Mercury enters Aquarius shortly after 1 pm EST on Friday for a speedy but eventful tour until Valentine’s Day. As one would expect, the fleetest planet will not waste any time. The action begins just before Mercury’s actual ingress to Aquarius and continues on through the weekend with a theme that will appear to suggest a discouraging choice between discomfort or delusion. In fact, your life will provide a more pleasing and productive alternative if you spare a few moments for attention today and follow up by acting to open communications with other people as this week draws to a close.
The reason to start paying attention now is that the Sun and Moon have just finished blazing a trail for the Aquarian path Mercury will follow at the end of the week. In doing so, the archetypes for your conscious awareness (Sun) and unconscious reflection (Moon) have already reconnoitered what your mind (Mercury) will follow to process. To make the connection between the reconnaissance and the processing, try this experiment.
Forgetting about astrology for the moment, find some time to make a short list today. Note down what reached through the background and really grabbed your waking attention yesterday and this morning. It could be anything from a piece of information to a sensation, or even a song you can’t get out of your head. Have faith in your perspicacity. If you can remember anything from your dreams last night, add those impressions as well. Then, put the list in an envelope until Friday morning when Mercury approaches Aquarius.
The nature of Mercury’s first few days in Aquarius will be symbolically foreshadowed by its last few hours in Capricorn early Friday. That’s when the innermost planet will reach out to both Saturn and the goddess asteroid Juno with contrasting effect. Saturn, for its part, will be loitering in the last degree of Libra, preparing to pivot and pull back into retrograde next month. That will make Mercury’s aspect to Saturn an anaretic cardinal square, implying probable frustration in communicating or negotiating with an impersonal power structure. As unsurprising as that may be, you need not feel as though you are without recourse; that’s where Juno comes in.
Juno is about connection, or the lack of it, and the consequences of both. When you feel that frustration with the established order late Thursday or early Friday, that’s when you want to find your envelope and fetch up your friends. Whether you pick up the phone, log on to a social network, send an e-mail or visit in person, find personal connections instead of talking to the hand. To prevent the discussions from degrading into a comparison of sore toes, strive to begin each communication with the phrase “Have you noticed…?” The responses you receive will serve to either temper your perception or create the basis for participation. That foundation will serve you well when the events on your list reincarnate in a different form, courtesy of the Moon.
Immediately after Mercury enters Aquarius on Friday, it will begin talking to a triple conjunction in early Aries. The constituents of that Aries stellium will be the Moon, Uranus and Ceres. The lunar component will correspond to the contents of your envelope, ripened by your reflection. Uranus will represent an awakening in what the Moon reveals, and Ceres will symbolize the nourishment that awakening can provide. The place, the Aries Point, where the three energies conjoin is where our separate existences come together all at once. In order to put the power of Mercury’s collaboration to work, you will need to keep your own conversations going. For many of us, it will mean overcoming some powerful inhibitors. Those inhibitions will be characterized when Mercury comes under the influence of Neptune and Jupiter.
As soon as Mercury enters Aquarius, we will likely sense the fog of Neptune on the other end of the same sign. In that haze will be the easy temptation of withdrawing from participation in favor of the distractions so abundantly available to our minds through electronic medium or substance abuse. We will concurrently encounter a distinct possibility of prevarications accompanied by the probability of confusion and misunderstanding. Even the spiritual potential that will almost certainly become available when Mercury shares the same countenance with Neptune is more likely to isolate than connect us, especially if we allow ourselves to reflexively withdraw from discomfort.
Before Mercury completes its first weekend in Aquarius, the temptations of Neptune will be countered by an uncomfortable challenge from Jupiter in Taurus. The aspect will be a square and therefore reminiscent of the frustrations encountered through the established order. It will be crucial, however, to realize the difference between being pushed back into your place and feeling pushed out to find your place. We will feel Mercury’s square to Jupiter from within as a pressure to expand ourselves outward from ideal conceptions to real connections. Odds are that the list you make today will contain the seeds of that distinction, but those seeds will not germinate in isolation.
Somewhere near where your body sleeps, it is likely that other people who think like you are already talking. Failing that, it is almost certain that other people who notice the same things you do are looking for somebody to compare notes, affirm awareness and test ideas in collaboration. When Mercury, the archetype of thoughts and their expression, enters Aquarius, the field where the individual finds the collective, it will be up to you to overcome your frustrations, avoid the easy temptations, and either join an existing conversation or get one started. You can take the first simple step by making that list today.
Offered In Service
dear len, it happens often that I fail to see your post as it comes later in the day when I come-a-reading. so days go by and I wonder if I’ve missed something along the way … and indeed I have!! so not sure you’ll see this, but here it is, my belated response to this post.
JUNO?!?!? Whaaaaa? I had gone and put her down to some jealousy senario and let it go. I am intrigued by your mention of Juno and connection, or the lack thereof. How truly fascinating. Talk about a missing piece, perhaps. I’ve got a Scorpio Moon with Mr. Talk to the Hand himself (Saturn) within degrees. Then, within 2 degrees is my little glyph of part of fortune conjunct Juno. Hmmmm. This whole natal chart thing just gets juicier and jucier, eh???
