Granny severs nation’s internet connection

During a retrograde in 2008, there were reports about the disruption to the internet when several undersea cables were severed.

Yesterday, it seems a 75-year-old woman in Georgia single-handedly cut off the internet to 90% of neighbouring Armenia’s network when she sliced into a cable while digging for copper to sell for scrap…

As the Moon sails through Taurus (ruler of cash and associated with copper), this incident seems like a timely reminder of how materially dependent this magical virtual world still is.

 

Merc rx and me: Gabfest

Be careful of communications going awry, we’re always told, when Mercury goes retrograde. Don’t buy anything important. Don’t sign on the dotted line. Don’t rule out long-lost friends coming out of the woodwork. And so on.

I don’t know if others feel the same way, but when Mercury retrogrades, especially around the station, I actually feel — and I’ve watched this over a few retrogrades — an increased agitation and anxiety, and thus a greater need to communicate. I wondered in an early post about whether that phenomenon was in fact a signal to pay attention the state of anxiety itself, and as a result be compelled to learn to slow down.

 

Mercury stations retrograde in Gemini: Can you help what you say?

Mercury is very close to its station retrograde in Gemini, only hours away. This period is also known as the ‘storm’. A planet in station is supposed to hold its energy in concentration.

Mercury retrograde in Gemini suggests that communications may be delayed or slowed, or ideas reviewed. In addition, words may be misunderstood, speech misheard, intentions misread.

While I don’t believe that planetary transits ’cause’ anything to happen, I sometimes wonder whether the energies offer up the conditions under which you will be compelled to review your actions.

 

Mercury in Gemini

Mercury has just ingressed its home sign of Gemini, except that it is also grinding to a halt in preparation for its retrograde on 6 May in 1+° Gemini.

Mercury is chatty and curious in Gemini, ideas come fast and furious, fuelling many an intellectual adventure. From Stephen Arroyo once again, Mercury in Gemini can be interpreted as such:

• Communicates fluently, quickly, cleverly, and intelligently — sometimes superficially
• Urge to express perceptions immediately
• Needs to learn through establishing and identifying connections among people and ideas
• Changeably curious mind expresses itself through friendly interactions with others and through endless questions
• High level of nervous energy is expressed through talking, writing, or other forms of manual/mental dexterity (62–63)

As Mercury slows to a stop, however, these qualities can feel blocked, or at the very least, weighed down. Much patience is required.

Reference
Arroyo, Stephen. Chart Interpretation Handbook. Sebastapol, Ca.: CRCS, 1989.