Mary Jo Wevers

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Archetypal Mercury Moving Retrograde

In our solar system the orbit of the planet Mercury lies between the Sun and the Earth’s orbit. Symbolically Mercury acts as an intermediary, or link, between the Sun, representing spirit, and the Earth, representing matter. In Greek and Roman mythology Mercury acts as an emissary between gods and mortals, traveling freely between the two worlds carrying messages, communications and information. In astrology archetypal Mercury is an envoy for our spiritual life force, a communication channel informing our human experience as we connect with our environment and interact with others.

In Greek mythology Hermes/Mercury also performs the role of a psychopomp, a guide whose primary function is to escort human souls to the underworld upon death. The psychopomp serves as a guide through other important transitions in life, or when venturing into liminal spaces, spiritual realms, or the inner world of the subconscious. Here, we cross boundaries into places where we undergo some sort of transformation or preparation for rebirth.

Mercury is the most frequently retrograde planet in our solar system. It moves retrograde 3 times a year for about 3 weeks each time. Just before Mercury’s retrograde period it is at its farthest point from earth in its orbit. As it reaches its retrograde phase, fast moving Mercury slows its pace, comes to a standstill, and appears to reverse direction. During its retrograde phase it is closer in orbit to earth, and appears to be moving more slowly. 

In astrology our interpretation of this planetary phenomenon is that the processes and dynamics Mercury represents are too far out, and need to come back closer to earth. Our thinking may need to come back into alignment with reality. There may be too much information coming in and we need to step back, process and digest it. We may need to reorganize information or our thinking patterns or gain new perspectives so we can better understand what is going on, and find new meaning. 

After Mercury stations retrograde it disappears from view in the sky. This is represented in myth as Mercury/Hermes in its role as the psychopomp guiding us into our internal, deeper, subconscious realm. Mercury takes us into liminal places where information is communicated to us intuitively, through symbolic messages during waking hours and during sleep. Our normally active, rational intellectual processes are set free for us to explore material in non-linear ways.  

Mercury stationed retrograde in Gemini, the sign of its rulership, on May 10th. During this retrograde period Mercury will move from active Gemini back into the earth sign of Taurus, guiding us to retrieve overlooked information, gain new frames of reference, symbolic meaning and understanding through the information filter of our senses. In Taurus, we can slow down, ground our thinking, and listen to the wisdom communicated through our physical bodies and the natural world. 

Mercury has led us to the threshold of our inner sanctum. As we cross over and traverse the landscape we encounter matters needing re-framing, revising and re-working. By uniting our thinking with earthly sensibility we transform our understanding and experience. Mercury stations direct on June 3rd, leading us back into the outer world reborn.

“Become a student of change. It is the only thing that will remain constant.”

― Anthony J. D’Angelo

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Uranus in Taurus:  Reforming our Relationship with Nature

Uranus is the archetypal force of change and revolutionary transformation. Uranus breaks down, breaks through, and deconstructs old structures that have outlived their usefulness. It displaces and overthrows established attitudes and systems. It liberates us from the confines of convention and urges us to create anew. It is a hurricane-like force destroying that which no longer serves us, or limits our freedom to grow and progress into the future.

Uranus rules sudden, unexpected and unpredictable changes of a radical and shocking nature that shake us up. The force of Uranus rushing through our lives and disrupting our routines can feel disquieting, unsettling, even traumatizing. The world we knew has lost the form and structure we depended upon for security and stability. We perceive the world as chaotic. 

The word chaos is borrowed from the Greek word for “abyss,” the primeval emptiness of the universe, a formless, empty void. The Roman philosopher Ovid later described chaos as a formless, disorganized mass.The force of Uranus reduces systems and constructs to pure energy, without order, or structure. Within this formless chaos, we have the greatest power to bring about significant change. We can choose to create new systems and structures based on new values and organizing principles, new paradigms. 

With Uranus expressing its archetypal force through the sign of Taurus, we are witnessing the break down of old systems and structures we have depended upon for physical safety and material security. Conventional farming practices have poisoned the earth. Food production systems no longer support human health and well being. Air pollution, the destruction of forest biomes, and increasing use of traditional fossil fuels is causing global warming with its dire consequences. We are destroying the resiliency of nature and its ability to support life on our planet. Attitudes that led to commodifying nature, extracting her resources to maximize short-term financial gain for the elite few are ripe for change.

Conventional ideology about the natural world and the role of humans on the planet contain notions that we are above nature, we are superior and of greater value than other living things, and therefore can exploit them. We view nature as inefficiently designed for our myopic needs, superfluous or unnecessary, even dangerous and to be eliminated. We believe we have the power and the right to control and exploit it. 

It is time to adopt some humility, and recognize we know very little about the complexity of the natural world, the interconnectedness and interdependency of its constituents. We understand very little about the ways myriad forms of life adapt to changing conditions and cycles of time within their ecosystems. We need to shed the belief that we can control nature for our own selfish reasons. We need to radically change our view that that we are separate from the natural world, which leads to us feeling disconnected and outside of it. Instead we need to understand how we are part of it, and reform our ways of living and participate in life within it. The land does not belong to us. Rather we belong to the land. 

We can restore our sense of peace and security in a chaotic world by grounding ourselves in nature, in the web of life. Feel the life force in the soil beneath your feet. Breathe the air slowly and deeply. Find calm and nourish your spirit in water. Tune into the cycles of nature with its seasons, the monthly lunar cycle, and the daily cycle of light and dark. Pay attention to how your animal body is synchronized with these cycles. Sensing the interconnectedness of all living things in nature, and being a part of it, is life affirming.

“The body is condensed Soul.” ― LiYana Silver

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The Hero Archetype

The Sun in Aries is a self-motivated risk taker. It faces life challenges with energy and resolve. Not dependent on others, it has the courage to go it alone. Eager for new beginnings and novel experiences, it is willing to start over again when faced with failure. This attitude and approach to life gives it the ability to bounce back from misfortune, and venture into unexplored territory.

The Sun in Aries is akin to the archetypal Hero in myths and stories. The central theme in these stories is that of overcoming obstacles to attain a goal, while staying true to ones self. The Hero’s journey is what Carl Jung called the process of individuation, whereby the Hero discovers their true feelings, unique potential, and what they are capable of in life.

The Hero is not a natural born hero. In myths and stories they are often flawed, have less than ideal early life circumstances, or suffer from traumatic events. In this regard, the Hero represents each of us. Our personal stories contain elements found in the myths and stories of heroes. Perhaps we experienced a less than ideal early childhood, or family dynamics. Or maybe we were separated from our home and family, or dire circumstances lead to our leaving. 

Like the Hero, our departure from what was familiar sent us out into the world where we gained new experiences. We may have set out on a quest, to recover something missing in our lives, or within our self. Out in the world, we gain a more mature perspective on our situation, based on our real life experiences. We may go through a great trial or ordeal, a period of darkness, and as a result are transformed, and reborn anew. Ultimately, like the Hero, we may return home, albeit metaphorically, as we return to our true Self.

We can adopt the attitude, traits and behaviors of the Sun in Aries when we face difficult challenges, when we experience unprecedented changes in life, and when we undergo setbacks. We then become the living embodiment of the Hero archetype.

“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.” 

― Nelson Mandela

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Becoming Your Own Adult

A significant astrological event during our life time is the Saturn return. The first Saturn return occurs around age 29, when transiting Saturn returns to the exact placement it was at our birth. Saturn has completed its journey around the zodiac, touching on all parts of our natal chart, thereby giving us opportunities to develop self-sufficiency and maturity in corresponding areas of life. It has provided difficulties, hardships, obstacles and challenges for us to hone our life skills and learn important lessons about the real world. It has given us opportunities to grow up.

Having completed its cycle, the first Saturn return is time for us to assess how prepared we are to go out into the world as a self-reliant individual. In order to move forward in life we need to become a fully fledged adult. It is time to let go of childish attitudes and dependencies on others, especially authority figures. How mature are we? Do we take responsibility for our life and exercise self-discipline? It is time to get real about our goals and ambitions, and what we need to do to achieve them. Have we created the necessary structure, organization and ability to work within the constraints of time to make success attainable? Are we willing to work hard and delay gratification?

