WISH UPON A STAR — MERCURY IN PISCES (AND RETROGRADE) 2-5 — 4-13 —2013
Dear Friends and Readers, hopefully you are enjoying Venus in Aquarius as much as I am; it’s been fun so far…Today’s post is about Mercury in Pisces, but we’ll also define what Mercury retrograde can mean in our daily lives. Naturally, this transit will affect Pisces and the other mutable signs the most. Let’s begin by defining the areas of life where Mercury has the most influence. Mercury as the ruler of Gemini rules transportation, regional travel, electricity, early education and short classes that focus on specific skills, the neighborhood, siblings, and communication. Gemini can be meetings; so can Virgo but the type of meetings would be more different — more to do with work, health, organizational details. Mercury as the ruler of Virgo would put the emphasis on health, hygiene, diet and nutrition, co-workers, accounting and bookkeeping. Mercury was the messenger and the scribe in mythology. People with strong Virgo and Mercury in Virgo in their charts often end up in middle management, as the one communicating from the boss to the workers. Troubleshooting and fixing problems come naturally to people with strong 6th house placements.
So…when Mercury goes retro, which is does for roughly 3 weeks and 3 times a year, it would be a good idea to doublecheck all paperwork, communication, appointments, addresses and phone numbers — make sure there is no mistake and be prepared to find mistakes and make corrections. When I used to see a lot of local clients in person, someone would call for a palm reading and we’d schedule it. Mercury retrograde usually manifested as that appointment being changed 3 times before it actually happened. Scheduling conflicts, car problems, travel delays, electrical things not working correctly — these things are VERY common during a Mercury retro transit. Regarding interpersonal communication, the chance for misunderstandings is higher during this transit. You can try using the active listening technique to enhance communication…”Let me tell you what I heard you say and you tell me if I understood it correctly…” This side-steps accusatory or defensive statements and seeks clarity without being judgmental — it’s a very useful skill to have under your belt, ESPECIALLY when Mercury is retro :))
This rule of 3 times also applies to conversations where a decision needs to be made. You’ll often find it takes 3 meetings or conversations to get enough clarity, info, etc. to make a decision. Reviewing is a great use of a Mercury retro, as is research and gathering additional info. The time to move forward on projects is after Mercury goes direct ( in this post that would be March 17th). Let’s use a fantasy example of how to plan your time for maximum effectiveness…right now Mars is in Pisces. Maybe that means you want a fountain, a waterfall, or a pool in your yard. Maybe you go down to City Hall and the Building/Planning Dept. and you apply to get your permit. You do this when Mercury is making the initial forward transit in Pisces, asking about the rules, setbacks, variances, fencing, depth, etc. IF you submit your building plans during a Mercury retro, there’s a better than 80% chance they will want corrections. Use the retrograde to research the materials, the style, who you want to hire, etc. It will be a lot easier to move forward and do the actual submitting of plans, hiring help, purchasing materials, AND the groundbreaking, if you wait until after March 17. Taking it a bit farther, please note that Mars, the ruler of Aries, rules iron ( think rebar), excavations, sharp tools, welding, etc. Mars is currently in Pisces, which would be fine for water projects, BUT — if you wait until the SUN is in Aries and then look for a good Mars day after March 21 — then your GROUNDBREAKING — your initial PHYSICAL action on this project — is now timed for maximum smoothness of execution. Any problems encountered would be more easily solved. In this fantasy example, the real life date to begin would be April 5, 2013.
OK, you guys, I’ve been very busy with the clients and so now am running a few days later than I wanted for this post. I’ve also been mulling the right way to approach it and now I have decided to just show you a FEW Mercury transits in action. If you are a poet, or doing chemistry research, or calling on major pharmaceutical customers to make a sale, or having foot and/or shoe problems — all these things would be Pisces — then you’re better off getting your chart done as a planning tool. There are a LOT of Mercury transits during this transit through Pisces.
