This Mercury retrograde
started 9:45 pm PDT September 6, 2009 (5:45 am Greenwich, Sept. 7) and
ends 6:14 am PDT Sept. 29. This retrograde moves from 7 degrees Libra
back to 22 Virgo, with the inferior conjunction of Mercury and the Sun
occurring at 28 Virgo at 3:05 am PDT Sept. 20, 11:05 am Greenwich.
Air represents ideas and ideals, relationships and other types of
connections, Earth represents grounding, practicality, and "real world"
activities. All of the 2009 Mercury retrogrades indicate a time of
anchoring ideals in whatever forms are appropriate and workable.
In Virgo we are educated, trained, and refine whatever we must so
that some "perfect form" can come forth in Libra. This RX period will
give us a chance to rework and refine some things that have recently
come forth, making them even better so that whatever is crystalized by
Saturn in Libra is "more perfect" than what we've perceived up to now.
This Mercury retrograde begins at 7 Libra, and retraces ground we
experienced August 17 through September 6. The degree is "A woman
feeding chickens and protecting them from hawks," symbolizing "control
of natural forces by the higher intelligence," and "taming the strong,
uplifting the weak."
Rudhyar also says this degree is about "the need to face the
antagonism of 'powers of darkness' as one attempts to feed the mind of
as yet helpless and frightened apprentices." So this degree deal with a
form of spiritual protection of innocents and "guardianship."
This is a degree of accepting karmic consequences of success and
failure for spiritual energies set into motion before now. It contrasts
creative consciousness with the results that follow, as well as "future
oriented actualizers of an ideal" needing to survive the dramas or
attacks of "tradition worshiping minds" following automatic responses.
This falls in the Span of Expectation, and is the counterpoint
degree in the Emotional-Social level of Transfiguration. It symbolizes
the need to figure out what needs protecting and uplifting in the
previously held ideals that presented themselves in the sixth degree of
Libra.
According to Dr. Jones, creator of the Sabian Symbols, it is a
degree of "the creative division of labor between... man and nature,"
and the Soul's dual function of conservation and development. This is a
"capacity for a control of events through a nurturing of the things
which are desirable and a rejection of those which have no immediate
value."
Its formula is Manipulating, Critical, Ingenious, Specializing,
Social and Sensitive. He offers the keyword SHREWDNESS, and says it's a
degree of "high competence in administering the duties of normal
experience and a very special skill in protecting the self's real
interests." This degree infuses all that will be presented during this
retrograde period, and represents a threshold for a new understanding,
perception, or experience.
Of note is that this Mercury retrograde period begins with Mercury
septile Venus after which it moves back into a square to Pluto, giving
us a new look or new information related to the Critical Degree Cardinal T-square
of late August. This is an "echo back" of that event, which should
offer valuable insights into the other planetary squares from Libra to
Pluto at 1 Capricorn.
The way it works is that we got the info the first time at the
Critical Degree T-square. We'll get new insights or a new look at the
issues and/or process when Mercury RX again squares Pluto September 17.
A light will be on this information as the Sun moves across 1 Libra at
the Autumnal Equinox 2:19 pm PDT September 22 (10:19 pm Greenwich).
Then Mercury makes its final square to Pluto from the Critical
Degree of 1 Libra October 10, followed quickly by Venus making the same
square to Pluto October 15. These offer indicators of coming Saturn
lessons, restrictions, and duties that will crystalize beginning late
October 2009 impacting the productive period beginning March 2010.
During its time in early Libra, Saturn will square Pluto at 2, 5,
and 3 degrees of Libra, ending some things forever and introducing us
all to new worlds of experience, activity, and necessity. A link to an
article on these major squares from Saturn to Pluto is at the bottom of
this post.
All of the inner planet squares from Libra to Capricorn show major
culminations of the Plutonic process set into motion at the
conjunctions in late 2008. These will continue to have ramifications
through the time that Mars moves across 1 Libra conjuncting Saturn also
at 1 Libra July 31, 2010 with both opposition Uranus at 1 Aries and
Jupiter at 4 Aries.
The squares from Mercury, Sun, and Venus indicate the need to keep
focused on the possible separate from the limiting conditions, and not
let others distract in ways that create a loss of balance. There is a
need for confidence, concentration, and self discipline despite the
outer chaos, and many relationships will end or take a dramatic turn
during this time.
This time is good for reworking, rehearsing, rethinking,
researching, or finding a different approach to whatever is not well
understood. It's also great for busting lies and misconceptions, though
if you have the misfortune of dealing with someone operating from a
delusion, they still may not get what's right in front of their face.
In that case, let them go and apply your energies to more worthy
relationships and endeavors.
The Grand Irrationality is not a major factor in this retrograde
period, unlike most of the others in the past year. During this 3 week
period, (besides the Moon doing its regular thing) only the Sun moves
through any of the 7 zones of influence.
After Mercury goes direct at the end of September, both Venus and
Mars trigger the Grand Irrationality, but that's outside the RX time
span. You can find more about the coming hot zone in the article on
Mars' Stress Zones just below this one, and I'll be composing more in
the coming Spiritual Astrology series coming in a few weeks.
By the time this retrograde period is over, we'll have endured the
first of the exact Saturn oppositions to Uranus, bringing earthquakes
and revolutions to many lives, as well as separations from old fears,
responsibilities, and limiting conditions. This will be a time of major
catharses and purifications, as well as newer, higher Spiritual duties.
Many will be led out into a larger world of service, and all of us will
know what and who we serve, or don't, by the end of this period.
Mercury is especially powerful in September, since it rules Virgo.
That makes it the ruler of the Sun and Saturn, both in Virgo during
this RX. Given these directly or indirectly disposit all the other
planets except Mars, that makes Mercury a major force in all the
affairs of our charts even though it's in Libra. When it RX's back into
Virgo, it will be the final dispositor of everything except Mars. So as
Mercury goes, almost every other planet will be affected in some form.
On a final note for today, during any Mercury retrograde period
there are always strange twists and turns and returns. However, if it's
not a return of something you should have taken care of before then,
remember that whatever happens it probably won't turn out the way it
seems at the time.
Obviously there are more Mercury retrograde articles coming over the
next few days. Future parts in this series will discuss aspects and
configurations with other planets, the nature of its coming stationary
direct degree influences, how it affects individual birthdays, the
coming Inferior Conjunction, and what this Mercury Retrograde in Libra
and Virgo is specifically good for.
As promised, here's Explaining the Squares and Oppositions of 2009-2010-2011-2012-2013 Pt.2 - Saturn in Libra Square Pluto in Capricorn
Copyright © 2009 Robert Wilkinson