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RETROGRADES WITHOUT REGRETSBy Judith Goldberg |
327 Route 105
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"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes,
but in having new eyes." ~ Marcel Proust
Red Riding Hood’s Folly
“Grandmother, what big eyes you have!” All the better to see you with my dear.” And Grandmother what big ears you have!” The better to hear you with my dear.” And, as this familiar tale progresses towards its foregone conclusion, the unfortunate innocent who fails to see the wolf in grandmother’s clothing is readily gobbled up. But wait-- that’s the original version, published in 1697. In the contemporary, sanitized version, Red Riding Hood is summarily rescued by a passing woodcutter.
Notwithstanding, the question remains, “Why does Red Riding Hood, who by her questioning betrays a sense that something is amiss, not recognize her old nemesis”? The answer lies in her all too human failing—that of being boxed in by a preconceived belief or expectation that clouds true perception. In truth, objective reality is itself an illusion. Each of us perceives the world differently, through a set of individual filters, honed by prior experience and natural biases.
It’s Element-ary
The planet Mercury in our birth chart describes our unique reality filter. The sign in which Mercury resides influences the way we receive, process and express information. While each of the twelve zodiac signs has distinctive characteristics, there is an overarching similarity among Mercury placements grouped by element. Earth signs (Taurus/Virgo/Capricorn) are practical, concrete and sensory. Water signs (Cancer/Scorpio/Pisces) are emotional and intuitive. Air signs (Gemini/Libra/Aquarius) are intellectual and rational. Fire signs (Aries/Leo/Sagittarius) are inspirational, visionary and action oriented. (For more information on your Mercury placement and its meaning see Chapter 5 of “Discovering Your Soul Mission” by Linda Brady.)
Reversing Course
Mercury transits (a planet’s daily movement) through all twelve signs over the course of a year, tracking in concert with the Sun. For the most part, quicksilver Mercury’s influence in our lives is dimly felt; that is until its quarterly retrograde. A planetary retrograde creates the illusion of backward movement and symbolically denotes a change in direction. Every 90 to 120 days or so, Mercury turns tail, extending its normal monthly occupancy in a sign by about six weeks—three back and three forward again. Most recently Mercury reversed course from November 14th to December 4th 2005.
Do’s and Don’ts
Many of you are already familiar with the standard Mercury Retrograde caveats-- transportation and communication may be adversely affected; drive carefully, listen up, don’t sign contracts or make major purchases, especially automobiles. However, any action that can be described with a “re” word, will pass mustard. My personal Mercury Retrograde Journal is filled with entries that illustrate the wisdom of compliance. For example, a week before the recent retrograde, my twelve year old car “died”. I pressed the mechanic to make only absolutely necessary (safety) repairs so I could drive it a few more months—allowing me the latitude to research, while not purchasing a new car. I was able to resist lots of pressure to sign on the dotted line. Of course, I told all the salesmen I couldn’t sign any contracts til the planets moved—an objection none were trained to overcome. Turns out I picked a model so new, it takes ninety days to get one from the factory. I still refused to pre-order it. My husband (who doesn’t believe in astrology) during a previous Mercury retrograde, ordered a new car with a six month waiting period. Although he now loves it, he agonized, re-thinking his decision endlessly, during that half year. I was instructed by his example.
Tripping
Vacations are usually a good option during retrogrades, but getting there is rarely half the fun. Accidents and delays are routine. On this occasion, my husband was scheduled to speak at an IT (information technology) Conference (talk about poor retrograde planning) in Orlando, so we took the family to Disneyworld. We got to the airport only to discover that our daughter had left her wallet at home. The taxi ride to retrieve it cost $96. The hotel couldn’t accommodate all 5000 conference participants, so many attendees were placed in off-site facilities. A transportation nightmare ensued. Additionally, hubby’s seminar was scheduled during a void of course moon period, when connections are challenging. Seems his introductory level course was misrepresented in the program and half of the audience left because it was too elementary. However, he did reconnect with an important business contact from a previous Expo. Old acquaintances tend to resurface during retrogrades.
The “Eyes” Have It
During Mercury retrograde we have an opportunity to notch up our awareness, curb our impulsivity and change behavior. It’s a time to reflect, revise, research, regroup—more “re” words. Mercury retrogrades can also turn up concealed information and precipitate dramatic shifts of perspective. Like Red Riding Hood, we can become disoriented, have a nagging sense that something is wrong, and experience difficulty focusing via our “normal” channels. Of course, that is exactly the point. Mercury is loaning us a new filter—in essence, new eyes. Transiting Mercury’s sign colors our experience. This past retrograde period began in Sagittarius (11/14) and entered Scorpio (11/27) for the final week. Sagittarian reflections were so prevalent (aided no doubt by the Sagittarian sun and New Moon)—they are an excellent venue for our exploration. Fiery Sagittarius encourages us to examine our belief systems and personal philosophy, see the big picture, search for truth and meaning and expand our horizons through travel and education. Sagittarius rules foreign countries, religion, untamed nature (especially mountains) and serendipity—those synchronous “coincidences”.
