mercury retrograde, september 24th

[tarotlyn]

I agree that YOU can and should control exactly HOW you will react to a
Mercury retrograde situation (or to "any" positive/adverse aspect in your chart)

So, I think you could say the THE KEY is: being in control of "HOW" you react...

That in itself can help change a negative experience into a more positive one.

Each Mercury retrograde (approximately every 3 months) will act "differently"
within your chart (within your life) EACH TIME because Mercury is constantly
moving through your natal chart houses. AND as it does, it sets off some of
your aspects and influences that were "promised" from your birth.

If you know your natal chart and it's aspects, as well as the aspects that are
set off by each Mercury retrograde, then you can pretty much figure out what
could affect your life during that retrograde.

BUT...if you DO NOT know your natal chart's aspects and the aspects that
Mercury is making during it's retrograde through your chart map, then here
is what I think would be good to follow:

Treat EACH Mercury retrograde as a "general caution" regarding starting new
projects, buying new major purchases, signing important or legal papers.
Be prepared IF your lines of communication go haywire a little. Also be aware
that people change their minds about things and people. I just keep a very
low profile during a retrograde and do NOT implement any new projects NOR
buy new things and definitely do NOT sign any important papers. I try to use
the time (approximately 3 weeks) to FINISH old projects that were never finished.

Note: Even if you totally understand Astrology and have studied it in detail for many years:
I don't think it is a good idea to FOCUS too much on any "negative transiting aspects"
you see coming up in your chart...I DON'T think you should live your life ONLY
by an Astrology book or ephemeris! You could use this knowledge to make
yourself "aware" and then be able to "lessen" your negative aspects
(somethimes even "avert" them), and "strengthen" your positives effects.

I think you should watch all your negative aspects coming up and understand
the possibilities of each, but I think you should "NOT focus" on them "too much"
and thereby bring in even "more negative" results...

...as I said, it is "HOW you react" to an aspect that is the "key."

Watching your aspects (both positive and negative) CAN "help" guide you and
"help" you grow through your experiences while you are here on earth...
BUT it is not the only way to run or live your life. You should NOT be afraid to live.

tarotlyn
P.S. keep in mind: It only lasts about 3 weeks...and "this too shall pass!"

 

[Hephasteus]

Mercury is a dual sign. Bailout didn't pass when it was direct so mercury favored it passing 2nd time. Now it's gotta get overturned. We're not through with wall street fat cats yet.

 

[star-lover]

this is the only mercury rx that has got to me quite bad - maybe because it squared my natal saturn
it has been in libra, my sun sign, but also mercury is ruler of my chart, being a virgo rising
i also had a libra new moon right on my sun the other week

the going back is not always comfortable but necessary even just for practical reasons like realising you have no idea how to set the washing machine for best effect, forgot how to hang pictures on the wall and hammering a nail in or two is not that difficult especially if your man has done all that stuff for ages

i have learnt a few things, also learnt how back i am, how big the world is, how its always moving on, how ive wasted so much time, but slowly slowly its all ok

if you do your best or near enough it works out - but even take off days is ok too
i feel like ive been deaf for years sometimes, but thats ok too



mercury rx also in my experience reminds you of all the great stuff you have done in the past !

tarotforfun your post was great - i agree with it - ive been a life long almost believer in astrology - it shouldnt control your life but its certainly a guide if you learn to read it right

that tiny tiny thing you do for yourself and others today all goes to help when youre feeling down/weak

until you find your inner tiger and let it loose and do your thing again

 

[Nevada]

Even if you totally understand Astrology and have studied it in detail for many years:
I don't think it is a good idea to FOCUS too much on any "negative transiting aspects"
you see coming up in your chart...I DON'T think you should live your life ONLY
by an Astrology book or ephemeris! You could use this knowledge to make
yourself "aware" and then be able to "lessen" your negative aspects
(somethimes even "avert" them), and "strengthen" your positives effects.

Your post makes lots of sense to me, and I agree. My interest in astrology is many years long, but I'm not a professional, so I keep it in perspective with the rest of my life. I do find it valuable. There are certain transits/aspects that I know usually affect me in certain ways, so I try to keep track of them. Also, if things just aren't going right for a while, I've found it helpful to take a look at what's going on with the planets against my chart. I usually find the answer there, and even some ideas about what to do about it.

But I don't think about astrology every day, and I don't let it control me -- I simply use my knowledge of it (which is limited, but slowly growing) to help me work around or understand situations that come up.

It's a good tool, not a religion.

I find Mercury retrograde important to a point, because I'm an air sign and because communication is so important to me. But it's not as if I let my life stand still while it's happening. I keep going, with a little more awareness.

