Mercury Retrograde in Gemini: May 29 – Jun 22

Once again it’s eclipse season and we have another pair of eclipses in Gemini/Sagittarius. In between them, Mercury retrograde (Rx) begins in Gemini giving us a time period of intense Gemini flavor! Mercury naturally rules Gemini so while in its own sign, we can harness its’ natural ability to communicate effectively and also receive what others are saying even during difficult interactions. A Venus/Mercury Rx conjunction during Memorial Day weekend could initiate a moment of needing to find a balance point around a particular communication after experiencing a bump in the road.

Whether on a personal, professional or societal level, it will be incredibly important to take personal responsibility for what we are saying to each other while also asking clarifying questions so as to avoid ugly misunderstandings, intense anger and anxiety. If you find yourself in a stalemate situation, the help of a third-party facility or counselor could help in moving things forward. Gemini and Sagittarius are all about learning and under this Retrograde we will definitely be learning some new and essential communication and interaction skills.

But why? Because Gemini needs movement. We need to move the dynamics of interaction and explore while talking with each other. We need to move around in general to find out what’s out there and what we can integrate into our consciousness. The Jun 10th Solar eclipse tightly conjunct within one degree of Mercury Rx signifies a big rebirth and reevaluation around these learning and movement themes. How do we actually move around physically now and interact with our local environment and how can we further evolve? For example, if you’re working from home now and wondering if and how you will operate in the long term, you’ll probably get a better idea. If you aren’t driving to work, in what other ways are you moving your mind? Is there something else that gives you an energy change or feeds your intellectual curiosity?

Movement of course does not always have to be through a vehicle. It is first a bodily process. This Rx would be an excellent time to explore a new way of moving the body especially with long transiting Uranus in Taurus in the mix. Maybe health requirements might propel you into exploring different forms of movement or exercise. There’s nothing more literally Geminian than learning movement! Maybe we may even have epiphanies around how we learn and synthesize and how our body might function better.

The sabian symbol keynote for this Solar eclipse degree is “the assimilation of multifarious knowledge through the synthesizing power of the mind.” Part of assimilation is exercising discrimination around what exactly we need and don’t need in our minds. Instead of learning by collecting, we might need to learn by deleting, throwing out ideas and dynamics that aren’t helping us anymore. Maybe we need to do some major spring cleaning.

Nodes transit into Gemini /Sagittarius

May has been difficult as the nodes of the moon transit the remaining two degrees of Cancer and Capricorn. The north node transiting zero and one degrees of Cancer uproot all kinds of emotions and watery energy, taking one’s psyche into a dark place. Questions around personal authorities, responsibilities, commitments and discipline all also bubble up from the call of Capricorn. The zero and one degrees of any sign are initiatory, where the vibration of that sign is felt on a real visceral level and so the intensity. A certain culmination is still occurring from the Pluto/Saturn conjunction this past January so emotions and issues around security and support are up to the surface.

The nodes will move into Gemini and Sagittarius on June 6th for the next year and a half, shifting the focus to how we communicate, educate, explore and integrate diversity. Cancer/Capricorn are cardinal vibrations, initiating and pioneering, requiring planning and order with nurturance and sustainment. Gemini/Sagittarius are mutable energies requiring adjustment and flexibility with a sense of adventure and truth-seeking around the circumstances and events faced. This shift is going to be very helpful in facing the stress and strain of the second half of 2020. 

We have already moved in this direction as Venus retrogrades Gemini from May 13 to June 25. Communications and adjustments in relationships are the focus here along with how we build harmony and balance with each other. There shouldn’t be a feeling of hurry as more emotions may confuse as Mars transit in Cancer. Building on innovation and current inspirations is key (Saturn transit zero Aquarius). We absolutely cannot go back to the old ways of survival and outmoded belief systems because the old structures are power imbalanced to such a severe degree that disorder and chaos are inevitable. Thus it is of great importance that the interactions we have with each other and with our resources are reformed with consideration and compromise of everyone’s views and values so that there is a level of balance that can withstand and not easily succumb to entropy.

What in fact are our values when it comes to relationships? June is the month to reflect and become clear on this before the remaining challenges of the year. Take advantage of this time to lighten up, find your Center and reconnect with your Intuition, hopefully in nature as you reconnect also to your body’s flow. There will be a Mercury retrograde in Cancer from Jun 18 to Jul 12 so you can emotionally integrate recent changes and make further adjustments if needed. 

Mars enters Aries Jun 29 until Jan 6 2021, retrograding Sep 10 to Nov 14, while squaring Pluto, Saturn and Jupiter all in Capricorn. Pluto and Jupiter also have two remaining conjunctions. The stress and strain of these aspects cannot be overemphasized with effects that will brew underneath the surface first before they abrupt in the future. The ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ or the ‘light at the beginning of a new one’ is the Jupiter/Saturn conjunction at 0 Aquarius Dec 21st. Whether or not you’re ready for the radical, it will be coming. Connection with others in a variety of ways and unusual circumstances is bound to occur, hopefully with re-envisioned goals and humanitarian aims. Peace.