Mercury will work its way through the last half of Aries in the next ten days. That pace is not unusual. What’s truly remarkable is that the innermost planet first entered the domain of cardinal fire two full months ago. The recently concluded Mercury retrograde cycle, which took up most of March and April, accounts for the paradox. Now that the swiftest planet is accelerating through territory long deferred, it may account for your itch to do a little exploring.
The sky implies a desire to explore right now. Since Mercury corresponds to mind and its means, your itch has probably become an idea. Current astrology says your strategy should be to thoughtfully expand upon that idea rather than immediately scratch the itch and inflame it.
The potential for inflammation is the first thing you should be aware of as you make plans to explore. Mercury in late Aries will have its hands full with more than a handful of centaur planets this week and next. Encounters with centaur energy are always best approached consciously and carefully because they often coincide with latent or potential irritation. Therefore, if you go on a day hike, wear an extra pair of socks and apply arnica or moleskin before you need it. If you will be meeting new people, lay off the alcohol so you can be cool and real.
If your itch is more intellectual than physical or social, start slow and humble so as not to overwhelm yourself. A small measure of anticipation is better than a massive amount of regret. Besides preparing for the anticipated, another part of exploring is being open to the unexpected. That’s where Uranus, another current occupant of Aries, comes in.
The discovery of Uranus was unexpected. William Herschel had no idea there were other planets beyond Saturn and wasn’t looking for them. Instead, he was doing some exploring, surveying they sky for binary stars, when he chanced upon an object previously seen several times but not properly identified. Herschel’s advantage was a better telescope than previous observers had been equipped with, allowing him to discern a reflective disc where others had seen only a point of light, presuming it to be a star. Interestingly, Mercury was engaged in another long trip through Aries at the time of Sir William’s discovery. Also, just as now, both Mercury and Uranus were connected with another fire sign, Sagittarius.
Among other things, the expression of fire specific to Sagittarius fuels the expansiveness which is both required of and derived from exploration. When Herschel identified his new, unexpected planet, Mercury was occupying Aries, and Mars, ruler of Aries, was inhabiting Sagittarius, opposing Uranus at its Gemini discovery position. Now, from their common residence in the Martian kingdom, both Mercury and Uranus are approaching flowing fire trine aspects to points in Sagittarius that will indicate the state of your own expansion into the new, unexplored, and probably unexpected chapter your own life is about to enter.
Most of the centaur objects Mercury will encounter while completing its tour through the realm of the ram are long-term residents of Sagittarius. As it trines one Sagittarius centaur after another over the coming days, Mercury’s mental archetype will comprehend a continuous fiery flow that, if not properly handled, could get away from you, burning you out before your explorations begin. Your best approach is to practice precautions that allow you to be present to the fire without being consumed by it. The concurrent fire trine from Uranus, on the other hand, is more of a slow burn.
Unlike swift Mercury, Uranus moves slowly and its itch is of the seven-year variety, corresponding to the amount of time it takes for Herschel’s discovery to complete a single sign transit. Practically stationary at a corresponding degree of Sagittarius is the mean lunar north node, marking one end of the axis where eclipses will soon converge and where your own explorations will converge with their consequences. If Mercury’s centaur trines are the rapid fire this time, Uranus trine the lunar north node is what will smolder for a long time. That sort of flame requires a different kind of care and a longer, sharper focus to discern the true nature of its light.
What burns slowly also burns long. Long after Mercury has left Aries behind, Uranus and the nodal axis will continue rubbing together, gradually igniting a new era. That era will be baptized in the fire of next month’s eclipse cycle, incubating your explorations through what will be the most powerfully transformational year in many lifetimes. So heed your itch. There is no use trying to put it out, but also choose carefully how you attend to it. The path you take will be your own.
Offered In Service
Len is available for astrology readings. You can contact him at lenwallick [at] gmail [dot] com.
🙂
Many thanks to all for the fun and thoughtful chain of comments (and the road sign!), in the meantime m thoughts drift to how and where centaurs scratch themselves (perhaps even in the time-honored tradition of baseball).
I’m thinking the ears since most of the pictures of the male centaurs seem to have a bulge on the front below the torso that looks like it needs to be covered with a codpiece. Does this mean that centaurs have two sets of genitals? This mythology stuff is peculiar. The amazing things one can learn from the PW blog… 😉
Ears. Behind the ears. Way up on top. Ears.
JannKinz
Great road signs, Katie!
zerosity: Carefully? And behind the ears.
Len: Just to be on the safe side, I probably need to put up one of these:
http://danmoynihan.blogspot.ca/2009/10/what-i-think-about-when-i-drive-by.html
You scratch his back, and he’ll scratch yours?
How does one scratch a centaur? And where? Just asking, albeit a bit late.
