Mercury Is Going Retrograde

I am writing this a few days before posting because I plan on just going into hibernation for the next few weeks. Why?  Because everything around me is falling apart!  First, I had to replace my car battery, then I had to get a new tire because my old one just went, “Pop!”  I’ve had to return several items bought online recently because the description on the website wasn’t what they turned out to be when I unwrapped them. These are the woes of a privileged complainer.

These past few days have also left the earth shaking in Northern California, all around the Pacific Rim, and especially intensely in Venezuela. I was spared any damage here, and thankfully, folks I know who actually were near any of these seismic events have reported being safe, but for the many whose lives are now anchored to a tragic “before and after”, I am sending my prayers and hopes for a return to normalcy as soon as possible.

Why Is This All Happening to Me?

In looking for reasons to explain this sudden increase in events that interrupt the normal rhythm of my day, it would be very easy for me to blame that pesky planet, Mercury. I’ve learned, however, that there are other explanations that prove to be more settled in facts.

Mind you, there is a part of me, (probably an artifact of some ancient fore-mother who read the stars), that holds out for the power of the planets, but in truth, there are really simple explanations for these events.

Attention!

It all comes down to what I am paying attention to at any given time. Here’s what I mean. Had I taken care of replacing my battery when my mechanic told me I needed to, I wouldn’t have been surprised when my car didn’t start. Instead, I put it off, went about my life and forgot to deal with the matter. The coincidence is that my battery ran out of juice at the same time somebody else timed the planetary orbits to hit a particular spot on a particular day, is just that – a coincidence. I blamed Mercury instead of my own lack of follow-through.

Same thing with my flat tire. Mercury had very little influence over the manufacture of a tire made years ago and since ceaselessly exposed to thousands of miles of interaction on all kinds of road surfaces. The weakness in the tire wall continued to grow until the exact moment it failed. But that had no relationship with where the stars were in the heavens above. And, fortunately, I was close to home and had AAA.

What Do These Things Have in Common?

The common factor here was me. All these things happened to me. Any influence that Mercury may have had on my being in a particular place, at a particular time, and subject to the persuasive influence of its location in the heavens is more difficult to pinpoint.

What fascinates me here is that I have a belief that such planetary influences really do impact the choices I make, the opportunities that arise, and what qualities I bring to the mix. Just as I create a narrative around why my battery died and earthquakes happened in Mendocino County, astrologers create narratives around how the time of my birth and where the planets were can predict what my life is going to look like. Maybe it does and maybe it doesn’t.

Holding Two Things Simultaneously

The human mind has the most amazing capabilities, among them the ability to hold contradictions simultaneously. My mind loves (and perhaps needs) to create storylines explaining why things happen a certain way. Perversely, that same inner showrunner also creates tales predicting the future. When my showrunner is out of control, I feel anxious, because I am imagining horrible things happening. Or, I feel blissed out, because I believe I really am going to meet the man of my dreams or have money flooding in, or my fondest hope or dream is going to come true.

These capacities for make-believe are really useful in managing a world that is unpredictable and demanding, except they interfere with my ability to be present in the world with myself and others.

Hope springs from the capacity to imagine things being different. Astrology gives hopeful answers by suggesting things will change. As the planets change circumstances MUST change with them. It’s just a matter of time. This can be very comforting when I am feeling stuck.

Similarly, when trying to unravel a series of events to explain an unintended consequence, it is a relief to be able to share the burden of responsibility with an explanation that all these breakdowns happened at the same time because Mercury was in retrograde, not because I failed to follow my recommended auto maintenance schedule.

The Planets Keep On Turning, Turning, Turning

In spite of my logical brain telling me all this star gazing stuff is ridiculous, I am backing up my computer and paying extra attention to the possibility of things breaking down or falling apart. Mercury will be in retrograde from June 29 to July 23. Just in case you want to be extra cautious.

Happy Birthday America

On another note, assuming other mechanical disruptions are able to be managed, this will be my last blog for June. When next I write, America will have celebrated its 250^th birthday. Wishing you all a Fourth of July you will remember. (But do check the charts to see what might be happening!)