by Robert Wilkinson
Yes, it's THAT time again! Mercury is radically slowing down, preparing to go stationary retrograde at 28 Scorpio at 8:42 am PDT, 3:42 pm GMT. This has important implications for all signs.
I'll be composing several articles about this Mercury retrograde in Scorpio over the next several weeks. Until then, adapt to the slowing pace of things, be willing to put some things on hold for a little while, and take a look at what's been set into motion up to now with an eye to seeing what has to be done before things can again move forward in late November.
The coming RX period continues the transition into a new Mercury retrograde element pattern. All of the Mercury RX periods we had from Dec 2017 through August 2018 began in a Fire sign, and stayed in that Fire sign. The run began with the Dec 2017 retrograde which went SRX at 30 Sagittarius back to 14 Sagittarius. In 2018, the March-April retrograde began at 17 Aries and went back to 5 Aries, and the July-August retrograde began at 24 Leo and went back to 12 Leo.
The elemental shift began at the November-December 2018 retrograde, which began in Sagittarius and retrograded back into Scorpio, a Water sign. That began an intermittent “mixed element” Mercury retrograde cycle for this year. While the March 2019 RX was entirely in the Water sign of Pisces, the July RX returned to a mixed element influence as it began in Leo and retrograded back to Cancer. This one shifts back into being entirely in the Water sign of Scorpio.
2020 will bring another time of mixed element influence involving Water and Air. The Mercury retrograde of Feb-March 2020 begins in Pisces and retrogrades back to Aquarius. The July 2020 RX begins in Cancer and ends in Cancer, and the October-November RX begins in Scorpio and ends in Libra. As you can see, some periods require a backward-looking deep dive in Water, while others begin in feelings looking back to find a vision or idea.
A Brief Look Back at the Pattern Across Time
Before that Dec 2017 retrograde, we had an entire year of Mercury going RX in an Earth sign and retrograding back to the final degrees of the previous Fire sign. The Dec 2016/Jan 2017 RX began at 16 Capricorn and went back to 29 Sagittarius. In 2017 the Apr-May RX began at 5 Taurus and went back to 25 Aries, and the Aug-Sept RX began at 12 Virgo and went back to 29 Leo.
The SD degree is where things move forward after the RX. Jan-Feb 2018 was under the influence of the 30 to 14 Sag RX. March through June was under the influence of the 17 to 5 Aries RX. July through October was under the influence of the 24 to 12 Leo RX. November 2018 to March 2019 was under the influence of 14 Sag to 28 Scorpio RX. From March to now has been under the influence of the 30 to 17 Pisces RX.
So the themes related to those degree stations and spans were activated where they fell in our charts. These gave us insights from/about the past, returns, rehearsals, reflections and remembrances in those life areas, helping us become more inspired by “reflections on Fire.” As all the SRX and SD points are harmonious with other like stations, those retrogrades helped us stabilize inspiration through unusual or roundabout insights, or seeing how the past influenced the present.
All of 2018 was bookended by the theme of “the power of spiritual ancestry.” That’s the theme of 14 Sag, which began the year as the SD degree influence, and was the last SRX degree of the year, giving us a look back at the process of Mercury sending us signs and signals about our instinctive or genetic wisdom throughout the year. The RX period in Nov-Dec 2018 was a good recap of all the Mercury wisdom themes we were offered, and led us to a Winter of applying our magnetism differently, going to “the One Within,” and “the One We All ARE Together.” Many found deep and profound realizations about our Oneness within “All-That-Is.”
The March 2019 SRX point at 30 Pisces gave us a review of our expectations, dreams, and assumptions. It allowed us to take new facets of the dream into consideration, and we were all led to some form of “group rebirth” encouraging us to show up and do our best with those with whom we can commune. We all got a broad look at developments occurring since 2010 so we could see how we’re living our dream of them, and can see that dream in a new light. Now we begin new themes.
The July RX period involved understanding time in a different way relative to creativity, and led us to the SD theme of interdependence via more tightly focused relationships. This period involves magnetism, loss, and regeneration through a new look at the area of our life where we have late Scorpio. Because it begins at 28 Scorpio, we’ll get a look back on how we’ve dealt with those themes of “going to the One within,” finding the magnetism which holds us together inside ourselves as well as in our outer world.
Current Stations Reminding Us of Previous Stations
This SRX point, like so many others, shares the same degree as a previous SD degree, in this case the SD degree of the Nov-Dec 2018 retrograde. That implies the final months of 2019 will bear a direct relationship to our experience just after that station between December 2018 and March 2019. The next 3 weeks will bring echoes of that period.
Since last December, we’ve all been pulled toward an “integrative principle” to purify our magnetism of too much attachment to outer things. The coming retrograde will give us reflections and insights about our process these past 11 months and show us stages of Self-realization as the fulfillment of a promise. See the strength in your allegiances, and allow your inner vision to lead you to a “perspective of high effectiveness.”
If you look back on the retrograde periods, you'll see themes related to their SRX points that dominated the months after the retrograde. And you'll see how you used the SD degree themes as platforms to move forward. So take a new look at the houses where you have fire and water signs, and you'll see how past, present, and future weaved a 2018 theme and 2019 themes which played out in your life.
This one begins at the “King of the Fairies approaching his domain” degree of 28 Scorpio, which I’ll devote more time to in another article, along with explaining what we can expect in late November, December, January, and February before the next retrograde beginning at 13 Pisces in mid-February. That one will give us insights into how to apply our will power with courage and precision, leaving us in a transfigured state by the time of the March Equinox and ready to ride the gigantic wave which will be set into motion at the Mars conjunction with Saturn on March 31.
Anyway, things are now slowly rapidly from here, so adapt! I know there are many unfortunate things attributed to Mercury retrograde, but there are also many productive things that get done, connections that are made, and different angles of view glimpsed that make our understanding more complete and well rounded.
As I’ve told you, the two weeks before the retrograde is a good time for setting things in motion that will need a delay before being picked up anew. Or for doing things that will need research, rehearsing, or reworking to whatever degree before completion. The time before Mercury goes retrograde is good for doing what must be done so that other related things can be done later, as well as reconnecting with people and activities from the past that are somehow related to the future.
A New Look at Mercury Retrograde
Since Mercury has already been slowing down for a couple of weeks, we’ve already begun to experience a quality of “Mercury crashing into retrograde.” If you want to know what we can expect from Mercury retrograde in Scorpio, as well as all the other signs and houses, if you don’t already have one, please consider getting your copy of the 2nd edition of my award-winning book 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 Leo, Cancer, Pisces, Sagittarius, Scorpio, Aries, Aquarius, or any other past or future retrograde in any sign or house, it’s all in there.
It is written for both astrologers and laypeople. I have just about everything you could want to know about Mercury retrograde, including how it works, what it means, celebrities who have it in their charts, historic events that happened during Mercury retrograde, and what signs are involved in future Mercury retrograde periods.
By knowing more about 2015’s Mercury retrograde periods in Aquarius, Gemini, and Libra, the 2016 Mercury retrograde periods in Aquarius/Capricorn, Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn/Sagittarius, and the 2017, 2018, and 2019 retrograde periods mentioned above, 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 you can see how this year’s retrogrades will affect sectors in your chart by reading about Mercury retrograde in Pisces, Leo, Cancer, and Scorpio, as well as next year’s retrogrades in Pisces, Aquarius, Cancer, Scorpio, and Libra. 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. If you want an ebook, you can find the Kindle version at that link, or go to Barnes and Noble’s site for a copy in 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.)
See you soon in a few with an overview of the retrograde and more!
Copyright © 2019 Robert Wilkinson
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