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Mercury weaves and zigzags through the Zodiac rapidly. He speeds around the Sun once every 88 days, which is the number of keys in a Piano. We associate this number with harmony or the scale of sounds perceptible to the human ear. Mercury plays different tunes and repeats his cycle with a unique pattern while tracing a six-pointed star around the Sun. We are now amidst a period where the element of water is emphasized.
To do or not to do that is the question. Mercury rules all types of mundane, routine things in our life and is associated with our daily schedules and all that stuff we normally do without having to think about it; by rote. Most of us don't have to concentrate on making a pot of coffee, tying our shoe laces or answering correspondence or focus too much on any of our routines; we often boast that we can perform these types of functions blind-folded and with one hand tied behind our back. See Mercury retrograde Calendar.
We have learned to pay attention to the retrograde periods, when things tend to go awry, especially with communication, travel and merchandising-the three key concepts that Mercury rules.
What to avoid in a nutshell: Signing contracts, entering into partnerships and buying equipment with wiring
Quick advice:
- Make a copy of your data-paper or disk
- Keep receipts together somewhere safe
- Opt for extended warranty for purchases, which come with wiring
- Be prepared for delays with payments, correspondence
- Keep Virus Protection current-these seem to increase during retrograde periods
- Be prepared to clarify your words more than once
- Don't trust rumours and do not feed them
- Take care of MAINTENANCE of appliances, computers etc.
Note life goes on regardless of Mercury Rx periods. Old offers may return, maybe even new ones, they may not lead where you anticipate, but turning down a great offer just because Mercury is retrograde makes no common sense. If you received a marriage proposal during this time, would you accept? Would the marriage last? Why shouldn't it? The date of marriage once again might need to be changed, maybe brought forward.
Water is silent unless agitated-we cannot truly control this element. It is invisible unless contained or contrasted by another element, and when placed in a container it evaporates over time. Frozen water is immobile, boiling water scolds while it steams up. Our emotions are much the same difficult or impossible to control. Water is not harmless, we can witness its force as a tidal wave or the rapidly flowing river that over time erodes rock and polishes the roughest surface smooth. We cannot stop water-it flows around obstacles. Water takes different shapes, the babbling brook, the mist in the air, the gently falling rain, the downpour of rain and frozen rain, the still pond, the raging ocean, tidal waves, and the force of the falls. We can harness the power of water, but like air, this is a difficult element to control.
The emotional water periods repeat from, 2000-01 as well as last year. We had the ideations of Air, the pragmatic work of Earth, the inspiration of Fire and now with Water, we get to look at how it makes us feel. No matter how great an idea, unless we feel emotionally comfortable with it, we cannot act on it.
Pisces is like the deep ocean, filled with information from the rivers and other waterways that terminate here. In the story of the little Mermaid, she becomes foam in the ocean to be washed away. In the Ocean, we unite. Pisces is the sign we associate with intuition, faith, and our fears. The months when Mercury is in this sign of his detriment, mere logic will not work, we need to develop faith and learn to trust our insights. Our world functions on 'facts and figures', logic and practical action. Now we are asked to explore a side of our innate nature that does not seem to fit well into the equation-the function of Mercury to do deductive reasoning.
In March 2007 Mercury reverses back to Aquarius, from emotionally attached Pisces to logical, rational air. We may find more rational solutions to our issues around that time if we patiently allow things to play out.
Cancer is the tides of the Ocean, water that moves and washes away even the hardest earthy rock and mountainside. Cardinal signs are the action-oriented ones. We associate the Moon and Cancer with mother and nurture, but there is a more to this sign. How are your emotional security needs met in the area of your life represent by the house with Cancer on the cusp? Are you comfortable with how life is flowing in this area? Cancer is the sign that likes familiarity, and does not like to enter into any new setting without scouting out what is in it.
Scorpio is like the deep well, hidden water in the deep, dark parts of the forest-here we enter the realm of deep intimacy and commitment. Scorpio can also be represented by stagnant water, such as pond with its hidden bottom buried underneath sludge and vegetation, branches and debris. Perhaps it is that undercurrent that we cannot see-just the elusive ripple on the surface of the otherwise still water. Septic tanks and sewer systems are Scorpionic; there is an element that does not belong mixed in with the water. Scorpio's task is to eliminate, purge, clean and re-emerge stronger without the elements that do not belong. Scorpio is about letting go, and the process tends to be intense as it takes on the element of life and death. What is it we need to eliminate from our thinking, and daily routines?
At the end of October, Mercury moves backward from Scorpio to the balanced air sign, Libra. Perhaps a nice compromise is in the stars.
For example in November 2006, the elections in the US had all kinds of glitches with the voting equipment as well as delays for people to get in to cast their vote. Typical Mercury Rx stuff. How these cycles influence different Sun signs is addressed in the 2007 horoscopes. See links in the sidebar; note that the columns will be up by the end of 2006.
In 2008 and 2009, Mercury will spend extra time in the element of Air. I wrote about that back in 2002, review the old article. The longer listing of the Mercury cycle is available as a PDF file.
The key prefix for Mercury retrograde periods listed above is RE. That is re-do, revise, review, revamp, and reconnect as well as all action words that can have the prefix added plus of course, my favourite, REPAIR. Mercury is also paperwork thus it is a great time to haul out that manuscript, proposal, the Last Will you have been meaning to deal with, and other documents and go over them with a fine toothed comb and polish these up. Naturally these should not be signed until Mercury is acting normal again; after the last date for each period.
With each elemental cycle, linked areas of our life represented by the houses come into play. Trinity of the elements, which are joined by trines, joins these. Trines are not action aspects, leaving us personal choice. The role of Mercury, just like any other planet, is to make us think and rationalize differently. If we do not engage in that activity there tend to be more events that are external. Mercury brings unadulterated information; we garble it and form our own perceptions.
The Mercury cycle of 7 years is one quarter of the Saturn cycle. It is also the duration Uranus spends in one sign. At age seven, we typically start real school. The progressed Moon travels through one quarter of the Zodiac in seven years. We talk about Mercury as the celestial messenger-heavenly courier-who takes messages from the gods and goddesses to each other. There were seven originally, our week is divided to seven and Mercury has his 7-year cycle. Is it not magical how the numbers and times link each together?
• Mercury Rx periods highlighted pink in calendar.
• Mercury in Pisces February 2 -26 & March 18-April 10 (47 days); Mercury stations direct in Aquarius
• Also repeats from last year, check those dates out.
• Mercury retrograde: February 13-March 7, 2007
• Mercury in Cancer May 8-August 4—58 days
• Mercury Retrograde June 15-July 9
• Mercury in Scorpio Sept. 27-October 3 and• November 11-December 1; Mercury stations direct in Libra
• Mercury Rx October 11-November 1
© Anne Massey 2006
Anne Massey, CAP (ISAR) is a certified professional astrologer. For personal consultations with Anne call her office at 604-888-9552. More details on the services page. Note you can now purchase reports and charts via email or regular mail and pay for personal consultations using your credit card. The pricing and types of readings are listed on the services page.
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