FORWARD HO !!!

MERCURY completed its first retrograde journey for 2016 on Monday, January 25th, and stationed  back into direct motion at 4:50 PM - do I hear a BIG SIGH OF RELIEF out there ??? ... of course I do now that several days have passed and we are getting readjusted to things moving forward once again ... but I think I'm hearing a lot of uh-ohs as well !!!

Hopefully, the disorientation, confusion, frustration and outright irritation along with the sudden and unexpected issues that may have been produced by this Mercury retrograde beginning at the very early degrees of Aquarius and then finishing up in the sign of Capricorn will now begin to clear and subside as it becomes time to move forward into the swing of things on all levels ...  over the next few days to the next few weeks or even months, there will undoubtedly be quite a few "a-ha" as well as "uh-oh" lights coming on in regard to decisions made or actions taken during the retrograde period from 1/5  through 1/25, and possibly as far back as December 19th when Mercury entered its shadow point - the point where it would come out of this retrograde journey on Monday which was at 14 DEGREES 55 MINUTES CAPRICORN  ... did issues and complications or questioning arise in regards to things done during the last retrograde period from September 17th through October 9th, 2015 ??? ... or maybe even as far back as the retrograde period from May 18th through June 11th, 2015 ??? ... and it's a sure bet that as Mercury moves forward crossing back over the degrees it covered during its retrograde period issues may begin to arise already !!!

Mercury retrograde periods, even though annoying and extremely frustrating at times, are actually a very beneficial thing, especially for those who were strong and fearless enough to dig deep down, as we need to validate, or in some cases invalidate, actions and situations gone awry and deal with them in order to finally release them to produce a calmer, positive and more productive state of mind thus allowing us to move forward to bring about greater personal and spiritual growth !!! ... if you've had a natal chart done, you should look to see in what house or houses 1 DEGREE 03 MINUTES AQUARIUS back to 14 DEGREES 55 MINUTES CAPRICORN falls - what kinds of issues did you have to deal with in the areas of life governed by those houses ??? ... how many of you went with the flow and how many of you tried to swim upstream in the raging current of Cosmic confusion ???

Of course the recurring question we may find ourselves asking now that Mercury is back in direct motion is "WHY" ??????? ...What actions did you take yourself or have taken against you that you may now be regretting or simply wondering why you chose to do or why you were the victim of a particular course of action, and why didn't you or the other person wait a little longer ...  or perhaps you are simply now trying to figure out why it happened ???? ... relationships may have come to an end - some needed to and others may have jumped the gun and you are now wondering, or will be, why did I do that or end things at this point ...  how many of you had relationship issues resurface - extremely likely in a Mercury retrograde - that you thought surely had been resolved ???  ... how many of you got married - OOPSIE !!! ... did you make any major purchases - homes, cars, electronics - that now don't seem like the best thought out course of action ??? ... there could be problems regarding any purchases made especially with anything where electrical energy and/or computers were involved ... all of these scenarios are possible as the energy of a Mercury retrograde is one where communications and mental energy is going "backwards" ... so now that the mental processing facilities are no longer going backwards - at least for most of us !!! ... it's time to finally RELEASE these emotional holds and allow ourselves to move forward with our lives !!!

Mercury retrograde in the sign of Aquarius yields an emphasis to ones friendships, ideas, and goals in  life as those are issues addressed in the 11th house of the natural horoscope which is ruled by Uranus the planet ruling Aquarius ... to that end, there may have been issues with groups to which one belongs, non-emotional relationships, the love one receives, money obtained  from ones profession or business, step children, adopted children and foster children, circumstances in life over which you have little control, and ones humanitarian interests ... the mind could have also become filled with many creative, cutting edge ideas as one tried to determine how to incorporate them into ones life ...

While Mercury was retrograde in an air sign, this time being Aquarius, there may have been a major focus on how one relates and how we develop relationships and associations with other people ... when Mercury returned to Capricorn, an earth sign, the focus may have become determining the tangible results in ones life, to become more organized and learn to deal with practical matters, address security matters as well as ones most basic needs ...

Mercury retrograde in the sign of Capricorn certainly had the potential to affect career and public image as Saturn rules Capricorn and is also the natural ruler of the 10th house ... there may have been some very deep and weighty thinking and rethinking done in those areas ... along with profession, reputation and standing in the community, other areas where issues might have arisen that needed reviewing and rethinking may have included the following : ego, status, fame (or lack of it), promotion, ambition, business or social activities, ones employer, the government or any other authority over one, personal achievements, the way the world sees and evaluates one, the influence one exerts in their own circle, and the parent who is considered the authoritarian if both parents are still here, or the parent who remains should there only be one ...

