Today’s a busy day astrologically- a New Moon, an Eclipse and, in case you haven’t already been impacted by delayed flights, lost baggage, traffic snarls and missed meetings, Mercury turns retrograde.
The usual Mercury retrograde rules apply, but in Sagittarius, add a couple of extra:
- Pay extra attention to travel and travel related issues
- Ideas may be over-inflated, over-exaggerated and over-elaborated
- Questions of faith and spirituality may be raised
- Watch that Mercury in Sagittarian tendency to shoot your mouth off without thinking… especially at this time of the year as we approach the holiday season, office Xmas parties and family gatherings.
Speaking of which, did you know that the most common reason for photocopier technician issues over the Xmas season is, shall we say, office Xmas party related? Apparently the glass is not as strong as it looks and the heat bulbs inside are hotter than you would think…go figure.
Mercury in Sagittarius has a habit of ignoring the conventions of polite society. What is that old adage about not speaking about sex, religion or politics? What about political correctness? A little Sagittarian blunt speaking and honesty may be seriously what you have wanted to say for ages, but just haven’t? Maybe it could make life a little more interesting? On the other hand, it could cause pain to someone who really doesn’t deserve to be hurt.
The Australian press is full of it at the moment with so called “Shock Jocks” mouthing off in directions that are proving to be offensive to many, prompting calls for radio to come under the same rules as press journalists and raising the whole question of free speech. How very Mercury in Sagittarius.
Thanks to the retrograde, Mercury is in Sagittarius for much longer than it usual would be. As long as you keep your sense of humour (and perspective), this means we have double the time to let go of the beliefs that no longer serve us and think big- in fact as large and as widely as you want.
The key to this period is to keep your mind open. Read widely, listen widely and think widely- outside of your usual audience and viewpoints. Encourage the discussion, the debate and turn it all upside down.
Remember the theory behind the retrograde phase- all the “re” words? When Mercury turns retrograde, it is like your thought patterns all need to be re-orientated. One of my favourite “re” words for this particular retrograde phase is recalibration. Check out this post by Sarah Wilson the other day. The whole concept of stopping, recalibrating and “being” the message rather than preaching it is what this retrograde is about.
So, who is most affected?
The usual suspects, of course- anyone with strong Mercury, Gemini or Virgo charts. This time around look also for planets or chart points between 4-20 Sagittarius. Where does this fall in your chart? Do you have a Sagittarian Sun, Moon or Ascendant? What about a heavy Jupiter signature to your chart or a packed 9th house? If so, you may feel this retrograde more than usual.
It may be difficult to achieve, but scheduling some alone time is often a good idea during a Mercury retrograde- part of the slowing down that this phase requires. Failure to do this is often when the trouble strikes.
If you do find yourself with a severe case of foot in mouth disease or blurt something completely inappropriate? Hey, it happens. Have a laugh, keep it all in proportion, blame the holiday cheer if you must, but bear in mind it may have been the most honest comment that has come from your lips all year…a bit like the Penang cabbie who announced that my BMF post marathon was “a very very smelly man”…a Mastercard moment if ever I heard one.
Mercury is retrograde now (at 20 Sagittarius) through to 13 December (at just before 4 Sagittarius). It doesn’t clear the “shadow” until 1 January, 2012… or thereabouts.
For more info on Mercury retrogrades, check out this post and the Rx tab at the top of this site.