Mercury dominates astrology for the next several days, symbolizing major topics on your mind. The dominance begins tonight as the Moon enters mercurial Gemini, where it will occult Jupiter Saturday. The theme will continue tomorrow as the Virgo Sun squares Jupiter from the precise degree of Mercury’s exaltation. Finally, the innermost planet will itself be sending a square to Jupiter late Saturday and receiving a conjunction from the Sun early Monday. The Sun, Moon, and Jupiter are major objects in astrology, and Mercury represents your mind.
Among all the planets, Mercury is swiftest. It is also always found near the solar symbol of consciousness. Being swift like thought and inseparable from the Sun is how Mercury comes to represent the mind. The mythology of Mercury represents the mind’s means.
Because Mercury is visible to the unaided eye, our awareness of it, the mythology surrounding it, and its use in astrology evolved together over thousands of years. In the Greco-Roman mythology, Mercury is the messenger god, who facilitated contact between Mount Olympus and the rest of the world. The Vedic mythology has a consistent story, where, as expressed by Vedic astrologer Komilla Sutton, “The birth of Mercury or intellect happens when the pure soul comes into contact with the outside world.” Therefore, Mercury is not only the tiny spark that orbits near the great light of solar consciousness to bring self-awareness, it is also the means by which a sentient mind makes itself known to others.
As ruler of Gemini, Mercury currently has Jupiter in its domain. The expansive nature of Jupiter is thus being applied to broadcast the mind and its means far and wide (vis a vis the national conventions of both major parties within a week of each other), a fitting image for a presidential election year in the United States. The image carries over to the Sun’s current placement in mid-Virgo, the degree where Mercury is exalted. Similarly, because the Sun and Jupiter are the two largest objects in the solar system, their square aspect tomorrow aptly symbolizes the presidential contest as it takes place in your mind.
Whether or not you live in the United States, you would be justified being mindful of who its president is. As commander-in-chief of the United States armed forces, the president of the U.S.A. can act, or not act, to affect every being on Earth. That’s a lot to have at stake. The square from Sun to Jupiter, as mediated by Mercury, is thus indicative of the mental tension that comes with contemplating whether an incumbent who has sustained war is preferable to a challenger who pledges to start a new and wider conflict. Adding to the tension is the suspicion that the authentic intent of the United States electorate, come Election Day in November, may be blocked by Mercury turning retrograde on that day, a concern symbolized by Jupiter’s occultation by the Moon on Saturday.
Occultation is an authentic term. It means one celestial object moving to block another object from our view. That’s what the Moon will do to Jupiter again on Saturday. Again, because we are nearly halfway through a period of nine consecutive months when Luna’s sojourn in Gemini will include a brief eclipse of the largest planet.
The timing of this month’s lunar obfuscation of Jupiter implicitly indicates that one of the candidates we are concerned with may be at a disadvantage if the voting process is not entirely transparent and accountable. Mercury’s square to Jupiter, 12 hours after the lunar occultation, may reflect some thoughts about acting on the election’s outcome.
Squares are most appropriately resolved by action. Given the context of the astrology, Mercury’s square to Jupiter late Saturday implies a decision to act by voting. In any election where there is the possibility of prestidigitation, the surest and most civil means of override is simply to vote and work to encourage others to do the same. It is much more difficult to reverse the intent of the electorate if the number of people voting is overwhelming and in earnest. Setting your mind on voting is also the surest way of resolving any conflict between awareness and intent, allowing for a consciousness unified with the mind.
The Sun’s conjunction to Mercury on Monday will therefore represent favorable circumstances for bringing your mind into line with your consciousness. It will not happen by itself, however. As with all things astrology, you must participate. For the next several days, your participation will be sufficient if it is represented by thinking about the major issues we face, but come next week it will be time for action.
Offered In Service
Len is available for astrology readings. You can contact him at lenwallick [at] gmail [dot] com.
mia, be, Burning River: Thank you all so very much for your kind and generous comments.
Great heads-up, Len. I was involved with a political action today and the discussion was turned to the Merc retrograde on election day. It was taken seriously (the upcoming retrograde) and options were discussed. Here in Ohio we received today out ballots for early voting. I believe there is still time for early vote ballots to be requested nation wide. To intend to vote and do it within the next week (which is what we activists are doing in Ohio) and to intend to vote and have something interfere with that during the next 8 weeks could be offset by early voting taken seriously and done now. Just Sayin’. Taking our vote seriously at this time could not be more important, it appears to me, from observing the polls and the astrology.
((((Len))))
Thanks for the good advice Len. My mind was doing its own thing while reading your offering just now. I was recalling that less than a week ago at the time of the Pisces Full Moon, Mercury was at 28+ Leo and square the Moon’s nodes which are now in Scorpio and Taurus. Mercury being at the South Bending of the nodes suggested there was information and thought to be released or “given away” during this time. I suppose the Democrats and even the Republicans could fulfil that requisition, but maybe there’s even more to come. Especially since you reminded us of the Moon’s occultation of Jupiter and the square between Jupiter and Mercury.
I also thought of Okyrhoe when you said that Mercury was the swiftest planet because Okyrhoe’s name means swift running and fast flowing. Okyrhoe, Chiron’s daughter has been conjunct Chariklo her mother for ever so long, that is to say, the two centaurs named for them. They have been in the 7+ degree of Sagittarius, retrograde and now direct, and have made contact with many other planets and objects in that degree of other signs recently. Like Uranus at 7 Aries whom they trine and who is the higher octave of Mercury, and of course, the Full Moon conjunct their father/husband Chiron in Pisces. Since Okyrhoe’s mother Chariklo can refer to “glamour, glitter, celebrity and charisma, it seems likely that much of that will influence our thinking as the Democrat convention brings the curtain down this evening.
Also, as the Moon enters Gemini early tomorrow morning it will be Apogee, or the greatest distance away from Earth. That means we may experience a sense of calm, listlessness or even icky (“malaise” is what Richard Nolle would call it). Too much fun I would guess. Or burnout. Whatever, that’s a lot of influence on our personal Mercury’s and though he is ever so clever, even the Trickster can get overwhelmed with too much information. Or not. Maybe it’s just my own Mercury that’s on overload. Glad the emotional influence is going to be subdued, if even for a day.
So Vote Early and Often as they used to say, heh heh. Or maybe I shouldn’t say that, even in jest. The point is to make your vote count, even if you still need to think about it, though personally I can’t imagine why if you are reading the information provided by PlanetWaves.
be
Another wonderful and extremely important article, Len. Thank you. It gives one pause to consider the one vote each of us cast as American citizens and the pickle we find ourselves in at this moment in time. As you have reminded me in my personal readings with you, we are all in this together. This thought should remain up front and center as we move through these next several months.
As an Aquarian I would like to vote for revolution, just like the Beatles:
“You say you want a rev-o-lu-tion, you know, we all want to change the world.”
Perhaps being vigilant with myself now and moving forward will inform my decision and allow me not vote for a third party or write-in candidate.
And thank you again for your guidance and advice regarding my current project that represents the culmination of my career in the arts and humanities.
You are the best, Len!