In regards to overall health, as Mercury is the natural planetary ruler of the 6th house which rules health, so there could have been more chances to have health issues in general during a Mercury retrograde ... in Aquarius there could have been more potential to have health issues in the area of the ankles, the circulatory system and the nervous system ... in Capricorn there could have been more potential to have health issues with the bones, joints and knees ...   

As mentioned in previous blogs, a Mercury retrograde period is usually NOT a good time to have surgery as the healing process could be slowed down or there could be the chance of having to go back at a later date and take care of something that wasn't done correctly - especially in regards to cosmetic surgery !!! ... so how many of you chose to have elective surgery during this period ??? ... as for emergency surgery, there was no control over that and trying to put that off might have produced catastrophic results !!!

Mercury now moves forward to conclude its final transit, for this year, through the sign of Capricorn ... below is a reminder of what that energy is all about in case some of you need a "re"fresher course now that Mercury is direct :

Mercury in Capricorn is the energy of a highly organized mentality ... it is a hard worker that stores up facts and figures for future practical use ... it is cautious and highly methodical as it knows what it wants and exactly how it plans to get it ... the mind as well as the tongue are serious and sensible ... communication is made cautiously, and for those born with this energy in their youth there could be doubt as to ones mental ability therefore yielding a need to prove ones self as having a good mind ... there is sometimes this doubt associated with limited educational opportunities in childhood that may be overcome by further study in adulthood ... words here are usually not spoken until they are well thought out unless, of course, MODIFIED by something else in the natal chart !!! 

One can appear to be rather formal, authoritative, reserved and self-sufficient which can sometimes inhibit communications with others ... natural logic and cautious planning are oriented towards material success and/or personal responsibilities ... thinking is well-organized ... learning is achieved through persistence, dedication, and steady progress ... one might become a little pessimistic under  this energy by mistakenly focusing on limits rather than potentials ... here we have a Mercury/Saturn (ruler of  Capricorn) "working relationship" that will ultimately give a very structured, organized and well thought out quality to the mind and communicating if there is no other energy adversely modifying it !!!

Mercury in Capricorn can make one ambitious, careful, calculating and very patient ... one excels at handling detail and rarely loses sight of the overall picture ... people born under this energy often obtain positions of leadership due to their dependability and their air of authority ... one must guard against becoming too dictatorial though ... the darker side of life is often viewed under this energy, yet a redeeming trait would be the very dry sense of humor bestowed here ...

Mercury in Capricorn teaches us how to think and communicate through what it is we are "building" ... the mind rules the matter ... it's the organizer ... there is the capability of extended concentration and excellent organization ... one becomes realistic rather than idealistic in the approach to their goals ... little of practical consequence escapes ones attention due to a keen sense of awareness ... think of Mercury in Capricorn like a laser beam - pointed and locked on exactly what it wants and it will know exactly how to get it ... ultimately it is not only the facts that ones mind contains that determines its quality - it is how you use your  mind and what you use it for that counts ... another essential lesson of Mercury in Capricorn is to learn to USE concrete facts but NOT be weighed down by them ... when you achieve this, you realize how ridiculous it is being enslaved to material status and belongings ... the energy of Mercury in Capricorn can be expressed in the following ways:

POSITIVE: good timing, mentally cautious, not easily fooled, retentive mind, methodical mind, orderly mind, serious when necessary, level-headed, clever, discriminating, shrewd, profits from little, employs others, sober, clear and deliberating mind, strong concentration, painstaking, patient

NEGATIVE: procrastinating, slow learner, skeptical, mentally overloaded, lacking originality and imagination, given to melancholy, boring and rigid, suspicious, devious, avaricious, uses others, stern, dry minded

Use this energy well and you will never lose sight of what really counts the most - your resourcefulness ... be sure to give your mind a break when it needs it, or IT may break !!! ... help to inspire others with a goal that you are able to see more clearly than they can ...

Mercury remains in the sign of Capricorn until February 13th when it begins its complete transit through the sign of Aquarius - that wild an unpredictable energy and manner of communicating just in time for Valentines Day !!! 

Gemini and Virgo born, yet another period of review and reflection for you has come to an end ... how have you been enlightened and how was your life affected ??? ... your ruling planet has now resumed forward motion and much to your delight so will you - even though a lot of you were probably trying to do it during the actual retrograde ... right, of course right ... many of us were doing the same thing and you know who you are !!!

Mercury remains in direct motion until April 28th when it will begin its second retrograde journey for 2016 which will be completely in the sign of Taurus going from 23 degrees 36 minutes back to 14 degrees 20 minutes Taurus ...

BE FOREWARNED - the next Mercury retrograde period will be completely embedded in the Mars retrograde period for this year which takes place from April 17th through June 29th ... more about that later ...

So there you have it ... but for now though, it's time for everyone to, as I always like to say  -

BUST A MOVE !!!