It’s safe to come out! Mercury went direct Sunday night and Monday morning, leaving us all to ask …
Is it really over?
Mercury might be moving direct, but you’re still going to encounter some hiccups. That’s because Mercury is in post-shadow – he’s moving over the same ground he covered while retrograde.
In my experience, this post-shadow period is milder than retrograde, or even the pre-shadow period. That’s because we’ve been here before, meaning we’ve dealt with what Mercury’s thrown our way on this path, so we’re better equipped to deal with it.
Post-shadow cleanup time
Because we’ve been here before, this is “cleanup time.” Any toxic connections? Time to sever them. Toxic people or situations need to go? Throw them out! Any misunderstandings? Time to clear the air. You’ll know what needs to go by what’s been giving you grief. It could be as small as clutter or as large as that unhealthy relationship you couldn’t shake for years.
That’s especially true for this retrograde. That’s because this retrograde started right after a solar eclipse and trucked through a lunar eclipse. Eclipse season often marks endings – whether we like them or not. Plus, cleanup time started during a waning moon – a cyclical time of release and banishment.
So, this week, really, really, really … clean up!
While we’re cleaning though …
About that Grand Cross
This weekend, we’re going to experience a grand cross in early fixed signs. Two planets involved, Mars and Jupiter, will be at 0 degrees of their signs. This is one of the critical degrees in astrology. Zero is called “the crisis degree”. The planet just moved back into this sign after time away and doesn’t quite know what to do. To connect this to tarot and numerology, zero is The Fool and the integer representing new beginnings, even more than numeral one.
Think about it: we all start from zero, even when we return to where we’ve been before. Both Jupiter and Mars will be at the very beginnings of their signs in Taurus and Leo respectively. On their own, these are good energies: Jupiter is in the sign of financial abundance, property, and stability. Mars is out of his fallen sign, Cancer, and gaining energy to show up and show off in prideful Leo.
In a Grand Cross, things are a little different. Pluto is at 0 Aquarius and with the nodes in the mix at 2 Taurus and Scorpio, that’s how we’ve got ourselves a Grand Cross. These energies are not playing nice with each other. Rather, they’re challenging and opposing each other.
In fixed signs, this challenge is stubborn energy. It’s less like a fight or indecision, but rather, a standoff of our values. Something’s got to give, but what? No one’s backing down.
Now what?
For most people, this will be a mixed bag, especially if you have any planet at the beginning of a Tropical zodiac sign. If you have a lot of energy in early fixed signs though, heaven help you. This will be especially challenging. But, it’s not the end of the world – you can rise above!
During this weekend, it’s time to ask yourself some big questions: How are you going to align your abundance with your purpose or vice versa (Jupiter conjunct and opposing the North and South Node)? Specifically: how can you release yourself from other people’s values and expectations and align your life with your own right now?
Where is pride getting in the way and how are you fueling your energy towards other people versus yourself (Jupiter square Leo)? In my experience, when Taurus and Leo overcome their differences and work together, it creates a sophisticated “grand dame” energy? How can you rise to the challenge with elegance and grace?
Finally, since Pluto in Aquarius is in the mix, how is the changing social and technological landscape impacting you so far? What do you need to let go of to move forward for the next two decades when it comes to the following:
Screen time: This isn’t a lecture on cutting screens back. It’s about how you use technology and how the messages from the internet (collective society now) impact your values. Are you spending your time online on growth and learning, or are you wasting your energy “doomscrolling” or looking at posts that lower your self-esteem and make you feel jealous or “less than”?
Values: How do you align with changing culture and societal expectations? Where do you need to keep up and where do you need to break away? This is a deeply personal question that calls on our individual understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
Economics: Since fixed signs have to do with material value, I advise everyone to spend less time worrying about an upcoming recession and doing something about it. Whether or not a recession hits is out of our control, but preparing as best as we can is. This isn’t just about budgeting and saving with Pluto in Aquarius. Do you know your neighbors? Who can you ask to borrow a cup of sugar or a lawn mower if you need one, and what can you do for your community in return? Establishing networks of mutual aid will be paramount over the next couple of decades and this weekend is a good time to start.
Plans in motion?
It will be tempting to just hide under your bed with the lights out and pretend you’re not home this weekend, but a grand cross is actually an excellent time to start something new. That’s especially true if you’re building something to last.
I’m not going to sugar-coat it though: any long-term plans you put into motion this weekend will be hard. Whatever you start now will challenge you in ways you wouldn’t believe. But, if you stick with it, it will pay off in a big way.
Pro-tip: The Friday before, we're having a New Moon in Taurus. It will be at the end of the sign, so it won't impact the Grand Cross. However, it's a good time to begin drafting your weekend plans to move them forward. Reflect on what you meditated on during retrograde - what do you want to achieve this year regarding acquiring value, be it new property, new job, moving, etc.
If you want to know more about how this grand cross will affect you this weekend, stop by TinyTree Gallery in Mt. Clemens to see me for a reading. I’ll also be in Wednesday, May 24th, teaching Astrology 101, a beginner’s astrology course focused on learning your sun sign.