Monday 9/27/2021: Sneak Peek at a Rollicking Week; Mercury Retrograde Survival Guide; October Astrology Alert
It’s Monday, and Mercury is now officially retrograde as of 1:10 AM ET. Did you back up your computers and other data storage devices? I sure hope so!
Contrary to popular belief, Mercury retrograde is no reason to freak out. Mercury retrograde gets a bad rap because we are geared, in this crazy modern age, to always be thinking, doing, moving FORWARD. You know what that gets you? BURN OUT. We need our down times, and Mercury retrograde is a perfect time to give our minds a rest. Why else would your computer, phone and/or car choose THIS time to malfunction? Because you are supposed to be slowing down. And as you slow down, it is vitally important that you FOCUS.
When Mercury is retrograde, be prepared for travel delays, scheduling screw-ups, mechanical breakdowns, computer crashes, having to repeat what you’ve just said, misunderstandings, the past coming back for a second look, surprise reunions and having to repeat what you just said. Use your FOCUS and double-check important details, like whether the restaurant you’ve chosen for a meet-up is still in business. Or whether it is booked for a commercial shoot or a private party — all of which has happened to me during Mercury retrogrades.
If you are looking for a job, Mercury retrogrades are a perfect time to reach out to people from your past. Mine your address book and trust that your contacts will be happy to hear from you. However, do not be frustrated if your target is away on vacation or keeps rescheduling meetings. Also, triple-check your emails and resumes before you hit “send,” as there is a higher probability of typos and other sloppy snafus.
In your business, you’ll need to make sure all communications have been received and are clearly understood. Be mindful of the higher potential for communications equipment to go on the fritz. MAKE SURE YOUR FILES ARE BACKED UP. Also be aware of a higher than average probability for delays in shipping and travel arrangements. For this you will need an extra dose of patience.
You may also find it profitable to REview a project from the past. Maybe you shelved it then, but now is the time to REconsider. However, be advised that a spontaneously, “out-of-the-blue” idea for advancement may not be so sound when Mercury turns direct. This is why the conventional wisdom advises against finalizing and/or signing contracts on deals during Mercury retrograde. An exception might be supported if you are REnegotiating or RElocating. If you absolutely must close a deal, triple check everything. The key is not to RUSH.
This is a good time to schedule a corporate REtreat. Any activity that affords the opportunity to REview past performance is encouraged. REsearch on a new strategy is also favored.
Mercury retrogrades are not favored for launching a new website or a new communications systems. There is a higher than average probability of technical glitches and confusion. REvisions, however, are A-OK.
In general, adopt a playful attitude of flexibility to whatever twists you encounter. Avoid making major purchases (especially electronic ones), unless your A/C unit has died and there’s a heat wave. Sometimes you just have to buy an appliance, Mercury retrograde or not. This is life. Don’t sweat the small stuff!
Don’t believe everything you hear or read in the papers when Mercury is retrograde. Rumors have a higher probability of spreading. Avoid losing patience — that’s a big one.
When in doubt, be silent!
Do plan on RElaxing, REviewing, REsearching, REorganizing, REgenerating, REconnecting and REcreating….and REviewing your life with your astrologer.
Mercury will travel backward through Libra until October 18th, when it reaches 10 degrees Libra and turns direct. Mercury won’t cover new ground until November 3rd, when it returns to 25 degrees Libra (where it is right now). Mercury retrograde in Libra suggests a ton of “on the one hand…but on the other hand” discussions in a quest for balance. The last time Mercury was retrograde (back in May), Neptune and Mercury made a series of three squares, which was reflected by headlines that were especially bewildering, if not downright bonkers. During this retrograde, Neptune is nowhere near Mercury. Instead, Mercury is in a series of squares with Pluto and Eris, suggesting extremes of power and persuasion in a battle for a place at the table. Mercury is also in a series of trines with Jupiter, suggesting the ideas being bandied about are BIG.
