Astro Forecast 8.9.24: This Mercury Retrograde Will Be Helpful. No, Really.
Thanks to some very favorable planetary positioning, this Mercury Retrograde could be just the thing we needed.
What is happening?!
Mercury is in retrograde and all is well! *giggles hysterically, then sobs*
The world continues to barrel toward massive transition in 2024, reflecting an ancient sky that is no stranger to transition itself; because of an astronomical phenomenon called procession, the Earth does a little jig on her wobbly axis that continuously alters the seasonal position of our nightly constellations. The midnight sky at which we all gaze longingly (when we’re not shaking a fist and screaming invectives) bears little resemblance to the sky of 6,000 years ago because it has shifted, adapted, and changed with time. The bizarre friction of the human experience, however, stays right where it is.
This is a moment of relative quiet compared to the July behind us and the August ahead of us - fell winds are blowing from the direction of autumn, astrologically, politically, and socially. The Americans are going to be freaking out until at least February, leaving the rest of the world to whatever mercy it can find between mass starvation, heat waves, and all manner of atrocities, so this is a moment to savor in many ways.
Our solar system’s tiniest, most irritating planet is giving us some salient feedback as they moonwalk around Earth, while simultaneously, the quiet momentum of a waxing Luna wants us to build on a desire seeded by the Leo new moon. We are working with this mercurial eye toward improvement and expecting feedback at the same moment that we feel energized for new projects, new possibilities, and new desires. This indicates a super productive and optimistic weekend, if we want it.
The moon is our closest celestial object, so she has a lot of sway over our practical lives and general outlook. Each lunation, from new moon to new moon, highlights the topics and emotions particular to the sign she is transiting. As we fix some little fuck-ups here and there and improve on past mistakes (thanks, Hermes) this lunar cycle will reach full perfection on 8.19 in Aquarius, which is not a sign that does things humbly or intimately. We have just begun a journey between two houses that will extend into September - the dramatic, self-focused house of Leo and the aloof, humanitarian house of Aquarius.
The house of Aquarius looks like the NASA control room if it were attached to the seed vault in Norway and featured our Milky Way as it’s ceiling - inclined not toward empathetic gestures or individualistic desire, but a math-brained vision for saving humanity. Spock from Star Trek is a denizen of house Aquarius and may as well have coined their motto when he fitfully proclaimed that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few or the one, placing logic above emotion even during tragic events.
We aren’t in that mindset quite yet, but we are moving toward it throughout this lunar cycle as we wrestle with the direction of our lives and the world at large. We maintain a feeling of ‘study week’ for now, knowing there are big events on the horizon that could test our resolve and determine the course of the future, so we’re trying to gain as much knowledge as possible before our final exams.
Why would this affect me?
This need to study, review, and re-calibrate is driven by your favorite hyperactive nerd, Mercury. The planetary voice of Hermes is responsible for messages, speed, commerce, and education, and the ancient Greeks also considered them the father of intense cerebral studies like math and science. (Fun fact: astrologically, Mercury is non-binary and operates separate of the otherwise rigid metaphysical gender framework.) This is why modern astrologers like to screech so much about tragedy befalling our emails, our computers, and our systems of travel when Mercury is in retrograde, which happens about 4 times a year. It’s not quite the epic chaos-fest people make it out to be; yes, you might encounter travel delays, or you might have to recall a weirdly worded email, but don’t we all do that year-round?
A better way to think of Mercury is like any Virgo friend you’ve ever had who makes you second guess your outfit with a well-timed nostril flair, or pulls a face when your cupboards are a mess. Yes, they are judgy. They have feedback. However, they are judging you with an eye toward helpful improvement, not malignant disdain. Mercury, the ruler of that prissy house of Virgo, feels the same way, especially when retrograde occurs and presents the illusion of a still, or backwards moving planet. It’s as though we were biffing things so badly that Mercury had to stop and stare at us to ask, “Do you really want to do that? Is that the best choice of phrase/accessory/cleaning product/toothpaste/hairstyle? Bangs? Really?! Do you want to fix these problems before they get bigger, or nah?”
Look, they’re annoying and they make us feel bad, but our Virgo friends are usually right. Take the feedback the universe gives this week as a gift, one that will prevent more embarrassing fuck-ups down the road.
When do I have to deal with this?
FRI 8.9 - TUES 8.13 - Make Strides in Passion Projects, Courtesy of Venus
Mercury in Virgo Qualities: Fussy, Precise, Determined, Judgemental, Rigid
Moon in Libra Qualities: Charming, Diplomatic, Stylish, Indecisive, Loving
This could be a lovely weekend for art, deep conversation, family, and socializing, because we have the moon in a Venusian sign until Sunday. The following combination makes for a productive, creative artist weekend:
Mercury being a nit-picky task master (how we approach communication and process)
Our moon rolling around in the Libran pleasure of Venus (how we experience our bodies and the day-to-day)
A sun roaring for adoration and attention in the sign of Leo (how we plot our life path, the ways in which we seek recognition)
Use this moment, the planets are saying, to synthesize your creative desires and make them real. Find your mistakes and your structural weaknesses, then fix them. It is also a moment for Venusian connection with loved ones, for nostalgic conversations and optimistic, detailed planning. Make the moves you need to make when it comes to your chosen passion or life goal, because a planetary aspect between Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn will halt progress and increase frustration beginning next week.
Cool, what does the Tarot say about this?
Monday, 8.4 brought us Mercury in retrograde and the Knight of Swords reversed, which is a pretty clear example of being thwarted technologically and intellectually.
8 of Cups reversed and a companion pull of moss agate on Tuesday, 8.5 made the case for emotional indecision - we know what we don’t want in a concrete way, yet we’re having trouble being specific about what we do want. This reminds me of people who get readings and want to pull endless clarifying cards because they are desperate to get the answer they want, instead of the genuine, unsavory answer clearly laid out before them.
On Wednesday, 8.6, The Sun brought big Leo energy to the table. Someone is feeling loud and charismatic, but there is a fine line between boisterousness and boorishness. Arrogance is always a possibility during the season of The Lion, and it can become exceptionally strong for authority figures.
The 3 of Pentacles reversed showcased economic reticence and concern about next steps on Thursday, 8.7. Friction between elements that should have worked harmoniously have made us cautious about finances and security, leading to a sense of isolation. Worry not - sometimes it’s better to go it alone.
The Queen of Cups reversed takes the emotional insecurity from earlier in the week and absolutely runs with it on Friday, 8.9. There are rational arguments to be made, sure, but the discussions being had are not rational. Some parties involved could slide towards obsession and codependency as the situation becomes more pressurized.
Saturday, 8.10 is round two of the Eight of Cups reversed, and what the hell? We seem to be staying in a bad situation due to fear of the unknown, choosing the devil we know over the one we don’t. Our emotional vacillation has not slowed, however, indicating that we will wrestle with this issue for an extended period of time.
On Sunday, 8.11, the moon is in Scorpio and Hexennacht wants us to consider burning something down in order to encourage new growth. We will have to determine how much of our desire is genuine, and how much is a product of dogma or overreaction. A companion pull of turquoise indicates that we should be careful about speech and travel - Mercury is in retrograde, after all.
Visit @alectochaos on IG for the full, wordy breakdown and video of each card pull, and to get the jump on the Mon - Wed card pulls. If you are into that sort of thing.