Surprising Solutions
I’ve been struggling with technical problems for weeks, and the harder I resist them, the more intractable they prove to be. Which seems reasonable, astrologically; Mercury in Leo recently made a series of fractious square aspects to Uranus (July 21, Aug. 18, Sep. 6), bringing together the lords of communication and technology in a series of clashes, miscommunications, and blockages – with this Leo trapped in their crosshairs.
And so I’m pinning my hopes on this week’s Mercury-Uranus trine (Sep. 24, 2024, 10:27 am PDT), when the two kiss, make up, and (hopefully) deliver dazzling breakthroughs of innovation and brilliance. Mercury is much more flexible and adaptable in Virgo than it was in Leo, a sign that is, to put it mildly, set in its ways. And flexibility and adaptability are not only better suited to cooperating with unpredictable Uranus, but to bringing surprising solutions as well.
Belonging
The Cancer Last Quarter Moon (Sep. 24, 2024, 11:50 am PDT, 2º12’ Cancer) is on the Sabian symbol 3 Cancer, A man all bundled up in fur leading a shaggy deer, and the Sabian symbol for the Sun is 3 Libra, The dawn of a new day, everything changed. At the Cancer Last Quarter Moon, we look back at how we arrived at this new day, shaggy deer in tow.
Cancer is a nostalgic sign, and it’s a sign about belonging – to a family, a community, a tribe. Do you have that sense of connection in your life right now? Does it feel important for you to find more of it? What do family and community mean in your life? Are there maybe family members who need more help or guidance from you right now, and how is that impacting other areas of your life, your partnerships, your work?
This Last Quarter Moon concludes a project that began at the Virgo New Moon on September 2, or at least the initial phase of that work, which was something about the purification of our objectives, about being healthier and having a life that’s simpler and more useful. And apart from the emotional benefits of belonging, studies show that having a strong social network is one of the best predictors of aging robustly. Of course, we don’t achieve all of this in a single 28-day period. This work will continue. But at this Last Quarter, it’s time to at least examine the role family and other social connections play in that vision of a healthier, simpler, and more useful life.
The Poppy Field
As I sat down to write this weekly offering, I discovered that in last week’s column I had accidentally swapped Mercury’s opposition to Neptune (which actually happens this week) for last week’s Sun-Neptune opposition.
If that isn’t a perfect example of Mercury’s opposition to Neptune (Sep. 25, 2024, 4:04 am PDT), I don’t know what is. Mercury, especially in Virgo, prides itself on attending to facts and details. But when sharp, rational Mercury comes face to face with Neptune (or even when an astrologer tries to write about it), the effect is rather like Dorothy and her friends walking through the field of poppies on the way to Oz, and succumbing to their narcotic effect.
In other words, this isn’t the best influence for balancing your checkbook or trying to get to appointments on time. Conditions are cloudy. Details are obscured. And Mercury is apt to fall asleep in the poppy field.
Redefined
As Mercury trines Pluto (Sep. 25, 2024, 9:14 pm PDT), a portal opens for redefining ourselves. It’s like a young person who goes away to college and recognizes the opportunity to adopt a new nickname (or drop an odious one), and replace their “slacker” label for a spot on the Dean’s list.
Names and titles matter. They are Mercury’s way of telling the world what to think of us.
Mercury in aspect to Pluto calls attention to the power of names, words, and definitions to influence how we’re perceived. Usually, that begins with how we think of and talk about ourselves. This week, take notice if you find yourself using self-deprecating jokes or putting yourself down. Note how often you apologize reflexively, when no apology is required, apologizing for simply existing. When Mercury connects with Pluto, it’s time to take control over our labels, names, and stories. They matter. So do we.
Refinement
Mercury enters Libra this week (Sep. 26, 2024, 1:09 am PDT, through Oct. 13). Mercury in the preceding sign, Virgo, analyzed the information at hand and sharpened critical thinking skills. In Libra, Mercury likes to use those skills to engage others in debate, bargaining, haggling, and mediation. We’ll have until Mercury enters Scorpio on Oct. 13 to refine our negotiation tactics.
Libra is a sign associated with good manners, but those with this placement whom I’ve known well actually love a good argument. They’re scrupulously fair, though, and when you’ve won the point, they concede without hesitation. What’s important is that the debate be fair and the opponents equally matched, and that the truth and value of what’s under discussion be fully revealed.
While Mercury is in Libra, be prepared to take your ideas to the marketplace and engage in a spirited debate about them. You’ll soon find out whether they hold water.
Feeding the Chickens
The Sun and Mercury are working as a group this week, and on Sep. 29, they tag-team the Moon’s North Node with a pair of oppositions (at 12:25 am and 5:19 pm PDT, respectively). The Sun and Mercury at 6º38′ Libra are on a Sabian symbol that’s about feeding and protecting those who depend upon us: 7 Libra, A woman feeding chickens and protecting them from hawks. It’s a herald of the upcoming Libra Solar Eclipse (Oct. 2), which is close to this degree and square Mars in Cancer. Who needs our protection – and do they really need it, or are we using them as a way of avoiding other commitments?
This combination in Libra encourages us to let go of old narratives about our relationships – about who is the good guy and who is the bad guy. The North Node is on symbol 7 Aries, A man successfully expressing himself in two realms at once. Why does there even have to be a bad guy or a good guy at all? With the North Node in Aries, the ideal is to bring all the pieces of ourselves into one complete person, independent and whole, the good, the bad, all of it.
The Strategy
Like all of us, I have some planetary aspects in my chart that I don’t love, and some that I do. The trine between Mars and Saturn in my chart definitely falls into the latter category. I’m not the best or brightest at everything I do, but I know how to formulate a strategy and will stop at nothing to see it through.
As Mars trines Saturn (Sep. 29, 2024, 9:06 pm PDT) in the soulful signs of Cancer and Pisces, it’s a combination of perseverance, raw intuition, and imagination that will somehow get us to our goal. Mars is on the Sabian symbol 15 Cancer: A group of people who have overeaten and enjoyed it. But luckily, that hungry group are constrained by Saturn on 15 Pisces: An officer preparing to drill his men. When Mars threatens to overdo it, Saturn steps in to keep us in line.
Writing and images © 2017-24 by April Elliott Kent
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