As many are aware, the planet Mercury is now moving backwards, or, “retrograde”, as we say in astrology or astronomy. It began June 7th and will continue that pattern until the early morning of June 30th, when it stations into “direct” of regular movement. By itself, this movement backwards is not really that special as it does this 3 times every single year. However, Mercury is in the sign of Gemini while retrograde, giving us the full feeling of resonance that Mercury typically has with the sign of Gemini.

Note: Planets do not actually move backwards, but standing on Earth from our perspective (geocentric) it looks like that when we pass up a planet or another planet, in this case, Mercury, passes Earth on the inside track of the Solar System (think of 2 trains going different speeds on 2 tracks. If you are in the faster train passing the slower train, it “looks” like the slower train is moving backwards).

For those born while Mercury Retrograde, this can be similar to the “business as usual” term, but of course it is not really that simple. It has a lot to do with right-brain/left-brain activities and some of us function very well in right-brain or creative-mode. The rest tend to function best in the left-brain or linear-structure mode (typically what Western Culture encourages and propagates). I wrote about Mercury Retrograde originally 2 ½ years ago (in November 2011) and thought to bring up this valuable advice and what Mercury Retrograde is truly about.

But before I get into that, we should also look at the context in which this Mercury is happening. Very rare and potent alignments took place in April involving most of the rest of the planets symbolizing something akin to the level of intensity, movement-shattering, radical times in which we live. The core of it is the Uranus-Pluto square (a 90 degree angle in the sky or on an astrology chart), which follows the revolutions of the mid to late 1960s and again on the heels of the period in the early to mid-1930s (Great Depression, Technological Innovations, National Revolutions and pre-war movements of Germany, Italy and Japan, Major US Federal Programs – the setting of the stage for WWII a few years later).

This is an era of revolutions and major federal programs and rises of pre-war expansions such as the case of Russia and China (especially in the South China Sea and economically). Prior to that, the USA was expanding through military influence in several global places. The world of the 1990s is no longer recognizable. And also look at the enormous technological breakthroughs on all fronts, especially in how we communicate with each other and finding planets beyond our solar system. Of course, there was also the onset of the economic recession. There is a lot in common that we have with the 1930s and 1960s. Since then, Pluto has travelled halfway around the Sun and Uranus has completed one full orbit of the Sun.

These larger cycles are having an effect on all of us whether or not we are in a Uranus or Pluto cycle, for example. There is an undercurrent driving communities, cultures and humanity at large and we are finding out that we cannot get away with NOT participating and being a part of the flow in our own unique way. We live in a time where EVERYTHING is being seen and done and expanded upon time after time!  Strangeness, novelty, breakdown and breakthrough are becoming the norm. Mercury Retrograde just adds to the intensity of that overall picture (especially when we are resisting our own personal life flow), but it is asking us to tap into creative thought and be aware of other channels beyond form and structure. It is that place where we can discover our own unique magic.

Here is the Mercury Retrograde article:

Mercury Retrograde is neither good nor is it bad, it is simply an initiation for us 3 times a year or approximately every 4 months.But because most of us live in a consensus reality where left-brain thinking is the socially programmed and accepted way of things, those who are aware of Mercury Retrograde look at it as something to blame when things go wrong or a bad period of time to make commitments, make major business transactions, or otherwise start major projects. We are told to wait until it’s over. But is that all we should do? There is another view to Mercury Retrograde and one that we should not fear. In fact, the retrograde period of Mercury is invocation of creativity!

Rationality, logic, reason, organization, efficiency, sequential time/events and order dominate the left-brain way of living life. Human beings have a habit of putting order into a field of chaos, trying to fit everything we can in segments, parts, classifications, cause & effect, work & reward, goal-setting, etc. Technology developed (not necessarily invented or created) mainly along the lines from our left-brain, introducing more order, more need to be in contact with everyone and the need to know that everything is all right with one another. But this type of thinking does not suit us very well when Mercury has an apparent ‘movement’ backwards from our Earthly perspective. Most of us try and live our lives the same way during this retrograde period, this polarity reversal of sorts and just cope and/or tolerate this relationship between Mercury and Earth going the opposite direction. So what can we do instead of ‘coping’?

My first response to that question is to invoke the creative part of ‘you,’ especially if you know you have any fire or water energy dancing around, eager to see the light of day. Creativity was the spark for the birthplace of the Universe . . . a right-brain activity. Fire and Water elements bring us the heroic tales, the desire to rise above clouds, to face our greatest fears, to channel our life force, to reach our most ecstatic states in the body, to dance on the edge of a cliff, to touch the divine spirit and create what we want. Mercury Retrograde is time of opportunity to enjoy the fruits of “free will” and taste the life force permeating through the energy centers of our body, our chakras.

Mercury Retrograde allows us to use our right-brain more fully, opening ourselves up to the Source of All Things. We should be giving ourselves permission to take a ‘time-out-of-time’ during this span of a couple of fortnights. ‘Retro Merc’ is nothing to fear once we know its purpose. If we have an awareness that plans are not going to work exactly as we plan them during Retro Merc and we know there is a message behind a disconnection on the phone, then we can let go of our frustrations and turn the energy into creative purpose. It’s a wonderful time for meditation, deep thinking, and inner healing work. Reflect on where you are and what you’re doing and be present. If you have a desire to create, now is the time to play with ideas and be unattached to outcome.
For those people who have an abundance of fire and water archetypes (Signs) on their astrological chart, it’s a time where they can express themselves in their ‘normal’ sphere . . . living in the moment. For those who have air and earth archetypes populating their chart, it would be beneficial to let go of routine once in a while and have some fun and do something that doesn’t require too much analysis of information or a heavy reliance on communications.

Energetically, Mercury is closely related to the archetype of Gemini. One of the primary aspects of Gemini is its contrarian medicine. Contrarian medicine has a genuine place in our lives and means: opposite in nature. Yes, we can place blame on the retrograde when technology breaks down, but it’s this ‘opposite’ that is a teaching to get us to pay attention and laugh. There’s a time and place for jester or fool to appear, to cut down the tension and ease our burdens, even for a short time. The situation calls for humor around the need to do everything perfect, to have everything running perfectly all the time. Life does not work that way and Gemini and/or Mercury Retrograde will be quick to point that out.

Our western culture has given Retro Merc a bad rap, increasingly so because of our current reliance on electronics to reach other people, handle our finances, stay informed and sell us things we don’t need. Retro Merc is not malevolent, nor is it benevolent. It simply Is. So, have fun and see beyond the limits of vision and the unfolding of the magical nature of Mercury Retrograde. Give yourself a chance to flex the intuitive muscles, to turn off the phone and invoke your creative spirit.

by Erik M Roth
Shamanic Astrologer
erik@inspiralnexus.com