Mercury Retrograde 2023 Part 2
On August 23, 2023, Mercury will appear to stand still in the sky at 21° Virgo 51’ S and begin its second retrograde cycle for this year. Contrary to popular belief, a retrograde condition is not a lessening of the intensity of the archetype. It is an intensification as the planet drills down over an extended period like holding a magnifying glass up to the Sun to focus its rays on a single spot until it bursts into flame.
Virgo might be Mercury’s residence, sequestered, comfortably ensconced in his nuances and perceived imperfections. Virgo is the mutable version of the Earth element, adaptable and able to ground change. Like its outward-directed counterpart, Mercury in Gemini, receptivity permeates thinking, gathering data with mental fluidity, but unlike Gemini, the perspective is a pensive and critical inward gaze.
It is a little-recognized fact that Virgo is a very creative archetype. Virgo rules the hands. Its natives are expert craftsmen and designers, giving attention to the smallest detail and able to create exquisite handiwork.
Virgo is a very spiritual sign. In Pisces, its polarity, we go to the mountaintop seeking divinity. In Virgo, we come back down from the mountain inspired by that spiritual experience to work on ourselves and perform the rituals and ceremonies that celebrate and express our spirituality.
Mercury is in close company at the station retrograde with asteroid Pallas Athene and Mars. I recently wrote a forecast about Mercury conjunct Pallas Athene. Asteroid Pallas Athene acts as an “octave transformer,” integrating left-brain conceptions with right-brain prototypes. Irrational ideas become workable rational solutions.
The intensity deepens as Mercury applies to a 1st Quarter (waxing) Trine to Pluto retrograde in Capricorn. Mentation takes on the responsibility of descending below the surface to discern where the work needs to be done.
Mercury applies to a challenging Gibbous (waxing) Opposition to Neptune in Pisces, also retrograde. Rationality and its confining boundaries dissolve, suggesting new pathways to self-understanding.
Additional retrograde energy is instilled as Mercury separates from a Gibbous Inconjunct to Chiron and applies to Gibbous Inconjuncts to Eris, conjunct the Lunar North Node stationed direct in Aries. It has been suggested by a number of astrologers that Chiron, which is Greek for hand, and connected with homeopathic hands-on healing, is the ruler of Virgo. Rogue personality Eris challenges us to color outside the box as we explore new possibilities for the future selves we are becoming.
Mercury applies to New Phase Semisextile Ceres conjunct the Lunar South Node stationed direct in Libra. Our self-evaluation is painfully reminded of what we have lost or discarded.
The Moon in Scorpio forms a partile (exact) Full Phase Opposition to Uranus in Taurus. The emotional intensities generated by Mercury’s retrograde station shake the foundation of what we have taken for granted about ourselves and forces us to rethink our direction and who we are becoming.
This Mercury retrograde cycle will last for 23 days.
- August 26 ~ Mercury conjoins Pallas Athene for a second time.
- August 30 ~ Mercury perfects to the Gibbous (waxing) Inconjunct to Chiron.
- September 4 ~ Mercury perfects to a 1st Quarter (waxing) Trine to Jupiter conjunct the Moon and Aquarius.
- September 6 ~ Mercury perfects to a Gibbous (waxing) Sesquisquare to Pluto.
- September 6 ~ Mercury makes its Inferior Conjunction with the Sun.
- September 7 ~ Mercury perfects to Full Phase (waning) Inconjunct to asteroid Hygeia potentially coincides with a new COVID variant.
- September 8 ~ Mercury perfects to a Balsamic (waning) Semisquare to Ceres.
- September 9 ~ Mercury perfects to a Last Quarter (waxing) Square to the Lunar South Node Rx in Libra and a 1st Quarter (waxing) Sesquisquare to the Lunar North Node in Aries.September 10 Mercury perfects to a Gibbous (waxing) Sesquisquare to Eris Ex in Aries.
- September 15 ~ Mercury Stations Direct at 8° Virgo 0’.
- Mercury exits its shadow on September 30.
We can navigate this transit best by:
Remembering that Hermes is the only God who can enter and leave the Underworld unharmed.
Letting go of the fear that our equipment and appliances will fail.
Letting go of the resistance to look inward at what work needs to be done.
Opening up to the higher frequencies of the outer planets and letting them work their magic.
Being kind to ourselves and others if any of those things do occur.
