Mercury Rx in the Natal Chart, Part 2

According to Dena Moore, an ‘intuitive evolutionary astrologer’, retrograde planets in the birth or natal chart are ‘karmic indicators that literally force the person to regress back over time again and again as they struggle to come to terms with what has occurred before…whether in this lifetime, or a prior one’.

Specific to those with Mercury Rx in their charts, Moore writes that, they are ‘likely to have difficulty focusing on the now’ whose ‘entire inner consciousness is indeed different from a person who has a direct Mercury in his or her chart’. This may result in difficulties in relationships, ’simply because you think differently than [other people] do’. Moore goes as far as to surmise that:

In the past you may have been punished or killed for the thoughts and ideas you brought into the world…ideas that others were not yet ready to accept. This may leave a huge fear of communicating with others for some, while for others it simply makes them more determined to have their ideas acknowledged and heard. Obviously, relationship difficulties may manifest for the individual with Mercury retrograde no matter how they handle the energy. If you are unable to communicate openly without fear or if you push your ideas down other’s throats, that will make for difficult relating. It is something that must be worked on continuously.

Rather than try to verify if this is truly the case (that one might have been killed or punished), I think the point is to work through issues with communication one may have, regardless of whether one has Mercury Rx in their charts or not! This may be harder for those with Mercury Rx in their charts, but I don’t know if it is any less difficult for those with Mercurial aspects that appear to hinder communication, such as Saturn conjunct Mercury or Saturn in the 3rd house or say Mercury in Capricorn? I’ve got Saturn conj. Mercury and I often feel misunderstood……. .

Jan Spiller has a slightly different take on the matter, though not altogether opposed. She writes that people with Mercury Rx in their charts often feel ‘inarticulate’ (as opposed to being inarticulate), take longer to assimilate ideas, and participate in ’subjective decision-making’. The example she gives, incidentally, is something that recurs with me over and over, even though I do not have a retrograded Mercury in my chart (but I do have Saturn conj. Mercury…):

For example, if a friend says: “Do you want to go to the movie tonight?” The Mercury Retrograde Person’s best bet is to say: “Sounds like a great idea! Let me think about it, and I’ll call you back in 20 minutes”. Then they have the time to get in touch with themselves, see how they authentically feel about going, and then call the friend back: “Gosh- I really appreciate your inviting me, but I just have a sense that it would be better for me to ‘pass’ on the movie tonight.”

Or, if when they get in touch with themselves they realize they would like to go: “Gosh- I’d love to go to the movie with you!” .. and then they’ll have a great time, regardless of what happens externally, because they have decided according to their own inner prompting.

However, if they go without having first taken the time to get in touch with themselves inwardly, they won’t have a nice time even if it’s something they would have normally enjoyed doing.

It’s weird, but that’s exactly how I am, agonising over every social decision, made worse I think by Saturn (conj. Sun in Gemini) wanting to ‘do the right thing’ and not (1) be wishy washy (Decide now! Why take 20 minutes?), (2) feel bad when I do decide immediately and change my mind 20 minutes later. The funny thing is, my friends probably don’t care whichever way my decision goes, or how many mental convolutions it took to get there.

Jeff Jawer reckons about fifteen percent of the population are born with Mercury Rx in their charts, but I think I read somewhere else it was closer to eighteen. I’d like a list of famous people born with Mercury Rx, but it’ll have to wait until I find a reliable source.

References
Jawer, Jeff. ‘Mercury Retrograde’. Star IQ. Accessed 30 May 2006.
Moore, Dena L. ‘Mercury, Karma and Retrogrades’. Through Nights Fire Astrology. Accessed 30 May 2006.
Spiller, Jan. ‘Mercury Retrograde’. Astrology with Jan Spiller. Accessed 30 May 2006.

 

Mercury Rx in the Natal Chart, Part 1

Cafe Astrology suggests that those born with Mercury retrograde in their natal charts might not feel its effects. I wonder if this is true?

CyberWorld Khaldea reckons it has an impact upon personality, and this impact is dependent on gender:

In a birth chart, Mercury retrograde indicates a mind turned inward toward introspection and self-examination. Exploring one’s inner dimensions may be easier and more inviting than dealing with “real world” issues, and the larger, philosophical issues underlying life often hold more appeal than life’s more mundane side. One’s own ideas and thoughts are likely to be more interesting and intriguing than those of others. Mercury retrograde, therefore, is well-suited for writers, artist, musicians, philosophers and people whose work require the development of new ideas and high degree of concentration and creativity. Far from indicating mental slowness, Mercury retrograde figures largely in the horoscopes of some of the most intelligent individuals of any era.

