The planet Mercury turns Retrograde from August 30th to September 22nd. As the planet of communication, Mercury retrograde tends to breed a certain level of confusion. Decision-making is challenged during Mercury retrograde. Needless to say, it is not advised to sign contracts, engage in important decision-making, or launch a new business. We all know the drill.
April 28 to May 22, 2016
Oh, Mercury retrograde, here you are again arriving on our collective thresholds in all your chaotic glory. During your stay you are going to ask us (whether we like it or not) to re-evaluate, re-tool and re-vamp our lives (whether we like it or not). Then, as quickly as you appear, you disappear again, leaving us reeling, but with better insight into ourselves. The key to surviving this period is really rather simple - go with it. Mercury is giving you a do-over, a take two, a mulligan. Take advantage - don’t squander the opportunity.
While Mercury is backpedaling in earthy Taurus, we'll all have a sobering opportunity to revise our plans about the material side of life. Perhaps your budget needs an overhaul. Or, it's possible that you need to reconsider how you're using your talents in order to earn money. Whatever the details, you have an opportunity to re-calibrate your approach to finances and strengthen your mental self-worth muscles in the process.You may be persuaded to let go of things and possessions you've been holding and hoarding. Perhaps you can recycle by donating your old possessions. Mercury retrograde in Taurus brings stubborn blockages connected with new ideas, powers of concentration and putting ideas into a practical format. Access to the most direct route to your goals is likely to be blocked by breakdowns in communication and unwillingness to compromise. All areas of communication are affected. Methods and motivation for learning, communication and transportation are subject to difficulties under this aspect.
So along with the customary Do’s and Don’ts of backing up your data, not signing any contracts (unless it was started pre-retrograde) and double-checking your appointments, here are 5 tips to help you cope during this time.
On April 19th, the Sun began its month-long trek through Taurus the Bull, the zodiac sign assigned to the Hierophant of the tarot. The sign Taurus belongs to the element earth and is ruled by the planet Venus. In Aries, the Sun is bold, confident, direct, quick-thinking, quick-acting and quick-tempered. In Taurus, the Sun slows down, steps back, makes considerations, and assesses risk vs. gain with the timing involved. Taurus as a fixed (stable) sign enables the new seeds we planted in Aries to take root and blossom.While Taurus may have a reputation as stubborn, the Bull also is placid and steady and we will welcome this new energy after the nonstop activity of Sun in Aries.
The Hierophant card, numbered five, depicts a priestly figure seated between two pillars. He holds a scepter and wears a triple crown. Beneath his feet lies a set of keys, symbolizing his access to secret knowledge. On either side of the keys, two acolytes knell. They are alternatively clad in dark and light vestments reminiscent of the dark and light pillars on the High Priestess card. The Hierophant symbolizes the organized and ritualized approach to spiritual truth. Taurus is associated with the Hierophant tarot card, deriving from the Greek “hieros” meaning “sacred,” and “phainein” meaning “to reveal”. This is the title of the high priest of the Eleusinian cult, who worshipped the Goddess Demeter and her daughter Persephone. The Hierophant (male High Priest) along with the High Priestess, led the ceremonies that annually commemorated the descent of Persephone into the underworld of Hades and her resurrection to new life. Only the Hierophant was allowed to touch the “hiera” or sacred objects of the Goddess. Demeter’s gift to mankind was the knowledge of tilling the earth and cultivating grain. In the mystery religion of Eleusis, the vegetation cycle of the death and burial of grain in the ground and its rebirth in the spring became symbolic of the spiritual life of man.
Tarot Meditations While the Sun Is in Taurus
This period when the Sun transits through Taurus is an excellent time to meditate on the Hierophant card. Do you need spiritual guidance from a wise counselor? Are you being as fruitful as you can with the gifts nature has given you? Where are you in the cycle of planting your seeds and tending your garden? In what part of your life do you need to “die” in order to be reborn?
To prepare for mediation, sit or lie in a comfortable place and allow your body to be free of tension and distractions. Pay attention to your breathing. Feel your breath go in and out as you inhale and exhale. If distracting thoughts enter your mind, simply observe them and allow them to float by as you gently return your attention to your breathing. When you have established a steady, comfortable rhythm of breathing rhythmically in and out, turn your focus to the tarot card you have selected for meditation. Observe the card and contemplate its images. Let your mind be open to the messages you receive from it. When you have completed your meditation, you may wish to record your observations in a notebook for review later on.
Sun in Capricorn December 21, 2015 to January 21, 2016
Winter arrives in the northern hemisphere when the Sun moves into cool Capricorn on December 21st, marking the longest night of the year and a time to celebrate the return of the light. This is the time of year we look for new hope at a time of darkness, which sets a serious tone. Astrologically, the Winter Solstice marks the moment the Sun, the ruler of the zodiac, moves from adventurous Fire sign Sagittarius to the steady Earth sign of Capricorn. This is the dark night of the year, a day when the Sun appears to stand still. It's a time for light and laughter, but also deep reflection. The Sun's move into steady Capricorn urges us to take some time to look back on 2015 before we make our plans for the coming year. What did we do right? What do we wish we'd done differently? Don't fight the seriousness it brings to the festive holiday season; use it to start 2016 on the right foot.
Most of us will be working hard to move forward toward something better now, just as the Capricorn symbol of the Mountain Goat forever climbs upward toward the mountain top We are reminded that each of us have a purpose in life. There are goals we work toward. The Sun in Capricorn picks up where the Sun in Sagittarius left off. The Sun is a visionary in Sagittarius. In Capricorn, the Sun takes what's been envisioned and finds a way to make it happen, to make the commitment, devise the plan, do the work, etc. Capricorn energy brings the need for solid, stable plans and structures. During the next few weeks you create your foundation for the year ahead.
Here are a few suggestions to get you started:
