Mercury Retrograde: August 20-Sept 12

Mercury Retrograde in Virgo -- August 20, 2010 - September 12, 2010

We entered the Retrograde shadow on July 31.

Astrologers tell us that Mercury Retrograde is a time when nothing works and we shouldn't even bother trying-- that would only lead to more errors.

Astrologers are slightly off.

The interesting thing about Retrogrades is that you can make progress-- it's just not conscious. During Mercury Retrograde stations, our thinking is more in the unconscious realm. So we miss more minor details, creating more clerical errors. But often, these clerical errors lead to making connections we would never have made; like having to contact someone because of an error, and you wind up exchanging important information, or becoming friends. So progress is still possible-- it's just not conscious. That's why activities like writing, talking, walking, and breathing can uncover details and distinctions that can actually lead to important personal progress.

If you thought you were efficient and organized, hold on! Mercury is in Virgo and will be there for over 2 months, exceeding its usual transit in a sign and taking its time to uncover all errors in full detail.

Mercury's extended stay in Virgo is due to an upcoming Mercury Retrograde station in Virgo. Since Virgo is the sign of practical learning and streamlined efficiency, how can you use your skills and time to your best advantage? The next few months may give you some insights...



Next Mercury Retrograde:
Mercury stations Retrograde in Virgo on August 20, 2010 (at 3:59 pm EDT) at Virgo 19' 04" and stations Direct on September 12, 2010 (7:09 pm EDT) at Virgo 5' 22"

Mercury Retrograde TimeLine:

July 27 -- Mercury enters Virgo

July 31 -- Mercury enters the Retrograde shadow (5 Virgo 22)

August 20 -- Mercury stations Retrograde @ Virgo 19' 04"

September 3 -- The Mercury Retrograde midpoint (Sun-Mercury inferior conjunction) @ Virgo 10'55"

September 12 -- Mercury stations Direct @ Virgo 5' 22"

September 27 -- Mercury will once again be @ Virgo 19' 04" and thereby out of the Retrograde shadow

Read about Mercury Retrograde in Virgo on artcharts.com

10 Practical Tips for a Productive Mercury Retrograde in Virgo:
1. Reread self-help and new age books
2. Think again about the need for perfection, what's really behind it. Interview your "inner perfectionist"
3. Go back to school for job-related studies and skills; brush up on practical skills you may not have used in awhile; or learn something new and practical about your profession
4. Reorganize your daily routine so that it works for you.
5. Give a second thought to how you communicate with co-workers, employees, anyone who serves you. Kind communication can create good-will and more assistance, while venting inappropriately can create endless errors... Rethink what people are really supposed to do for you.
6. Get back to your exercise routine; it's a great time to improve your health
7. Sell your used books and office equipment-- space and cash!
8. Reorganize your office or work space. Using feng-shui can help you be more productive, and successful
9. Is your workspace ergonomic? This is a good time to reconsider your keyboard/mouse/screen configuration; your work needs to honor mind and body
10. Clean out old files, clean your workspace. Old files and dust accumulate, and your computer will run better without them

*During Mercury Retrograde, ArtCharts gives the gift of a PERSONALIZED 2010 Retrograde Station Report when you purchase a report from our catalog. You'll thank yourself!

ArtCharts AstroBlog: Daily Astrology for July 26 - August 1

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Today's Astrology Horoscope (for all signs)

Right after Sunday's Full Moon there is a major culmination of a long-term opposition of Saturn and Uranus (see the blog entry on this page).

Tuesday, Mercury enters Virgo. Instead of the usual 3 weeks Mercury spends in a sign, Mercury will remain in Virgo through October 3 due to an upcoming Retrograde station (August 20 - September 12). This is the perfect time to go back to school, continue your education, get clear on the facts. Just kinda sorta knowing something can get you caught up in a mental tape loop.... But by the grace of Mercury, we now have until October 3 (when Mercury enters Libra) to learn something we can put to practical everyday use.

