Cosmic News Astrology Newsletter

Cosmic News November 9, 2012

Awareness & Surrender

As the cosmic energies reach dynamic heights this month due to Mercury's retrograde, Neptune's station direct and the total solar eclipse on November 13, it’s helpful to cultivate a "big-picture" perspective as we navigate through life's happenings. The big picture? Life is a process of atoms flowing through time and space. We inhabit a planet floating in empty space, spinning in a galaxy that exists in a universe that goes on forever. Things happen all the time that are absolutely outside our control. That’s just a fact of human existence and one we must allow for. This month we are cultivating the talent to ride the waves and not resist the natural ebbing inherent to the journey. This month's planetary configurations are supporting us in gaining increased skill at choosing consciously how to respond to whatever life puts before us. With awareness, we are poised to make the best out of whatever shows up and better yet, to cultivate the awe to be found in the journey of life expressing itself in so many diverse, unique and often surprising ways.

We are deepening the integration of our spiritual self with our human self. As human beings, we are not immune to normal human responses to human experiences. We may feel we should be "above" those darker emotions once we take the spiritual journey but it doesn't work that way. Part of the experience of being human is having challenging emotions. As a spiritual being we just remember that when we do, we admit that to ourselves and allow our divine self to guide us in managing them. The problem is not that we have negative emotions--the problem is that most of us have been conditioned to repress or deny that we do or to feel bad about ourselves because we do. We are learning how to accept all facets of our humanness, including all the darker traits that emerge, and learning that when we admit to feeling what we are feeling that spirit will guide us to new responses to those shadow facets of human nature. Our job this month is to consciously establish a partnership with our spirit, our Divine Self and to ask for help in managing fear, shame, guilt, anger, worries, anger and all facets of our human experience.

At the total solar eclipse at 21 degrees of Scorpio on Tuesday, Mercury and Neptune are in 90 degree angle to one another and activating the May 20 solar eclipse in Gemini that initiated the process of laying new neural pathway in our human brain--pathways that support the integration of our divine and human self.  The major theme this month? We must go beyond the universe the ego has created. Neptune symbolizes the process of our re-membering that we are both divine beings as well as human beings. In perfect cosmic timing, Mercury's retrograde cycle supports this same process--it is designed to open the lines of communication between our conscious and unconscious or in other words, our spiritual being and our human being. In essence, what all this equates to in practice is that we'll find it impossible (agonizing!) to ignore the voice of our spirit or Divine Self.

Neptune's influence, symbolizing "oneness consciousness," is often experienced by the ego as disorientation, confusion, spaciness, free-floating anxiety and mental, physical and/or emotional fatigue. So, if you've been experiencing any of those symptoms, it's just your spirit trying to get your ego to let go of the reins.  Neptune's influence is ego-transcending and it weakens the barrier the ego puts up to spirit. Neptune also symbolizes that part of us that refuses to accept the limitations of the formed world because deep inside each and every one of us is the knowing that it was only in our forgetting of our Divinity that we created the illusion of separation and all the horrors and insanity that are an outgrowth of that. Neptune's influence reminds us of our unity and oneness and it speaks to us through dreams and extrasensory and meditative experiences. Under Neptune's influence we are encouraged to relieve ourselves of narrow self-interests and to trust our sixth sense (intuition) more than we trust the five physical senses.

I feel it very important here to state again that something in each and every one of us understands this evolutionary impetus perfectly. And that something in us has been patiently slipping through the cracks in the ego's armor for quite some time now. That something in us is our eternal self, and it's eager to drop all the ego's pretenses, judgments, worries, fears, and self-importance. We are primed for metamorphosis but like the caterpillar before it is transformed into the butterfly, we can feel like "mush"--no solid ground beneath our feet, no certainties about what tomorrow might bring. Indeed, the unknown is certainly terrifying to the ego! The good news is that we are all going through this together. We can support each other. Additionally, having an awareness and understanding of the energetic processes taking place this month will also make it a lot less scary.

