Mercury went retrograde on August 3rd for 24 days until August 27th. This happens three times a year and it is a time of review, revision and reflection. Mercury retrograde asks that we rework and complete our projects. This retrograde is especially significant as Mercury stands still at 1 degree of Virgo and is opposite Neptune at 0 degrees Pisces.
Both planets are in the signs that they rule, so are especially strong.
If you have a planet between 0-1 degrees of any sign, it will be powerfully activated.
Mercury opposes Neptune 3 times, on July 29th, August 8th and September 8th. Neptune has now retrograded back into Aquarius, the sign of humanity and community.
A question to ask would be- who and where is my soul group?
This is a period of listening to your dreams, to messages from the Universe and to connect with your Inner Guide, or Ascended Master.
The Hermit and Going Within
In the tarot the Hermit is the Archetype for Virgo. It is an apt image for this Mercury retrograde cycle.
Over the next few weeks, take some time out to shut out worldly distractions- to retreat and go within and complete your spiritual work.
Osho calls this card Aloneness in the Osho Zen Tarot. He writes :-
” When you are lonely you are thinking of the other, you are missing the other. Loneliness is a negative state. Loneliness is the absence of the other. Aloneness is the presence of oneself. Aloneness is very positive. It is an overflowing presence. You can fill the whole universe with your presence and there is no need for anybody”
The Hermit chooses quiet time and he is guided by his inner light as symbolised by the lantern.
The Virgo/Pisces axis is the Healer versus The Saviour and links the 6th house of daily work and health with the 12th house of Dreamtime and the unconscious.
We are being alerted to where we are called to be of service (Virgo) and where we are being called to surrender to something higher (Pisces).
This is the Divine, the inner light, within us all.
Integration of Left and Right Brain
These signs bring together two different ways of seeing the world.
Mercury is communication and also the way of thinking that is logical, and rational, masculine. Pisces is ruled by Neptune God of the Sea, and also traditionally by Jupiter- the planet of faith, hope and intuition.
Mercury asks questions, Jupiter is concerned with the meaning of the question.
We are being asked to integrate the left brain with the right brain, the masculine with the feminine, through this Mercury retrograde cycle.
This is a time to tune into the Universe. A meditation or some form of divination is excellent as long as you ask a specific question.
Tuning in to your Inner Master is a theme for the month, and you may like to check out my workshop using Aura-Soma on August 20th as an ideal time for a day’s retreat.
Overlooking Mistakes
Virgo governs the digestion in the body, so Virgo is connected to nutrition and health. Its also the sign that can get caught in detail- be over analytical and chew over the tiniest mistakes that people make, over and over again.
There is a healing principle in Psychology of Vision called Overlooking Mistakes. Chuck Spezzano describes it well:-
Overlooking mistakes realizes that being heavy handed is counter- productive and what is important is building relationships, efficiency, effectiveness and the goal to be accomplished.If we concentrate on others mistakes as deserving of punishment, we turn our own mistakes into sins, rather than just something to be corrected.If we overlook their mistakes in the spirit of trust and kindness, then our mistakes are corrected accordingly and we all move forward.When we find that we are always correcting someone we have become blind to our arrogance. Overlooking mistakes allows us to not only overlook the speck in someone else’s eye, it helps us get the beam out of our own. Look around today. Where in kindness, charity, mercy, and truth can you overlook some mistakes?
Birth of Archangel Zachariel
On 26th July Mike Booth, director of Aura-Soma announced a new bottle had been born. It’s called Archangel Zachariel and is a beautiful combination of magenta over mid olive green.
What is extraordinary is that the themes of this bottle -letting go and forgiveness -link to the transit of Mercury in Virgo and Neptune and Chiron in Pisces.
Magenta is connected (through Aura-Soma’s Colour Wheel which uses 12 colours) to the 12th house, Olive Green to the 6th house. So this combination fits with the planets energies of this time.
Olive is the colour of forgiveness, just as the olive branch is the peace offering. Olive when raw is bitter, and so we need to let go of bitterness and forgive all those who have hurt us.
Virgo is the tiny slights which build up and gnaw away at us, sapping our energy. It is also the quality needed to clear away old stuff, and to purify. Where Mercury is transiting in your birth chart will be the place for you to do some sorting and clearing.
Rebirth of The Goddess
Venus is disappearing and joins the Sun on August 16th at 23 degrees Leo. Watch out 2 days either side, since Mercury is also combust the Sun at this time. I would caution buying anything that is expensive, because Mercury is the critical faculty it isn’t functioning well. Also be aware of self indulgence with food and alcohol -its too easy to be seduced!
Venus is the planet of relationships, the glue that brings people together. In the sign of Leo she is the Amazon Queen, or the Queen of Wands in the tarot. She is a lioness, proud and strong with a warm heart.
As Venus joins the Sun she will change from being a Morning Star- rising ahead of the Sun- to becoming an Evening Star- setting after the Sun. You will next see her in the evening sky 36 days after this conjunction, around 21st September, which just happens the Autumn Equinox.
In Vedic astrology Venus is called Sukra (our word for sugar). It is a masculine deity and the teacher of demons, or the ego. So the ego can be seduced with sweetness back toward the Truth.
Being sweet and kind to yourself and others, through August will serve Venus well.
Venus Treats (non fattening!)
Astrology Report: Just for Women
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Tuning into The Holy Grail
As Chiron travels through Pisces we are healing deep soul memories, both personally and collectively.
Chiron is the Rainbow Bridge- the archetype of the Wounded Healer, which once healed, becomes the place where we can heal others.
Chiron is strong in the sign of Virgo which is the olive green in Aura-Soma and connects with the Master Quintesence called ‘The Holy Grail and Solar Logos’.
This helps access the creative feminine intuition within, and one I will use on the workshop.
Pisces is governed by Neptune and the crown chakra our path to enlightenment. In Aura-Soma this is the magenta and the 12th house of our birth chart.
Now Jupiter is in Taurus making a positive aspect to Pluto in Capricorn, we are being called to connect with the physical realm and to ground our vision.
Taurus is the sign of physical beauty, of the appreciation of colour, touch and the love that opens our hearts.
On August 20th, the Moon joins Jupiter, an opportunity to connect with your inner teacher.
These consultations are proving very popular and quite remarkable as we explore and heal together many facets of our past lives.
Many clients have recalled- through a simple intuitive process – a life of persecution which has hidden a soul level gift that is part of this life’s purpose.
Steps to Leadership
If you love the 3 Card readings by Chuck Spezzano, and are interested in the evolutionary model of Psychology of Vision, then this 10 week online course is for you.
Now offered with 2 options: Saturdays at 4pm Uk time starting September 3rd OR Mondays at 8.00pm starting September 5th. The courses will be via Skype so no extra phone charges!
There will be one day off each month.
The courses are booking up and there are just 10 places on each one.