The Starry Times – Mercury Retrograde -November 2019

Haiii Everyone!

We have arrived at the last mercury retrograde for 2019 – The first was in march, the second was in july.

It will run from 1st November to 21st November.

With all retrogrades, the planets’ orbits are such that create the illusion that they are moving backwards; the energies become stronger, we feel the effects more acutely on earth and in our daily lives.

One of the higher functions of disruption, chaos, delays and general annoyances, is to wake us from slumber. Too much ease breeds complacency and sloth. If there is no resistance to work against, what is the impetus for growth? We might all just turn into amoebic puddles and float in space.

While this might seem like a welcome choice to contrast the chaos of the current paradigm, it alas, cannot happen, and so, we are forced, like it or lump it, to adjust our selves to an ever changing and somewhat unpredictable Flow. of. Life.

Although the pursuit of happiness seems to form a large undercurrent to the motivation of many folks these days, in vedic/eastern thought – this is not the primary goal. We are here to discover our true selves – Humanity as a whole , as a collective human family on different stages on the path of self- realisation. Happiness is just a byproduct of living in truth and harmony with the world around us, reflecting a state of inner balance which comes from realising the truth of who we are.

This mercury retrograde is happening across the scorpio libra divide. In the sky, the houses and signs do not have lines, and the nakshatras, (the 27 lunar mansions) often cross between signs. The nakshatras are the ‘secret’ key of the zodiac, being smaller constellations/specific stars.

Vishākhā is one such nakshatra, which is the 16^th lunar mansion, starting at 20 degrees of libra and crossing into 3 degrees and 20 mins of scorpio.

This is a unique and powerful star, it is ruled by the benevolent and wise jupiter and among its many attached significations, it is the only star with two ruling deites, Indra and Agni. The symbol for this star is a gateway, an archway – it is a goal oriented star which has much to do with marriage and triumph. It can also be selfish, indulging one’s desires in questionable ways, and having to deal with a trail of destruction behind; overindulgence needs to be kept in check, with spiritual/higher awareness.

Vishākhā’s Shakti (Power) is – Vyapani Shakti
The power to achieve many and various fruits in life.

Indra and Agni rule rain and heat, respectively, and with this stars ruling planets Jupiter, currently traversing through gandanta (karmic knot/drowning) of scorpio, in Jyestha, (please see my article about it Here ) – another star ruled by Indra, we can expect some big waters/ flooding and/or fires coming over the next weeks.

Let us hope that the drought affected regions can receive some welcome relief and that the destructive form of Agni can be pacified and placated …

Mercury will mostly be in libra and will mostly be in the star of Vishaka, with a brief dip into the previous star, Swati (please see my blog on swati and libra season Here). Venus’s rulership over libra will highlight communications/conveyances specifically in relationships and business. Personally, I would avoid signing any new contracts or starting new things/relationships if you can, until after Jupiter has moved out of gandanta on the 10th of November – otherwise things could get tricky.

Mercury retrograde typically promotes mishaps and misadventures in fields such as communications, organising, scheduling, delays in transportations, autocorrect disasters and emails that mysteriously disappear into cyberspace. Back up your devices, double check contracts before signing.Its a time to triple check your schedules. Watch for vague and unclear boundaries. There is a saying that says the greatest distance between two people is mis understanding. Conflict, as a natural part of life, has a marvellous function of leveraging us from our own rigidities, by inviting us to see things from a different point of view. The degree of mental flexibility you have will reflect in your ability to adapt to the hiccups that occur during the retrograde period.

Use this time constructively to make sure you have all the facts before moving forward.

Mercury retrogrades are times to not push any agenda too fast. Take care and consider all your options before taking action. A lack of thoroughness and attention to detail could show at this time. Remember, rejection is a redirection. Being too attached to outcomes often lead to disappointments… Re-assess, re-focus, re-consider; themes that come more into play in retrograde times.

Take it easy folks, aside from a couple of eclipses, and the usual life ups and downs, we have a pretty cruisey next 6 months, with the next mercury retrograde happening from 17^th Feb – 10^th March. We have four planets retrograde next year with things changing again early May 2020 – Stay tuned for regular updates, please follow my blog to have it delivered right to your inbox and connect with me on Instagram too — would love to hear from you, feedback, questions, insights!

I offer consultations (in Sydney, worldwide), if you are interested to see how the planets and cosmic energies are affecting you personally and I practice Ka Huna bodywork, if you are local to Sydney . Check out my links on my website for more info.

Aloha and Namaste
Darinka x