Mercury Retrograde in Leo + Cancer 2019

{Mercury Rx Astro Nidra is ready for you here}

July 7th 4:15pm Mercury stations Retrograde (Rx) at 4°28 Leo while the moon is void of course.

July 19th12:06am, Rx Mercury slides back into Cancer, just before the Sun moves into Leo

July 31st 8:58pm, shortly after the new moon in Leo Mercury stations direct

Mercury, the changing intellect takes only 88 days to travel around the sun, so we typically see three (sometimes four) Mercury Retrogrades a year. This is the only one this year in a fire sign, the rest of Mercury’s Rx journeys are in water signs. Mercury does dip back into Cancer during this Rx period so it'll stay true to it's water sign Rx mission for 2019.

Mercury is always within 28° of the sun since it’s orbit is so tight, meaning that you can trust that Mercury is always close to the sun either in the same sign or the one right before or right after. Mercury is also quite small, not much larger than our moon and can only ever been seen at sunset or sunrise, yet most often travels with the sun and is unseen. Primarily we get to ‘see’ Mercury through the undulations of our mind and we tend to see this through polarities (Gemini’s domain): are you creating or consuming? Or through what we do with all the details we take in (Virgo’s domain): Are you imitating or inventing? In a Gemini expression, Mercury is the ideation. In a Virgo expression, Mercury helps the idea take form.

{Mercury rules Gemini and Virgo, in case you're wondering what they have to do with this}

Mercury is the God of Wisdom, Mythologically associated with writing, speaking, learning, teaching, commerce, the powers of persuasion and the one who delivers the messages. Mercury also rules the Thyroid, the lungs, the voice box, the hands, the nervous system and the reflexes.

This particular Rx dance is interesting and I use the word DANCE intentionally. Watch the way these weave... and the themes showing up the Mercury Rx.

Leo is ruled by the Sun – masculine, animating life force, dramatic expression of the Heart and Soul of the person. The King of the Zodiac. The Ego, look at me force from within.

Cancer is ruled by the Moon – feminine, form giving aspect of life, nurturing, life giving, emotional waters of existence. The Divine Mother of the Zodiac. The caretaker, take care of me / I can take care of you force from within (sometimes co-dependant as the moon has no light or heat of it's own).

They are both needed, and the more harmonious the two are, the better for everyone. It’s like we’re being asked to get in right relationship with the Sacred Masculine and Divine Feminine within so vital life force can move up Shushumina Nadi / the spine to allow for quite the awakening experience.

Yet remember: Retrogrades aren’t as much a time to DO things, rather a time to allow yourself to BE and witness mental patterns and subconscious drivers.

Mercury starts in Leo, while the sun is in Cancer. Then Mercury weaves back into Cancer two days before the Sun moves into Leo. Mercury lives in the Second Chakra, the Sun in the Third Eye and the Moon in the crown. Imagine Mercury making a journey up the spine and dancing freedom through the third eye and the crown – what’s next? Liberation!

It’s also interesting to me that this dance of the sun and moon is happening during the eclipse season which is also a dance of the sun and the moon – in that case between Cancer and Capricorn. {Read more here}

Remember when a planet is Retrograde, it’s time for inner work and it’s all the “RE’s:” recalibrate, rework, renew, renewal, realign, redo, reconfigure, reorganize, repurpose, release, etc.

It’s also a time to revisit things we love and since it’s Leo and Cancer – first we go back to revisit creative projects and then revisit the way we nurture those things most dear to us.

We kick off Mercury Rx with Mercury conjunct Mars in Leo which could bring a little fiery intensity of it’s own. Mars lives in the 1st Chakra. Watch your reactions, how quick you are to want to speak up about something and if your argumentative side is being activated. Make like a crab and pull in so you’re not later unpacking something you wish you didn’t say.

Saturn is conjunct the South Node, while opposite the Sun conjunct the North Node of the moon. This is a time to really splice off all things expired in your life and prepare yourself to set forth on a new or more aligned path with your heart’s purpose. We’re going into the territory of Soul Memory with all these retrogrades, your work is to activate your inner sensing systems so you can FEEL the instructions arising from within.

We don’t have to look too far to see that the world is in crisis right now. Whether it’s atrocious acts against humanity or the accumulative abuse we have collectively waged against the earth, we are in need of radical changes of behaviors and beliefs. I believe that we all know the right thing to do deep in our hearts (Leo), but we have to unplug from the current collective consciousness to make these changes on a level that ignites real, lasting change.

