Dear Friend and Reader:
As the long-anticipated Jupiter-Chiron-Neptune conjunction reaches full strength, we are in the midst of some meaningful short-term astrology: the current Mercury retrograde has reached its midpoint. You can tell this by Mercury’s conjunction to the Sun, which was exact yesterday. This was the interior conjunction, with Mercury coming directly between the Earth and the Sun. Both remain in Taurus; the Sun has about two more days in this sign. Currently the Sun/Mercury conjunction in Taurus is square the triple conjunction in Aquarius. Mercury will be there for a while, and spend all of that time talking to the conjunction; this brings both events into full consciousness and the two processes activate one another.
Mercury is retrograde for about 23 days, three times a year. But there are warm-up and cool down periods before and after that in effect make the phenomenon last about half the time — about eight weeks, three times a year (for a total of about 24 or 25 weeks per year). I consider this a pause time, on making new commitments or major purchases. I also don’t have things repaired during this phase; waiting always proves to be profitable because the problem is not usually what you think it is.
Though I’ve seen such things go strangely under Mercury retrograde (a good reason to avoid signing or buying, or to be ready to have to do it over when the retrograde ends), I use it to help me organize my time; for example, by restricting my purchasing activities to half the year, which in effect saves money. This is in part by buying less, and by purchasing at more appropriate times so the what I do buy has a higher value.
This discussion, however, is worth filing under routine astrology. Mercury is one of those things that you need to be able to navigate like a good driver can get someplace safely when it’s raining. You have to negotiate the same roads under slick conditions, while other people are being careless. So it’s interesting that we have this particular weather leading into the conjunction of Jupiter, Chiron and Neptune. The conjunction peaks the last week of May, while Mercury is still retrograde, and then after Mercury goes direct, all within days three planets involved in the conjunction turn retrograde at once.
For weeks I’ve been describing the energy involved in this triple conjunction, and the rarity of such an event. This is a culmination point of decades of effort, struggle, progress and indeed for many people, backsliding. There are few astrological events that can actually signal spiritual progress. This is one. The problem is that for many, it may not feel like that. The energy may simply be too intense to feel good. The calling may feel too strong, or too demanding, for comfort.
I reckon that the issue of ‘why we believed the lies’ may be particularly painful for those who are discovering they did so. I would work with the question, rather than laying it as a judgment. The antidote to lies must be some aspect of the truth, if either concept is to be meaningful. However, when truth is revealed in the context of deception, one common resonse is anger. And I would say that if anything this astrology is calling on us to be aware of whatever comes up and move through it to another space. Anger is productive but only to a point; only if we use it to get in touch with our feelings in general, acknowledge them and use it as fuel to motivate us to strive for something better.
I think anger is an issue that we don’t talk enough about; that we don’t feel safe expressing; and that a lot of us are dragging around. Whether that anger is ‘legitimate’ is one question – and we do have plenty to rage over these days. The more difficult situation is when we feel anger, then try to temper it with guilt, which basically amounts to turning it on ourselves. This creates a space where it’s not only difficult to love, but where we are protected from love.
So in the spirit of Chiron and Neptune, I would ask: do we really need that? Or can we be with our feelings, and at the same time, be a lot kinder and more responsive to ourselves and one another? In the history of our society, that would be a watershed.
Yours & truly,
Note, my Beltane series continues with several new chapters in Book of Blue.
LindaGM, you ain’t no funeral arranger your are a gosh darn miracle worker. How long does it take you to arrange this magic?
victoria . .It really is the so-called simple things, but which are also the vital things; things taken for granted often, and when restored give us enormous pleasure. They almost always make life less complicated, less difficult. I can relate to your joy in receiving the the grace of the snow plow (remembering a blizzard in KC that kept me trapped in my mom’s house for 3 days) but I would probably be less effusive in showing appreciation. None the less, Goddess Gladtohaveyou will always have a shrine in my home. (What am I saying? . . .she IS a shrine!)
