we have the last mercury retrograde of the year commencing right at the end of 2022 and carrying us into 2023. interestingly this mercury retrograde has echos of the last one in september- as that one began with a double opposition to jupiter in aries and ended with a double quincunx to eris. this one begins with a double square to eris and ends with a double quincunx to mars. the aries/mars/eris energy is fiery, dynamic and great for activism and Truth telling but it can also be aggressive, combative, violent, conflict oriented and even exacerbate war mentality interpersonally and globally.
at best this mercury retrograde can be used for questioning sacred cows. what are sacred cows? they are those things we don’t question and we just believe in and continue to adhere to in tradition, expectation, in our governments, religions and more. sacred cows are the things we are told ‘this is right or this is best’ and we just swallow it whole without digesting it and questioning it. this can be as simple as questioning ‘why do they put sugar in everything particularly if it’s inflammatory’ and as complex as asking where the current mythos on the planet- of war and domination that is reflected in the myths we project onto the stars- really came from. it can be easier to cut out sugar- but embedded mythos are a whole other animal. just because it takes a lot of effort to question and change myths that our various cultures and traditions have been embedded in and sourcing from for 5000 years does not mean it’s not worth doing.
we really need to reclaim the original essence of capricorn. today it has become about success, control, being a leader and commanding power. we have lopped off the tail of the sea goat and in doing so have disconnected him from his Source of power and success- the primordial waters of the Great Mother’s womb out of which he has come. only focusing on materialism – power, money, fame, success- has created a superficial culture. it’s all about the likes, it’s about capitalizing on every moment. capricorn without its sea goat imagery is stuck in a dry, arid landscape full of mountains and rocks and is in a drought- like much of the west coast.
capricorn needs his water- as water is the primordial Yin symbol and is a nod to the feminine essence of life found and carried in the Holy Grail. if you know your Grail myth you know that the Fisher King became wounded in the thigh or groin- a sexual symbol showing that his focus on winning, dominating, taking and raping has wounded him. as such the Grail can no longer fertilize the land- he is disconnected form his heart and from the sacred role of the masculine as protecter of the feminine not raper/taker of it. the feminine can be seen in women but the feminine is also seen in nature and the land, the elderly and children, the indigenous peoples- anything that is softer, more mystical, more innocent and receptive- is a representation of the feminine essence.
the shadow of capricorn as we know it today is cut off from this very essence- so we have King Arthur who turned away from the Goddess and turned toward a patriarchal God who saw magic, mystery and the Divine Feminine as something to deny, control, repress and/or kill. we have a mountain goat wandering the rocky craggy mountain devoid of the inspiration he used to Source from and cut off from the Mother that he came from. what a sad state of affairs.
mercury retrograde in capricorn can be a time to expose all the things that cut us off from this knowledge, this Truth, this connection to Source. it is a time to question all the patriarchal overlays we adhere to in our lives- men, women, non binary beings, elders and children. all of us are embedded in this patriarchal construct that invaded the earth 5000 years ago and took over like a weed. it’s not something that is inherent to earth beings, to nature or even to men- although it is called the Patriarchy. look at the devil card in the tarot- the devil lights the tail of the man and he looks to the woman as something to Source from, have sexual obsession with, take from. because the masculine principle is external in the form of the phalus it is easier for the masculine to get manipulated by external desire. the feminine principle is internal in the form of the womb- the way she gets manipulated is by that which enters her- the phallus. this is sexual symbolism but it’s also archetypal.
it’s not natural to either sex or essence to be stuck in a construct that is rigid, controlling, dominating, and cruel. the wheel of fortune is always turning- the seasons are always changing. something infiltrated earth that stopped this natural rhythm- that sought to bring STASIS and CONTROL to the essence of life that is always evolving, growing, dying, rebirthing, cycling and changing. the opposite of LIVE is EVIL- and the opposite of life force that is moving, living breathing is to STOP IT and bring it to a standstill and not allow it to change. we have been stuck in patriarchal constructs that have been stopping and taking our life force- and in the Age of Aquarius we are waking up to that and reclaiming our life force energy, our Divinity and our knowledge of Who We Really Are. it’s happening now and it is game changing.
back to mercury retrograde ;) mercury stations retrograde on 12/29 in a double square aspect to Eris- the Goddess of Discord and Chaos but also the Goddess of Activism and taking a stand. the double squares happen on 12/27 and 12/31 so the last 5 days of 2022 are POTENT. when mercury stations direct on 1/18/23 he does so in double quincunx to mars on 1/17 and 1/20 while mars is at standstill having just gone direct on 1/12. WOW.
