Fresh Approach — Mercury’s Libra Entrance

Mercury takes off into Libra at 3:07 am EDT Monday. A fresh approach will suit the occasion, even (or, perhaps especially) if it feels uncomfortable. Begin by examining your life. Where there’s stagnation or obstruction in relationship, creative interaction will trump stability. Where your customary ways of thinking have become stale, it will help to simplify your life.

Astrology by Len Wallick

It may seem paradoxical to jeopardize stability to foster creativity. It may appear contradictory for simplification to promote stimulation, but Mercury’s motion right now indicates just such an approach.

First off, Mercury is all about motion. It’s the swiftest planet, often moving through the zodiac faster than any other object except the Moon.

If you take retrograde motion into account, it travels a significantly greater distance through the signs (albeit some of that distance in reverse) than the Sun does in the course of a year. Even when it stations retrograde, Mercury is never actually stationary. It essentially turns on a dime and gives you ten cents change. Yet, all of that propensity for constantly moving clashes with Mercury’s affinity for Virgo.

Virgo is the only sign where the orthodox ruling planet (Mercury, naturally) is also exalted. In other words, it’s paradise for Mercury. If it could choose, it might conceivably roam its Elysian Fields of mutable earth to forever be comfortable, happy, fat and sassy.


In fact, that scenario is inconceivable because it’s unnatural. The same holds true for you, especially when it comes to how you think and express your thoughts. When Mercury takes its annual leave from paradise, it’s a clue for you to somehow move on mentally as well. In addition, there is a special wrinkle to Mercury’s moving on this year — it’s slowing down.

Once again, the paradox. In the material world, one does not customarily leave the ground and take to the air by decelerating. In the symbolic world of astrology, on the other hand, it makes perfect sense. Because Mercury represents the mind and its means of expressing itself, it makes sense to slow down the thought process and examine things more closely upon entering a milieu where less is given and more needs to be found, or made.

Of course, the real reason Mercury has lost nearly 20% of its apparent velocity since entering Virgo on August 23 is because it is on a longer approach to its third watery retrograde of the year through Scorpio, beginning next month. In the meantime, however, it’s perfectly suitable that the journey’s theme should be consistent with the destination. For you, that means a fresh approach that will allow the journey to prepare you for the destination.

You can do that by doing whatever it takes to slow down your thought process through the rest of September. Even if that seems to contradict a world where days appear to go by ever faster. Things will make more sense if you can examine your life more closely.

If you take the time to examine both the relationships and conduct of your life more closely over the next three weeks or so, you will be able to see where it has become stultifying. If you can somehow refresh those areas while Mercury’s emblem of your mind is under Libra’s cardinal aegis to initiate and air things out, it’s a lot less likely that two months through Scorpio’s fixed waters will feel suffocating, and a lot more likely that the last Mercury retrograde of a special year will become an equally special experience that you would not want to miss.

So, slow down to leave the ground, and go where it feels most uncomfortable. It might not make sense now, but it’s the fresh approach that will make your life a lot more sensible later on.

Offered In Service

Len is available for astrology readings. You can contact him at lenwallick [at] gmail [dot] com.

18 thoughts on “Fresh Approach — Mercury’s Libra Entrance”

  1. Thank you, Lunesoliel. You make an excellent point about how the applying opposition of Mercury to Uranus is integrated into the blog theme.

  2. « It may seem paradoxical to endanger stability in order to encourage creativity »

    This is very fair Len energy that vehicle mercury focused on communication, the movement is not yet endangered, what you have written, will become in opposition to Uranus.
    So it will be requested to reflect with insistence before any action; Our challenge today and in the coming days
    Thank you for your article

  3. Mia: Thank you again for being so very supportive. It is gratifying that my interpretations are consistent with your experiences. Thank you also for being such a good example for the rest of us to make the best use of ourselves.

