I seem to be writing about the fixed signs so much this year: Uranus’ ingress to Taurus, Mars retrograde in Aquarius and now Mercury retrograde in Leo. What with the magnification quality of Jupiter in Scorpio, there seems to be a lot emphasis on feeling stuck, stagnant and wanting to progress in certain areas of our lives, but being unable to due to the gravity of planets in the fixed signs.
During Mercury’s retrograde period in Leo from July to August 2018, there is a total lunar eclipse – also known as a micro blood moon – occurring in the opposite sign, Aquarius. As the moon is at apogee, it will be the longest lasting lunar eclipse of the 21st century, lasting a total of 103 minutes! The path of totality covers Mauritius, Reunion and South Africa.
Mercury travels from 23° to 11° Leo during this retrograde period. In fixed fire sign Leo, Mercury could indicate a time where we have to dig a little deeper for inspiration. We might spend time trying to figure out exactly what it is that makes us special and sets us apart from other people.
The Sun will travel from 3° Leo to 26° Leo. On the 3rd and 4th of August the Sun will be at the degree Mercury’s retrograde motion ends, so keep your eyes peeled for a clue to how you could resolve any of the issues that come up for you during Mercury’s route through Leo; on the 16th of August, you may notice some synchronicities in events which link to the beginning of Mercury retrograde – there may be an element of hindsight here where you realise you could have done things differently or made wiser choices.
Listen to your inner voice during this time. Revelations which appear for you is your intuition speaking. It’s important to allow this voice to be heard – It’s your higher consciousness advising you.
July
07th – Mercury enters pre-shadow
10th – Jupiter retrograde turns direct
26th – Mercury Stations Retrograde 06:02 BST (05:02 UT) 23°27’ Leo
27th – Total Lunar Eclipse/Micro Blood Moon Eclipse 4°45’ Aquarius (conjunct Mars Retrograde in Aquarius) 20:20 BST 19:20 UT
28th – Mercury opposite Moon
August
1st – 8th Mercury quincunx Pluto
3rd – Moon trine Mercury | Mercury sesisquare Saturn
4th – Mercury square Jupiter
5th – Moon Opposite Jupiter square Mercury
6th – Mercury sesisquare Chiron
7th – Mercury quincunx Neptune | Uranus retrograde
8th – Venus semisquare Mercury
9th – Sun conjunct Mercury – Kazimi 02:57 BST (01:57 UT) Sun and Mercury Square Jupiter
11th – Partial Solar Eclipse (New Moon) 18°42’ Leo (09:58 BST) conjunct Mercury Rx
15th – Moon Libra sextile Mercury
16th – Mercury sextile Mercury
17th – Moon opposite Jupiter square Mercury
19th – Mercury Direct
September
01st – Mercury leaves shadow period
Mercury Retrograde in Leo
Offers us:
- The severing of ties from a toxic situation
- A chance to identify true, lasting bonds
- Freedom from limiting thought-patterns
- A chance to identify our gift and build confidence around it
- The opportunity to let go of past issues
Watch for:
- Feeling as though you can’t seem to progress no matter how much you try
- Getting sucked into somebody else’s drama
- Being caught up in tall tales, or preferring to bury your head in the sand
- Indulging in self-defeating and negative behaviour patterns
- Over-compromising and neglecting your own needs
With Mercury turning retrograde in Leo on the 26th July and an eclipse in opposite sign Leo the very next day, a quickening will occur. During this time, Mercury asks us to take a look back, and deal with old dramas which may have been brought up by the current Mars retrograde in Aquarius. Mercury doesn’t quite meet the point of eclipse, though he does cover some of the opposite ground which Mars has already opposed. If you are looking for a seperate perspective on some of the issues already brought up by Mars retrograde, your friends might be the place you automatically turn. With Mars in conjunction with the South Node it seems that some of these friendships may be based on toxic ground, and you could come away feeling more exhausted than revitalised from your friendly exchanges.
Mercury in Leo is able to inspire confidence in the things he has to say. He is sure of himself and presents his ideas with conviction even if he hasn’t got his facts straight. Issues around our own personal creativity, what makes us special, affairs of the heart and our deepest joys will be addressed. As usual old friends may get in touch and during this period, it could be to do with a dramatic situation you left behind you. This retrograde period could bring children into the equation or bring the inner child out in you. Dare I say there is an element of immaturity which may surface.
