"SWIMMING" IN EMOTIONALLY, COMPASSIONATE YET SOMETIMES VERY CONFUSING AND DECEPTIVE "WATERS" !!!

The SUN began its transit through the dreamy, mystical, self-sacrificing sign of Pisces today, February 18th at 11:41 AM EST ... the 12th and final sign of the astrological "year" and the final sign of Winter in the Northern hemisphere and Summer in the Southern hemisphere ... the solar energy now shifts from the rebellious, unpredictable marching to the beat of a different drummer to "swimming" in emotionally, compassionate yet sometimes very confusing and deceptive waters ... don't be surprised if waves of emotions play a large part in your life experiences and decisions over the next 30 days !!!

While the Sun transits through Pisces, one may strive to shine by creating beauty, shine through ones compassion, shine through psychic openness, or seek recognition through spiritual or mystical paths ... those born under the sign of Pisces have come in with a soul lesson of needing to learn peace !!!

Pisces is a feminine, water, mutable (flexibility/changeability) sign ... its symbol is two fish tied together - swimming in opposite directions which signify hidden depths, shifting emotional currents, conflicting desires and extremes of temperament ... its glyph is considered a picture of the human feet ... in symbolic terms the glyph is two crescent moons connected by a straight line representing emotion and higher consciousness tied to and limited by the material world ... its key phrase is "I BELIEVE" and its keyword is UNDERSTANDING ... it is the sign opposite of Virgo ... anatomically it rules the pineal glands - in association with its ruling planet - and the feet !!!



The modern ruling planet of Pisces is Neptune (Jupiter is the ancient ruler) - Ancient God of the seas, second of the modern planets to be discovered (1846), and is the planet of illusion, glamour, mystery, and deception ... Neptune represents the spiritual and the escapist urge, and its keyword is INTUITION ... it rules maritime matters, liquids, music, movies, stage and television, dreams, delusion, spirituality, ideals, mystique, hunches, creative functions, and things we take  deeply for granted in life without questioning ... it also governs fog, petroleum, mystery, anesthetics, flattery, intangibles, fragrances, second sight, love of poetry, color and dancing ... in addition under its rule comes drugs and drug addiction, alcoholism, hypochondria, sleepwalking, trances, hypnosis, immateriality and abnormality ... its action is often subtle and gradual ... it is the higher vibrational octave of Venus and considered to be the second of the transcendental planets ... where you find Neptune in your natal chart is where you seek the "ideal", but where you also might tend to deceive yourself and/or others !!!



Pisces is the natural sign and ruler of the 12th house of the horoscope ... the keyword for the 12th house is SUBCONSCIOUS and it is a house of endings - after all it is the final sign of the zodiac!!! ... the 12th house represents your inner strengths and weaknesses ... it depicts behind the scenes activity - including clandestine affairs - restorative solitude, places of quiet reflection, sorrows, handicaps, secrets, seclusion and frustration ...it can also indicate places of confinement such as jails, hospitals or mental institutions, as well as secret (hidden) enemies, restraint, inhibitions, exile, hidden dangers and self-undoing ...it shows the things we hide from others, and research, background, subjective sustainment, inner consciousness and the subconscious mind !!!



Here we also find charity, sympathy and public welfare ... it is frequently referred to as the closet or dustbin of ones horoscope since it is in this house where we tend to sweep away or hide problems which are often too painful to face or difficulties that we refuse to acknowledge ... sometimes it can be a very creative area of the natal horoscope and can reflect ones aptitude for art, music, dancing, writing or acting !!!



