A RAGING CURRENT OF COSMIC CHAOS AND CONFUSION ??? - TIME TO SINK OR SWIM ... AGAIN !!!

  

MERCURY began its second RETROGRADE journey for 2023 today, April 21st, at 4:53 AM EDT, with this one being the first full complete retrograde this year as we came into 2023 under a Mercury retrograde that began on December 29th, 2022 ... as always if you've been following my blogs, then you know exactly what to expect during a Mercury Retrograde - EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED !!!  

This second Mercury retrograde period for 2023 is completely in the sign of Taurus ... this Mercury retrograde will go from 15 degrees 37 minutes Taurus back to 5 degrees 50 minutes Taurus ... this will be a 23 day Mercury retrograde period  !!!

Some of you may have noticed the backward energy beginning to make itself apparent already as Mercury entered its shadow point - the point where it will come out of the retrograde on May 14th - back on April 7th when it reached 5 degrees 50 minutes of Taurus ... it practically goes without saying that things somehow just don't seem to go right or as we planned, and we often find ourselves RE-DOING - think of all the words that begin with the letters "RE" - things especially after Mercury stations back into direct motion ... of course  it is not unusual to have people from our past come back around but it usually ends up being for only what I refer to as a "pass and review" ... obviously there is always the chance that something done within a previous Mercury retrograde may come back to "bite" us and require that we address the issue and resolve it !!!

During a Mercury retrograde period it can be said that we are in a mental "down time" and often things will not register on a conscious level with us ... it is said that the use of Mercury retrograde cycles are to reconnect the individual with the Universal rhythm and get back in sync with it ... if you've had a natal chart done and know in which house or houses these signs and degrees fall, then you will probably get an idea of where in life the Universe is asking you to step back and take a closer look at what you are doing in that area of your life especially in regard to your mental processing and communicating ... it's where issues most often will arise for you in addition to the other general issues that can annoy everyone during the retrograde period !!!

Don't be surprised if issues arise from previous Mercury retrogrades that need to be addressed or simply let go of because they never worked out for some reason ... Mercury was last retrograde from December 29th, 2022 through January 18th of this year ... before that the most recent Mercury retrograde periods included September 10th - October 2nd, May 10th - June 3rd, and January 14th - February 4th all occurring in 2022 !!!

It is very important to understand that planetary retrogrades are NOT ALWAYS the harbingers of doom and gloom ... even though it is true they can cause disruption and misunderstandings, we have to realize these are simply Universal "time outs" which give us the opportunity to drop back and rethink and review our actions being generated by the planet which is retrograde, especially as the energy relates to the sign and house and or houses in ones natal chart that planet is currently transiting through ... bottom line - though we often joke about it, retrogrades shouldn't always be feared and dreaded but perhaps approached cautiously ... the Universe is giving us a chance to right our wrongs and redirect ourselves to achieve more beneficial personal and spiritual growth !!! 

Obviously communications are going to be challenged both to and from others - partnerships and relationships often hit the skids during these periods ... it is NOT a good time to make major purchases - especially Cars, a big NO NO - and that goes double for USED CARS ... nor is it a good time to purchase computers or anything that involves electronics ... also purchasing homes can end up producing unforeseen problems and even the contracts can have unexpected difficulties along the way or at closing especially if the closing takes place during the retrograde period .... it is also not a good idea to enter into contracts or start new jobs as they will most likely not pan out and end up being dead ends ... and weddings, well I know it takes a long time to plan a wedding and some of them will just have to go on as planned, but if you can avoid a wedding in a Mercury Retrograde - DO IT !!! .... obviously one cannot put their life on hold, but if there is any way to hold off on these things until Mercury turns direct, it would prove beneficial in the long run !!!

I have frequently found that in some natal charts I've done, people born under a Mercury retrograde sometimes seem to thrive during these periods because they innately understand the backward energy and how to work with it ... if you proceed with a wedding have someone mark the time you are officially pronounced married and then have a reputable astrologer run a natal chart for the "birth" of the partnership .... then look in which house retrograde Mercury falls and you might get an idea in what area of life problems could potentially arise within the relationship !!!

Mercury retrograde in Taurus, ruled by Venus, will certainly cause relationships to be given a serious reviewing and rethinking if there is something that needs to be addressed  ... Mercury in Taurus already "slows" down the mental process with Taurus being an Earth sign, and adding retrograde energy to it just complicates matters ... if you've had a natal chart done and know where 15 degrees 37 minutes back to 5 degrees 50 minutes degrees of Taurus lies in your chart, then you may get a good idea as to what this Mercury retrograde has in store for you !!!  

Taurus is the natural ruler of the 2nd house, a house of substance, of the horoscope ... as such, in addition to the usual suspects of a Mercury retrograde, there is the potential for issues regarding financial affairs, possessions (except real estate), investments, earning power, any gain or loss through your own effort, your inner talents and resources, your need for fulfillment, your emotional feelings, your sense of self-worth, your sense of values and your material debt !!!

Venus is the ruling planet of Taurus, so there could also be issues arising as well in the areas of art, culture, aesthetics, partnerships - more in particular to personal ones, beauty, charm, good taste, sentimentality, sweets and sugar, poetry, paintings, jewelry, singing, drama, music, emotional contacts, moral character, marriages, unions of all kinds, sociability, disposition, luxuries, pleasures and appreciation !!!