The Sabian Symbol for this Mercury retrograde echoes the struggle for balance between extremes. It is “an eagle and a large white dove turning one into the other.” Well, geez. Those two birds are diametrically opposed to each other, aren’t they — a bird of peace and a bird of prey — but in this symbol they are interchangeable. Which is which? We’ll find out over the next few weeks — watch the headlines. You are more personally affected by this Mercury retrograde if you have planets or angles around 11 and 26 degrees of Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn, and yes — if you’d like a few paragraphs of how this Mercury retrograde is likely to manifest for you, I will be happy to oblige. Toss $48 into my Cosmic Tip Jar as a Joyful Random Expression of Appreciation. Then email me your birth data if I don’t already have it. I’ll send out insights in a day or so.
I don’t know about you, but I felt Mercury’s change of station yesterday. I was at the local pitch-and-putt, and golfers ahead of me on the course were Not The Usual Sort. There were a couple of parties of more than four players (over the limit, according to the course rules), and they included teens and children who were simply Not Up To Speed. Even the parties of less than four players were moving at the pace of molasses. Had I played the holes in sequential order (i.e., 1-18), I would have gone mad waiting for the parties ahead of me to clear each green. My coping strategy was to be creative and adapt, and my game of 18 holes went quickly, like this: 1-2-5-12-13-14-2-13-14-13-14-15-14-2-15-16-17-18. Be flexible when Mercury is retrograde!
Meanwhile…
We’re rolling into October, which is literally a pivotal month in which four planets will turn direct. Pluto moves forward on the 7th; followed by Saturn on the 11th, Mercury on the 18th, and Jupiter on the 19th. That means that this week we see the reflection of Pluto (power, resources, breakdowns, corruption revealed) demanding our attention like a car horn blaring in the news — and in your own personal world if your horoscope is affected. Adding to the intensity of this week’s focus on Pluto is the third in a series of squares to Eris (Goddess of Discord), exact on the 9th. This suggests extremes of disruption from Certain People, Just Because They Can. Between the 16th and the 20th, Mars will travel from 20 to 22 Libra, activating the Saturn-Pluto conjunction and the lunar eclipse we had in January 2020, so we should have some significant developments in matters related to Covid. Not only that, but on the 8th and 9th, Mars will meet up with the Sun and Mercury in Libra. That should be provocative.
Here is the forecast for the week:
- MONDAY: Moon in Gemini seeks information and chitchat. Take it slow, as we are adjusting to Mercury retrograde. Communication may be especially dreamy or fuzzy around 4 PM ET, as Moon squares Neptune. Good cheer follows in the evening as Moon trines Jupiter at 7:24 PM ET, followed by Mercury at 12:18 AM ET on…
- TUESDAY: whereupon the Moon goes VOID for nine hours. This is the first of THREE long Moon voids we’ll have this week. We are being given time to chill and absorb the otherwise hectic pace of happenings, so CHILL. Moon void protocols include rolling with the twists and flakes that may disrupt efforts to move forward, and remembering that crises that crop up during Moon voids are usually much ado about nothing. Stick to routine concerns; avoid impulse shopping; take time to consciously wander if you can. Moon regains its focus at 9:34 AM ET when it enters Cancer. The focus for the next few days is apt for matters of emotional, home, and family security. At 9:57 PM ET, we’ll have the Third Quarter Moon between the Libra Sun and the Cancer Moon. The energy of rational balance tangles with the need for nourishment. Work it out!