The term “adulting” was coined by millennials to describe this process as they approached the first Saturn return. According to the Oxford Language dictionary “adulting” is the practice of behaving in a way characteristic of a responsible adult, especially the accomplishment of mundane but necessary tasks. While mastery of worldly tasks is an important part of becoming an adult, an internal shift in our attitude and relationship towards authority is also required.

One of the Divine Virtues found in various sacred texts and religions is self-referencing. Self-referencing can be described as tapping into your own inner source of wisdom, knowledge and personal experience, rather than looking outside yourself for answers or guidance. We internalize and cultivate our “inner adult” and regard it as our highest and best source of information and direction. 

How do we develop this “inner adult?” One step is to stop blaming others for who we have become and for our lot in life. We let go of spinning stories about their behaviors, their treatment of us as justification for our own attitudes, choices, and actions. Perhaps we did not have the mother/father/boss/spouse we wanted. We take responsibility by first releasing them from playing that part in our life. We then take on, practice and express the traits of the adult we always wanted someone else to be for us.

This takes commitment and diligence, with consistent, repeated effort. Over time we see results, which we then evaluate and make needed adjustments. Through testing our approaches and methods we learn through practical experience. We become our own authority through the real-world outcomes of our choices. 

We earn respect from others by taking responsibility, being disciplined, honorable and having integrity while we do the hard work. In time we gain a reputation for being a wise, pragmatic authority, someone people look up to. We feel more self-sufficient, stable, and confident in our abilities to navigate difficulties in the wider world. We become our own self-referencing authority in life.

“Insisting on your rights without acknowledging your responsibilities isn’t freedom, it’s adolescence.”

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Creating Inner Peace and Harmony

While we tend to focus on the outer world when talking about peace and harmony, justice and fairness, these qualities cannot exist outside of ourselves if we do not embody them internally as individuals. When we create the necessary balance and integration among the sometimes conflicting parts of ourselves, our deepest wants, needs and desires, we exemplify the best expressions of Libra. 

In astrology we view the planets as representations of archetypal forces within the human psyche. Our personality has many facets, each with their own drives, principles and urges. The planets in your birth chart describe the different facets of your multi-dimensional personality. Like characters on a stage, they each have a specific role to play in the development and expression of your character. One archetypal part of your psyche may get along fine with some of the other archetypal forces, but have difficulties with others. Astrologers examine planetary aspects in the horoscope to get insight into this. 

Learning how to implement, balance and integrate the different archetypal forces within us into a healthy, balanced and cohesive whole can be challenging. We must find ways for each of the different parts of our personality to express themselves and function in a productive manner. If we utilize only some parts of our planetary personality constellation and repress others, we feel out of sorts, incomplete, unfulfilled. Repressed or unexpressed facets may erupt at inappropriate times or in extreme forms, or may be projected onto others instead of owning them ourselves. The inner conflict between our “characters on the stage” is then played out in our outer relationships and experiences. 

Alternatively, we may strongly identify with specific parts of our personality, mistakenly thinking this is the only way we are supposed to be. This can lock us into limited ways of thinking and behaving, and keep us from fully utilizing our potential. When we successfully engage and express all parts of our personality in balanced ways we experience satisfaction and a state of peace, wholeness, and completeness.

Each of our personality facets, the “characters on a stage,” must play out their roles. We can allow them to work collaboratively by finding common ground where they can cooperate. If they cannot share the spotlight, perhaps they can take turns being center stage, or in different parts of our life. Ideally we want them to come together in a respectful “meeting of the minds” where we can listen to each of their viewpoints and honor the contribution they can each make to our current situation or endeavor. Learning to value and trust the unique gifts and skills they provide is a first step in integrating and balancing the different facets of our complex psyche.

“Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance, order, rhythm and harmony.”  – Thomas Merton