Tag Archives: Mercury retrograde

The Mysterious Case of Mercury Retrograde in Scorpio

By Amanda Painter

Mercury stations retrograde in Scorpio today at 11:41 am EDT (15:41:20 UTC). It will station direct on Nov. 20. As strongly as Mercury is associated with tricks, especially during its retrograde phases, it does in fact bestow treats as well — though it can require actively seeking that perspective, often in the form of recognizing the lessons hidden in the mischief and frustration.

Mystery figures at the 2016 Sacred and Profane festival, Peaks Island, Maine; photo by Amanda Painter.

I guess you could say that the blessings of Mercury sometimes arrive in disguise, wearing an inconvenient costume.

You know, like that one friend who dresses up as a ‘concept’ that nobody gets, and then is bummed about having to explain it all night. (I’ve totally been guilty of that.)

Yet once you grasp the concept, you kind of have to applaud the cleverness behind it. Is Mercury too clever for its own good?

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The Day of the Overseer: Birthdays and Planet News

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If Your Birthday is Oct. 30
The Day of the Overseer | 2019-20 Scorpio Astrology Studio available for pre-order | All Other Signs

A birthday conjunction between Mercury and Venus in your sign indicates that your consciousness is tuned to an artistic key. Creative inspiration can even open spiritual dimensions that feel like ‘coming home’ in some way, but you’ll need to honor those instincts enough to follow through. Whether you consider yourself an artist per se or not, beautifying your environment or attending cultural events might be more rewarding than you suppose. You should be able to express yourself with considerable charm this year, and approach life with an optimistic attitude that paves the way to some interesting encounters.
— by Victoria Emory

Do you ever feel like your Scorpio Sun, rising sign or Moon gets a bad rap from astrologers? Eric Francis understands the potential held in your depths — and can walk you through how the planet Uranus in your relationship zone might be stirring things up. Pre-order your 2019-20 Scorpio Astrology Studio reading (offered now at its lowest price!) to move past the stereotypes, and meet your life at full strength.

Written in the Planets

Sharp, saucy Venus in Scorpio sidles up to slow — and therefore powerful — Mercury today, just one day before Mercury stations retrograde. This could describe some very interesting relationship conversations or declarations of romantic/sexual intent — which are typical of a Mercury-Venus conjunction. In Scorpio, Mercury can describe keeping things secret or striking with sharp verbal accuracy. However, Mercury is in its ‘storm’ phase, churning up the waters of emotion-soaked thought and communication — which could translate into miscommunication.

Is the object of your affection/lust giving off “let’s get real” vibes? Or do they seem cagey and self-protective? Which way do you feel yourself leaning? Bear in mind that, especially with the asteroid Pallas quite close, there may be a tendency to express emotions in intellectual terms. Depending on your circumstances, this could facilitate discussing intensely personal topics you’d normally have a hard time talking about. You may also be able to perceive some of the underlying patterns running through your life.

Engaging with art, as creator or appreciator, may offer an especially effective way into this material, with erotic, ‘dark’ or transformation-themed work potentially hitting just the right notes. Bear in mind that when Mercury makes its apparent reversal tomorrow at 11:41 am EDT (15:41:20 UTC), new information could emerge, which may be quite pertinent to today’s conversations (or to matters that have been in the dark for a few weeks). Keep your inner ears open and tuned to the subtle frequencies of intuition and instinct. Double-check everything, whether practical or metaphysical.
— by Amanda Painter

In 2020 we have not one but two conjunctions that mark the turn of a generation, and of an era in history. On Jan. 12, Saturn and Pluto in Capricorn form their once per 33-year conjunction. Then on Dec. 21. 2020, Jupiter and Saturn, both now in Aquarius, form a conjunction in the first degree of that sign. Read more here…

The Day of New Ideas: Birthdays and Planet News

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If Your Birthday is Oct. 29
The Day of New Ideas | 2019-20 Scorpio Astrology Studio available for pre-order | All Other Signs

This year you should be able to instinctively tap both emotional and intellectual resources to considerable effect. Material security ties in here, but it’s deeper than that. Invest in developing and expressing more of your innate talents and proclivities. The result can be a unity of purpose that greatly enhances self-worth. From there, all security proceeds. Relationships and communication factor large this year, and could pave the way toward opportunities you seek. An open heart, self-expression and sensitivity to intuitive prompts will serve you well.
— by Victoria Emory

Written in the Planets

Let’s face it: much of daily life has little to do with passion as we tend to conceive of it — though a general zest for life is one of passion’s incarnations. Yet passion — whether sexual or creative — is not always an easy energy for people to handle. It can be scary, since it implies a loss of control — an inability to deny and hide our truth.

