With the exception of another intense Monday, coming off our Aries Full Moon and the Sun in Libra in square to Pluto in Capricorn, this is otherwise a relatively quiet week in the cosmos. These intense energies subside by Tuesday when it gets a little more light and imaginative in the heavens.
I wanted to take this quiet week to talk a little bit about Mercury and the pending Mercury retrograde in Scorpio.
Firstly, I wanted to state that i think Mercury retrogrades are super overhyped right now. Yes, stuff happens and we notice it because Mercury is symbolic of our way of communicating. However, there is nothing to fear, nothing to spaz about. A planet turning retrograde symbolizes an inward period for this particular aspect of our lives. With Mercury, it's our mind. During a Mercury retro we simply need to slow down and take space from our thoughts in a particular area of life. If we aren't proactive about this, events will arise that force us to do so. It's very important to note what area of life (house) is being affected by the retrograde and if any natal planets are being aspected. It's really not all of your life falling apart as some astrologers might have you fear.
Next, i’ll confidently add that I believe Mercury retrogrades are a relatively minor inconvenience for most people. The people who are generally more affected are those with prominent Mercurial energy, such as Gemini or Virgo sun, moon, and/or rising. If that's not you, than you can relax. If it is you, you can also relax. The reason for this is that Mercury retrogrades are a call to relax! The reason it affects Virgo and Gemini energies a bit more is because these signs are ruled by Mercury. Mercury is very fast energy and these two signs have a tendency to go into overdrive and occasionally drive themselves into a tizzy with overthinking and multitasking. Because this is happening in Scorpio, Scorpios will feel this a bit more, as well. Mercury retro literally just wants you to slow down, take a breath, check and recheck your thoughts, your words, your work, etc., and carry on in a more grounded state.
That said, Mercury wont turn retrograde until October 31st in the sign of Scorpio. However, this week, Mercury is in what is called a shadow phase. The shadow phase represents the degrees Mercury will revisit once he does turn retrograde on the 31st and then visit again for a third time when he goes prograde on November 20. These degrees are 11° to 27° of Scorpio. During his shadow, retrograde, and prograde phases, Mercury will trine Neptune three times. The first time will be this week on Tuesday, October 15th at 16° of Scorpio and Pisces, respectively.
Mercury trining Neptune is not a particularly rare or even significant transit for many people. It's a great transit for artists as it represents imaginative thinking. It's great for healers, as well, as it pertains to things such as meditation, spiritual work, or dreaming. It's a very pleasant transit, but typically very brief, indeed. However, because of the retrograde, Mercury will connect with Neptune three times in the next few weeks and this why I do find it noteworthy. Therefore, what is important about this week is that whatever we get through this connection initially could be more than meets the eye and perhaps shouldn't be shrugged off so quickly. With Mercury, we are talking ideas, and with a positive Neptune in the mix, we are talking divinely guided ideas. Even more, when Mercury and Neptune meet each time sending you these insights, additionally, they will be making positive aspects to Pluto and Saturn in Capricorn which could therefore be good energy for transformation and concretization. My advice is to pay attention to what comes to you in dreams, meditation, or creative flow states this week. If something feels special, I would not hesitate to initiate action even with the pending retrograde, but i would plan to move slowly and revisit as necessary.
I'll write more about the Mercury retrograde as we get closer to it. In the meantime I hope you have found this information helpful and I wish you a very divinely guided week!
🙏Namaste🙏
✨Stephanie✨
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