Struggling with Mercury

Author:
Aleksandra Blatesic, Professor

Story One

Strange things may happen when a seemingly small, neutral planet such as Mercury turns retrograde. Usually, in consulting their astrologers, clients have already learned that this period does not favour starting new businesses, purchase of new cars and computers, and that they should be ware of all kinds of problems in communication, traffic and travels. Naturally, at the time when Mercury is retrograde, the telephone keeps ringing and on the other line a panicking voice keeps echoing information which we astrologers already consider classic cases. However, just when an astrologer starts taking such cases as the routine ones, something happens that sobers him/her up instantly – a case of a missing person!
 

This is a story of a man from the neighbourhood, a caring Cancer (17/7/1953, 23:00 h, 15E58, 45N48 CET-1) on the constant lookout for all kinds of ways to earn enough to support his family and improve their lot. This is why he accepted the offer to go to Germany, take over a car, and drive it back to Serbia. He set off on his journey on the same day when Mercury decided to start moving in reverse. Just one glance at this person's horoscope shows that he has very favourable aspects for travelling abroad. Ascendant is in Aries at the degree of Sagittarius (the 21st degree), which makes it easy for him to start a journey without any delay. The 9th house is in Sagittarius, the sign ruling foreign countries, while Jupiter is in the 2nd house (money) in Gemini (car) at the degree of Gemini, which shows that this will concern the transport of cars from a foreign country to our country and, in terms of astrology, this is excellent for this type of dealings. Jupiter conjunction Venus (love) tells us that he likes travelling and that the luck is on his side. What, in fact, went wrong and what made him stay for three weeks instead of coming back from his trip in two days - meanwhile making his whereabouts unknown, despite the assistance provided from the state security and searches undertaken in the neighbouring countries. His family started to panic and began to believe that he was probably dead. At any moment they expected to hear the news that his body had been found! I told them: «He's OK. Alive and kicking. Nothing bad can happen to him while he is in a foreign country. He'll be back after 20 December.» These words were the only thing that his heartbroken family clang on to.

Here is what happened

Not only that Mercury was retrograde in Sagittarius but it also was placed in the house influencing events abroad, which is why it was in a foreign country that he encountered problems. Mercury rules his 3rd house (car). Naturally, there was a misunderstanding, someone made a mistake and he got a car which had not been cancelled from ret-a-car, which is why the police arrested him after he had left the town. Retrograde Mercury exerted its influence exactly when he started to return from his trip – going back!
The position of Pluto also indicates that he will be exposed to hazards in a foreign country. Namely, Pluto was exactly at the cusp of the 9th house waiting for the right moment. Naturally, Pluto in Sagittarius brought on him problems with foreign authorities (Sagittarius) making him look like a criminal (Pluto). The Sun was also in Sagittarius opposition Jupiter (ruler of the 9th house) and Venus – the planets that normally bring him luck and protection on a journey. However, at that time, he was in conflict with these planets. The outcome of a business, its success or failure is indicated by the cusp of the 9th house in Capricorn, while its ruler Saturn, at the cusp of the 7th house (arrangements with other people, court proceedings) was in square (problem) with Saturn transiting Cancer – his native sign. To top it all, Saturn was retrograde finding itself exactly at his Sun, which prevented him from going about his business successfully. Natal Saturn is at the 21st degree (foreign country) of Libra (judicature), which is why he ends up in a foreign court because of his business (Saturn comes from the 9th house). And whenever a person finds him/herself under the influence of Saturn nothing goes smoothly.

The court proceedings took three weeks during which time he was dispossessed of everything, including his telephone, so he could not call anyone, which resulted in general belief that he went missing. Saturn conjunction Neptune exact is also at the 21st degree of Libra - he remained in prison during the trial (Neptune comes from the 12th house). He was taken to prison immediately upon his arrest. However, this prison very much resembled a hotel. It should be noted that at the time, at the cusp of his 12th house (disappearance, arrest) in Pisces (hotel) there was Uranus, which sparked a sudden activity of this house and made his family seek the services of an astrologer (Uranus) in connection to his disappearance (the 12th house). Neptune rules the 12th house at the 21st degree (foreign country) of Libra (trial, justice) and thus, he finds himself in a foreign prison by mistake. However, he receives a fair trial. The 7th house represents a lawyer we get which, in this case, is represented by the ruler of the 7th house. Since this is Venus, his lawyer was a woman. Venus conjunction Jupiter is an extremely fortunate planetary alliance. She was personally surprised that this man was freed of all charges, which rarely ever happens in such cases – the usual sentence is 2-3 years in prison.
Co-ruler of the 12th house is Jupiter, which is why he had a good time in prison and, to his delight, there was abundance of food in there! Jupiter is in conjunction with Venus, ruler of the 2nd house (food) and both planets are placed in the 2nd house – natural house of Taurus known for good and ample food. On 20 March, Mercury turned direct and on 21 March this man started for home exactly at the time when Mercury’s moving forward became stable.

