparation, and now have to connect the dots or renew something we neglected.
Tomorrow I’ll give you how this retrograde will impact every sign and birthday. For now, please review what I’ve written so far, since it’s rich with material which can help you navigate the next three weeks and come out more integrated in your own magnetic power.
A New Look At Mercury Retrograde
If you want to know what we can expect from Mercury retrograde in Leo and Cancer, 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.
Previous articles in this series:
Mercury Retrograde in Scorpio in November 2019 - An Overview
It’s Mercury Retrograde in November 2019 – Time for a New Look at the Guide of Souls
The Guide of Souls in October 2019 - Mercury Slowing Down, Preparing to go Retrograde at 28 Scorpio
Mercury Has Now Entered its Shadow Zone at 12 Scorpio
Copyright © 2019 Robert Wilkinson
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