The Mercury Retrograde Process
Mercury symbolizes our mind's logical and linear functions. It's function is to perceive, think, reason and process information that we receive through our five physical senses. And when Mercury is direct in motion, mind is oriented to orbit the ego. Not true when Mercury slips into reverse. Mercury's retrograde cycle is oriented toward the integration of the conscious and unconscious mind. That's why when Mercury is retrograde every four months, a mental time-out is demanded. These mental "time-outs" provided by Mercury's retrograde are as necessary to our sanity and wellbeing as sleep is to waking. When Mercury is retrograde our Higher Self or Divine Self has important information for us and we want to ensure we are open to receiving that information. And that's really the purpose of Mercury's retrograde cycle in general--to support us in opening the lines of communication between our conscious and unconscious or in other words, our spiritual self and our human self.

The entire retrograde cycle involves a transitional process and ever more so when Mercury's retrograde cycle involves the regenerating and transformational sign Scorpio, as it does this cycle. Additionally, when Mercury's retrograde involves a water sign, the mind is diving into deep emotional waters and identifying habits and patterns that interfere with a high quality life experience. To emphasize the significance of this current Mercury retrograde process, it will activate three different solar eclipse degrees: The solar eclipse last Thanksgiving at 2 degrees Sagittarius, the May 20 solar eclipse at 0 degrees Gemini and the total solar eclipse occurring next Tuesday (November 13) at 21 degrees of Scorpio. The exact degree of a solar eclipse remains a sensitized point for at least a year and often even longer. That means that every time the eclipse degrees are transited by one of the cosmic bodies, it's reactivated. The eclipse itself puts a spotlight on the house in your birth chart where it falls--that's the arena of life that needs attention--you need a breath of fresh air there, it needs to grow in order for you to remain true to yourself. Mercury's current retrograde corresponds to the same degrees of the zodiac occupied by these solar eclipses, so it will be further spotlighting the house involved. Therefore it's very important to identify this house in your birth chart!

On October 18, Mercury entered its pre-retrograde shadow (that is, it entered the degree of the zodiac where it will make its station direct.) At that time, you were put on notice to begin to curtail direct action and just allow things to unfold of their own accord. During the three weeks leading up to Mercury's station retrograde on November 6, your inner guide was already encouraging you to be more the witness and observer of life's happenings and to put a halt to the ego's planning. This is the time period for you to be a neutral observer, just witnessing and allowing things to unfold as they do on their own. You began receiving signs (intuitive insights) that intended to bring to your awareness the inner conditions that require reflection while Mercury is retrograde. These conditions will be related to the houses in your birth chart that Mercury:

inhabits during its retrograde cycle (the house where 18 Scorpio to 4 Sagittarius is located)
the houses Mercury rules (Gemini & Virgo houses) and
the connections Mercury will make to the other planets and their house locations.

November 6-15
At Mercury's station retrograde on November 6, it existed as a motionless ball of energy from the perspective of earth. To the more sensitive among us this is a time of feeling the most disoriented, discombobulated and even anxious. In general, feelings of uncertainty are heightened as the unconscious (Spirit) is given greater range of participation in our mind's processing. Fundamentally, the mind has embarked on a journey which has no specific direction or destination. Mind is turned inward and immersed in abstract processes. The most important thing you do at this time is to remain flexible and be willing to let go, because this is the time when the "gifts" from the unconscious can come in any form and are often beyond the ego's ability to grasp. In other words, this is how Mercury earned its reputation as the trickster, sometimes the rug has to be pulled out from under our feet in order to get our attention! So whatever is happening in your life, your job during this time is to avoid "reacting" and just trust the process while remaining open to the guidance of spirit.

We have a tendency to ignore the signals or to blame any challenges we are experiencing on others during this time. Yet, in releasing your need to be right or to feel in control or to have immediate answers or solutions, you are also releasing a creative surge of spiritual power and allowing the horizons of possibility to expand. Meditation is profoundly supportive during the Mercury retrograde process. This is a major time for reflection. It's important to identify the issues that are directly related to this Mercury retrograde period and to remember that it's an intuitive process instead of a logical, linear one. Messages will surface in the form of symbols, images, dreams and heightened intuition. Make a conscious and concerted effort to engage in reflection and review during this time. A "loosening" is taking place to disengage you from what has been in order to prepare you for what will be. You must trust the process--a challenge (but one you are up for!) because what "is to be" remains unclear, unknown, and uncertain.

