Sun & Mercury Retrograde in Aquarius
Light.
We are awestruck by the fervent light of sunsets. We are mesmerized by the
quivering light of fire. We turn on electric lights to stretch our days, and
make the night disappear into the forests and heavens. Light is pregnant with
poetic impact. It conjures a sense of all things right, good and magical. We
think of it as awareness - the “light of consciousness.” We can visualize light
in our minds, but we don’t know exactly what light is... or what “mind” is.
Light is made up of photons, but we don’t know if photons are particles
(matter) or waves (energy) or both. Mind is made up of... thoughts? dreams?
emptiness? consciousness? something as yet unnamed that may be matter or energy
or maybe both? This month, the planets urge you to mind your thoughts,
illuminate the shadows of your understanding, and screw some fresh light bulbs
into your noggin.
A brief word from our sponsor:
My next
quarterly workshop (3/1/15) on the planetary energies (eclipses and outer
planet squares, oh my!) of the coming spring - and herbs to support an
evolutionary path through said energies - only has a couple spots left. Sign up here, or contact Homestead Apothecary to get first dibs on the June 23rd class on
summer’s planets (Virgo download and Venus retrograde) and herbs - and check
out Homestead’s other fine offerings while you’re at it.
Sun in Aquarius: 1/20/15 - 2/18/15
Aquarius
is a sign that enjoys surprise doses of the unfamiliar, the unusual, the
unsettled and unsettling. With the Sun - our “light of consciousness” -
transiting through this iconoclastic portion of the zodiac, it behooves us to
stimulate our minds by expanding our community, meeting some new people, and
shaking up our routines a bit. Your signpost this month is energy.
Do your
activities energize or drain you?
Do the
people in your life energize or drain you?
Do your
ideas & perspectives energize or drain you?
Aquarius
is a particularly frisky sign at the moment because its two rulers just went
through some major changes around the winter solstice. Uranus, ruler of
earthquakes, electricity and “Eureka!” moments, stationed direct then, which
frees us to take tangible actions on our major insights of the past six months.
Meanwhile, stodgy ole Saturn, ruler of boundaries, responsibilities,
limitations, and authority, entered boundless and ebullient Sagittarius a
couple days later. This means it’s time to climb some mountains, strive for
some grander things in life, take a look at the big picture, declare our truth
- and live by it. These major planetary changes are igniting Aquarius with
renewed brilliance.
What is
your truth?
What is
your experience of reality?
Do you
enjoy the reality you find yourself in?
Does
your reality leave room for others - their truth, their perspective, their
presence?
If your
truth is inaccurate, how does that effect your reality?
Mercury Retrograde in Aquarius: 1/21/15 - 2/11/15
Too
much smooth sailing would be boring, and so un-Aquarius-like. We need something
to shake things up a bit. A Mercury retrograde cycle in the sign of Aquarius is
just what’s needed to add a bit more mental voltage to our Aquarius month.
Let’s
get the general Mercury retrograde advice out of the way: Mercury retrograde
cycles are famous for disrupting the flow of modern life, but a few general
precautions will help you get through this planetary bump in the road with a
little more grace. First of all, as with any bump in a road, SLOW DOWN. If you
slow down, you can be more flexible, catch some striking scenery you’ve been
flying past without noticing, and thus appease our nimble trickster god. Some
other Mercury retrograde rules of thumb are back up your communication devices
(computers, phones, etc) and tune up your vehicles (bikes, cars, etc) BEFORE
Mercury stations retrograde (1/21), and give yourself extra time to get around,
and maintain a state of openness when miscommunications and transportation
failures arise during Mercury’s retrograde.
As with
any planetary event, there is something to learn during this Aquarian Mercury
retrograde cycle. Learning is easy if you have an open mind, but we cannot
learn if we are rigid in our perspectives. Aquarius is a fixed sign, ruled both
by re-volt-ing, en-light-ening Uranus and conservative, limiting Saturn. If you
wish to adhere to what you already know and believe, be prepared to suffer and
cause suffering to others during this Mercury retrograde. The other option is
to experience the liberation of allowing your mind to be blown apart by the
illuminating insights available during this retrograde. Now more than ever,
these insights come from our interactions with others. Then watch your
creativity soar to exhilarating heights you never knew were possible.
The
most basic principle of the planet Mercury is this: The quality and accuracy of
our perception shapes our experience of reality. With Mercury in
community-oriented Aquarius, we also enter into the territory of collective
perception. We tend to seek out communities that support our current view of
reality, but this retrograde cycle suggests it’s time to seek out people and
communities that both challenge and recharge our view of reality.
What
communication and perception issues have cropped up since the second week of
January?
Do you
feel stuck - in your life, in your creativity, in your relationships, in any
way?
How
might your perspective be keeping you stuck?
Which
people that you associate with support your current view of reality?
Do these
relationships energize or drain you?
Which
people that you associate with challenge your current view of reality?
Do
these relationships energize or drain you?
The Aquarius Lunation culminates in Leo: 2/3/15
The
Aquarius lunation begins on 1/20/15, with Mercury at a standstill, conjoined
with Venus opposite Jupiter, Mars conjunct Neptune, and the South Node conjunct
Uranus. These combinations suggest it’s time to expand our consciousness to
include others’ perspectives, deepen our compassion for ourselves, and release
perspectives that put us in fight-or-flight mode. This new moon would also be a
great time for an intentional, cleansing and self-loving, candle-lit bath.
What is
the difference between action and re-action?
What is
true liberation?
If liberation
begins in the mind, what perspectives might set you free?
How can
you love yourself more?
By the
Leo full moon on 2/3/15, Venus has conjoined Neptune, while Jupiter is
conjoined by the Moon and opposed by the Sun. Hopefully, you’ve practiced self-compassion
(foundation), and are now ready to feel deeper levels of compassion for others
(castle). For best effect, make sure your castle is built on a good foundation.
You may feel pulled between your joy and your responsibilities, between
yourself and your community, or you may feel like your mind is being blown at
every moment. At this point, we are more than halfway through Mercury’s
retrograde period, signifying it’s time to start experimenting with some of
what we’ve learned in the past couple weeks.
What
and who brings you joy and energy?
What
and whom do you love?
What
and who do you feel loved by?
What
and whom are worthy of your energy?
