It’s unusual for a New Moon and the beginning of a Mercury retrograde to take place within 24 hours of each other, but that is how next week is going to start. Shortly after 12:13 am EDT (4:13 UTC) Monday, the Moon will briefly share 26+ Taurus with the Sun. Soon after 9:49 pm EDT the same day (01:49 UTC Tuesday), Mercury’s apparent motion will reverse at 13+ Gemini.
Taurus and Gemini are adjacent on the zodiac, which raises an interesting situation. When the luminaries (Sun and Moon) conjoin to define the upcoming Taurus New Moon, Mercury at its Gemini retrograde station will be more than 16 degrees away.
Even with the Moon moving at a rate of more than 14 degrees a day (which will be the case at the time of the Taurus New Moon), it would really be stretching astrology’s definitions to say Mercury will be part of the luminary conjunction.
For example, William Lilly (the great 17th Century English astrologer who promulgated many astrological guidelines still in use today) wavered between 15 and 17 degrees for the Sun’s widest plausible orb of influence, writing “I sometimes use the one and sometimes the other.”
Neither will the New Moon and Mercury at its pivot be far enough apart to be considered in any meaningful aspect other than conjunction. Yet, the two events will be close enough in time to be considered functionally concurrent. In essence, both will occur on the same day.
So maybe that’s how we should consider this unusual co-incidence of a New Moon and Mercury at a defining point. Instead of wrestling with degrees and geometry, perhaps we should consider the two events close enough in time to be indicative of something in combination.
Assuming a temporal perspective in relating the Taurus New Moon and Mercury’s retrograde station, it would be consistent to proceed with a temporal analysis. The period between one New Moon and another may be referred to as a ‘lunation’. It is a consistently regular, familiar and fundamental time frame of something less than 30 days. Lunations give rise to the nearly universal calendar sub-division known in English as a month (a word derived from the Moon).
Lunations are useful time frames. You can work with them. They are regular enough to set up schedules. They are long enough to show most trends and contain many changes, but also short enough to be of minimal challenge to recollection.
Mercury retrogrades are less well defined in terms of time. Yes, the actual period of retrograde motion is always in the neighborhood of three weeks long. Still, there is a demonstrable potential of events corresponding to retrogrades beginning when Mercury first enters the corridor (or ‘shadow phase’) of zodiac degrees it will ultimately retreat back through.
Additionally, a second shadow (or ‘echo’) phase commences after Mercury resumes direct motion to retrace that same corridor of retrograde degrees a third time. Finally, when retrogrades take place entirely within the bounds of a single sign (as is the case this year), one might consider Mercury’s entire tenure in that sign to have a retrograde cachet.
One thing for sure however, is that both the Taurus New Moon and Mercury’s station retrograde can fairly be construed to represent a beginning of some sort. So why not see it that way yourself? Why not start next week as if whatever you initiate has the potential to extend even further than a week if need be?
Perhaps that’s where you can begin deriving (rather than asking for) meaning from the unusual astrology of a New Moon concurrent with a Mercury retrograde station. You can seize it as an opportunity to initiate something you have been putting off. You can take it as a chance to give yourself as much time as you need to complete what you start, within the boundaries of reason astrology provides.
Most of all, you can bring astrology off the page or screen where it appears through symbols, charts and words. The cycles and timeframes delineated by the Sun, Moon and Mercury starting something together can become their reality for you.
That way, distant celestial objects can become close enough in time with you to be as much a part of your life as the people you share time with. Luminaries and planets may become as familiar as the places you spend your time. That way you may begin to bring both the greater and lesser lights of the sky quite literally down to Earth. Could be that’s part of the reason you are here. Why not begin next week as though that were true?
Offered In Service
Len is available for astrology readings. You can contact him at lenwallick [at] gmail [dot] com.
I’ll buy that Len, after all, the Moon will conjunct Mercury less than 28 hours after she conjunct’s the Sun. All in a day’s work (+ 4 hours) for the Moon. Actually I’m rather pleased to hear/read your view, ie. lumping/linking New Moon and Mercury retro together. See, I’ve been working on Bernie Sanders chart, you know the guy who is challenging Hillary in their 2016 Presidential Election run? And Bernie’s natal Neptune is at 26+ Virgo and trine this New Moon which is only 2 degrees from his natal Saturn at 28+ Taurus which conjuncts his natal Uranus at 00+ Gemini retrograde.
