by Robert Wilkinson
Mercury goes retrograde at 25 Capricorn on December 29. Today we take a look at some primary factors in the coming retrograde.
An Overview of the Retrograde
The coming retrograde will give us a new look at recent signals and information that we sent or received in the house(s) where we have 9-25 Capricorn. As with all Mercury retrograde periods, things from the past will be reviewed, re-examined, reevaluated, or understood differently. We can get a new look at how we see our larger social-spiritual group work, as well as how to crystallize constructive spiritual power in organized ways.
We’ll get new insights into all things related to our Capricorn response from now through mid-January, including another look at how we view responsibility, getting things done, mature public self-expression, and how we can be effective in the work we’re here to do. This spans all three decans of Capricorn, so it’ll be great for planets we have in the Earth and Water signs, and help us reorganize our sectors involving Gemini and Virgo.
Because our review begins at 25 Capricorn, this will primarily focus on the promise set into motion by the Jupiter/Pluto conjunctions on this degree in 2020 and how they’ve developed since then. Remember this affects the house where we have 25 Capricorn. Besides that, because Mercury went stationary direct on this degree in early February 2022, this RX period gives us a review of how we’ve learned about those themes this year. So this RX will give us a new look or understanding of how we have attained relative forms of “transcendent security” in comfortable conditions, and why the gratitude and appreciation we’ve shown in the past led to very positive effects later on.
The next 3 weeks will give us a new take on emergent developments, and what must be reviewed and released, or researched and rehearsed to prepare us to move forward in late January. Because of the “back to the future” quality of Mercury retrograde, we may also get glimpses of how the last 3 months have given us a new look at how our past has fed our future since we began to take a new look at how we’ve been shown a service worth doing which will bring recognition since October.
This year’s retrogrades all begin and end in Earth, giving us new insights into all the practical and material elements of life. The focus in this one is practical-responsible; the one coming in Taurus is practical-enjoyable; the one in Virgo will be practical-serviceable. So this begins a time of review, reflection, rehearsal, and new angles of focus on our Earthly interactions and concerns with an eye to taking responsibility to structure or restructure whatever we need to on our own authority.
This retrograde period offers us a chance to round out our Capricorn functions in some important ways. Mercury retrograde is great for taking a new look at past actions, feelings, ideas, and people to come to a different perspective about how these impacted our lives since then. As per all retrogrades, we’re done with the initial approach where “the stone was thrown into the pond,” and now enter a time when the ripples will return to source in multiple ways.
Mercury Retrograde Is In A Consistent Element Emphasis
To review something I gave you last week, Mercury retrograde element patterns repeat over the years. In the “past as prologue” department, 2018 was entirely in Fire signs until the last one, which paralleled 2012. 2019 featured two Water to Water retrogrades, paralleling 2013. So in 2019 we moved from feeling to feeling in March, from inspiration (fire) to feeling in July, and feeling to feeling in Oct-Nov.
In 2020 we moved from Water to Air in the Feb-March retrograde, from Water to Water in June-July, and Water to Air in October-November, paralleling 2014, except then all 3 retrogrades began in Water and went back to Air. In 2021 all three retrogrades began in the last decan of an Air sign, and retrograded back to the middle decan of that sign. 2021 paralleled 2015, which also had all three Mercury retrograde periods in Air signs, and all trine each other, except they began in the second decan and ended in the first.
2022 has brought us three Mercury retrograde periods. All three began in early Air signs, and ended in late Earth signs. So in 2022 we began all three Mercury retrogrades in the associative element of Air and wound up in the practical element of Earth. All three SRX points trined each other, and all three SD points trined each other. 2023's retrogrades all begin in the second half of Earth and end in the first decan of Earth. The last time we had back to back Earth retrogrades was in April-May and August-September 2016.
A Bit More
In the next 3 weeks, we can see what life has prepared for us since the last Mercury retrograde in September-October 2022. The next 3 weeks are a good time to take a look at our relationships, especially the ones which have been transformational for us these past 3 years. This one offers us ways to demonstrate spiritual power using gratitude and appreciation for how we’ve purified ourselves in some socially responsible way or context. We can see “life’s kindness in providing us safe opportunities for growth” and how we have reshaped our social responses through those opportunities.
How did you begin to expand after 2020’s conflict leading us all to a different perspective and a different way of caring? What seeds of power or recognition have sprouted since then? How have you taken responsibility, or accepted a greater purpose since March 2020? That’s what we’ll be reviewing, or understanding in a different light, or connecting the dots between that time and how Soul-ful our lives are now.
So welcome to many things being reviewed or coming back up from your subconscious mind or your connection to the collective these next three weeks thanks to the retrograde. This one allows us to review and get a new look at how we’re using Capricorn in our lives, and review how we’ve moved forward since October. The retrograde is a great time for new insights into how we’ve been guided to our Souls, as prelude to clearer guidance from mid-January forward.
