Astrology by Mary MacLean

Ah, at last…the moment we’ve all been waiting for has finally arrived, the coming together of Venus and Mars for a beautiful embrace in mystical Pisces, which are now set to enter fiery Aries…the sign famous for initiating new beginnings without much thought or foresight.  When Aries gets a hold of an idea, it wastes little time thinking about the “what if’s” before marching off to fulfill its innate instinct to initiate something new.   It’s all too easy to get caught up in the thrill of the moment and get carried away by all the enthusiasm generated by this dynamic sign.  Out of my own personal curiosity, I wanted to know the last time Venus and Mars traveled together through Aries.  To my surprise, it’s been 24 years!!!  You may be wondering why I’m even mentioning this when my article is entitled Mercury Retrograde…how are these two related, and what does one have to do with the other you ask?  Life is an unfolding process where everything is interconnected.  Like the signs of the zodiac…each evolves from the preceding sign before it until we reach the end.   The upcoming Mercury retrograde, which is set to begin May 7^th, is intimately linked to the recent Venus/Mars conjunction that occurred on April 22^nd because Mercury will retrograde all the way back to 22 degrees Taurus…the same degree he was at on April 22^nd.   The fact that Mercury will retrograde back to this point in time makes this retrograde significant and important.

I love how Venus and Mars made their conjunction at 29 degrees Pisces…the very last degree of the zodiac, the end of all things before moving in to Aries.  Aries is the first sign of the zodiac and represent new beginnings.  Aries is associated with the spring equinox, the time of year when life begins anew.  Nobody like endings, but it’s a necessary step in the process called life…we were asked to end something, or to let someone go because it wasn’t serving our highest good…yes it was painful, but no doubt necessary.   Try to see it this way…you wouldn’t plant a beautiful garden without first preparing the soil.  You gotta pull the weeds that are decaying and fermenting your life so that new seeds have a chance to take root and grow.  What did you eliminated from your life?  Was it a person, a relationship, or a job?  A self-defeating attitude or belief, or long held dream or vision?  Whatever you thought you lost will now be replaced with something completely wonderful.  When one door closes another one opens simultaneously, and once again you’ll have something new and exciting to look forward to.  I feel I need to warn you not to get too excited or carried away with all the exciting energy because Mercury is about to go retrograde on May 7^th,  giving us extra time to think about our new ideas before moving us forward to the future…which is a good thing because Aries can be impulsive. 

Mercury rules our mind, thoughts, conversations, messages, short distance travel, technology, electronics, planes, trains, and automobiles, contracts, education and learning, siblings, aunts and uncles, and neighbors.  When Mercury turns retrograde we usually experience a disruption or delay to the things mentioned above.  The word retro means to go back and redo and repeat something.  The best advice I can give you during this three week interval is to make allowances for and expect some interference with your plans.  Nothing should be set in stone just yet.  In fact, it’s recommended not to sign important documents or put your name on the dotted line.  Do not start anything new or make major purchases…especially with electronics.  If you’re traveling, allow for delays and cancelled flights…you may want to give yourself some extra time to get where you’re going because there’s sure to be traffic jams!!!  Be careful while driving too…Mars in Aries makes you more impatient, and with Mercury retrograde, that’s could be a recipe for road rage!!!

 Whenever a planet goes retrograde it brings up people, things, and situations from the past.  We get to go back and review or re-due situations that have already taken place.  Whatever comes up is usually something that was left unsaid or unfinished…whether it’s our thoughts about a particular person or situation, or something that was over looked in the past, Mercury retrograde gives us a chance to slow down and repair what’s needed before moving us forward.  

Mercury is the ruler of Gemini and Virgo…to know how this retrograde will affect you, look to see what houses have these two signs on the cusps…you’ll also want to know where Mercury is currently traveling to know what area of life all the action is taking place and where you’ll feel it most.   You’ll need to know your rising sign to find this.  One particular note I want to make is that Mercury will be going retrograde in the sign of Gemini, and will be changing signs as it goes all the way back to 22 degrees Taurus before turning direct.  This means we will change our mind about something.  Both Gemini and Virgo are mutable signs, meaning we should remain open and flexible for the time being.  As Mercury enters Taurus, we may become too fixed in our thoughts and ideas which isn’t a good thing right now especially where communicating with others is concerned.   It may also suggest whatever delays or obstacles we encounter; we will have the patience to see it through.

Here’s a little visual to summarize…Spring is finally here in all its glory!  We waited for what feels like eternity for its arrival and now that it’s here, you can’t wait to get started on making plans for your future.  It was a long winter for sure, which gave us a little extra time to see what needed to be released from our lives and preventing us from reaching our future destiny (Venus/Mars conjunction at 29 degrees Pisces…symbolizing the last day of winter).  Then on March 22^nd, Venus and Mars made a conjunction with Venus direct, symbolizing a new beginning…just in time for the spring equinox, coincidence???  Think of a garden…before you can think about what seeds to plant, you first had to take a closer look at the garden to see what needed eliminating.  It’s amazing how fast those pesky weeds grow!!!  Ok, so you pulled out the weeds and everything else that was rotting and decaying in preparation for your new garden…yes, it was a lot of work!!!  But, doesn’t it feel good to have all that hard work behind you now?  I don’t know about you, but I can hardly wait to visit my local nursery to buy new plants and flowers for my garden.  I have to admit though, there are times when I do things on a whim without putting much thought into them…I get this idea in my head and I just have to do it.  Sometimes I jump the gun a little too fast, and because I’m an Aries…prone to impulsiveness, I’m not always happy with the final outcome.  With Mercury going retrograde, we are given a little extra time to think about our garden and the seeds we want to sow before planting them into the soil where they will take root and grow.  So while you’re eager to plant those seeds, my best advice is to wait until Mercury turns direct on May 31^st before moving forward…chances are you’ll change your mind a million times over before finally settling on a plan or design that will truly make you happy.

Happy planting J

Catherine Schultz 5-1-09

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