Mercury Retrograde

Three times a year - in the Element of Air 2002

Perhaps the first phase is excellent for finding the imagination, the second phase for gathering the facts and the third for creating a thing of beauty.

On September 14, 2002 at 12:39 PM we have the sign of balance and harmony, Libra, hosting Mercury's backward trek. Libra is a Venus ruled sign, we could view this one as the long conference between Mercury and Venus. Remember Venus is going to do her backward travel starting in October as well. Libra seeks solutions that are fair and just. It is a sign that insists on harmony and cooperation, remember Libra is often the sign that is slow to enter a partnership of anykind, because they have a long check list of what needs to be and happen in these relationship undertakings prior to committing. Libra is also about the arts and creating beauty, this might be an excellent time to focus on speaking and communicating with those values in mind.

This is the third and final Mercury retrograde period for the year. These periods have the main theme of miscommunications and misunderstandings, poorly planned purchases and contracts. It is the time to avoid making long-term decisions. It is a review time with bigger repercussions. Some cycles are great for moving ahed, this is not one of those; buyer beware or in carpentry terms measure thrice cut once. Mercury is the busy-body planet of the zodiac, patience and caution are not his strong-suit, that really comes to the forefront during these three week periods that occur at 4-month intervals. Unless we take the time to plan and consider with care or even post-pone things until a more opportune time, we invariably find ourselves re-doing, revising and revamping.

Mercury does have a bigger theme than those minor annoyances and delays he tends to bring about. When the periods occur in the element of air, it is about ideas, logic, and yes planning a course of action for bring our ideals and ideas to life. If you can dream it you can manifest, sounds like pretty words and idealism, but I firmly believe that our thoughts can and do manifest. So take this time to review and revise those types of plans.

The final backwards pass takes place in the sign of Libra for relationships and Love. Relationships tend to come to the forefront and you want to communicate clealy, remember it isn't what you say it is what is heard. Make sure that what you are trying to get across does get understood. Libra, we sometimes forget, is the mediator and moderator, who likes to stir things up. They do not like discord but don't mind creating a whirlwind around them once in a while, just for entertainment mind you. So watch out for the prankster in Libra! Below is a review of what Mercury has been up to so far.

For your amusement watch broadcasters muddle up their words and if you like collecting trivia, scan the newspapers for misprints.

So far this year:

Mercury retrograded Friday, January 18, 2002 in Aquarius. It is not a surprise to us astrologers, happens every year and three times every year. This year the retrograde stations occur in air signs. Air is intellect, ideas, intellectual aspirations, rationalization and plans in the form of thought patterns. We typically read that these three periods lasting approx. three weeks each are good for any action that is preceded with the prefix re. That is to redo, rethink, revise, rewrite, realign, revamp, renovate, and my personal favourite repair (not a prefix word) especially things like cars, wiring and computer equipment. These are not good times for buying cars, computers or anything else with wiring. Neither are these good times for signing on the dotted line, as errors in thoughts, writing or plans will likely emerge. These are, however, excellent times for perfecting projects already in motion.

Typically the Mercury retrograde periods occur six times within an element. Air repeats from 1988-89. Theme continues from 2001 when two of the three were in an air sign. That's 1314 years ago, half a Saturn cycle. In January 2003 we are into the earth element once again.

People who have their Mercury in an air sign may find this the most difficult of Mercury's travel plans, as thinking logically, rationally and clearly is more challenging. People around the air intellect person, who are the ones who start the sentence in the middle and thinks you can follow their thought patterns, may frustrate the air Mercury person even more.

Fortunately these are short time frames. For fire sun signs (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius) the solar 3rd, 7th and 11th houses become activated communication, relationships and friends and acquaintances and of course the car (put some money aside for additional repair work for the car). For earth sun signs (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn) the solar 2nd, 6th and 10th houses become activate money, possessions, work/chores and career as always with retrograde Mercury these issues need to be revisited and revised. For water sun signs (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces) solar 4th, 8th, and 12th houses are charged, these are the most karmic of places the home, the house of irrevocable change death, rebirth, taxes, inheritances, debt, and the house of fear, the past and isolation. With the retrograde phase the time allocated for dealing with these issues is of course longer than the normal breeze through by Mercury. For the air signs the solar 1st, 5th and 9th are lit up by Mercury's retrograde stations, it's the self, the house of creativity, romance and children, as well as long distance travel or communication, and long term goals/desires. We went through this last year already so more of the same but on the next level so to speak. But last year we also had Venus and Mars do their slow dance and might have sort of missed what Mercury had to say, so he'll speak up again or maybe not.

But does Mercury's travel plans and patterns have a long term effect outside those three times three weeks that it is known to mess up (or a stronger term of your choice)? I have noted that it appears to, each two year cycle within an element reflects our changing ideas, thoughts and aspirations. When I was writing the predictions for 2002, the theme quote that seemed to sum up the year was "Imagination is the highest kite one can fly" Lauren Bacall. In big part I think it reflects the retrograde passage of Mercury through the air signs. It is a pattern that repeats with predictability, but because it is so brief we may only choose to focus on the irritation it brings. Irritation is what causes a pearl to form in nature, over time.

The first Mercury retrograde period takes place in the sign of Aquarius (from a tropical perspective). The traditional ruler of Aquarius is Saturn, which would give the first Mercury event limitations, borders and responsibility. Modern astrology assigns Uranus the ruler of Aquarius as well as assigns Uranus as the higher octave of Mercury. The Uranian aspect of Mercury corresponds to collective thoughts, ideas and innovations. Would it be that far fetched to think that during this three weeks it might be easier to tune into the collective consciouness, and to glean a glimmer of what mankind is thinking. First you would, however, have to be able to tune out the din of our mundane world with the computers, phones, faxes, cars, etc. acting out of sync and anticipate miscommunications on a mundane level, not allow these disruptions to send you into a tailspin of activity. Oh, the possibilities the imagination can open for us.

In June we experienced the Gemini version of this celestial event. Gemini is Mercury's own sign of communication, education, travel, vehicles, neighbours, siblings and cousins. When Mercury is retrograde it is not wise (likely unsuccessful anyway) to instigate change, however, this three week period might be excellent to hone communication skills so that when the trickster planet is on course again, you have the ammunition to affect changes. Gemini time would be great for doing a fact finding mission, collecting information and reviewing what you already have. No wonder most astrologers writing horoscope columns are talking about this being a great year for writers and individuals who work with language.