Venus also happens to be the natural planetary ruler of the 7th house, via ruling the sign of Libra as well ... so there is also the potential for issues to arise with marital and business relationships, marriage, divorce, contracts, lawsuits, bargain, agreements, dealings with the public and the public's response, open enemies, your cooperation or lack thereof with others, what you most lack in yourself, attitudes towards marriage - your mate, the kind and quality of the marriage, how many marriages you may have, grandparents, and any people who act as your agent or act on your behalf !!!

In regards to overall health, remember Mercury is the natural planetary ruler of the 6th house which rules health, so there could be more chances to have health issues in general during a Mercury retrograde ... in Taurus  there could be issues that arise with the throat and neck as these are the anatomical areas of the body Taurus rules as well as the chin, cheeks and sense of taste these being the anatomical areas Venus rules !!!

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 complications resulting in having to go back at a later date and take care of something that wasn't done correctly - especially in regards to cosmetic surgery !!! ... now this applies to elective surgery ... as for emergency surgery, we have no control over that and trying to put that off might produce catastrophic results !!!

To RE-PEAT, Mercury retrogrades are simply a time for reviewing and revision - as the saying goes, "it might be a good idea to drop back and punt" !!! 

Gemini and Virgo born, as this is your planetary ruler, it is once again time for you to step back to review and re-evaluate what has been going on in your life particularly since January 18th ... have you moved to fast on some particular course of action, and is it now time to redirect that initiative or simply end it and move on once Mercury stations direct again ???

Below I have re posted the "Mercury Retrograde Survival Manual" written by my teacher Lyn Hammond Gray ... hopefully it will help out :

"Here is your Survival manual: Mercury retro always creates a repeating action. The Re-Words are common. Some re-words that you will notice during this time are:

Repeat – The action you are making during the RX period you will probably repeat again during the period or later ...

Repair – The need for repair will arise. If possible, put if off until Mercury turns direct (May 14th)

Reverse - You will be amazed at how many times you change your mind or reverse your thinking during this time. Watch out for that race car driver that is driving in reverse down the emergency lane on the freeway. Yikes !!!

Recall - Your mind will wonder back. You will think of people from the past or you will encounter someone from the past. If old lovers show up, don't bet that it will stick. Believe me... it is just for a "review." (And if it does last, I want to be the first to know about it. E-mail me and let me know). And you know what, I wouldn't start a new romance during this period either - wait until after May 14th !!!

Review - If you are reading instructions, you may find it necessary to review repeatedly because they simply don't make sense. Sometimes the publisher has actually left out a step. It happens !!!

Regroup - In corporations, it is a common experience during the Rx to hear the boss say, 'Alright, we are going to rework this thing and get it right.' Later when the period is over, they go back to the old way doing things. It is a laugh a minute. Stand back and watch the comedy !!!

Reboot and Revise - The computer world is a definite place to watch the comedy. It is common for one to suddenly, without fore thought, decide to revise their system during the Rx. Oh! Mercy! That revised system may never function in the normal way. Oh, please! Do wait until the period is over. However, it is fine to do your shopping for the new components during the Rx. When you do go to purchase your parts after May 14th, you will find better deals and buys ...

Return - Now here is a good one. You'll find that this period is a popular time for family or class reunions. Should you stay are home? Absolutely not! You go because this is a review that you don't want to miss. But funny thing is that in spite of the fact that you tell these people 'lets stay in touch' it will become lip service and  you won't live up to your suggestion ...

Rebirth – Often one will go back into the past and bring up old creative projects to work with during this time frame. Sometimes it sticks and sometimes it doesn't. Only you will be able to activate the discipline to keep it going once the retrograde period is over ...

Recover - You can bet that you will dig into your files, boxes or storage to recover something that you need…you can also bet it won't be an easy find. It is likely that you will be looking for a legal document· While it is possible that you may not find what you are looking for, you may find something that you would like to put back in to use. Fun !!!

Re-examine – Well, just about everything !!!

Reduction – Over the years, I have been amazed at how many times a company or person decides to eliminate a job or to leave a job during the retrograde. It is my experience that a job changed during this period is 95% of the time regretted. Can you wait until the period is over, dear heart ???

And so it is. Three, sometimes four, times a year we live this cosmic "going to teach you patience routine". All and all when this retrograde period is over you may "Realize" this simple truth: The flow of the universe is very, very interesting and it is going to have its way with us !!!

Good luck and may the Universe bestow upon each one of you a special wisdom and unique insight into your journey through this life at this point!!! "


BACK TO ME NOW .... Those born between April 22nd and May 13th will definitely get Mercury retrograde in their solar return - birthday chart - for the year ahead ... those born April 21st and May 14th may or may not get this retrograde energy depending on what time their solar return occurs this year ... 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 remains retrograde until May 14th at 11:17 PM EDT ... there will undoubtedly be lights going ON in our heads as well as other lights going OUT while this Mercury Retrograde energy produces its cosmic disruption for the next 23 days ... so slow down and try not to act too impulsively or the day may come in the near future when you live to regret what you did ... tempers will flare and patience may become scarce, but that personal sense of humor, being one of your greatest allies, should be called upon frequently as the Mercury Retrograde merrily wreaks havoc and/or bestows enlightenment to each one of  us !!! 

In the end my fellow beings of light, as this second Mercury Retrograde period of 2023 is now upon us, the question as always once again is : Will we become the constant victim of Cosmic Chaos, become the recipient of great Cosmic Clarity ... or BOTH ??? 

Best to go with the flow and not try to swim upstream against a raging current of cosmic confusion in order to stay afloat and successfully navigate the tempest tossed sea of cosmic chaos and confusion that Mercury retrogrades have the potential to produce !!!