Returning to a Soulful Perspective With Mercury Retrograde

Linear and intuitive processes are two sides of a coin. It's time to blend them.

Welcome to a much-needed slow-down period aboard Spaceship Earth. Planet Mercury begins its retrograde phase today, until August 26. When a planet ‘goes retrograde’ it simply appears to be traveling backwards through the heavens, from the Earth’s perspective. Symbolically, this phase marks a turning point, wherein we utilize the planet’s energy on an internal level. Outward expression is less relevant (and often less successful) during a planetary retrogradation.

Mercury is the planetary ruler of all things connected with communication, travel, and mental processes. Think email, snail mail, videos, podcasts, stereos, skype, phones, planes, trains and automobiles – including all of the electronics and gadgets required to keep these functions operating. Mercury (aka the Greek god Hermes) is the winged cosmic messenger who oversees all of the above. It’s a tall order; no wonder he takes a three-week hiatus three times a year.

The term ‘retro’ implies a glance back to the past. We’re in a feedback loop, in which some of the things you’ve set in motion prior to now will require a correction of sorts, before you can successfully proceed any further. While many of us astrologers like to make much of the potential for mangled communications and haywire electronics at this time, there is much you can do to alleviate some of the pitfalls of a Mercury retrograde phase. Opening your mind to the possibility of re-tracing your steps, reviewing the way that you communicate with others, and reviving your connection to Source are a beneficial way to navigate Mercury’s current retrograde transit.

Let’s get more specific about how that works now. Very shortly after landing on his home turf of Virgo, Mercury has done an about-face and decided to retreat into the warmth and fire of Leo once again. He will eventually return to the sign of Virgo, but only after finishing up the Leo lesson plan he’s prepared for us. Still, Mercury’s brief touchdown in Virgo is not to be understated in its symbolism. Virgo is a highly organized and methodical sign. Everyone has Virgo energy, whether you were born under this sign or not. Look to your birth chart (and, if you don’t have one, contact me if you like). The house that contains Virgo is the part of you that longs for order and perfection; it’s the part of you that delights in attending to fine details and using language as precisely as possible in order to make clear meaning out of what you say and hear. This is left-brain material.

Mercury’s brief sojourn in Virgo is a reminder that we need to re-think the way that we employ our linear sides. Western culture has long prized cerebral functions, often over the intuitive (right brain) side. Now that Mercury is about to step backwards into creative Leo’s domain, we are reminded that linear and intuitive processes are two sides of a coin. The point is to toss ‘heads’ and ‘tails,’ with equal purpose, as opposed to relying more on one side than the other.

Leo’s very external and subjective expression needs to be skillfully blended with Virgo’s internal and objective impressions in order to assist your journey towards wholeness. Another way we can dichotomize Leo and Virgo (whilst bearing in mind that all dichotomies are inherently fictitious) is to say that Leo loves to bask in the glow of the solar limelight (ruled as Leo is by the Sun), whilst Virgo prefers to sidestep the spotlight and help others reach their goals. There’s a lesson here in how to attend to your divinely-inspired creative impulses, whilst giving expression to them in a way that glorifies Creation (as opposed to glorifies yourself).

After all, we are all One in Creation. And Mercury retrograde’s opposition to Neptune is a very clear reminder of that. It also emphasizes the need to blend logic with intuition. On a deeper level, this planetary pairing is also a reminder to re-connect with Source (which is Neptune’s mystic realm), perhaps in ways that have escaped you in the past. It’s no coincidence that Neptune (which itself has been retrograde since July 10) will also backtrack from one sign (namely Pisces) into another (Aquarius), come Friday. This is about as unambiguous a signal as we can get that it’s time to clean our channels and open up to the higher vibrations of Spirit.

If you are firmly ensconced in your connection to Source, everything else is more easily perceived in its rightful perspective. Sweating the small stuff becomes less and less important as you strengthen your divine tie. This type of inner sacred work will necessitate you slowing down a bit. And that’s one of the key features of a Mercury retrograde phase. S-l-o-w it down in order to better perceive where you’ve come from, for it makes a difference to where you’re trying to get to. We’ve been moving at such speed, thanks to three recent eclipses, that a little perspective is in order now, before you get too far ahead of yourself and make decisions or implement procedures that have an unfortunate outcome down the road.

With that in mind then, here are some ‘rules of engagement’ to keep things running as optimally as possible between now and the end of August: If at all possible, avoid signing contracts, whether for new employment or the sale of a property or vehicle. Unless you have previously worked with someone who wishes to re-employ you, it’s best to hold off on signing on the dotted line for now. If that’s just not possible, then be aware that you may want to re-negotiate in September or later, although you may not be in a position to do so by then. Purchasing or selling properties is not a timely thing to do either. Sorry to all of the real estate agents out there, who obviously rely on these transactions for their livelihoods. Still, the overlooked details, the missed problem with a safety inspection, the falling-through of a client’s financing may not be worth your toil and aggravation. In a similar vein, purchasing electronics is not a wise use of your money now. Electronics fall under Mercury’s domain – and he’s not in a position to help you avoid the lemons out there, so buyer beware, or just hold off.

Still, when all is said and done, this Mercury retrograde phase in Leo is a divine lesson in using your heart (ruled by Leo) to make important decisions, and to let your divine connection to Spirit over-ride the lesser needs of the ego-brain. When you’re working in tandem with Spirit, the sometimes petty nuisances that are often associated with Mercury retrograde simply fall away.

Tomorrow Mars makes a move into the tender sign of Cancer – yet another cosmic signal to dial any extroversion down a notch in order to go within. Stay tuned, and may you glide peacefully along.