And, if I may, I was having the freaking BEST DREAMS ever and then it all stopped. Could it be that my Neptune transit is done? Even though Neptune’s nearly ingressed Pisces, it’s still only 4 or 5 degrees away.
mary
ps: always a lovely read, btw
Thanks Be and Amanda.
Amanda,
Thanks for this information as I don’t do Facebook. Alex uses 9:42 PM local time but I don’t know his source. I couldn’t get the info for Tuscany or Giglio so I used Rome and got pretty much the same chart as Mr. Miller. His chart had Virgo rising with Moon conjunct Mars on the asc., Mercury (chart ruler in this case) conjunct Pluto in the 4th, and Venus conjunct Neptune in the 6th house of hired help, with Venus ruling 9th house of long distance travel. Mercury would also rule the 10th house. Astrology is so accomodating isn’t it? Hearing the first crunch makes sense to me.
I agree, it would be fascinating to see other charts, like the Titanic sinking or the birthchart for Costa Concordia to compare and progress. I haven’t checked today but Atlantis must be conjunct the north node by now and was no doubt near the nadir of Alex’s chart on Friday the 13th. Seems to be saying something prophetic. Thanks for sharing and for your interest.
be
Carrie -think it’s our minds (thoughts) that drive us crazy all the time, making us believe we have to ‘fix’ ourselves in some way, that our lives (or we) aren’t good enough as they are. Let those thoughts chill a bit. Sounds like you manage your life a lot better than many. Have you read The Power of Now?, check out the author Eckhart Tolle on youtube – he’s really good on this stuff.
bkoehler — you should track down eric’s FB posts on the criuse ship disaster (i hadn’t thought he’d looked at the chart, since he didn’t post it here). he also pegged alcohol/drugs with the captain, but (if i recall) based that on venus conj neptune on the descendant (along with some other factors).
he wrote to me in an email (not sure if he posted more to FB):
Hi Len
I came across an article 2 weeks ago on Terpsichore, and some of the asteroids in the chart of dancers ( Ulanova, Plisetskaya ). Terpsichore in my natal chart is @ 23 deg Aquarius and makes a conjunction with Pholus. * I love dancing!
Anyhow.. I researched this a little deeper taking note of the upcoming conjunction of Terpsichore & Juno !
Len,
Yes, transiting Chiron hit my natal Chiron (27 deg Aqu 52 min) already and is currently sitting (at 3 deg Pisces 9 min) right on my Sun (3 deg Pisces 24 min). So yes, lots of self work going on and introspection.
Neptune is transiting between my Chiron and Sun right now as well.
Mars almost touched my north node (at 24 deg Virgo) in the first house and is now going backwards in that house.
Yep…I am a very busy lady right about now. Thanks for your kind words too, Len.
Amanda, stormilarue, Brendan, starrynight3, aword, be and Carrie: Thank you and keep those envelopes handy.
Carrie: You are in the vicinity of a Chiron return. Good timing (for real) during a Mars retrograde in Virgo. A self-examined life is good but please be patient with yourself and others as you allow gradual improvement to be a good return on your investments of time and energy.
This so so weird. Things always seem to happen to me a few days BEFORE PW writers say they will. That list? I was having a LOT of stuff come up Friday morning, during the day Friday, and Saturday morning and all day Saturday. By Sunday morning, things were pretty dormant in the background and this morning I dreamed my mother began smoking.
The list for Friday morning etc? :::warning, this may sound whiny::::
1. I feel like I don’t really known how to relate to people; I always feel like I am getting it wrong somehow. I seem too blunt or extrapolate things based on what they say or do only to find I was incorrect. It seems to irritate people too.
2. I wish I could just find people I fit into; I even wrote it on my FB that I get tired of being the green egg in a sea of orange ones.
3. Why is it that every time I feel compelled to do something, I find that I have to do it from the bottom and reinvent the wheel? For example, two years ago I asked around if there was a homeschool co-op and coordinated activities that were secular. Nope, I had to try to start it from the ground up and it was like herding turtles or cats; I had no success. It took enormous time and energy but got nowhere.
A current example is that now that I know what my mom is (NPD) I wanted to find a support group for myself (as a part of my self-work that I have been doing for years). I called around every psych clinic; even the local regional behavioral health authority. Nope, no adult children of narcissists groups (ACON) anywhere. Each time I called they asked me if I wanted to start one. grrrrr.
4. I finally figured out what kind of writer I am (editorialist) but also found that very few women occupy that position in any leading media in this country. So if I wanted to be able to do that eventually, it would mean being a trail blazer (again!).
5. What does it mean that at every turn, I feel compelled to write or do things but find I cannot due to having to set up the groundwork to even begin? It would be like wanting to be a journalist but having to start up a local paper first just to be able to write for it. That’s the kind of thing I am talking about.