News & Views
Viewed through a Sagittarian lens much of the daily news takes on new significance. With Mars also retrograde (Oct 2-Dec 9) Mercury quickly became a supporting player in the themes of War & Peace (see “Swords & Plowshares”).
Two days after Mercury’s station (the day it stands still before changing direction), in a surprise reversal, Congressman John Murtha, a Vietnam War hero and avowed hawk, made an historical speech calling for a withdrawal from Iraq. The heated debate which followed prompted headlines of “War of Words” on all the major news networks—an exquisite integration of Mars and Mercury. Truth in journalism triumphed as more revelations followed. There were leaks about a secret memo detailing President Bush’s plan to bomb Al Jazeera, significantly the only independent Arab news outlet operating in the Middle East, and about a disinformation campaign whereby our military command was feeding pro-American propaganda to Iraqi journalists and paying them to print it. The Chinese government engaged in an untenable round of denial, refusing to warn those downstream of a 50 mile wide toxic waste spill that polluted a major waterway, endangering the health of millions.
Legends & Legacies
On the education front, the debate over teaching “intelligent design” vs. evolution heated up. NEWSWEEK (Nov 28) ran an eight page cover story on Charles Darwin, the man, his theory, philosophy and personal moral crisis. The twenty-fifth anniversary of the death of John Lennon rolled around with a prime time TV special about the man who shot him and a big “remembering Lennon” spread in NEWSWEEK (Nov 28). The singer’s perceived anti-religious iconoclasm—a comment he made about the Beatles being more popular than Jesus, along with the lyrics “Imagine there’s no heaven” were cited by the assassin as justification for shooting him. “Imagine” has lived on to inspire millions and become a cultural icon. Dave Matthews wrote in Newsweek “this is an absolutely stellar song. It’s wrenching. Even if he’d written only “Imagine”, he would have been the greatest songwriter of all time.” Imagine.
Climb Every Mountain
I found a short, inspirational, piece hidden away in the December 5th issue of NEWSWEEK I would have overlooked it, had not the overtly obvious Sagittarian symbolism just jumped off the page. “My Turn: To the Top of Half-Dome and Beyond”, chronicles writer Wendy Watson’s mountain climbing adventure with her teenage son—a combo Outward Bound/parental bonding experiment designed (successfully) to heal their adversarial relationship. In her final commentary she notes that her job as a parent is “to offer him bits of wonder and inspiration and hope they will come to live inside him. Because it is the landscape of his interior world that will give his life its form and meaning.”
Inner Voyage of Self-Discovery
Indeed, it is our interior landscape that is most accessible and most malleable during introspective Mercury Retrograde. As I relaxed into my vacation, I was deeply touched by a few indelible moments and filled at times with awe and gratitude. I spent two days in Epcot, Disney’s “Global Village” (more Sagittarian reflections). I found a beautifully crafted Samurai doll in the Japanese Pavilion that embodies for me the Spiritual Warrior wielding the Sword of Truth. It now sits on my writing desk. I was moved to tears watching Epcot’s evening fireworks display, accompanied by a chorus of “Let there be Peace on Earth”. Even though I’d seen the show numerous times, I suddenly realized that it is a powerful prayer for peace—one that (with full audience participation) has gone out from that place every night for countless years and will continue to do so.
Search for Meaning
I also discovered another one of those books that will change my life –“Power vs. Force”. I have been obsessed by consciousness evolution for years. This particular work demonstrated a connection between kinesiology and levels of consciousness, giving me a new tool to pursue my own research (Sagittarius) on correlations between astrology and the karmic evolution of the soul. “Power vs. Force” resolved another critical personal issue. Last July 16th when Saturn entered Leo, I “officially” declared I was writing my first book. Since then I have been living in the question “Where do I begin?” I kept my options open and had faith that in time the answer would appear. I now know I must begin with the “Big Picture”.
Retrograde Readiness
So, the filter flavors our experience--revelation, reversal, frustration and inspiration--and as always, lessons for the future. Retrogrades are windows into our interior space, personally and collectively. They are special not-to-be-missed opportunities for raising consciousness. Regrettably, the arrival of Mercury Retrograde is generally greeted with moans and groans—it slows us down! May I suggest that the greater regret would be to let its possibilities slip by unnoticed?
Venus will turn retrograde on Christmas Eve 2005, initiating a whole new conversation about relationships, resources and the state of “Peace on Earth”. Good timing! (For more insight on retrograde Venus see my article about last year’s event “For Love & Money”.) Mercury will retrograde again March 2nd--24th 2006 in the emotional water-sign of Pisces. Keep your rose colored glasses handy. Next retrograde episode occurs on the Fourth of July, through the 28th of July, in Leo. Watch the fireworks. The final episode of 2006 arrives October 28th--Nov 17th in Scorpio, when all Hallows breaks loose. Brush up on your astrology. You know the drill.
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