It also means that transiting Mercury will stop short of Bernie’s Jupiter at 19+ Gemini (which will be sextiled by transiting Uranus) when he stations retrograde, well before the end of this month. That means transiting Mars will reach Bernie’s Jupiter at the same time transiting Uranus sextiles them both on June 9th. Retro Mercury will stop and station direct well before backing up to Bernie’s Uranus (conjunct Bernie’s Saturn), and for some reason that makes me think that Bernie won’t have to apologize or back track from anything he might say between now and then, unlike me for example.
Bernie has an interesting chart Len; a bowl shaped pattern. . very contained. He’s a Virgo, not prone to sticking his neck out and making careless mistakes. Born on September 8, 1941, he has an opposition to his Uranus-Saturn conjunction from Pallas (war strategist) and Hidalgo (a rabble-rouser) which is where transiting retro Saturn will be in a few days. Add that to the New Moon (and transiting Sun) conjunct his NATAL Saturn (and trine his Neptune), I feared his natal Uranus in Gemini opposite his natal Hidalgo in Sagittarius might let something out into the Public he might regret later (after Mercury goes direct again).
You might be impressed with Bernie’s natal Damocles at 26+ Aquarius (conjunct Requiem) that conjuncts the U.S. Sibly Pallas (conjunct U.S. Moon) which sextiles his natal Ceres at 26+ Sagittarius (conjunct the Galactic Core at that time at 26+ Sagittarius). That would put the New Moon in Taurus square Bernie’s Damocles and the U.S. Moon/Pallas, and Bernie’s Ceres+ GC quincunx (adjust) the New Moon, but the NM is still trine his Neptune. He’s well aware of the possible dangers to the US people (natal Damocles conjunct U.S Moon) and would do anything to protect (natal Ceres) them.
I guess I was worried that in his zeal to protect the U.S People Bernie might be unnecessarily spooked by natal Neptune (square natal Ceres) and he doesn’t have any major water planets to channel that kind of energy. Did I mention that transiting Eris is now conjunct his natal Mars, and either possibly conjunct his natal Moon or possibly trans. Uranus is conjunct his Moon? Well, I probably worry too much, and after all, I DO enjoy a spirited spat or debate between opposing politicians. Go ahead Bernie, Bring it on!
be
Len, my life reflects your ending case. I am more aware of my connection to the universe than anything else. I notice how the shifting energy changes everything. People change as do my thoughts – according to this unseen force. Your words help me make sense of my world.
Good call, feels true and sage.
This summer season seems primed for that kind of thing,, with the Saturn dip back into Scorpio.
Len so true! Loved your message, profoundly resonated with me this week. So interesting, all of our Mercury retrogrades this year are in Air signs. Aquarius, Gemini, and Libra later this year.
From the stars and sky, so many symbols and cycles, and so much guidance can be directly felt through the elements. Connceted to this, I am also becoming more and more aware of receiving oracular, incoming information in sustinct, fast, completely packaged messages from nature.
I read somewhere that natures interconnected network is pristine, divine, so the data transference is crystallized – 100% clean. Meaning, nothing is lost in symbolic translation. Messages from Nature are pure downloads. So, with that now in mind, and your message here.. just this week I decided I should write these down. This one was recieved earlier this week:
**Over deep, blue sun reflected water, two eagals, precisioning their wings to navigate the air, with great speed soar directly towards each other. Then at the last minute, fan off in individualized directions. Parallel, rainbow’s arch.
The following day, in three separate meetings, Blue Herons came directly into my view. Two seen overhead in the sky, one landing for my attention right before me.
“Heron is diversity in environmental presence. The heron is at home in three elements: Water, Earth and Air. Meaning the heron deals with being comfortable in spaces that are neither here, nor there. It prefers hunting at twilight, which is a symbolic and magical time of ‘in-between’. The heron will have one foot on land, and one foot in the water – this action has been recognized by ancient cultures as a sign of ‘liminality’ – of crossing into a space that is neither here, nor there.”
