July 5th ~ 12th
Fireworks at South Street Seaport, NYC
Thunder Repeated: The image of Shock. Thus in fear and trembling the superior person sets their life in order and examines themselves. ~ The I Ching
It looks like we’re in for a wild ride this month. Talk about fireworks! As we stand here in this space between the two Eclipses, the Solar Eclipse on the 2nd and the Lunar Eclipse on the 16th, Mercury in fiery Leo pauses under the influence of feisty Mars and unpredictable Uranus. Mercury will appear to us to be moving in reverse (retrograde) from the 7th thru the 31st. These brief sojourns when Mercury is in its retrograde phase, are often inconvenient and annoying at best. With Mars and Uranus in the picture (at least through the Lunar Eclipse) this could be down right anything from annoying to explosive, and all of the expletives in between.
Mars/Uranus is combustible. Mercury/Mars/Uranus is impulsive. Not a good combination. Mercury/Mars is renowned for its tendency towards coarse or regrettable speech. It is always a good reminder at these times that statements made under the influence of anger or impulse will be hard to take back, and could be the match that lights the fire. Mars wants (and should) show off when it is in Leo. However square Uranus all next week is extremely edgy and impulsive. When Uranus is in the picture, we are being asked to consider alternatives, but not to create change just for the sake of change, for some sort of shock value, or to intentionally upset the apple cart. The restlessness and impulse that leads to destructive actions will only lead to regret. All the more so when Mercury is retrograde! What often seems like a really great idea when Mercury is retrograde will have its faults revealed when Mercury is direct again. So don’t rush into anything just yet.
What Mercury retrograde is great for is reassessing our plans: do consider alternatives, but don’t commit just yet! Slow down! Explore options, and then when Mercury is direct again, explore what is actually realistic and feasible. This is a great opportunity for us all to practice patience, and to breathe first before speaking, lest we make any mistakes. So you might ask, how can we use these to our advantage? This Leo Mercury has incredible creative potential. Ideas will just fly into your head spontaneously and unannounced opening your mind to all sorts of possibilities. However the impatience of these transits could be treacherous. Take note of these original ideas, but do not act on them right away. Minds are going to shift all over the place before we finally land. Give yourself permission to change your mind (more than once); and allow for sudden changes in plans. One thing you want to avoid is diving in without looking first at what you are diving into.
What to watch out for during the Mercury retrograde period:
Communications: Communications are often fraught during these periods: inevitable glitches get in the way, misunderstandings occur. All the more so with this one which has short-tempered Mars in the picture and Uranus stirring the pot as well. Patience and flexibility is key here, especially if you feel that things are not going according to your own plans and ideas.
Impulse control: Ditto for Mars and Uranus here. This is more true for the first half of the retrograde period leading up to the Lunar Eclipse. Once again, patience is needed to prevent us from diving in without 1) having all the information you need; and 2) making sure there is water in the pool.
Haywire Technology: Back up files. If you must buy new equipment, make sure you have a warranty. And note that it may take a while to get the hang of any new technology.
Sudden changes in plans: This can happen any way while Mercury is in retrograde phase as we are reassessing, and often correcting the mistakes of the past. However with Uranus also in the picture for the first half of the retrograde phase, there are bound to be a lot more twists and turns than we had anticipated; and a lot more ‘sudden’ changes of mind.
Commuting: Mercury has much to do with schedules and transportation, so when Mercury is stalled, so can the traffic be stalled. Mars and Uranus can add an extra edge here: road rage and accidents are something to be wary about. Once again, just being alert and patient can make all the difference.
Explosions: This can sometimes be literal when Mercury/Mars and Uranus collude. As I finish writing this, a large earthquake just rattled Southern California. One of the largest to hit the area in decades. This is not usually a Mercury retrograde thing per se, but could aggravate the effects going forward.
What this period could be good for:
Reassessing: Yes. Mercury retrograde periods allow us to assimilate, process and make sense of what we have experienced and learned over the past few months, and explore what is or is not working. We may change our minds more than once over the next few weeks, but the hope is to get deeper clarification of where we will go from here.
Creative ideas: One advantage to Mercury in Leo making any sort of aspect to Uranus is that it shows us that there are alternatives to our original plans. We may or may not want to implement these. With the square we are cautioned to make sure that we have all of the information first. However, these brilliant ideas that may be percolating should not be ignored.
Reunions and Revisiting: As we reflect and review the past during this period; there may be a longing to reconnect with old friends, family and loved ones. Pay attention, for these help to ground us, heal and orient us in significant ways.
Letting go and moving on: As we reassess what is or is not working in our lives, we also give ourselves permission to move on from those things that are not working out. In addition, with Uranus in the picture, you get the sense of either needing to implement new changes, or adjusting to changes already made. The flexibility that allows us to welcome in the new will make this a much smoother process.
For next week’s horoscopes, click below: