Mercury conjunct Venus in Pisces: express yourself, intimately

There simply is not a day that is not interesting as long as we have so many planets in Pisces. Eric touched on the Venus-Chiron conjunction, which is exact today, in yesterday’s Daily Astrology. Wednesday, Venus and retrograde Mercury make a conjunction in Pisces (exact 11:54 pm EST). Overall, this week is looking very good for self-discovery and intimate communication (and communion).

We tend to think of Mercury retrogrades as being phases when anything that can go wrong will. But that is often a result of our own failures to slow down and pay attention to what we are doing and saying — and before that, to what we are thinking.

All Mercury retrogrades provide opportunity for review and self-discovery; this one in Pisces just provides an especially amenable environment for doing so. And it also offers a more palpable sense of being able to re-create ourselves and our environment along the way. In particular, this week of the retrograde is graced by Venus making those conjunctions to Chiron and Mercury.

If Venus-Chiron (especially in Pisces) is, as Eric has suggested, about biophilia and a deepening connection to nature, to our own awareness and even to each other through love and sex, then Mercury-Venus in Pisces looks like the ability to consciously refine and express those connections.

Retrograde Mercury conjunct Venus may be the perfect follow-up to Venus-Chiron. Mercury-Venus lends a refined and artistic mind, according to Isabel Hickey, along with optimism and charm. This looks like an opening for the making of truly elegant art, music or writing, if you work in any of those mediums, and the results may be deeply personal and yet evocative to others. Track whether your insights into yourself are deeper than usual, or if they come through with more nuance.

Robert Hand mentions that Mercury-Venus can facilitate the discussion of relationships and confessions of love; that it may be easier to express oneself to others. Conversations with a partner have greater potential to truly improve the relationship due to greater understanding, and it may be easier to identify patterns in your life (perhaps especially in your relationship life).

Again, for this to come on the heels of Venus-Chiron feels tailor-made: deep connection followed by intimate, emotionally open, loving, empathetic conversation? Yes, please! Again, bear in mind that with Mercury retrograde, it may take a little extra effort to look up out of your own heart and truly hear that of the one you’re connecting with. Mercury is, after all, called ‘the trickster’ and taking communication for granted or rushing through it without keeping one foot grounded in self-awareness is not advisable.

Which reminds me: yesterday Eric alluded to the square Venus and Chiron are making to Jupiter as being prone to exaggeration and possibly increased sensitivity or drama. If any of that has cropped up for you, you’ll want to take extra care in reestablishing communication with anyone involved.

Work on refining your message and the thoughts behind it a little longer than usual if you’re doing any damage control. Mercury-Venus should help with that, but you’ll want to move deliberately rather than splashing in. Pisces can be flexible, but is very sensitive. If feelings have been hurt, a fixed-sign-like stubbornness can set in. An offering of insight into yourself — that is, a gesture of vulnerability — may feel scary but ultimately benefit all involved.

Oh, and one other thing: the Mercury-Venus-Chiron aspect is getting some support from Saturn and Pluto as well. Those two planets are in a trine aspect (Saturn) and a sextile (Pluto) to those three planets in Pisces. This offers some stability, dependability, responsibility, spiritual beauty and a kind of constructiveness to feelings and the environment. That part you can pretty much count on as long as you’re paying attention to your thoughts, words and actions.

If you’re willing to make a little extra effort — as in, actually make some art, or really open up to the object of your affection, or write something others will see — you may find yourself with a little more influence than you’re used to. You may feel a little more confident and emotionally self-sufficient than usual. You may find you’re drawing fascinating people to you and that what you express to them feels truly original. But it will take some agency, some actual stepping out, on your part.