by Robert Wilkinson
Today we explore specifics of the Inferior Conjunction of May 21 at 1 Gemini. This “fusion of life and mind” will impact the rest of the retrograde period, and many weeks after.
As I offered in earlier articles, an 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 four months.
Mind is now reconsidering territory it’s already seen. This “fusion of Mind and Life” allows Mind to see where the Light has already been, and thereby written in our Book of Light/Life. Mercury, Guide of Souls, now has slowed down enough that the Sun has caught up and they come together for a brief moment. That also means Mercury again leads the Sun, showing Mercury is again the Gatekeeper to the Light.
We now enter a phase of looking back at Life to see how certain things in the past impacted how we got to where we are today. This is “Illuminated Mind looking back at inward, outward, and collective processes which have shaped our Life. As Mercury is retrograde, the degree of the inferior conjunction shows how our perceptions will merge with our Life and bring forth a new understanding of our Light.
The Sabian Symbol for the Inferior Conjunction
This Inferior Conjunction falls at 1 Gemini. It is said that the first third (decan) of any sign deals with the material and actional levels of life, and being the Gemini decan of that sign, invokes a sub-influence of Gemini with an extra dose of Jupiter.
It is interesting that this Inferior conjunction degree is the same as the Superior conjunction degree 3 years ago in 2019. Perhaps this “fusion of life and mind” looking back will find insights about the forward looking “fusion of life and mind” then?
The Sabian Symbol we’ve been given for the 1st degree of Gemini is "A glass-bottomed boat in still water.” In "the Astrology of Personality, where Rudhyar uses the original Dr. Jones' class notes on the symbols, 1 Gemini is said to be a phase of "Depth of realization in a consciousness constantly in touch with the sources of life," and "sensitiveness to collective images."
In the Astrological Mandala, he says this degree involves "the revelation of unconscious energies and submerged psychic structures." Here we become aware of the "hidden contents of man's collective Unconscious" if our "boat," or ego, has a "glass bottom" allowing us to see that which is below normal perception. He states that our conscious mind must be somewhat "translucent" so we can become aware of the "psychic depths below the normal level of consciousness."
He goes on to say that in this discovery process this is a stage of vision, where we find that which we did not know existed. Here "a new dimension of reality is perceived by the earnest inquirer." He says it falls in the span of Zeal, and is the first degree of the actional level of the scene of Discovery in the Act of Differentiation.
According to Dr. Jones, creator of the Sabian Symbols, the degree is one of "alertness to ramifications of experience," and the need we take action that benefits us if we would "capitalize on any particular opportunity." This shows that even inactivity is of value if it allows us to "regrasp our destiny" to our advantage, since it gives us the ability to touch "the transient stream of everyday affairs."
He offers us the keyword of CURIOSITY. He states that when operating in a positive manner, this degree is "high competence in the estimation of life's potentialities."
So we'll use the ”fusion of life and mind” through the next Superior Conjunction to look back, reflecting on things which have been, old discoveries which moved us in that direction until we find ourselves here. We can look back by seeing how we opened to a new depth understanding, or can now “see beneath the surface” of routine life in some roundabout or internal way. We will again take a new look at some things we’ve discovered the past three years, or in some way the next few weeks will open up a a new curiosity which will help us “regrasp our destiny.”
So we enter a time where Life is moving forward as Mind looks back on a) how we found or discovered depth insights in the past, and/or b) how current events related to the past are again challenging us to take a new look at what’s below the surface of things. This “looking back” involves a period of review, reflection, and reconsideration of past discoveries in ways which open the way to even deeper insights about how life is related to the mind’s imagery and our reaction to previously unknown things.
Because it’s a retrograde conjunction in the Air sign of the mind exploring all there is to explore, be flexible in your approach and response to discovering unknown things, or remembering past ideas. Take a look back to see how you have discovered many things and changed your communication style since May 2019. Remember past awakenings, past communications, and past depth perceptions to find even more awakenings and depth perceptions.