Sun in Pisces teaches us to learn to live through accepting ... life is a mystery and each one of us IS the mystery !!! ... under this energy one is innately aware and appreciative of all walks of life ... here one recognizes that the Soul of anything or of anyone is synonymous with sensitivity, which is synonymous with suffering, which is something one is undeniably aware of - joy and sorrow are one ... the energy of the Sun in Pisces can be expressed in the following ways:


POSITIVE: compassionate, self-sacrificing, suffers artistically, unassuming, self-effacing, gentle, still but stirring, wise, accepting, adaptable, confided in, sensitive, fascinating, mysterious, imaginative, multi-talented, selfless, devoted, easygoing


NEGATIVE: self-pitying, the human doormat, suffers needlessly, indecisive, self-limiting, wimpish, inwardly storm-tossed, inner doubts, oblivious, vague, not forthcoming, escapist, deceptive, self-mystifying, impressionable, pointless, slaving, lazy



HAPPY SOLAR RETURN ALL PISCES BORN - your new astrological year has begun !!! ... the Sun, which now joins Jupiter and Neptune already transiting through the sign of Pisces, remains in Pisces until March 20th !!!

Through the energy of Pisces, one can INSPIRE others in many ways while being influenced - just don't forget to take some credit for it but then forget that you did ... give yourself to yourself before anyone else ... become illuminated and enlightened - now is the time to explore your spirituality and life's intriguing mysteries !!!



Dream, mystify, create, inspire, enlighten, be compassionate and believe in those fairy tale endings ... BUT - be cautious ere you make a dangerous detour and fall into the watery depths of addiction, depression and deception !!!

BACK TO THINKING OUTSIDE OF THE BOX !!!

 

MERCURY returned to the intellectual, highly unconventional sign of Aquarius today, February 14th, at 4:54 PM EST ... could be a very kinky Valentines Day out there !!!! ... Mercury began its initial transit through Aquarius on January 1st/2nd of this year and returned to Capricorn per retrograde motion on January 25th ... the following is a reminder of what this energy is all about should you have forgotten:

 Mercury is considered to be in "exaltation" in the sign of Aquarius meaning it is in a sign other than the one it rules - in this case being Gemini and Virgo - where its energy is expressed very harmoniously and its forces are increased as well as its virtues are magnified !!! ... Mercury's last complete transit through Aquarius occurred from January 8th through March 15th, 2021 - a longer than normal transit due to a retrograde period and that will be the case this time around once again !!!

Mercury in Aquarius makes the mind and tongue tend to be unconventional sometimes to the extreme of shocking other people ... yours truly was born with this placement and I can vouch for the truth of this statement !!! ... communication is made intelligently, objectively, openly, and independently... language used can be very individualistic and sometimes rebelliously ... one thinks for them self and usually resists other people's answers ... learning is best done through questioning authority and seeking out unique experiences ... the mind is experimental, innovative, and future oriented ... one wants to explore all possibilities while keeping options open ... there is the tendency to jump from idea to idea resulting perhaps from an intuitive flash or brainstorming ... one must be careful not to become a victim of fragmented or erratic thinking ... there are usually excellent verbal skills here ... one can be quite objective allowing them to talk with just about anyone ... connections are best made on an individual basis ... interests usually include anything new age - oh say like astrology, numerology and tarot - and anything unusual, different, technological or progressive ... this energy frequently gives one the mind of a computer as well as the soul of a rebel !!!

Mercury in Aquarius usually indicates a fine and clever mind that is accurate, inventive and inquisitive ... people born under this energy - like yours truly !!! - often take a great interest in other people and have excellent judgment of human nature ... there is a love of analyzing character and motivation, and the finely tuned powers of observation that accompany this energy allow one to predict accurately how someone will react in a given situation ... Mercury here makes one a rather notorious people-watcher, and gives one a broad and emotionally detached outlook ... Aquarius is known as the sign of the truth-seeker and that characterizes the way this mind works ... sometimes one may seem eccentric as the ideas are so advanced ... and one may also enjoy saying things simply to shock other people - absolutely priceless, right ???

