Clever Chameleons …On the upcoming Mercury Retrograde
Clever Chameleons …On the upcoming Mercury Retrograde
We are officially in Mercury’s shadow. Technically called a ‘pre-shadow,’ it’s the space of degrees to be traversed in the upcoming retrograde (24º Virgo-8º Libra). Premonitions, preconceptions, prefaces, and pretty much the most nuanced expression of the misunderstood god/planet. It’s a time to start taking notes and a space for making our lives as trickster-proof as possible. That means checking the oil, updating Time Machine, and avoiding any big moves. We pray for owl eyes.
If you are a sky gazer, you will be noticing Mercury’s departure from the evening sky; If you are a city dweller, his arrival there probably never even caught your eye in the first place. But it always starts there, in the West: a station near the door to the other shore, then disappears, and reappears before the Great Eastern Sun. The dates for these moves are as follows:
Station Rx [West]: Sep 9th/10th; 8º 55' Libra
Cazimi/Interior Conjunction (beginning of cycle): Sep 23rd; 00º Libra
Station Direct [East]: Oct 2nd; 24º 12' Virgo
Also, it’s always nice to have an image to work with for any cycle. The Chandra symbol for the Mercury/Sun conjunction is:
LIBRA 1 (you round up)
A group of large Italian ladies preparing bread.
…Stereotypical and archetypal; Cultural and often wrong (and right). The first degree of Libra vibrates with the Aries point, which is a cardinal direction of collective truth. It reaches the masses successfully. It’s all understood. If it were ‘large Italian ladies’ juicing wheat grass or making durian smoothies, they would stand out. Both John Sandbach and Elias comment on this degree about being well camouflaged, critiquing popularity, and having little issue with reception. Thus, being a clever chameleon. Depending on our agenda, the circumstances will shift and our dress will vary, but the vibe of this symbol should speak to the soul of the matter.
Every Mercury retrograde period is confusing. Folks enjoy pointing their blaming fingers at it, but that’s missing the point. For every trick, there is a treat. In every frustrating twist to the plot, there is a turn of the narrative. And within it all, there is an Idea waiting to claim us. It desires to be incubated for the entirety of the synodic cycle. So, with those owl eyes, we watch, blending in nicely with our surroundings. Trying not to be noticed, we can track and trace the feathered steps of the magi into the heart of the meaning of what Ted Hughes meant when he said, “You are who you choose to be.”
To be a clever chameleon we must not care too much about being noticed. We must keep our heads down and do the work we know is required. We must try our best to forget about likes and shares and influence. In fact, we may consider aiming in the opposite direction. The results will likely be startling.
* Find these degrees in your chart. Hint: Mercury is already there. Think about them often into the entrance of Fall.
Eudaimonia,
Adam
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