With the furthest planet out on the edge of our solar system, Pluto, and the closest planet to the Sun, Mercury, both slowed down and in reverse mode, we have an interesting set of circumstances to understand and work with. Both planets retrograde every year. Mercury, because it has a shorter orbit, retrogrades several times for shorter periods, while Pluto appears to change direction for several months. Mercury represents the mind and has to do reasoning, the intellect, versatility and how we interact in relating to others, as well as having rulership over those machines that get us in contact with others. Pluto has planetary control over death, decay, transformation and rebirth and can indicate what our desire natures obsess over, what we need to eliminate and where we will undergo a healing crisis of some sort.
Pluto went stationary retrograde on Saturday, April 9th at seven degrees, thirty minutes in the zodiac sign of Capricorn and will continue moving, s-l-o-w-l-y back to four degrees, fifty-three minutes when it stops to turn stationary direct on September 16th. It will take until sometime in January 2012 for Pluto to get all the way back to where he went retrograde Saturday - that's how slowly things move way out at the edge of our solar sytem!
Mercury, affecting communication and interaction of speech, agreements and moving parts, moves so quickly it jumps ahead of the earth as it races around the Sun, appearing to go in backward motion, or retrograde, three or four times per year, most recently on March 31st. Many people have heard of Mercury retrograde because of having to deal with life's daily snafus while the "Messenger of The Gods" is turned around! Perhaps fewer of you have stopped to consider the affect Pluto has in moving slowly through the signs of the zodiac, particularly in retrgrade motion. We are affected personally by Pluto's energy in a sometimes subtle, or more "everyone's in the same boat" kind of mode when BIG changes are afoot beyond our control and we wonder... who's really in charge here...?!
The reason I am discussing these two very different planetary energies together is this: besides both being retrograde right now, which makes us feel like we don't have any control... I want you to consider where you do have control in your life! A month ago, I shared a poem by Ella Wheeler Wilcox, Words Are Like Arrows, that has influenced me greatly in my adult life and has Mercury written all over it. While Mercury is retrograde, it is wise to review your agreements with people, possibly re-negotiating, but not entering into new agreements or contracts at this time.
Pluto is powerful, often hidden energy that operates beneath the surface until such time as it is triggered by something and we see what has really been going on. Wherever you have Pluto in your natal chart shows where your personal transformation can take place, where you can try to harness this powerful energy! Ask yourself, what is my desire nature showing me I need to change, let go of or where I need to re-build in my life in order to feel secure? While he wends his way through corporate Capricorn for the next 15 years, Pluto will bring upheaval in his wake to structures that need to change because they're not working; for the United States, that's in the area of government and finances. It isn't working, it needs to change and so... things are breaking down to be re-built at some future time. This "Lord of The Underworld", Pluto, will be aspected many times by stressful squares and oppositions from other planets, bringing opportunities for elimination and rebirth. Consider the necessity of chaos for order to come through - unless things become unmanageable, we don't often change willingly...
One planetary trigger comes tomorrow from Mars, as the ultimate planet of struggle in it's own energetic sign of Aries, blocks Pluto the same day as the First Quarter Moon indicates a need for overcoming obstacles. Also, that Sun/Moon square at 8:05 a.m. begins a long (all day...) void-of-course Moon period, in which it's best NOT to start anything new. Talk about pushing buttons... try not to re-act, bite your tongue instead, clear up old business and ask yourself where you want the energy to go and wait until Tuesday for the active Leo Moon to help you sort things out and start new projects for successful gains!
OK, back to Mercury retrograde - if you haven't finished your taxes, work on them, going over your figures several times,carefully. Do research on whatever you're thinking about starting up and spend time in introspection, meditation and journal writing . As you communicate more with yourself and get to know yourself better, the craziness out in the world can't throw you into despair, unless you let it! Meanwhile, focus on your own goals and how to achieve them by putting one foot in front of the other and working with the resources you have available to you now. There's a saying from the time of the Blitz... "Keep calm and carry on..." It applies now!
Oh, and remember... keep your head in the stars and your feet on the ground!
Do you do distant readings??? I surely need one...
ReplyDeleteWarmest Regards Cora Stover
corastover@gmail.com