JannKinz
Whoa! Love that funny bone, Len. Beltane fires are heating you up a little? I can almost hear you smile.
Thanks Len!
Y’know, you and others write “the most powerfully transformational year in many lifetimes”. And I keep thinking nothing is happening in my life. I mean, I’m grateful for everything I have no doubt. But then I kick my ass out this idea that I’m not doing anything or enough or whatever. And then I realize, yes, I am WELL underway in monumental changes. Deeply awakening and psychological, but private and personal. Yes it started with Pluto right away entering Cap, but it’s on a beautiful role. And as I battle boundary issues with my mom, cultivate intentions that are self empowering, and continue to nourish myself (sexual nourishment is huge right now), my psychology is changing rapidly and perhaps profoundly. So many things are connected to sexuality for me, from being present with urges, to articulating and cultivating ideas, to being creative and expressive, to being present with people and friends, to having more self assurance. When people write of this feeling of things speeding up, it feels more like covering more ground in less time. I have so much still to cover, but man, you wouldn’t have recognized me 5 years ago. And what’s 5 years? A finger snap…
Thank you dear Len, for your advice. So very very helpful – made me think of my fav Bob Marley song, Simmer Down:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybmPHD7FPcQ. Funny that you mentioned the centaur crossing signs, cos that was the first image that came to my mind – naughty centaurs clattering across a road!
And thank you, as ever, Be! “Mars will perhaps lean more toward the practical applications of Virgo and less toward over-thinking the life out of things once Mercury leaves Aries”. Thank bloody god! Not much longer now….(where’s that spliff..)
Pholus and Ixion are conjunct my natal Venus and Mars in the 1st House. Thanks for the heads up!
Mercury was really picky tonight and I have still advantage to divert my intention and prepare the idea of a news article that I had not yet initiated from this angle. I am quite happy for me to have well used mercury using a set of color to mimic the scratches of the Gemini as the thoroughness of the Virgin
Whoops! Correction: that’s transit Pluto conjunct natal Mars (in the 1st) square that Uranus transiting the 4th and opposing…oh well, never mind!
P.S. Oh and in the meantime, I am aware that my ignition is set to “explosion without warning” and try to be mindful of that. But when a spark hits that spot, it just GOES. Something to do with trs. Pluto conjunct natal Mercury and approaching that Uranus square?
Hmmm…no ideas yet! Those I’ve pondered the past several months (or more) have yet to ignite. In fact, just this past week, I received the intuition not to act, for the most part, on any of my impulses (not the same as ideas, but all I seem to get these days ) I’ve had a few thoughts on what to do next. I’m pulled to attend the Astrology Conference in New Orleans, but a little reality check and I realize that, with budget matters at the moment, I should sit tight. Then I ran across a Literary Festival right here in Denver in June! Sigh. Again, budget considerations (in the short run) gave me pause. Again, my guidance said, “Nope! Just sit it out for now.” And I had the thought to take some action in my domestic sphere i.e. stay home and hang pictures (we just purchased the new home after a long hiatus moving from Alaska and selling that home), instead of attending the writing seminars, just sit down at the computer and f*&#king write, and, for now, watch those videos on astrology you purchased some time back since you can’t go to New Orleans.
Some ways back, I noticed Uranus heading into Aries, my fourth house of home and ancestry. Well, the move from Alaska to here fits and it’s interesting that “here” is my hometown, the one I left about 18 years ago for parts unknown. But I’m surprised to find so much activity with my family of origin. I kind of thought Uranus there would mean separation and estrangement. And it may yet. But so far, I sense unbridled change in the family dynamics – change there hitherto undreamt…I’m trying not to get sucked in (I detached from my assigned role and attachment there long ago) but it feels like something’s working hard to involve me there whether I consciously choose such or not.
The fits and starts continue. I think that has something to do with Uranus opposite Saturn. I am guessing that when Saturn moves on into Scorpio this fall, the stop and start might cease and acceleration may proceed?
Thank you Len for your offerings, always appreciated by me and daily. And thanks to the regular commenters here. I always enjoy your musings.
Centaurs have always made me horny, but proportionally seem a bit impractical, but maybe with a little Tantric positioning, all could yet be well…but maybe I could be a girl centaur!! Now there’s a lovely thought that could improve the fit!!
egads, it’s already started! It’s a good thing Merc has many facets to accommodate the many faces he will be dealing with, huh? Many thanks Len for the play list and the guffaws; any chance we can get a red-hot around here?
biren, until you get better advice, I would think that mercury trine the centaurs would provide some easy opportunities to “communicate” with, become aware of, and develop certain latent under-developed skills and/or behaviors in yourself or others. Being in fire signs this could show up through activities that require spontenaity and/or inspiration such as sports, theater and uh, exploration.
be
thanks len… maybe you saved me a lot of ‘burns’ with that one…
seriously!
