Mercury Retrograde: Depth of Focus

The Seer, Wildwood Tarot

Mercury stations retrograde
October 21, 2013
6:29 am EDT / 11:29 am GMD

Uranus–Pluto square
November 1, 2013
6:30 am EDT / 10:30 am GMT

New Moon in Scorpio
November 3, 2013
7:50 am EST / 12:50 om GMT

Astrological Samhain
November 7, 2013
1:14 am EST / 6:14 am GMT

Mercury stations direct
November 10, 2013
4:12 pm EST / 9:12 pm GMT

We've entered our last Mercury retrograde for this year, the last in the Water element. Following on the heels of the fiery intensity of the Aries Full Moon, Mercury's station (the moment he slows down and stops before turning back) ushers in the season of Samhain.

At Samhain, deep in Autumn in the Northern hemisphere, we enter the dark time of the year. This is the time of stories around the fire, of mending and making, of looking within. For the ancient Celts, this was where (and how) everything began––in the depths of quiet yin.

The astrological year begins at the Spring Equinox, with fiery yang Aries energy. We felt a burst of that at the Full Moon, and now, only a few days later, we're dropped into the depths of something ancient and dark.

This is the waning cycle of the Moon, but this post is not my usual post for this time––I will write another in a few days describing what the Moon will be up to. We've entered an intense and focused time within a much larger cycle now, and it feels important to get oriented.

dive in ...

Samhain arrives every year, after all ... the time of Scorpio, the energy of fixed Water that asks us to look our fears in the face, embrace our Shadow, have tea with our demons.

Scorpio time is also for connecting deeply with what fuels us, what brings meaning and creative fire into our lives. And for honoring the past and the ancestors.

These themes are connected: We fear what we don't understand and don't want to face, often these things come from the past, and are shadowy. The things modern culture wants most to ignore––age, death, decay, depth––these are Scorpio things and the source of all new life.

This year... well, this year we're offered extra Scorpio. A Scorpio main course with Scorpio on the side, and some Scorpio sauce.

Mercury's retrograde in Scorpio opens the door and nudges (pushes?) us through. The usual caveats apply––double check plans and schedules, make extra backups of important files, and avoid leaping to conclusions about what you think someone meant when they said that to you. But this is not what Mercury retrograde is about.

The mess-ups in communication come about because our attention is being directed elsewhere. The ordinary details of life are not where our hearts and minds want to be right now. We're being drawn into the depth of our own lives, the lives around us, the life of our world. 

This is the time to examine our deepest goals and desires, to face our darkest fears. Mercury stations retrograde while trining (in a deep flow of energy) with Jupiter in Cancer. This connection reminds us of the waves of Water energy we swam in this summer, when so much was happening in the sign of Cancer.

Now we're asked to take all of those emotions to a new level, placing them in a context that includes the past, potential futures, and the creation of meaningful lives.

The next exact Pluto–Uranus square's coming right up too. Pluto rules Scorpio, and remains in mutual reception with Saturn who is in Scorpio. This square, coming at this time and during the waning lunar cycle, says, Let go! It's time to take off the water wings, leave the shallow water, and trust that we can swim to the far shore.

The New Moon in Scorpio will be conjunct Saturn, Mercury retrograde, and the North Node, offering an open portal for new beginnings in the deepest parts of our psyches. This New Moon arrives with a Solar Eclipse, giving extra energy and resonance to whatever seeds we plant. Astrological Samhain (when the Sun reaches 15 Scorpio) and the ending of the retrograde will follow.

... the water's fine

By the time we reach that far shore, we'll be in a waxing cycle, growing something new. We'll also have changed our clocks, which may carry extra symbolic weight this year––it certainly will for me, because I will experience it twice. We'll "fall back" here in Ireland before I leave, and then I'll "fall back" again in the US a few days after I arrive.

In the next days and weeks, be aware that whatever happens is likely to feel "extra" ... extra strong, extra important, extra meaningful. And most likely, it will be. We're entering a time when signs and portents could be anywhere and everywhere.

I invite you to choose the deep over the superficial. One thing I've learned on my long travels is how easy it is for me to allow ordinary anxieties (Did I lock the door? Did I pay that bill? Is she angry about what I said?) to keep me from experiencing the layers of deeper emotion underneath. I think this is fairly common, and something we want to get beyond, especially now.

These next few weeks invite us to look closely at who we are, how we feel, what fuels us, what blocks us, and where we go from here. Ordinary live recedes. We're called into a reflective time. That cave might feel scary but there are riches within. Take the plunge!
    