One of the biggest Self Realizations I have made over the past decade but more significantly embodied over the past five years is what it means to regulate our own nervous system. With Mercury squaring off with Uranus, you can bet there will be events that suddenly activate your nervous system so you’ll have an opportunity to check in with your relationship to your nervous system. When I’m working with people, the first thing I’m watching for is if they are living inside their nervous system or if they are being bossed around by their nervous system, living outside of it.

When we are being bossed around by our nervous system, symptoms such as anxiety, nervousness, IBS, depression, insomnia, instability, jumpiness, ‘deer in headlight’ eyes, change is quite disruptive, a lack of trust in self, lack of presence, survival mode, etc are present.

When we are living inside our nervous system or capacity is vast, resilience is strong, learning is easy, presence is apparent, listening is natural, life is thriving, there is a general sense of being able to handle whatever life tosses at them, etc. For most people, living inside your nervous system is something you have to consciously develop through practice, presence and personal healing efforts. With little Self work or effort to heal, we naturally tend toward being bossed around by our nervous system which often leads to a healing crisis.

Using Mercury Retrograde periods to recalibrate our relationship with our nervous system is such a great use of this time (void of course moons too!). It’s a time of self-reflection and rectifications. It’s a time to say no to new projects and complete was has already begun. It’s a time to check in with the load that you’re carrying and unpacking what no longer needs to be carried.

One of the things we haven’t acknowledged yet is that last time we had a Mars and Uranus square, was the volcanos in Hawaii. These earthquakes are happening while Mars is on the other side of that square with Uranus and that square is exact on Thursday, July 11th, the same day as a fairly significant water trine between the moon in Scorpio, Neptune in Pisces and the sun / north node in Cancer.

I don’t think we’re done with these seismic communications yet, so we need to pull in, align with our nearest and dearest who we trust and make our plans. Establish home base, make sure your family (chosen or blood) knows where to meet. Not in a way to freak you out, but rather in a longer term ‘know your people’ way so that in any way disruptions occur, you know who you can trust, rely upon and who you’ve built your alliances with. It’s hitting home more significantly here in Southern California, yet I think all over the globe, having conversations with your people is key. Who are you building community with? This question has been asked again and again in the past couple year’s astrology. We’re coming to more significant astrological aspects globally that are going to continue to reinforce the importance of this question. This is a Mercury topic (Mercury rules Gemini who rules community). We can’t rely upon governmental, system and structures to guide us and take care of us. We have to be ready to take care of each other, starting by learning how to never abandon yourself under any circumstances.

Saturn Rx is sextile Neptune Rx for a good portion of this Mercury Rx asking us to allow for things to break down and build up in the name of working together. This means forgiveness, letting go of story and grudges, maintaining boundaries where necessary, yet moving past old fears and walls of protection where no longer necessary. It means listening to each other with empathy and understanding in a way that allows us to dissolve our differences while deciding on a new way of relating. Yet Jupiter square Neptune reminds us not to get over idealistic about it all and keep one foot grounded in reality.

With Chiron stationing Rx the very next day, we are sure to be given many opportunities to heal our inner wounds through this all.

And lastly, to address all the usual Mercury Retrograde hubbub:

Mercury Rx isn’t a time of disaster or something to fear. It’s an important time to work with, take pause and reconfigure your life to greater alignment. It’s a mental health break where certain things that need addressing are illuminated.

Leave more time for travel and adopt a relaxed attitude about potential delays or change of plans. Have mobile work ready to jump into if the schedule shifts or allow yourself to relax.

It’s a time for completions, so if anything that you’ve been working on comes to a completion, meaning that you have to sign a contract or make a purchase – just do your due diligence and double check that it’s what you want, check the return policy and save your receipts.

People from your past may resurface and that might be a good thing! I’m having a call with a creative partner and I couldn’t be more excited for the resurgence of creative energy into that partnership. It was never finished, nor is this a beginning. I would be foolish not to jump into that conversation because of the astrology.

It should be noted that people who have Mercury Rx in their Natal charts aren’t even subject to the same rules as the rest of us and there’s a decent chance that could be YOU! Until you know what Mercury is doing in your chart, you don’t really know how to work with it on a personal level anyway. So keep your panties on, chill out and sharpen your listening skills.

After all... look at the symbol for Mercury – those are little antennae’s on the top of that circle, your listening should be perking up right about now! Here' the link for the Mercury Rx Astro Nidra for full integration.