Cousins we are forever in spirit and in the critter world. The Koehler however belongs to my ex-husband (one of many), a name which allowed me to hang on to my credit even though I had fallen to the lowly level of divorcee. For that german gift I am grateful. But be I like even better and be is me and always will be. For that victorian gift I am humbled.
bk, I call her glad to have you. It is the simple pleasures of life. The people who provide these simple things find me overly joyful in my greatfulness. I all but fall on the floor at their feet in thanks. Actually I have done that a few times. One winter I was shovelling shovelling shovelling snow. It was one of those storms and a passing snow plow pulled in and with one fell swoop cleared the road to work. Down in the snow I went, head down, arms outstretched in front of me, fanning my arms up and down to the knight and his powerful steed.
If your name be true to your geneological origin, we are not that far apart cousin. My grandfather would have enjoyed the beltane race track lifestyle, but it was not to be.
It is funny to meet you again in the watershed. It is always about the water with me.
Hi cousin victoria . . .what goddess who reigns supreme, the porcelien goddess whose throne you own, . . .what do you call her?
bk, any relation to you?
Fellow Critters, just read that Neptune is having a return to it’s discovery place, “just under 26 degrees of Aquarius” per Jeff Jawer @ StarIQ. That would be the garage-man testing-a-car-battery degree and very near the Moon degree in the U.S. chart. That would increase the emphasis on “new starts” I would think, and according to Dane Rudhyar, it is a symbol of mental efficiency. So all the more reason to discern (per Eric)and use Mercury rx time to sift through all the illusions, fears and pie-in-the-sky theories we Americans have been subjected to lately.
It surely would have relevance regarding the auto industry’s new mandate to decrease consumption of gas in new cars, as well as emissions. We citizens, especially, will have to make sure there’s no Neptunian chicanery involved as these new vehicles roll off the assembly line.
Patty – Poor little Jack is right. Dumped twice and now this! So glad he is finally in a safe place with your family. Maybe the big 3 conjunction is happening right on his Sun!
mystes – Good to know the Romans had a goddess for their sewer system and Cloaca works for me too. But tell me why would someone visit the Paris sewer system – ever?
“Reporting from the Sheissgarten,”
:::::laughing heartily::::: mystes you are so funny with that! I will now forever think of my toilet as the Sheissgarten! Wait till I tell my teens, they will love it!
Eric,
I like the “critter” moniker, it seems to suit us. :::snickering:::
Notes from my place….. we seem to be having an early summer here and weatherwise it looks like the monsoons are also early; weird but so exhilarating. First the clouds roil up, next the afternoon rumbling thunder and huge lightening flashes build up tension and then the rain comes like an orgasm bringing relief and life-giving waters to the dry earth. Sometimes the rain makes a second orgasm with flooding and raging waters that sweep through ravines and gullies like the powerful thrusting and spurting of climax. Everything is washed and wet afterward and the smell of the pine trees and dirt are so refreshing. The earth, like a woman replete, lies replenished and full of life. No wonder things grow in all that wet.
BK: ”
Hey fellow critter. . .does the porcelein goddess have a name? Did anybody notice that Mars is (almost) conjunct Eris? tee hee”
Victorius might have another moniker for her, but the classical name is ‘Cloaca’ – Roman goddess of the sewer system, and a real, live Supramundane (we’ve had a couple of discussions).
I was explaining her function to a mentor of mine a few years ago, then received a postcard from someone visiting the Paris sewer system on the same day. Glory, glory, Cloaca Lives.
Reporting from the Sheissgarten,
M
One of the activities in arranging funerals is calming the waters in turbulent family issues so that no one is left out or isolated – often by longstanding feuds and blocked communication.
This past week I’ve been working on 2 funerals with families that have old issues and – perhaps to the credit of the current astrological climate – they have resolved and siblings are talking to each other after years of strain.
As I closed the coffin on one mum after the kids left her viewing, I was able to tell her with a clear heart – ‘ They left in harmony. Job’s done.’
We found out that our dog is an Aquarius today. Ha. He had a micro-chip so we experienced a few hours of fear this morning at the Vet’s office, then we learned that someone from another state dumped him in our yard. Some things are meant to be, n’est ce pas? We have to sign a contract with the original rescue shelter for little Jack – dumped twice in his short life. The contract says we agree to have him neutered. Poor Jack.
