by Robert Wilkinson
Mercury goes retrograde at 16 Taurus on April 21. 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 6-16 Taurus. 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 with a need to revise some ideas or methods.
We’ll get new insights into all things related to our Taurus response from now through mid-May, including another look at how we view comfort, ease of living, security, stability, wealth, and values. This spans the social-spiritual levels of “substantiation” and the initial degree on the actional level of “confirmation.” This will be mostly great for planets we have in the early and middle degrees of the Earth and Water signs, and help us rethink parts of our lives involving Gemini and Virgo.
Because our review begins at 16 Taurus, this will give us a “back to the future” look at what we’ll confront when Jupiter goes stationary retrograde on this same degree in September. Remember this affects the house where we have 16 Taurus. This will give us a review of our ideas related to that house in our chart, as well as where we have Gemini and Virgo.
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 mid-May. 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 we’ve reorganized our lives in some important way, and a new sense of what’s table and what’s not.
That the station happens exactly conjunct the Moon and Uranus, I have no doubt many will discover their self-dissatisfaction has led them to see what ideas and perceptions need to be tossed, since they can’t achieve what we want them to, and they’re no longer appropriate to our need at this time. We’ll see all of this in a larger context once Jupiter goes retrograde on this degree in September.
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 of the last one in Capricorn was practical-responsible; this one in Taurus is practical-enjoyable; the one in Virgo will be practical-serviceable. So this year is a time of review, reflection, rehearsal, and new angles of focus on our Earthly interactions and concerns with an eye to seeing newer, more enjoyable ways to communicate and becoming aware that we are in a time of fullness, but also need to avoid trying to “push the river.”
This retrograde period offers us a chance to round out our Taurus 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 in an earlier article, 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 brought us three Mercury retrograde periods which all began in early Air signs, and ended in late Earth signs. That year all three Mercury retrogrades began 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 December 2022-January 2023. The next 3 weeks are a good time to take a look at the knowledge we have which is not being put to good use, and examine whether our ideas are bringing us living experiences or dying directions. This is a revolutionary retrograde due to the conjunction with Uranus, showing a LOT of future awakenings when Jupiter sits on this degree in September.
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 Taurus in our lives, and review how we’ve moved forward since January. 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-May 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 preview of opportunities and expansions to come based in whatever was awakened beginning May 2022, reviewed and renewed between November 2022 and mid-March 2023, and now ready for reflection, grounding, and a review of relevance of some ideas which don’t apply to what’s been awakened.
This retrograde station will coincide with the Venus transit of the second and third decans of Gemini and the first decan of Cancer. Venus in Gemini is in a powerful “mutual reception” with Mercury in Taurus, showing they’re doing a very close dance of mutual influence, bringing a “retrograde stability” to Venus, or at least allowing us to take a new look at the Venus in Gemini discoveries we’ve recently experienced. Venus in Gemini ruling Mercury brings more flexibility and curiosity to Mercury in Taurus.
With Venus ruling this Mercury retrograde it will have 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. Because of their aspects, it begins in a building harmony, then specializes, then brings revelations, then inner decisions, then turning points, and finally great productivity.
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 mid-May. As that information involves our social-spiritual values and resources relative to our group work, as we shed old ideas and old views we will open to new ways of joining with others to secure our future path.
As Mercury also makes a sextile and quintile to Mars through the first week of May, this should bring us extraordinary ability to focus on what’s needed and save the rest for the future. Because of the conjunction with the Moon and the quintile to Saturn, this review should bring us unique gifts and insights related to Saturn at 5 Pisces, mastering discouragement as we see life as a marketplace of ideas and goods.
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 rules Mercury, it’s an important influence in this retrograde. And because often Mercury retrograde periods give us roundabout looks at potential futures, this one can provide a window into the Jupiter retrograde lessons of this Autumn.
This implies a bit of shape shifting in all our relationships, where we leave the ghosts of the past behind, or get a new look at past ghosts we left long ago. Venus loves learning, and this retrograde will give us insights into past and present relationships which may open other ways of viewing the others in our lives.
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, 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!
To order your copy, go to the The Magic of Venus: Friendships, Soul Mates, and Twin Flames page on Amazon, 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!)
See you tomorrow with the next installment on Mercury Retrograde, with the Sabian symbol, aspects, and more!
© Copyright 2022 Robert Wilkinson
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