November 16-17
New seeds are being planted at this time. As is true at the new moon each month, when the moon is not visible but is paradoxically full of potential, this is also true of our mind during this part of the Mercury retrograde cycle. Make sure you give yourself time for rest and relaxation and meditation. Get out in nature or soak in the bathtub. This is the time of deepest let go to make room for the new. A fertilization is taking place which will be gestating throughout the remainder of Mercury's retrograde cycle and which often sprouts as some sort of new beginning relevant to the Mercury retrograde significators as Mercury surfaces from its retrograde shadow (December 14).

November 18-26
This is a time period for acquiring information as well as gaining new perspectives on existing conditions. There's a lot of creative energy at work under the surface of things--it's not visible yet. You might start to feel impatient at this stage but it won't do any good to try to push things along. The best stance is to be open and experimental but cautious. You might feel impatient to start something new or sign contracts or make a major purchase but it's best not to act on these impulses until Mercury is direct in motion again (the evening of November 26). This is the time for gathering new information, testing new territory and exploring new alternatives. You are cultivating new potential and opportunities without committing to anything yet. It remains important to avoid making major decisions. The unconscious is acquiring what is necessary to give form to concrete manifestations, something it will do when Mercury is direct in motion again. Things are developing intuitively now and your awareness is ripening but trust and letting go continue to be very significant to the process.

November 27-28
Mercury is now direct in motion again but virtually moving at a snails pace. You are now at a threshold. If you've been cultivating the energies of the cycle, you have engaged the "re" activities and incorporated new possibilities into your psyche and are therefore prepared to be led by your gut instincts. Be astute and attentive to signs and signals. Trust you instincts.

November 29-December 14
You are ready to test the waters--to experiment and venture where you've not ventured before. Continue to be astute to the signs and signals and trust that genius is guiding you! You'll know what you need to do when it needs to be done. As Mercury surfaces from its retrograde shadow on December 14, the fruits of the introspective period will begin to manifest. Then you are fully prepared to seize all possible circumstances for growth and expansion. By mid January the result of decisions and actions you take now will be reaching their culmination.

Awareness and Surrender
In Summary, this month we are working with the principles of awareness and surrender. Awareness is without judgment or strong emotional charge. It is your ability to recognize and cultivate the guidance of your spirit. Surrender is the ability to achieve mental and emotional release by acknowledging the power of your spirit to guide you. These two principles work hand in hand this month as your ego releases its control and enters into a participatory relationship with spirit. Be willing to surrender those facets of your life that you don't know how to fix. Spirit will do the fixing. Be willing to become more aware of yourself and the impact you have on the world around you without self-degradation. Love yourself exactly as you are. The Course in Miracles reminds us that "there is no guilt in the learner!" Honor yourself as the unique expression of the Creator that you are. Admit what you feel--at least to yourself. Ask for what you want, even if you don't see a way to acquire it. Share you insights with others by saying it in a manner that you would want to hear it.

Something secret or hidden is being revealed to you this month. Think of it as as a treasure hunt! Life is calling you to show what you are made of and asking you to demonstrate what you stand for. In partnership with spirit, you can trust yourself to know that you will make the right choices. You will trust that the universe will provide you with every single thing you require in order to accomplish what you set out to do. You will have the certainty that what is yours will come to you in the right way at exactly the right moment.

If you’d like some support or direction during this Mercury retrograde, this could be the perfect time to book a consultation. I also have the Mercury retrograde reports on sale now. My customized Mercury retrograde reports outline the focus of this mental down time for you by interpreting the house where Mercury is located and the connections it makes to the other planets in your birth chart.

Happiest wishes this Mercury retrograde and solar eclipse! Let it be that whatever you say to yourself is something loving and uplifting. Hug yourself. Bless yourself. Remind yourself of all the thoughtful and kind things that you do for others. Flood your mind with positive thoughts about yourself!

May the sun be in your heart and life's abundant blessings be with you,
Terri