Jupiter is conjunct Uranus and Saturn is conjunct Saturn. Saturn-Mars opposes Jupiter-Uranus, and crisscross to form a Mystic Rectangle. And the Mercury-Neptune opposition goes right through the middle, forming a YOD to Neptune-Chiron. That means that both opposition intersects and form trines and sextiles. This is helpful. This is fateful. It shows that despite all the vast and serious differences, and they are strong, there are solutions; cooperation is possible. Healing is possible. But it depends on how we behave, our attitude, the choices we make.

Friday, July 30 is a Mars day! The Moon is void of course in Pisces for most of the day, so it's a slow start. This is the longest void in awhile. It starts Thursday night and goes through Friday in the late afternoon. During the void, Mars, just into Libra, opposes Uranus in (Mars-ruled) Aries, while the Moon enters Aries and conjuncts Uranus. This is a lot of hectic impulsive energy. It can feel stressful or spontaneous--depending on how you see it!

Yet, as Mars, ruler of Aries, opposes Uranus, it is also approaching a conjunction with Saturn. This cautions us to slow down! If you can have the patience to slow down and listen carefully, you may be able to approach a complicated situation. If you use your energy carefully, it will burn slow.

It's coming close to that time of year again! We're approaching one of the 3 yearly Mercury Retrograde stations-- in Virgo. On Saturday, July 31, Mercury enters the "shadow zone" of the Retrograde phase. This means that on Saturday, Mercury will be at the degree it will Retrograde back to in August.... more info and complete timetable

Sunday, Venus makes a semisquare to the Sun. This is rare because Venus and the Sun are not often that far apart (45 degrees). But-- they are now because Venus is far ahead of the Sun (45 degrees), which is why she's so bright in the evening sky. It also means Venus is getting closer to a Retrograde station (October 8). When Venus is far enough ahead of the Sun to make a semisquare, we are usually at a point of overindulging in friends and fun. Just one more! But are we having fun, or are we feeling socially pressured to spend and party. How much fun and food is too much?!

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This Week's Astrology Calendar: July 26 - August 1


Monday, July 26:: The Moon is in Aquarius :+: Mercury opposes Neptune :+: Sun inconjuncts Pluto :+: Sun trines Jupiter :+: Mars inconjuncts Neptune :+: Saturn opposes Uranus


Read all about your LEO SUN sign @ artcharts.com

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Tuesday, July 27:: Mercury enters Virgo :+: The Moon in Aquarius is Void-of-Course from 11:47 pm EDT - Wednesday @ 4:00 am EDT

artcharts astro shop :: feel :: care :: commit ::


Wednesday, July 28:: Mercury inconjuncts Uranus :+: The Moon enters Pisces @ 4:00 am EDT


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Thursday, July 29:: The Moon is in Pisces :+: Mars enters Libra @ 7:46pm EDT :+: The Moon in Pisces is Void-of-Course from 11:44 pm EDT - Friday @ 5:23 pm EDT


Read all about your LEO SUN sign @ artcharts.com

open your heart - love more!

Friday, July 30:: Disseminating Moon in Pisces (21 Pisces 56) @ 12:25 am EDT :+: Mercury trines Pluto :+: Mercury inconjuncts Jupiter :+: Mars opposes Uranus :+: The Moon enters Aries @ 4:42 pm EDT

artcharts astro shop :: feel :: care :: commit ::

Saturday, July 31:: The Moon is in Aries :+: Mars conjuncts Saturn

artcharts astro shop :: feel :: care :: commit ::

Sunday, August 1:: The Moon in Aries is Void-of-Course from 11:55 pm EDT - Monday @ 4:13 am EDT :+: Sun semisquares Venus

Current major aspects: Saturn opposes Uranus :+: Mars enters Libra :+: Mars opposes Uranus :+: Mars conjuncts Saturn :+: Sun semisquares Venus


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First Quarter Moon: determined for success

Friday, October 19 (4:33 am edt) the Moon and Sun are exactly square, forming the First Quarter Moon.

The Moon is in Capricorn. The Sun is in Libra. Capricorn is ruled by Saturn; Libra is ruled by Venus. Again, we see Venus and Saturn making a connection.