mercury square eris is seeking to expose what is hidden behind the facade- the patriarchal constructs embedded in governments, big businesses, religions, traditions and more. mercury quincunx mars is bringing Truth to Light in a way that may be shocking and revealing. both of them do not make for peaceful, easy communications- so we want to watch out for being trigger happy, reactive and aggressive. but at the same time the aries/mars principle in its Highest is about taking a stand, defending and protecting the innocent and vulnerable, and being the Sacred Guardian of our Boundaries.
in the Grail Mythos the Divine Masculine is the protector of the Divine Feminine who bears the Grail. she gives birth to/carries the essence of life and he protects her as she carries that essence so she can be free to walk the earth unharmed (loosely quoting a Cherokee prophecy). the Divine Masculine does not take, kill, rape, or Source from the feminine. the Divine Masculine honors and protects the Divine Feminine. the external is a reflection of the internal, as below, so above.
luckily during mercury retrograde we also have mercury sextile neptune 3 times and trine uranus and the north node 3 times- bringing healing, inspiration, dreams, and guidance about what it is going to take for us to change the foundational structures, beliefs, traditions and attitudes that are the very things imprisoning our life force. this is personal and political, this is individual and collective.
we also have mercury square chiron three times and with chiron in aries- the same sign as eris and the sign of mars- it doubles down on the shadow/wounds of the masculine essence and energy on the planet and what needs healing. in order to heal we have to feel. anger and grief are equivalent to fire and water- the ultimate yang and ultimate yin elements. interestingly these two emotions nest in each other and also cover for each other. those of us who are always angry are typically cut off from our grief and are using our anger to rise above and escape fully feeling our pain and vulnerability. those of us who find it easy to cry and grieve but also collapse into them and get stuck there- can often find we are cut off from our anger. our anger would help us deal with what we are grieving, would help us set our sacred boundaries and say no to what harms us. these two are the yin and the yang of emotions. when anger is being used to wield the Sword of Truth it can change the world! when grief is being honored and fully felt it gets us in touch with the deepest Love. emotions are neutral- it’s what we do with them that informs if they are healing or wounding. this mercury retrograde is a great time to feel into where our personal growth edge might be and then grow a bit past it.
interestingly as mercury stations retrograde he does so conjunct venus- the mind and heart in Union- as they both head to square eris (venus squares eris on 12/29 the day of her conjunction with mercury and mercury’s station). the heart and the mind are seeking to break free from ties that bind. to break out of patriarchal conditioning we have to be willing to QUESTION EVERYTHING. the moment we have sacred cows we refuse to question is the moment we have allow ourselves to be trapped or manipulated. we can even question the Divine and God/Goddess All that Is! the true Divine Essence does not get mad or angry or have rage and revenge when you question Him/Her. just like a great teacher who you question and they get excited because you are THINKING FOR YOURSELF- the Divine does the same.
of course these questions need to come from the heart and Love and not from ego- there is a big difference. if you are questioning to dominate, to control, to topple the previous God and set yourself in the authoritarian place of the new God like Jupiter did to Saturn and Saturn did to Uranus- you are just continuing the patriarchal mythos. but if you are questioning to liberate and free- not just yourself but everyone else all together- if you are questioning from a place of deep Love for Truth – to liberate Sophia – this will not be just for yourself but will be for everyone. there’s a big difference- so make sure you feel into the essence to get to what is underneath your questions.
i leave you with the Star Sparks degrees and Sabian Symbols for both station degrees. there is some rich imagery and symbolism in these 4 so read them in full below. i always read these AFTER i write my lunar insight and the degree for the retrograde station blows me away. the star sparks talks about how we can take on the world of appearances and personalities and politics – and how from this surface standpoint we there to be in the limelight. this is the shadow of the capricorn frequency i spoke to above. the answer is to see through our own proud stature and pierce our own disguise- and then we can become an embodiment of a Greater Way of being and do the work which is critically needed if we are all to evolve from here. WOW!!! the station direct degree is a Mary Magdalene degree and is the OPPOSITE of the energy we need to pierce through spoken to in the first degree. this degree is about humble service, being the vessel with no ego attached to what comes through (this does not mean not having boundaries- you can have boundaries and not be egotistical).
you can read the rest below- they are powerful and worth reading and taking in <3
blessed descent of the Winged Messenger. may he along with Eris and Mars help us wield the Sword of Truth to cut away that which imprisons Radiant Life Force from flowing freely!
blessings…
~harmony
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STAR SPARKS
by ellias lonsdale
STATION RETROGRADE DEGREE
Capricorn 25 A woman wearing a mask made out of butterfly wings
We are visible creatures. As such, we are captured by the visual field. Everywhere we go, somebody is tracking us, stalking us, assessing who we are based upon how we seem, what impressions we give in an outer way.