- WEDNESDAY: Moon squares Mars at 4:16 AM ET; its provocative drive may have kept you up last night — or inspired this morning’s crankiness. On the upside, two exact patterns suggesting an easy flow involving an authoritative advance, inspired by beauty and empathy mark this day — and hopefully the whole week. At 12:13 PM ET, Venus trines Neptune. Break out the deep rose glasses — and they must be a deep rose, given that Venus is in Scorpio. At 1:53 PM ET, Moon sextiles Uranus, facilitating unconventional alliances. At 6:19 PM ET, the Libra Sun trines Saturn in Aquarius, suggesting a potential meeting of the minds on a really big deal. The really big deal reflects the literal largesse of Venus, as it squares Jupiter on…
- THURSDAY: …at 7:31 PM ET. Before that happens, the Cancer Moon’s emotional security agenda gets a boost from Venus and Neptune in the wee hours. By 10:48 AM ET, however, the Moon’s weekly clash with Pluto suggests a power play or catharsis, followed by a Moon void of TEN WHOLE HOURS. Chill! At 8:53 PM ET, soon after Venus squares Jupiter, Moon enters rip roarin’ Leo with a Grand Pronouncement. Will we have a reason to throw a tantrum or a big party as we leave September behind and enter October on…
- FRIDAY? Possibly the former, in response to a potential roadblock or smackdown suggested by the opposition of Saturn to the Leo Moon, exact at 10:09 AM ET. Not only that, but at 10:26 AM ET, we’ll have the second of three squares between Mercury and Pluto. Whatever extremes of thought and communication that were hot around September 22nd will likely be up for a revision. Investigative reporters will be having another field day — continuing through the weekend. If you can take direction and come up with a Plan B, there’s support available in the afternoon, as the Moon sextiles Sun and Mars. Whatever blocks you faced in the morning may be blasted away (or at least challenged) by 11:31 PM ET, when Moon squares rebel Uranus. Plus, Venus in Scorpio (women, money, aesthetics, and social expression) is working overtime with the Powers That Be, suggested by a cooperative alignment to Pluto, exact at 3:47 AM ET on…
- SATURDAY: We’re being set up for the second round of significant news regarding court opinions and cases, and incriminating documents, as Mercury trines Jupiter on Sunday at 8:04 PM ET. In your own personal world, the Leo Moon — combined with Mercury retrograde — is an excuse to party. Moon squares Mercury at 7:42 PM ET, suggesting a communication matter that may need to be sorted out. Moon then goes void…and doesn’t enter Virgo (to clean up the Leo Moon’s party confetti) until 4:37 AM ET on…
- SUNDAY. A Virgo Moon needs to sort things out and make things right. It’s the perfect pattern for a Mercury retrograde REorganization project. Attack those closets, files, and drawers! There are no exact aspects to the Moon for the entire day, which can almost feel as wandering in focus as a Moon void. Go with the intuitive flow. A whole new cycle begins next Wednesday with the New Moon in Libra.
And now, the news.
The first part of the week before last (the week of Sept 12th) was sponsored by the surreal Sun-Neptune opposition and Nicki Minaj’s cousin’s friend’s balls. They were her explanation for not getting a Covid vaccine and thus not being invited to the Met Gala. If you missed this headline-consuming story, here’s Stephen Colbert. The second part of the week before last was sponsored by Friday the 17th’s Venus-Saturn square, moving us from the surreal to the very, very real, brought to you by women of steel.
- Olympic gymnasts McKayla Maroney, Simone Biles, Aly Reisman, and Maggie Nichols testified before Congress about the wretched failure of the FBI to respond with respect, empathy, and action when they initially reported Dr. Larry Nasser’s sexual abuse (of scores of young women and girls). Maroney’s steely opening statement was an especially apt reflection of the stark realism of Venus square Saturn. It also reflects her horoscope: Sun and other planets in righteous Sagittarius; many other planets in no-nonsense Capricorn. At the time of her initial interview with the dismissive FBI agent (who was recently fired, finally), the potential for anguish was suggested by transiting Saturn conjunct her Pluto.
- Albania elected its first female-dominated government.
- “More Than 600,000 White Flags Placed on the National Mall Honor Lives Lost to Covid”
- “Food Blogger Finds Connections to the Past in Old Recipes”
- The US admits error in a fatal drone strike; Heather Cox Richardson writes about the history and use of drones by the U.S., a sobering Saturnian read indeed.
- “Lawmakers announce an investigation into fossil fuel companies‘ disinformation efforts.” This one also reflects that week’s Sun-Neptune opposition and the Sun-Pluto trine.