Mercury in Aquarius gives the mind the need for a lot of stimulation and activity ... interests are pursued thoroughly because of the capability of pursuing a train of thought for very long periods ... one is also capable of great inventive originality ... there is a desire to understand how the Universe is linked together ... one must be careful here of the powerful tendency toward abstraction causing one to become too detached and end up living in a mental environment that may be a long way from the reality of others around you ... also one may find that the thoughts speed so fast that one forgets to finish sentences - thinking others will understand where your thoughts were going - or one finishes other people's sentences for them in order to get on to the next topic ... a benefit of this energy is becoming aware that the individual mind is ultimately NOT separated from the Universal mind !!!



Mercury in Aquarius teaches us to learn to think through liberating ... one perceives things mentally in a manner that seems to others as highly unlikely or even odd ... there is a definite streak of stubbornness running through the mind which is a result of having a sense of the "Truth" and understanding how things really  are ... one has to be careful of the inherent blind spot which is detached objectivity to the point of missing the emotional factors in a given situation ... one of the main challenges of this energy is to learn to communicate ones vision and help others see life from a point beyond their personal hopes and fears ... the energy of Mercury in Aquarius can be expressed in the following ways :


POSITIVE: original thinker, inventive, unorthodox, comprehensive, scientific, objective, concise, well-informed, unable to be shocked, open-minded, truth-loving, perceptive, progressive thinker, Utopian, reformist, socially aware, intuitive, cosmically aware, telepathic and inspiring mind

NEGATIVE: way-out thinker, cranky, irrelevant, disjointed, clinical, lacks warmth, abrupt, unfeeling, indifferent, fixed opinions, contrary, emotionally blind, out of "time", unrealistic, reactionary, anti-social, scatterbrained, spaced out, overactive mind

Mercury now joins Saturn already transiting through Aquarius and will be joined by the Sun for the "rebellious and often unpredictable" party on January 19th/20th depending on which time zone in which you live ... perhaps the presence of Saturn will help us from going to far "off the rails" by offering grounding and structure !!! 

Mercury now rejoins the Sun and Saturn already in transit through Aquarius ... Mercury will complete its full transit through Aquarius on March 9th !!! 

During Mercury's transit through Aquarius, try thinking with a very open mind and remember that the truth often awakens like a flash of lightning - are you  prepared to be struck by it ??? 

HAPPY NEW YEAR - MERCURY STATIONS DIRECT !!!

  

MERCURY completed its first retrograde journey for 2022 and stationed back into direct motion on Thursday, February 3rd, at 11:13 PM EST  - do I hear a BIG SIGH OF RELIEF out there ??? ... and now that both Mercury and Venus have completed their respective retrograde periods, one might feel like the New Year 2022 has actually begun - HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!

Hopefully, some of the disorientation, confusion, frustration and outright irritation along with the sudden and unexpected issues that may have been produced by this Mercury retrograde 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 January 14th through February 3rd, and possibly as far back as December 29th when Mercury entered its shadow point - the point where it would come out of this retrograde journey on February 3rd at 24 degrees 23 minutes Capricorn  ... did issues and complications or questioning arise in regards to things done during the last retrograde period from September 27th through October 10th, 2021 ??? ... or maybe even as far back as the retrograde period from May 29th through June 22nd, 2021 ??? ... or maybe from January 30th through February 20th, 2021 ???

It's a sure bet that as Mercury moves forward once again crossing back over the degrees it covered during this retrograde period issues may begin to arise potentially sooner than later in regards to whatever was going on the first time it crossed over the retrograde degrees !!! ... Mercury crossed over 24 degrees 23 minutes Capricorn up to 10 degrees 20 minutes Aquarius from December 29th, 2021 up until January 14th of this year, then went backwards over them during the retrograde, and now moves forward over them once again from February 3rd through February 24th - the good old "scrubbing effect" as we sometimes like to refer to it in Astrology !!!

