Tag Archives: Mercury

Mercury Direct, Aries New Moon, and What’s Next

By Amanda Painter

If you’re feeling a little on edge this week, you won’t be surprised that astrological events are offering a picture of why that might be. Topping the list are Mercury moving through its ‘storm’ phase prior to stationing direct on Sunday; the Aries New Moon Sunday night; and Chiron in the last degree of Pisces (it enters Aries two days later, on April 17).

Faux fire in Grand Cayman; photo by Amanda Painter.

Faux fire in Grand Cayman; photo by Amanda Painter.

Although New Moons generally are not considered ‘edgy’ astrology, this one is special, as the Sun and Moon make their conjunction nestled between the disruptive, chaotic influences of Uranus and Eris.

With a waning Moon often indicating a sense of lower personal energy, it would not be surprising if you’re feeling a little less able to deal with the onslaughts of modern life in the digital age right now. That said, there’s still intriguing potential in the current astrology. For one thing, hopefully this Mercury retrograde phase through Aries has offered you a fruitful review of certain decisions, actions, desires and ways of seeing yourself (what you think of as your identity).

Recognizing those openings for insight sometimes asks for a higher level of awareness than what we’re able to muster, however — especially if one is in the thick of a communication crisis, car breakdown, financial mess or other stressful, complex situation. That’s okay. Hindsight is often when we’re able to get some perspective, not when we’re in the middle of things (though sometimes that happens, and it can save a lot of angst).

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Small, Meaningful Moves

By Amanda Painter

We’re moving into the last half of Mercury’s current retrograde in Aries — and the contacts Mercury is making this week seem to be stirring things up for many people. If you’ve been feeling a sense of pressure lately, this astrology could be why.

Photo by Amanda Painter.

Photo by Amanda Painter.

A combined square between Mercury in Aries and Mars and Saturn in Capricorn continues to be in effect today. Mercury square Mars was exact on Wednesday, and Mercury square Saturn is exact today — though they are really one event.

This aspect pattern is an image of tension — especially with Mercury in a hot, fiery, action-oriented sign, and its retrograde motion describing an inward direction (for at least some of that energy). If you’re feeling frustrated, you might notice how much of that energy is directed at yourself, versus how much of it you’re projecting (or unleashing) onto others.

Lots of people fall into negative thought loops when they have trouble expressing their anger and annoyance; that said, it’s also becoming more common for people to seek an outlet on social media. If that tends to be your go-to, you might notice whether people’s comments in response actually help you to transmute your frustration, or whether it serves to amplify it. There are reasons why social media is often referred to as an ‘echo chamber’ — though sometimes we do truly just need to say what we have to say and know that we’ve been heard and empathized with.

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Tropical flora on Grand Cayman; photo by Amanda Painter.

Working and Communicating with the Libra Full Moon

By Amanda Painter

Are you feeling both determined and frustrated this week? The sky is not only building to a Full Moon in Libra on Saturday, there’s some additional astrology that may be testing the balance between what you desire, what you feel obligated to do, and what’s actually reasonable to try to accomplish.

Tropical flora on Grand Cayman; photo by Amanda Painter.

Tropical flora on Grand Cayman; photo by Amanda Painter.

The good thing about this kind of setup is that when there is friction or opposition from others, it can actually help you get clear on your priorities.

When everything is easy and everyone is mellow, it can be harder to get focused or fired up for what needs to happen. That said, even if you think you know what you want, current aspects suggest it’s wise to try on different perspectives, to listen closely to what others are expressing (including reading between the lines), and to move ahead with a measured pace.

The chart for this week’s Full Moon speaks to all of these factors, in multiple ways. Exact at 8:37 am EDT on March 31 (12:37 UTC), it has the Moon in early-mid Libra opposite the Sun and retrograde Mercury in Aries.

Straight away, Mercury both retrograde and so close to the Sun (they form a conjunction on Sunday, marking the midpoint of the retrograde), signals that checking one’s perspective is wise. Particularly in Aries, are you sure you are seeing beyond yourself and what you want?

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Flowing with the Currents and Lighting the Fire

By Amanda Painter

With the Sun now in Pisces as of this past weekend, winter starts to loosen its grip and we begin the approach to spring (even if the weather doesn’t play along consistently). Right now we have a concentration of planets in Pisces, the last sign of the zodiac; yet it won’t be long before the sky’s emphasis begins shifting again, from deep water to the fire of Aries.

