The Astrology Blog – w/b 27 October 2014
All times stated are in GMT.
The main event is that the communication planet Mercury has now turned direct – at 20.18 BST on Saturday. After three weeks of mischief making and tying us all in knots he is back on track although not without a final dose of chaos. I’ve noticed many times, just as I’m breathing a sigh of relief that Mercury is turning direct again, that he plays that one last trick up his sleeve. Saturday evening here was swamped by a flurry of text messages and phone calls as our last guests of the season were told by their travel agent that the local airport had runway problems and that everyone was being transferred to Thessaloniki – a bus ride away of several hours. This turned out to be true but then at the 11th hour the problems had been fixed and plan B was scrapped. In the middle of this came an email from another friend with news of flight problems and stuck in a dry hotel in Kuala Lumpur!
These stories, amongst many others, confirm what I have come to accept about retrograde Mercury, that he seems to present us with situations that we can do nothing about, things that are beyond our control and which make us feel at the mercy of external forces, be it bureaucracy, technology or the unfathomable workings of someone else’s mind. However, the other thread that has been more evident for me than usual this time around, is that a retrograde Mercury does highlight how we do or don’t communicate. Or, more accurately, how we think we are communicating when in actual fact we are not. When we get something off our chest in the written word it’s too easy to miss the essential point – as taught by assertiveness training – of saying what we would actually like someone to do, or what we intend to do and why.
Mercury has turned direct in Libra, sign of the Scales that symbolizes partnership and equality. What one side does always and inevitably affects the other. A stationary direct Mercury always carries the message of reconnection but in Libra the theme is even stronger. Two articles came to my attention on Sunday morning, the first from one of my favourite bloggers Ingrid Hoffman who talks about the self absorption of narcissism,
“in a culture where we consume other people’s ideas, gobble down advertisers’ enticements. We’re plugged in, eyes down, thumbs moving…”
You can read the full blog on this link:
http://blog.trueheartwork.com/2014/10/damn-you/#comment-2935
We all of us are enslaved to one extent or another by our technology but it’s a perfect showing of retrograde Mercury to acknowledge just how much of our “communication” is limited to that “eyes down” emailing, texting, tweeting, Facebook-ing and so on.
The second article that caught my attention was on the BBC, entitled 10 Things you may not know about Laughter:
“Ask adults what makes them laugh, and most will tell you it’s jokes and humour. But they would be wrong.
Robert Provine, a psychologist from the University of Maryland found that we actually laugh most when talking to our friends.
In fact we’re 30 times more likely to laugh at something when we are with other people.
Intriguingly, within these conversations, we are still not laughing at jokes: we laugh at statements and comments that do not seem on the face of them to be remotely funny.
It’s a form of communication, not a reaction.
The science of laughter is telling us that laughter is less to do with jokes and more a social behaviour which we use to show people that we like them and that we understand them.”
http://www.bbc.com/news/health-29754636
You can read the full article on the above link but the quoted excerpt was the bit that really resonated with me as a symbolically appropriate “take” on Mercury getting back to doing what he is supposed to do, and getting us back to doing what we are supposed to do. I realized how true it is that we may smile at something that someone writes to us, but we rarely laugh out loud unless we are talking. Staying in touch by text or email is fine for the basics, or for those who live far away, but with regard to those who people our immediate world there is nothing healthier than connecting with each other in person, enjoying each other face to face. And after all laughter is the best medicine – it’s good for us!