Nevada

 

[Hephasteus]

this is the only mercury rx that has got to me quite bad - maybe because it squared my natal saturn
it has been in libra, my sun sign, but also mercury is ruler of my chart, being a virgo rising
i also had a libra new moon right on my sun the other week

This rx is in libra and last one was in gemini I think. I know they are all air signs this year. aquarius was first one of year. I found the 2nd one to be the worst. I usually go to my neptune and spend most of the RX's fixing peoples miscomunications because my neptune knows what people are trying to say. Did that a TON the first one this year. But it was all confused on the 2nd one. This one I'm clear and sharp as a tack even though everything is so confused and sharp as a tack doesn't mean much in such a atmosphere.

 

[Sophie]

Indeed. Tarotlyn explains this somewhere. That to me is the only good thing
about this Mercury retrograde, it ends on 15th October.

The end of the retrograde will be followed by a period of Mercury going stationary direct (roughly 2 weeks, by what I can see). That means it travels back over ground already covered twice (once when mercury was direct, then when it was retrograde, and now again - it is direct, but "stationary" because it is covering old ground). So things can still feel at a standstill in your life, or even as though you are doing the same thing over and over (which you are, of course!), but no longer like they are going backwards. The opportunity is there to give a different response this time round and stabilise anything that was damaged by the Merc Rx. It is a frustrating time if you want to get ahead and beyond a difficult situation, or simply effect a change or get going on a project. Mercury stationary direct is also a time when introspection seems to go round in circles, and so you are better off drawing the conclusions from the introspection of the retrograde period than attempting to deepen the introspection for the time being.

How mercury retrogrades and their subsequent stationary direct periods affect us during any one episode is personal, though - depending on which area of our charts this particular retrograde hits - which house it sits in for that time, and which planets or angles it aspects. I also believe it makes a difference if you were born during a mercury retrograde, because such periods are "natural" for those with merc rx in their birth charts. At least, that has been my experience. Generally, I suffer very little from merc rx. This time, I've had a lot of travel frustrations, (they have been resolved, but they cost me time and money). I have also been revisiting - actually, through reconnecting with some people, or in my own mind - very old situations and moments in my life, 15 years or more. Some of it has been happy, and some, rather unsettling. And now I am in a place where I had some difficult moments last year with a man I love deeply: the situation has changed entirely (that predates the Merc Rx - we have been back together for over 2 months now, and he came to visit me first in Europe, before the retrograde), and so I felt safe coming back here: now is a happy time for us, and the place feels happy too.

 

[Milfoil]

Generally, I suffer very little from merc rx. This time, I've had a lot of travel frustrations, (they have been resolved, but they cost me time and money).

Ditto. I've never noticed such a distinct affect before but then I didn't really know much about it either!

I have found that even though I can see through this differently now, I have learned a lot from allowing a slow down, recognising the effects, going with the flow but more importantly NOT giving up and knowing that somehow, it is necessary on many levels and will not last for ever.

Its also interesting to link times such as these where an outside influence has a broad effect over many of us, rather than just on a personal level, to 'taboo' times or periods of rest/inaction etc in different cultures.

Sometimes it just isn't right to plough ahead with plans, however, we mustn't give up on them or ourselves.

Sorry if that is garbled (blame Mercury RX!)

 

[star-lover]

does it matter how far back you backtrack with mercury retrograde in your thoughts?

suppose it doesn't matter really but was wondering if just to the last one or anything really which you need to redo/rethink

 

[Hephasteus]

Okay, so the more I examine the effects of Mercury, the more it directly correlates with the communication factor. Just from reviewing the past three weeks of the stock market tumbles, financial institution crumbles and buy-outs and of course the incessant media coverage..It was a Mercury lashing on the financial districts. By Mercury being Retro I think it taught Wall street that the good times of The Fat Cats were over and it was Back to Frugality. Reversal of fortunes for many a fat cat. It would be a Great Day when these professionals on that field paid a little more attention to astrology.

Mercury is literally your conciousness, your thoughts. If you ignore alot of your archetypal selves and put them in background and focus your thoughts on archetypal sun then that is mercury. It's always 28 degrees from your sun when you're born. So it's either same sign as sun or sign before or after. Mars and venus can wonder around a bit more with enough leeway to bring another sign either way into picture but mercury is very tightly coupled to your sun and ego expression and male action principles.

 

[Sophie]

Mercury is literally your conciousness, your thoughts. If you ignore alot of your archetypal selves and put them in background and focus your thoughts on archetypal sun then that is mercury. It's always 28 degrees from your sun when you're born. So it's either same sign as sun or sign before or after. Mars and venus can wonder around a bit more with enough leeway to bring another sign either way into picture but mercury is very tightly coupled to your sun and ego expression and male action principles.

You mean within 28 degrees of your sun, I think. My natal sun and mercury are conjunct (they are one degree away from each other). Mercury was retrograde when I was born.

I like your description of mercury as your consciousness. I see how my sun and mercury tend to work together. The retrograde has given me a strong introspective streak.