So where are you? What have you learned that you can APPLY it effectively in the world to achieve goals? With Mercury Retrograde (at 5 Scorpio 36) at this First Quarter Moon, take the time to keep looking until you feel you've reached an honest assessment.

Saturn, ruler of the Capricorn Moon, has been conjunct Venus (ruler of the Libra Sun) in early Virgo and both Saturn and Venus are at the Mercury/Mars midpoint -- and making helpful sextiles to both Mercury and Mars. Do not underestimate the value of a good plan to achieve your desires. You may be feeling lots of determined, positive energy, but to be effective, you need to know what to DO with it. Saturn's energy is constricting, yet it guides by setting limits and creating boundaries so you can focus on what you WANT to do.

Before you can make decisions, you have to be clear. What DON'T you want? What DO you want?

Taking responsibility for your choices is daunting, but if you're NOT willing to take responsibility for the choices you make, or aware that you have a choice, you can find yourself manipulating others to take responsibility for your decisions. It's always someone else's fault. Realizing the serious weight of responsibility can be overwhelming. Yet, if you don't take it on, you can feel victimized because others are making the important decisions for you.

Making a commitment DOES restrict how much time and energy you can put into other things, yet by putting your attention on what you choose and select, Saturn's restrictions can be opportunities to concentrate, make progress, get closer to a goal, all themes of Saturn energy.

While Mercury is Retrograde and exactly sextile Saturn at the First Quarter Moon, you may reflect on your goals and get clear about the steps you need to take to achieve them. Information may be hidden and hard to access, especially until the Sun-Mercury conjunction at 0 Scorpio (on Oct 23), but don't let that stop you! After the Sun-Mercury conjunction (the "inferior" conjunction) you may be able to access deeper information than you have recently, IF you are ready to look behind the scenes, under the covers, and beyond what your ego wants you to acknowledge.

Message of the First Quarter Moon: this is THE perfect time to get organized. Sort it out, write it down, think it through, again. And if you're still not sure, there's something you're missing, so do it again.

Once you know what to do, there can be opportunities to move ahead, but the strong Venus influence of this chart reminds us that it helps to be KIND. Being considerate can persuade even the most sensitive or difficult person.

But what's the problem with pressing your point when you KNOW you are right? Aren't you justified??! Yes, if you want to spend your energy holding on to being right.

Why do we need to be RIGHT? To prove our self-worth. When you need to be right to prove your self-worth, or for you ego's sake, the message your are broadcasting -- to yourself and others -- is that you're only worth something IF you are right. Feeling and believing that "you're only worth something IF you are right" is a belief that leads to unhappiness and negative feelings about yourself that can radiate out and touch everyone and everything you contact. What if feeling worthless causes bad feelings-- not because it's true, but because it is NOT true. And spreading bad feelings makes it worse, and worse.... So why not spread good feelings, because you really ARE worthy. That would be a strong positive statement that would empower you, which also radiates and vibrates.

in Love&Light,
Lauren

ps, if you benefit from the articles on this blog, let me know by buying my absolute favorite gift - an Amazon gift certificate. My email is lauren@artcharts.com Click Here! Thanks:-)

Making this workweek work

Continuing on with the Venus-Saturn conjunction theme, because the sky is not letting it drop...

Venus is quickly approaching the current Mercury-Mars trine by making a sextile to Mars and Retrograde Mercury (on Tuesday 10/16), while Retrograde Mercury and Mars form a perfect trine before dawn on Wednesday (10/17). With the Nodes, this forms a KITE formation, which is a Grand trine and a sextile to one of the points [Mars in Cancer trines North Node in Pisces trines Mercury in Scorpio and both Mars and Mercury sextile the Venus-SNode-Saturn conjunction in Virgo]. The KITE pattern is a symbol for supreme success. This is about figuring out the details for your greatest success.

You may see what you want, and you may want to go for it. Yet, making a decision can bring up endless details to figure out. If you allow that to change your mind or "awfulize" a situation until there is no way out, you can talk yourself into a negative spiral. This is about focusing on the positive by watching where you place your attention.

