Be Kind, Rewind: Mercury Retrograde, December 2017
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I know this image jogs your memory...
Driving to Blockbuster, scanning aisles and aisles of VHS tapes, the smell of butter popcorn and the thrill of renting your very first rated "R" movie. Ahh, it's nice to recall.
As I ponder the nature of Mercury retrograde and it's ill reputation, I remember the phrase,
"Be Kind, Rewind;" and realize how true it is that we should gift ourselves a pause. It's indeed a precious time to process, integrate, and reflect on all that has happened in our lives in the past three months. Mercury goes retrograde approximately every 3 months for about 3 weeks. This is almost seasonal! So why the stigma?
One manifestation of Mercury is the Trickster. We are reminded not to take things so seriously and to slow the fuck down. Of course it's annoying when things get lost in translation, emails disappear into thin air and we misplace things we need. Even worse, when you drop your new phone and the screen cracks. What I urge you to explore when the joke is on you, is what is the deeper message? Maybe it's simply to slow down. Or maybe you shouldn't be on your phone so much.
The IRONY is that the usual function of Mercury is PRODUCTIVITY,
and obsessively gathering INFORMATION (Virgo and Gemini, respectively).
I recently came across this
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post, which seems to sum of the balance of Mercurial function.
Our society puts an emphasis on being "busy," hard-working and productive. But many of us are beginning to askwhy?
How healthy is it to be constantly jam-packing our schedules? Is that any way to live?
With Mercury representing the mental function, and the inherent nature of routinely retrograding backward, it seems to confirm this very suggestion: that"rest, recovery and reflection"are integral pieces of everything else we do.
So this Mercury retrograde, don't berate yourself for being "lazy," and simply "be kind, rewind."
Who knew there was so much wisdom on a VHS sticker.
Mercury Retrograde in Sagittarius:
This is a big deal because Saturn is wrapping up its 3-year stay in Sag, which began in January of 2015.
Saturn officially leaves the fiery philosophical sign on December 19th and enters Capricorn.
With Sagittarius ruling beliefs, law, foreigners and religion, we've seen:
Threats to build a physical wall on the US/Mexico border
Travel bans
Extreme vetting
The reprisal of hate groups
The refugee crisis in Europe
Saturn usually emphasizes fear, limits, and aims to protect.Walls can be supportive, but also oppressive, depending on how they are constructed. If you are a Sagittarius, the last 3 years have probably been challenging, but if you've kept up, the work you've done will be immensely rewarding later on. That's the nature of Saturn.
What have the past 3 years been like for you?Has your understanding of other cultures grown with effort or have you closed off? How has your worldview changed, or what about your relationship with spirituality?
Below, I will explore the area of prominence relative to your Sun sign for December's Mercury retrograde. Bear in mind that this is also where Saturn has been helping you develop through initial limitation and eventual significant maturity and growth. Thus, this Mercury retrograde may be a chance to review what you've learned in the past 3 years.
Mercury officially stations
retrograde on December 3rd,
(2:34 am EST) at 29⁰Sagittarius,
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travelling backward until
December 22nd, (8:51 pm EST) stationing direct at 13⁰Sagittarius.
Aries: What do I believe? With all the "fake news" out there, you must decide for yourself. Not based on what anyone's told you, but based on experiences. You've probably been confronted by your beliefs in some way, forcing you to either fight for them or change. You may return to a spiritual practice or study of some kind. How has your world view changed in the past 3 years? You may have committed yourself to your education. If you had difficulty, rest assured that 2019 will bring more freedom in this area of higher learning and understanding of other cultures.
Taurus: Who can I trust? Previous experiences of shame and let downs contrast with strength and overcoming obstacles. What is the mantra that has helped you overcome your challenges in life? You may have grown a lot in the past 3 years, gaining financial independence and stability. You can trust yourself, that's for sure! But you want to be able to let others in now too, so how do you know who is deserving of your most intimate thoughts? Look how much you've grown. Who can hold the space for the total raw beauty of who you are?
