by Robert Wilkinson
Today we take a look at important Sabian Symbols, aspects, and other factors in play the next three weeks as Mercury is retrograde in Capricorn.
This Mercury retrograde begins at 1:32 am PST on December 29. The retrograde moves from 25 Capricorn back to 9 Capricorn, with the Inferior conjunction of Mercury and the Sun occurring at 17 Capricorn on Jan 7. As this retrograde begins in the third decan of Capricorn it deals with the individual spiritual levels of life, and has a sub-influence of Virgo with an added dose of the Sun.
In Capricorn, we’ll get a look back at our knowledge quest and Soul evolution in play related to Saturn lessons from March through May 2018, and December 2018 through January 2020. These were expanded by Jupiter between early January and early April 2020 and again between late June and late November 2020. As I’ve noted in earlier articles, this retrograde begins at the same degree of TWO Jupiter/Pluto conjunctions in 2020, so clearly we’re getting a look back at the seeds sprouted by Jupiter since then. Interestingly, the last time Mercury was retrograde in this span was from in January 2016 (2 Aquarius – 14 Capricorn) and late Dec 2016 through early January 2017 (16 Capricorn – 29 Sagittarius).
The beginning of the RX period gives us a new look at how we have fulfilled a spiritual ideal in our social and emotional life seen in the ease of how we can “do our Being.” This will give us a new look at many things in the past, each of which creates their own unique set of pulses within long wave cycles.
Because this SRX is the same degree Mercury went direct on in early February 2022, we’ll get a review of the entire year and how 2022 was a time when those prior Jupiter conjunct Pluto seeds made their appearance in some social context or in our emotional responses. The end of the RX period on January 18 creates a platform for learning and using a technique of personal power, also on the social and/or emotional levels, which help us attune to the invisible world and our helpers there which relate in some way to our late Capricorn sector.
Because of the sign involved, it could mark the return of old memories of positions of power we once occupied, or people with whom we shared power. It could bring a new understanding of past obligations and responsibilities, or old ways of organizing our affairs. We can take a new look at what forms of group work led us to here, and this period could mark the return of spiritual Sisters and Brothers who were our co-workers. This brings insights from a different angle in the life area(s) where we have Capricorn.
Mercury RX in any Earth sign is extraordinarily organizational, so there’s always the possibility that your renewed ideas may come from in some roundabout way. Mercury RX in Earth is harmonious with its Virgo nature. You can bet we’ll all have a new understanding of our wisdom and how to offer it to others by the time Mercury is finally out of its shadow zone on February 7!
The Sabian Symbol for Mercury’s Stationary Retrograde Degree
The Sabian symbol for the 25th degree of Capricorn is “An oriental rug dealer.” In the Astrology of Personality, where Rudhyar uses the original Dr. Jones' class notes on the symbols, he states this degree is about “first realization of cultural values through sensuous enjoyment,” “refinement of sensations,” and “psychological enrichment.”
In "The Astrological Mandala he states this degree is about “the use of cultural and artistic processes as a means to enhance personal comfort and appreciation.” He goes on to say this is about “the material, yet esthetic, aspect of the benefits a society can bring its members,” where the rug symbolizes “something on which a persona stands or sits,” and a “foundation for cultural understanding, and as such it can have a magical or sacred meaning.” He says this implies “society offers the relative comfort of beautiful rugs so (we) may meet the universe…. Protected by and securely established on the mental-spiritual, as well as manual achievements of those who keep the cultural symbols alive.”
He offers that this symbol “shows the beautiful products of dedicated and inspired group performance at the level of tradition” emphasizing “the value of reliance on tradition.” He states this degree falls in the Span of Dependence, and is the final degree in the Scene of Group Performance on the emotional, social, and cultural level of the Act of Group Integration.
Dr. Marc E Jones, creator of the Sabian Symbols, says this is a degree of “the irrevocability of (our) obligation” to our reality, with a focus on “accumulated knowledge or acquired skills as an indication of (our) enduring competency” in practical and immediate ways. He continues that “self-expression here is the use of various advantages and resources as actually a commerce in human potentialities, and this becomes an individual’s real service” to others.
He offers that “eternal values are meaningless until they are woven into the fabric of humanity’s familiar transactions.” He offers us the keyword CONSIGNMENT, and states that when operating in a positive manner, this degree is “an effective employment of the facilities and goods of a modern society.”
So the focus of this retrograde requires us to see how we have been assisted in finding transcendence in comfort and becoming psychologically enriched by refining our sensations. This is a Mercurial platform to review the many Jupiter/Pluto seeds which have sprouted since 2020 and 2021. We now get to express a new Mercury form of seeing things we haven’t seen before in terms of practicality and self-organization.
