The Aquarium Age: April 19 – 25, 2017

Daily life is anything but normal—even Mercury Retrograde, which began on April 10 and persists until May 3, is unfolding with an abnormal rhythm (if such a thing is possible). And because nothing is quite as it should be, lots of people are coping with unusual circumstances, situations that require unique rather than standard solutions. The good news is that by the weekend, Mercury Retrograde aligns with Saturn as well as Uranus, providing the necessary brain power to handle the constant curve balls that have become regular routines. So put on your thinking caps, attach the ET antennae, and allow this week and next to illuminate the strange underpinnings of our brave new world.

The trials and tribulations of Mercury Retrograde are well known to man. I’ve dubbed it a new urban sky myth—and I’m not defining ‘myth’ as a lie or something untrue. Myths are narratives that convey valuable information if they are understood from a non-literal perspective. During its retrograde, Mercury does not actually move backward through the sky; it only appears to do so relative to Earth’s orbit around the Sun. Yet many astrological observers have catalogued correspondences with events on Earth when that illusion of moving behind occurs. When I first learned astrology, Mercury Retrograde was all about contracts needing constant changes, mail deliveries being delayed and detours crippling major traffic arteries. Mercury represents all things related to communication and travel and it was easy to witness whether those astrological claims were true. And they were. But now that we are utterly reliant on electronic communication systems of every ilk, from email to text messages to voice mail to Dropbox to GPS, to name but a few, it’s easier to witness the effects of a Mercury Retrograde phase, which is why even non-believers will throw up their hands and say, “It must be Mercury Retrograde”… even when it’s not!

The current Mercury Retrograde adds fuel to the ever-expanding snafus we blame on a retrograde. This is primarily because Mercury makes contact with other planets as it retraces its path. First, Mercury conjuncts the Sun as Mercury moves ‘backwards’ from Taurus to Aries, and the Sun moves forward (as it always does) from Aries to Taurus. Sun/Mercury conjunctions are known for a lack of objectivity. So notice where you or someone else is obviously ignoring the facts in favor of sticking to their own opinion.

Next, from now until May 18 (well after Mercury Direct on May 3), Mercury stays in a close conjunction to Uranus, and both Mercury and Uranus trine Saturn—talk about a powerful constellation of astral energy! A Mercury/Uranus conjunction is the astral equivalent of the universal symbol for invention—the light bulb—so don’t be surprised if you experience the need to invent and innovate. Uranus signifies lightning bolts of insight that illuminate the landscape with new ways of seeing things. This is why you can expect to find unusual solutions to unusual and perhaps persistent problems. Both Mercury and Uranus are related to the nervous system, which means many are like to experience increased restlessness. For some, that increase could look like extra energy to spend on creative projects. For others, it might manifest as an inability to sit still. Try not to be too hard on children during this time, as they tend to uninhibitedly channel these sorts of currents.

Fortunately, Saturn provides a grounding rod for both Mercury and Uranus, enabling mere mortals to channel the unbridled power of Mercury/Uranus into specific areas or projects in need of extra attention and reorganization. Remember, this is Mercury Retrograde combined with Saturn Retrograde, and as they double down on the details, Uranus is likely to be slightly less squirrelly under Saturn’s demanding eye.

Pluto begins its retrograde phase tomorrow, April 20 and that phase lasts until September 28. Mercury, Jupiter, Saturn, and Pluto are reviewing recent history—and that’s a good thing, if only because we get a chance to review all that’s been put in motion since the beginning of this year. And it’s a lot to reflect on.

Even though it sounds unlikely or improbable to accomplish, use the next couple of weeks to rest. Sometimes Mercury Retrograde is the astral antidote to the need to be busy all the time. Certainly, Mercury Retrograde keeps it real, but when life moves at the speed of light, which is what computers have enabled us to experience, the deluge of data can become overwhelming. Not only is there a tendency to miss important bits of information. It’s also possible to suffer from information fatigue—too much to know all at once can lead to a peculiar type of mental lethargy. It’s not that you don’t want to know. There’s just no room for the brain to process and integrate the new information. So be kind to yourself during this phase. And as always, please be kind to others.