Gemini: You might hear from an old friend or lover. What's the message? If you are thinking of them, they are probably thinking of you, so don't be shy and make the connection. The theme here is partnership. What have you learned in the area of relating with others over the past 3 years? Your philosophy of what makes a partnership may have been challenged, realizing it takes a bit more work than what you were used to. What did your partner(s) teach you? What is the new outlook?
Cancer: You've probably been dealing with a reoccurring health issue and now you are just ready to be done dealing with it! This final period can be useful for summing up all of the clues and healing experiences you've gained over the past 3 years. Now you have a tool kit to squash the issue once and for all or to manage it with greater ease. Check out Louise Hay, if you haven't already. Maybe you've been working your ass off. What's the philosophy you have about work/routine? Has it changed over the past few years?
Leo: You feel like you haven't been able to have as much fun, for whatever reason, but luckily this will change when you begin to make time for deliberate play. Maybe your child has needed extra attention, or maybe it was something else. This may have been a period of slight depression, but maybe by now you have developed tools or mantras to help dig yourself out of a rut as needed. Sometimes the lows make us appreciate the highs. What can you do to intentionally bring more joy moving forward?
Virgo: This has been a potent seeding of a new beginning. What is your vision and what are you blossoming into? A new core set of values has taken root and you see your direction clearly. You may have moved recently, which may have been some sort of exchange of freedom and maturity. Maybe you bought a house and realized that you need things like leaf-blowers and plumbers. What is going on with your family? It's taught you a lot. Now you get to assimilate what all of this means and use it as plant food.
Libra: You've been finding your place in your community. How much involvement and where? You've been gaining confidence in voicing your ideas and insights as you are challenged to integrate yourself in your locality. In order to strengthen your stance, you may have been busy reading or committed yourself to learning something new. What's been going on with your siblings? Have they grown up a lot or had challenges of their own? If so, how does that affect you?
Scorpio: The focus for you has been finances. Working, saving, spending. All of it. Perhaps you suddenly had to spend a lot of money that you didn't foresee, imploring you to focus more on saving. This also helps you to mature your own sense of value. What's more important to you now, in terms of priorities? This also helps you decide what's worth your time and how you make choices accordingly. This Mercury retrograde might present a final test, so you especially will want to watch the temptation to make impulse purchases!
Sagittarius: Identity and self-awareness; Who am I and what am I working toward? Beginning a new cycle around purpose, although purpose may not be clear yet. This marks a period of self-exploration and purging the old order. Mercury retrograde helps to assimilate all experiences in the past 3 years before redefining value system and investing in new venture. The past 3 years were about pruning the old, outgrown ways of being. You may have gotten rid of belongings or lost weight. Do you have a name for this chapter?
Capricorn: You may experience the resurfacing of old energies. What is your subconscious telling you? Write down your dreams and have the courage to explore the signs you are seeing. Are you seeing repetitive numbers or words that stick out to you? Explore these symbols further, as the universe speaks to us in codes. This might be a particularly reclusive 3 weeks for you, so if you have lower energy, don't feel bad about it. Journal, meditate and practice self-care.
Aquarius: What is the vision that is coming back to you? You might recall a hope for the world you used to hold dearly and something rekindles the fire. A theme of groups and friends suggests that there is either a back-and forth ongoing, or you might rejoin a group you used to be a part of. Reflect on your affiliations. Then what will you do?
Pisces: What's my place in the world? What have my efforts amounted to? What does it all even mean and how do my accomplishments make me feel? Pat yourself on the back and now contemplate what your next move will be? You will eventually need to expand your network which can be intimidating for someone who prefers privacy, like you. So first, you'll want to do some necessary reflection. You might do this will a role-model in mind, or perhaps a parent.
Again, Saturn is all about maturity. This Mercury retrograde may offer you a final test or maybe even a gift. But at the very least, an affirmation of what you've learned from Saturn's travels through Sagittarius.
Blessed Be!
-Catherine