The Astrology Blog 30 May 2022
All times in BST
“Healing means letting go when your grip is too tight.”
Renee Stone – Author
“Every time you are tempted to react in the same old way, ask if you want to be a prisoner of the past or a pioneer of the future.”
Deepak Chopra
https://www.astrotheme.com/astrology/Deepak_Chopra
RETROGRADE MERCURY – 4 MORE DAYS TO GO …
No doubt you have your own stories that clearly capture the retrograde Mercury themes and the two examples I’ll start with here are both with Taureans. On that point, astrological events often link to people of the Sun sign showing – ie Mercury is due to turn around at 26 degrees Taurus – so look out for your own Taureans and Geminis this week!
A friend of mine went to the cash point, withdrew her money, but then realized that she’d forgotten to check her balance. Put the card back in the machine, checked the balance, and then yes, walked off without taking her card back. The sign of Taurus correlates to the 2nd House of money, and her Taurus planets are in her 2nd House. She had to cancel the card and now has to wait for the replacement.
A friend’s last minute holiday plan for next week has been dependent on the arrival of a new passport. When I looked at her chart I saw she has her Sun in Taurus at 26 degrees – so exactly the degree at which Mercury will turn direct – and posited in her 9th House where we locate foreign travel.
Love straightforward predictions like these – will the passport arrive in time? Yes it will. It did, yesterday, as Mercury is now “stationing” – slowing down in readiness for switching direction again – and had reached 27 Taurus when the passport arrived, just one degree away from her natal Sun. Flights now booked. The price she paid however was to chase the passport office with endless phone calls that never got answered, not realizing that she was being charged for all the time she was waiting in the queue. She’s got a humungous phone bill for all her pains, but she’s coming to Greece!
Another story from someone who flew over last week, with her natal Moon in Gemini and very close to the degree at which Mercury turned retrograde. Not long after takeoff her flight was diverted to Amsterdam as a little boy was taken seriously ill. Obviously this created a huge delay for everyone but the showing of Mercury retrograde in Taurus (food and produce) showed clearly when all the food for the flight had to be binned as they couldn’t reheat it for health reasons. Nightmare for all concerned.
IN THE NEWS
One of the clearly Mercury related headlines over the weekend was, “Ukraine war: Putin urged to hold ‘direct, serious negotiations’ with Zelensky”. This came from the French president and the German Chancellor in a call that lasted 80 minutes. In the BBC report they stated that Russian and Ukrainian delegations have held multiple rounds of talks remotely and in person since Russia invaded on 24 February, but efforts have stalled of late.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-61618907
Communication being stalled or completely broken off is a major hallmark of a retrograde Mercury and in this case applies specifically to Putin, reflected in the fact that he has his natal Moon right in the line of fire – 3 Gemini, Mercury turned retrograde at 4 Gemini –
https://www.astrotheme.com/astrology/Vladimir_Putin
Mercury then slid back into Taurus, will turn direct at 26 Taurus, and will re-enter Gemini on 13 June. It will be interesting to see what unfolds when Mercury gets back to 3 Gemini (Putin’s Moon) 16/17 June and then “out of shadow” 18 June. The possibility of renewed negotiations is there.
BORIS JOHNSON & PARTYGATE/THE SUE GRAY REPORT
BoJo is also in the firing line with his natal Mars at 1.37 Gemini. So again we have an example of Mercury transiting a natal planet 3 times – once when Mercury is moving forwards, second time after Mercury turns retrograde and comes back again and third and final time when Mercury turns direct.
I said a while back that I thought May was a really dodgy time for Boris because of the huge (once in a lifetime) transit of Uranus the rug-puller over his Jupiter (the fun planet, partying) which is at 15.45 Taurus, smack opposite Neptune 15.25 Scorpio (the planet that rules the booze and also deception).
https://www.astrotheme.com/astrology/Boris_Johnson
That may have been over optimistic as that transit is going to take a long time to work through, and so far all we’ve had from the man holding what should be the dignified, serious and sober role of Prime Minister is that he’s “humbled” by the lessons learned. And we are supposed to believe that, and accept that it’s enough ….
However, the Sue Gray Report was published in full on the UK government website last Thursday 25 May, coinciding with the first Uranus transit and the middle retrograde Mercury transit. He’s definitely in trouble but will he hang on by the skin of his teeth? Here’s the full sequence –
- Mercury over natal Mars 1st time 1 May
- Mercury retrograde over natal Mars 2nd time 20 May
- Uranus over natal Jupiter 1st time 21 May
- Mercury turns direct 3 June
- Mercury over natal Mars 3rd and final time 15 June
- Mercury “out of shadow” 18 June (back to the degree at which originally turned retrograde)
- Solar Return (birthday) 19 June
- Uranus turns retrograde 24 August
- Uranus over natal Jupiter 2nd time 9 Dec
- Uranus turns direct again 22 Jan 2023
- Uranus over natal Jupiter 3rd and final time 7 March 2023
Frankly it’s a miracle that he’s still in office and the middle of June could easily bring a vote of no confidence. We’ll see if that’s wishful thinking. But whatever doesn’t get resolved now will almost certainly come back to haunt him later in the year.
WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING THIS WEEK?
