By: Janette Dalgliesh – Confluence Daily is your daily news source for women in the know.
Between now and mid-January, you can probably bank on every astro article I write here to at least mention the upcoming Saturn-Pluto conjunction.
That’s because it’s forming the background context to everything else going on in the sky.
Rather than seeing the fast, transitory astro-magic of events like the Full Moon in Taurus, or the wonderful Mercury across the Sun happening in a couple of days as stand-alone events, we can view them as spotlights which highlight the bigger, slower events, and also bring the kind of wonder and delight which makes a longer, slower journey possible.
It’s Mercury across the Sun
Mercury regularly meets up with the Sun as they move along the path of the zodiac in our sky.
But every so often – 14 times this century, to be exact – Mercury’s path through our skies takes it directly between Earth and the Sun.
The planet becomes visible as a tiny black dot, silhouetted against the fiery majesty of our own star.
It’s happening in a couple of days (exact times below).
It’s fast, lasting only a few hours, and it’s potent.
It’s worth paying attention to this one.
Not only because the next one isn’t until 2032, but also for a couple of other reasons.
It’s Mercury Retrograde
We know it’s an invitation to rethink, to review our beliefs and assumptions.
Consider this.
If you absolutely KNOW something to be true, that means you have closed and locked the door firmly in the face of any other alternative.
But if you can accept (or better yet, embrace) the possibility that what you “know” is actually just a thought – then WOW!
Everything changes.
Your brain is open to possibility in new ways, which means it will allow you to perceive new possibilities that it previously wouldn’t bother showing.
You open the door to other alternatives, and you expand your horizons of possibility.
It’s Mercury in Scorpio
We know this means easier access than usual to our own unconscious.
Imagine cheeky trickster god Mercury, visiting the underworld realm of Pluto, where all that is most hidden and powerful is tucked away in dark corners.
He’s the only deity with the power to make this trip at will, and then return to the surface, which is why Mercury Rx in Scorpio is already so powerful.
But suddenly, for a few hours, Mercury becomes visible in daylight, as that little black dot passing across the face of the sun. (Obviously I don’t have to tell you NOT to look at the Sun during the Mercury transit! But check below for some ideas on how to watch this event safely **)
It’s as though Mercury takes one of those super bright LED lamps, and shines it deep into the farthest, darkest reaches of the underworld. And then he cracks open a little fissure, reaching from those underground depths right up into the daylight, making things both easier to see and easier to deal with.
Don’t be startled if you’re confronted with your own immense power.
Don’t be alarmed if you’re made aware of something painful from your past that’s ready to be resolved at last.
And don’t be surprised if some last bastions of old, outdated, clingy beliefs and thought habits come in to your awareness, to be challenged and changed.
Imagine you’re being invited to ask ‘is this “fact” about me or about my life really what I want?’
Don’t ask ‘is it true?’
Instead, ask ‘is it useful?’
Any actual incident in the past is not in dispute.
But the beliefs and thoughts we’ve carried, the opinions about ourselves or about the world, as a result of those incidents?
Unless they’re useful and supportive for whatever you’re aiming to create in the world, those beliefs and thoughts are worth questioning.
With this magic, you can decide that it’s easy.
Our beliefs will do anything in their power to convince us they are true.
ANYTHING!
Our identity is constructed out of our beliefs about ourselves, about our place in the world.
And our identity guides our brains by telling us what we’re capable of, how we operate in the world, and what’s possible for us.
And our brains – left to their own devices – guide our actions based on that unquestioned identity.
But you’re the boss of your brain, and you can change its opinions.
Can you see the connection here? It’s HUGE!
This Mercury Rx in Scorpio transit across the Sun is a superb opportunity to ask which, if any, of our solidly held beliefs might not be serving us – and change them.
This is fast and effective, so don’t be surprised if this time – perhaps unlike previous attempts – any painful emotions associated with this inner work pass more swiftly through you, and away.
And it’s Full Moon Taurus!
There’s a Full Moon in Taurus, following just behind the Mercury event. And that’s fabulous!
Ruled by Venus, this sign likes comfort, tangible results and sensory delight.
