November 1st ~ 8th
“Hermes” by W.B. Richmond
Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma ~ which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary. ~ Steve Jobs
Mercury stationed retrograde on Thursday, October 31st, and will station direct on November 20th. Mercury retrograde issues are legendary: mixed messages, missed messages, not having all the information you need to make an informed decision, travel mixups, vehicles and other mechanisms breaking down, technology glitching, electronics awry. Recounts, recalls and do-overs. Mercury retrograde can get blamed for everything as he litters our computers with demons, and disrupts our schedules and our lives. There is no doubt that these periods can be a distraction of inconvenience. However, these are also very necessary phases and are known to bring a few surprising advantages.
For instance, Mercury retrograde can serendipitously return lost items. Or we can finally receive payments owed for some time. It’s a very good time to finish up projects, or take care of stuff that you’ve been meaning to get to for some time. Inevitably as we aim to sort out the shelves of our lives, we are reacquainted with books and pictures and stories that had slipped to the back of our minds. It is not unusual to find yourself reflecting, reminiscing, revisiting and reviewing. These are great times for reunions where you are reminded of what once was. This is because the retrograde phase of Mercury is a period of assimilation. This is when we download and process the information, pieces and experiences of our lives. It’s a process of learning and absorbing, and making sense of things. This is when we put things in perspective.
It is not generally a good time to start something new or make new commitments. Often we find ourselves later having to reconsider, back out of, or reevaluate agreements made when Mercury is retrograde. This is because what seems like a really good idea while Mercury is retrograde will have its faults revealed only after Mercury is direct again. Mercury retrograde also gives us permission to step back and retreat from agreements made in the past. It’s our get-out-of-jail card.
If we had the freedom to allow the fluidity of this period to operate as it should, we would all step back from the noise of our everyday lives, and spend the time in contemplation, introspection and that all so important task of assimilation. Mercury will be in the sign of Scorpio for the entire retrograde period, which dares to bring as even deeper. Scorpio is a sign of discrimination, investigation, and research. With Mercury fussing about in the depths of Scorpio he dares to dig up all sorts of secrets, scandals and crud. Nothing is sacred when we dive into Scorpio. When we immerse ourselves in Scorpio we have to be willing to face the demons of our lives with equanimity and courage. This helps us to purge ourselves and our lives from that which is undermining our strength and purpose.
Scorpio is also a magical sign. This is the time of the year when time and space become opaque. It is a time when the fairies dance at twilight and the dearly departed are said to roam the physical world. The veil between the past and future is thinned making it all the more sensitive to divination, scrying, and premonition. Scorpio brings us the gift of seeing signs and portents. So, in preparation for the months to come, use the retrograde phase of Mercury to read the signs, not with foreboding or fear, but with the confidence of a well-skilled navigator.
Topics to consider for this Mercury Retrograde period:
Insight: In addition to divination, scrying and premonitions; Scorpio has the gift of seeing signs and portents. When Mercury is retrograde this capacity can be turned inward allowing you to connect with your own subconscious and inner intelligence in ways that can be incredibly insightful.
Rebirth: Scorpio is a sign of survival. When all hope appears to have gone up in smoke, and the bottom falls out… Scorpio crawls out of the depths and reinvents their lives. Like the phoenix arising from the ashes, Scorpio understands the mystical cycle of birth, death and rebirth.
Empowerment: The high places are made low, and the valleys are raised up. The powerful step down, and the powerless become empowered. Scorpio is about breaking glass ceilings, challenging discrimination, and uncovering and revealing corruption that undermines the effectiveness of society. Turn that power inwards for this retrograde phase with positive affirmations and inner truths.
Reciprocity: We would not be able to survive without the cooperation of others. Scorpio is concerned about other’s values, and how we feel valued in the world. If we humble ourselves enough to offer compassion to others, and recognize ourselves as custodians for the poor, the sick, the deprived, the lonely, wouldn’t the world be a far, far better place?
For next week’s horoscopes, click below: