Saint Patrick & Mercury Retrograde

On the radio this morning I heard a story on Irish Jews, an NPR program I think, you can look it up. So, Shalom to you all and Erin go bragh! Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

The three times a year that Mercury swings between the Sun and Earth many focus on Mercury Retrograde. During most of that inner swing Mercury moves through the Zodiac in a direction opposite to that of the Sun. From an astrological standpoint (understanding derived from a view of space from Earth) Mercury is in stronger emphasis then. The astrologer and writer Richard Nolle, in an effort to move interpretation away from silliness, prefers to note the entire swing of Mercury "earth-side" as "Mercury Max." (He's quite the namer,* also the man who gave us the term "SuperMoon" that's been mainstreamed so much as to remove it from the realm of astrology).

One part of the silliness of many of the descriptions of what Mercury Retrograde is supposed to "mean" is quite valid and true. That is that the increased focus of Mercury retrograde is a lot of "re"; re-trograde, re-do, re-act, re-try, re-start, re-peat, etc. You may insert just about any "do over" words that you wish and would likely be correct. The reason for that in terms of the astrology is that Mercury will repeat, three times, aspects (ways of looking or dealing with themes, archetypes, myths, symbols) that it makes to any chart (person, place, event, thing).

That makes a potential of a lot of focus on some particular matters or themes in our lives. This retrograde (warning, a teeny bit of astro-babble follows) begun on February 22, ends today, March 17. The retrograde period itself sees those aspects via the retrograde only getting their middle (retrograde) hit in that time frame but those same hits occurred before the retrograde when Mercury passed through that area of the sky, and will repeat a third time after Mercury resumes forward movement. That gives us a time frame for that repeat zone (I'll just be approximate here since there may be 1 day variances depending on time zones). Mercury ends the retrograde today at 5° 37' of the Sign Pisces, so for the beginning we go back to when Mercury was there the first time and it is about February 8. Mercury began Rx on February 22 at 19° 52' Pisces so that tells us what I call the "Retrograde Zone", 5°37' to 19° 52° Pisces. Mercury passes that point on about April 6. Ta-da! The three-peat zone is from February 8 to April 6.

Consider your matters of concern that have had repeat focus from February 8 until today and understand that you have another chance to learn from experience and work things out somewhere in the time until April 6.

Of course it might be easier to offer you the Murphy's Law silliness that you've probably heard, things go wrong so just watch out, but how helpful is that? Shouldn't we be attentive anyway, all of the time if we can be? Real astrology isn't fatalistic, it is observation and possibility. The possibility is that there are issues that we are all dealing with that may be unique to us or to a larger group or area that get focus by this back and forthing.* One thing that comes to mind for me is the House, Senate, Executive craziness over the budget. Your issues may be much more under your control though. Have fun with it. Live your life. The planets simply reflect it, they don't rule it.

Love to you and Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

*I am aware that is not a word, but you understand it, so maybe it is now?

Copyright © Tim Rubald 2013