Mercury Direct & Jupiter Trine Neptune

Alongside the first quarter Moon in tropical Scorpio, Mercury stations direct. While this is the end of Mercury's retrograde cycle, obstacles, setbacks, detours, miscommunications, and irritations gradually fade out and get resolved. Still, residual glitches and frustrations are likely the next several days. 

With Mars retrograde until Aug. 27, we don't get a clear and unhindered push until about mid-Sept. Of course, do what you usually do, but if you're considering a full-on barrage into some new terrain,  next month is far more ideal. But now that Mercury is direct in this waxing gibbous phase, we can regain our strength and willpower, and put the pieces back together. So stay focused, but still, take your time. 

Jupiter trine Neptune encourages a faithful adherence to our vision or spiritual practice. And this waxing Moon increases our engagement with any current process. Leaps of faith, however, require extra caution/consideration now. The Moon through Sagittarius over the weekend kicks up idealism and spontaneity. These Jupiter/Neptune vibes can arouse compassion and sensitivity, but can also tempt us into avoidance of duty. 

Jupiter's trine to Neptune is the final of three aspects since last Dec., but its correlations are prominent until Jupiter enters Sagittarius in early Nov. Under Jupiter/Neptune, there's a tendency to ignore the nitty-gritty reality of things and favor the bigger picture or how things could be. Idealism is helpful for creative innovation, but problematic when we apply it to situations requiring a sober assessment. 

Still, Jupiter/Neptune gives us increased access to a belief in ourselves or what we're currently doing. For empowering those who have lost their faith, this has been helpful. This weekend's peak energy allows for opening ourselves up or cultivating a holistic perspective of life in general. If you can remain skeptical and discerning, this Jupiter/Neptune trine can feel enjoyable and affirmative of a larger purpose. 

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Going With the Retrograde Flow

By Randi Hausken from Bærum, Norway (In the stream) [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Sometimes, life seems to be at a standstill. This might be one of those times. Currently, five planets are in retrograde. They appear to be moving backwards. This is an optical illusion. Planets don’t actually move backwards. If your life appears to be slogging along, that is an illusion, too. There really is no time. Time itself is an illusion. But illusions are convincing, and our entire existence depends on them. What you’re feeling is likely convincing and real. That’s okay. You’re probably not alone.

Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and Pluto all appear to be moving backwards. The most significant of these are Mercury and Mars. These two cycles are overlapping, and that is rare. It’s rare because Mars turns retrograde only every two years. And its correlation with Mercury retrograde enhances all this retrograde energy that saturates the air. Some things get stuck during retrograde cycles while others actually begin to move. It all depends on what it is.

But at the moment, both Mercury and Mars have just recently changed direction, that is, moved from forward to backward motion. And when that happens, things often feel stagnant and possibly frustrating. Mercury relates to communication and commerce while Mars deals with passion and willpower. Mercury is in Taurus and Mars is in Sagittarius. Uncertainty about resources and your personal values are likely. Lost passion and subsequent frustration (and anger) over a lack of perspective or adventure in life are likely too.

The good news? Retrograde periods are moments of revision and an opportunity to do things differently. They open new realities and worlds to us. But there’s always a transition. We are at such a time. Use this time to pause and step back. Take a break from how you typically approach what it is that’s not doing what you want it to. And over the next few weeks, you’ll find that a new approach is emerging if you are open to it.

For Mars, you are building up some momentum that will carry you far. That will relate to something specific in your life. If you know some astrology, look to the house in your natal chart that Mars is currently in. If not, trust your impulses and desires right now (the ones that won’t get you into serious trouble). This is an opportunity to change your life in some drastic way. Think about something you have always wanted. Now is the time, over the next two months, to build the foundation for its attainment. This is powerful magic.

With Mercury, over the next three weeks, tune into your body. Take some time to relax and trust that there aren’t many things in life that can’t wait three weeks. You are on the threshold of a potential breakthrough in many ways. And that is exciting. Make more illusionary time in your life over these three weeks for flexibility and changes of direction.

Keep your mind open to new perceptions regarding your body and the natural world around you. The universe will give you extra time for whatever you feel you don’t have time for. Get it? Good. Trust it. I’ll leave you with a quote from Lewis Hyde, author of Trickster Makes This World, “the agile mind is pleased to find what it was not looking for.”