Retrograde Hermaphrodite
Extravaganza Aqueeriusness (An Invocation to Mercury Retrograde in Aquarius) The first astrologer I ever encountered was Flo Higgins. She was (by day, and on production nights) the editor of the Echoes-Sentinel in Warren, N.J., the gritty little Republican newspaper where I had my first job as a pro-reporter, and a town where no person has ever logged onto Planet Waves, not once, ever. Flo was, and quite frankly still is, a card -- a Tarot card, actually, The Florence of Higgins. By weekends and by night, she was the famous proprietress of Aquarius Rising Books in Rumson, miles away, where she charged an astronishing $40 an hour for readings. (That was about one week's full-time salary at the Echoes in those days, for a 60-hour week, during which we would have to write about school bonds and sewage plants, and know the difference between sewage and sewerage.) I can still hear the pak-pak-pak of her high heels sailing rhythmically across the floor of the sagging little house that was the Echoes office. Saturn square the Sun! That means discipline! Get to work! There were those days when she would terrorize the entire newspaper chain with her premonitions of retrograde Mercury disasters, of which there were none that I now recall. Jim, the production plant manager, a Higgins devotée and member of the publishing company's small but respectable Irish Mafia, had photocopied from Debbi Kempton-Smith's Secrets from a Stargazer's Notebook the little chapter called, "Don't Sign, Don't Buy: Mercury is Retrograde," and hung it on his freaking office door for all to shudder at. To know Jim, you would think this guy is too smart to believe in astrology, but way too smart not to believe in Mercury retrograde. And this actually made sense. But what did we do to deserve this? Was life as a journalist not uncertain enough? None of us knew jack about astrology upon arriving there, nor cared to, but daaaaaaang, Saturn square the Sun! And Mercury retrograde! Fuuuuuuuuuck. We would look at each other solemnly, not daring not to believe in astrology, and keep typing. When I left that job to move onto covering liquor, I was collecting things like Runes and the Rider-Waite deck, and channeling my plants. Friday, Mercury goes retrograde for about 23 days, backtracking through Aquarius and dipping his or is it her toe into Capricorn before stationing direct on Feb. 8. It does this three times a year, when it's lapping the Earth on the inside track, coming closer to us and (in astrology charts) appearing to move backwards. It is ALWAYS an interesting experience, and each one is different, happening in a different area of the zodiac. There is no saying quite what will develop or fall apart, or let's say that it's unwise to predict because one would, in such a case, be failing to respect the spirit of this mighty god, who deserves our respect if only because he can get your novel published or turn your disk drive to Jell-o. Mercury is the trickster. Mercury is the Hermes of 'hermaphrodite'. You never quite know who, what or why. Who, what or why what? Who knows? Funny information surfaces. Not so funny information surfaces; sometimes even that is funny; Enron, as a case in point (the retrograde effect can have an influence for a couple of weeks before the actual start date, as George W. Putsch is discovering). When Mercury is retrograde, we must, must, must keep the focus on communication, and take care in our treatment of electronica, and handle money with intention, and remember that, as Debbi suggests, don't sign and don't buy, if you can avoid it, and you probably can. Not that everything goes wrong that is started or rushed into under Mercury retrograde -- just most things. And most of the rest changes. Those cautious souls who still can access their skepticism and value their autonomy, however, may wonder: Is this an actual astrological effect, or is it some kind of psychological projection? Go ahead, back up your financial databases, type things like *.* into DOS, call the electrician, buy a PC, sign a contract, or take apart your car stereo just exactly right around 12:50 pm PST Friday. Then, wait a little while, and write to us after you notice what happens. Better send the email twice, though. The beauty of this particular spell deserves attention. Mercury is the planet of the mind and Aquarius has a particular vibration of mentality: surprising, smart in an inventive or disturbing way, a little removed from it all, and not especially swayed by popularity contests. Mercury spending an extra month in this sign (as happens where he or is it she retrogrades) is a fine interlude for solving old problems, getting stubborn stains out of your brains, and meeting up with old friends. There there will be two conjunctions with Neptune, which reminds me of an iMac taking a hot bath, and liking it. Anyway, don't panic or anything. But if you own a web offset press, just keep a lot of extra ball bearings around. The Wise Magi advise us to do things like slow down (if you can call that doing something) during this interesting experience, and to proceed with caution, and don't believe in strange stuff that has not been proven, like astrology. I say, try thinking real thoughts, and why not experiment with time travel, and if you find out anything interesting, we are interested. Love, and Hi Flo! e
= | Sign dates below are approximate. They now overlap by one day. The date and time of the Sun's ingress to the new sign changes a little each year, so please check with an astrologer if you want the exact position of your Sun, and while you're at it, your rising sign -- this horoscope is written for both your sun and rising signs. Astrology Readings on CD by Eric Francis | | Aries (March 20-April 21) | | Someone who flakes on you this week is actually offering you a gift, an insight or an early warning. If you pay attention, rather than get sidetracked, mad or frustrated, you will gain a level of understanding into a complicated professional matter that has been causing you some strife. The ways of powerful people are mysterious only for as long as we are in denial about their motives. If you understand what makes them tick, and put it into words, you are more likely to come out on top of the game. | | Taurus (April 21-May 20) | | Taurans have a difficult lot when it comes to the question of the spiritual