🙂
Thank you, Len! I shall look these fellows up so I’m familiar with the starting line-up.
Considering natal Pholus (now that you mention him) opposes natal Uranus (and apparently natal Uranus at 8 Leo has something to do with the US Sibley chart per Be a few days ago) I will be on the edge of my seat for that ball game.
(And transiting Pholus is pitching to (on) natal Saturn. while transiting Uranus warms up on natal Moon/Eris).
This one feels like it’ll be out of the park.
‘)
This funny bone business reminds me of my youngest daughter. When asked if she was romantic, she seriously replied “I have a romantic bone, Mom.” She is 17, Pisces sun with Libra rising and moon. She is so practical and serious (and is my gifted child who graduated from HS at 16 and is attending college with her sisters who are 2.5 years older). Yet she has a dry and sophisticated wit that will knock your funny socks off.
Len has a funny bone! Cool! Very good article and advice you have there, thanks!
Merc is tickling yer funny bone, Len — thanks for the chuckles and the road signs.
this fire has burned slowly for too long looking for another worthy enough of fanning the flame proper, and all the birds fucking around and in front of me isn’t helping end this seven year variety of an itch. too easy to find a centaur to scratch, so will keep tending carefully, sharpening the focus in finding a true light to ignite.
aword: Please see my reply to be (below).
biren: Thank you for the important question. Centaurs are always positive if you approach the encounter with awareness, avoid taking on what you don’t need, and leave the past with them when you move on.
Huffy – Thank you, that’s the ticket, it’s cooking. Please let it simmer and don’t let your reach exceed your grasp.
Katie Vee: You are most welcome. What? They don’t have centaur crossing signs in your state? These darn budget cuts always hit the minorities first.
MandyM: Thank you. It appears that you know something of the rites. Please remember, be present to the fire, not consumed by it. It’s something like sunscreen, but more ancient.
be: Thank you as always, you hero, you. While you smack down Mr. Pluto, here’s the run down on the Centaurs (“get `cher program!”): It started appropriately this morning, right after midnight, when Mercury conjoined the centaur object named after the Centaur’s homeland, Pelion. Then tomorrow, it’s a fire trine to Amycus in Sagittarius, followed by a sextile to Thereus in Juh-Juh-Gemini. Wednesday, Mercury trines the trans-Neptunian object named after Ixion, the irredeemable father of the Centaurs (also in Sagittarius) followed three hours later by a trine to hard-luck good-guy centaur Pholus, which is very nearly conjunct Ixion (poor guy). Thursday it’s yet another fire trine to Hylonome, yet again in Sadge. Friday brings Mercury’s conjunction to Bienor followed on Sunday by (yup, you guessed it) another trine to to another centaur in Sagittarius – Echeclus, followed by a sextile to Nessus in Aquarius. On Monday, the Centaurs open a three game series against the Yankees, you can still get tickets on line at dubya, dubya, dubya, gene splice dot com.
dear len,
what would be the positive aspect of mercury’s encounter with the centaurs in the coming weeks – if any?
Thank you, Len. I too look forward to hearing more from you on those Centaurs. What with natal Uranus at 8 Leo on my AC, I complete my very own Fire Trine with said transiting NN and transiting Uranus. I anticipate an interesting year.
We can always depend on wise and cautious advice from you Len. Nobody should get careless or hasty when dealing with fire, but when it catches you unexpectedly you might not remember the basic rules. Now that we see the velocity of the two types of fire in our futures, we should, hopefully, manage that energy to our advantage.
I was thinking of how the mutual reception presently existing between Mars and Mercury will also change the fire ratio to the mental processes. Taurus will cool off Mercury’s thought pattern for sure, and Mars will perhaps lean more toward the practical applications of Virgo and less toward over-thinking the life out of things once Mercury leaves Aries. In fact, maybe thinking and acting will become more compatible than of late as the two symbols will share the same element. That would be nice. So would you please give us a little heads up when the furry-bottomed centaurs team up with Mercury if you can? I’d hate to fizzle out just when I’m cookin’ on all 4 burners just because I’d lost track of the little guys, what with dealing with all the Pluto challenges. Thanks Len!
be
Ahhhh, the burning cleanse from centuries of Centurian Rome. Followed by the Marriage Supper of the Divine (Juno opposite Jupiter). And the Phoenix shall rise from the ashes.
Len, thank you for the guidance. Your words are always so helpful!
Huffy, thank you for the giggle. I’ll keep my eyes open for centaurs too! 😉
Thanks so much, dear Len. I’ll be careful not to scratch that itch too much, and to watch out for those frisky centaurs! Something’s definitely cooking, but feels pretty intangible as yet, just out of my grasp.