2008 mercury retro influences

I know this much about retrogrades. The planet appears to slow down. It hits is station and then retrogrades. The speed picks up. The speed slows down again and hits its station again, starts going direct and speeds up to normal speed.

Until, of course, it is time to do it all again. All of this slowing down, stationing, etc., etc., etc. is all apparent because we are watching from Earth's surface. If we were in space, we would only see direct motion.

And your point is . . . ?

Mercury, as a planet, doesn't change physically.

Mercury doesn't change its actual direction or its orbital speed to any degree.

Mercury doesn't change it distance from the Sun or its range of distance from other planets.

So, what really changes. Only the visual, measurable by arc, relationship between itself, the Sun and Earth. Even in this context, Mercury at five degrees ahead of the Sun, or five degrees behind the Sun, can be either direct or retrograde in motion as we see it. At these points, for example, what makes Mercury different in its relationship to the Sun and the Earth?

We can draw a parallel between the Sun and Earth as seen at the Equinox points of the year. Mercury, at these example points, is either moving towards the Sun or away from it, while being ahead of or behind the Sun. It's a "cyclic" relationship that we are looking at.

Trying to understand Mercury in terms of being direct or retrograde is overly limiting. We need to see Mercury in terms of its "cycle" or process of change.
** Ahead of the Sun, increasing relative distance, direct motion.
** Ahead of the Sun, decreasing relative distance, direct motion.
** Ahead of the Sun, decreasing relative distance, appearing stationary.
** Ahead of the Sun, retrograding and decreasing in relative distance.
** Conjunct the Sun, retrograding.
** Behind the Sun, retrograding, increasing relative distance.
** Behind the Sun, increasing relative distance, appearing stationary.
** Behind the Sun, decreasing relative distance, direct motion.
** Conjunct the Sun, direct motion.
** Ahead of the Sun, increasing relative distance -- at the first step above.

As I have indicated in other threads, each of these has subtle meanings relative to the other "phases" of the cycle. Each of us needs to meditate on these changes in the Sun-Earth-Mercury relationship in order to actually understand what we are seeing in our charts. Dave

dadsnook2000 said:

Trying to understand Mercury in terms of being direct or retrograde is overly limiting. We need to see Mercury in terms of its "cycle" or process of change.
** Ahead of the Sun, increasing relative distance, direct motion.
** Ahead of the Sun, decreasing relative distance, direct motion.
** Ahead of the Sun, decreasing relative distance, appearing stationary.
** Ahead of the Sun, retrograding and decreasing in relative distance.
** Conjunct the Sun, retrograding.
** Behind the Sun, retrograding, increasing relative distance.
** Behind the Sun, increasing relative distance, appearing stationary.
** Behind the Sun, decreasing relative distance, direct motion.
** Conjunct the Sun, direct motion.
** Ahead of the Sun, increasing relative distance -- at the first step above.

Dave

Click to expand...

Right now, because the retrograde station has just happened (a couple of days ago) I believe Mercury is "Ahead of the Sun, retrograding and decreasing in relative distance." Is that correct?

Once I have your answer, I'm going back to baby steps. <grin>

Correct.

Now, in addition to understanding the current cyclic relationship between Sun, Earth and Mercury, look at the relationship in your natal chart. That cyclic positioning may be what you are most sensitive to. When will that happen? Where in your natal chart will that happen? Are there any aspects to that Mercury-or-Sun points in your natal chart, or transit aspects to the current Mercury-or-Sun positions?

It is not that the astrologer looks at all of these details when examining a natal chart, but we can gain insights into our chart as these situations come up. It takes a life time to live a chart, it takes a life time to understand a chart. Dave

The moons apogee (furthest point from the earth, astrological called the darkmoon) is in Scoprio, the converse to that point being the perigee alligns the moon with Taurus, and with mercury and the sun in the other fixed sign (aquarius) and Leo feeling left out, well, we seem to be under seige of fixed attitudes unwanting to waver from their path, cool down from center stage, move aside to let the process happen, or let up on the pressure creating a whole new environment.

the moons distance from the planet affects everything from the tides, to our dreams, teh full moon occurs when the man-in-the-moon is totally opposite to the earth, but the distance doesn't have to be at the apogee or the perigee. emotional attitudes, sexual activity, and general moodiness might aling with the perigee, while detachment and professionaltiy might align more with the apogee timeframe, but inbetween (right now in feb 2008 Aquarius and Leo) a whole different set of behaviour patterns might arise, probably in association with family (while the moon is in Leo) and solitude (when aligned in aquarius).

Info just for the beginners...

The information that Paradoxx just shared is easier to understand if you can get ahold of a "here and now" chart to refer to.

Btw, Paradoxx, thank you. This is very interesting about the two sides and what to look for at different times.

...but the distance doesn't have to be at the apogee or the perigee. emotional attitudes, sexual activity, and general moodiness might aling with the perigee, while detachment and professionaltiy might align more with the apogee timeframe, but inbetween (right now in feb 2008 Aquarius and Leo) a whole different set of behaviour patterns might arise, probably in association with family (while the moon is in Leo) and solitude (when aligned in aquarius).

Click to expand...

Paradoxx, is this because Scorpio sets in house 4 & 5 & is the closest (perigee being the closet) to the sun?

Barbara

Ohhhhh, I'm ready for the Rx to be over already! Everything seems to go awry at dr's offices during Rxs (smirk--curse those little caduceuses they both share)

I'm having so many internet/cable/telephone problems the last two days, it's not even funny!!! This Merc rx sucks. Is it over yet? Obviously not.

GA

My Retros are okay...thus far..

I really cannot complaint about Retros, at least the last 2 times they have been okay. The last retro we had brought one friendship back into my life. In good terms. Now this retro, just yesterday a girlfriend i had originally met back in 2005 contacted me outta the blue. Its been 3 years.

After 6 hours of resetting all kinds of network stuff and working back and forth between two computers, I got my wireless to work again. I ROCK.

Mercury rx ain't kickin' my booty, no way!!

GA