This is the next natural step in understanding and stabilizing very
similar energies related to past Mercury retrograde periods. As this
stationary point is the exact degree as Feb 2009's stationary direct
point, there will be interesting linkages and parallels to whatever we
went through last Spring.
Also of note is this stationary retrograde point exactly trines
September's stationary direct point at 22 Virgo, co-incidentally the
exact degree Saturn went stationary retrograde in December 2008. I've
written extensively about the importance of that degree in past
articles, so if you're inclined to learn more, they're in the archives.
Given the number of trines this Mercury retrograde makes to the SD
points of 2009, we should continue to see further stabilizations of
those themes. This can assist our understanding of whatever we've been
reviewing, reworking, and rehearsing all year.
A few technicals: As mentioned in an earlier article, the only
aspects Mercury makes at it SRX point are a tredecile to Saturn, a
sextile to Uranus, and a quincunx to Mars. This makes for a very
productive early part of the time span, with the adjustments shown by
the Mercury-Mars quincunx being the focus around New Year's. When in
doubt, don't! Adjustment and even sacrifice may be called for during
Dec 31-Jan 1 this year.
Still, even that period isn't entirely frictional, with strong
favorable aspects between Mercury and the Aquarius stellium, indicating
a generally favorable "tide" or flow, even if it is somewhat slowed or
roundabout. Early January Mercury moves through the biseptile to
Saturn, then the inferior conjunction, and then conjuncts Venus while
quintile Uranus. I'll write more about the importance of the inferior
conjunction closer to that time.
The quincunx promises growth if we can assimilate diverse
information, allow what has been repressed by ego to come up, and find
ways to balance mind and body in a form of regeneration shared with
others. The retrograde period will also be good for finding what
nourishes us at the end of an old cycle of activity, open to a greater
ability to touch and be touched, both literally and metaphorically, and
achieve success in meeting the requirements of a new life order.
The January RX biseptile to Saturn will be the next development to
whatever showed up around Dec 17-18-19 at the first biseptile. This
would involve ideas, communications, or perceptions that helped us turn
a corner in bringing our new Saturn in Libra archetypes into form. This
process will be complete by late January at the third biseptile. As the
Sun makes this aspect to Saturn from Jan 5-10, we should see an
illuminated form of what this "externalization of destiny" is all about.
As Mercury finishes its RX period and goes direct at 6 Capricorn on
Jan 15, 8:52 am PST, 4:52 pm Greenwich, it makes septiles to the
planets in late Aquarius, thus triggering the Grand Irrationality. That
would imply that the three months after that is important in showing us
signs and signals of a greater "destiny." I'll discuss more about this
in early January.
That Mercury goes direct with Saturn at 5 Libra retrograding back
toward a square with Pluto direct at 4 Capricorn shows that these
energies will dominate the landscape. It will be most challenging to
those born in late December, late March, late June, and late September,
as well as those with planets in early Aries, Cancer, Libra, and
Capricorn.
Pay very close attention to what you see, hear, think, or understand
during the second and third weeks of January, since that's when Mercury
will be between 6 and 10 Capricorn. When Pluto occupies 6 Capricorn
from late February through mid-May 2010, we can expect the sprouting of
Mercurial seeds during that time, with major implications for 2011-2012.
Mercury activating the Grand Irrationality in mid-January will bring
us to critical choices and changes at major forks in the road in our
lives. After that, the die will be cast for a long time to come, since
we'll be weaving Mercurial and Plutonic energies within the larger
irrational patterns of everyday living. This will obviously affect
Gemini, Virgo, and Capricorn areas, where some things will be completed
even as we enter a greater effectiveness or set of duties.
It's a great time for finding some larger responsible role to play
once the plan is formulated and reformulated. Avoid pessimism or narrow
interpretations when Mercury squares Saturn, and find a larger view of
emergent possibilities while cultivating more responsible relationships
where all can be guided to an aspect of their Soul.
Mercury toward the end of its RX period is in early Capricorn, said
to be a span of "Illusiveness" in the Emotional, Social, and Cultural
level of Crystallization (as in power and authority!) While Mercury
occupies Capricorn, many will find they are seeing their experience and
wisdom with new eyes, or finding a new effectiveness by conforming to
some things and yielding up others. This will help many get new
information about duties and responsibilities associated with the
higher standard they claimed in 2009. Expect a constant refinement and
adjustment process that will take many twists and turns before becoming
clear by the end of 2010.
Of great importance this retrograde is Mercury's Inferior
Conjunction degree. This promises that if we use tender care combined
with responsible action we can nurture our projects forward and
mitigate possible damage from harsh conditions. That can lead us to
enhanced fellowship and concrete rewards, and an abundance in our
ability to develop our better potentials despite limiting circumstances.
This will give new perspectives on life, and an ability to see why
we've been learning and disciplined the way we have been the past year.
I'll do an entire post on the coming Inferior Conjunction shortly.
Remembering that nothing turns out as expected during a Mercury
retrograde, and that things take strange twists and turns and there are
curious returns of people, ideas, and experiences in new forms that
resemble old forms, open to useful but overlooked angles of viewing
things, learn and teach through a sense of perspective of how past and
present relate in unusual ways, and be alert to roundabout or indirect
communications that show things going on below the surface.
All in all, given the aspects between Mercury and the other planets,
there will be a lot of unique activity helping us structure or
restructure our sense of how we do what we do, and which old
obligations and duties are nearing completion as new vistas open. This
time will punctuate our search of 2009, and after this time we'll know
what's closing and what we've been trained for.
Mercury going stationary direct at 6 Capricorn shows that through
April 17-18, 2010, , we will be focused on the themes mentioned above
concerning our ability to move "from completion to ever greater
fulfillment," and find ourselves on the threshold of a greater
satisfaction by taking conscious direction of our destiny.
Dr. Jones states the keyword is THOROUGHNESS, and that this is a
degree of fulfillment through realizing an unending sense of being able
to explore our potentials. Here we learn to preserve our integrity
"through the varying fortunes of everyday living," and we are told that
when positive, this degree is "high competence in the interpretation of
life's purposes or unusual persistence in employing its ramifying
potentials effectively."
So at the end of this retrograde period, we'll wind up being
clear about a greater set of potentials to be fulfilled as we achieve
completion in old areas of life, and through demonstrating thoroughness
we'll find a sharper knowing and greater satisfaction in steering our
ship of personality toward a greater destiny.
Over the next few months, we'll complete our ability to claim
authority on social, emotional, and cultural levels. This should bring
us opportunities to demonstrate that authorship at an emergent point of
the greater roles and archetypal functions presenting themselves at the
waxing square to Saturn in Libra.
The next part in this series of articles we'll explore how Mercury retrograde in Capricorn affects each of the 12 signs.
Astrology and Mercury Retrograde December 2009 and January 2010 in Capricorn - What Is Mercury Retrograde?
How Do Mercury, Venus, and Mars Retrograde Work, and How Are They Related to Past and Future Retrogrades?
Mercury Retrograde in Capricorn in December 2009-January 2010 - Surrendering To Achieve Spiritual Victory
Copyright © 2009 Robert Wilkinson