There’s an intriguing conjunction today between Venus and the asteroid Pallas in Scorpio. Pallas often represents strategy and political wisdom, or a kind of detached rationality — useful skills for certain tasks. Yet strategy combined with a compelling emotion like passion can mutate into cruelty when fear or pain is part of the equation.

Particularly during the first part of the day, as the Scorpio Moon activates the Venus-Pallas conjunction, you may want to notice if you find yourself getting strategic about any of your most intense feelings. Are you keeping it all hidden from others as you maneuver? Do you find yourself going on the hunt for what you want? Anything to do with sex, love, lust, jealousy, possessiveness or financial concerns may need careful handling — as in, gently and openly rather than aggressively or secretly. Passion plus strategy can also fuel activism that’s working for the good of all.

With Mercury slow and stormy (it stations retrograde on Thursday), you may want to check your thinking. This definitely looks like a “best laid plans of mice and men…” situation. Getting to the bottom of how you’re feeling could be a very fruitful use of today’s energy. After the Moon enters Sagittarius just before 6:00 pm Eastern, it may be easier to take a lighter approach to whatever’s been compelling you.
— by Amanda Painter

The Day of Research: Birthdays and Planet News

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If Your Birthday is Oct. 28
The Day of Research | 2019-20 Scorpio Astrology Studio available for pre-order | All Other Signs

Prepare to take the wheel and steer your life toward the true north of who you really are, more than you ever have before. Uranus opposing your Sun on your birthday signals that you’re ready to reclaim aspects of your core identity. Opportunities to expand in that direction might arise from challenges in your environment. Wake-up calls could come via relationships that demand a type of conformity no longer compatible with your evolutionary path. The question is: how much have you surrendered for the sake of security, or external expectations? Therapeutic guidance geared toward liberating repressed anger or fears can help you make the most of a pivotal year.
— by Victoria Emory

Written in the Planets

Mercury stations retrograde this Thursday, Oct. 31 — which means we’re entering the ‘storm’ phase now. You’ll want to be as diligent as possible with all communication, and perhaps especially with anything related to security, finances, and any topics you consider particularly private.

Remember that nothing online ever really goes away completely — though you’d be hard pressed to find many people who live like they truly understand this. Be doubly certain you have the right email address or phone number before you send sensitive messages this week (and for the next month). As usual, back up your computer, and be ready to find workarounds for inconvenient glitches.

Although the Moon is making its way further into Scorpio after last night’s New Moon, the Sun is still opposite Uranus in Taurus. So a good deal of yesterday’s Written in the Planets will likely still apply, regarding surprises and secrets. Added to the mix is a square between Ceres in Sagittarius and Borasisi in Pisces. How are your beliefs about what counts as ‘spiritual’ stacking up against what’s genuinely been feeding your soul in recent months? If that question triggers some tension, what do you need to do to resolve it?
— by Amanda Painter

The Day of Impulse: Birthdays and Planet News

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If Your Birthday is Oct. 27
The Day of Impulse | 2019-20 Scorpio Astrology Studio available for pre-order | All Other Signs

A New Moon closely opposite Uranus is pretty much the astrological signature for a clean slate. If you’ve felt somewhat hemmed in or locked into a routine, this year will serve to remind you that you’re the one ultimately in control of your life. If you have major changes to make, the window of opportunity is imminent. Just be sure to tie up as many loose ends as you can. In particular, keep promises and atone generously for any errors. Then you’ll be ready when the moment comes.
— by Amy Elliott

Written in the Planets

Tonight’s New Moon in Scorpio has quite a chart. This conjunction of the Sun and Moon is exact at 11:38 pm EDT (3:38:20 UTC Monday), and exactly opposes Uranus in Taurus. Surprises, upsets and anything out of the ordinary could provoke secrets coming out. Yet it’s also possible that behaving in secrecy could itself be the provocative, challenging or upsetting thing. The signs involved are known for strong emotions, and for fixed points of view that sometimes resist the need to flex. And while New Moons are usually lower-energy events, Uranus packs a lot of electrical current. Also, Mercury stationing retrograde in less than a week could be amping up mental static and the potential for misunderstandings.

Questions this event seems to ask include: Where’s the line between simply seeking new experiences/stimulation and behaving recklessly? What’s the difference between ‘getting real’ or ‘going deep’ with someone, and over-sharing in ways that cause someone to feel blindsided? When do you leave the zone of being ‘private’ and protecting your vulnerability and stray into masking your truth to get power over someone?

Nobody shares all of their innermost thoughts, feelings, desires, fears, shadow material or processing all of the time. Yet you can also open up about secrets and ‘taboo’ topics in ways that don’t feel like an ambush. Oppositions are about negotiation; negotiation is about give and take, and finding a common meeting point. An invitation to join someone in the deep end of the pool might feel risky; but is it really just reminding you of some hidden restlessness, or of some part of yourself that you’ve been longing to express but have not dared to yet?

