Mercury makes all the aspects this week and because its transits last only a few days the effect may seem like our minds are flipping channels. During Mercury’s transit through Scorpio (October 9 to October 30) it quickly shifts focus from one archetypal energy to another as it forms major aspects to every planet beyond its orbit. This week it will successively contact the widely disparate energies of Neptune, Mars and Pluto, with the influence of one still lingering as the next one is accessed. Remaining in a neutral observer’s position as the week unfolds can mitigate a feeling of being thrown from pillar to post.
Mercury represents the electrical processes of the brain that codify what we perceive into our worldview. It is the archetype that gathers information, classifies it, forms generalizations and synthesizes. It creates symbols in the form of words, images or series of actions that help us process and understand the nature of our experiences. Through these processes we formulate our belief systems and rule sets we live by. In Scorpio, Mercury answers to its ruler Pluto, which is the archetype that amplifies the pure, naked truth about things. With Mercury here our every thought undergoes an authentication process. As the month progresses, we may feel compelled to become totally immersed in what we’re doing to see it more clearly. Under these conditions, it is natural for things to seem a little darker as we tread into areas we are not used to confronting fully. The aim is to acknowledge something we would rather avoid seeing. Only then can we successfully deal with it. The key is to take responsibility for our part in the situation without blaming anyone else. Breaking down our own resistance to seeing the essence of something may be painful or difficult in the beginning but the process becomes easier the more willing we are to face things truthfully. As we dig into the core of our issues, including others involved can also help to provide clarity on the role they are playing and the best way to approach them.
On October 19, Mercury forms a flowing trine to Neptune in Pisces. With both planets in water signs, the relaxed nature of this aspect can facilitate accessing our deeper feelings through imagery, dreams and non-linear thinking. Thoughts and words may form in poetic ways to connect mundane life to the greater power at work. Neptune in the sign it rules calls us to view what is happening at any given moment as part of an underlying Unity. It sets up experiences that dissolve the separating force of ego so we can experience the web of connections we have with others and with all of existence. Heeding this call opens us to tremendous feelings of universal love and compassion. The intensity of Mercury in Scorpio may require accessing the courage of Neptune in Pisces to withstand potentially overwhelming emotions that may come out of hiding during our authentication process.
Also on October 19, Mercury moves into a square with Mars in Aquarius. This tense aspect may interrupt our passionate Mercury/Neptune reverie with an immediate need to stand our ground. Mars in Aquarius archetypally requires independence and will challenge all our thoughts to be free of conditioning. Furthermore, it will drive us to act from our creative core in service to the greater good. Mercury square Mars can correlate to difficulty in seeing other points of view and can lead to aggressive or provocative speech to defend our positions. Scorpio and Aquarius both have a fixed quality, which isn’t great for seeing alternative routes or changing course midstream, but it has great stamina to focus on one thing as long as it takes to see it through.
Mercury in Scorpio’s intense investigative nature is strengthened when it forms a sextile to Pluto in Capricorn on October 22. The Mercury/Pluto planetary pair can be best understood by thinking of it in terms of depth psychology and a deep desire to know the mind. With Pluto in Capricorn, which focuses on the structures of life, knowing the mind translates into knowing the structures of thought and the origins of belief systems. The sextile alignment is not as challenging as a square so being driven to arrive at the essence of something can actually feel productive. In the process we may feel compelled to shed all that is false so the true nature of something can shine through. This Plutonic purging and purifying is often not pleasant but can lead to the discovery of our soul’s true needs.
Here’s the data for the major aspects this week (Pacific Time, rounded to the nearest whole degree unless otherwise noted).
October 19 – Mercury trine Neptune at 14°Scorpio/Pisces at 2:48 a.m.
October 19 – Mercury square Mars at 14°Scorpio/Aquarius at 10:23 a.m.
October 22 – Mercury sextile Pluto at 19°Scorpio/Capricorn at 12:11 p.m.
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