Just remember that all Mercury RX phenomena take a while to unfold, often during a subsequent RX period. Things that happen during a retrograde seem to have a way of moving forward at future retrograde. This Inferior Conjunction will bring echoes of past eras when the outer planets were in this sector of Gemini, as well as a foreshadowing of what will come when Mercury, Venus, and Mars transit this degree over the next few weeks, as well as when Jupiter transits this degree in late May 2024 which will activate the lessons being brought to us over the next few weeks.
Important Dispositors
The Inferior Conjunction is in Gemini, and so is ruled by Mercury, and therefore “whole unto itself.” This makes Mercury the major player on stage related to this conjunction. With the very favorable and productive sextiles between the conjunction and Jupiter, and with the Moon exactly biseptile the conjunction from 19 Aquarius, this is a time to remember how we rose to some urgent need in the past, “put out the fire,” and found our power within a group setup. In some way, the coming weeks could echo a time in the past when we had to mobilize with a sense of “indomitability” to rise to some challenge and find success in our efforts.
This Inferior Conjunction can fuse hindsight and life experience to see how new forms of light, life, and perspectives are coming forth as we practice integration or reintegration techniques. Because of the emphasis on Gemini, the next 10 weeks until the Superior Conjunction are a time to be open to different approaches to giving and receiving knowledge and understanding to open new perspectives.
A benefit of Inferior Conjunctions is they offer us views of how we prepared in the past for current attitudes and ideals, or conversely, through the retrograde lens see how past attitudes and ideals led us to where we’re at right now. When Mercury gives us a backward look or alternative view and understanding of something from the past, it also in a strange way prepares the ground for the future when other planets cross this degree.
So What’s Been Going On, and What Will Happen From Here?
I’ve explained this “two-step” process of Inferior Conjunctions followed by Superior Conjunctions alternating with each other in previous articles. The last few weeks we’ve been under the influence of the last Superior Conjunction at 14 Aries on April 2 with its theme of becoming aware of the dance between the inner male and inner female, setting aside fear, blame, and shame so we could allow the eternal Self to shine forth into the world. Now, at the Inferior Conjunction, we’ve reached the end of the direct influence of that conjunction, and will go into a process where we will take a new look at many things, including the need to take a new look at our subconscious mind and what it’s trying to express.
While Mercury is still slow in speed, from here it gradually speeds up, and will go stationary direct at 27 Taurus on June 3, about 38 hours before Saturn goes stationary retrograde at 26 Aquarius. It will continue to speed up until it outraces the Sun at the next Superior Conjunction at 25 Cancer on July 16. That Superior Conjunction ushers in several weeks of realizations about receiving a “mantle of power” which confers leadership in some way.
So while up to now, Life has been catching up to Mind, it will now outpace it for weeks to come. Once Mercury goes direct and hits its maximum speed, we’ll get the next Superior Conjunction, after which Mind will again outraces Life, exploring ideas and perceptions of experiences yet to occur.
The Inferior Conjunction marks the point when Mind is being absorbed by Life, or Life takes on the results of subconscious or collective ideas returning to source. For the next short period, Mercury will still be slow in speed and retrograde as the Sun moves forward, putting distance between it and Mercury. Still, from this point on, Mercury gradually speeds up, so the slowest part of the retrograde process is now past!
Once Life gets as far from Mind as it can, then Mercury goes stationary direct, and continues to speed up through its shadow zone and beyond as it prepares to enter unknown zodiacal zones after leaving the shadow zone. The “pulses” of the Inferior and Superior conjunctions of the Sun and Mercury constitute an entire field of research unto themselves. I explain this process in greater detail in A New Look at Mercury Retrograde.
Mercury, or Hermes, the “Guide of Souls”
All Mercury retrograde periods teach us about how Mercury functions. As I explain in Chapter 2 of Saturn: Spiritual Master, Spiritual Friend, Mercury’s duality is Life/Death, so when the “Divine Trickster” slows down we can get a new look at how our consciousness and responses are either creative, destructive, or both, to cite the venerable Kabbalistic 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.
