and open to Her Wisdom."
6th Day of the 13th Lunar Cycle
Ruled by Artemis
Lunar Tree Cycle of Ruis/Elder
16th Day of the Celtic Tree
Month of Ruis/Elder
6th Day of the Cycle of Graef -
Days of the Earth Dragon
Moon Phase: waxing Crescent
Moon rises 10:59AM EST
Moon sets: 9:58PM EST
Moon in the Fixed Air Sign
of Aquarius
Blodeuwedd's Cycle of the Moon
Lunar Meditation: Music
of your choice
Sun in Sagittarius
Sunrise: 7:31AM EST
Sunset: 4:53PM EST
Solar Question for the Day: "In which
areas do you need to grow?"
Samhain (Calan Gaeaf) Quarter
of the Year
December 10th, 2010
Freya's Day - Venus Day - the Day of Sharing and Relationship - There are Major magickal energies for Popularity. Use these energies as you wish.
Mercury Retrograde - Mercury does not actually stop in the heavens and go backward - it just appears that way to those on Earth who are observing its motions. This celestial optical illusion occurs whenever Mercury, the nearest planet to the Sun, begins to round the bend in its orbit and swing closer to Earth. Thus, from Earth's position, Mercury appears to be moving backward against the sky. The retrograde phenomenon is not unique to Mercury, but affects all the other known planets in our solar system including Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, Uranus and Pluto. A planet always retrogrades when it is closer to the Earth. This close proximity of a planet's orbit to Earth makes it 'louder' than when it is far away. Thus a retrograde planet is actually more powerful than when it is moving in its normal direct motion.
So why should a person in the twenty-first century believe that an optical illusion in the skies above influences our activities on earth below? No one really knows how astrology 'works'. But the simplest explanation of astrology is that it is the symbolic interpretation of the planetary movements in our solar system. Because Mercury retrograde cycles are shorter and occur more frequently, however, astrologers say their effects are more pronounced than those of other planets. And because astrological tradition gives the planet Mercury 'rulership' over the sphere of life that includes commerce, trade, transportation and communication - activities that affect virtually everyone - its influence is even more enhanced. Like the stick in the spoke of the wheel that throws a cart off course, Mercury's reversal of motion and energy can often mean setbacks, obstructions, misunderstandings and sudden, unexplained 'out of the blue' events.
Yet for all the confusion that surrounds Mercury retrograde, it contains within it a vein of gold - if only we would mine it for its true worth. By working with the slower pace of Mercury retrograde, rather than going against it, we can allow ourselves to step outside the narrow framework of ordinary reality and see our lives from a wider perspective. Most astrologers, for instance, agree that it is a cosmically times period to undertake any activity with the prefix 're': for instance redo, reevaluate, revise, rethink, review, reconsider, reassess, etc. Mercury Retrograde is all about loosening the grip of everyday demands and responsibilities in order to experience life more deeply. It is about finding pleasure in the old, familiar and timeless, rather than the new and untried. This can be a time to let things go and savor things just as they are. Thus, rather than push forward, it is a time to retreat, if possible, and step back from the usual hurried, harried way of doing things (and this season is certainly one of the more hurried, harried times). It is a time to reflect in solitude on what has gone on in the months preceding Mercury retrograde, and to reconnect with one's soul. Following these steps makes it possible to emerge from the period of Mercury retrograde refreshed and renewed in spirit.
[A lot of this information comes from Pythia Peay's book "Mercury Retrograde: Its Myth and Meaning".
Thank you Pythia for writing this book.]
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