    Chief Niwots Son: It has been my experience that not everybody appreciates my admittedly quirky humor, and it is an occasion for gratitude when somebody does. Thank you, and may the Libra-ation of Mercury serve you well.

    be: Very much like Tolkien’s wizard character, you are never late, rather precisely on time. Thank you for being so instructively in time (and in perfect pitch with) Mercury’s inherent paradox and the impending shift in its expression. When the empowered rule the disenfranchised so thoroughly as now, some may consider the situation stable. In fact, it is it is anything but stable and acting to disrupt the faux stability is a selfless act of the highest order to community, Earth and Universe alike. When everything is in its place, nothing is happening. When things are no longer in their place, seeking equilibrium once again, it makes the world go `round, driving the cycles from which we alternatively gain sustenance and motivation. In answer to your question – yes, it is natural to slow down before shifting, and shifting focus towards that which needs attention (thank you Robert Hand) is essential to both continued creativity and creative continuity. The logic of Virgo and Libra is not so different after all, it is in their elemental quality that Libra relieves Virgo and spreads Virgo’s labor far and wide with the winds of change. Thank you also for picking up on that yod that does indeed connect actions and actors past and present in such a way as to elucidate both our challenge and it’s relief. You are forever in my mind master of the yod.

  4. Hazel, the more I think about this, the more I love it. That might actually be a tattoo I could commit to. “…unless maybe they do.” Sheer brilliance. Thank you for that 🙂

  5. By the way, today the Sun is at 14 Virgo and Jupiter is at 14 Cancer and they are sextile (and were sextile in yesterday’s New Moon), and it will be exact tomorrow. There was a New Moon on February 2, 2011, at 13 Aquarius (that followed a Solar Eclipse in Capricorn in January, which opposed the U.S. Sun in Cancer) which was when the Egyptian people started protesting for a regime change. That February 2011 Aquarian New Moon, when combined with today’s Sun-Jupiter sextile, forms a Yod pattern, with the 2011 NM at the focal (apex) point. If you add in the President’s natal Sun at 12+ Leo you get a Boomerang pattern! Even without the President’s Sun, you still have a Yod that might resonate with your own chart. Anything happening now that ties in with what happened 2 1/2 years ago?
    be

  6. Hey Len, so sorry to be this late but glad I didn’t miss your Thursday offering. Was thinking (!) how much a little “stability” (Libra) would be a welcome thing, but not ruling out “creative interaction” at all. In fact, “simplification” in the way one lives has been a goal of mine but, unfortunately, not always a focus in my thinking AND/OR doing. That is all changing though and not a moment too soon. In fact, it seems that simplification would lead to stability as long as its done right, but I get the creative interaction part. I’ll be watching for whomever will be the one to interact with. (Probably my new neighbor!)

    Would it be “natural” that when one slows down her thinking that she might shift her energy toward other faculties that have languished for so long? Might that be considered creative? It would seem logical, but then Mercury IS still in Virgo. I suppose I can wait until Monday to test out this theory, but over the weekend I will think about it. Thanks Len and all commenters too for the creative interaction!
    be

  7. “Even when it stations retrograde, Mercury is never actually stationary. It essentially turns on a dime and gives you ten cents change.”

    Len, possibly the funniest astrological comment ever! I am happy us Mercurial types gets to air out a bit before the next watery submersion.

  8. Len,

    What a pertinent article for me and I suspect every one of your readers. Life is moving along at a clipper pace but slowing our thoughts will slow the events for ourselves and give us the time and space to handle each one when needed. We are all together and individually stepping out into a brave new landscape and using the best of ourselves will ensure the best outcome.

    Thank you!!!

    Mia

  9. Lizzy: You are very welcome. It gives me joy to know you find my service useful.

    P. Sophia: Thank you for your alert to asteroid Angel, and for your mention of dwarf planet Makemake (which does not get mentioned enough). Makemake’s current perch on anaretic Virgo is indeed notable, and it’s worth further integration into our astrology, especially in its current role as a Aries Point gatekeeper.

    aword: Thank you once again for sharing how the transits are nearly always featured by your unique personal astrology. Transiting Mars-to-natal Uranus conjunctions are so full of life as to defy any sort of container, but on your ascendant (and square transiting Saturn) the container just might be up to the task – i think i’ve heard it called lightning in a jar (or bottle).

