We’re now in the year of the Rooster, following Friday’s Aquarius New Moon. We’re also approaching the middle of the Northern Hemisphere winter, otherwise known as Imbolc.
One of a number of elephant art exhibits displayed in London in the summer of 2010. Photo by Andrew Wilkinson.
One of the traditional Celtic or Pagan cross-quarter days, Imbolc — also called “Midwinter” — literally means “in the belly.”
If you’re feeling surrounded by darkness, remember that seasonally speaking, we’re in a period of gestation: halfway between the solstice and the Aries equinox. We are gradually working free of something.
As is Mercury, now clear of its shadow phase. And yesterday afternoon EST it finally formed the conjunction to Pluto that was a gnat’s whisker away back on Dec. 19, during the station retrograde. The fulfillment of anything so long in coming is always something of a relief, in clearing away uncertainty. Mercury as an archetype has a lot more precision than, say, Neptune; but his tricksterish nature can obfuscate reality equally well sometimes.
The elaborate dance around Pluto last month created an air of inexactness, leaving the result an open question. This question is now receiving an emphatic answer.
The astronomical object named for Pluto is a relatively small body, but its impact is massive. Given the chance, Mercury will hedge and fudge and mess about. Pluto, in the words of Terry Pratchett, can’t be having with that sort of thing. Pluto is lifting the veil and exposing the truth — taking the elephant in the room and waving it in our faces until we pay attention.
This form of challenge is nearly always discomfiting, sometimes disturbing; but it offers the chance to resolve whatever issue is highlighted. It’s up to you now to acknowledge what has been revealed, process the information and consider your response.
We live, as the well-known curse puts it, in interesting times. Something has altered irrevocably; yet with some intervention and effort, we can mould that change into a substantive and lasting improvement.
The tricksterish nature of Mercury which can obfuscate reality is well said. Pluto lifting the veil, my sixth house of work/a part-time job was very revealing of a co-worker who admitted to having some mental health problems. Hopefully this was a healing experience for him when handled dispassionately, and compassionately; as I have moved on. Highlighted and resolved. Thank-you Amy, its has taken me years to understand this Mercury retrograde illusion.