One of the most important things to look for when venturing into chart interpretation and prediction is the presence of themes. This week starts with a New Moon in Gemini, one of Mercury’s own signs, and with Mercury stationing in readiness for turning direct on Friday morning, so it’s a double whammy of Mercury’s concerns –
Monday 30 May
- New Moon 9 Gemini 12.31
Friday 3 June
- Mercury turns direct at 26 Taurus 09.01
Saturday 4 June
- Saturn turns retrograde at 25 Aquarius 22.48
New Moons, new chapters, and as this one falls in the sign of the Twins look out of issues that spin around choice and themes of duality or even multiplicity. However, also look out for making the best of a tough situation and accepting the best possible outcome. Later in the week matters looks less straightforward as Mercury and Saturn don’t make the exact square but they’re still only one degree apart when Mercury turns direct and Saturn turns retrograde.
This has a real push-pull feel about it, the two planets are at odds and then start moving in opposite directions, one pulling away from the other. Let’s hope that shows in Ukraine, the pulling away of one army against the other.
It will be an important piece of astrology too for the Johnny Depp (Gemini) and Amber Heard (Taurus) case, as deliberations started last Friday. Depp has Mercury and Venus at 25/26 Taurus and Amber has Venus at 25 Taurus so I would definitely expect verdicts to be announced as we approach Mercury’s turning point and I would expect no clear “winner” as they have the same astrology going on.
Jupiter (rules the law) is picking up Amber’s Mercury at 6 Aries – first of three transits approaching – and Depp’s natal Jupiter at 14 Aries means that he won’t get his Jupiter Return until next year, so maybe that gives her the edge. But the whole story has always resonated with an “as bad as each other” feel and I wonder how that will be reflected in the judge’s summing up.
So, in your own life, wherever communication has stalled you can expect things to get going again but Mercury’s square to an SR Saturn (Stationary Retrograde) suggests no easy answers, no quick answers or even no answers at all for the time being. Check your priorities and, in the light of this week’s quotes at the top of the blog, look at where it will help you to let go or look at where it will help you to react in a different way. This isn’t about giving up or giving in, it’s about breaking old patterns that no longer serve you, or which have never served you?
VENUS – JUPITER
The two Benefics come together by a minor aspect tomorrow evening –
Tuesday 31 May
- Venus 3 Taurus semi-sextile Jupiter 3 Aries 19.35
Any Venus – Jupiter combo is lovely, and especially if either of them are in their own sign as Venus is here, in Taurus, sign of money, comfort, pleasures and female friendship. The link to Jupiter can take the form of blessings, luck, opportunity, generosity or foreign/legal concerns.
Pay close attention to what or who surfaces for you tomorrow as these will be things or people that are good for you, that will benefit you in some way or which will bring enjoyment. Great astrology for travel and also for your love life if you want to arrange a date or go out to meet people.
Next week will be the first week of Mercury starting to pick up speed again, moving things in the right direction albeit slowly at first, but we’ll also have the annual Venus – Uranus conjunction that always livens things up! I’ll be talking more about that next time and for now I’ll leave you with the usual checklist for Mercury’s turnaround, the things to look out for as from now as Mercury is stationing but especially from the end of this week, but just bear in mind that this is coinciding with Saturn putting his foot on the brakes. Patience will pay off.
Happy turnarounds!
With love from Greece
Joanna
MERCURY STATIONARY DIRECT
What to Expect – out of our control
- Decisions dropped on us, tipping points and turnarounds for the better – even if it doesn’t seem that way we’re being steered onto the right path
- Events that started around three weeks ago reveal their full significance or consequences. Matters that have been stuck now start to pick up speed OR are no longer important
- Breaking news, expected or unexpected, that affects you or someone close to you
- Information comes to light, the truth outs, secrets are revealed or feelings are declared – you’ll have the chance to see things as they really are
- Your own or other people’s changes of heart/mind either way – ie from no to yes or vice versa
- Light bulb flashes of the “I get it now” type insights
- People get back to you or you get back to them – deals get done and papers get signed
- The right person appears to deal with the frustrating problem beyond our own expertise
- The reappearance of someone or something that was first important three to four weeks ago
- Finding what you’ve been looking for – whether it’s lost objects, spiritual needs or the right partner
What to Do – within our control
- Engage fully with who or what enters your life or springs back to life, especially with who or what is motivational for you
- Say yes to a date, or do the asking yourself – this person could be a whole new journey of discovery
- Initiate conversations – you’ll be amazed at what they reveal and where they lead
- Have you been over thinking it? Resolve to stop talking about something and just DO IT!
- Turn negatives into positives, say yes to yourself, take head out of sand, muster your courage and determination – there’s at least one thing that, with some renewed energy and a fresh approach, can now come good
- Stop people pleasing, pretending or avoiding. This includes letting go of resentments or anything you’ve been stewing over – be true to you
- Tackle the things you’ve been putting off and make those decisions, especially when changing anything that’s suited others but which isn’t that great for you
- Make job applications or chase up one already made – insist on an interview, it could be the best thing you ever did
- Update and upgrade your phone, tablet or desktop, and get your head around using new technology of any kind that could be useful to you
- Fill up your diary with things to look forward to, out in the world where possible or online. Plan in immediately at least one thing that you absolutely love doing and can still do regardless of whatever restrictions you’re up against – life is still to be enjoyed, not endured J