Everyone seems to be talking about it so I will throw in my two cents as well. The world is abuzz with excitement over tomorrow's total solar eclipse scheduled to occur about 3:17pm (peak time) where I live in western Pennsylvania. Being the astrology nerd that I am, I tend to look at these phenomenons from a different perspective. Sure, I am looking forward to watching the moon step in between the earth and the sun and I have my "smoky glasses" as Virginia Woolf called them almost a century ago, to survey the event safely, but I'm more interested in how this eclipse will affect me, my life, and the people I love. So naturally, I look at my birth chart.
Tomorrow, at the time of the solar eclipse, we will be experiencing the New Moon in Aries blocking the light of the Sun (also in Aries) for a short period of time. This eclipse is further pronounced by another planetoid, Chiron (the Wounded Healer) occupying the same degree as the Sun and Moon....19 degrees 24 minutes of Aries. This is significant to me personally as this stellium of Sun, Moon and Chiron is stationed directly opposite my natal Libra Sun.
So what does all this mean? To me, it means that my energy (the Sun) is being diminished by the Dark Moon only to be magnified by Chiron, the Wounded Healer. Think of Chiron as the Therapist of the Universe who is here to announce that self-care is of the utmost importance right now. Do you think it's a mere coincidence that for the past week I've been nursing a cold virus in my body and I actually feel a bit worse today, the day before the eclipse? The way I see it is that my energy, my life force is being eclipsed. I feel tapped out. Yes, I know that this too shall pass and my get up and go will return, but for now, I can't ignore this relationship between how my mind and body feel to what is going on in the cosmos.
This is how my mind thinks. It makes connections between that which we believe is outside of us (sun, moon and stars) to what is happening inside of us or to us here on earth. Perhaps what we see as other-worldly is merely a reflection of humankind.
With respect to Mercury Retrograde (or Rx in astrology talk), I have learned to pay attention each time this event comes around, occurring 3-4 times per year and lasting about 3 weeks or so. Mercury is the planet of communication; therefore, I do anticipate snafus in my personal communications with others. I expect my computer to not obey my directives and we both have tantrums over it. I expect travel delays and being late for appointments. I'm learning to just roll with it and laugh when Mercury, the Trickster makes his mischief.
Additionally, I am welcoming these few weeks as a time to take a step back and look at my life. What in my life needs my attention? Where in my chart is Mercury traveling? This can also help me to ascertain where to place my focus. For me, Mercury is currently traveling through my 2nd House. So this would be a good time for me to review my finances and what I value including my own self-worth.
Mercury Rx always invites us to go within, to not force life to go the way you want. In the last few years, I have adopted a practice of re-reading books that I love. I've noticed with the second or even third times reading a book, I find new information, something I missed on the first go-round. If you're a writer like me, Mercury Rx is a great time to review and rework a piece you've forgotten about or stuffed in a drawer because you were frustrated and didn't know what to do with it. The other day I found a poem that I wrote years ago but never finished. All it needed was an older version of me to read it with some newfound wisdom that helped finish the piece.
Mercury is also in the sign of Aries right now. Aries wants to be first. It's energy is immediate, right now. It's impulsive, direct and bold. With Mercury in Aries in its retrograde phase, we are being asked to take a moment. Just wait. Don't send that email or post that photo before thinking (Mercury governs the mind) about it one more time.
As I was finishing up this post, my computer flashed a message that it "encountered a technical issue." Then it asked me to reload my browser. I held my breath and prayed that my text would still be intact. All is well. Autosave is turned on. Whew! This was a true Mercury Retrograde moment.
If all of this talk about the eclipse and such has dulled your shine, take heart. The total solar eclipse will last for literally a few minutes tomorrow and Mercury will station direct on or about April 25th.
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