Looking Beyond the Devil in the Details

By Amanda Painter

By now, whatever emotional energy peak you may have experienced with the Full Moon should be dissipating. And while you still might feel a little foggy or unsure about certain situations (thanks to Neptune’s lingering influence), at least the mental shenanigans of Mercury are slowly beginning to sort themselves out. ‘Easy does it’ is still the mantra du jour, though.

Photo by Amanda Painter

That might even go double for any unexpected pieces of information that came to you as Mercury stationed direct Tuesday morning.

As Mercury traces its way back through the degrees of the zodiac where it was just retrograde, see if you can follow the trail of breadcrumbs back from whatever you’ve been reflecting on or reviewing. Even though Mercury is returning to the same slice of zodiac where it was on Aug. 12, all of the other planets have shifted (whether slightly or dramatically). Don’t be surprised if, as you follow your breadcrumb trail back, you find yourself in a slightly different place, with slightly — or dramatically — different self-understanding or insight.

Saturday, Sept. 9, Mercury re-enters Virgo at 10:52 pm EDT (2:52 UTC Sunday), in direct motion. Waiting for it just inside the doorstep are the hypothetical point Transpluto at 2 degrees Virgo, and Mars at 4 degrees Virgo.

Straight away, this looks like a caution against over-focusing on something and putting way more energy into it than it warrants. Overkill is a real thing, and tends to result in diminishing returns. With this loose triple conjunction happening in Virgo, things like non-essential details, self-criticism, criticism of others, one’s idea of ‘logic’ and over-analyzing are all possible areas where one could get a little hung up over the next few days.

Yet there’s another factor to consider: Mercury, Transpluto and Mars are all making a trine to Juno in Capricorn, with Mars the most exact. Juno can be a tricky critter. It’s possible for it to function in a social-justice role. Often, however, Juno shows up speaking of partnership issues — especially in the area of unmet or unexpressed needs.

In its higher expression, Juno trine these Virgo planets could very well describe your ability to focus on and put significant energy into serving a social-justice cause. Goddess knows there are plenty needing our collective and individual effort and energy right now. (And, incidentally, tomorrow’s opposition between Jupiter in Libra and Eris in Aries might allude to that same cultural context, with Jupiter representing the search for justice in the face of social — and social media — chaos.)

Yet, Juno in this configuration could also make it even easier to over-focus on past unmet relationship needs or unaddressed grievances. And that could fuel the shadow side of Mars in Virgo: a sharp, sarcastic and cutting tongue.

Sure, that might feel justified. But it’s a distraction from the opening that would allow you to serve something greater — such as healing. There is a reason why revenge cycles show up so often in history and literature: two wrongs never make a right; whereas deep, actual healing dissolves the cycle. A revenge cycle might make for an exciting, ongoing narrative and high ratings on TV, but dissolving the cycle through personal healing allows for a much more fulfilling and creative life.

Interestingly, this idea is supported today by the Virgo Sun making a trine to one of the zodiac’s heavyweights: Pluto, which is in Capricorn. According to astrologer Robert Hand, Sun-Pluto trines carry very beneficial, transformative energies. The key, he says, is to pay attention inwardly to what motivates you, what you’re seeking and what changes you need to make.

But there’s a catch: Hand also notes that using this energy ruthlessly or selfishly sets energies in motion that will drag you down in the long run. Pluto is about power. And in a trine to the Sun, it is about conscious, right use of power by the individual for inner evolution.

In today’s chart, it would seem that using this transformative power well means keeping one eye on the big picture, and one eye on your own growth, healing and call to service. Sure, the details matter; and Mercury still slow, powerful and echo-y means that your awareness and focus is warranted, especially for basic daily tasks like driving, financial transactions and anything done via technology. But sometimes, as they say, the devil hides in those details. Can you tell the difference?