June 2, 2009

Mercury Not Retrograde: Astrology buffs are probably more aware of the retrograde of Mercury than any other planetary cycle. The messenger planet just ended its three-week backward period on Saturday and will slowly be picking up speed in the days ahead. This usually means that we should be getting back on track after dealing with distractions, miscommunication, tech terrors and travel issues. Mercury began its reversal in chatty Gemini, its airy home sign, but is now in practical Taurus where ideas come down to earth. Normally, we’d expect this period—lasting until June 13—to provide ample opportunities to get back to basics, put our feet on the ground, and build a solid foundation for Taurus-like slow and steady growth. The cosmos, though, will be tossing a little fairy dust in our eyes, making the return to normalcy more complicated than that.

Aquarius, the futuristic sign of new concepts, is always at right angles with Taurus. This is a challenging relationship, a 90-degree square, representing conflicting values. Abstract Aquarius floats our minds into the future while Taurus prefers the simplicity and concreteness of the here and now. Mercury will trigger the contrast between these principles next week when it squares dreamy Neptune and philosophical Jupiter in Aquarius on the 9th and 10th. The stability we’re seeking may be delayed as our minds wander the wider fields of these idealistic planets, floating us high above reality on clouds of imagination and hope. We can seek escape through fantasies or made up stories to dilute the despair of daily life. Carelessness in attending to ordinary matters may prolong the messiness of the Mercury retrograde period. Yet every astrological pattern has a potential for positive expression as well.

There are creative gifts and inspiring ideas aloft in those Aquarian clouds. The trick is not to surrender our connections with this world but to aim toward tomorrow and prepare ourselves to start reaching for it now. The dreamer who denies reality can suffer for his or her illusions, while the one who weaves the threads of those dreams into the fabric of everyday life is creating the future. Rather than making tomorrow’s hopes an enemy of today’s toil, seek lines of thought and action that will connect the two. The enormous power of human potential lives in those places where they meet. The distance between where you are and where you want to go may seem great but small constructive steps taken now will lead to giant leaps later. If each of us can cast our minds to a place of higher potential and then actively works toward achieving it, we will all benefit from this noble work.

Co-creating the Future

Rick Levine and I are presenting an exciting seminar on using astrology to live more effectively in these changing times. On March 7 – 13, 2010 we will be teaching in the beautiful colonial town of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico for a limited group of attendees. Whether you’re a serious student of astrology, total beginner or seasoned professional, Rick and I promise to enrich, enliven and educate with astrology’s magical language to help you create a brighter future. Go to Heaven and Earth Workshops for details.

As published here on my Tarot.com blog.

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