In addition to rescuing your social life here’s the usual checklist of things to watch out for, with a few added extras, now that Mercury is getting back to business:
• Breaking news, expected or unexpected, that affects you or someone close to you
• People get back to you or make decisions
• You feel ready to make your own decisions
• You get back to a matter that was first important three weeks ago
• Important information comes to light
• Memory kicks in and you deal with what or who has been off your radar
• You tackle the things you’ve been putting off
• Disputes or areas of miscommunication are cleared up
• You find the right person to deal with the problem beyond your own expertise
• Computer glitches/communication technology are solved/sorted
• Rumours are squashed when the truth outs
• Lost objects are found – or you find what you have been looking for
What else is happening this week? It’s relatively quiet, maybe the calm after the storm feeling for some, as we start with two harmonious Neptune aspects –
Monday Venus trine Neptune (18.49)
Tuesday Sun trine Neptune (09.51)
Both the Sun and Venus are now in Scorpio, and Neptune is on his epic voyage of many years through his own sign of Pisces, so these trines happen in water signs. Symbolically the element of water equals feelings, in all different shapes and sizes. Water flows to fill whatever the shape of the receptacle may be so one size does definitely not fit all. So don’t allow anyone else to tell you what you should or should not be feeling, or for how long you should be feeling it. Your feelings are your own, nobody else’s. Being true to you starts simply with that – telling the truth to yourself about yourself. Along with laughter, that’s healthy too.
Neptune under good aspect is also fantastic for creative or artistic work. These aspects are the stuff of dreams and inspiration so if you have a project in mind, especially with Mercury on the move too, now’s the time to move beyond the realms of vague ideas and start thinking in terms of form and shape. Also, whatever you imagine the answer may be to any dilemma, now’s the time to seek advice.
Neptune is the ultimate romantic too and with Venus, planet of love, in on the act you have the chance to get mushy with your other half or up close and personal with someone you’re already attracted to. Just bear in mind though that Venus in Scorpio is in her sign of detriment. Scorpio is the sign of fixed water and has hidden teeming depths…
And oh Neptune, aka Poseidon god of all things watery, will we get our dishwasher back? It’s been in dishwasher hospital for six weeks now and we are sick of washing up! I realise that this is absolutely miniscule in the grander scheme of things but I don’t care.
We then have a lull until the weekend when the weekend kicks off with a stack of positive aspects –
Saturday
Mercury sextile Jupiter (12.45)
Venus sextile Pluto (23.08)
Mars sextile Neptune (23.45)
The Mercury – Jupiter contact is important as it’s the end of a sequence –
– 10 September Mercury at 12 Libra sextile Jupiter at 12 Leo
– 20 October retrograde Mercury at 19 Libra sextile Jupiter at 19 Leo
– 1 November Mercury at 20 Libra sextile Jupiter at 20 Leo
If any of these degrees and signs are significant for you – that is, if they feature in your own horoscope – then this sequence of contacts will be especially important for you. Anything that’s been under discussion, especially something that you really want to happen, is now drawing to a conclusion. As Jupiter is bringer of opportunity and Mercury – Jupiter contacts generally spell good news you can expect a happy outcome, or at least one that is the best possible answer in your current circumstances or the best possible offer that can be made. This is especially applicable if you are caught up with any of Jupiter’s main concerns of education, travel, publishing or legal matters. Answers that surface or deals that are struck at the end of the week definitely come with a “good enough” tag even if they are not perfect.
The Venus – Pluto contact is also powerful as Venus is in Pluto’s sign of Scorpio, so it’s a double whammy. Even by good aspect though – the sextile – this is actually a challenging combination as its hallmark is the stamp of “all or nothing”, end it or mend it. Think carefully about the things that you agree to as this is not a time for too much compromise.
The Mars – Neptune is also a force to be reckoned with as Mars is now travelling through Capricorn, his sign of exaltation, and Neptune of course is in his own sign of Pisces. In a nutshell, all dreams need an action plan and practical resources.
All three of Saturday’s aspects will be applying (in the process of becoming exact) throughout the end of the working week so in your business dealings think closure. Now is the time to bring a project to a satisfying conclusion or to take on new commitments but in a way that works as well for you as it does for the other person.
The same applies to your personal life as well – the best relationships are negotiated ones! Until next time, wishing you a week of connection, laughter and results.
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