For example, Mercury squares Jupiter in forward motion on 2-9 at 6 degrees Pisces. Retrograde, Mercury again squares Jupiter on 3-10 at 8 degrees Pisces, and the wrap-up in forward motion will be the same square on 3-29 at 11 degrees Pisces. Naturally, people with planets from 5 – 12 degrees in ANY mutable sign will feel the frustration of this square most acutely. Be prepared to work hard and compromise if necessary. Very difficult if you let over-optimism about timing put you in a situation where you promise more than you can deliver. Looking at this square another way, be a bit skeptical about people promising things to YOU. Be vigilant to spot errors and make corrections with any important paperwork, meetings, even personal conversations and family plans. Don’t space out when you are driving either. I usually try to avoid long trips when Mercury is retro, but if you must go somewhere, then doublecheck everything, allow extra time, and be prepared for delays. People in the entertainment industry will run into all kinds of glitches with the organizational details of concerts, movies, live theatre, etc. This transit is reasonable good for editing work that you have done previously, but take your time and extend deadlines if necessary.
Mercury trines Saturn at 10 degrees Pisces/Scorpio on 2—12. The retrograde trine is 3-7 at 11 degrees and the last pass, in forward motion is 3-28 at 10 degrees Pisces. Trines are lucky and flow easily. These transits are great for creative writing, private detective work and solving mysteries, research in areas ruled by these two signs, and for medical issues. Healing and improvement of health is very possible if you work with these transits. Scheduling a medical appointment on a Mercury retro is only OK if it’s follow-up on previous issues — like a post-op appointment or lab work to check on an existing condition. Combining natural healing and traditional medical could have very nice results…Pisces rules the unconscious mind. If you have to have anesthesia, be sure to have the doctor say out loud that your surgery was a terrific success and that you can heal quickly, easily, and perfectly. I actually wrote out a script for my doctor when I had surgery some years ago. He cooperated, good man, and all went well. The idea here is you want to use these transits to put positive messages into your unconscious mind. No matter what you need to read or study, these trines will make concentration and focus come a little easier and strong possibility to channel info from spirit to help you. Ask for what you need before sleeping at night. Pisces rules dreams…
Moon is conjunct Mercury at 8 degrees Pisces on 2-11, retro at 16 degrees Pisces on 3-10, and forward at 21 degrees Pisces on 4-8-2013. Mercury on the Moon gives voice to feelings, so these transits offer you the opportunity to express your emotions. You may have the same conversation with a loved one 3 times but each time more understanding, clarity, and wisdom are gained. Good decisions will result from taking your time with this particular transit and letting things unfold as they will. I’ve written before about intention is the bottom line with Neptune/Pisces/12th house matters. My impression about this transit is that people can uncover some hidden expectations that they were carrying around and becoming aware and releasing any hidden agendas will allow your closest relationships to blossom.
These are great transits to initiate spiritual practices, therapy, release old pain and move forward with your life. Remember that the conjunctions are the most powerful transits because two planets in union produce a lot of energy. Give voice to the deeper parts of yourself — keep a journal, confide in a trusted friend, join a prayer or meditation group — all these are possibilities. Sometimes when I am jammed up, talking to a friend does wonders! No sooner are the words out of my mouth than I can see where my thinking is off-track so I can correct it. Of course, for me it would be a friend, since I am Aquarius. A mate, a sibling, any relative that you have a loving relationship with can be of great help to you during this transit. Maybe you need some help this time with figuring something out, but it could be that YOU are going to help another with this same process. That’s what Pisces is about — alleviating pain and suffering and expressing spiritual love…
A client comes to mind…she had some catty relatives that said mean things. I reminded her that their behavior said more about them than her. She had a breakthrough and realized she didn’t want them in her life anymore; they were like the fake version of family instead of the real deal. She had the courage to let go of the pain they had caused and move forward with her life. Most of us will release the problem and then back-slide, chewing on the old hurts like a dog with a bone. The thing with Pisces being a spiritual sign, letting go really MEANS letting go. I struggle with this; I think we all do. At this time in our evolution, there is no compromise. You’re either on the side of the Light or feeding the darkness that is trying to envelop our planet. Make your choice. Letting go means letting go with love, blessing the experience, no matter how painful, because it has helped you become who you are today. And maybe there was no other way to get there…maybe it was really a shortcut in disguise…Blessings, Jenae
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