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Mars in Sagittarius — and a Few Other Adjustments

By Amanda Painter

You know that feeling when you’ve been incredibly busy, or very focused on a project, and then those activities wind down but you feel momentarily adrift, or not sure where to channel your energy next? But then, almost as soon as you’ve thought that, the next thing comes along to keep your energy level up and engaged?

Photo by Amanda Painter.

Photo by Amanda Painter.

That might be one way to think of Mars entering Sagittarius tomorrow, just six days after centaur planet Pholus left that sign. Mars leaves Scorpio, a sign it rules, and brings its fiery energy to fiery Sagittarius at 7:56 am EST on Friday (12:56 UTC).

The influence of Pholus in Sagg was something we kind of got used to for many years. In terms of the ‘runaway reaction’ Pholus signifies, we’ve witnessed it in the way the world seems to be spinning out of control. Long before Trump as president, before Uranus made its signature aspects to Pluto and Eris, we had Pholus adding some rocket fuel to life — in a segment of the zodiac that can already feel a little ‘out there’.

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A Penetrating Mind, and Mars Changes Sign

What do you need to dig into, investigate or persuade someone about? Astrology this week offers support in those realms, though with a caveat: empathy and a goal of mutual benefit need to be guiding principles — along with an awareness of the potential for obsession and self-righteousness.

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Dragon-horse sculpture by Taiwanese artist Hung Yin in Manhattan. Photo by Amanda Painter.

In this era of binge-watching shows online and falling down Google rabbit holes, it seems we’re becoming acclimated to a certain level of obsessive behavior.

That can be problematic when it comes to getting distracted when you’re on a work deadline; or when an inability to avoid the pull of obsessive diversions undermines personal goals. When it becomes a habit, self-esteem can suffer.

Yet there’s a time and a place for hyper-focusing. Many kinds of research and high-stakes tasks require it for brief stretches. If you’re investigating a mystery, engaging in intense, penetrating thought could be the key to solving it — as long as you don’t fixate on one detail to the exclusion of others that might, in fact, lead you to the solution.

As Mercury nears its conjunction to Pluto in Capricorn this week (exact Wednesday), these are some of the themes to watch for. You may find your mind is predisposed to getting under the surface of something; perhaps what you say to someone will strike at the heart of a matter, or persuade them of your point of view. If so, being considerate of others’ feelings, and not misrepresenting yourself, are important.

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Empathy, Honesty and Power Struggles

By Amanda Painter

As you head into the weekend (for many U.S. readers, a long holiday), you’ll want to know that the astrology has some things to say about power struggles and confrontations. Mercury and Mars, both in Cancer, are opposing Pluto in Capricorn. At their best, this pair of oppositions can be leveraged to get beneath the surface of things.

Photo by Amanda Painter

Photo by Amanda Painter

Mercury opposite Pluto, exact at 8:36 pm EDT tonight (00:36 UTC Friday), is especially good for deep research into a topic or uncovering a secret. With the sign Cancer involved, this could easily mean getting to the underlying emotions that are driving an interpersonal situation or reaction.

In its most productive expression, Mars opposite Pluto (exact July 2 at 8:02 am EDT / 12:02 UTC) can be used to make positive, creative changes in your life. Again, with Cancer involved, that might mean giving yourself an ‘attitude adjustment’ if your emotional reactivity has been swinging to extremes. What’s really bothering you?

Or it could relate to overdue updates to your actual home environment, just as one example. The main idea is to use the energy constructively and consciously in some way, so that it does not end up using you.

What would that look like? Think power struggles, manipulation, obsession, and trying to control the emotions and actions of others. Remember, you can only ever truly control your own actions and reactions, not anybody else’s.

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Say What You Mean, Mean What You Say

This week’s astrology features Mercury and Mars in Cancer making a series of aspects throughout the week. Mercury in Cancer, particularly, can indicate a mind that’s very sensitive to others — to people’s moods, to what they say, to what they seem to leave unsaid. Which means that it becomes extra important to say what you mean, and mean what you say.

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Photo by Amanda Painter.

As Eric suggested in an email about this astrology, “make actual statements of fact. Do not hedge or pussyfoot around the point.”

I recognize how incredibly difficult this can be for many people — especially in person.

Years ago, I remember a college professor of mine pointing out that, more and more, he was hearing students say, “I feel that…” when they were actually trying to express their thoughts about an academic topic, not describe their feelings.

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