Astroweather -- Mercury Retrograde

Mercury Retrograde December 10-29, 2010
Mercury begins its final retrograde pattern of the year on Friday, December 10, 2010 in the last fire sign, Sagittarius. As I have mentioned in previous posts, Mercury has been transiting Sagittarius with some intense planetary players, Rahu, Pluto and Mars. During the past week it made its first conjunction with all three. Tomorrow it slows down and stations at 11 degrees Sagittarius. It will remain at 11 degrees for three days before it begins its seemingly backward motion returns it towards these malefic energetic forces. On December 13, 2010 it will reconnect with Pluto and Mars, both of which will be exactly conjoined at 10 degrees, and on December 15, 2010 it will conjunct Rahu at 9 degrees. These conjunctions of a retrograde Mercury with strong malefics in the dreadful nakshatra of Mula may signal an upcoming explosive global event, or at the very least bring up fiery emotions from deep inside our own psychological core.

When looking back over the 2010 Mercury retrograde cycle occurring in the element of fire, it is unsettling to see how cataclysmic events were ignited during each retrograde period. The new year began under the influence of Mercury retrograde in the nakshatra of Mula, ruled by the goddess of destruction, Nritti. The fire element Mercury retrograde cycle started on December 26, 2009 when Mercury stationed at 11 degrees of Sagittarius, the same degree as the upcoming station, and ran through January 15, 2010. Three days before Mercury went direct, a cataclysmic 7.0 earthquake hit the island of Haiti on January 12, 2010. The initial devastation was immense, and its after effects are still being felt today with epidemic levels of cholera and insane number of homeless families. An estimated three million people were affected by the quake. The Haitian government reported that an estimated 230,000 people had died, 300,000 had been injured and 1,000,000 made homeless.

During the second retrograde period of April 17 - May 11, 2010, the largest man-made environmental disaster occurred in the Gulf of Mexico. On April 20, 2010 a fire broke out on The Deepsea Horizon Oil Rig and triggered an explosion that lead to the largest oil spill in the history of the petroleum industry. It took four months to cap the gushing wellhead after it had released an estimated 185 million gallons of crude oil. The BP Oil Spill continues to cause extensive damage to marine and wildlife habitats as well as the Gulf's fishing and tourism industries. There is an estimated 80-Square Mile Gulf Oil Spill Zone near BP well.


And during third retrograde period of August 20 - September 12, 2010 another explosion related to a declining infrastructure of gas lines made the headlines. On September 9, 2010 an explosion in a natural gas line ripped through a San Bruno neighborhood sending up a geyser of fire that killed at least one person and injured more than 20 others, and igniting a blaze that destroyed 53 homes and damaged 120 more.

So what may we expect during this retrograde period, with Mercury aligned with even more intense malefics? What these three previous events have in common is a fire element igniting a sudden explosion that moves the earth and releases disease, poison, and toxins. While other astrological conditions, such as a solar eclipse in January or debilitated Mars throughout the spring, set the stage for each disaster, Mercury retrograding in fire signs seems to be the lit match that ignited the drama.

The next and last fire retrograde cycle begins with Mercury returning to the same 11 degrees of Sagittarius station in the nakshatra Mula. The uprooting nature of Mula is echoed in its symbol of tied roots, and deity Nritti, whose name means calamity. Its power to ruin, destroy and break things apart, barhana shakti, is intended to clear way old structures that keep us from the realizing the divine and living in harmony with all of creation. For example, the BP Oil Spill revealed how extensive off-shore drilling had become, and how dangerous this type of practice is to our planet -- in spite of BP's campaign to distort the truth.

Unfortunately with Pluto's involvement in this current retrograde cycle, we may see an incident involving the most toxic material known to mankind, radioactive fallout from a nuclear accident or explosion. Other astrologers such as Joni Patri have also pointed out that during this retrograde cycle Mars will exactly conjunct Rahu at the exact degree Mars conjoined Ketu on September 11, 2001. This degree is extraordinarily sensitive because it is the degree of the ascendant of a USA birth chart that many astrologers use. Also on the day of September 11, 2001 Mars passed over the degree of the previous eclipse that year. Mars will cross over the eclipse degree again on New Year’s Day 2011 indicating a major event, soon after the next solar eclipse will occur January 4, 2011.

While I do not doubt that this intense line up of transformative planets may trigger a global catastrophe, my dreams and meditations suggest that there is also opportunity to raise consciousness and world vibratory levels. As these planets are receiving light directly from the galactic core, I feel and sense that we are undergoing one of the most enlightening evolutionary energetic downloads of recent years.



Mercury is the messenger of the Gods and may function on multiple levels of consciousness. In his lower function he organizes and articulates material resources and informs the intellectual mind; on a higher level he brings his discrimination to the abstract mind ruled by Jupiter and connects us with the divine word, or truth. When Mercury is in the sign ruled by Jupiter, and a nakshatra ruled by Ketu, abstract thought is more accessible. As the planet stations and reverses direction, it becomes more connected to these higher realms, while its lower mundane functions suffer and lose focus.


While there may be obstruction of communication, travel, and business during this Mercury retrograde period, there will also be opportunity to experience expanded consciousness. Observe and record your dreams, as your subconscious may go on a very deep journey. Let Mercury's rendevous with Pluto loosen all those negative thought patterns that keep you and our world locked in samscara. And then be energized when Mercury meets Mars giving us the will and drive to clear the debris away, so that divine truth may be revealed.


Namaste!

UPDATE:
WikiLeaks: Burma Nuclear Sites Being Secretly Built
London burning and Charles and Camilla attacked after tuition hikes
Rome burning after election results
US Military angers Iran by calling Persian Gulf Arabian Gulf
Rioting in Greece