This New Moon chart also hints that intuitive wisdom and other ‘internal’ ways of knowing are key to navigating whatever comes your way today. Especially if you feel knocked off balance, see if you can stay in contact with whatever your immediate first instinct was. If your initial, intuitive response shocks you, that may be all the more reason to heed it. What does it tell you about what you truly want?
— by Amanda Painter

The Day of Organizational Cohesion: Birthdays and Planet News

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If Your Birthday is Oct. 26
The Day of Organizational Cohesion | 2019-20 Scorpio Astrology Studio available for pre-order | All Other Signs

You may find yourself drawn to explore your inward consciousness; your dreams, your deeper feelings, your secrets. Keep a dream diary; notice if you experience unusual emotions during sleep, or particularly vivid imagery. At some point there will probably be a significant revelation, on the theme of your essential being, or a concept you hold dear. If you’re open to this potential and hold space for it without judging, you could transform your relationship to yourself.
— by Amy Elliott

Written in the Planets

Several planets making contact around the zodiac appear to be emphasizing relationships of various sorts. Some factors speak of getting quite particular about emotional needs. Those conversations will likely be very incisive, zeroing in on the most fundamental desires and triggers, and cutting through the fluff and bullshit. If you find yourself in a situation like that, you may need to bring in some lightness consciously — though not in the form of evasiveness. Think more in terms of reminders of the bigger picture, and of how amazing it is to keep learning about those closest to you and about yourself.

Other factors suggest a combination of intense passion, an ability to speak about deep or intimidating topics in a rational way, and maybe even holding space for an atypical sexual experience or unconventional relationship. Bear in mind that ‘holding space’ for somebody else’s process implies a lack of expectation of reciprocation; it’s a form of service, and service is a form of love — more in the ‘agape’ sense than in the romantic sense.

Yet with so much Scorpio (and Taurus) energy right now, the healing process that you’re bearing witness to could indeed be fairly saturated with emotion or erotic energy. That’s not a terrible thing, it just might be a lot to handle for some people, or could contribute to confusion about ‘intentions’. If feelings of possessiveness or jealousy are creeping in, that’s a signal that something other than ‘holding space’ is going on. You might need to check in (with yourself and/or with the other person) with direct, specific communication to get clear again.

With Mercury less than a week away from its station retrograde (on Oct. 31), you can’t be too careful when it comes to what and how you’re thinking, what you think you’re perceiving from others, and what everyone is and is not saying. Expect the unexpected all weekend, as we approach tomorrow’s Scorpio New Moon opposite Uranus. Note also that a square between Mars in Libra and Saturn in Capricorn describes feeling blocked and getting frustrated. Don’t let that — or fears that you’re not up to the task of overcoming an obstacle — get the better of you. Just proceed very deliberately, patiently and thoroughly — with everything.
— by Amanda Painter

Secrets and Surprises

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By Amanda Painter

In one week, on Oct. 31, Mercury stations retrograde in Scorpio. On the way there, this Saturday, the Sun and Moon make a conjunction — the Scorpio New Moon — which is opposite Uranus. One translation of all this: the next seven-plus days may well be characterized by secrets and surprises. The question is: what determines whether such things feel like tricks or treats?

Illuminated offering at the 2016 Sacred and Profane Festival, Peaks Island, Maine. Photo by Amanda Painter.

The short answer is, “you.”

More specifically, it’s things like your perspective, attitude, agility in responding to new information, and emotional attachments (whether to people, to certain ways of doing and thinking about things, to the familiar, to what you think you know about yourself and others) that will contribute to whether life feels like an enticing mystery that you’re unraveling, or a haunted hayride you didn’t want to go on in the first place.

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Chaos, Balance and Birth

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By Amanda Painter

Mercury may still be two weeks from its station retrograde in Scorpio on Oct. 31, but I feel like I’ve been noticing its effects all week. How about you? Hopefully this means the retrograde proper will be less about glitches and more about rewarding (if intensive) introspection and evolution — though that’s always partly a matter of personal intention and perspective.

Fire engine abstract #2; Photo by Amanda Painter.

Against this mercurial backdrop, the sky is offering some additional prompts to assist you on your journey of self-awareness — and in just trying to get by. Given the chaos and confusion the world is throwing at us (such as Pres. Trump escalating conflict between Syria and Turkey by turning on allied Kurdish rebels — on a dime, and apparently on a bluff), sometimes just trying to get by constitutes a day well lived.

Today’s major aspect is an opposition between the Libra Sun and Eris in Aries. On one level, this is the ‘other shoe’ dropping in our fall preview of the January Saturn-Pluto conjunction in Capricorn, which will be square Eris.

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