What about success and abundance challenges your beliefs about your routine and work?

How can you look at the feedback you're receiving to turn things around in your favor?

If something is in your way, talk it out, write it out, journal it out-- argue it out if you have to. And with the air cleared, you may be able to figure it out.

in Love&Light,
Lauren

Libra New Moon: Slow dancing

[ArtCharts Express] InspiredAstrology Newsletter

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[ArtCharts Express] New Moon edition

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Jupiter squares Uranus: October 8
Libra New Moon: October 11 @ 1:01 am edt
Mercury Retrograde: October 12 @12:00 am edt

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Libra New Moon: Slow dancing

The New Moon in Libra, the sign of the scales, is the time to create balance.
When you are in balance, you can harmonize with others and enjoy your relationships. Whether you are relating to a person, a pet, something you are doing, or a work of art, you are relating and creating balance and harmony, using the appropriate words, images, colors, tones, gestures, feelings.

To create harmony with others, you need to be diplomatic and able to compromise. If you focus on keeping the peace, your own needs can become less of an issue and you may even overlook something personally important to avoid conflict. There is also a balance between compromising until you lose your integrity and being yourself at all costs.

At the time of the New Moon, the Sun and Moon are conjunct in Libra. Libra is ruled by value-conscious Venus. And Venus is making a semisquare to the Sun and Moon and a conjunction to Saturn-- all of this can heighten any gap that exists between what you want and the habits you enjoy that keep you from achieving it.

On this Libra New Moon, Venus conjuncts cautionary Saturn, while Mercury is stationing Retrograde in Scorpio (and will Retrograde back into Libra on October 23, also the day the Sun enters Scorpio). The message is slow down. Something needs to be unraveled and it can't be done at high speed.

How do we get OUT of balance? By letting the opinions of others limit our reality. And we let ourselves be limited so we can remain at a familiar comfort level. No wonder we're frustrated! Following someone else's path is a sure way to get lost, or out of alignment with your Self, your flow, your dream.

Seeking approval is a quick way to feel unsettled and lose your balance. If you are (unconsciously) chasing after approval, this New Moon is an opportunity to release that need. If you are always accommodating others to be fair and stable, you're not really keeping the peace or creating balance if YOU are out of balance by only giving and not allowing yourself opportunities to receive. You may create peace and harmony, but also lose personal integrity as you put aside what you KNOW is important so you can satisfy the expectations of another person or society in general.

Libra is ruled by Venus and Venus is conjunct Saturn, so it may not be easy to express your feelings and you can be more calculating than unconditional in your feelings towards friends and lovers. You may be socializing more, but it may be more out of work or obligation than enjoyment.

It may seem that people don't appreciate you. And you may feel that you are not loved for yourself, but for the functions you perform, the financial support you provide, or the work you do. If your commitment to your family usually comes before your career, it can seem that others are far ahead of you.

Releasing the need for approval is a challenge because it means accepting your own less-than-perfect tendencies; your own darkness. It's hard to accept yourself FULLY. You don't always approve of yourself or not all your impulses that are nice or friendly or harmonious, and some are uniquely personal.

Venus and Saturn conjunct in early Virgo can magnify any resistance to love. And affection can be harder to demonstrate. Yet, in Virgo, the message is that being a partner in a happy, fulfilling relationship can be taught and learned.

How do you get clear -- right NOW-- which is the only time there is!? The New Moon (Sun and Moon is trine Neptune and sextile Jupiter. The key is to have a vision. And you can get your vision by meditation, visualization, prayer, creativity, dreamwork, journaling. Let your subconscious have its voice. Open and give yourself inner access, whether that's by listening, feeling, sensing, or visualizing. However it comes to you, be open and let yourself see beyond what seems to be reality. Singing, dancing, and music can help you channel your sensitivity, and talent is NOT necessary (and may hinder the process if you automatically edit your every impulse). You can change your aura by listening to music, and you can get inspired by watching a movie or reading a book.