This beautiful moonlit energy can sweep in behind Mercury, to soothe and bless, to make things comfortable again, and to help us feel grounded back in our ordinary human lives, after what might be some big inner work.
Taurus is especially good for finding our feet via the literal physical body, especially when we can activate pleasure.
She helps ground us in the here and now, and finds the sweetest ways to relish life in all its messy, meaty glory.
She knows how to do indulgence, and if you’ve been doing some big work, that sense of indulgence is really good.
Anything we’ve been carrying that we’re now releasing is likely to have had some charge of judgement woven into it – not good enough, bad person, shame, anxiety, rage, whatever.
Taurus’s talent for indulgence means we can flow lots of nourishment and pampering and kindness towards our own selves.
This isn’t the dynamic where a pedicure is trying to substitute for deeper work and kinder self-talk.
Rather, this is a moment for physically expressing loving kindness to ourselves in order to mirror the kinder thoughts we have (hopefully) made possible with the help of the Mercury action.
First, I do some inner work that might involve journalling and tears and some strengthening of boundaries, or some forgiveness and reconciliation.
Second, I gift myself whatever my body yearns for after expending so much emotional and mental energy on that work, which might be sushi or a massage or a nap. And I relish it, in a guilt-free zone!
How to make the most of this amazing dynamic?
- Start by revisiting whatever it is you’re building in the lead-up to the Saturn-Pluto conjunction, so you can get yourself lined up energetically and emotionally. What about it excites you? What’s the purpose behind the thing you’re building? (And if you don’t know what I’m talking about, start here).
- Set an intention that the Mercury transit across the Sun will illuminate and support anything you need to change (and by the way – you’re NOT changing things because you’re broken, or there is something wrong with you! F*ck that sh*t all day long – you’re changing whatever things you think aren’t consistent with what you’re seeking to create next)
- Prep something Taurus-ey as your reward for doing the work (see the last step for details – and be prepared for the possibility you might end up actually wanting something different)
- If you can, set aside some time during the Mercury transit across the Sun to journal or meditate or go for a long walk or pray or fold laundry – whatever it is you do that helps you with transformational inner work. Be prepared for revelations, and be sure to leave any judgement of any kind at the door. If you feel you’ll need help with this, line up a compassionate witness (a Mercury transit buddy with whom you can share the experience, a coach, a therapist)
- If you can’t do this work DURING the Mercury transit, don’t panic – just do it as soon as you can afterwards.
- Reward and indulge yourself with something fabulous that brings you sensory delight. You can set this up beforehand (in fact, I recommend it) but you might find your body asks for something different. If so, follow that urge. Nourish her, soothe her, bless her, move her – whatever it is that she craves. And definitely hydrate her. If you’ve done any kind of releasing work, chances are your body will be releasing some crap as a result, so hydration is ALWAYS a good idea. Ask ‘what would my body relish right now?’ (I’m pretty sure for me it will be sushi. Because it usually is.)
As I’ve mentioned before, if you need support during this time of transformation and potential upheaval, seek out a good coach or therapist who understands the woo-woo and can lend a supportive hand.
** Watching the Mercury transit.
The transit will be visible in parts of North and South America, Europe and Africa (though sadly, not Australia!). You can check where to watch this magical event via the timeanddate website.
The usual lunar eclipse gear probably won’t cut it because Mercury is so small, but a keen amateur astronomer can probably create something that will work.
You might like to join me and take the easy route – watching it online. NASA’s dedicated eclipse page will have a live feed, so we astro geeks are well provided for!
Exact times (US Eastern timezone):
- 11 November, 7:36 AM Mercury begins transit across Sun
- 11 November, 1:04 PM Mercury ends transit across Sun
- 12 November, 8:34AM Full Moon in Taurus
GIF of Mercury crossing the Sun, courtesy of NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory
Janette Dalgliesh has a simple mission in life – to wreak more joy in the world. A keen student of astrology, brain science and Law of Attraction, she serves her people through astrology consults, coaching, teaching and writing. If you’d like Janette’s in-depth insights into your own unique astrological chart, you can find her via Facebook, or at her website Resonant Joy.
