Begins: March 5 1:19 PM EST
Superior Conjunction of Sun and Mercury: March 14 9:48 PM EST
End Mercury Retrograde: March 28 9:59 AM EST
Like most calendar years, we have three Mercury retrogrades this year. And in 2019 they each fall in the water signs. Our first is in the mystical sign of Pisces. The second Mercury retrograde begins in fiery Leo and then dips back into the instinctual sign of Cancer in July. Our third and final Mercury retrograde of 2019 occurs at the end of the fall in the sign of transformational Scorpio.
Pisces is a powerful sign this year, due to the fact that it’s modern ruler, Neptune is transiting through it’s home sign of Pisces. While this aspect has been happening since 2011, it’s amplified by the fact that Jupiter’s traditional ruler, Jupiter, is also dignified this year, transiting through the other sign that it has rulership over, Sagittarius. And Neptune and Jupiter are in conversation for most of the year, forming a square. While a square is traditionally a tense aspect in astrology, as Susan Miller says “Jupiter never afflicts”. What this means is that that even in more complicated aspects such as a square, which requires resolution and action, Jupiter tends to bring blessings and positivity rather than challenges when it makes any aspect to another planet.
That is fortunate since Mercury is square to Jupiter for the entire duration of this retrograde. Mercury begins it’s seeming backward movement at 29 degrees, and resumes forward momentum at 16 degrees. Jupiter is currently transiting 22 degrees of Sagittarius. While this may ease some of the tension of this Mercury retrograde, we should not throw caution to the wind entirely.
Pisces is the final sign of the zodiac and as such has come to represent a kind of ‘soup’ of emotions that have been stirred up in all of the previous signs. Before we can begin the fresh start of Aries, we must peaceably conclude the long journey through Pisces. So this Mercury retrograde is an invitation to reflect on what conclusions we have come up with in the past few month, the past few years even, both consciously and unconsciously. It is possible Mercury, Jupiter and Neptune can offer us some new and unexpected insights into things we took for granted or made assumptions about.
During each Mercury retrograde, Mercury unites with the sun during it’s backward motion, in what is known as the ‘superior conjunction’. The superior conjunction is the BEGINNING of the Mercury/Sun relationship for the next 4 months. We can think of it as similar to a solar eclipse or new moon in that it show the energy of the upcoming months as far as significant themes.
The sun and Mercury unite at 24 degrees of Pisces, conjunct Neptune at 16 degrees, and the asteroid of healing Chiron, at 1 degree of Aries. This is a mystical and powerful invitation to use the knowledge (Mercury) that comes to us over the next few months to take the next steps (Aries) on our healing journey (Chiron) by carefully following our intuition (Neptune). These planets are strongly bolstered by positive angles from grounded Saturn, transformational Pluto, and action-oriented Mars.
We can better navigate the sea tide of change that is ahead of us in the upcoming months and years, if we use this opportunity wisely, and take the action steps indicated by our insights now, especially where deep healing, emotions and closures are concerned.
vibrational-astrology.com 