Astrology: catching the winds

By:  Janette Dalgliesh – Confluence Daily is your daily news source for women in the know.

11-17 October 2020

Two big events coming up this week have the potential to catch the unwary.

But if you’re prepped up and ready to make the most of them, it will serve you well.

First up, our good friend Mercury Retrograde is back – woohoo!

Yes, I know this regular phenomenon is not everyone’s favourite. But IMHO it should be.

The messenger of the gods, Mercury rules all forms of communication: how we speak and listen and learn, our own thoughts and beliefs, and all kinds of systems and networks.

As this trickster god abruptly shifts perspective, appearing to travel backwards in our sky for a few weeks, it can feel like all those things are turned on their heads.

Traditional wisdom says it’s a good time to avoid buying network-oriented items such as cars and computers, and that’s not untrue. Though it’s a GREAT time to do your research – so if a car is on the horizon, have some fun doing test drives for now.

And of course, we know that the Beatles signed their first recording contract under Mercury Rx, and they did okay. I’ve no doubt that’s because they had Brian Epstein on board, and he would have read every single word at least a dozen times. So yes, by all means sign a contract during Mercury Rx if you need to – but do read the fine print!

This is Mercury in Scorpio, the sign associated with deep personal power and the process of transformation. 

Scorpio embraces what might be possible for us, if we’re willing to walk through the shadow zones of death and rebirth, letting go of our old less-powerful self. 

It is unafraid of the darker places in our own psyche, and Mercury here is an invitation to examine old deeply wired paradigms and beliefs we may always have taken for granted.

But wait – there’s more!

New Moon in Libra is a beautiful opportunity to activate this Venus-ruled sign, which values beauty, harmony, balance, grace and collaboration more than anything else.

As usual at the beginning of any new Lunar cycle, the question to ask is ‘what would I like to accomplish over the next few weeks?”

From New Moon through to Full Moon, we nourish the tender newborn seed as it germinates and grows. With Full Moon, we begin to celebrate the harvest, reap the rewards, until just before the next New Moon we release that cycle ready for the new.

With Mercury Rx running throughout this Lunar cycle, first in transformative Scorpio and then into gracious Libra, it’s a perfect opportunity to let Libra’s air-linked ability help you ‘see the other side of the story’ when it comes to your own thoughts.

Your brain holds many unquestioned beliefs about the world, about how it works, about who you are and who other people are.

Libra is expert at stepping back to a clear, intellectually curious perspective, where it’s possible there are other perspectives, other views.

Libra knows how to use her mind to understand what’s going on, how not to be overwhelmed by her emotions.

That stance becomes a powerful foundation for rewiring any old brain habits while Mercury is in Rx mode.

It also helps keep us on an even keel, especially if we do the deeper work which can stir up emotions.

Your brain carries an opinion about who you are. We call it your identity, or your self-concept.

Often, we carry elements of identity that we never even think to question – even if they’ve held us back for years and years.

The next few weeks will be a brilliant time to shift the old pieces of identity that don’t serve you.

It’s especially useful set against the backdrop of Mars in Aries (who is itching to DO something bold, fresh and new) and Jupiter sextile Neptune (the visionary lord of optimism, awakening the god of dreams, magic and mysticism).

Actions want to be taken.

The landscape is slippery and fluid and uncertain.

Your work with your own psyche, your own life, can help get you grounded – especially when you do it with loads of self-love and compassion.

This is not about changing because you’re broken and need fixing.

It’s about changing because what lies on the other side of change is glorious and wonderful and fun and immensely satisfying.

It’s an even more powerful iteration of you, the kind we get to on the other side of these changes.

It can be large and obvious.

It can also be small (yet still potent).

For example – today, it’s late afternoon and I’m still in my pyjamas. 

I love Pyjama Day because it feels so relaxed, even when I’m working. I love how it helps activate my creativity, linking to dreaming and possibility for me.

Sadly, my brain habitually sees PJ Day as evidence that I am someone who is fundamentally lazy and will never amount to anything. My brain has a fairly stinky opinion of me on PJ Day!

But then, I remember that the woman who taught me the value of Pyjama Day in the first place had great success in her political career. My brain never sees her as lazy or powerless. My brain sees her as having achieved wonderful things!

It reserves that unhelpful “lazy” identity for me. 

Hmmmm….

It’s time for me to change THAT one, so that when I do my PJ Day (usually once or twice a month), I can get the full benefit of it without that toxic brain chat. 

I’ll be changing it to something like “I love the way PJ Day is always a source of amazing success for me”.

Mercury Rx is a perfect time to do that work of rewiring the stuff my head. I’ll tackle that one, and some others that go deeper and have more unpleasant emotions attached to them.

I’m not afraid, because I’ve trained myself to walk into that work and keep my fear in check.

Here’s how you can make the most of this astro-weather:

• New Moon – create a ritual involving beauty (fresh flowers, adorning your space or your self, and perhaps a candle) and words (write in your journal, read poetry, make up a song). Point it towards increased clarity, tapping in to your own most unapologetic desire, and the Venus energy of self-focus
• Mercury Rx – ask ‘who do I want to be in 3 years’ time?’ and just notice the bullshit blah-blah that your brain comes up with. Common phrases might include “how will you ever … “ and “you can’t possibly …” and “you don’t know how to …”.  Those are all merely pieces of identity, and this is a brilliant time to change them. Imagine how that 3-year-future YOU would be thinking, and use that to create some alternative thoughts such as “I always figure things out in the end” and “I was born for this” and “I trust myself”. Practice those new thoughts on purpose, every day, twice a day throughout the Mercury Rx period.

I can’t guarantee it will all be smooth sailing. But I CAN guarantee that the winds over the next few weeks can take you to a whole new dimension of being, if you set your sails in just the right way for you.

Exact times (US Eastern timezone):

• 13 Oct, 9.05PM – Mercury turns Retrograde (Rx) at 11º Scorpio
• 16 Oct, 3.31PM – New Moon at 23º Libra 
• 27 Oct, 9.33PM – Mercury Rx enters Libra
• 3 Nov, 12.49PM – Mercury turns Direct at 25º Libra

Janette Dalgliesh helps rebel, progressive women create their big, world-changing dreams FAST (even if they don’t yet know all the details). She uses her unique blend of astrology and neuroscience-based coaching to support her international clientele — the poets, the politicians, the physicians and the creative entrepreneurs — so they can do work which makes a difference, makes great money, and makes their hearts sing.  Find Janette at her website, where you can get her eyes on your chart for individual astro-insights.