life. It seems that everything has to pass the test of what is proven, or physically real. That you may lack blind faith is probably an asset, though we could have an interesting discussion about whether faith is, by definition, blind. Anyway, God comes down to action, not belief. If you would make a special effort to actually apply to your experiences the spiritual principles you hold dear, even if you doubt them, you would make some excellent progress toward a long-cherished goal. | | Gemini (May 20-June 21) | | Can you articulate what you're struggling with? Can you put into words what is causing you to question your deepest sense of reality or identity? Can you state plainly how beautiful you're aware that life is? If not, I would humbly propose that you're really doing quite well. This is not a time for empty words, or many words, or perhaps any words at all. Let those blasted things fail for once. This seems to be a time for melting, for dissolving memory, and for going beyond belief. | | Cancer (June 21-July 22) | | There is no accounting for the mystery of one particular relationship, and if I may assure you, it's better if you can't. Far as my eye can see, you need the mystery of this situation to unfold at its own pace, and in its own way. Whoever you are experiencing is being moved by forces far beyond their understanding, and traveling through terrain that has never been mapped. So there is really no way you can expect a meeting of the minds -- as yet. Rare forces of nature are at work, and all-but-guarantee the dawning of a high level of shared awareness, and more than a measure of enlightenment. | | Leo (July 22-Aug. 22) | | Don't worry if you're not sure what you're trying to accomplish, and please don't be distracted by the conduct of someone who seems to be making you doubt who you are and what you believe. The bottom line is that you really need to cultivate faith in yourself, which is a good long-term investment anyway. There is more than enough happening to keep you busy, and if you keep your mind on the task at hand, you're likely to be happy when you emerge in a totally new place. | | Virgo (Aug. 22-Sep. 22) | | Be prepared for a fast change in plans and you can make it work for you rather than against you. My hunch is that this change involves what you might call a 'side project' rather than one of your more established areas of work or creative activity, but I can't say for sure. While your main gigs will tend to take care of themselves, a particular something else beckons your attention would be worth paying devoting some bandwidth to, since it's more likely to represent the calling of a deep desire, rather than an obligation. | | Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) | | The more secure you feel, the more you are free to take one particular chance that most people would tell you is a waste of time. It's not, and the fact that others cannot get a grasp on what it is that you dream is more their loss than your own. You have tried to explain yourself, and if you expect things to work out a certain way, you are robbing yourself of a creative opportunity. Remember that true creativity is never predictable. Like a child, it is a force of nature. | | Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) | | If it seems like you're always on the brink of coming unglued, but don't, that's because it's not glue that's holding you together. I don't know if I've mentioned this yet, but writing is just about the single most important activity you can engage in right now. There is no need to endeavor to write a trilogy. It doesn't matter if you take notes in your personal phone book, on your desk blotter or on cafeteria napkins. Write stuff down. Encode your thoughts in language. Trust your stars: it will be worth its weight in mithril. | | Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) | | By now you are getting a handle on how important one particular money issue really is. Money is not everything, but it's a lot of things, and I hear you thinking that if you had a bit more of the stuff, everything could work out fine. I'm sure you don't find it comforting to know that for once, you're thinking along with the pack. Anyway, you're missing some info: you do have quite a bit available in the way of resources, and I assure you there's more cash available than you think. But at the moment, your most important resource is your mind. Please, use it. | | Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) | | There is no need to give yourself a hard time for not getting it right the first time. The important thing is that you are really gaining an understanding of something very difficult to grasp on an intellectual level, and something that's equally emotionally challenging. The mystery goes straight to the core of your identity, far deeper than your 'sense of self'. I am talking about your sense of soul. The time and effort it's taken you so far have not been wasted, and I don't mean to sound philosophically appeasing. I mean certain things were not possible until now. But it is now. | | Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) | | With Mercury heading retrograde in your birth sign this week, you should feel right at home in the universe, as long as you make an effort to distinguish the past from the present, and what is real from what is not. Well, that may not be easy, but we're going to be counting on your intelligence and discernment. Over the next three weeks you have the potential to identify and let go of many of your outmoded beliefs. Or rather, they will let go of you. | | Pisces (Feb. 19-Mar. 20) | | Who are your true friends? And what makes them so? Truly unusual activity in the sign Capricorn, your friendship sign, offers a reminder that, for the moment, it is wise to confide in people who have been in your life for a while, and who have endured some tests, and to take their opinions as just that: opinions. Capricorn is also the sign which tells us a lot about your level of acceptance in the world, which is undergoing some profound changes at the moment. The world is wild. Friends are the most solid foundation upon which to build. | Search | Horoscopes | What's New | Index | Updates | Consultations  Space graphics above from the Rosette Nebula in Hydrogen, Oxygen, and Sulfur.
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