Behind the Scenes in this Capricorn Retrograde
While in Capricorn, Mercury is ruled by Saturn in its home sign of Aquarius. This makes Saturn the “behind the scenes” power in how Mercury operates. As Mercury will be in Capricorn the entire time, Saturn is the main energy behind the expression of Mercury.
Through December 27, Saturn is at 22 Aquarius, teaching us about the power of gratitude to shape our future karma; from then through January 6, Saturn is at 23 Aquarius, finishing our training to “pick up and deliver spiritual power.” From January 6 through the end of the retrograde, Saturn is at 25 Aquarius, showing a need to be more volitional and less reflexive in our responses.
Aspects and the Sun and Moon
In this retrograde station chart, the primary aspects are the very tight second conjunction with Venus, the exact sesquisquare with Mars, and the sextile to Neptune. As Mercury retrogrades, it will come into a quintile with Jupiter and trine to Uranus, as well as a quintile to Neptune.
Besides these, other major aspects in play in the retrograde chart show Venus sesquisquare Mars, conjunct Pluto, and tredecile Uranus. We also have Sun semisquare Saturn and trine Uranus, with Mars tredecile Saturn for some time to come. This retrograde is about understanding, closure, dreaming, and getting ready to leap forward into the future at the end of this period.
The Moon is at 30 Pisces in a Crescent Moon phase, showing a time of anticipating the future and acting with ease. The future approaches with a need for direct action, and with it being the degree of “dreaming the future” use this time to take a look back at the futures you dreamed in the past to see how it is seamlessly pulling you into the future you’ve already glimpsed earlier this year. As the Moon is ruled by Jupiter at 1 Aries, perhaps we’ll get flashbacks (or more likely flash forwards!) related to our emergence “on dry land” these past months, having left the collective unconscious behind. With the Moon in an out of sign conjunction with Jupiter, we should see very rapid developments unfold in January.
The Sun is at 8 Capricorn, a degree of learning to enjoy the role we were born to play, and finding happiness in being an integrated personality playing that role. We are told this is a degree of “firm self-establishment in social comfort or respectability,” Look for signs of Spirit visiting you as you shape “circumstances or events” to express your higher vision. This should help us see ways to put everything to good use and develop neglected talents.
Short Term Past and 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 focus to other angles of understanding how to relate and who to relate to (or not!). These lessons will be illuminated when the Sun crosses this degree around January 14/15. The themes of 25 Capricorn through 9 Capricorn will be triggered when Mars transits this span between mid-January and early February 2024. That implies many of the retrograde themes and lessons will produce “karmic activation” this time next year.
Looking Forward
A retrograde is always 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 how we found “transcendent security” in enjoyable ways in the past, and see our responsibilities in a new light. Many will recall times in the past when they reorganized emotionally and socially and found themselves more secure in material ways.
We can now take a new look at how “the Guide of Souls” took us within where we saw what brought us to power or authorship, or how those were rehearsals for the social and emotional power we’ve achieved these past 3 years. Because of the symbol, remember to show gratitude and appreciation for past opportunities to grow safely into a new social function or responsible role which improved your reputation or professional opportunities. Take a new look at your spiritual work to see how to attune to your invisible helpers.
Remember Mercury retrogrades are great times for moving things forward which were stalled or delayed up to that point, so some things will no doubt make progress, given the numerous favorable aspects between planets in Earth signs.
This retrograde allows us to take a different view of things while the generally productive period works over time. Because the planets are widely distributed among many signs, expect a lot of very diverse activity in several life sectors. While things may begin in a slow way, the conjunction to Venus should soften the agitation Mars brings to change trajectory and pull out of any nosedives pending from the immediate past.
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 the greater Capricorn and Aquarian work going on since 2020.
This period gives us yet another look at or understanding of how to shape our world view as an active participant in co-creating some part of the vision we pursue. See different ways of relating to Self, to others, and to Source. Just remember that 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 our Capricorn sector or planets needs reconsideration in the context of the larger Aquarius and Capricorn training. If necessary, connect the dots or renew how you express your Wisdom in an inspired way.
In general, these are excellent periods to 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.
In the next article in the series, 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 aware of how you can contribute to a greater good in the world.
A New Look At Mercury Retrograde
If you want to know what we can expect from Mercury retrograde in Capricorn, 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. NOTE: make sure you’re buying the second edition with the award sticker on the cover, and not the first edition originally published by Weiser. The edition you want is published by Fifth Ray Publishing.
Previous articles in this series:
Mercury Retrograde in Capricorn in December 2022 and January 2033 - An Overview
A New Look at the Guide of Souls - Mercury Retrograde in Capricorn December 2022 and January 2033
Copyright © 2022 Robert Wilkinson
Comments