Moon into Capricorn: Who's in Charge?

Sunday afternoon through Tuesday evening
Eastern Daylight Time

Sunday, October 30

La Hague Lighthouse, Normandy

Moon enters Capricorn 12:38pm
Moon sextile Chiron (Pisces) 1:52pm
Moon trine Jupiter (Taurus) 9:20pm
Moon conjunct Pluto (Capricorn) 9:58pm

Monday, October 31
Moon sextile Sun (Scorpio) 1:34am
Moon inconjunct South Node (Gemini) 5:02pm
Venus (Scorpio) square Neptune (Aquarius) 5:19pm
Moon sextile Ceres (Pisces) 5:35pm

Tuesday, November 1
Moon square Saturn (Libra) 4:14am
Mercury (Scorpio) square Neptune (Aquarius) 4:36am
Moon inconjunct Mars (Leo) 8:58am
Moon sextile Mercury (Scorpio) 3:56pm
Moon sextile Venus (Scorpio) 5:00pm
(begin void of course)
Moon enters Aquarius 6:08pm

The Moon grabs her tool belt this afternoon to step into Capricorn, sign of steady effort and hard work. With Halloween tomorrow making this feel like a long weekend, it might seem a bit early for dour Capricorn. And yet, Capricorn is also the sign of authority––including claiming our own authority––and the Moon's journey over the next few days could help us do exactly that.

The Moon's first aspect is a flowing, energized sextile to Chiron as the Moon enlists the healer, sage and mentor. This Samhain season, beginning with the New Moon and continuing until November 7, is a time of facing the dark. We need all the help we can get.

sea thrift and storm clouds

Tonight, the Moon joins the transformative Pluto–Jupiter trine as she first trines Jupiter, then joins Pluto. Now we can let the universe know we're ready to enter the cauldron, surrendering to the alchemical process that will release our gold. This could be a night for big dreams, as the Moon taps into this Pluto–Jupiter connection.

Monday opens with a flowing sextile between the Moon and the Scorpio Sun, a time as crescent Moon waxes that we begin to see the shape of what will grow with this lunar cycle.

Monday evening brings intense connections with strong feminine archetypes as Venus squares Neptune, the Moon forms an inconjunct with the South Node, and sextiles Ceres. This Samhain evening will be a powerful time for meditation, divination, and visioning, especially if goddess energy is needed.

Early Tuesday morning, the Moon squares Saturn as Mercury squares Neptune. Morning dreams could be challenging––but also offer breakthroughs on difficult issues. When you go to sleep Monday night, ask for dreams to bring solutions to whatever you've been wrestling with, and pay attention to what shows up.

The Capricorn Moon forms an inconjunct aspect to Mars Tuesday morning, signaling another opportunity for problem solving (in other words, something might come up that demands attention!). If we're tempted to dramatically charge ahead, this Moon will counsel patience. If we're hopelessly slogging through mud, Mars can bring in sunlight, passion, and playfulness. Honor both.

The Moon ends her transit through Capricorn by returning to Scorpio territory, with sextiles to Venus and Mercury. Can we feel ourselves transforming within? It might feel too early, but it's time to pay attention: Things are changing. We're on board. Maybe it's time we learned to steer the ship.

... I wanted to embed a song here, but it's disallowed. Check out Kathy Mattea and Dougie MacLean performing MacLean's wonderful and haunting Ready for the Storm.
   

Scorpio Time: The Dark Half of the Year

Sunday morning

The Sun moves into Scorpio now, unlocking a great hinge of the year. With Wednesday's New Moon in Scorpio, we enter the season of Samhain, one of the four Fire festivals of the ancient Celtic world. At this time of year, the veil between the worlds is thin. Ancestors and spirits are near, bringing messages and wanting to know they are remembered and honored.

Raven

We move from yang to yin, from the light half to the dark half of the year. We enter the realm of the boar and the Holly King, the time when Inanna removes all trappings of worldly power to visit her sister Ereshkigal, queen of the Scorpionic worlds of deep transformation.

The Scorpio New Moon is the lunar Samhain, to be followed by calendar Samhain on October 31, and solar Samhain on November 7, when the Sun reaches 15 degrees of Scorpio. Today's entry of the Sun into Scorpio heralds the turning of the year to a time of reflection, retreat, review and release.

We're in the last days of the waning Moon. Now's the time to prepare for this shift of energy. What are we ready to let go of? What do we no longer need? Sweep the hearth of the ashes that are burnt. Watch the raven and the crow as they fly. Let the old fires begin to die down. There is great power in this.