THIS WEEK — Mercury is now in Aquarius, and on Monday it enters new territory for the first time after the recent retrograde. Since the Internet came along, it seems like everyone has heard of Mercury retrograde, though there are nuances.

“Aphrodite Urania as patroness of the arts” — Griepenkerl, 1877-78

What happens today is that what’s called the ‘shadow phase’ ends, and the retrograde cycle comes to an end.

If you’ve been experiencing frustrations with technology, with communications, with money or with getting your plans in order, you’re likely to get some relief.

More significant is that you use this two-month phase of what I will call ‘Mercury clear’ to initiate your new projects. This is a much better time to make major purchases, conduct negotiations and enter agreements than any time around the retrograde.

The purpose of astrology is to use time well. It’s less like some magical process and more like a table of tides. No sailor would set out for sea without knowing the tidal conditions, and we have astrology to help guide our complex lives — mainly by providing a map to the environment of time.

On Tuesday, Venus will enter Aquarius. There are a few ways to read this, though my favorite is that it represents agape, the Greek word for brotherly love. Except here, it’s in the style of the goddess. This is love that’s about friendship, and is inclusive of more than two people. It may include groups of friends, or any style of loving where the theme is communication and bonding rather than solemn commitment.