- Google, Apple remove Nalvalny app as Russian elections begin
- As anticipated, the September 18th pro-former guy rally in D.C. was a total Moon void fizzle.
The first half of last week was dominated by the illuminating Full Moon, the turning point of the Fall Equinox, and Mercury’s first contact with Jupiter (big) and Pluto (potent):
- Bombshell revelations were published in Bob Woodward’s latest book, Peril. Especially damning was a memo written by attorney John Eastman which outlined a legal strategy for an attempted coup, if only Vice President Pence could be persuaded to go along with it. We learned that Senators Lindsay Graham and Mike Lee reviewed the memo and didn’t think it would fly, but apparently did not alert their colleagues or law enforcement. We learned that Pence tried to be accommodating, but former VP Dan Quayle told him it wasn’t practical (but didn’t bother to tell anyone in law enforcement, either). Oh, and there was this bit about the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff being so concerned that the former guy might try to nuke another country, that drastic measures to prevent such an occurrence were taken.
- Here is what we know about General Mark Milley’s horoscope, and you can see the bombshell about his concerns came out as transiting Mars squared his exact Sun-Mercury conjunction at 26 Gemini. Milley’s horoscope is interesting in that his Cancer Moon, Gemini Mercury, Taurus Venus, and Aries Mars are all in their natural signs of rulership, suggesting that they are exceptionally high-functioning.
Last Thursday’s Venus-Uranus opposition suggested news involving women, astrology, technology, gender-benders, money and/or aesthetics that could be innovative or disruptive.
- Alexei Navalny, whose horoscope was activated by last week’s Full Moon, “slammed cowardly Google and Apple” for removing the aforementioned app
- Gawd-awful uniforms for the Space Force Guardians were unveiled, “causing a stir.”
- Your local astrologer updates her photo to something in living color if Mercury retrograde doesn’t mess it up. Surprise!
- German Social Democrats beat conservatives in vote to determine Angela Merkel’s successor
- Canada’s PM Justin Trudeau may have been surprised by the results of last week’s election, in which he kept his job, but did not gain the stronger majority he hoped for. We should not be surprised, as Trudeau’s horoscope was eclipsed at the end of May, and his Midheaven (career/public status) will be eclipsed in November and next May.
- Surprise! Arizona audit of the 2020 election costs taxpayers millions; concludes that President Biden won by a greater margin than initially reported.
- Dr. Alan Braid pens op-ed for WaPo, announcing he terminated a pregnancy in Texas; is promptly sued by two separate out-of-state attorneys, one of whom hopes S.B. 8 will be ruled unconstitutional; Texas S.B. 8 proponents howl in indignation
Finally…
UPDATE: on the search for a new host for Jeopardy! Fan-favorite LeVar Burton announced he is no longer interested in the gig, and his horoscope is discussed in the latest “Charts in the News” column for Mountain Astrologer. I promised my editors I wouldn’t write about the patterns that support this development until the end of the year, but suffice it to say that the interest Burton says he’s received from producers with other opportunities aptly reflects his horoscope, and it will be interesting to see where he’s at by the end of December. If you’d like to read about…
We interrupt this paragraph to inform you that everything that follows after this sentence in italics is a re-creation of what was lost when my computer suddenly crashed. It seems that the power cord wasn’t completely plugged in, and the computer ran out of juice. Don’t let this happen to you, especially when Mercury is retrograde. FOCUS! Also remember to be patient when usually reliable services don’t behave, as Mailchimp is again today (this forecast was scheduled to ship at 4 PM ET!)
Right-o. If you’d like to read about the horoscopes of George Takei, Carl Nassib, Olivia Rodrigo, and Burton, Mountain Astrologer is where you’ll find it. And if you already subscribe, don’t forget to send in the Reader Survey.
That’s it for now. Here’s the 411 on personal consultations. We will have a fine discussion together.
Thank you for reading this forecast.