Like the planets and stars, Mercury retrograde, and the tittle of your message, “Close Enough in Time”…
“being in the space ‘in-between’ illustrates the lesson we are not our environment. We are not even our bodies. And the ‘in-between’ represents a space suspended – without time or place.”
http://www.meaningoftheheron.com
Barbara/be: Thank you. It’s gratifying to know you found my perspective useful. Thank you also for insight on the astrology of Bernie Sanders. Transiting Mars and Uranus combining to activate his natal Jupiter next month will bear watching. One thing that catches my attention (based on your advice of his natal Damocles position) is that he is now having a Damocles return. Combined with transiting Eris in a long conjunction with his natal Mars, there is an unusual sense of crisis for a long-shot candidate. i wonder what’s up with that.
cowboyjam: Thank you. i’m grateful to know that my service here is useful to you.
Sara Victoria: Your affirmation is deeply appreciated – thank you. Additionally, please accept my gratitude for a point well taken regarding Saturn.
P. Sophia: Thank you for being so kind in your appraisal. i agree with your point about the significance of information conveyed by and from the natural world. Another reason to value and protect nature in all of its forms – we need the messages it provides. Thank you for channeling some of it for us with the grace of a poet and the understanding of a sage. The point about the liminal nature of a heron is especially enlightening.
Yes Len, I can see my whole upcoming week — which is distinctly defining my upcoming life — just as you describe. I’ll begin by packing my uHaul and heading back along a path I first took (the other direction) at my last Saturn return. My entire move is situated smack dab across Merc’s Retro; I anticipate that the New Moon to see me off is a good omen, especially in Taurus my 10th house and heading to a particularly earthy/oceany/sky-filled place.
On the way I’ll stop and visit my Gemini daughter…in what feels to me a backwards sort of time and place….heading the other way than I might have originally planned.
Well then, I’l say no more; you’ve already said it all and laid the map nicely. A couple more short essays, finish packing and i close this chapter; New Moon/Merc Retro here I come. 🙂
Merc Retros in Air……like re-considering our air-waves…our virtual communications…I would expect to feel (can’t see air) more along these lines, yes?
P. Sophia, had a blue heron let me come close a couple of weeks ago. I was honored. Thanks for mentioning your interactions.
Love your take on “Bernie”, Be. Thanks. Nice to see we’ve got some invigorating energy in the political mix.
aWord: If there is ever a best time to define your upcoming life, It would appear to be during what you have planned. Just be sure to do it with intention. Doing it with some ceremony would be a bonus. What you undertake to define is likely to last a while. If you are simply aware of that one likelihood, your consciousness will be guided by Earth and Sky. May you be blessed by the New Moon. May Mercury help you to recreate (in every sense of the word) in your own image. Please stay in touch with us here as your mission of dharma unfolds. You mean a lot to us.
Thanks, Len.
A dragonfly found me today – only one I’ve seen here. Be and I had a dragonfly conversation a few years ago….don’t know if you remember.
I thought it was nice of it to come wish me bon voyage – as have you. 🙂
Len, It was your message and creative interpretation that, (again) inspired and led to my sharing my communication. For this I thank you.
I know what i saw in the ocular message I received. Yet interestingly, today in coming back to your post and my comment I was led to further discover the final image phrase “Paralle Rainbow’s Arch”, which was a visual inspiration that spontaneously was witten only at the time of my comment of the message here. I wondered what it meant. What I was lead to today were discussions about debunking the Big Bang Theory, and Rainbow Gravity?! Which I personnaly know nothing about. But there may be some developing research and and truth in this theory coming to light..
“Rainbow Gravity theory (sometimes called “Gravity’s Rainbow”[1]) is a proposed theory which suggests that the universe has no beginning and stretches back in time infinitely with no Big Bang.
Here’s a link if anyone is interested in reading.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/large-hadron-collider/11489442/Big-Bang-theory-could-be-debunked-by-Large-Hadron-Collider.html
P. Sophia: Thank you! The modern idea of a Universe without beginning and/or end is largely based on the work of the great 20th Century physicist, David Bohm. The rainbow gravity theory also goes back to the 20th Century. The awesomely erudite writer, Thomas Pynchon brought the theory down to Earth in his GREAT 1973 novel “Gravity’s Rainbow.”