Story Two
 

The above was an example of a disappearance of a man. However, a disappearance of a pet can cause just as much distress, which is also very likely to happen under the influence of retrograde Mercury coupled with some other indicative elements.

When someone’s (1/7/1936, 20:20h, 20E05, 45N56 CET -1) 6th house representing pets is in Cancer, we know for certain that he/she has a dog he/she likes very much. Cancer is a homebird, loyal and devoted and represents dogs as the animals most loyal to people. In addition, a dog always has its own house (Cancer) next to his master’s house.

This person’s 6th house is pronounced with Mars, Sun and Venus in Cancer. She (Sun) lives with two dogs of opposite sexes represented by Mars and Venus, but bitch is her favourite because Venus (feminine gender) is closer to her Sun. She is especially attached to this dog and feels very strongly about her. Venus is at the 10th degree of Cancer and the bitch is quite old (the10th degree is the degree of Capricorn-old age) –10 years! The degree of Capricorn makes her tiny and skinny. Her name is Morzi, which in Hungarian means a morsel. She is a mongrel while the other dog, Mars conjunction Sun, is big, strong with the maximum height achieved for his breed, namely, he is a pedigreed dog.

What happened to this bitch after she had turned 10?
Due to a large disparity in height she cannot breed and have puppies with her friend Mars. This denied love makes her suffer for a long (the 10th degree) time.
 

Venus, which represents a strong desire for love, awakens when she turns 10 and makes her decide to satisfy this urge at any cost. She escapes from her home during the influence of retrograde Mercury, which also results in the wrong interpretation of such event – her disappearance. There were various assumptions: that someone had stolen her, poisoned her, sold her and the like. The Moon rules the house of pets, the 6th house, and the bitch chose the ideal time to escape – when Moon was in Pisces (escape)!
This proves that planets, particularly those connected with light (Moon, Sun) strongly influence all living beings on Earth. Since the motion of the Moon is the fastest one, observation of the Moon transiting the horoscope of the bitch’s owner can tell us about the dog’s whereabouts. As soon as the Moon entered Aries, the police started looking for the bitch (Aries is ruled by Mars – police). Aries square Cancer told me that they would not find any clue indicating to the whereabouts of this dog, which unfortunately was true and gave rise to panic.

All trees in that town were showing the picture of the missing dog and promising a big reward. Radio kept broadcasting the information about the dog being lost. Everyone were looking for this dog and people called the desperate owner from everywhere trying to help her find her beloved pet, so much more used to comfortable homey atmosphere than roaming the streets. However, the pet enjoyed her love adventure. Love house of a pet is the 10th house (fifth house –love, boyfriend, male, counting from the 6th house - dog), and here the natal Moon is in Sagittarius (adventure) conjunction transiting Venus, which increased the desire for love. At the cusp of the 10th house, on the day of the escape there was Mars in Scorpio at the 15th degree trine transiting Moon – instigator of escape. Later on, it turned out that this was a small black dog – newly found lover of our heroine.

When the Moon shifted into Taurus sextile Cancer and joined the other three planets in Cancer, the first good news started coming. The dog had finally been spotted – naturally in the company i.e. on the places indicated by the very horoscope: outdoors, in a park near a hospital eating with the other dogs (Taurus means food)… Moon was passing through the 3rd house (neighbourhood) and this bitch was coming closer and closer to her home but wouldn’t let anyone catch her. It was easy for her because she was small enough to slip through everywhere and escape.

I knew that when the direct Moon turns active she would come home very soon. This happened on the third day of Mercury becoming direct, exactly at the time when the transiting Moon got closer to the cusp of the 4th house (home). When the despair-ridden mistress of this frolicsome doggy opened the gate to embark upon one more search, there was such a moving scene that all passers-by stopped and laughed their hearts out. Her pet, which was almost at the gate accompanied by her handsome black escort, suddenly started running and literally jumped into the arms of her mistress overwhelmed with joy.

These were some of the strange things which usually happen at the time of Mercury in retrograde. These things can be undone only when Mercury starts moving forward. Although this planet is not notorious, all kinds of things can be expected when it turns retrograde and when molehills may become mountains. As always, these situations require cool head.

 

Author: Aleksandra Blatesic