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 which house or houses 10 degrees 20 minutes Aquarius back to 24 degrees 23 minutes Capricorn falls - what kinds of issues did you have to  deal with in the areas of life governed by that house or in some cases 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 ??? ... I heard from many people that this Mercury retrograde was particularly rough beginning in the unpredictable and disruptive sign of Aquarius as well as being embedded in the final 15 days of the Venus retrograde which ended on January 29th !!! 

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 or the other person may now be regretting. or you may be simply wondering why you chose to do what you did or why you were the victim of a particular course of action from other(s), 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 even happened ???



Relationships may have come to an end - some needed to be released and others may have jumped the gun and you are now wondering, or will be, why did I do that or end things during this period ...  how many of you had relationship issues surface or resurface - extremely likely in a Mercury retrograde - that you thought surely had been resolved or didn't even realize existed ???  ... or how many of you had one or more people come back through your life that you thought you had seen the last of or even forgot about and now most of them are gone or going once again ???  ... and how many of you began new actions within a relationship, personal or professional without waiting for the retrograde period to conclude ??? ... AND ... how many of you got married - OOPSIE  ???



Did anyone make any major purchases - homes, cars, electronics - that now don't seem like the best thought out course of action or that you are beginning to regret or will do so in the days ahead ??? ... there could be problems regarding any purchases made especially with anything where electrical energy and/or computers were involved ... how many of you accepted or switched jobs during this retrograde period ??? ... 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 - in regard  to Mercury and its functions, it's time to finally RELEASE these emotional holds and allow ourselves to move forward with our lives ... let go of what is best left in the past so you can achieve greater personal and spiritual growth !!!

Mercury retrograding retrograding in an air sign, this time being Aquarius, there could have been a major focus on how one relates and how we develop relationships and associations with other people ... in the sign of Aquarius Mercury retrograde yielded a potential to have to rethink and readdress ones friendships, ideas, goals and dreams in life as these are the issues addressed in the 11th house of the natural zodiac which is ruled by Aquarius as well as being ruled by the planet Uranus ... 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 issues ... all issues represented by the 11th house ... and there could have been issues with inventions, science, electricity, magic, the occult, light, astrology, psychology, x-rays, airplanes and insight into nature's laws as well as creative will, sudden changes, revolution and dictators, individualism, ingenuity, rebellions and autonomy, and natural disasters all of these things being ruled by the planet Uranus !!!

The mind could have become filled with many creative, cutting edge ideas as one tried to determine how to incorporate them into ones life ... hopefully one proceeded cautiously and didn't act on them until Mercury resumed direct motion !!!

Mercury returning to Capricorn, an earth sign, means the focus would shift to 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 !!!

On January 25th, Mercury reentered the sign of Capricorn and the emphasis of the retrograde period shifted ... As Mercury retrogrades in Capricorn certainly career and public image could have been areas affected as Saturn rules Capricorn and is also the natural rules of the 10th house ... there could have been some very deep and weighty thinking and rethinking done here ... 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 ... and all of the above may have been twice as challenging as Venus was retrograde in Capricorn until January 29th !!!

In regards to overall health, remember 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 !!!

 

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 ... how many of you had elective surgery, such as cosmetic surgery, etc. ??? ... was the outcome what you expected ??? ... hopefully things will work out so you don't have to go back again !!! ... as for emergency surgery, we have no control over that and trying to put that off might produce catastrophic results !!!

Gemini and Virgo born, since Mercury is your natural ruling planet, did you "try" and slow down for personal review and rethinking - especially in regards as to what has transpired in your lives since Mercury last resumed direct motion back on October 10th, 2021 ??? ... what have you learned about yourself in regards to where you are going and whether or not you are proceeding wisely in order to become more successful ??? ... what did you discover that MUST be changed - in fact what did anyone discover that MUST be changed so you are not left stagnant and hanging in limbo ???

Mercury now moves forward to complete its entire transit through the sign of Capricorn on February 14th - a transit which originally began back on December 13th, 2021 ... below is a reminder of what this energy is about in case you need a "refresher" :

MERCURY began its sharply focused initial transit through the traditional, reliable sign of Capricorn yesterday, December 13th at 12:52 PM EST ... Mercury was last in Capricorn from December 20th, 2020 through January 8th, 2021 !!!



