February 14th ~ 21st
Pentamerone by Warwick Goble (1911)
Try and be a sheet of paper with nothing on it.
Be a spot of ground where nothing is growing,
where something might be planted,
a seed, possibly, from the Absolute.
~ Rumi
Mercury slows for its retrograde station on February 16th, at almost 13º of Pisces, the same day that Mars enters Capricorn, and just days before the Sun enters Pisces and Jupiter perfects its sextile with Neptune. Pisces, Pisces, and then more Pisces envelops us while Mars joins the Capricorn stellium. Deep and mysterious, the very depths of Pisces knows no bounds, and Mercury guides us down into the diluvian depths as far as we may dare. There is nothing to fear from doing so, for all those Capricorn planets? They will still keep us firmly grounded, even though we are sailing away from the familiarity of the shore.
Mercury in Pisces can feel rather like you are losing your mind in distraction. This is mostly because what is going on inside your mind is so vastly more interesting than the outside world. For the 2nd year in a row, we get to ride these water sign Mercury retrograde waves off into the abyss. These interludes offer opportunities to escape into our imaginations and to step off into the silent void, in order to connect with ourselves. That place where there are no words, where we connect most deeply, when we are in profound states of meditation, deep dream, or sleep.
There are no words that can suffice when Mercury is retrograde in Pisces. And yet this is when we understand most the nuance and symbolism of language and words. As well as the power of words, and the meaning of listening well. When Mercury is retrograde in Pisces we are being asked to make our words meaningful, to speak from the heart, with compassion and kindness. Pisces knows that words are sacred, powerful and should be used sparely. We are learning the art of cultivating our intuitions, hearing our dreams, being sensitive to our environment and investing meaning in our words. And that is all taking place within.
In the outer world, we are getting lost, missing our station, mismanaging our time, not getting what you want done, confounded by lost luggage, delayed messages, and generalized confusion. It can also feel like we are all speaking different languages. The words sort of make sense on some level, and you think you can grasp the meaning on some subliminal level, but something gets lost in translation. It could even feel like there is some alternate universe that people are living in where reason and sense simply do not exist. This is one of many reasons why it is not suggested to make agreements, or sign on the dotted line during these Mercury retrograde periods. Or at least not until Mercury is direct again after March 10th.
Nonetheless, for all the commotion that may be going on in the outer world, these periods offer this tremendous opportunity to connect with ourselves, our own subconscious minds, if we were but able to take the time to do so. Mercury in Pisces speaks in poetry, music, metaphors and symbols. It is deeply subjective. Our imagination and feelings color our perceptions, so what we may be fearing, what we may be wanting, may or may not be the way things actually are. However, if we allow ourselves some time out, some silence, some mental retreat, paradoxically this down time ultimately will allow us to be more alert, manage our time better, get things done and be able to make sense of the insensible later on.
Because of the nature of Mercury, in some ways it is like having too much unbridled Mercury when it is retrograde. The usual inconveniences occur in the outer world as mentioned, but also things like anxiety and worry can also increase. These usually subside by the inferior conjunction (on February 26th).
Just like sleep and dreaming are necessary for our mental well-being, these periodic retrograde periods of Mercury allow us to withdraw, assimilate and make sense of all that we have been learning, experiencing and sensing. The rewards that Mercury retrograde in Pisces brings are internal. It’s our inner worlds that need tending to over the next several weeks:
Pay attention to your dreams. Keep a dream journal, or a pad by your bed.
Listen to your intuition. It is trying to tell you something, but don’t necessarily act on it. Just listen.
Dream, invent, imagine and create. With sextiles to Uranus and Venus during this period we will never be so connected to that vast pool of inspiration and creative imagination as we will be now.
Go on retreat, or take time for mini retreats in the privacy of your home. This is a time of profound introspection and meditation.
Review, remember, reminisce, let yourself get lost in order to find yourself again.
Take down the Tarot cards and dust off the pendulum. This is a powerful time for divination, and to connect with your subconscious.
Listen for the whispers in the sound of silence. Welcome insight and revelation.
For next week’s horoscopes, click below: