Mercury Retrograde and Grand Cross

The chart of this Saturday’s sky has two very distinct planetary configurations that you can see in the image posted above. There is a large blue triangle created by lines to Sun and Saturn in Scorpio, Moon in Cancer and Neptune/Chiron in Pisces. This is called a Grand Trine.

Then you can also see a red square that is called a Grand  Cross or Square, made of right angles between Moon, Venus, Pluto and Uranus, with cross angles between each corner. This is the Grand Cross we have experienced on and off for the past couple of years, with Saturn previously in one corner (when Saturn and Pluto began to square off in 2008, the financial markets crashed). 

Today's Moon in Cancer and Venus in Libra are currently creating the Cross and once again setting off the ongoing tension of the Pluto/Uranus square.

A Grand Cross can be likened to a diamond. It is created through immense pressure being applied in a contained space, which compresses and transforms the energies of each planet into something quite strong and powerful. 

In Cardinal signs (Aries Libra, Cancer and Capricorn) this is initiating energy, which ultimately brings change and new growth. Firstly, the pressure and tension of each squaring planet has to be dealt with.  Pluto in Capricorn is bringing death to the old order by shaking up our material world; Uranus in Aries is instigating intense rebellion against systems and power structures that no longer serve us, while  awakening  new visions, new perceptions, new possibilities.

The Moon in emotional and hypersensitive Cancer  over the weekend will activate our self protective instincts, making some of us a bit touchy  and extra resistant to Pluto’s power trips and control dramas. This is tricky emotional territory. Don't take everything too personally!

Venus in its home sign of Libra (relationships) opposite Uranus, is itching for freedom and won’t be held down or dictated to... (don't fence me in!)  Venus also rules money, and there may be sudden gains and losses in finances as well as in love.

Last week I spoke about the opposition between Mars and Jupiter exaggerating our zealousness and need to be right. It's still there, bigging up our know-it-all-ness. 

"Seek first to understand, before you seek to be understood" (Steven Covey, Seven Habits of Highly Successful People)

  

Did I say this was going to be easy?

  

Well.... trines (120 degree angle) are easy flowing energy. A Grand Trine (three trines) can remain dormant without some tension added. And we are in luck!! …tension is being provided…big time!  Like when reigning in a wild horse... ( I know you do this every day ) this contains a lot of power that can be harnessed to good use. Or it can run right over us.

You can also see, on the top left, a lot of red lines going between Neptune and Chiron in Pisces…(at 9 o’clock on the circle)  up and over to Mercury and the North Node in Scorpio (around 1 o’clock). This is where information gets burred and dodgy deals get made!!  

Watch out  for duplicity and keep your communication clear and honest (did you hear that Mr Romney?!)  Its easy to blur the lines or exaggerate the truth.

And finally... Mercury is slowing down and preparing to reverse its direction. The few days before it goes retrograde is called the Mercury 'storm',  which begins a period where the logical order of things  get jiggled about. Mercury is the planet of communication and transportation and electromagnetic fields…. when in reverse it turns all those things upside down. 

This retrograde will be especially chaotic because of the square of Mercury to Neptune, planet of illusions and delusions. Nothing will be as it seems.  The Us election occurs Nov 6th, the day Mercury goes retrograde. Many believe there will be much disruption and chaos around the results. 

The super-storm Sandy has already caused immense havoc in the US, and has  disrupted many, many lives. 

 Neptune rules the seas!!  



 Mercury was retrograde during  the 2000 American election, where Bush was declared the winner even though in actuality he had less votes. As I said, be on the watch for duplicity, deception and dodgy deals.

 There is also what is called a Kite formation, with Pluto at the head (help!), which joins the Grand Cross to the Grand Trine.

The result is a dynamic, creative and very powerful and  transformative energy. Anyone with planets in any of these spots or degrees will be having an ongoing shake up and wake up type experience in their life. If you know your chart you can look to see where these aspects sit to see where great change is going on, or where difficulty is occurring (or call an Astrologer to help you).

Looking at it all positively, we know that creativity comes out of chaos. The fact that everything is a rockin’ and a rollin’ and things are so unsettled is not necessarily a negative. When everything is in stasis, we rarely question or seek answers. It is usually only when our lives get turned upside down that we start to look beyond the surface of things.

The Grand Trine in water can have a positive, stabilizing and healing effect on emotions that get irritated by the  Grand Cross stuff...or even if they don't.  As the surface water is churned and stirred, we can either learn to ride the waves, or else dive down deep to find some inner peace and stillness.

Then, we have two eclipses coming up in November... things are definitely heating  up as we head toward the December 21st alignment with the galactic core predicted in the Mayan Prophesies. 

Never a dull moment!

Have a great weekend.