If our driving purpose is sufficiently ruthless and stark, we can take the world of appearances, of personalities and politics, of semblance’s and images, and we can get on top of this scene and be the one who knows how to handle herself when all eyes are on her. In fact, she comes to life for the limelight, to only be there when it counts to be the public person’s representative.
She can take this very far. She can get away with the most outrageous poses. For she has this inward fiber of guts and presence of mind, that quality which often makes for greatness. And even when she falls short of that mark, she will impress, she will beguile, she will persuade, she will win.
There is another dimension that can be attained in this sphere. First, she must see through her own proud stature and pierce her own disguise. Then a different world dawns, one that diverges hugely from anything previously expressed.
She becomes the archetypal embodiment of a greater way of being. She is still disguised, still veiled, still a stranger, an outsider. But now her structures are here for a real purpose. She is doing the work which is critically needed if we are all to evolve from here.
Her special capacity is to do impossible tasks and to bridge seemingly forever polarized worlds. Nothing stops her. That peculiar charm is metamorphosed into utter self-composure of an authentic kind. She means business and it’s a greater business. The one we all benefit from.
STATION DIRECT DEGREE
Capricorn 9 A woman washes a man’s feet and dries them with her hair
The better part is to sense acutely where the true spirit is calling and to sense that call with a consummate self-abandon. It goes far beyond martyrdom and the psychological disturbance we have learned to shy away from in this direction. For this is the real and ultimate giving self over to the source, to the Master, to everything that is sacred and worth being intimately at one with, no matter what the cost.
The power of this stance is so great that it has to be humbling and sobering, understated on the outside and entirely lived out from deep within. We can’t get literal with this kind of thing. It is staggering in its wave of influence and impact and setting a tone and showing how it is meant to be done.
For we are chosen, solicited carefully to serve the highest from a clear true place inside. And we are able to fulfill this ultimate level as simply who we are and what we care about. We are closer here to the spirit realms than to outward humanity. And we bear this message, this pervasive symbolic ritual dynamism, best expressed as an embodied action of a simple kind.
What counts is to be selflessly yielded up to that which is the hope of the world and is something you can touch, feel, meet in the physical and in the ethers of the planet. It is to know the purpose of existence implicitly. It is to serve and to give, to sustain and to offer, just because that is who we really are inside.
When we do manifest the selfless self in daily life, we are starting a revolution. The very best part is that once you get to this place, you are able to be in any and every place, all-embracing, simply there.
SABIAN SYMBOLS
by dane rudhyar
PHASE 295 (CAPRICORN 25°): A STORE FILLED WITH PRECIOUS ORIENTAL RUGS.
KEYNOTE: The use of cultural and artistic processes as means to enhance personal comfort and appreciation.
Corning after the preceding symbol this one brings us back to the material, yet esthetic, aspect of the benefits a society can bring its members. A “rug” always implied to some extent something on which a person stands or sits. It is a foundation for cultural “under-standing,” and as such it can have a magical or sacred meaning, as in the case of prayer rugs. The “woman in a convent” probably knows only the bare floor, because her goal is one of transcendence, of surrendering comfort as well as cultural patterns. But to the social elite, or even to the oriental devotee praying to his god, society offers the relative comfort of beautiful rugs so he may meet the universe, not merely in terms of the support the natural soil gives, but protected by and securely established on the mental-spiritual as well as manual achievements of those who keep the cultural symbols alive.
This is the last symbol in the fifty-ninth five-fold sequence. It shows the beautiful products of dedicated and inspired group performance at the level of tradition. It emphasizes the value of RELIANCE ON TRADITION.
PHASE 279 (CAPRICORN 9°): AN ANGEL CARRYING A HARP.
KEYNOTE: The revelation of the spiritual meaning and purpose at the core of any life situation.
This picture simply says that “heaven is within us.” All we have to do is to be open and listen to the total harmony of life, a harmony in which we play a part that is necessary to the completeness and meaning of the whole. In order to do this we have to surrender our separative ego- consciousness and flow with the universal current which, to the religiously minded person, is the Will of God.
This is the fourth symbol of the series. The technique it implies is that of ATTUNEMENT to the rhythm of universal life. Angels are to be considered personalizations of various aspects of this life, and totally subservient to its rhythms and purposes.