Summing It Up
For all of us, the next several weeks offer glimpses of future visions which will open many doors of understanding and renewal in our view. This will give us a review of the important decisions we made when Saturn went through this sector of the zodiac. It was at 9 and 10 Cap in from March through May 2018, and then occupied 9 through 25 Capricorn between December 2018 and January 2020. This will give us a look back at how those Saturn lessons have brought us to where we are now.
So the structures and responsibilities put into play during early 2018 and all of 2019 will be part of our review along with the cycles set into motion by Jupiter in this span between January and April 2020 and from June through November 2020. Of particular importance are the 25 Capricorn Mars/Pluto and Jupiter/Pluto cycles set into motion in March 2020 and renewed in June 2020.
This retrograde station will coincide with the second conjunction of Mercury and Venus, infusing the coming retrograde with strong Venusian energies. As Venus’ duality is Wisdom/Folly, perhaps we will get glimpses of past interactions where we turned our folly or inexperience into wisdom we’ve relied on since then. This is another powerful conjunction, since it brings Venus’ power, charm, beauty, and value to this retrograde review of things past.
Because Venus rules our relationships, who and what we attract which is beautiful to us, this retrograde “look back” will play a huge part in how we move forward in late January. As that information involves our social-spiritual group work, this review should help us see how all those Saturn and Jupiter lessons mentioned above have brought us to where we are now. We’ll also get past relationship insights which will show us the Plutonic core of what we learned to purify as a result of those relationships. In any case, this conjunction on the SRX degrees will certainly favor all planets and points we have in the late degrees of the Water and Earth signs, as well as planets in early Aries, mid-Gemini, early Virgo, and mid-Scorpio.
Renewals, returns, reconnections, reunions, and a sense of completion with glimpses of a new life are promised by this retrograde. And of course, more on this Mercury retrograde period will come over the next few days, including Sabian Symbols, Jones Pattern, aspects and more!
Venus: Friendships, Soul Mates, and Twin Flames
Because Venus has been dancing with Mercury since early November and are still conjunct through early January, these conjunctions play an important part in how we move forward in January/February. And because often Mercury retrograde periods give us roundabout looks at potential futures, this one can provide a window into what will be activated by Mars when it transits Capricorn in January/February 2024.
As the conjunction is at 25 Capricorn, Venus brings her special quality to the sterile impersonal analytical coordination associated with Mercury. You’ll find through the beginning of January, where there is Mercury, there also is Venus, and in all Venusian matters, Mercury lurking around the corner. Because Saturn in Aquarius is their dispositor, the backdrop is still totally future oriented. So the next few weeks are a time when past, present, and future all come together, with Mercury and Venus being a high profile couple through early January!
If you would like to know more about how to use your inner Venus power to shape your relationships and make them better than they have been in the past, if you haven’t already, please consider getting a copy of my book Venus: Friendships, Soul Mates, and Twin Flames. Venus helps us eliminate difficult relationships by helping us see our changing vanities and values as leading us to more ideal friendships and responses when we are dancing with any of the countless Soul Mates we encounter throughout life.
It was written for both astrologers and non-astrologers, and will help you understand why you once attracted what and who you did, and how all your relationships have led you to open your heart and mind to become your ideal Self in your interactions. Each time you read any section of this book you will find new insights about your power to steer your personal evolution and have more perfect relationships in the future. You will understand how to throw off all the attitudes which have held you back from finding your ideal friends and partners as you fulfill your destiny as an Eternal having human experiences!
Please order your copy today! You can go to the The Magic of Venus: Friendships, Soul Mates, and Twin Flames page on Amazon and this should be all you need to order your copy, or you can always go to your local bookstore which is even better!. The ebook is available through Kindle. And if you would, please write a review on the Amazon site, since the more reviews, the bigger the boost on their site.
It is the most comprehensive book on Venus ever written, and explains why we attract who we do and how to create more satisfying relationships in the future. You will understand the foundations of long term healthy relationships and friendships, why Soul Mates come into our lives, and how to know the difference between a Soul Mate and our Twin Flame. Even if you’re not looking for a partner, this book will explain why certain people with certain traits came into your life and what they taught you about yourself.
It has chapters on the qualities of each sign’s natural mate, the qualities of Venus in each sign, and when crucial choices and changes are made, affecting who we attract in the future. It was written for both astrologers and lay people, and as it has a thousand gems for better relationships, with self, others, and Source, please consider getting your copy by going to the link above! (And when you’re done, please leave a review on Amazon, since it helps the book and all other books on astrology as well!)
© Copyright 2022 Robert Wilkinson
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