With Mercury retrograde in worldly Aquarius-Capricorn, it's time to review our collective standpoint and ask ourselves: What's my role in this? What's my own unique contribution?
On January 14th, Mercury stations retrograde at 10:20 degrees of Aquarius at 11:41 am. In his backward journey, Mercury enters Capricorn on January 26th, finally to go direct once more on February 4th at 04:12 at 24:22 Capricorn. This straddling of two signs and two elements - air and earth - is a theme throughout 2022, signifying a move from the theoretical to the practical. What starts as a review of principles and ideals rapidly evolves into a rethink of our methods and practices.
Mercury’s three-week rethink has a practical upshot, helping us revisit the structures that hold our world together.
Mercury Retrograde between Saturn & Pluto: Revisiting the Moment of Truth...
Mercury’s first retrograde of 2022 is right between Saturn in Aquarius and Pluto in Capricorn, activating the major Saturn-Pluto conjunction of January 2020. That's the moment that brought us the pandemic, the lockdowns and this historic power-grab at the top and accompanying authoritarian controls that are sadly unfolding into this new decade. This conjunction is a restrictive, contractive influence, a collective trauma of sorts that's then used to build new social structures. As the cycle unfolds over the next three decades, it will teach us much about what it means to have responsible, accountable and life-sustaining governments and corporate structures. It will also teach us a lot about what it means to fully take responsibility of our own lives.
Two years in from the pandemic, it's time for Mercury to do a little recce and survey the wreckage and the nascent building plans for a world that is yet to come.
It’s time to review the limitations and regulations (Saturn) that have been imposed so far in the name of survival (Pluto) - the 'hard line' taken - and to see what it's done for our societies to date. It's also time to peer beneath the surface and ask questions about what seems to newly unfolding and ambitious aims.
December 30th was when Mercury first contacted Pluto and entered his retrograde shadow. This followed a rather unruly December (where Mercury was out of bounds) and signifies the beginning of a long journey of questioning our authorities and the way things have been handled.
When Mercury and Pluto sail close together, superficial, glib answers simply won't do.
This is the signature of the detective. Time to don our X-ray goggles, carry out our own research and look beneath the surface to decipher what's really going on. Mercury contacts Pluto again whilst retrograde on January 29th and again on February 11th. So there are more chapters to this story, yet to be unveiled.
On the other side of Mercury's retrograde journey, Saturn awaits. And Mercury won't cross that threshold till March 2nd. Mercury stationed retrograde just before reaching Saturn on the 14th, as if wanting to go deep undercover and get his facts straight before subjecting his ideas to Saturn's rigorous reality test.
Use this time till March 2nd to carry out some serious research and reassess your situation.
As Mercury straddles the distance between Saturn in Aquarius and Pluto in Capricorn, his retrograde journey may take you from the what appears to be perfectly rational to a hidden, deeply irrational and fearful underbelly that's the true motive for it all.
What seemed like a principled approach might turn out to be nothing but a devilish rationalisation to cover up psychopathic complexes - whether within ourselves or globally - that we are simply loath to address.
But we must; it's the only path to empowerment. Pluto loves to operate behind the scenes. And with Saturn giving Pluto his official stamp of approval in early 2020, on his own turf no less, it's been a veritable party ever since - the pinnacle of Pluto's journey in Capricorn since 2008.
This period could certainly pull the mind down some strange and compelling paths. Your capacity to uncover hidden truths is only limited by your own ability to tame your fears at this point.
The best way to use this time? Develop mental discipline and apply yourself to something that takes a level of intellectual energy, concentration and focus that is usually lacking.
Set yourself a hard and rigorous mental task! This is the best way to turn this Mercury retrograde into a constructive and fruitful time.
Mercury Inferior & Superior Conjunctions: A Time To Heal?
Watch for the Mercury Inferior conjunction in Aquarius (03:23) on January 23rd at 10:28. This is the 'New Mercury' as I like to call it, seeding new ideas in our heads. The Sabian Symbol for the Inferior Conjunction is “a Hindu Yogi demonstrates his healing powers”. Hold that thought. Healing seems to be a crucial theme for the new cycle that is about to unfold.
This healing theme is further supported by Mercury sextile Chiron throughout his retrograde - on January 10th and 18th, then finally February 24th - echoing last year's Saturn-Chiron sextile. This is an opportunity to revisit 'official' health and healing protocols established last year and re-assess them for efficacy.
Mercury’s superior conjunction with the Sun - the ‘full Mercury’ so to speak, arrives at 13:11 degrees of Aries Aries on April 3rd (00:10am). This, again, is conjunct master healer and teacher Chiron.
Early April is when the results of January’s and February’s re-assessments are fully revealed.
