When Mercury enters the echo (or “shadow”) phase before its next retrograde by passing 18+ Aquarius at 3:46 pm EST tomorrow, pay attention. See what is in front of you. Hear the sounds that reach you. Smell every scent, taste flavors, and feel every sensation as if it were an echo (or foreshadowing) from the future, because it just might be. That’s how Mercury retrograde cycles work.
To visualize how a Mercury retrograde cycle works on the zodiac circle, think of a windshield wiper making its first three swipes. The first swipe, from right to left (in direct motion) is the echo phase that begins tomorrow.
The first swipe gives you information about the state of both the windshield wiper (or Mercury) and the windshield (the portion of the zodiac circle that Mercury will traverse two more times).
The second swipe of the windshield wiper (from left to right) is the retrograde part of the cycle. Mercury’s apparent reverse motion begins Feb. 6 at 3+ Pisces. The retrograde swipe revisits the same swath of windshield (or zodiac) as the first swipe, but in reverse order. Hence, a different perspective on the same information is conveyed, a perspective you will be able to use if you paid attention the first time.
Finally, on Feb. 28, Mercury returns to 18+ Aquarius (where it will be tomorrow), beginning the third swipe (from right to left again), by returning to direct motion for the second echo (or “shadow”) phase, which ends on March 20 — the Vernal Equinox.
When the Sun enters Aries for the Vernal Equinox on March 20, Mercury will cease to behave like a windshield wiper. By leaving 3+ Pisces behind for another year, Mercury will enter new territory at about the same time the Sun begins a new year for astrologers by crossing the Aries Point.
What happens in the world between tomorrow and astrology’s new year, nobody can predict for sure. If there is something to the windshield wiper metaphor, however, Mercury can give you an idea.
That’s because Mercury corresponds to ideas, and other forms of experience that either originate in or inform your mind. That’s how it’s a good idea to put an emphasis on paying attention starting tomorrow.
Tomorrow will begin your mind’s first pass through information it will revisit from a different perspective beginning Feb. 6. If you pay attention starting tomorrow, the different perspective will not throw you off. You will recognize the information previously experienced, and learn more deeply from it as a benefit of the change in perspective.
If properly taken, the deeper learning conveyed through the period of Mercury’s apparent reverse motion will prepare you for third swipe of Mercury’s retrograde cycle — the second echo/shadow phase from Feb. 28 to March 20. Much like the third swipe of a properly functional windshield wiper, the three weeks between Mercury’s return to direct motion and the Vernal Equinox should serve to clear everything up so that you can better see what’s ahead.
What better time to see ahead clearly than the beginning of a new year? Think of it as a second chance if the inebriations or distractions of the civil new year (which started Jan. 1) got you off on the wrong foot. You could do a lot worse than to begin again with the Sun, and it all starts tomorrow with Mercury. So pay attention for the next several weeks and pay yourself some benefits for the year to come in the bargain.
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Len is available for astrology readings. You can contact him at lenwallick [at] gmail [dot] com.
Lolly K, aword, be, Chief Niwots Son, annmarie6166, and Jan: Apologies for being late with my thanks for each of you, in your own way, bringing light to to Mercury’s shadow phase. Please accept my gratitude as sincere and heartfelt, albeit tardy.
Got new wiper blades and still have washer fluid from the last Merc Rx in water signs. Got the driver’s log open to a new page, pen ready for all the notes on the view through the windshield. Looking for mile markers? Oh, yeah. And the “oasis” at the astrological new year, even if it does trigger that pesky Aries point.
Thanks, Len, for an awesome analogy on the retrograde perspective.
JannKinz
I have a feeling it’s going to be a long year ~ My Sun/Mercury is at 17 Aqua and my solar return is Feb 6 ~ Also my Mars is at 5 degrees Pisces opposing my Moon @ 1 degree Virgo,,,not exactly in the zone but in close orb ~ Meanwhile Saturn is on my desc 21 degrees and Pluto is transiting my solar 12th and Uranus my natal 12th ~ So I would assume the Universe is actively seeking my attention and there are lessons up for review this 48th year on planet earth ~ Nice write up, I will be focusing on my perspective with great intent 🙂 ~
I feel better already, no more of those watery retrogrades of the year past. This message feels fun and hopeful, and opportunity for a fresh and highly conscious beginning at the Equinox. 3 Pisces is near my natal Chiron and opposite natal Pluto, having Mercury dancing on this Natal opposition is particularly encouraging for bringing more attention and awareness to this deep part of myself. Thank you Len being the bearer of such good hope!
I’m lovin’ this windshield wiper visual Len and can already see some advantages. Not personally (alas my focus is elsewhere at the moment, however tomorrow I will re-focus) but in my fun astrology project. I became very curious about the Port Authority office for NY-NJ this weekend when Hoboken NJ mayor Dawn Zimmer charged that Gov. Christie was withholding Sandy funds for her city until she approved a development project singling out property owned by the Rockefeller group. This group’s lawyer is also an executive of the Port Authority which would be the provider of the funds for the property development. Ms. Zimmer implies that she is suspicious of singling out only the Rockefeller property (3 blocks out of a dozen or so abandoned blocks of property) for development which isn’t fair to the other property owners. The lawyer for the Rockefeller group who is also the Director (I believe that’s his title) of the Port Authority is tight with Gov. Christie. I got a chart for the 92 year old Port Authority and was blown away by it’s triple conjunction of Chiron, Vesta and Nessus at 11+ Aries because trans. Pluto is now square it and trans. Uranus will conjunct it March.
Then I got the chart for Mayor Zimmer and found that her Eris (discord) is at 11+ Aries! When transiting Mercury reaches new territory (not covered by the windshield wiper) and the Vernal Equinox takes place, trans. Uranus will have reached 11+ Aries and transiting Jupiter will reach 11+ Cancer when the Sun reaches 11+ Aries. It’s like waiting for the first daffodils to bloom. 🙂
be
Thank you, Len for getting specific about the upcoming Merc retro.
Once again common aspects are affecting me uncommonly, and so I have no metaphor, and only fact to ponder: Merc begins its first “swipe” on natal Chyron at 18AQ, then passes natal Merc at 24AQ and natal Sun at 2PI — then swipes in backward and forward motion over these important natal points.
Meantime obviously, I will experience a solar return….and at the same time Merc will have passed my natal Sun for the third swipe, the Sun will be upon natal DML at 0AR and making it’s way to TrueBlackMoon/Chaos at 5AR and Moon/Eris/Zeus at 8AR. You know – where Uranus is hanging out and trining my natal Uranus at 8Leo.
Considering that change will come anyway — without my volition — I will be consciously looking for new perspective, new ideas; open mind, open heart, open eyes.
Because of course; this is the whole point of clearing the windshield.
Thank you.
I love the analogy. The snowy conditions currently being endured require that 3rd swipe to completely and properly clear the field of vision with no streaks. This Mercury retrograde might see me paying a little more attention to the nuances.