Pay attention to your feelings, allow them to be present. And then allow yourself to release hurts and forgive, starting with yourself. This can free up energy that is frozen in position by holding onto hurt that causes you pain. There is always something you get from every experience and once you can realize what that is, you can release any hold that experience may have on you. If you can't meditate and release by yourself, guided meditation can help you learn to sit silently with yourself, which can take practice. If you don't have a space that feels sacred and inspiring, this New Moon is the perfect time to create one. It doesn't have to be large, any space will do. It's not the size, it's what you bring to it, the way you decorate and give it personal meaning.

Mercury stationing Retrograde on a New Moon suggests that to get something NEW you may have to rethink something you are obsessing on (Mercury in Scorpio)
This is a message to SLOW DOWN. This is a balancing act that can be done-- slowly.

Thoughts are flying fast. Mercury will trine Mars 2 more times (Retrograde on Oct 17 and Direct on Nov 19), and they are both sextile Saturn (Mercury/Mars=Saturn, or Saturn is at the midpoint of Mercury/Mars). This is the time to use your mental energy to make clear and practical decisions. Libra, the Scales, is about balance. To achieve balance on the scale of this New Moon, you will need to tip the scales slowly and cautiously.

If you are experiencing a lack of energy, feeling stuck, apathetic, ashamed, or embarrassed, afraid, anxious, or depressed, you cannot just instantly expect yourself to move to an ecstatic state of pure joy. But-- just making the slightest push towards feeling better or shifting your perspective slightly can cause a major turnaround this Autumn. You don't need to PUSH, just a PING! of encouragement (New Moon - Sun and Moon sextile Jupiter) is enough to set a positive change of direction in motion.

While Mercury is Rx in Scorpio, we may be trying to figure out major, profound problems we recently raced past. While Mercury stops and travels backwards in Scorpio, we may be anxious about what we are sensing, and not ready to get drawn deeper into understanding a mystery. There are still lessons to be learned before we can dive deeper. Perhaps we don't really know what we want. Or we think about something and immediately negate the possibility that it could happen. During Mercury is Rx in Scorpio we get opportunities to rethink recurring negative thoughts. It's a great time to slow down your thoughts by journaling or meditating.

If you want to release but you are resisting, what new ideas are you resisting? Jupiter square Uranus symbolizes tradition interfacing with new ways of thinking. And since Uranus rules groups, we are not sure the new vision is aligning with tradition in a way that can create a mindset shift-- as a society. Yet old walls and ways are slowly changing and breaking down.

Resistance can even take the form of exuberant enthusiasm. When Jupiter is square Uranus, too much optimism can be unrealistic and encourage you to overdo something, overshoot your goal, thereby missing the mark. Perhaps you think you're best is never good enough, so you continue to work, polish, edit, do more, and more and more and it's still not good enough. You can create your own resistance by continuing to do too much, when your first impulse was fine.

From Libra to Scorpio
The Sun enters Scorpio on October 23

While the Sun transits through Libra, it's time to find balance --- the state when body, mind, emotions are aligned. And once we feel this balance, we are in an aligned state of body, mind, emotion with what we want, or our spiritual purpose. And then we are ready to move into a deeper or more spiritual perspective, which is Scorpio.

Buddha: "don't just DO something, sit there!"

And because nothing is ever perfect or complete, there's more (almost) daily on the ArtCharts AstroBlog


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SECTION 2. Using Astrology for Your Greatest Benefit
Libra is the sign of love and relationships. The New Moon is the time to think about how you relate to others, because this is also the time you can DO something about your relationships. You can change the way you look at others and how you feel about your interactions. How DO you react to insulting or negative comments? To love and affection?

The Love Forecast gives you invaluable insights into how you approach love, using the transits of Moon, Venus, and Pluto. Be ready, because this forecast discusses everything and holds back nothing.

The Relationship Potential Report looks at how you approaching relationships, using your 7th house cusp, or the Descendant to describe your relationship to Relationship. If the same problems resurface in your relationships, it can be invaluable to look at what you expect and what you bring to your relationships.