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 !!!



Mercury in Capricorn can make one 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) relationship that will ultimately give a very structured, organized and well thought out quality to the mind and communicating especially 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" in our lives ... 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 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

Those born between January 15th and February 2nd definitely have this Mercury retrograde energy in your solar return - birthday chart - for the whole year ahead ... those born on January 14th and February 3rd may or may not have gotten this energy depending on what time you solar return occurred - some may be lucky enough to escape it for this year ... and some of us, yours truly included, got both Mercury and Venus retrograde in our solar returns this year ... yet another very good reason to know your time of birth if you can find it !!! ... below is a repeat explanation of what it means to have Mercury Retrograde for the whole year in your birthday chart summed up by Mary Fortier Shea in her book titled "Planets in Solar Return":

"The significance of having Mercury retrograde in your yearly birthday chart or, as we refer to it in Astrology, a Solar Return ...

A Solar Return is the time every year that the Sun returns to the same degrees and minutes it was at when you were born - all the more reason to know your birth time now isn't it, hmmmmm????? ... a new chart is run for you at the time your solar return occurs in that given year and it is run for wherever you are at the precise time of your solar return ... this produces a new horoscope chart which shows what energy you may or may not run into for the year ahead - that is from the current birthday until next years’ birthday ... its energy can be felt from one to three months out before the actual solar return occurs ... often people will relocate for the return time in order to get a particular energy in their solar return chart ...

Mercury is usually retrograde in a solar return chart every six years ... during this time it's best to be introspective ... you should be learning and thinking on your own rather than depending on others ... the mind is like an overstuffed drawer seriously in need of re-filing and reorganization ... in other words the time has come to "process" ... the mental processes are not very receptive to new information at this time ... it's time to go back and re-examine and review things in your life which may have been started but not carried through to fruition or maybe interrupted and suddenly abandoned for some reason ... by focusing inward you might be able to see that your own opinions, thoughts and decisions work best for you rather than those made by others ... at the same time be very receptive to the feedback others are giving you especially if you have missed the mark in regard to some endeavor ... another side effect of this energy is secretiveness where you decide to withhold information or sometimes outright lie ... and why ??? .. because you have secrets that need to be kept or else were you to express your opinions and thoughts outwardly it could cause tension in your relationships ... have plenty of ice cream around to soothe the tongue you are most likely going to have to bite frequently this year !!! ... this is a great year to keep a journal and put your thoughts down on paper and also to write original material ... sometimes you can see things differently when thoughts and ideas are written down which is a very helpful way to get organized ... this is a year where you will probably realize old opinions and beliefs are now outdated thus encouraging you to reassess your thinking, reformulate previously developed ideas, and shed new light on something on some level of your life that needs to be addressed ...

It doesn't really have to be a bad year ... done wisely, fast forwarding to the past and clearing out the "clutter", you can propel yourself further ahead in life than you originally may have thought !!! " 

Mercury will exit its retrograde zone on February 24th when it reaches 10 degrees 20 minutes Aquarius, the point where it began this first retrograde journey for 2022 back on January 14th !!!

Mercury remains in  direct motion until May 10th when it begins its second retrograde journey for 2022 at 4 degrees 52 minutes Gemini ... it will be another dual sign retrograde going from 4 degrees 52 minutes Gemini back to 26 degrees 5 minutes Taurus ... this second retrograde period will occur from May 10th through June 3rd ... Mercury enters its next shadow point on April 26th when it crosses 26 degrees 5 minutes Taurus ... and just a caveat here - Gemini is one of the signs Mercury naturally rules so the potential for elevated disruption during the first 12/13 days of the second retrograde period could be heightened !!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR - TIME FOR MOVING ON !!!