Because Mercury’s polarity is neutral, its significance when retrograde does not differ as significantly between men and women as do some other planets. Yet there are some subtle differences.

In a man’s chart, Mercury retrograde suggests an aptitude for studiousness and intense mental work requiring long hours of solo work.

In a woman’s chart, Mercury retrograde suggests a personality who strikes out on her own, often breaking new ground and embodying the ideals of new womanhood during any era.

[This post has been sitting as a draft for a week now. I meant to add something else on Merc Rx in the natal chart and karma, but haven't had the time, so I decided to do it in two parts. I'll try to get to Part 2 later this week.]

Reference
‘Mercury’.CyberWorld Khaldea. Accessed 19 May 2006.
‘Transits: Mercury Retrograde’. Cafe Astrology. Accessed 19 May 2006.

 

Mercury Rx in the Elements

Here’s a chart of Mercury retrograde periods from 1972 to 2027 that I found. It provides at a glance the cycle of retrograde periods through the elements. Very useful.

Reference
Anne Massey. Astrologically Speaking. Accessed 14 May 2006.

 

The Shadow Period

Every Mercury Retrograde is accompanied by what is known as the ‘Shadow Period’. The Shadow Period refers to the time period in which Mercury travels over the area of the chart it will retrograde in.

So, for example, the last Mercury Rx started from 26° 55′ Pisces on 2 March, back to 13°11′ Pisces, going direct on 25 March. The Shadow Period for this Retrograde began when Mercury started going into 13°11′ Pisces on 17 February. This refers to the ‘Back-end Shadow’, i.e. the shadow preceding the retrograde.

The time it takes Mercury to return to the point it was at before it retrogaded is known as the ‘Front-end Shadow’. So the March retrograde saw Mercury reach 26° 55′ Pisces again only on 13 April.

For a visual representation of the retrograde and shadow periods, see this article in Astroprofile. Cafe Astrology also has an effective graphical representation of retrograde cycles and stations.

Some claim that the retrograde effects can be felt subtly, as strongly, or even more strongly than during the actual retrograde period itself. While the views on its intensities vary, all seem to agree that Mercury retrograde effects can nevertheless be felt during the shadow periods, effectively extending it from three weeks to nine!

I haven’t thought about Shadow periods myself, but will try to pay more attention during the next retrograde in July (and I’m travelling then too!). I will update my iCal calendar to reflect shadow periods from today.

References
2006 Mercury Retrograde Cycles and Calendar. Accessed 6 May 2006.
‘Retrograde Cycles and Stations’. Cafe Astrology. Accessed 6 May 2006.
Shawvan, Jim. Mercury Retrogrades in 2006, with Shadows and the Storms. Accessed 6 May 2006.

 

Mercury Rx and the Elements

I just learned that Mercury tends to retrograde in signs of the same element within a given year. The four elements are Fire, Earth, Air and Water.

Fire signs are Aries, Leo, Sagittarius.
Earth signs are Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn.
Air signs are Gemini, Libra, Aquarius.
Water signs are Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces.

Mercury retrograded in Pisces in March; it will retrograde in Cancer in July (techically, beginning at 1° Leo), and in Scorpio in October this year. All water signs.

In 2005, its three periods of retrograde occurred in Aries, Leo and Sagittarius. Fire signs. In 2007, it will once again retrograde in the Water signs of Pisces, Cancer and Scorpio, but in 2008, it will be in the Air signs of Aquarius, Gemini and Libra.

This suggests that taken collectively, Mercury retrogrades can highlight whole themes for not just an individual year but a cyclical period of several years.

The proper astrological explanation can be found in Erin Sullivan’s article; I’ll quote a short passage here:

The retrograde cycles occur in consecutive zodiacal order as the calendar year progresses, yet the overall cycle indicates a subtle subcycle of a gradual precession of Mercury backwards through the elements. This is because Mercury stations-retrograde in each of the signs at an earlier degree each time, gradually dropping back into the previous element. In doing so, it traverses the three signs of each element — the trigons — each station connecting a loose grand trine over a full cycle of three stations of Mercury in the course of thirteen months.

The use of this cycle alerts us to the unconscious rhythms of reflection, and attunes us to our inner clock by dint of knowing where concentration and introspection are most needed. When to consider and reconsider ideas, projects, relationships and lifestyle according to one’s own unique timing is the greater purpose of Mercury retrograde.

However, as the signs express the emotive and intuitive qualities of the Water element differently, Mercury retrograde in each of the Water signs will highlight different aspects of the overall theme. More on the Water signs soon.

Reference
Sullivan, Erin. Elements of Mercury Retrograde. Accessed 21 April 2006.