Do you feel that since Mercury went retrograde that you have lost your mojo?
If so, don’t worry. I got your back!
In my last blog post, I revealed how Mercury retrograde (Mercury Rx) can be used as a healing tool. In this post, I am going to give you the scoop on Mercury as it retrogrades out of emotional Cancer and into ‘cerebral’ Gemini.
What is Mercury Retrograde?
For those that need a refresher or are new to the Mercury retrograde phenomena, let me briefly explain it. Three to four times a year, the planet Mercury appears to be moving backwards. Now, this actually is an optical illusion but regardless it appears to be moving backward through the zodiac. This is kind of like driving on a highway. You are driving along and you pass a car and in your rear view mirror that car appears to be moving backwards despite the fact that it is in forward motion. You simply are moving faster than the car behind you.
Astrologically, Mercury seems to pack a big punch during its retrograde status. It notoriously causes communication problems, issues with travel plans, negotiations and business deals fall apart, relationships suffer consequences, and electronic devices tend to go bonkers. Let me give you a real world example — On June 7, 2014, Mercury turned retrograde in the sign of Cancer. My current internet provider is Time Warner Cable and our email services has been unreliable and unpredictable ever since. Their website states it will be restored, but as of this writing (June 15, 2014), the problem has not been fully resolved. Needless to say, the trickster planet can cause absolute havoc and annoying inconveniences.
Let’s Get Mythical
Hermes (the Greek name for Mercury) is one of my favorite myths because it provides us with enormous insight into the workings of Mercury. I recently discussed this myth at length in the latest episode of Keep It Magic. (I will include a show player at the bottom of this post).
One of the major points that I emphasized on Keep It Magic was Hermes relationship with the sun god Apollo. Apollo is Hermes older brother and the two of them have a bit of a sibling rivalry for the affections of Zeus – which could tell us the importance of sibling rivalries in order to develop our sun. In the myth, Hermes is quite the ‘brat’ and on the day of his birth he crawls out of the crib and sneaks off and steals Apollo’s cattle. Since he is (after all) the trickster god, he covers his tracks by walking backwards in order to disguise the theft.
Symbolically, the function of Mercury is to steal what belongs to the Sun. How does this happen? We develop our identities first through identifying with others. We learn what other people like and dislike, their opinions and their values, their daily rituals, and how they interact with the outer world. We then emulate (like we do with our older siblings) others in order to acclimate to life and helps us develop our own tastes and ideals. Once we develop our own thoughts and concepts, which includes a deeper understanding of ourselves and life; we are able to transfer this to the Sun in order to further develop our own individuality. In essence, when Mercury is direct we go out into the world and gather up data and information in order to apply it to our day to day lives. But when Mercury is retrograde, we bring that information back to the Sun in order to process it and make it uniquely our own.
Mercury in Gemini
Mercury in Gemini is about learning – we learn from others, we take new courses, we have new experiences, visit new places, explore new cultures, and try out new hobbies. Mercury in Gemini is about mental flexibility in order to understand life. When Mercury is retrograde in Gemini it still works the same as it does when it is direct; however, the energy is turned inward. In other words, rather than learning to understand the outer world, we learn to understand ourselves.
For the next three weeks the focus needs to be shifted internally – it’s time to figure out you! Ask yourself the following questions:
What am I learning about myself?
What do I love to do for enjoyment?
What hobbies do I enjoy?
What would I like to explore in the future?
Do I want to learn something new?
Although these questions may seem rather simple, our deepest spiritual moments often come from simple revelations. Mercury in Gemini provides us with the ability to experiment with life and discover through intellectual understanding what brings us joy and happiness. This retrograde provides us with an opportunity to move internally and expand our mind with personal understanding, and in the process we discover that our true ‘mojo’ is the ability to spin gold on our own.
To learn more about Mercury here is a player to our most recent podcast.
Storm Cestavani is the co-host of the top rated metaphysical show “Keep It Magic” and the co-creator of “Tarot Magic” with Coventry Creations. Storm is available for consultations by setting up an appointment to speak with him. Simply click on Book A Reading with Storm at the top of the page.
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