From August 4th onwards, Mercury squares Jupiter, currently cruising through the mid-degrees of Scorpio. Buoyant Jupiter is bringing up a lot of deep, hidden and taboo issues and forcing us to look at the stuff we’d rather ignore. Jupiter in Scorpio brings his light influence to allow issues to rise from the bottom of the barrel he is currently scraping.
The depths of our collective unconscious are being brought to the fore, and Jupiter has us doing our dirty laundry in public! Think Kevin Spacey, Harvey Weinstein, the whole #MeToo movement and associated nasties which have surfaced since buoyant, bountiful Jupiter dipped into the underworld.
Not a good time to be “braggadocios”, words can be blown out of proportion, you may wish you could retract something you have said or done. Sentiments expressed now can be provocative, loaded with drama, and yielding transformational power during this time. Tapping into the deep, dark recesses of our minds and expressing the issues which have, until now, evaded the spotlight, this could be a time for cutting away some of the more challenging issues which weigh heavily on our minds.
During this time a subject which is difficult to broach, perhaps issues of a secretive or private nature could be brought out. Mercury in Leo can be faulted, even if he believes his statements are infallible. The misuse of power may be brought to the fore during this time with hypocrisy and injustice being addressed.
On the 5th, the Moon in Taurus completes a dynamic configuration which adds roots to the situation. This is a stubborn and immovable moon, emotionally it may be hard to penetrate and there is a sense that issues brought up will be counteracted with comfort-seeking behaviour.
There is an added sense of diplomacy with Taurus’ ruling planet Venus in understated Virgo, who is an analytical Mercury ruled sign. Having been in recent opposition to Neptune, relationships my have been facing some confusion, there could be delusion around an issue, and perhaps a shared dream may never reach beyond the realms of thought. Reaching a point of clarity, this could be the day of making sense, look back at recent events rationally and logic is available.
On the 7th Venus crosses the threshold into Libra where she is in rulership, so issues brought up by the retrograde motion of Mercury will be given freedom of expression. Intuition will be high during this period, accompanied by the The moon in Gemini allowing an opportunity for the difficulties to be expressed. This could be a time where an ultimatum or choice may be offered, and relationships definitely seem to be called to the fore; there could be serious difficulty in saying no to an offer which requires unreasonable compromise.
Neptune colours Mercury’s operation during this time lending artistic and poetic flare. Embellishing a story like golden thread being sewn into cobalt blue fabric, sometimes it feels better to believe the story rather than stare the truth in the face. Mercury doesn’t think clearly when Neptune is involved. Tangled in a spellbinding web of illusory tales, a sacrifice made could become apparent.
As the Sun moves closer to Mercury, expect clarity on the 9th of August. Mercury enters the heart of the Sun and is reborn with a new awareness. With the Sun in rulership in Leo, this is the moment where the heart and the mind come together for a moment of true clarity. Mercury in the royal sign of Leo will be crowned with knowledge which comes from the truth of the heart.
To draw a close on eclipse season, a partial solar eclipse at 18°Leo on the 11th August is in conjunction with Mercury retrograde. The psychic process of Mercury retrograde is echoed by the dark depths of the New Moon and the beginning of a deep and transformative life-cycle is seeded, unearthing a truly special gift over the next 18 months. Consider keeping a record of your thoughts and desires in a New Moon Wish List to see how this time unfolds for you.
Mars enters Earthy Capricorn on the 13th August which has a helpful and order-restoring trine from the Moon in Virgo on the same day. There will be a sense of practicality felt, planning will be more structured and it will be a welcome change from the recent heady analysis of events. Plans will be easier to ground, and things will begin to make sense, giving any pent up anger, or confusing thought processes somewhere to take root and manifest into a productive channel. It’s definitely a time for serious discussion.
An opportunity to restore equilibrium and discuss compromise or sacrifice in a fair and subjective manner arises on the 15th and 16th of August with diplomacy being the order of the day. This could be a great time to iron out any issues in a relationship, be it romantic or professional.
The Moon in Scorpio makes a conjunction with Mercury on the 17th of August, culminating in an emotional release from the murky depths. This is a profound and psychological mirror into the dark recesses of the psyche with a chance to release and reinvent how you feel. With the planet of long-view lifting the deeper issues at the same time Mercury enters a stationary position, it is as through time slows down to let the steam rise from the sewer. Justice, emotional freedom and the need for release are all possible at this time.
By the time Mercury enters direct motion on August 19th, the Moon in Sagittarius grants a free, footloose and philosophical vibe, preparing us for the future and releasing us from the chains of past.