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![\"Astrology](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/planetwaves.net\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/astro-len-wallick-logo.jpg?resize=250%2C167&ssl=1\" "\\"Astrology")
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In your life, even a little symbolic information about what to expect could be useful, and that’s the point of working with this astrology. Astrology is a system that observes the motion of Sun, Moon and other objects in the sky, converts those observations into symbols and corresponds the symbols to what takes place in your life. <\/p>\n
It is very much like using a map and compass. The symbols on the map cannot predict what will happen as you travel and the compass cannot tell you where to go, but both tools can help you understand where you are and assist your planning should you choose to move from where you are. Traveling from one place to another and the means to get you there are among the things in your life symbolized by Mercury.<\/p>\n
Mercury is a hot rock orbiting the Sun. In astrology, its archetype includes transportation, communication, and means of conversion or conveyance. The archetype works pretty well. For many, the gateway into astrology is through their own observation that automobiles, bank accounts and electronic devices become problematic in correlation with Mercury’s retrograde motion. That, in turn, leads to a useful understanding of what retrograde motion actually is.<\/p>\n
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Actual objects orbiting the Sun never actually shift into reverse. Retrograde motion is a product of perception. We do not perceive our planet moving, so when Mercury catches up to pass us from the inside lane, it just looks like it’s slowing down and going backwards. One thing that is not a matter of perspective is the regularity with which Mercury retrograde takes place, because that observation corresponds to fact.<\/p>\n
Earth takes one year to orbit the Sun. Mercury completes about three orbits in the same period of time. Hence, three retrograde periods in most years. That makes for a predictable cycle. The predictability makes it possible to expand the cycle to include the echo phases because we know ahead of time how far back Mercury’s apparent retrograde will take it before we perceive it as moving forward again. We also know how long it will take to return to the point where the apparent reverse commenced. One great discovery of astrology is that Mercury’s archetype as it is expressed in your life corresponds to its periodic positions and predictable cycles. That discovery allows you to use Mercury retrograde as you would a map and compass.<\/p>\n
Your life has its own cycles, but the patterns are rarely as predictable as planetary motion. That’s because you don’t observe your life from a distance, you participate with your reality in your life’s creation. Your reality is everything you are aware of, including objects in the sky. Awareness is connection and that means you are connected with Mercury.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Given the distance between you and Mercury, the connection is not substantially physical. Your life would not be much different if Mercury suddenly did not exist. Since your awareness of Mercury is largely through observation of its motion, your connection with it corresponds to its cycles. In other words, on some level, through your awareness, your life’s cycles are connected with Mercury’s. In order to use that synchronization as a tool, we need to examine how Mercury’s symbolism changes with its position and motion.<\/p>\n
The archetype of a planet is expressed through the sign it occupies in much the same way you are expressed by the clothing you wear. Among other things, Mercury symbolizes the ways and means of information and motion.\u00a0When Mercury is in Pisces, those ways and means may not move or inform so well because Pisces is not the best fit through which to express that energy. A retrograde beginning in Pisces adds an extra level of complexity.\u00a0That’s because retrogrades tend to show us the flip side of a planet.<\/p>\n
The flip side of anything is not inherently bad, it’s just different. Different is a challenge because it requires adjustment. The type of adjustment that the flip side of Mercury requires entails taking extra care to be aware. Mercury retrograde is not time to go through your life on cruise control or automatic pilot. It is a time to pay attention to where you are and what you are doing. It is a time to plan ahead and have contingency plans ready if the preferred course of action will not work. Finally, Mercury retrograde is a cue to take responsibility and refrain from blaming the map or the compass. The echo phase is when you begin to hear what is coming.<\/p>\n
Those of you who observe and correlate the weather with your own senses (as opposed to relying on a weather report) know the signs when the weather is about to change. The echo phase before a retrograde begins is very much like that. Since the impending Mercury retrograde will begin and end in Pisces, a mutable water sign ruled by Neptune (and Jupiter, before the discovery of Neptune) you can use that symbolic information to anticipate the adjustments you will need to make as you enter the shadow period. Check the fluid levels in your automobile. Keep a bag of dry brown rice handy in case your personal electronic device falls in the sink. Double check your e-mails for emotional content before you press the send icon. Also, remember that this will be a two-toned retrograde.<\/p>\n
The echo phase preceding this impending Mercury retrograde will begin in Pisces, but the latter part will be in Aries, beginning on March 2. The latter part of the shadow period is when the incoming weather is getting close, that’s why it is called the storm. The storm before Mercury stations in reverse will probably require yet another period of adjustment because Aries is a cardinal fire sign. Therefore, the beginning of March will be a time to check the electronics in your car, remember to bring your charger, be careful with fire and take special care when initiating anything. Knowing what to do and when will give you the edge as you venture forth and help you to keep it real.<\/p>\n
You are real. Mercury is real. You and Mercury are part of the same reality. Your awareness of those simple facts connects you with Mercury and the rest of your reality. That connection can be used as a tool that is just as real as a map and a compass. Mercury retrograde is not a bad thing, it is an opportunity to adjust, grow and empower yourself as a conscious part of the cosmos.<\/p>\n
Offered In Service <\/em>\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Mercury’s shadow phase begins in Pisces on Monday, and that tells you two things. First, Mercury will station retrograde soon, on March 12, in Aries. The start of Mercury’s shadow, or alternatively, echo phase, also means that Mercury will return to its Monday position on April 4 to resume direct motion. In other words, Mercury … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7221,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"generate_page_header":""},"categories":[1714],"tags":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/planetwaves.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53715"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/planetwaves.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/planetwaves.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/planetwaves.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7221"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/planetwaves.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=53715"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/planetwaves.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53715\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/planetwaves.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=53715"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/planetwaves.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=53715"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/planetwaves.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=53715"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}