I am soon going to be 52. While I have waaay more energy than people ten and twenty years younger than I, it won’t last forever and it is finite.
6. I don’t know if I am doing a good job teaching my son; he is behind in some things because I had to go to school to live off the student loan money so catching him up will take a lot of work. I feel bad about all that.
*******************************************************
These are going in my envelope for Friday.
Thanks, Len.
Dear Len:
Thank you for a particularly beautiful and brilliant post. I almost never remember my dreams, but there has been a niggling feeling in the back of my mind that definitely wants/needs to be addressed.
As I look at Friday’s chart, it’s not hard to notice Mr. Fleet-of-Foot himself reminding me that I can continue in slow/hard mode or change my mind in favor of something bigger and easier. The choice is clear. I can’t wait for the results.
Be, If intuition counts for anything; immediately upon glancing the story I felt “alcohol”. I’m not into “fortune cookies”, but hey! that’s what struck (no pun). It will be interesting to hear the outcome of that and the other “stories” (that are surely) currently underway.
The stinging scorpion WAS good while it lasted, yes? 😉
I’ll do it Len, I’ll make a list, albeit a short one. What stands out from the background of yesterday was, for me, how Newt Gingrich and his fellow Repubs are vying for the party’s presidential nomination. The things they are saying about each other is making us Dems snicker when we hear the soundbites the media folks share with us. It reminded me of the old story of how a scorpion will sting itself to death under certain circumstances. I thought, well, that’s cool, maybe they will just sting the Republican party to death. Then I looked the story up on Google and found out it wasn’t true. I did learn the most popular version of the story is that alcohol is the reason the scorpion stings itself to death (which isn’t true).
That reminded me of the other thing that stood out about yesterday, and which I will add to the list. Alex Miller writes for the Daykeeper Journal that the cruise ship Costa Concordia was possibly sunk due to alcohol. He bases this possibility on the astrological chart for the accident on Friday the 13th because the midheaven at 13 Gemini has asteroid Francis (#2050, representing the captain, Francesco Schettino) at 11 Gemini conjunct a Black Hole. Opposite on the IC, is asteroid Bacchus at 12 Sagittarius at the root. Now he doesn’t mention the north node (13 Sagittarus), which seems almost counter-intuitive, since that would be the “best” direction to follow. On the other hand, if we are looking for clues then maybe the north node is leading us to answers. Do you think anyone will still be talking about these things by Friday? Here’s the link to that Costa Concordia story. .
http://www.daykeeperjournal.com/2012/01/astrology-costa-concordia/
I’ll ask you again on Friday, okay?
be
Ah, my chronic note-taking finally pays off! lol. And not ironically, what was strongest on my mind this weekend was exactly what this discussion is about: community, isolation, separation, desire for that which is greater than one but is part of One.
Well, then Mr. Len; my list is good’n’ready for Friday; and I understand why this is important. I already know that I am moving beyond the tiresome repetition, the repeating yet another whirl of emotional set-back – I’ve looked for the “exit” from this merry-go-round for years. It’s a process – and so are our travels this week into next. My trip will be a productive one: I have Len’s List with me, for me, about me and a higher sprit prevails.
I suspect my dreams for the remainder of the week will be transformed – and transformational – as well.
Thank you.
Can’t remember my dreams from last night, but slept deeply and soundly until noon after three nights of restless, interrupted sleep, and very early rising for a weekend work assignment.
What came up as on my mind yesterday and this morning were three things:
1. my health and physical fitness
2. connecting with two of my sisters yesterday at a satisfying level for the first time in many years
3. possibility of public speaking, exploring opportunities for paid public speaking
Will be interesting to see what comes up. As for number 1, I ate my oatmeal this morning, did my morning pages (3 pages of journaling per Julia Cameron) and plan to begin a health fitness regime including diet and exercise beginning today.
I was waiting at an airport, already in line to board and I had forgotten to check-in. Then the real crisis: I had my Swiss Army knife on me and was going to have to give it up, since I had nothing to check. That’s when I woke up, although it was not time to get up.
Terrible sleep last night, and not very deep for the most part.
i dreamed i was kissing this musician i adore. it was a really intense, passionate and deep kiss, one of those that starts slow, exploring every inch softly and then heats up. i woke up soon after and kept trying to go back to that moment, it was soul nourishing. definitely adding more deep kisses to my list. thanks! xox
Amanda,
Taking a cue from today’s Daily Astrology blog, perhaps dancing as a form of kinesthetic meditation will complete the connection. That would correspond to the long dance of conjunction that Juno and the asteroid Terpsichore (goddess of the dance) have been engaged in, a conjunction that will exact to the degree with the Mercury ingress to Aquarius.
Our many kind readers should please note that today’s Daily Astrology blog and my piece today were composed independently without cross-consultation. That not only underscores the common mind represented by Mercury’s current position and path, but the salient point of today’s Daily Astrology blog that there is something so important trying to get through that bears reinforcement and reiteration.
damn — i can’t remember what i dreamed last night! i know i dreamed *something*…