    Hazel1: Thank you for your images that help us work with the paradox. So far as navigational advice, the first objective is to get off the ground, clear obstructions, and open blockages. Sometimes, there is as much not doing as doing. It’s not going with the flow so much as restoring flow. Often, it’s a humble task (or through humble tasks). If small changes can be wrought, call it good until the flow is restored. i hope that helps rather than confounds. Your proficiency for turning things around should come in handy.

    Strawberry: Thank you as always for your bright light.

  10. ps – the grass I’m talking about rolling in is in front of the Wells Fargo Bank near my work and on a pretty busy street.

  11. Strawberrylaughter – It’s fun to turn things around to a “maybe they do”, “maybe I could”, “maybe I will/won’t” isn’t it? I also subsititute “or DO they?” and “or AM I”, as in “i’m wearing a short skirt so I can’t roll on the grass with the dog, I’m wearing the wrong thing, or AM I?” which could get you arrested, but thinking it doesn’t get you arrested, thank god.

  12. …”unless maybe they do.”

    What we don’t know far exceeds what we do. I love this caveat, Hazel. I may try adding it to every declarative (especially limiting) statement I make for a while. Like that old saw “in bed” with fortune cookies, only not so dorky or 80s.

  13. When I try to picture “slow down to leave the ground” I get the sense of sitting still and dissolving into ether and lifting on a thermal, but that doesn’t seem like something you can direct, you’re working with thermals that you don’t control, so I have to bank within the thermal and aim myself somewhere? Or think of where I want to aim. I appreciate your navigational advice, Len! I love the “exciting, uplifting, oxygenated water slide adventure” Aword talks about! As a Scorpio with a lot of Saggitarius going on it’s usually more of a steam vent on a volcano or a geyser. Sometimes a dragon, her steamy breath curling up the walls around her as she walks along the tunnel out of her cave by the ocean. At least on a good day it is. But dragons don’t dissolve into ether, unless maybe they do.

  14. Len, anxious though I am to make change for myself NOW, (transiting Mars heading into conjunction with natal Uranus on AC? Pluto still transiting back and forth across natal Mars? Uranus continuing to do the same to natal Moon/Eric?) I also feel the strong “pull” to slow down and decelerate while taking off. Nothing strange to that idea at all, only a need for focus, concentration, setting sights on goals – even if they are hazy in the fog – then I’ll use the instrument panel…

    As for this little Pisces, I hope and pray that Mercury’s ingress into watery Scorpio (and onto my IC/JUpiter/NN/Neptune) will be more of a exciting, uplifting, oxygenated water slide adventure than anything else.

    …yes, moving on mentally! -preparations for journey underway…

    Thanks for the double-check on landing gear before take-off.

  15. “Virgo is the only sign where the orthodox ruling planet (Mercury, naturally) is also exalted. In other words, it’s paradise for Mercury.”

    I saw that Mercury just passed by and is conjunct astroid, ‘Angel’. …so if we slow down, “we might just leave the ground”, as you appropriately remind us Len. If we listen cafefully intuition could actually be wispering in our ear! Needless to say thank you Len, once again, I will be heeding your good advice.

    Also on Monday the 9th, just before Mercury’s ingress I noticed there sits dwarf planet ‘Makemake’, and will be exact conjuct Mercury at 29 degrees. Don’t know much about this guy but interestingly found this in Mythology: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Makemake_(mythology)

    “Makemake, in the Rapa Nui mythology of Easter Island, was the creator of humanity, the god of fertility and the chief god of the “Tangata manu” or bird-man cult (this cult succeeded the island’s more famous Moaiera). Make-Make was also god of an infamous cult called the tea cult (dawn cult). The tea cult went out only at dawn to pray.
    He is a frequent subject of the Rapanui’s petroglyphs.

  16. Thanks for this great advice, Len. I will try to slow down and “go where it feels most uncomfortable”. I’ll save your piece for starters, so that I can re-read it when I sllp back into (or more likely, stay stuck in) those mental ruts.

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