SECTION 3. Personal Readings
PING! Readings with Lauren: When you're feeling stuck or unsettled, let me give you more awareness of your situation. Sometimes you just need a nudge in the right direction. And then you can start moving towards a more positive and joyous life. Feel the power of your own inner support helping you grow, succeed, and prosper. 45 minute phone sessions -- $47 Click here to make your appointment now! or email Lauren for more info.

Next issue:
Full Moon on October 26: beyond the veil

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in Love&Light,
Lauren

Top of page

It's GO time. What's your plan?

Now that Mercury is in Scorpio and Mars is trine in Cancer, it's clear sailing!

And to make you even more productive, both Mercury and Mars are sextile Saturn.

Message:

There are A LOT of ideas flying around, many of them very energizing. But before you make a move, get grounded, have a direction, and plan well.

That means it's time to make a DECISION!

As you get clear about your goals, the next step will come into focus.

But before you can make a plan and move forward, you need to make a decision. And to honor the choices and commitments you make, you'll need to follow directions and take all the necessary steps.

Since both Mercury and Mars are close to Retrograde stations, the progress you make right now may not be immediately visible, but it is happening. You CAN make VERY real progress if TRUST your process and put your energy into what you KNOW is your path.

Trust your guidance-- and be prepared to do whatever it takes to make it real.

Once you KNOW your next step-- and you KNOW it because it ENERGIZES you-- the next few months are the perfect time to do more reading and research. Whatever you need to learn is there to access! You only need to make a commitment and stay focused.

Once you know WHAT to do, Saturn at the midpoint of Mercury/Mars advises us to get GROUNDED.

What are the details and exactly HOW will you proceed.

As the SUN trines Moon and Chiron forming a fast-moving GRAND TRINE, you can find on-going inspiration from a mentor and/or teacher.

Timing: this can be felt on a personal level from Sunday night through Tuesday as the Moon (personal feelings) contacts this configuration.

in Love&Light,
Lauren

ps. If you benefit from the free articles on this blog, let me know by buying my absolute favorite gift - an Amazon gift certificate. My email is lauren@artcharts.com Click Here! Thanks:-)

New Moon in Gemini, Mercury stationing Retrograde in Cancer

The New Moon in Gemini with ruler Mercury making a Retrograde station seems to be an appropriate time to restart the artcharts blog. This is a great time to let go of the past, embrace the future, and feel authentically positive about the prospects for all of us. Working in a calm, concentrated, focused way, you can make significant progress and use your energy productively, without getting bogged down by negativity and resistance.

This will help greatly as Mercury makes a Retrograde station (the day after Thursday's New Moon, on Friday, June 15). To better understand how a Mercury Retrograde period will influence your life, it's helpful to look at the chart for the Retrograde station.

Mercury retrogrades 3 times a year for 3 weeks each time.

Mercury in Cancer will make a Retrograde station while conjunct the Moon, ruler of Cancer. In its own sign of Cancer, the Moon is in a strong position. This Mercury Retrograde period is about getting back in touch with your emotions by communicating more; allowing feelings you have stuffed and repressed to come out and be cleared. This is a time for blending sensitivity with the ability to communicate, which makes it staggering how much you can express of your inner, personal feelings and responses. It's a time to WELCOME your feelings, allow them happen so you see them for what they are and can even let them go....

It can seem like everyone wants to tell you their life story, even if you've heard it before. As your inner feelings become more conscious, you can express them more easily, but you can also be motivated by your emotions and your ideas and opinions can be colored by how you feel, blurring the difference between being emotional and being rational. Which is which, who knows, who cares?!


The only problem is that we can subconsciously lean into our old, pre-programmed emotional prejudices and responses. So keep in mind, your ideas and your mind set is based on your own experiences, not only on "the facts".

This is a time to try an experiment. Try letting your feeling responses come before your intellectual responses. Learn to say what you mean, without controlling every thought and response, and trying to fit it into what you think you "should" be feeling or thinking. Try something new, try responding as your authentic self.