Chiron is a symbol for knowledge, healing and integrity as well as alternative healing methods, akin to a Yogi's "healing powers". It also symbolises scapegoating and exile, wholeness only arising when we finally embrace what we have disowned. The Sabian Symbol for the Superior Conjunction is “a serpent coiling near a man and a woman” a symbol of intense polarisation, as we find in the sexes, but also of hidden knowledge, as presented to Adam and Even in the garden of Eden. This image is also reminiscent, perhaps, of the two twined serpents of the caduceus wand, a symbol for medicine.
I expect medical news to be part and parcel of this entire retrograde cycle, leading up to the superior conjunction in early April.
Let's hope these are used to heal and unite rather than further scapegoat and divide.
In our personal lives, this is a time to pull back dark fearful projections that we have rationalised away and examine our own wounds and insecurities.
Thus we uncover our unique and authentic gifts, borne by our own personal experience, that we can choose to contribute to this world as sovereign beings.
A Brief Mercury Retrograde Horoscope
Here's a brief taster of how this Mercury retrograde affects each star sign, baring in mind that this is but a drop in an ocean of infinite astrological complexity...
Aries
Time to review who your allies are, as well as decide upon your dreams and ambitions. A proper re-assessment will naturally lead to a review of your public image, goals and overall career direction. Practical steps for a course correction may be due. Facing any fears of humiliation will have a healing effect, setting you apart from others and shedding light on your unique personality and identity by your next birthday.
Taurus
What begins as a review of your overall career goals, image and life direction ends up with a deep dive into some of the fearful beliefs and theories that drive you. This could change your outlook on life and, perhaps, even have you rethink the flag that you sail under in terms of publication material, marketing, affiliations, endorsements and accreditations. By springtime you will come to know secrets and open up a whole hidden world you never knew before.
Gemini
You’re on a philosophical quest, perhaps revisiting your outlook on life, but also revisiting your education, publications, legal matters or marketing material - anything that says something about what you stand for. These ruminations will end up having a very real, visceral effect on your life, transforming your ability to trust and leading you to take a harder look at your finances. This process will place you in very unusual and interesting social circles come spring.
Cancer
It's time to review matters like debts and taxes, pensions, sponsorships and all sorts of agreements and dependencies that have you by the cahoonas. This naturally leads into a thorough review of your most important relationships or business partnerships and the fears you harbour around them. This journey will have a very clearly upshot for your career come spring, setting you apart from the crowd.
Leo
What begins as a review of an important relationship - perhaps with your spouse or partner, or a key coach or advisor or business client - shows you the necessity of taking another look at how you function, work and live your life day to day. What fears are you trying so hard to exorcise through these routines? Is it time for some lifestyle changes? Decisions you make now affect your future outlook, opening new vistas for expansion, travel, education and greater reach and visibility with your ideas.
Virgo
Your working schedule is somehow wonky, broken, and requires a thorough review. But what starts as a rethink of your work and overall lifestyle develops into a deep dive into what makes you happy. What fears consume your heart, your love and creativity? You'll find a thorough review of what you heart wants empowering by spring, also shedding light on financial fears and entanglements alongside issues of trust.
Libra
Time to review what makes you happy, what you deep to be personal fulfilment and what you want out of love...again. Only this time, your findings will have very real repercussions on your living situation, home and family, leading to some deep conversations and realisations. By spring, you’ll know where you stand in an important relationship. Embrace the truth, even if it is unconventional.
Scorpio
You're ready to review matters around your household, living situation or a real estate matter so you can set a proper foundation to sustain your life. This journey leads you to review old business practices and agreements, reconnecting with people from the past in search for answers. By spring, this new foundation helps you clarify the task at hand and the kind of work and lifestyle changes you desire.
Sagittarius
Revisiting old ideas, and perhaps reconnecting with people from your past leads to a thorough re-assessment of your financial situation. Financial fears may have you in their grip and it's time to face them and raise your net asset worth and overall self-confidence. Such a boost of strength will energise your creativity, shining a light on love and happiness come springtime.
Capricorn
You're ready to review your financial situation and what you can do to increase your strength and confidence. A second look at your assets and talents will lead you to reconsider how you identify and present yourself to the world and what you consider essential for your survival. These ruminations will shed light on your home life and family or a property matter by spring.
Aquarius
You’re reviewing who you are and what you want, recalibrating your identity and goals and not for the first time since Saturn has entered your sign two years back. The difference is that, this time, you'll have to dig a little deeper and face your demons, settling old scores and acknowledging fears and desires you usually suppress. Do this little clear out and, by spring, your voice will ring true and clear as a bell.
Pisces
There’s stuff buried deep within that needs proper examination if you are to move forward. This creative and psychological rethink will unleash your creativity and lead you to better understand who your true friends are. Not the ones you're terrified of displeasing but the ones who will truly support your dreams and ideals. Going through this journey can bring unique talents to light, giving you a key to financial improvement.
Image by Rob Curran from Unsplash.
Sabian Symbols from Dane Rudhyar’s An Astrological Mandala.
Article by YourAstroGenes.