As we explore this new energy showing how our mind and life relate to each other, perhaps we can learn how to deal with Mercurial energies in ourselves or others from a different angle of view, organizing or reorganizing or ideas, perception, interpretations, and way of communicating. All in all, the coming 4 months will bring interesting returns, reflections, and rehearsals of how and what we’ve already dealt with in the realm of learning to use early Gemini and late Taurus energy productively.
The new views, understandings, and reinterpretations shown by this Inferior Conjunction should be considered in the light of the house in which this retrograde inferior conjunction is happening. (I gave you that information in the top linked article at the bottom of this post.) We can see our ideas from a different angle, find a new focus, and make progress in transformational regenerations that will be the source of much information and activity in the next few weeks. Wherever you have 1 Gemini will bring a fusion of Life and Mind, especially related to the houses where you have Gemini and Virgo.
Once the Inferior Conjunction happens, whatever has seemed delayed, postponed, or dragging along will move forward soon. This can bring forth a greater holistic vision of how events and people are connected, as well as why we must rethink some things, people, and plans.
Generally, the 11 days before the inferior conjunction (fusion) of mind and life is a good time to take a new look at how you can bring out your inner wisdom by adjusting to a future vision or broader perspective that's opening for you. It's also good for getting a new point of view regarding what your imagination is willing to consider and how to coordinate your life to reorganize it productively.
It's great for intuitive flashes, insights into the larger collective consciousness and unconsciousness, and seeing how you're being led to see elements of your Soul you may not have recognized before now. So think back on what's happened in the past couple of weeks, and find a new way to view how those things may symbolize the future somehow.
Just remember during retrogrades, especially Mercury retrograde, that often things that don't turn out one way lead directly or indirectly to other things somewhat related manifesting down the road. It's as though nothing should be taken at face value, and often what we do or think during Mercury retrograde creates odd echoes in the future that take different shapes, or different functions related to the original intention.
A New Look At Mercury Retrograde
Because we’ll still be dealing with Mercury retrograde through June 3 (and to some extent for the 2 weeks after that while Mercury is still in its shadow zone), if you haven’t already, you should get a copy of the 2nd edition of A New Look At Mercury Retrograde. It offers in-depth information about Mercury retrograde in the various signs and houses, and what the Mercury Retrograde phenomenon is about.
By knowing more about 2018’s Mercury retrograde periods in Aries, Leo, Sag and Scorpio, the 2019 retrogrades in Pisces, Leo, Cancer, and Scorpio, the 2020 retrogrades in Pisces, Aquarius, Cancer, Scorpio, and Libra, and the 2021 retrogrades in Aquarius, Gemini, and Libra, you may see patterns in what has been going on in your life, the different things you’ve been taking a new look at and why, and how this "looking back" has influenced your choices as you moved through past events. By taking a look at the qualities of the January-February 2022 RX in Aquarius and Capricorn, this May-June RX in Gemini and Taurus, and the September-October 2022 RX in Libra and Virgo, you’ll get important information about being guided to your Soul this year. A further benefit is by looking at Mercury RX in Capricorn, Taurus, and Virgo, you’ll get insights into how the 2023 Mercury retrogrades will impact you next year.
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 order one at the link. ((Again, if you’re going to purchase a copy, make sure it’s the award-winning second edition published in 2016 and not the 1997 edition!)
Previous articles in this series:
Mercury Retrograde in Gemini and Taurus in May-June 2022 –A Call to Action
Mercury Retrograde in Gemini and Taurus in May-June 2022 - An Overview
It’s Mercury Retrograde in May-June 2022 – A New Look at the Guide of Souls
The Guide of Souls in May 2022 - Mercury Slowing Down, Preparing to go Retrograde at 5 Gemini
Copyright © 2022 Robert Wilkinson
Comments