On August 23rd thinking Mercury, in the busy sign of Virgo, stops its forward motion and goes retrograde for the next 3.5 weeks. When the communicating planet stops to change direction, that’s when we really have SNAFUS: travel delays, car problems, breakdowns, hangups, mix-ups and communication logjams. Trying to move forward, when the traveling planet is moving backwards, takes longer when Mercury is retrograde.
Until the end of the retrograde–September 15th–it’s a good time to look at your life in an edit-and-review mode. Catch up with people you’ve lost touch with, rather than try and forge new relationships–it’s not the time for that now. Anything you try to start or launch will just…get off to a very delayed start.
Other good ideas for your focus these next 3.5 weeks: clean up old stuff, organize old stuff, edit and rework existing projects–anyone who is a creative, who makes things, knits things, paints things, gardens things…has unfinished projects. Quilters call them UFOs–the unfinished object. What unfinished projects can you wrap up now?
Mercury in smarty-pants Virgo is a strong thinker—so, be aware that you may find yourself actually thinking more than usual this retrograde, and feeling more anxious because of the extra thinking. Try to ground yourself with exercise, gardening, swimming, baths, breathing exercises, yoga, walks, anything in nature, birdwatching, meditation, time with pets and animals, physical labor–do not let your mind run away with you.
Viewing the chart above, one sees a few things that will make this retrograde more confusing for many–so again, refer to the suggestions above to stay grounded. Mercury goes retrograde at about the same time the Sun changes from fun-loving Leo to less-fun, more guilt-ridden, more thoughtful and definitely more busy Virgo: you may suddenly realize, as this change happens, that you’ve been having a bit too much fun during the last 4 weeks of Leo party-mode and now…lots to get done.
When the Sun moves into busy Virgo, it immediately forms a 180 degree opposition to disciplined Saturn. Saturn is the taskmaster of the Zodiac—when the fun Sun faces serious Saturn….it feels like time to get to work.
Another issue: fighting Mars in perfectionist Virgo knows no limits in it’s futile pursuit to make everything just right—and this retrograde, the fighting planet muscles itself into an easy angle with manipulative Pluto in authoritarian Capricorn. Lots of room to force some issues. Pluto currently is wrapping things up in disciplined Capricorn: this super slow moving planet is retrograde in the sign of government through January 2024. With Mars in Virgo through August 27, watch for authority figures trying to either force things on you–that’s Mars/Pluto–or, authority figures trying to hoodwink you—that’s Mars/Pluto/Neptune. Neptune is corrosive like poisonous gas. We think of Neptune as dreamy and spiritual, which it is–but it erodes confidence, as well: it bestows no self-esteem. If you feel weak and dissipated now, it makes sense.
In closing, don’t be surprised if you hear from old friends, find something you’ve forgotten or misplaced, or somehow become re-aquainted with the past…..these are common themes during Mercury retrograde cycles. All planets in astrology appear to go retrograde–in fact this coming weekend, another planet—revolutionary Uranus— stations to go retrograde, which it does once a year.
More soon on Uranus retrograde.
Peace out and keep following the stars.
Jaguar Coaching 