It is the way of the world right now, with all sperm condemned to perdition, or so it seems. That morning after pill is probably the big neptune/chiron surprise for the end of year. What if teen pregnancy goes down to 0 this year? I’ve been wondering about it.
Hey fellow critter. . .does the porcelein goddess have a name? Did anybody notice that Mars is (almost) conjunct Eris? tee hee
Hey it’s just something light for the day. And thee smooth flush of the porcelain goddess is music to mine ears. Critters is good, I like that.
thanks. . . needed that reminder. Will discern and reassess. Will NOT panic. Or cry.
Critters, do you know me as the kind of astrologer who speaks in absolute terms? I am saying be discerning. I am saying, don’t upgrade Office just ‘cus you feel like it now. If your teeth hurt, yes, go to the dentist, but don’t let them run an agenda on you. I am saying that the way to handle this astrology without making additional complicaitons is to take care of the minimum to keep things moving, then reassess.
I agree with victoria . .some stuff just can’t wait. Like going to the dentist when the teeth say NOW!. Had a filling replaced in October, probably the result from grinding and gritting my teeth while working for the Democrats before the election. Then the one next to it had to be replaced right after the election in November. Now, when Mercury is retrograde, the first (I thought) filling had come loose. Emergency trip on Friday to the dentist got it partially repaired, along with perscriptions for pain and antibiotics. By Saturday I discovered that it was the other tooth the dentist had repaired, not the one with the “loose” filling. This Thursday I go back for (previously scheduled) cleaning and”finish” Friday’s work, but as of this hour, don’t know if the dentist knew I was referring to the other tooth (how could he not after that long in my mouth???) but talk about repressed anger. Figure that’s why I was grinding teeth in the first place, and now Mercury rx is why the job is incomplete and why I was whiny and unclear in my first visit. Well, maybe the whiny would have been there anyway.
I agree, this triple conjunction is about spiritual progress, but have read some spooky ideas on how it will manifest, like pandemic, government breakdown, but one theory was an end to the war on terror, at least in Iraq.
Dear Eric
I found this two news items very interesting today and wonder what you think about them – Astrology karma wise – as group most likely responsible for R Ghandi’s assassination loses its battle as his widow makes a striking victory –
see the news headlines below…….
SRI LANKA – Sri Lankans Say Rebels Crushed and Leader Killed
— The Sri Lankan authorities declared a final victory in their 26-year war with the Tamil Tigers on Monday, saying in a state television broadcast that the leader of the insurgents was among 250 fighters killed in a final, bloody battle for the last sliver of rebel-held territory.
INDIA Vote reshapes landscape
Eleven years ago, when she took over as president of India’s oldest political party, Sonia Gandhi was seen as India’s most improbable politician: a foreigner with a shaky command of Hindi, reclusive to the point of seeming aloof, a wife who had fought to keep her husband from joining politics and who lost him to an assassination.
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Today, Mrs. Gandhi, 62, is credited with having scored a stunning political coup. Her Indian National Congress party made its best performance in 25 years in the parliamentary elections completed last week, picking up 205 of 543 seats on its own, and with its coalition partners coming only 12 seats shy of an outright majority. All it needs to do now to form a government is stitch up alliances with a handful of independents and small parti
Goodness, yes! Saturday was rough as spouse & I struggled with feeling safe to express anger. It was a long & pretty miserable day, but a lot of good revelations came from it. Yeah, there are just SO many inner programs that anger means we’re doing something wrong. Good, spirit-focused people don’t get angry, they accept things with equanimity. And ack! I’m a bad person for feeling guilty about it too!! 😉 My does the ego panic when it seems there is no safe ground to stand on…
The idea that anger is pointing to an unexpressed need is just so hard to remember amid the blinding storm. Still, it gets a little easier every time & I’m lucky to have a partner so open to exploring it, even when it hurts.
This has been, without a doubt, one of the most difficult Mercury Retrogrades I can remember.
Mercury rx or not, the plumber is coming today. Some stuff just can’t wait.