Slowly but surely, Mercury is flitting into greater visibility in the western horizon sky after sunset. Mercury is in Aquarius and has 
been since January 11th and so appears to us between the constellations of the Goat-Fish and the Water-Bearer. Mercury will be the first pinprick of light near the point of sunset, so it should be easy to see in clear, unobstructed skies. We are blessed here in Portland, OR with unusually clear days and nights over the past week. With all the other planets in other parts of the zodiac, Mercury has little company at the moment, save for a telescopic view of Neptune in Pisces. To give this coyote-trickster some company, take a few minutes to catch this spirited planet after the Sun sets and feel into its energy.
Mercury’s presence in the sign of the revolutionary and cosmic visionary can be very invigorating for the mind, helping us break through mental barriers and blockages. It can be a time to think in larger frameworks with novel solutions to problems.
Beginning on February 5th at 1:43 pm Pacific time, Mercury will hit reverse, as its prone to do three times a year, and station retrograde for three weeks. All of Mercury’s retrograde cycles this year will be in air signs, which are more of a home to the cosmic messenger. I will be writing about this coming retrograde cycle within the next week or so, but in the meantime take a glance at a “sometimes-difficult-to-catch” planet in Aquarius.
– Erik Roth, Shamanic Astrologer