Mercury in the Underworld

Dear friends, 

Mercury, as of October 11th, has entered his shadow: that is, the patch of sky he’ll retrace in his retrograde next month. The Mercury-oriented situations we encounter now (secrets revealed, announcements made; any communications, tech, siblings) till Mercury’s retrograde station on October 31st, will continue to deepen and develop through the next seven weeks.

In mythology, Mercury is known as the Herald of the Gods; his job is to transmit information from point A to point B. He also moonlights as a psychopomp, traveling with the souls of the dead across the River Styx. None of the other Olympians can visit Hadestown.

In Scorpio (Mercury’s sign since October 3rd) he is heavily leaning into psychopomp mode: turning over rocks to see the grubs underneath, splashing through the primal, chthonic swamp of our collective psyche. And this time around, he will stay there for a goodly span of days.

Because of the upcoming retrograde, Mercury’s transit through Scorpio in 2019 is more than twice as long as it would be in a typical year. He won’t hop into frisky Sagittarius till December 9th.

These retrograde and Scorpio energies together combine to make a talkative God exceptionally silent. Where has human language been letting you down? What do you know in your bones, beyond words? 

If you’ve read Dante, you know that a descent into the underworld is not for the faint-hearted. The primal swamp is fruitful and abundant if you’re a turtle; but it’s not particularly cozy for creatures like us. You may find that you’re especially vulnerable, paranoid, private . . . or it may feel like you’re undergoing surgery without anesthesia. Stay in it! Stay present! You can do it! 

Pay attention to what bubbles to the surface in the coming weeks. In Jungian terms, a psychopomp is that which links the ego to the unconscious. What is your unconscious trying to tell you? What did Mercury discover in the sludge?

What I believe, is that it’s not an accident that this Mercury retrograde in Scorpio is striking just before a HUGE Saturn-Pluto aspect. This is the time when we gather our tools. We open an inquiry, so that we’ll have all the information we need when the time comes to spring into action on January 12th. 

This newsletter is a little dark, I know. But sometimes the darkness is important. Don’t worry, there’s a morning after.

Big hugs, 

Anne

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